In the past I have had my great frustrations with John Loftus and his Outsider Test of Faith. Shall I count the reasons? For starters, it is arbitrarily imposed upon people who hold a set of claims that are “religious” as a means to test those claims when a more consistent application would present it as […]
Twelve minutes, two films, all sorts of big ideas
What common cause could possibly unite a Jew and an Arab? To find the answer you should watch this short (7 minute) film titled “Strangers” by director Erez Tadmor. If you liked that (and of course you did) you’ll love his follow-up, the short (5 minute) film “Offside“. Both films provide powerful analyses of violence, objectification, and a shared humanity. It is fascinating to […]
One Lost Penguin: A Meditation on Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World”
Disclaimer: Blogwise this week I feel like an overworked dad who, forced to balance a busy work schedule while feeding the family when mom’s out of town, has been reduced to providing a steady diet of Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Perhaps sufficient to fill the stomach, but not as much time for preparation and presentation […]
One Crazy Update
Here I go again, talkin’ about “the book”. But hear me out. It’s just a couple things. First, you can go to this website to download chapter one for free. As Fred Flintstone used to say, “Yabba Dabba Doo!” Second, I’m going to be interviewed on the new book on “YES FM” in Toledo, OH on Wednesday, February 16 […]
On not being a jerk about it
This happens to be one of my favorite Bizarro cartoons. It handily raises the question each one of us needs to be asking: would I rather be good or right? Of course all things considered it is better to be both/and, but if you had to choose, which would you opt for? Would you rather […]
Inane Observation Tuesday
Today I’d like to share some inane observations and to invite the handful of readers of this blog out there to share your own equally inane observations. So for your consideration: 1. It’s weird that “I could care less” and “I couldn’t care less” mean basically the same thing, i.e. “I don’t care.” 2. It’s […]
How much are your principles worth? Lessons from Morgan Spurlock
When I started this website I vowed to myself not to put any advertising on it (save one little link to Kiva, and non-profits don’t qualify. Okay, I also included widgets for my books at Amazon but that’s it). I made this decision on principle. You see advertising everywhere these days. It is estimated that the average […]
Okay smart guy, who designed the designer?
We’ve all heard this one before. Here it is coming from atheist George Smith in an argument directed against cosmic fine-tuning: “If the universe is wonderfully designed, surely God is even more wonderfully designed. He must, therefore, have had a designer even more wonderful than He is. If God did not require a designer, then there is […]
Misery loves company, especially more miserable company
For the last 8 years I’ve lived in Edmonton, Alberta on the Canadian prairies. There is a lot to be said for the region, particularly since it is a three hour drive to the Canadian Rockies. There is also a lot of sun, which is much appreciated after many years living in rainy Vancouver. But man, does it […]
Signature in the Cell: Monologue on the Prologue
Believe it or not, I stated my intent to review Steve Meyer’s Signature in the Cell about seven months ago and I finally made it to the prologue. You can just imagine the kind of fines I have to pay at the library. The book opens by setting the stage: Meyer notes three significant events in 2004-5 […]
How to worship yourself: Lessons from Sheila Larson and Van Halen
In 1986 Robert Bellah and a coterie of other sociologists published a landmark study called Habits of the Heart. One of the most memorable characters described therein was “Sheila Larson” who describes her own religion as “Sheilaism. Just my own little voice.” (Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life (1986), 221) While this might […]
Keep your eye on those “so called” Christians down the block
I attended an Anglican church for a couple years while living in London. (That’s par for the course, right? Like attending NASCAR events when you’re living in North Carolina.) The thing I always liked about Anglicanism is the theological tradition of “comprehension”, of seeking a big tent in which people of wide theological conviction can still come […]
Abraham, Isaac and a big knife. Like, wassup with that?
James asks, “I’m pretty sure I just missed this and you’ve talked about it somewhere (if so, just point me to it), but how do you interpret the story in Genesis where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son if you believe that God would never ask someone to sacrifice their son? Or do you […]
The mutilation of Isaac
Matthew Flannagan, respected analytic theologian, Christian apologist and faithful blogger, has taken issue with my argument that God would not ask a parent to sacrifice their child. Matt asks us to consider why it is that killing a human being is wrong. It is wrong, he avers, because it deprives one of their future life. […]
