Author Archives: Andrew Stuttaford

For Thee But Not For Me (Ctd)

Cardinal Séan O’Malley , one of the leading figures in the US Roman Catholic hierarchy, blogs: The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week upheld the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s “mandate” requiring adult Americans to purchase health care. The … Continue reading

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A Question of Identity

I’m no fan of conscription, to put it mildly, but, if a state is going to insist on it, it should do so fairly.That does not appear to be the case in Israel, where the ability of the ultra-orthodox to … Continue reading

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Happy Independence Day

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Not Necessarily Woo-Woo?

Sam Harris goes on a spiritquest: In writing my next book, I will have to confront the animosity that many people feel for the term “spiritual.” Whenever I use the word—as in referring to meditation as a “spiritual practice”—I inevitably … Continue reading

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Same Script, Different Stage

Cross-Posted on the Corner: Remember the Buddhas of Bamiyan? Well, here we go again… Via the Guardian: Islamists armed with Kalashnikovs and pick-axes have destroyed the centuries-old mausoleums of saints in the Unesco-listed city of Timbuktu in front of shocked … Continue reading

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Rector Tries to Work Things Out. Fails

Rev. Gavin Dunbar is rector of Saint John’s, Savannah, Georgia, and here’s what he has been saying recently: …The new atheists proclaim their gospel with the fervour of believers: God is dead, man is free, free from the destructive illusions … Continue reading

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Getting Skinny with Skinner

The Atlantic recently ran a piece on the use of smartphone apps as behavioral trainers. It is an interesting enough topic in its own right but it was a good reintroduction to B. F. Skinner too. I hadn’t thought about … Continue reading

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You Say Tomato

Via Lebanon News: A Salafist group called the Popular Egyptian Islamic Association has come under fire after sending out a warning on Facebook urging its followers not to eat tomatoes because the vegetable (or fruit) is a Christian food. The … Continue reading

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Hikikomori, Again

Via the Forward: “Dear Jew: You are entering a dangerous place. Shield your eyes.” That’s the Hebrew-language text on a huge billboard that an Orthodox group has paid to post alongside a Brooklyn highway. The “dangerous place” is Manhattan. The … Continue reading

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Two Religions

Rio, last week.

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