For a less snarky, clearer, and more compelling discussion of the rights that correspond — necessarily — from the obligation to work, see John Paul II’s encyclical Laborem Exercens, or “On Human Labor.” Regular readers of this blog know that I’m a big fan of this encyclical, due mainly to the forceful logic of its secular argument. But I’ll also confess that I enjoy citing this sometimes because I like watching right-wing Catholics squirm. Here’s one pertinent part of John... Read more
Rights come with responsibilities, my conservative friends are always saying. And they’re right about that. And because they’re right about that, then they must also agree with me that responsibilities come with rights. If, for example, I am responsible for keeping the sidewalk in front of my house clear of snow in the winter, then I must also have the right to shovel that snow off of that sidewalk. It would make no sense to say that I was responsible... Read more
Tribulation Force, pp. 429-433 Rayford found it difficult to take in the incredible change in New Babylon since the first time he had visited following the treaty signing in Israel. He had to hand it to Carpathia and his sea of money. A lavish world capital had sprung up out of the ruins, and now it teemed with commerce, industry and transportation. I’m still not buying this. There’s no reason for the Antichrist to build a brand new city in... Read more
Hank Williams Jr. lost his job with ESPN recently after saying on a talk show that President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are “the enemy” and comparing them to “Hitler.” Williams, sometimes known as “Bocephus,” had a long-time gig singing before the Monday night NFL game every week. That gig is now over because the sports network reasonably decided that allowing an inflammatory idiot to Godwin the pregame show wasn’t the best way to get a national TV... Read more
Instead of voting on President Obama’s jobs bill last week — or on anything to address America’s ongoing jobs crisis — the House of Representatives voted to reaffirm that America’s official motto remains its official motto. Steve Benen notes that the president chided Congress for wasting time with a nonbinding symbolic vote to reaffirm a previous nonbinding symbolic vote: President Obama invoked God Wednesday as he criticized Congress for voting on commemorative coins and a resolution reaffirming “In God We... Read more
I noted the other day that I was glad to see Southern Baptist lobbyist Richard Land saying some reasonable things about immigration and commending a more civil approach to politics. “Instead of attacking the person,” Land said, “we deal with issues.” Kyle Mantyla of Right Wing Watch notes that: This would be the same Richard Land who said that Oprah is “unimaginably dangerous,” that the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell would bring “God’s judgment on our nation,” and that... Read more
Tommy Craggs: “The Stupid Moral Panic Over Mocking Tim Tebow; Or, What Would Jesus Do About Tebowing?“ Whenever Tim Tebow takes a knee on the field and thanks God, he is engaging in a very conscious act of moral grandstanding. I write that with no judgment whatsoever. Tebow is saying, “Look at me,” just as surely as Deion Sanders doing the pigeon wing in the end zone was saying, “Look at me.” He is saying, “Look at me and gaze... Read more
1 Timothy 6:3-10 Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy, dissension, slander, base suspicions, and wrangling among those who are depraved in mind and bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Of course, there is great gain... Read more
W. Scott Poole on “Praying to the Zombie Jesus: The Spirituality of Horror” You might assume that all of this zombie Jesus talk exists on the level of simplistic parody, barbs hurled at Christianity by its less-than-cultured despisers. You would be wrong. Zombie Jesus has provoked some serious spiritual and existential reflection. Laura Larson’s “The Business of Making Monsters” follows the same trajectory as Poole’s Monsters in America and arrives at a similar conclusion regarding our monstrous treatment of marginal... Read more
The state of Michigan has passed a new law saying that some forms of bullying are wrong. But for those in Michigan who believe that the God they worship is an Almighty Bully in the sky, and that this Bully-God requires them to bully others, Michigan says it’s perfectly legal and peachy-keen to keep tormenting others. Especially if those others are sexual or religious minorities. Just days after a cellphone video emerged showing a gay 15-year-old in Ohio being assaulted... Read more
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