Bishop Rejects Priests Ordained by Women
Monday May 31, 2004
Women have been able to serve as priests in the Anglican church for quite a while now - but not every Anglican accepts this. Some still reject the authority of ... Read More
Pope to Beatify Antisemitic Gibson’s Muse
Monday May 31, 2004
Anne Catherine Emmerich was a 19th century German nun whose bloody visions of Jesus's death served as a principle inspiration to Mel Gibson when he made his movie "The Passion ... Read More
Unprecedented Negativity of the Bush Reelection Campaign
Monday May 31, 2004
Negativity is pretty natural in political campaigns. There’s nothing inherently wrong with pointing out problems in a rival candidate - but it is a problem when negativity takes over, as ... Read More
Vows Change for Roman Catholics in Italy
Monday May 31, 2004
The vows one says when one gets married says something about the nature of the relationship and about the way men and women are regarded in society. It is thus ... Read More
Gay Rights Activists Denied Communion
Monday May 31, 2004
Gay rights activists who wear a rainbow-colored sash during Pentecost services were denied communion in Chicago. Apparently, some Roman Catholic leaders object to expressions of support to the gay rights ... Read More
Canadian Anglicans to Elect New Leader
Monday May 31, 2004
There is a deep split in the Canandian Anglican church over the status of gay priests and how homosexuality should be treated. This split is causing problems over the election ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Law
Monday May 31, 2004
The law is not an esoteric subject that is irrelevant to our lives; on the contrary, much of what we do is constrained or aided by how the law is ... Read More
Culture and Honor Killings
Monday May 31, 2004
One of the goals of the Western occupation of Iraq is to create a stable, functioning democracy in the hope that this will lead to the flourishing of democracy across ... Read More
This Date in History: Adolf Eichmann Executed
Monday May 31, 2004
May 31, 1962: The Israeli government executed Adolf Eichmann for his role in the slaughter of six million Jews in Nazi Germany.
Bush Trumpets Programs He Wanted Cut
Monday May 31, 2004
We are accustomed to the cynical and self-serving actions of politicians - for example, how they might promote social programs they don’t really believe in merely because they hope it ... Read More
Scientology Spoof Wins Award
Monday May 31, 2004
The musical A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant, which I wrote about more than once, has been honored with the Obie Award.
Ernio Hernandez writes for Playbill:
A Very Merry Unauthorized ... Read More
Rebecca Hagelin: Only Christianity Matters in America
Monday May 31, 2004
One of the most common arguments behind the attacks on gay marriage is essentially theocratic in nature: our god and our religion define marriage in a certain way and it’s ... Read More
How the Vatican Really Works
Monday May 31, 2004
Recently Received: All The Pope's Men: The Inside Story of How the Vatican Really Works, by John L. Allen, Jr.
The Vatican in Rome can be described as the world's oldest ... Read More
Honor Killing over Molestation, Gynecological Exam
Sunday May 30, 2004
A Turkish immigrant in Scottsville, New York has been charged with the murder of his wife. He claims that his actions were taken as a matter of “honor.” Why? He ... Read More
Judge: Homosexual Isn’t Libelous Term
Sunday May 30, 2004
Not too long ago I wrote that while there was a time when the accusation of homosexuality was treated as libelous, that was slowly changing and might no longer be ... Read More
Student’s Jibab Rejected in British Court
Sunday May 30, 2004
In Britain, 15-year-old girl who has wanted to wear strict Muslim attire (the jilbab, a long, flowing gown covering all her body except hands and face) has been denied this ... Read More
Iraqi Prisoner Told to Thank Jesus for his Life
Sunday May 30, 2004
In addition to the various forms of physical and sexual abuse that American soldiers committed against Iraqi prisoners, it now looks like they engaged in religious abuse as well, forcing ... Read More
Indian Government to Cut Hindu Nationalist Textbooks
Sunday May 30, 2004
The previous government of India did a lot to promote HIndu nationalism and a fundamentalist form of Hinduism that was dogmatic, bigoted, and exclusionary. The new government wants to return ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Alternative Medicine
Sunday May 30, 2004
What is alternative medicine? Does it do any good? Why do people pay money for it? The popularity of alternative medicine has increased dramatically in recent years, but understanding of ... Read More
Atheism Drives Soros’ Hatred of Bush?
Sunday May 30, 2004
George Soros, a multi-billionaire who has decided to spend a fair amount of money to support the Democratic Party, evidently has religious conservatives worried - otherwise, they wouldn't be trying ... Read More
This Date in History: Barmen Synod
Sunday May 30, 2004
May 30, 1934: At the end of the two-day Barmen Synod in Germany, the German Confessing Church released the Barmen Declaration. This document insisted that churches recognize Jesus Christ as ... Read More
Forgotten Palestinian Christians
Sunday May 30, 2004
The conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians is commonly framed as a conflict between Jews and Muslims — and that is, in fact, how most Muslims ... Read More
Scientific Proof for Astrology?
