Monthly Archives: June 2011

God: Swing Voter, Fickle Too…

Via New York Magazine After a thorough investigation, Daily Intel has discovered that God is separately backing at least three different contenders for the Republican presidential nomination. Over the course of the past few months and even years, God has … Continue reading

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The “Infinite Blessings” of Suffering

Andrew Sullivan quotes from a (paywalled) article by New Yorker writer Aleksander Hemon, whose daughter was diagnosed with cancer at 9 months old. He quotes the terribly bereaved father as saying this: One of the most despicable religious fallacies is … Continue reading

Posted in Religion | Tagged | 10 Comments

Ayn Rand as Scarecrow (3)

Time’s Amy Sullivan (she is the religion writer who dreamt up the story that Republicans were drumming up Obama-as-antichrist rumors during the 2008 election) was also thrilled by Paul Ryan’s encounter with a member of the religious left: These days, … Continue reading

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Whose Life is it Anyway?

There’s been plenty to read on Andrew Sullivan’s blog this week on the question of assisted suicide. Amongst the posts and pieces to which Andrew has linked is this one by the New York Times’s Ross Douthat to which Mother … Continue reading

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Magical Thinking Watch: God’s private messages

A conservative Republican Congressman from North Carolina’s military and Bible belt, Walter B. Jones, opposed the war in Iraq and is now calling for a pull-out from Afghanistan.  For such a courageous stance against party conformity, he should be congratulated.  … Continue reading

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Helping Out

On the general matter of assisted suicide: (1) I couldn’t care less what people with ideological or theological fixations think.  They are entitled to their intellectual pleasures, but they have no right to foist their conclusions on citizens of a … Continue reading

Posted in culture, law | 7 Comments

The Place of Suffering

[Cross-posted to NRO’s The Corner.] Tangential to the exchange between Wesley Smith and Andrew Stuttaford on the death of Jack Kevorkian: Here is something I was reading last week. It’s from the 1991 book In Search of Human Nature by … Continue reading

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Ayn Rand as Scarecrow (2)

Via TPM: Paul Ryan was chased by a protester waving a giant Bible and decrying libertarian author Ayn Rand on his way out of the Faith and Freedom Conference, a social conservative gathering in DC where he delivered a speech … Continue reading

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Multiculturalism: Christianity (partly) to Blame?

Getting to grips with the pathologies of multiculturalism is no easy task, but here from the Wall Street Journal is retired (center-right) Dutch politician Frits Bolkenstein having a go. This, in particular, caught my eye: The other foundation of our … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Ayn Rand as Scarecrow

Public nuisance Jim Wallis and a motley collection of other “religious leaders” have taken a new tack on the budget debate. The Republicans, they allege, are in thrall to Godless Ayn Rand (who knew?) and their plans (such as they … Continue reading

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