Politics Daily: Glenn Beck Urges Listeners to Leave Churches That Preach Social Justice.
“Communists are on the left, and the Nazis are on the right. That’s what people say. But they both subscribe to one philosophy, and they flew one banner ...” Is it a coincidence that when you Google “Jesus social justice” you get a load of Catholic sites? Curious.
Lightly Buzzed: James Cameron Discusses Na’vi Boobs.
So now you know. As if you weren’t already going to Hell with your shoes on backwards for enjoying the film.
NY Times: Are There Secular Reasons?
“It is not, Smith tells us, that secular reason can’t do the job (of identifying ultimate meanings and values) we need religion to do; it’s worse; secular reason can’t do its own self-assigned job — of describing the world in ways that allow us to move forward in our projects — without importing, but not acknowledging, the very perspectives it pushes away in disdain.” Time you recommend that you read ”The Closing of the Western Mind” again.
LA Times: ‘Avenue Q’ puppet too busty for Colorado Springs.
“Lucy, one of the puppet stars of the risque Broadway show ‘Avenue Q,’ won’t get the same exposure in the conservative bastion of Colorado Springs, Colo., where her ample — if also pink and fuzzy — endowment has proved too much for a billboard company.” Colorado Springs, as I’ve mentioned before, has become a bizarre place.
NY Times Magazine: How Christian Were the Founders?
Of all places, Texas would be about my last choice to set schoolbook texts.
Job posting on Santa Fe Craig’s list:
Looking for an exorcist. Thanks, Will D!
ars technica: Tweevangelization.
Pope: priests should blog, tweet the gospel too.
NewWest.Net: Culture clash, unresolved.
A White Girl Embraces Mexican Culture in “Gringa”. “Hart pursues her interest in Mexican-American culture with abandon throughout her childhood and young adulthood, befriending Latinos and hanging out at their houses and parties, and finding a Mexican-American boyfriend when she is in college. They move in together and date for over a year before Hart realizes the relationship isn’t working — he’s uneducated and his family enforces strict gender roles, segregating women from men at gatherings.” Can’t be a ‘60’s bohemian with those constraints. Next book, perhaps we’ll find out the conclusion?
ABC News: Filed in the “just plain bizarre’ category …
U.S. Military Weapons Inscribed With Secret ‘Jesus’ Bible Codes. I don’t think he actually said ‘turn the other cheek so I can shoot it.’
Ghost in the Machine: For MLK Day, can’t do better than this.
National Geographic Magazine: How on earth do they afford it?
BBC: So it was Al-Qaeda?
Al-Qaeda claims Christmas Day US flight bomb plot. “The accused, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, had co-ordinated the plot with members of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, said the statement, according to US monitor SITE Intelligence. Officials said at the weekend that the 23-year-old had told US investigators al-Qaeda operatives in Yemen had supplied him with the bomb and trained him in how to detonate it.” The government’s paranoia over this is perfectly understandable. There are some problems here, that absolutely must be itching our intelligence services. For instance, why Detroit, of all godforsaken places? Is there some symbolism in the choice of Detroit? Why were there not multiple operations, as on 9/11?
Bad news for Britain too, however. Looks like Abdulmutallab went over to the ‘dark side’ in London.
NPR: Robbing from the rich, with religious sanction.
U.K. Priest Defends Sermon Condoning Shoplifting. “The Rev. Tim Jones caused an uproar by telling his congregation that it is sometimes acceptable for desperate people to shoplift — as long as they do it at large national chain stores, rather than small, family businesses. Jones’ Robin Hood-like sermon drew rebukes Tuesday from fellow clergy, shop owners and police.”
CNN: Consider the weave.
Shroud from Jesus’ era found, researchers say. “And in addition, the weave of the shroud raises fresh doubts about the Shroud of Turin, which many people believe was used to wrap the body of Jesus.”
Washington Post: The political “Get Out Of Jail Free” card.