Sunday May 30, 2004
People are always looking for proof for their favorite beliefs, and a very popular topic for this sort of thing is astrology. Because it involves the planets, I guess, there ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Locke on Reason and Faith
Sunday May 30, 2004
Every sect, as far as reason will help them, make use of it gladly; and where it fails them, they cry out, "It is a matter of faith, and above ... Read More
Zoroastrianism and Revealed Religion
Sunday May 30, 2004
Book of the Day: Strange Birds from Zoroaster's Nest: An Overview of Revealed Religions, by Laina Farhat-Holzman. Publisher: Nonetheless Press.
It is unlikely that religion will ever disappear from human culture, ... Read More
Oregon Republicans Call for Public Support of Scout Bigotry
Saturday May 29, 2004
Republicans around the country are generally staunch supporters of the Boy Scouts of America. Sure, the Scouts bigoted against and discriminate against gays and atheists, but that isn’t something that ... Read More
PA Council Debates Spoken vs. Silent Prayers
Saturday May 29, 2004
The borough council meetings in Downingtown, PA, open with a prayer - a moment of silence for prayer, that is. One member, Councilman Thomas Roderer, didn’t like that and has ... Read More
Pope: America is “Soulless”
Saturday May 29, 2004
Pope John Paul II isn’t really happy with the United States of America and never has been. He objects to America’s liberal, secular culture and doesn’t approve of how liberal ... Read More
Considering Group Marriages
Saturday May 29, 2004
One of the arguments often trotted out by conservatives against gay marriage is that allowing same-sex couples to marry will only lead to groups of people marrying. For some reason, ... Read More
Mothers Should Not Work?
Saturday May 29, 2004
One of the most fundamental principles upon which the modern Christian Right bases its agenda is the role of women in the family and society. For conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists, ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on the Religious Right
Saturday May 29, 2004
The Religious Right has become a powerful force in American politics and society over the past 30 years. It has influenced presidential elections, sponsored constitutional amendments, and worked towards re-creating ... Read More
AU Calls for Audit of Catholic Diocese
Saturday May 29, 2004
The recent attempt by Bishop Michael J. Sheridan of Colorado Springs to tell Catholics they shouldn’t vote for pro-choice candidates if they want to receive communion has generated a reaction ... Read More
This Date in History: Constantinople Falls
Saturday May 29, 2004
May 29, 1453: After a siege of several seeks, Constantinople finally fell to Turkish forces under the command of Mehmed II. The walls that protected Constantinople had stood for more ... Read More
Fight over Michigan Muslims’ Call to Prayers Continues
Saturday May 29, 2004
The Hamtramck City Council‘s decision to approve a noise ordinance that allows a Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast over loudspeakers from the Al-Islah Islamic Center has been affirmed ... Read More
Scientologists Settle McPherson Death Suit
Saturday May 29, 2004
For seven years, the estate of Lisa McPherson has been pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit against the Church of Scientology. Scientologists have of course been fighting the suit as hard ... Read More
Military Censorship of Hollywood Movies
Saturday May 29, 2004
Recently Received: Operation Hollywood: How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies, by David L. Robb. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
If you've seen a recent Hollywood film dealing with the military in ... Read More
Ashcroft Blocked from Interfering with Oregon’s Suicide Law
Friday May 28, 2004
The federal government, led by U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, has long been fighting Oregon’s assisted suicide law. They tried to block in an variety of ways and, in the ... Read More
Bush Campaign Advisor: Gets All Her Information from Rush
Friday May 28, 2004
Mary Matalin is the Bush-Cheney '04 campaign adviser, a former assistant to President George W. Bush, and a former counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney. She also regards Rush Limbaugh’s ... Read More
Beware the Buddha Snot
Friday May 28, 2004
Yamamoto Bussan, a Japanese candy company, has been marketing a new product: “Snot from the nose of the Great Buddha.” Buddhist priests are mightily annoyed and have prevented the company ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Catholicism
Friday May 28, 2004
Roman Catholicism preserves many of the oldest traditions in Christianity and it is the largest Christian denomination in the world. With headquarters in the Vatican, they control more land and ... Read More
Will Jenna Bush vote for John Kerry?
Friday May 28, 2004
Usually a politician can count on family members to support the cause and aid in one’s reelection - but can George W. Bush count on the support of his family ... Read More
This Date in History: English Reformation
Friday May 28, 2004
May 28, 1533: England's archbishop decreed that the marriage of King Henry VIII was Anne Boleyn invalid.
