Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a stronghold on a day of trouble; he protects those who take refuge in him. (Note: Today would have been my mom’s 80th birthday. This was her favorite verse in the Bible.) Read more
Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a stronghold on a day of trouble; he protects those who take refuge in him. (Note: Today would have been my mom’s 80th birthday. This was her favorite verse in the Bible.) Read more
Paul Krugman: “How to End This Depression“ The truth is that recovery would be almost ridiculously easy to achieve: all we need is to reverse the austerity policies of the past couple of years and temporarily boost spending. Never mind all the talk of how we have a long-run problem that can’t have a short-run solution — this may sound sophisticated, but it isn’t. With a boost in spending, we could be back to more or less full employment faster... Read more
Not all of the Big Four carry equal weight. I’ve commended Jonathan Dudley’s excellent book, Broken Words, for his frank and insightful assessment of the four tribal markers that characterize the boundaries of American evangelicalism: abortion, homosexuality, evolution and environmentalism. Opposition to all four of those constitutes evangelical tribal identity. Such opposition need not be active or particularly outspoken. What’s important is the “stance” of opposition, to use the lingo of the tribe. That “stance” must be “firm.”* When someone... Read more
Reinhold Bieber. Yeah? You know who else believes in science? Guns don’t kill people. People with guns kill people. “Politics is weird. And creepy.” “If there’s a contest for most sympathetic plaintiff in a lawsuit opposing a state voter ID law, Pennsylvania’s Viviette Applewhite wins.” “Their landlords treat them in ways my landlords have never treated me.” “Complementarianism isn’t working — in marriages and in church leadership — because it’s not actually complementarianism; it’s patriarchy.” “The contention that [God]... Read more
David Sessions offers some interesting thoughts on the Rev. Billy Graham’s unusual decision to aggressively enter a partisan political dispute — “Why Moderate Billy Graham Supports North Carolina Gay Marriage Ban“: But what appears to be a departure for Graham actually illustrates an ongoing dilemma for evangelical Christians: the fact that they’ve realized they need to change their tone while remaining determined to hold on to the old message. There have been signs of progress: young evangelicals tend to despise... Read more
“Who is David Barton?” CNN’s Dan Gilgoff asks. And then Gilgoff refuses to answer his own question. Instead, Gilgoff retreats into a wretched, flaccid display of false-equivalence, view-from-nowhere, opinions-on-the-shape-of-earth-differ non-journalism. “Barton’s work has drawn many critics,” Gilgoff writes, in lieu of actual journalism. That’s a remarkable sentence. It’s like saying, “Bernie Madoff’s investment skills have drawn many critics.” Or, “Ty Cobb’s sportsmanship has drawn many critics.” Or, “Leroy Jenkins’ teamwork has drawn many critics.” Who is David Barton? David Barton... Read more
Spin the bottle, pick the victim … “Has Anybody Here Seen Hank?” The Waterboys “Has He Got a Friend for Me?” Maria McKee “Hate and War,” The Clash “Hateful,” The Clash “Haunted,” Evanescence “Haunted,” Shane MacGowan & Sinead O’Connor “Haunted,” Ramona Silver “Haunted,” Taylor Swift “Haunted Castle,” The Kingsmen “Have a Little Faith in Me,” Jewel “Have a Little Faith in Me,” John Hiatt “Have a Little Faith in Me,” Patty Larkin “Have to Drive,” Amanda Palmer “Have You Ever... Read more
During the previous civil rights era, those seeking moral guidance were far better served by turning to Harry Belafonte than by turning to the Rev. Billy Graham. For those seeking moral guidance today, Billy Graham remains a disappointment. You’re better off turning to Bob Mould and Jeff Tweedy (or to Laurelyn Dossettt or to whoever all these folks are). Billy Graham is 93 and has been in poor health. If someone else came along to do something this nasty to... Read more
“From now on all generations will call me blessed — I’m the one that’s cool.” “The Amish man’s name was Umry, or at least that’s what we called him. At some point in his life he had developed an affinity for the Browns.” “Thank you for affirming my preconceived notions on that subject.” (Also.) “I think we should all fight hard for what we believe in, but I’d like to put in a request for some general slack-cutting.” “Theodicy has... Read more
I am not a fan of having government officials proclaim a “National Day of Prayer.” If religious leaders want to proclaim such a day for their followers, that’s terrific — although Isaiah 58 ought to make them a bit cautious about the idea. That passage provides God’s sarcastic dismissal of such a proclamation. And, yes, Isaiah 58 presents itself as the verbatim words of God, and God’s words there are dripping with sarcasm. You people want to have a special... Read more
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