It’s been several days and I’m still a bit gobsmacked by the perverse audacity of Herman Cain’s oddly lovely rendition of “He Looked Beyond My Faults.” Cain is the frontrunner in a Republican presidential primary characterized above all by the opposite impulse from what that song is about. Amazing grace shall always be my song of praise, for it was grace that brought me liberty; I do not know just why He came to love me so, He looked beyond... Read more
The Atlantic’s Molly Ball reports, “Religious Right Still Lacking a Champion in 2012 Field.” Ball attended a public discussion between Sojourners’ Jim Wallis, a standard-bearer for progressive evangelicals, and Richard Land, the conservative head of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. It’s somewhat encouraging to hear Land criticizing the Republican primary field for their one-upmanship in scapegoating Sooners: Richard Land, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, said the GOP candidates’ tough... Read more
“If it’s what I think it is,” said Lenore, “it’s a sort of joke. A what do you call it. An antinomy.” “An antinomy?” Lenore nodded. “Gramma really likes antinomies. I think this guy here,” looking down at the drawing on the back of the label, “is the barber who shaves all and only those who do not shave themselves.” Mr. Bloemker looked at her. “A barber?” “The big killer question,” Lenore said to the sheet of paper, “is supposed... Read more
I finally figured out who it is that “complementarian” Seattle preacher Mark Driscoll reminds me of. Because it’s not going to stop ’til you wise up. Read more
In other church-state news yesterday, the House of Representatives voted 396-9 to reaffirm that America’s “national motto” is still our national motto. That motto, officially adopted in 1956, is “In God We Trust.” It replaced what had been up until then America’s unofficial motto of “E pluribus unum.” Replacing an affirmation of unity amidst diversity with an expression of sectarian faith is, generally speaking, not a Good Thing.* But this symbolic step backwards, redundantly reaffirmed last night by the House... Read more
Ed Brayton flagged this article reporting on one of the dumbest legal arguments ever put forward by advocates of privilege for majority religions: “Giles School Board’s lawsuit defense: Somebody else hung Ten Commandments.” When the [Giles County, Va., school board] voted 3-2 to allow an exhibit of the Ten Commandments and historical documents in county schools, it did so with the understanding that a private citizen would actually put up the display, attorneys for the board argued in court papers... Read more
Charlie Pierce has lost all patience with David Brooks’ shtick. That’s an amusing rant, if you like that sort of thing (I do, and Pierce is really good at it), but I’m just going to use it as an excuse to repost part of my own David Brooks rant, explaining why his book Bobos in Paradise — which was often quite fun — led me to read everything he writes with great suspicion. Bobos, published in 2000, begins with Brooks... Read more
Doug Curlee of The Santee (Calif.) Patch brings us the story of what every manufactured-home owner fears: a sudden increase in the rent they pay on the land beneath their homes. Happily, for now, the City of Santee has a Manufactured Home Fair Practices Commission, and that commission voted to enforce fair practices. But as Curlee notes, this victory for residents is no guarantee of their future security: “Santee Mobile Home Owners Win the Rent-Control Battle — But Not the... Read more
Tribulation Force, pp. 428-430 Buck and Chloe had settled in Buck’s beautiful Fifth Avenue penthouse, but any joy normal newlyweds might have received from a place like that was lost on them. Let me first express my relief and gratitude that we readers are spared any account of the joy of normal newlyweds. Just a few pages ago, Buck Williams and Chloe Steele were both chaste virgins and now, presumably, they are not, but the less said about that the... Read more
Herman Cain: Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks — if you don’t have a job and you are not rich, blame yourself! … It is a person’s fault if they fail. Dottie Rambo: He looked beyond my faults and saw my need. It seems impossible — or at best audaciously hypocritical — to proclaim both that first statement and the second one. But I’ll give him this: The guy can sing. Read more
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