Wigs, Religion, and Modesty
Friday May 28, 2004
Orthodox Jewish women aren’t allowed to show their hair publicly after they are married, so many in the United States simply buy wigs — often wigs made in India from ... Read More
Disgraced Cardinal Given Top Vatican Post
Friday May 28, 2004
Former Archbishop of Boston Bernard Law, believed by many of having covered up for pedophile priests and forced by the scandal to resign, has been appointed to a prestigious sinecure ... Read More
Victory for Gay Rights in Seattle
Friday May 28, 2004
A Seattle, Washington business refused to print wedding invitations for a same-sex couple. The ACLU filed a complaint against “Starfish Creative Invitations“ with Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights, accusing them ... Read More
Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Bible
Friday May 28, 2004
Book of the Day: Erotic Word: Sexuality, Spirituality, and the Bible, by David McLain Carr. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Is there a connection between the Bible and eroticism or sexuality? Most ... Read More
Democratic Critics are Turncoats?
Thursday May 27, 2004
President George W. Bush has, more than once, claimed that one of the reasons why America has been under attack from Islamic extremists is that they “hate” America’s freedoms. Presumably, ... Read More
Provincetown Reverses on Nonresident Marriages
Thursday May 27, 2004
Selectmen in Provincetown, Massachusetts, had chosen to provide marriage licenses to gay couples who came in from out of state and despite a 1913 law that bans this. Now they ... Read More
Australia May Ban Gay Marriage
Thursday May 27, 2004
Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard has talked before about banning gay marriages, but it looks like he has succeeded in convincing enough others in the government to agree. New legislation ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Science & Skepticism
Thursday May 27, 2004
Society today requires science more than at any time in the past. Unfortunately, people today are often scientifically illiterate - they don't understand science and they don't understand how to ... Read More
Italian MDs in Kickback Scandal
Thursday May 27, 2004
I have written before at some length about the ethical problems that exist when doctors receive various gift from drug companies and then prescribe those drugs to patients - it ... Read More
School Shuts Out Pagan Club
Thursday May 27, 2004
The Okaloosa County School Board in Florida passed new rules on the formation of student clubs that require a minimum of five students before a group can be formed. That ... Read More
This Date in History: "Occupation" of Palestine?
Thursday May 27, 2004
May 27, 2003: According to Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, the "occupation" of Palestinian territories has been "a terrible thing for Israel and for the Palestinians" and "can't continue endlessly." ... Read More
Gays Attacked at Palestinian Protest
Thursday May 27, 2004
One might think that oppressed minorities would tend to stick together and support each other, but that isn’t always the case — especially when one of those minorities is the ... Read More
Government Secrecy Through Privatization
Thursday May 27, 2004
For the past 25 years, a public database has provided to anyone who wants to look information on what government agencies have awarded what contracts to what private companies for ... Read More
Breast Exposure in the 1700s
Thursday May 27, 2004
In America today, the exposure of a woman’s breast is often treated as a scandal — the controversy surrounding the “wardrobe malfunction” of Janet Jackson is a good example. Evidence ... Read More
Jesuits and the Catholic Church
Thursday May 27, 2004
Recently Received: God’s Soldiers: Adventure, Politics, Intrigue, and Power - a History of the Jesuits, by Jonathan Wright. Publisher: Bantam Dell.
The Society of Jesus was created 470 years ago; through ... Read More
Big Donor Gets Special Access to Bush, Gets Rules Changed
Wednesday May 26, 2004
Do those who donate lots of money to political candidates get better access and more control than those who don’t? Politicians claim they don’t, but a recent case involving shop ... Read More
Supporting Gay Rights is Evil
Wednesday May 26, 2004
According to the new bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Worcester, Massachusetts, supporting gay rights by trying to legalize same-sex marriage isn’t simply a bad idea or contrary to Roman ... Read More
Evading Hypothetical Questions
Wednesday May 26, 2004
There seems to be a growing tendency among politicians and some others to refuse to answer direct and difficult questions based upon the argument that they are only “hypothetical.” Because ... Read More
Town Supports Discriminatory Pastor?
Wednesday May 26, 2004
If a preachers volunteers a lot of time for a town, it would seem fair to provide him with funds to help organize events. But what if that preacher also ... Read More
Why Girls Shouldn't Be Altar Servers?
Wednesday May 26, 2004
Apparently, there is a feeling among some Catholics that female altar servers are intimidating to the boys who might otherwise be serving. Girls couldn’t always be altar servers and that ... Read More
God Smites Another Church
Wednesday May 26, 2004
God doesn’t seem to like churches. I’ve written more than once about how churches get hit with lighting, sometimes killing people inside. Well, another church has been hit - this ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Palestine & Israel
Wednesday May 26, 2004
Few people are unaware of the violence which keeps occurring between Israelis and Palestinians. Why is this happening - what are the causes, and are there any solutions? Everything comes ... Read More
God in the EU Constitution
Wednesday May 26, 2004
European nations are still having trouble reaching some sort of agreement on whether God should appear in their constitution. Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, the Czech Republic and Slovakia want ... Read More
Discussion: Will the US/UK Win in Iraq?
