President Barack Obama was asked about the slaying of Trayvon Martin today during an unrelated press conference. Obama chose his words carefully due to the ongoing Justice Department investigation, but he concluded by saying this: My main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon. And I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and that... Read more
Things change. I change. You change. Seasons change. Fortune changes. And theology changes. Some changes are for the better. Some changes are for the worse. Many changes don’t fit neatly into classifications of “better” or “worse.” But for better or worse or neither, change is a constant. In two recent posts here on the subject of American evangelicals and abortion, I have noted that the current stance of zealous condemnation of abortion reflects a big change. (See: “The ‘biblical view’... Read more
After all this time to find we’re just like all the rest … “Back 2 Good,” Matchbox Twenty “The Back Door to Heaven,” Aztec Camera “Back in the USSR,” The Beatles “Back in Your Head,” Tegan & Sara “The Back of Your Hand,” Dwight Yoakam “Back of Your Head,” Julie Miller “Back on Board,” Aztec Camera “Back on the Chain Gang,” The Pretenders “Back to Back,” The Replacements “Back to Brooklyn,” Unlikely Cowboy “Back to Earth,” Willie Nelson “Back to... Read more
“Attention all GSBC members and friends of GSBC, it has been requested that you remove from Facebook and/or any other public site, any video showing footage from the Sunday Evening service of March 18, 2012.” “The irony, of course, is that few Christians actually do any of this.” “My objection to so many of these profiled [Doomsday Preppers] is that they are preparing to fend off their neighbors, not help them.” “What matters is whether the five conservative justices are... Read more
Remember Junias? He was the imaginary male apostle with the unique and implausible name. “Junias” was invented by patriarchal Bible translators and inserted into the text of scripture because those translators didn’t like what the text actually said. The text in question, Romans 16:7, says: Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Junia is a woman’s name and it just wouldn’t... Read more
Ed Darrell shared this video of Alfre Woodard channeling Sojourner Truth: Terrific presentation of an amazing speech. Happy to hear that Woodard will be playing Ouiser in an upcoming production of Steel Magnolias, where she’ll be joined in the cast by Queen Latifah, Phylicia Rashad, Condola Rashad, Jill Scott and Adepero Oduye. Cool. Speaking of great performances, if you haven’t yet seen it, be sure not to miss 8, Dustin Lance Black’s play about the U.S. District Court case on... Read more
This is my first March in many years in which I didn’t work in a newsroom, so I’ve been out of the loop as far as March Madness goes. As a result, I neglected to remind everyone of Consumerist’s annual March Madness ritual — voting on the Worst Company in America. Here’s the Sweet 16. Also from Consumerist, Chris Morran asks “Who Is to Blame When Car Dealer Sells $62K Nissan to Man With Dementia?” A woman in California has... Read more
“Former Rep. Mark Neumann, R-Wis., has learned the hard way not to bring a pig to a news conference.” “If God made humans from dust, then why is there still dust?” “And I was still the same person,” Les says. “More so. More like the fun person I remembered from 30-odd years ago,” Scott says. “I hope that by meeting our kids you can understand the pain and anguish you help to cause.” “The point being, the lesson of the... Read more
Karoli at Crooks & Liars points us to this story — “Fox News Lies; An Elderly Woman Dies.” Tracy Knauss posted this on Facebook: Fox News killed my precious mother, Hallie. She watched FOX religiously. And when she fell ten days before she died, she refused to go to the doctor because, “I don’t want Obamacare to get all of my information! she declared, recalling the warnings from Fox News “anchors.” She was emphatic. She was not going to consort... Read more
Michelle Alexander: “Go to Trial: Crash the Justice System“ “What would happen if we organized thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people charged with crimes to refuse to play the game, to refuse to plea out? What if they all insisted on their Sixth Amendment right to trial? Couldn’t we bring the whole system to a halt just like that?” … The Bill of Rights guarantees the accused basic safeguards, including the right to be informed of charges against them,... Read more
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