In a comment on my previous post, Patrick mentioned that maybe I was a libertarian, and pointed out this blog entry from Andrew Sullivan on the difference between “secularism” and “Christianism” (basically saying that secularism is a fine and grand tradition that is about freedom, not persecution, therefore not an enemy of Christianity at […]

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This has been quoted all over the place, but I just ran across it. It makes me nostalgic for intellectual, secular conservatism. It’s a perspective from a wholly other “George W” …
George Will in Newsweek, May 2005:
The Oddness of Everything - Newsweek Columnists - MSNBC.com
the greatest threat to civility—and ultimately to civilization—is an excess of […]

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People should be made to take a test on the US Constitution before they can serve in any government post.
Karen Hughes, W’s whitebread image-stylist, is quoted at the Guardian:
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Bin Laden’s little helper
“Many people around the world do not understand the important role that faith plays in Americans’ lives,” […]

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I went to college in South Carolina, not very far from the old PTL/Heritage USA complex. I never went, but had friends who did as a sort of anthropological excursion. I imagine a number of other students went with no sense of irony whatsoever.
One professor at my college had an idea he was studying: […]

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It’s worth doing a little reminding of the major roots of what has become pop-mainstream Protestant culture in the US. Once again, Wikipedia rises to the challenge.
Dispensationalism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dispensationalism is criticized for other reasons. It teaches that Christians should not expect spiritual good from earthly governments, and should expect social conditions to […]

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Just saw this editorial reprinted at Common Dreams: Who’s Taking Blame for Christian Violence?
How do our current religious leaders think Jesus would react to the concept of collateral damage?
I’d love to see somebody ask that question in a press conference.

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Rick “Burn the Witch” Santorum shows his poor grasp on reality, morality, and basic logic.
Catholic Online - Featured Today - Fishers of Men
Priests, like all of us, are affected by culture. When the culture is sick, every element in it becomes infected. While it is no excuse for this scandal, it is no surprise that […]

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My daughter and I listened to Hitchhiker’s Guide and some of Restaurant, read by Douglas Adams, on our car trip this week. It made me think a lot about who this guy was and what genius he had at explaining perspective, relative meaning, etc.
In the current climate of “intelligent design” claptrap, I thought this a […]

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Edited to Add on 7/19/05: Evidently the etymology of “Easter” is more complicated than what I assumed in my title (see Wikipedia on Easter, but the article below is still an interesting read. (i.e. I’m pointing this out more because of the title I used for this post than because of the article below)
Guardian […]

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United Church of Christ News Release: Still Speaking Ad Campaign Launch
According to a written explanation from CBS, the United Church of Christ is being denied network access because its ad implies acceptance of gay and lesbian couples — among other minority constituencies — and is, therefore, too “controversial.”

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HARPER: “In your experience of the world, how do people change?”
MORMON MOTHER: “Well it has something to do with God so it’s not very nice. God splits the skin with a jagged thumbnail from throat to belly and plunges a huge filthy hand in, he grabs hold of your body tubes and they slip to […]

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Madeleine L’Engle interviewed on MSNBC. MSNBC - “I Dare You”
“I sometimes think God is a s–tóand he wouldnít be worth it otherwise. Heís much more interesting when heís a s–t.”

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