Wednesday May 26, 2004
A forum member writes: Victory will be declared several times, starting as soon as the transition government is turned over to Iraq. Iraq will overshadow the Israeli-Palestine conflict, but will ... Read More
Unitarians are a Religion After All
Wednesday May 26, 2004
I wrote last week about how Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn ruled that the Unitarian-Universalist wasn’t a “real” religion and, therefore, didn’t deserve religious tax exemptions. Well, it looks like ... Read More
This Date in History: Inquisition
Wednesday May 26, 2004
May 26, 1232: Pope Gregory IX dispatched the first of many Inquisition crews to Aragon in Spain, after having assigned management of the process to the Dominican Order the previous ... Read More
Living Life Close to Death
Wednesday May 26, 2004
Book of the Day: Caring for the Dying: Critical Issues at the Edge of Life, edited by Robert M. Baird and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
What does it mean ... Read More
Alabama Judge on the Ten Commandments
Tuesday May 25, 2004
One of the Alabama State Supreme Court Justices who voted to boot Roy Moore out of office has come forward to explain why he took that action. Unfortunately, he reveals ... Read More
Case for Gay Marriage
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Same-sex marriages have begun in Massachusetts and there is no question but that the Christian Right is quite upset about it. They’re still fighting to stop such marriages from occurring, ... Read More
Ten Commandments Looms Large in Alabama Elections
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Judge Roy Moore may be out of office, but he is not out of the spotlight and his influence has not disappeared from Alabama. Across the state, his supporters are ... Read More
Rush Limbaugh on Secularism
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Rush Limbaugh usually comes across as more of a “populist” conservative rather than an adherent of the Christian Right. His conservative arguments are not typically religious in nature. Sometimes, though, ... Read More
The Poor Selling their Organs
Tuesday May 25, 2004
One of the most common arguments against allowing human organs to be bought and sold like any commodity is that it will induce the poor to sell their organs, thus ... Read More
ACLU: Most Dangerous Organization
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Michael Savage threw another on-air tantrum the other day, labeling the ACLU "the most dangerous organization in the history of America" - apparently because no representatives were interested in ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Church/State Separation
Tuesday May 25, 2004
The issue of the separation of church and state has been at the center of a tremendous number of debates in the United States. Questions about prayer in pubic schools, ... Read More
Saudi Coverup in British Woman's Death?
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Have Saudi officials been covering up a British woman’s death for 25 years? Have British officials been complicit in this cover-up? Ron Smith, father of Helen Smith who died at ... Read More
Discussion: Fahrenheit 911
Tuesday May 25, 2004
A forum member writes: There has been discussion before on this forum about the essence of censorship. Some seem to think that it only occurs when directly dictated by governments. ... Read More
Religious Freedom in Greece
Tuesday May 25, 2004
The Olympics will be starting soon in Greece and so of course there will be all kinds of news stories about Greece and Greek history. One thing that probably won’t ... Read More
This Date in History: Martin Luther
Tuesday May 25, 2004
May 25, 1521: Holy Roman Emperor Charles V officially declared Martin Luther a criminal and heretic for refusing to recant at the Diet of Worms.
Catholic School Boots Whistleblower Student
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Sometimes Roman Catholic official act like caricatures of themselves - it’s almost like they sit down and plan how to validate others’ prejudices about how the church works. In latest ... Read More
Boom for Christian Books = Bust for Christian Bookstores
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Books like the Left Behind series represent a huge boom in the sales of Christian books. One might think that this would mean a similar boom for Christian books stores ... Read More
Sex Abuse in the Catholic Church
Tuesday May 25, 2004
Recently Received: Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal, by David France. Publisher: Broadway Books.
