Christian Piatt discusses “The Fallacy of Statements of Faith“: A while back, I was applying for an editing job with a fairly prominent Christian media company, and in the application process, I was asked to sign a statement of faith. For those unfamiliar, this is a list of things that the organization in question claims to believe, and they ask all who are interested in being a part of it to sign their name, claiming their personal agreement with and... Read more
Michael-in-Norfolk posted this graphic from Neil Patrick Harris’ appearance on The Colbert Report. Michael writes: If people find out that we LGBT individuals are basically just like them, that we have similar hopes and dreams and, God forbid, that we have normal functioning families, the Christianist anti-gay jihad falls apart. … It’s easy to hate and oppose something/someone unknown. It’s far harder when the targets of hate are one’s friends, neighbors and family members. This, I believe, is a huge... Read more
Here are three things I noticed during my day of jury duty last week: 1. It’s a hassle to have to skip two days of work to spend that time instead sitting around in a courthouse. For some people, it means losing two days of hourly pay. For others, it means falling behind at work and needing to work harder to catch up when they get back. 2. Much of jury duty consists of sitting around for hours waiting to... Read more
“AGENT: …That’s a hell of an act. What do you call it? DAVID BROOKS: The Aristocrats!“ “The goal, it seems, was to conduct a long-running, serialized public satire on the role of wealth in a materialistic, media saturated society.” “As a local GOP official after President Obama’s election, I had a front-row seat as it became infected by a dangerous and virulent form of political rabies.” “Once Washington was a happy place where a girl and her mother could be... Read more
At Reuters, the story of Dominick Brocato, 58, who was laid off in 2010: I would say between April and August I probably had 45 to 50 different meetings that I would just initiate on my own, asking someone, “Can we just go have coffee, or just go to lunch?” So they’d get to know me and hopefully, if they remembered, they’d say, “Hey, Dominick, I met with him. He may be someone you want to talk to…” I spent... Read more
It’s late June, but candy canes are in the news. The U.S. Supreme Court last week let stand a lower appeals court ruling in the “Christian candy cane” case. That’s the nickname given to Morgan v. Swanson, a case involving the Plano Independent School District and the parents of a child instructed to proselytize his classmates by passing out evangelistic tracts about candy canes. Chris Lisee has a good summary of the case, which involves the fascinating intersection of several... Read more
“I’m flattered that you’re all so concerned about my vagina.” “If I can’t say the word vagina, why are we legislating vaginas?” “At least nine female legislators, Vagina Monologues author Eve Ensler and actresses from across the state will be assembling to perform Ensler’s play on Monday, June 18, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the steps of the state capitol in Lansing.” “Vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina, vagina,vagina, VAGINA!!!!!!!” “This is my vagina. There are many like it, but... Read more
Andi Cumbo raises a good topic for discussion for Father’s Day: Maybe it’s just what I choose to read, but it seems to me that I’ve not read many books with father figures I just adore. Mothers, yes – Kate Murry from A Wrinkle in Time, Lamott’s Operating Instructions, Mrs. Mularkey in Firefly Lane. Not perfect mothers, of course, but mothers I appreciate and respect. For the life of me, on this Father’s Day, I’m really having trouble pulling up... Read more
Matthew Blake Williams: “Why gays are going to save the church“ Actually, it’s really not that hard to say why I devote myself to a Church that doesn’t seem to want me around. I do it because I get it. I get what Jesus was trying to do. I get it better than most, because I need it more than most. That might sound arrogant to you. That’s okay. For those of us who are gay and have come to... Read more
Psalm 10 Why, O Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor— let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord. In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, ‘God will not seek it out’; all their thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’ Their ways... Read more
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