Gingrich is no longer conservative about showing his religion. “It says much about the transformation of the Republican Party that even Newt Gingrich is now carrying the cross.”
reasonWeekly: Joan of Arc, Noah’s wife?
Are Americans Faking Religiosity? “In private, religious apathy piles thick behind the screen of public piety, and the famously robust American religiosity — taken for granted by many — seems to become a delusion of biblical proportions.”
BBC: Some politicos apparently fear curses.
JK Rowling denied top US honour. “Matt Latimer, former speech writer for President George W Bush, said that some members of his administration believed her books promoted sorcery.” Sometimes I just give up, y’know?
The New Yorker: Speaking of interpretation …
Should we hate Judas Iscariot? “All this, I believe, is a reaction to the rise of fundamentalism—the idea, Christian and otherwise, that every word of a religion’s founding document should be taken literally. This is a childish notion, and so is the belief that we can combat it by correcting our holy books. Those books, to begin with, are so old that we barely understand what their authors meant.” Can’t force modern society into an ancient archetype, and it is endlessly futile to try ... I suppose that’s why it’s a lucrative business for many.
The Economist, More Intelligent Life: Gutenberg wins.
Poll results, Gutenberg pips Jesus. “What was the most important year in human history? That was the question we put to you in our first More Intelligent Life poll, which brought votes from nearly 3,000 readers. And the winner is … 1439, the year Johannes Gutenberg figured out how print words on paper.” Yes, well ... if not for Gutenberg, you wouldn’t be reading your Bibles.
The Observer.UK: Carter, unBaptised.
The words of God do not justify cruelty to women “Although not having training in religion or theology, I understand that the carefully selected verses found in the holy scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place - and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence - than eternal truths. Similar Biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.” If you gave Eve the choice, upon being thrown out of Eden, between death or thousands of years of often-brutal subservience, which would she have picked? Food for thought.
Times Online: Harry Potter, approved by the Vatican.
Not so immoral after all: Vatican gives the latest Harry Potter absolution. But as for The Da Vinci Code ... “L’Osservatore Romano said yesterday that even though the Potter saga lacked what it called ‘a reference to the transcendent’, the latest film drew ‘a clear line of demarcation between good and evil, making clear that good is right, and that in some cases this involves hard work and sacrifices’.” Time to chop up a Mandrake in celebration, ya think?
CNN: Thus he refutes greed.
Pope blasts capitalism ahead of G-8 meeting. “Above all, the intention to do good must not be considered incompatible with the effective capacity to produce goods.”
Washington Post: To protest, is to risk death.
Iranian Cleric Calls for Harsh Punishment for Riot Leaders. “Based on Islamic law, whoever confronts the Islamic state ... should be convicted as mohareb ... They should be punished ruthlessly and savagely.” Mohareb, from what I read, means “Enemy of God”, or “encouraging apostasy”. History repeats. This is the face of all theocracies, not just those of Muslim flavor. It is unfortunate that Middle Eastern countries must endure this Dark Age, and nothing we can do will encourage their Renaissance to come any faster. Come it will, but it may be a long wait.
As an aside, can you imagine Torquemada with the potential for nuclear weaponry, achieving the ability to punish nation-states for supposed apostasy? Many argue that science has no moral code ... but is interpreted religion any better? “I bring not peace, but the ICBM?”
Washington Post: PBS, nonsectarian.
PBS Bans New Religious Programming, Allows Existing Shows to Continue Airing. “Until now, PBS stations have been required to present programming that is noncommercial, nonpartisan and nonsectarian. But the definition of ‘nonsectarian’ programming was always loosely interpreted, and the rule had never been strictly enforced.” We’ve got enough religious channels, God knows. Do we really need to see more Brylcream hair and bouffants?
WSJ: Equal time?
Year of Bible Push Is Misguided. “… if we make that an official governmental pronouncement, then we really must look at doing Year of the Quran and the Year of the Sutras.” Wait for it: ”Year of The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster”.
