Category Archives: culture

Worst War Since World War II?

Posted on July 3, 2010 by David Hume

Since the war in the Congo has come up before, Congo war-driven crisis kills 45,000 a month: study: War, disease and malnutrition are killing 45,000 Congolese every month in a conflict-driven humanitarian crisis that has claimed 5.4 million victims in … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Joy Of Obnox

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Bradlaugh

Mr. Hume:  I’m pretty much with you on all that. Casting around for book ideas a while ago, I thought of writing a nihilist’s handbook, with a title something like You’re A Smart Ape, There Is No God, And Your … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | 10 Comments

The value of obnoxious

Posted on June 25, 2010 by David Hume

From the comments: As to the question of obnoxiousness, of course it’s obnoxious, which is to say nothing more than ‘polite society considers it obnoxious’, and for quite the same reason as it’s considered obnoxious to point out that life … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, debate | 6 Comments

Caring About Strangers

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Bradlaugh

Our affinities fade with distance.  Towards our immediate families, they are very strong; towards our extended families, less so; then outward ever more feebly to the broadest kinships (nation, race) and fictive kinships (religion, ideology, language, civilization).  The math must … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | 26 Comments

Why not Congo?

Posted on June 24, 2010 by David Hume

John in The Corner: While the horrors in the Congo were going on (i.e., from 1998 to the present) I was a busy worker bee, mixing with Americans of all classes, races, and stations in life, certainly including a good … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged | 7 Comments

Do no harm

Posted on June 17, 2010 by David Hume

Social engineering is ridiculous quite often, but this really reads as if it’s out of The Onion, A Best Friend? You Must Be Kidding: “I think it is kids’ preference to pair up and have that one best friend. As … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged | 5 Comments

Re: Agora

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Bradlaugh

Then you could read about Hypatia on pages 44-45 of my history of algebra. You could also cast an eye on Charles William Mitchell’s melodramatic (and to my eye, sexually ambiguous) painting of the lady’s last moments, in the photo … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Science & Faith | 6 Comments

Missing the Hymn

Posted on May 27, 2010 by Bradlaugh

An unbeliever can enjoy a good hymn as much as the next man, as many have testified.  (G.B. Shaw, D.H. Lawrence, Kingsley Amis, and E.O Wilson come to mind.  Not sure about Bert Russell; but the religious side of his … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | 9 Comments

Atheists are “vincibly ignorant”

Posted on May 13, 2010 by David Hume

Joe Carter at First Things, The Vincible Ignorance of Atheism: Even as a fervent believer I can acknowledge that skepticism and atheism can be inspired by the reasons Hart lists. But I fail to understand how that makes them noble, … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Science & Faith | Tagged | 39 Comments

The Uses of Gibberish

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

A characteristic of many priestly castes is the use of esoteric language as a device both to befuddle their audience and to secure their own superior status as interpreters and custodians of the holy writ. For some reason, I started thinking about … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged , | 7 Comments