And this guy has got to go. How was this statue of cult leader Sri Chinmoy ever allowed on city property . . . in Roger Williams Park of all places? Williams rather famously espoused keeping church and state separate — it’s kind of our thing here in Rhode Island. We already hashed out this …
I defy you not to laugh at the centurions trying-not-to-laugh scene. “Life of Brian” got a big thumbs up from Roger Ebert who reminds us, The difficulty with a literal interpretation of the Bible is that it is a translation of a translation of a translation of documents that were chosen by the early church …
Suggested Viewing For Blasphemers, Heretics, Etc. Read More »
Just watch me. Speaking to the press as he arrived in the Philippines, Pope Francis shared his take on the recent events in Paris, “You cannot provoke. You cannot insult the faith of others. You cannot make fun of the faith of others.” In the words of Mandy Rice-Davies, “He would say that wouldn’t he?” …
And Bill Rappleye should know that. Rather than forcing the candidates in last night’s debate to profess a particular religious belief, a more enlightened questioner might have confronted Cianci with the protections embedded in the U.S. Constitution. Article VI [3] states that “. . . no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification …
But I’m also glad I’m not bound by all that turn-the-other-cheek forgiveness crap. Fred Phelps is dead and the world is a much better place. (Is there anyone who didn’t immediately begin designing a custom torment protocol for this loathsome creature?) I’m assuming his final resting place will soon become a destination for pilgrims wishing …
So the Maccabees were card-carrying members of Pipefitters International. Who knew? By the time this menorah showed up in the state house rotunda everybody was so sick and tired of the endless tree discussion that we all just sighed and let it go. However, my complaint now is based on aesthetic grounds. This stupendously gorgeous …
In 2003 President George W. Bush sought the support of French President Jacques Chirac for his invasion of Iraq; Chirac was forced to seek the advice of a theology professor to help make sense of the ensuing conversation. The Guardian wrote in 2009, President Jacques Chirac wanted to know what the hell President Bush had …
A President’s Religion Matters — Gog, Magog, Kolob, Etc. Read More »
Here we are inside the Brown University Sciences Library, a building so resolutely dedicated to rational thinking that it has a thirteenth floor . . . no room for silly superstition here. It seems likely that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (Class of ’91, B.S. Biology) spent many hours in this library studying in the stacks, …
Yeah, this has gotta go. I’m inclined to condemn this installation solely on its egregious aesthetic shortcomings, but there are larger issues at stake. This right here is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t be privatizing the municipal function of maintaining public median strips and roadsides. Where most people are motivated by civic pride …
Wrong question! I guess I can stop waiting for some member of the media to actually challenge and educate Mr. Santorum on the real issue here. The United States Constitution — as written by the Founding Fathers — specifically requires that there be no test for religion for holding public office. To be the president …
And smarter and more articulate than many of the adults connected to this story. According to the Providence Journal, the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of sophomore Jessica Alquist seeking the removal of a prayer banner from the wall of the school auditorium. A Baptist minister, himself …
But no one is singled out.* Bill Maher finds all religion — unbelievable. Out today on DVD is Religulous, one of the best movies of the last year. Maher goes about the world asking people to explain and justify their beliefs, and he’s actually a lot more patient with these people than I would have …
was on the ball… “The appellation Satan in Hebrew and adversary… belongs by right to the first and cruelest ‘adversary’ of all the Gods. Jehovah not in the serpent which spoke only words of sympathy and wisdom.”
I’m a day or two behind this AP article in which the Rev. Jay Scott Newman, a South Carolina Roman Catholic priest, has asked parishioners to refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Hussein Obama because of the Democratic president-elect’s pro-choice stance. In fact, the good reverend declared that supporting Obama “constitutes material cooperation with …
Today, the United States Supreme Court was scheduled to hear arguments on a case in which the decision will have a significant impact on the First Amendment. While scanning the NYT Washington news, this article jumped off of the screen and set sirens off in my head. I don’t know how many of you are …
The Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. [youtube]ohKAT6qThgc[/youtube]