SPANISH INQUISITOR

I want to thank everybody who responded to my last post, The Christian Double Standard, and to Gabe for his contribution. I asked Christians to give me their take on the scenario, and query, set up my my correspondent (and Gabe, if you’re reading, I’d love to hear your take on it too). I actually received quite a few responses, primarily from the WordPress Tag system, and I think it was a good set of responses. It didn’t change my mind at all, and probably didn’t change too many Christians either, as this particular dialog goes on daily, with little change in the demographic positions, but is intellectually stimulating nonetheless.

Continue reading ‘The Christian Response’

Last week I posted my thoughts on the Question of Suffering or, as it’s also commonly referred to in philosophical/theological circles, the Problem of Evil. Prior to that I had left some comments in another post about my recent enjoyment of Bart Ehrman’s latest book, God’s Problem, a nice analysis of how the Bible, rather than address and resolve the issue, actually confuses it by contradicting itself all over the map.

Continue reading ‘The Christian Double Standard’

I had a very interesting weekend.

On Friday, my wife and I stood up for old friends who had been living together for 17 years, and decided, quite unexpectedly, that they were going to marry. No, there was no shotgun involved, just a certain acceptance of the inevitable coupled with a recognition of the legal advantages of marital status. There was just us, another two couples representing friends and family, and the local magistrate who performed the ceremony. From the moment she came to the door (the magistrate that is) to the end of the ceremony couldn’t have been ten minutes, and for me, it was one of the most meaningful weddings I ever attended. We drove to Pittsburgh that morning in the pouring rain, insufferable weather that didn’t stop even upon our arrival, until about 30 minutes before the ceremony, which was planned for the garden in our friends’ back yard. The rain stopped, the clouds parted, and the sun came out. Those of a religious mind would have been praising the lord for his beneficence in providing good weather for the ceremony. I simply acknowledged that the rain had to stop sometime, and, true to form, did. And if it hadn’t? Well, that would have been true to form also.

Continue reading ‘One Wedding And A Naming’

The Question of Suffering, or another way it’s referred to, the Problem of Evil, is the biggest thorn in the side of religion. It’s out there, constantly asking for an explanation. Religion dances around it, bending and twisting itself, pretzel-like, to rationalize suffering in the context of a purported omnipotent, omnipresent, omni-benevolent god. It does, to it’s credit, arrive at somewhat quiescent conclusions regarding that suffering caused by other humans, like crime, abuse, neglect, and other forms of suffering heaped on fellow humans for the benefit of the heaper, but ultimately, they are unsatisfying, because they depend of the existence of god for their truthfulness, and in posing the question of suffering, it is the existence of god that cannot, and should not, be presumed. The point of asking the question is to determine whether god exists. Continue reading ‘The Question Of Suffering, Redux’

Remember Dover? Now think School Administrative District 59. The name doesn’t roll off the tongue like Dover does, but the acronym isn’t so bad. SAD 59. This story makes me sad.

The Director of this particular School District in Maine thinks that evolution should be deleted from the biology curriculum, because it hasn’t been proven.

Continue reading ‘Another Wacky School Board’

So far this meme has been flogged by a few fellow bloggers, The Exterminator, (((Billy))), Ordinary Girl , Ridger (I think she started it), PhillyChief, and probably a few others I haven’t seen. Philly’s selections were somewhat arcane, at least to this old fogie. His taste in music and mine don’t seem to overlap. I’m not complaining (unless I happen to be riding in his car for a long trip).

Continue reading ‘Name That Tune’

Bob Dylan has a wonderful, and hypnotic song entitled Visions of Johanna which starts with these lyrics:

Ain’t it just like the night to play tricks/ when you’re tryin’ to be so quiet.

Continue reading ‘Visions of Mary’

Apparently, those damned homosexuals and other sinners have not learned their lesson from the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina. They must be engaging in same gender sexual activities at an alarming rate again. Lots of cunnilingus and anal sex going on, and not just in New Orleans or Florida, I’ll bet. John Hagee must be writhing in delight horror . In fact, given the number of people who died yesterday in Myanmar, I’d have to guess that there are also a solid number of heterosexuals who have taken up non-missionary positions or sodomistic sexual practices of their own.

Continue reading ‘The Gays Have Been Acting Up Again.’

This just in from Fox News (where else?) We may have another virgin Mary on our hands, though mom hasn’t gone so far as to admit to that. A woman in Ohio undertook to have an ultrasound image of her recently conceived baby, and instead of seeing the usual gray and white, ghostly image of a fetus, she found a picture of Jesus, apparently on the cross. At least, that’s what it looks like to me. I certainly don’t see a baby there, but I always have to be shown the fetus when I look at these ultrasounds. But that’s just me. I’ll bet her doctor can see the little thing.

Continue reading ‘He’s Everywhere! He’s Everywhere!’

Call me Ishmael. At least, that’s what my master calls me. He found the name in a book somewhere; he’s always reading books, never has much time for me, other than to throw me a mostly-eaten leg of mutton or some scraps from the table. What kind of name is that for a dog? I’m a pedigree English Sheepdog, (though plagued with a lean and hungry look)! I have papers, dammit! He could have called me Spot, it would have been more appropriate.

Continue reading ‘A Doghouse Of One’s Own’