Monthly Archives: January 2012

Okey Dokey (2)

Via the Seattle Post Intelligencer: Ex-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, speaking by phone Wednesday to Faith Coalition supporters, described same-sex marriage as an example of “the rise of paganism” in America.

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Okey Dokey

Via the Guardian: Plans to build a £1m “temple for atheists” among the international banks and medieval church spires of the City of London have sparked a clash between two of Britain’s most prominent non-believers. The philosopher and writer Alain … Continue reading

Posted in culture, Religion | Tagged | 3 Comments

“A Gift in a Very Broken Way”

Via Think Progress (I know, I know), here’s Rick Santorum explaining why a woman left pregnant should be compelled to give birth: Well, you can make the argument that if she doesn’t have this baby, if she kills her child, … Continue reading

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Against Self-Government

The Council of Europe is, in theory, meant to be some sort of bulwark for the citizens of its member countries against the power of the overreaching state. That’s the theory. But here’s how it really works. The Daily Mail … Continue reading

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A Test of Civilization

Count me skeptical whether there is a ‘right’ to die, or a right to very much else for that matter, but a truly humane society would not force this helpless man to go to the courts for the relief he … Continue reading

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More Guidance Needed?

The New Atheists are much too shrill for my decidedly agnostic tastes. In many respects, they are on a hiding to nothing. The religious impulse will always be with us and so will be a belief in the supernatural. But … Continue reading

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Twisting Thomas Jefferson

Occasions such as the National Prayer Breakfast are not the sort of thing that I spend a lot of (or any) time worrying about. If that’s what politicians want to show up to a harmless, by now somewhat traditional, civic … Continue reading

Posted in Church & State | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Re: 72% of Egypt’s parliament is Islamist

Inspired by Razib’s earlier post, I put this up on the Corner: Via the New York Times: CAIRO — Egyptian authorities confirmed Saturday that a political coalition dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, the 84-year-old group that virtually invented political Islam, … Continue reading

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Somebody Up There Loves Obama

After Gingrich’s disastrously strong win in South Carolina, I can only repeat what I wrote over on NRO as one of my predictions for 2012: Let’s start with a prediction that will make me as miserable as it might make … Continue reading

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The end of the Reformation

Am I the only one to note the relative lack of salience of the Catholic-Protestant divide in the Republican primaries? Commentators routinely ignore the fact that the two candidates with the greatest appeal to evangelical Protestants are Roman Catholic. Not … Continue reading

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