Posted in Uncategorized on May 31st, 2009
You’re probably familar with Alberto Cutié. Also known as “Father Oprah” (probably on account of his constant struggles with his weight, his habit of giving free Pontiacs to parishioners, and his millionaire-making endorsements of lousy books), he got caught by Cuban spies a few weeks ago cavorting on the beach with his girlfriend, a divorcée. [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 30th, 2009
Some god-believers (especially those named Jotham) insist that their god is “perfect.” In fact, there are entire (specious) arguments for god’s existence premised on this belief. Other god-believers, however, allow that their god might not be perfect, and might sometimes need (for example) refueling, new tires, radiator-debris removal, windshield-washing, tire-pressure adjustments, and brake pad replacements. [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 29th, 2009
Do you know about the Silver Ring Thing? Don’t feel bad, neither did I until a few minutes ago. I think that means we’re old. Basically you wear a $20 silver ring to demonstrate that you’ve sat through a 2-hour pro-abstinence stage performance incorporating “high energy music, special effects, fast-paced video, personal testimonies, and comedy [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 28th, 2009
Rock and roll contains a proud tradition of girl bands, including Josie and the Pussycats, Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space, Jem and the Holograms, The Misfits, Barbie and the Rockers, Barbie and the Sensations, The Chipettes, and Girls Aloud. Looking at that list, one thing jumps out immediately. None of those bands are [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 27th, 2009
If (like me) you’ve been busy wringing your hands over the fact that we live under a form of government in which the majority gets to tell the minority what to do, you may have missed the news that our good friend Francis Collins, the brains behind BioLogos, is in line to be the next [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 26th, 2009
I was all set to make a “finally, a Catholic on the Supreme Court!” joke. And then I got a memo from the fact-checking department pointing out that we don’t really know for sure what religion Sonia Sotomayor is. It turns out the there’s a lot of evidence both ways: yes: “Sotomayor” sounds like a [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 23rd, 2009
Over on FOXNews.com, Bill Shuler lists Ten Fallacies About Faith In America. Incredibly, I largely agree with the pastor: 1. “Separation of Church and State” means people of faith should mute their convictions in the public forum. Fallacy! It’s common sense that means people of faith should mute their convictions in the public forum. 2. [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 23rd, 2009
If you’re like me, you probably grew up reading the Berenstain Bears books. You probably learned valuable lessons from The Berenstain Bears Learn About Strangers, The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food, The Berenstain Bears and the Bully, and The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation. Your early sexual fantasies were probably shaped by [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 22nd, 2009
“The girl is taken to a shrine or a cemetery in the middle of the night, her finger nails are cut off, her pubic hair is shaved, a menstrual pad containing her blood is taken away, and then a piece of her clothing is removed,” he said. Is this: (a) the latest Brazilian trend in [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 20th, 2009
Never let it be said that the Catholic Church doesn’t embrace change. They lifted a ban on publishing Galileo’s works only 76 years after he died, and they lifted their general prohibition on works advocating heliocentrism only 40 years after that. And only a year after the Cadaver Synod they forbade any future prosecutions of [...]
