Smart people saying smart things

Last updated on: March 3, 2013 at 10:06 pm By Fred Clark

Libby Anne on chivalry and the weird notion of basing common decency on gender; Sorabji Swaraj watches evangelicals mull immigration reform -- and immigrants like him; Dean Baker points out that we can fix the deficit by fixing the economy, but we cannot fix the economy by fixing the deficit; Matt Yglesias says Steven Brill's big piece on health care costs points to just two policy solutions; and Jessica Mason Pieklo notes that companies, unlike their owners, cannot have religious values. Read more

‘Luckily, this is not difficult’

Last updated on: March 3, 2013 at 3:03 pm By Fred Clark

Some weekend links on how self-destructive it is for the church to be working with one half tied behind its back, and on the culture that blames women for the choices of men just as it blames Bathsheba for the choices of David. Read more

Sunday favorites

Last updated on: March 2, 2013 at 3:53 pm By Fred Clark

2 Corinthians 4:7-12: "But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you." Read more

6 years ago: Michael Medved hates Catholics

Last updated on: March 2, 2013 at 4:02 pm By Fred Clark

We civil libertarians and Baptists view both the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment as necessary for the protection of religious liberty. We view these clauses as complementary. We believe that the establishment of a state-sponsored, official, privileged religion would disastrously, and unconstitutionally, prohibit the free exercise of religion. Read more

Tim LaHaye pans script for ‘Left Behind’ reboot

Last updated on: March 3, 2013 at 12:07 am By Fred Clark

"It's probably the worst script I've ever read," Tim LaHaye said of the new "Left Behind" movie. "And I've read scores of them. ... The plot line is nothing like the book. The only thing they retain are the names of the people, and maybe places," LaHaye added. Read more

Saturday salmagundi

Last updated on: March 2, 2013 at 11:46 am By Fred Clark

Leftover links from the week that was, including: the squeaky frog that freaks out dogs; David Barton and Louis L'Amour; the immorality of reclining seats; a sea monster in Jersey; "Gay Teen Worried He Might Be Christian" (from The Onion); Pro-lifers for disease (not from The Onion); a "prosperity gospel" preacher in foreclosure; and a couple of carnivals. Read more

Lay your burden down, God is not a jerk

Last updated on: March 2, 2013 at 1:32 am By Fred Clark

That burden, that discomfiting sense that religion and goodness are at odds, is something I've seen dozens of Christians wrestling with when it comes to the simple justice of marriage equality. Their instinct, their conscience, their sense of fairness and rightness all compel them to support equality, but religion stands in the way. Religion says there's a rule, a text, a verse, a passage, some words on a page somewhere -- and that those words trump your conscience, your sense of fairness, your desire to be kind, and just, and loving to your neighbors. Read more

NRA: Like there’s no tomorrow

Last updated on: March 1, 2013 at 8:50 pm By Fred Clark

This vast new pool of oil isn't necessary in the world of this story. For Nicolae Carpathia, energy scarcity is no longer a problem. Time scarcity has replaced it. If the world has 30 years' worth of oil left, but only five years' worth of years left, then for all intents and purposes, the world now has an infinite supply of oil. Read more

Sede vacante: Groupon and the Vatican

Last updated on: March 1, 2013 at 11:20 am By Fred Clark

The internal memo from former Groupon CEO Andrew Mason seems timely, considering that today marks the first full day of another prominent CEO's resignation. That other chief executive is no longer on Twitter, but if he wants to send out one final email to his employees, he might use Mason's final message as a template, coming up with something like this. ... Read more