Unless you've been living under a rock on Mars, ... Read More
First non-Hindu Leads India
Monday May 24, 2004
For the first time ever, a non-Hindu has been chosen to lead India. This is interesting because Italian-born leader Sonia Gandhi declined the position because of criticisms over the fact ... Read More
Spousal Abuse: Blaming the Victim, with a Twist
Monday May 24, 2004
There was a time when women who accused their husbands of abuse were challenged by defense lawyers as to why, if the abuse was so bad, they didn't run away. ... Read More
Wacky Conspiracy Theories
Monday May 24, 2004
Conspiracy theories are popular in a certain segment of the population. Buffeted by forces they don't understand and can't control, there is something comforting in imagining that dark and mysterious ... Read More
Prayers Don't Help Neglected Boy
Monday May 24, 2004
In Kenya a 15-year-old boy died because his parents refused to take him to a hospital. Instead, they thought it was better to lock him up in the house for ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on American Religion
Monday May 24, 2004
Religion plays an important role in American society, just as it does in most societies. Religion in America is not, however, quite like religion in other countries. It has it's ... Read More
Birth Control Coverage in Peril
Monday May 24, 2004
First legislators wanted to just exempt Catholic institutions from having to fund health insurance coverage for things like birth control, arguing that it was a violation of Catholic doctrine to ... Read More
This Date in History: ACLU v. Black Horse
Monday May 24, 2004
May 24, 1996: Decided: ACLU v. Black Horse Regional Board of Education Third Circuit Court ruled that a school could not allow students to vote on whether or not they ... Read More
Christians Seek to Secede from U.S.
Monday May 24, 2004
Christians who are fed up with the fact that they aren’t being allowed to dictate policy to everyone and impose their religion on others are talking about the possibility of ... Read More
Republican Attacked for Dropping 'Under God'
Monday May 24, 2004
Defenders of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance go out of their way to emphasize that no one is forced to say those words - and because ... Read More
High Cost of Low Crime?
Monday May 24, 2004
The costs of the "get tough on crime" approach is really ramping up. Nearly 10 percent all inmates in both state and federal detention have life sentences (up 83 percent ... Read More
Charles Darwin's Adventures
Monday May 24, 2004
Book of the Day: Fossils, Finches and Fuegians: Charles Darwin's Adventures and Discoveries on the Beagle, 1832-1836, by Richard Keynes. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
Charles Darwin's voyage on the Beagle is ... Read More
Anti-Crime Program that Actually Works
Sunday May 23, 2004
Interested in an anti-crime program that actually works? How about one that results in: 79 percent fewer cases of child abuse and neglect, 33 percent fewer subsequent pregnancies, 54 percent ... Read More
WSJ: Democrats' Loyalty Questionable or Not?
Sunday May 23, 2004
Some conservatives have expressed dismay at the idea that any Republican would question the loyalty or patriotism of a Democrat who disagreed with or criticized the job performance of President ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Psychology and Sociology
Sunday May 23, 2004
Both psychology and sociology influence politics, law, and many more facets of modern life. Despite this, most people don't entirely understand what sorts of finding modern psychological and sociological research ... Read More
Student Opinions on the Pledge of Allegiance
Sunday May 23, 2004
Quite a few students in the United States really don't understand the First Amendment or the separation of church and state. Of course the adults in their lives - parents ... Read More
This Date in History: Adolf Eichmann Captured
Sunday May 23, 2004
May 23, 1960: Israeli Premier David Ben-Gurion announced the capture of Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. According to the Israeli government, Eichmann left Argentina "willingly," but the Argentine government demanded his ... Read More
NPR on Religious Cults
Sunday May 23, 2004
The religion reporting for NPR has been developing a reputation for favoring conservative and evangelical Christian perspectives - but they also, sometimes, do "puff" pieces on religion where they fail ... Read More
Weekly Quote: Tiruvalluvar on Reasoning
Sunday May 23, 2004
Reasoning with a drunkard is like
Going under water with a torch to seek for a drowning man.
- Tiruvalluvar, The Sacred Kural.
The imagery in Tiruvalluvar's quotation is very vivid - but ... Read More
Understanding Homeopathic Medicine
Sunday May 23, 2004
Recently Received: Homeopathy: How it Really Works, by Jay W. Shelton. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
Homeopathy has become wildly popular in the United States - but does it work? Adherents say it ... Read More
Christian Ethics and the Treatment of Prisoners
Saturday May 22, 2004
The conservative voice in America is typically a voice that resonates with Christian beliefs, Christian doctrines, and Christian values. In the controversy over the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib ... Read More
Pedophile Priest Marries Ex-Nun in Prison
Saturday May 22, 2004
James Porter of Massachusetts was convicted in 1993 of sexually abusing 28 children. He’s served out his sentence, but the state of Massachusetts would like to keep him in jail ... Read More
Strip Clubs Battling Bush
Saturday May 22, 2004
George W. Bush has a new political opponent in the race for presidency: strip clubs! Yes, a strip club owners have started a campaign to register their patrons to vote ... Read More
Michael Savage: Racism is Ancient History
Saturday May 22, 2004
Michael Savage's “foot in mouth” disease (at least I hope that’s what it is) continues apace, impairing his ability to comment intelligently on a wide variety of topics. Recently he ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books from Oneworld Publications
Saturday May 22, 2004
An independent publisher based in Oxford, England, Oneworld Publications specializes in books on topics like comparative religions, mysticism, philosophy, psychology and more. Read More...
