Monthly Archives: January 2009

Miscellany, January 21

* Obama’s mention of “non-believers” draws wide discussion, including Steve Chapman (who also lets Rick Warren have it), Katherine Mangu-Ward, and a New York Times blog thread with 275 comments; * The right to criticize religion: “Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders … Continue reading

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Oleaginousness Watch

Heather, if I may say so, I think that you are being too harsh. Without knowing (I think) any of the individuals concerned, the conservative pundit appeared to have done nothing more than signal to (then) president-elect Obama that he, … Continue reading

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Inauguration

* “From the ridiculous to the sublime” — Virginia Postrel on the transition from Rick Warren to Aretha Franklin. * President Obama has mentioned non-believers in his address: “We are a nation of Christians and Jews, Hindus and Muslims and … Continue reading

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Oath of office, cont’d

Noreen Malone at Slate reports on the varying practices of some early Presidents, notably that conservative fellow, John Quincy Adams: According to official records kept by the Architect of the Capitol, Teddy Roosevelt is the only president who wasn’t sworn … Continue reading

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Oleaginousness watch

William Kristol reports that at least one conservative pundit has already extended to Obama the blessings of his faith.  At the much commented-on dinner that George Will hosted for Barack Obama last week, Kristol says that he overheard one of my … Continue reading

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Obama as God

Conservatives, particularly religious conservatives, undoubtedly guffawed at this New York Times headline: “Poll Finds Faith in Obama, Mixed With Patience.” Faith belongs to God, they probably said, not to Man, and certainly not to a man as untested, lightweight, and … Continue reading

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Dispatches from the Culture Wars

Many readers will already be familiar with that lively secularist redoubt at ScienceBlogs, Dispatches from the Culture Wars, where Ed Brayton often crosses swords with creationists, WorldNetDaily, and a wide assortment of other religion-inspired groups and publications ranging from Focus … Continue reading

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From Smith To Darwin

There’s no rule that says secular conservatives have to be libertarian (or anything approaching that state of belief), and indeed for any number of reasons they do not (the good Mr. Hobbes comes to mind), but I was, nevertheless, struck … Continue reading

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Church, State & Education (Ctd)

Walter, the debate about whether taxpayer-funded vouchers should be able to be used in schools attached to one religious denomination or another has been going on for years. My own inclination has been to think, with reservations, that the answer … Continue reading

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Church, state and education

Catholic schools are in steep decline, their enrollment having “steadily dropped by more than half from its peak of five million 40 years ago”, according to a New York Times account. Among the better-known reasons: 1) nuns and priests who … Continue reading

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