The Christian Post recently published my short article “Pepe Le Pew stinks: The sexual violence of Looney Tunes in a #MeToo age.” The article attracted three comments, presumably from Christian conservatives (the primary readership of The Christian Post). Not surprisingly, the comments were all critical of my moral censure of Pepe Le Pew and his […]
culture
Why do conservative Christians diminish the scourge of sexual assault?
Pepe Le Pew Stinks: The Sexual Violence of Looney Tunes in a #MeToo Age
I grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons, the highlight of which was always one and a half hours of Looney Tunes: Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam, and the rest. Alas, Looney Tunes have not fared well in our age with many critics raising concerns about the violence of these zany cartoon shorts. […]
My Choice of Ten Articles to Represent My Decade of Blogging
Since I started blogging at the Christian Post in March 2009, I have written approximately 3000 articles (though most of them — since 2010 — have been here, at randalrauser.com). Now, in celebration (Or commemoration? Recognition, perhaps?) of ten years of blogging, I have decided to select ten articles, one from each of the last […]
The Ten (or more) Commandments of Christian Fundamentalism
In my memoir What’s So Confusing About Grace? I recount my experiences growing up fundagelical. The term “fundagelical” is (as you probably guessed), a portmanteau of “evangelical” and “fundamentalist,’ and in my opinion that descriptor ably captures the distinct characteristics of my religious and cultural upbringing. So fundamentalism is a big part of being fundagelical. This morning […]
Puritans at the Cinema
Let me begin with this tweet I came across yesterday from Sean McDowell: A for Ant-Man and the Wasp: fun, creative, and clean. pic.twitter.com/QAyW5EaWoG — Sean McDowell (@Sean_McDowell) July 14, 2018 Fun? Check! Creative? Check! Clean? Check! I know what “fun” and “creative” are. But what does McDowell mean when he says “clean”? Presumably, he […]
Spending a Day at Frank’s House: A Review of Letter to Lucy
Frank Schaeffer and EJG2, Letter to Lucy: A Manifesto of Creative Redemption in the Age of Trump, Fascism and Lies, A Multi-Touch Book, 2017. (E-book) When I started reading Letter to Lucy I assumed it was a book. I was quickly — and very pleasantly — disabused of that assumption. It turns out that it is something far better: an […]
Is it wrong for Christians to watch films containing graphic sexual content?
The other day I posted a survey about the ethics of Christians viewing movies containing “graphic sexual content.” Here are the results: Today's survey: "Christians may watch movies that include graphic sexual content." — Tentative Apologist (@RandalRauser) November 18, 2017 So a plurality of respondents believes Christians should not watch films with graphic sexual content. […]
Evangelical and Atheist Communities: Closer than you might think
Over the years I’ve had the privilege of visiting several atheist/humanist/skeptic communities, most recently the three groups I visited in Arizona. And over that time, I’ve noticed some striking similarities between (evangelical) Christians and the atheists, groups that you might otherwise think are the evangelicals’ polar opposites. Let’s note some similarities. We can start here: […]
Being the Right Kind of Fool for Christ Ain’t Easy
This morning I saw the following Atonin Scalia quote (with a few missing words) in my Twitter feed: Boom! pic.twitter.com/By4qSbD7o2 — Dr. Michael L. Brown (@DrMichaelLBrown) February 20, 2017 Before we get started, we need to confirm this quote. The practice of incorrectly attributing fanciful quotes to public figures — Mark Twain, Yogi Berra, Winston […]
Should Christians be afraid of Islam?
In my review for God’s not Dead 2 I pointed out that the religion currently under greatest threat in the United States is not Christianity. Rather, it is Islam. That claim received a response from readers both in the discussion thread and via email who argued that Islam is a threat. When the concern was initially raised by Walter […]
Blood Coming Out of Her Wherever: On Donald Trump’s misogynistic war
In his opening monologue on SNL this past Saturday, Dave Chappelle made a joke about staying at a Trump hotel: “I’m staying at the Trump Hotel right now. I don’t know if he’s going to make a good president, but he makes a swell hotel suite, Imma tell you that. Housekeeping comes in in the […]
Don’t try to redeem immoral practices by appealing to culture
A few years ago I wrote a Canadian member of Parliament to protest the annual slaughter of baby harp seals. I received a stock form letter in return thanking me for sharing my thoughts while informing me that the annual “harvest” of seals was a deeply entrenched part of the Newfoundland and Labrador culture. From fox hunting to […]
Unveiling the New Tentative Apologist Logo (and its retro roots)
If you haven’t yet watched Stranger Things on Netflix, this may not resonate with you. It’s a fantastic retro-80s show with supernatural mystery cloak-and-dagger themes that provides ample homage to Stephen King, Stephen Spielberg (especially E.T.), John Carpenter, The Goonies, and all things eighties (Think of the retro 2011 film Super 8). For a great illustration, consider how the soundtrack […]