How Gay Marriage Impacts Straight Marriage
Saturday May 22, 2004
The Christian Right often argues that gay marriage would be wrong because it would somehow undermine that status of marriage generally. For some reason, they seem to think that something ... Read More
Better Red than Democrat
Saturday May 22, 2004
One of the most curious and difficult-to-explain facets of American electoral politics is that the people have tendency to vote for Republican candidates based upon cultural issues. The result is ... Read More
This Date in History: Friedrich Nietzsche
Saturday May 22, 2004
May 22, 1885: Friedrich Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth, married Bernhard Förster, a professional antisemite.
The Fraud of "Sound Science"
Saturday May 22, 2004
The Bush administration has undermined science for the sake of politics quite a few times over the past four years. What is important to understand, though, is that there is ... Read More
Dreaming About Heaven
Saturday May 22, 2004
Book of the Day: Quest for Paradise, by John Ashton and Tom Whyte. Publisher: Harper-Collins.
Human cultures and religions exhibit a great deal of variation in doctrines and beliefs. However, there ... Read More
Outing Barbara Bradley Hagerty
Friday May 21, 2004
I've commented more than once on the religion reporting of Barbara Bradley Hagerty - her intense and less-then-honest reports on John Kerry's Catholicism, for example, and her connections to the ... Read More
Disney's Politics & Saudi Connections
Friday May 21, 2004
When I originally reported on Disney's refusal to allow subsidiary Miramax to distribute Michael Moore's new film that is critical of the Bush administration and it's connections to the Saudi ... Read More
Washington Times Dismisses Gay “Marriages”
Friday May 21, 2004
The Washington Times, a newspaper that openly shills for the Christian Right, has made its opinion about gay marriages in Massachusetts known by insisting on putting marriage in scare quotes ... Read More
All Media is Liberal - Even Talk Radio
Friday May 21, 2004
It's not hard to find someone claiming that the media in the United States leans heavily towards the left - but while such a claim may be true in some ... Read More
Conservatives Should Surrender on Gay Marriage
Friday May 21, 2004
A few social and religious conservatives are starting to figure out that the battle over gay marriage is basically lost. They might delay the acceptance of same-sex marriages for a ... Read More
Top Books Reviewed in 2003
Friday May 21, 2004
Selected here are ten of the best books reviewed during the year 2003. It was difficult to pick just ten, there were so many good books from the past year, ... Read More
GOP: Gay Republicans Not Wanted
Friday May 21, 2004
There are a fair number of gay Republicans. Why? I don't know. I can certainly understand a person being gay and favoring fiscal or social conservatism, but the fact of ... Read More
Wafer Watch: Double Standard in Religion Reporting
Friday May 21, 2004
There is a lot of attention paid to John Kerry's religious habits: where he goes to church, when he goes to church, and whether he receives communion or not. Is ... Read More
This Date in History: Anwar Sadat
Friday May 21, 2004
May 21, 1978: Egyptian voters approved of President Anwar Sadat's proposal to place curbs on organized opposition to his government.
Church Resists Licensing for Camp, Posts Armed Guards
Friday May 21, 2004
There are a lot of church groups that don't want to have to submit to any sort of government supervision or control over their activities. When those activities are religious, ... Read More
Indiana Students Divided Over Commencement Prayer
Friday May 21, 2004
Every year there are debates over the place of prayers and other religious rituals during graduation ceremonies at public schools. Some people's religion is so important to them that they ... Read More
History of the Middle East
Friday May 21, 2004
Recently Received: From Babel to Dragomans: Interpreting the Middle East, by Bernard Lewis. Publisher: Oxford University Press.
