A glance at what passes for insider “wisdom” in Washington these days reveals a worldview of stunning insularity. Take Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, Jr., known for his concept of “soft power,” as an example. Offering a simple list of ways in which he believes U.S. military, economic, and cultural power remains singular and superior, he recently argued that there was no …
Jesus Christ the family man? Why the church won’t buy it
If only the great arguments between religion and doubt could be settled by scientific evidence. A story this week has it that solid evidence has emerged about the historical Jesus: the “tomb of Jesus” reportedly contains proof that Jesus was married, had a son – and was never resurrected. So that’s settled then. Or at least it would be if …
So, what did the Muslims do for the Jews?
Islam saved Jewry. This is an unpopular, discomforting claim in the modern world. But it is a historical truth. The argument for it is double. First, in 570 CE, when the Prophet Mohammad was born, the Jews and Judaism were on the way to oblivion. And second, the coming of Islam saved them, providing a new context in which they …
Rahm Emanuel: A Symbol of Much of What Is Wrong with America
America’s is a sickness of the mind, the unwavering belief by people in power that free-market capitalism will somehow work for everyone. As with a virus that refuses to die, the effects are insidious, because the very rich have convinced themselves that they made it on their own, and that others have only themselves to blame if they are poor. …
You Cannot Be a Republican and a Christian
No one in American life today proclaims their allegiance to Christ more conspicuously than those who have rejected most of what Christ actually taught: Republicans. The modern Republican Party’s hell-bent embodiment of nearly everything Christ warned against has become so serious that we have to call it out. You cannot be a Republican and a Christian. Of course, it wasn’t …
How Wall Street Used Swaps to Get Rich at the Expense of Cities
Yves here. This post by Ed Walker provides a detailed description of how badly municipalities have been fleeced when they bought interest rate swaps from Wall Street as part of financings. It isn’t simply that these borrowers were exploited, but that the degree of pilfering was so extreme that the financiers clearly knew they were dealing with rubes and took …
How Did Jesus Get to be So Hot? The Fascinating History of (Wildly Unrealistic) Depictions of the Savior
Lyrics for the rap song, B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth), include [3] the following line: “The white image, of Christ, is really Cesare Borgia [4].” The idea that our modern image of Jesus could be based on a ruthless power-hungry illegitimate son of a 15th century Pope (and star of the bloody mini-series Borgia [5]) is startling and farfetched. But it is no more bizarre or fanciful …
Hey Apocalyptic Christians — Here’s How the World as We Know It Will Probably End
High profile anti-religionists like Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins are altogether candid in their disrespect for Christians, and the faith we follow. No doubt Maher and Dawkins hold even less regard for that evangelical subset who believes we are living in the “end times”— a disregard shared by countless other atheists and agnostics. The truth is, we apocalyptically minded Christians …