Shaking hands with the devil

September 30, 2008 By Fred Clark

I want to revisit the Associated Press article on Pulpit Freedom Sunday that I linked to yesterday. The article, by Dinesh Ramde, was headlined, “Wis. pastor shares his plan to vote for McCain,” and it concluded with a jaw-dropping, horrifying statement from Pastor Luke Emrich of New Life Church in West Bend, Wis. Emrich was one of the 33 pastors participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday. Those pastors, conservative evangelicals, unsurprisingly endorsed the McCain-Palin ticket, and they did so on the... Read more

Zedekiah Sunday

September 29, 2008 By Fred Clark

Yesterday was “Pulpit Freedom Sunday,” a publicity stunt coordinated by the Persecuted Hegemon Legal Defense Fund, also known as the Alliance Defense Fund. The ADF began as a cooperative program launched by several of the leading members of the religious right, including James Dobson and Pat Robertson. It’s two-part mission is to: 1) Raise lots and lots of direct-mail money by telling scary stories about the ACLU and convincing gullible Christians that their donations are the only thing stopping mass... Read more

She doesn't care

September 28, 2008 By Fred Clark

One of the clearest and most concise explanations of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown that I’ve found is a special report that This American Life produced back in May called “The Giant Pool of Money.” You can download a podcast of that report from the show’s online radio archive. If you’re unclear as to what exactly happened and how and why, or if you just want a wryly engaging refresher on the subject, I recommend that you give it a listen.... Read more

Time, Time, Time

September 26, 2008 By Fred Clark

Are those dreams or are those prayers? … “Time,” Phil Keaggy “Time,” T-Bone Burnett “Time,” Tom Waits “Time,” Tori Amos “Time After Time,” Allison Crowe “Time After Time,” Chet Baker “Time After Time,” Cyndi Lauper “Time After Time,” Willie Nelson “Time and Time Again,” Counting Crows “Time Is a Healer,” Eva Cassidy “Time Is Tight,” Booker T. & the MGs “Time to Begin Again,” Billy Crockett “Time to Get It On,” WNOC “Time to Goof Off,” Terry Taylor “Time Will... Read more

Manuel: Mets 'suspending' pennant race

September 25, 2008 By Fred Clark

NEW YORK — Mets manager Jerry Manuel announced Wednesday night that, due to the urgency and gravity of the financial crisis on Wall Street, the New York Mets will be suspending their pennant race. “This is just too important,” Manuel said. “It’s time to put country first.” It’s unclear what “suspending” even means in this context, but Manuel hinted that it would likely include not playing the four games remaining on the team’s schedule. Manuel called on the Milwaukee Brewers... Read more

How not to apply for a grant

September 24, 2008 By Fred Clark

I’m not usually in a position to say that I have more experience, knowledge and know-how than Ben Bernanke, but he really should’ve talked to somebody like me before heading to Capitol Hill yesterday to help Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson present a three-page memo asking for $700,000,000,000 of the public’s money. Three pages. Seriously: Under questioning by the Senate banking committee, treasury secretary Henry Paulson clashed repeatedly with congressmen as he admitted that he had only a rough idea of... Read more

Panic, therefore, panic!

September 23, 2008 By Fred Clark

When in the course of human events a purportedly democratic official demands that the people give him $700,000,000,000 — no strings attached, by week’s end, or else — then the duly elected representatives of the people have one and only one responsible response: Say "No." Better yet, say "Hell no." $700 billion. Seven hundred billion dollars. Dollar sign, seven, 11 zeroes. Seven. Hundred. Billion. You could never count to 700,000,000,000. You could never count to 700,000,000,000 by thousands. If you... Read more

L.B.: Freeze frame, roll credits

September 19, 2008 By Fred Clark

Left Behind, pp. 467-468 Buck Williams carefully plans the book’s final phone call: Buck couldn’t wait to talk to his friends in Illinois, but he didn’t want to call from his office or his apartment, and he didn’t know for sure whether his cellular phone was safe. He packed his stuff and took a cab to the airport, asking the cabbie to stop at a pay phone a mile outside the terminal. One last phone call, one last NY-to-Chicago flight.... Read more

Satellite to Satisfy You

September 19, 2008 By Fred Clark

How many times have you heard someone say … “Satellite,” Echo and the Bunnymen “Satellite,” Elvis Costello “Satellite Beach,” Peter Case “Satellite of Love,” U2 “Satellite Sky,” Mark Heard “Satellites,” Rickie Lee Jones “Satellites Lost,” The Delays “Satisfaction,” Cat Power “Satisfied Mind,” Lucinda Williams “Satisfy You,” Cracker Read more

Who would Jesus torture?

September 17, 2008 By Fred Clark

Speaking of Dave Gushee, I’ve been trying, and failing, to come up with something encouraging or insightful or charitable to say about the results of a poll commissioned, in part, by his group, Evangelicals for Human Rights. Polls show support for torture among Southern evangelicals: <blockquote< A new poll finds that nearly six in 10 white Southern evangelicals believe torture is justified, but their views can shift when they consider the Christian principle of the golden rule. The poll released... Read more