As one of the leading Western scholars on the Middle East, Bernard Lewis has ... Read More
Texas School Will Allow Same-Sex Prom Couples
Thursday May 20, 2004
As homosexuality becomes more widely accepted in society, homosexual couples are becoming more obvious and are trying to make a place for themselves in areas usually left to straight couples. ... Read More
Bills Mount in Ten Commandments Case
Thursday May 20, 2004
Whenever a Ten Commandments monument is challenged, the government usually defends them in court. These court battles can drag out for years and cost a bundle. That doesn't seem to ... Read More
Gay Activists Attacked in Poland
Thursday May 20, 2004
Gay rights still has a lot of progress to make in Poland - when some activists tried to march through Krakow, they had to endure not only verbal abuse but ... Read More
Rush Limbaugh and Homoerotic Pornography
Thursday May 20, 2004
There have been a number of attempts by conservatives to downplay the significance of American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners by laying the blame for the abuse anywhere they can: liberals, ... Read More
Browser Hijackers Ruining Lives
Thursday May 20, 2004
Have you ever downloaded "malware" - software so malicious that it hijacks your web browser and sends you off to sites (usually pornographic) that you don't want to see and ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Secularism and Humanism
Thursday May 20, 2004
What are secularism and humanism? Is it possible for a person to live without religion? Is it possible to be moral without religion? Must society have a religion in order ... Read More
Girl Wins Right to Wear Hijab in School
Thursday May 20, 2004
I reported before on the case of Nashala "Tallah" Hern, A sixth-grade who was asked to leave school in the eastern Oklahoma town of Muskogee because she refused to ... Read More
Discussion: The Red Cross in Iraq
Thursday May 20, 2004
Doug writes: The report also includes allegations that people arrested by Iraqi police were not always involved in the insurgency but were innocents targeted for extortion. If they refused to ... Read More
Bishops Pressures Politicians, Parishioners Resist
Thursday May 20, 2004
I’ve written before about how American bishops are trying to pressure both politicians and citizens into voting for Republicans by threatening to deny them communion if they vote for pro-choice ... Read More
This Date in History: Stephen Jay Gould
Thursday May 20, 2004
May 20, 2002: Stephen Jay Gould, American paleontologist, died.
Texas: Unitarian-Universalism Not a Religion
Thursday May 20, 2004
You have probably heard of the Unitarian-Universalist church. They have organizations in every state and churches in most communities. They have roots going back hundreds of years and some of ... Read More
Student Poetry Critical of Bush Leads to Firing of Teacher
Thursday May 20, 2004
Does freedom of speech extend to unpopular and critical ideas or does it only apply to those ideas which are approved of by government and military leaders? Most Americans might ... Read More
Nuns Abused, Raped Deaf Students?
Thursday May 20, 2004
Usually when we hear about abuse - especially sexual abuse - of children in the context of the Roman Catholic Church, was assume that we will be hearing a story ... Read More
Secrets of the Psychics
Thursday May 20, 2004
Book of the Day: Secrets of the Psychics, by Massimo Polidoro. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
There are all sorts of paranormal claims out there - ghosts and poltergeists, psychics and mediums, x-ray ... Read More
Religion vs. Tradition in Saudi Arabia
Wednesday May 19, 2004
Not everything that is done in Muslim nations in the name of Islam is truly "Islamic." Some of it is just cultural tradition that has been tacked on to Islam. ... Read More
Federal DOMA to be Challenged
Wednesday May 19, 2004
Defense of Marriage Acts have been passed on the federal level and in several states. Supporters have been concerned that it might not survive constitutional scrutiny, but that's just what ... Read More
Torture for a Good Cause... But Then What?
Wednesday May 19, 2004
In debate about whether American soldiers went too far in their treatment of Iraqi prisoners, there has been some discussion about whether and when torture might be a licit means ... Read More
Town May Rescind "Dianetics Month"
Wednesday May 19, 2004
It's pretty common for mayors and other politicians to get requests that they proclaim a day, week, or month to commemorate some person, idea, or event. Unfortunately, those who agree ... Read More
Cutbacks in Moon's Empire
Wednesday May 19, 2004
Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, has a massive media empire designed to serve his messianic vision as well as his conservative politics. Unfortunately, there isn't a ... Read More
Books on Gods, God, and Divinity
Wednesday May 19, 2004
Does God exist? If there is a God, or any gods, what are they like? Did they create the world or humanity? Are they a source for morality? Every year ... Read More
Discussion: Trend Lines for Kerry & Bush
Wednesday May 19, 2004
A forum member writes: Based on the approval spike following Saddam's capture, Bush could sure benefit from the capture of Osama Bin Laden. I'm going to go out on a ... Read More
This Date in History: Malleus Maleficarum
Wednesday May 19, 2004
May 19, 1487: The Faculty of Theology at the University of Cologne endorsed Heinrich Kramer and Johann Sprenger's Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch Hammer), a guide used by the Inquisition for ... Read More
Administration Consults with “Rapture Christians” Over Israel
Wednesday May 19, 2004
Many people will think that I must be joking, and I wish I were - but if the evidence is true, the Bush administration has been consulting with “Rapture Christians” ... Read More
Some States May Honor Mass. Weddings
Wednesday May 19, 2004
One of the concerns about same-sex marriages in Massachusetts is the status of couples from other states: if they marry there, would their marriages be recognized back home? Presumably not, ... Read More
Freethought in American History
Wednesday May 19, 2004
Recently Received: Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, by Susan Jacoby. Publisher: Metropolitan Books.
