In his book, I May Not Get There With You (full bibliog. info at bottom), Rev. Michael Dyson discussed a variety of contemporary topics in racial politics using the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. (hereafter: MLK) as springboard. He is clearly upset that conservatives of many stripes and variations have appropriated the MLK mythos, and wants to set MLK’s iconic status back in service to radical politics. Actually, blacks, whites, liberals, and conservatives have all wandered from the right track due to having come under one or another forms of “amnesia” (290-4) which Dyson details. Continue reading…
Politics
Last January I wrote piece called Target Iran in which I argued that the US or Israel (or both) would soon attack Iran. Though I still believe this is likely, there seems be resistance to this plan from the Pentagon. Below is my take on what may be going on. Continue reading…
Everyone that cares knows the Phils were swept by Colorado in the division playoffs. Colorado outplayed the Phils in every department — hitting, fielding, pitching, coaching, scouting. They deserved to win, and it is therefore good that they did win.
However, listening to the away-game on the radio, I heard something that froze me in my tracks. Thinking about it caused me to learn yet again something about pasture management. Let me give a little background. Continue reading…
Christian Incrementalists never tire of telling us that when it comes to election time, we should follow the principle of choosing the lesser of two evils. This principle constitutes the major premise of their syllogism which always concludes that we should vote for the leading Republican candidate. The minor premise is, of course, Rudy, Mitt, and Fred are less evil than Barack, John, and Hillary. Indeed, the premise is actually much stronger. Rudy, Mitt, and Fred are good while Barack, John, and Hillary are bad. Continue reading…
One of the stock political villains of my Republican youth was George McGovern. As a teenager with a head addled by congeries of contradictory ideas that perhaps only the Republican Party of the second half of the twentieth century has had the audacity to simultaneously advocate (small government, yet world imperialism; low taxes, yet massive welfare state; localism, yet pro-“civil rights” movement), I saw McGovern as the epitome at once of socialism and stupidity. Never mind that there was not much content behind my judgment. Continue reading…
Great Britain is just like every other craven and effeminate western nation – only more so. Frightened by media-hyped terrorism and crime, the British have allowed their government and big corporations to turn the country into the world’s largest monitored nursery. Continue reading…
The view of man and of history presented by Augustine in the City of God is glorious and awe-inspiring. In this vision, all men are active and loyal citizens of one or the other of two invisible Cities: the City of God, or the City of Man. Continue reading…
In the little bet we have going, my colleague perhaps shows his youth by pitting Hillary against (any x such that x is not Hillary). Considering the scope that x can range over, this seems like a pretty good bet for me to have taken, even if Hillary were the lead horse. I don’t know whom our rulers have chosen to be the next President, but just the raw odds made it too hard to turn down. And yes, I’ll take mine medium, at the Main Street Cafe please. Continue reading…
In reply to somebody who posed a reasonable question about 9-11 “conspiracy theories,” a blogger made the following comments.
“Not to mince words, I deem the 9-11 conspiracy theorists — both Far Left and Right — uninformed, ridiculous, dangerous, and sinful. . . But they have overstepped the bounds of reason and Scripture when they publicly declare that the Bush Administration had previous knowledge of or, worse yet, was in collusion with the 9-11 terrorists.” Continue reading…
This article by Gresham Machen is must-read; as timely today as it was in 1936. I have seen almost all these same tricks used at every level, including congregational meetings.
There is nothing more wicked than cloaking power-religion with the form of godliness.
One of our correspondents raised a question about the ethics of nudity in movies in connection with a remark I made in reviewing Dreamlife of Angels. In trying to pen some preliminary thoughts, I soon realized that the topic deserved a thread of its own, both because more needs to be said than is appropriate in a little “comment” box, and also to provide a better stage for our readers to offer additional suggestions on how to address this topic. Here are a few random thoughts to prime the pump: Continue reading…
Jones gets an anonymous call and is told that his distant neighbor, Smith, (he lives several blocks away) is stock-piling guns and ammo and is planning to attack other households including Jones’. Jones is outraged. He decides, without bothering to demand evidence for the plot, to petition the rest of the neighborhood to put together a posse in order to disarm Smith. Most are unwilling, but a couple decide to join in after they are threatened and bribed. Continue reading…
Some of our correspondents seem to depart from the legacy of Christendom on the subject of the magistrate. They think the magistrate is beyond criticism by men. Continue reading…
Like a few recent commentators, I too believe that there is a good deal more to history than what the court historians report. Like the poor, conspirators will always be with us. Augustine reminds us that history is to understood as a battle between two cities. One uses the power of the Word and Spirit to advance its kingdom, the other is apt to cheat, steal, rape, kill and blunder. But the City of Man’s main method of warfare is not force, but dissimulation and secrecy. Christendom seems to have forgotten that our enemy is the deceiver of the nations. Continue reading…
A few people have accused me of being apathetic about current politcal affairs. (See the comments under “I’ll take mine rare”, particularly #’s 7 and 13 ). Allow me to indulge in a few words of defense against this charge. Continue reading…
