“Was I wrong on the afterlife, as so many among the bien-pensant brayed for me to admit that I was wrong on Iraq? Plainly, no.” “To flounce … the professional flounce / To sigh … when the comments are cruel …” “You taught us to treat everybody fairly and as individuals, not to judge, that we’re all in this together, and God put us here to help each other out.” (via Shakesville) “The founders believed that because people were ignorant... Read more

I need to finish a non-blog writing project, so to help carve out the time for that, I’ll be taking a short break from our journey through Left Behind. That will resume next month, when we’ll begin on the third book in the series: Nicolae. (Spoiler: He’s the Antichrist. Spoiler two: The third book doesn’t get any better.) The unexpected surprise of Ashley Cleveland singing in the credits of the second Left Behind movie had me surfing YouTube for more... Read more

Let me quote the actual words of Luke 8:40-48, this time from the New Revised Standard Version: As he went, the crowds pressed in on him. Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years; and though she had spent all she had on physicians, no one could cure her. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his clothes, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who touched me?” When all... Read more

Luke 8:40-48 (Contemporary American Version) But as he went the people thronged him. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, “Who taxed me?” When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, “Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and... Read more

“Self-identified evangelicals in these two states are also much more likely than others to favor legal bans on interracial marriage: nearly one-fourth in Alabama, and one-third in Mississippi.” “Catrina was arrested at gun point, handcuffed, and hauled off to the LaSalle Parish Jail. A search of her home turned up no evidence of drug use or drug dealing.” “Read the story from the victim’s perspective. This is what defines the Christian imagination.” “You folks enjoy the rest of the show.”... Read more

“I come out of this … subculture …” Yep. And because of that, I’m looking forward to Blue Like Jazz, based on the book by Donald Miller and directed by Steve Taylor. Steve Taylor being the manic scarecrow figure hollering the song in the first video above. I’ve not seen his earlier feature film, but I’ve enjoyed several of the music videos he’s directed over the years, such as “Kiss Me,” “Smug” and “Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel... Read more

Frank Balsinger is not impressed with the exegetical skills of science-rejecting Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Inhofe. The senator cites the book of Genesis to suggest that it would be impossible for humans to alter the climate. Balsinger doesn’t claim to be an expert in biblical interpretation but he still easily demolishes Inhofe’s reading of the Bible and his weird attempt to apply that interpretation to climate science. I’m just going to focus on the fact that Sen. Inhofe was born... Read more

“There is no way to measure the loss for the families of the victims, no way to understand the harm done to peace process in the country and no way to calculate the additional deaths of Americans, Afghans and others from across the world this will likely cause. There is no way to know the full cost of war.” “The possession of nuclear weapons [is] a grave sin and … the proliferation of such weapons is senseless, destructive and dangerous.”... Read more