Secularism and freethought have played important roles in the development of American society, culture, and politics - ... Read More
Leftist Plot to Get Bush
Tuesday May 18, 2004
Although there are many complaints about bias in the "liberal media," one doesn't often hear about bias in the "conservative media." The Washington Times, in particular, has a long history ... Read More
Man Cited for Anti-Bush Sign
Tuesday May 18, 2004
Do you have the right to protest and criticize President Bush at his public appearances? One would think so, but perhaps not - perhaps that is a right that is ... Read More
Vatican Warns Against Marriage to Muslims
Tuesday May 18, 2004
Interfaith marriages are relatively common in America - because people of so many different cultures, ethnicities, and religions are thrown together rather than kept separate, the chances for friendship and ... Read More
Argument from Irreducible Grotesqueness
Tuesday May 18, 2004
The basic argument of the so-called "Intelligent Design" movement is that some biological systems are too complex in order to have evolved naturally. Instead, they must have been "designed" with ... Read More
Constitution Party Candidate: Put God Back in Schools
Tuesday May 18, 2004
If the Republican Party seems a bit too conservative under the influence of the Christian Right, you might want to check out the platform of the Constitution Party - they ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on the Paranormal
Tuesday May 18, 2004
Is there a 'paranormal' world out there, where psychic powers work, where astrology can predict your future, and where aliens come and visit us in UFOs? Some people certainly think ... Read More
ACLU Helps Keep God in Schools
Tuesday May 18, 2004
The Christian Right often attacks the ACLU, claiming that they are a “godless” organization trying to ban God from the public square. So where are they now that the ACLU ... Read More
This Date in History: Church & State in Massachusetts
Tuesday May 18, 2004
May 18, 1631: The General Court of the Massachusetts issued the decree that "no man shall be admitted to the body politic but such as are members of some of ... Read More
Can Torture Be Justified?
Tuesday May 18, 2004
One question that has been perhaps overlooked in the debate over the abuse and torture of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers is whether and why such abuse and torture might ... Read More
The Line Between "Normal" and "Monster"
Tuesday May 18, 2004
What's the difference between being "normal" and being a "monster"? In 1971 Stanford University researchers simulated a prison in a basement, placing some students as guards and some as prisoners. ... Read More
Beyond Repair? America's Death Penalty
Tuesday May 18, 2004
Book of the Day: Beyond Repair? America's Death Penalty, edited by Stephen P. Garvey. Publisher: Duke University Press.
Capital punishment is one of the most serious issues in America's criminal justice ... Read More
Biblical Advice for Domestic Harmony
Monday May 17, 2004
What is the "role" of women in society and in a family? For generations the role was a subservient one: women submitted to men and were limited largely to the ... Read More
Miami Mosques Vandalized
Monday May 17, 2004
Various types of vandalism have hit three mosques in the Miami area over the past days. It's possible that this is in retaliation for the deaths of Americans in Iraq, ... Read More
Anti-Abortion Saint Canonized
Monday May 17, 2004
Pope John Paul II has canonized several new saints, one of whom appears to have been chosen as an "anti-abortion" saint. She worked hard for her family, her children, and ... Read More
Say the Pledge or Shut Up
Monday May 17, 2004
There are a lot of attempts to defend the inclusion of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. A significant number of them are predicated upon a deliberate ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books from Fortress Press
Monday May 17, 2004
Fortress Press is academic imprint for Augsburg Fortress Publishers, publishing house for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Every year Fortress Press publishes a wide variety of books on theology, ... Read More
America: Bright Hope to Humanity?
Monday May 17, 2004
More than one person has argued that what is particularly shocking about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers is that Americans "should be better." This is not so ... Read More
This Date in History: Taliban
Monday May 17, 2004
May 17, 2001: The United States government, under the administration of George W. Bush, gave US$43 million to the Taliban regime in Afghanistan to aid in the destruction of the ... Read More
Brown v. Board of Education: An Infamous Ruling
Monday May 17, 2004
When I wrote my recent review of a book on the Brown v. Board of Education decision, I wrote that "Almost no one actually makes a case for the idea ... Read More
John Frum vs. Prophet Fred: War!
Monday May 17, 2004
Religious violence has broken out in Vanuatu. No, it's not Catholics vs. Protestant or Muslims vs. Christians. In the shadow of an active volcano, the members of John Frum movement ... Read More
Nothing Sacred
Monday May 17, 2004
Recently Received: Nothing Sacred, by Tom Flynn. Publisher: Prometheus Books.
There isn't a lot of "atheist" or "skeptical" fiction out there, but Tom Flynn has now produced two such works. First ... Read More
Recently Reviewed Books on Bioethics
Sunday May 16, 2004
What is the nature of life? What sort of value does life have - is it intrinsic, or dependent upon something like intelligence? What sorts of responsibilities do doctors have ... Read More
Islam & the Bush Administration
Sunday May 16, 2004
One would expect that, before invading Iraq, President George W. Bush and his administration would have made sure that they had a good underst