When I was an undergraduate, I thought it would be a good idea to get high school teaching certification as a backup. I had an amazing teacher – I hated him at the time – who asked everyone in the room why they wanted to teach. Most of the undergrads said things like “I want to help people.” Sheesh. When he got to me, I said that I was an intellectual, and that curiosity, analysis and debate were essential for…
I have long been a fan of the Virtual Church of the Blind Chihuahua. I’ve even got the tee-shirt, and it gets looks from the other PTA moms, let me tell you. The site, whose premise I adore, was the inspiration for the Virtual Church of Benevolent Deities, Inc (VirtuBene). Scooper (heh-heh) recently posted on God and “inclusive language” – the scare quotes are to let you know that the title of the post is much more colorful. Go see….
The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org) Check out this excellent excerpt from Bill McKibben’s article in the August 2005 edition of Harper’s Magazine. The basic point is that although the overwhelming majority of Americans profess to be Christian, the USA is the least Christian in its behavior (compared to other “developed” nations). A few nuggets: “In 2004, as a share of our economy, we ranked second to last, after Italy, among developed countries in government foreign aid. Per capita we each provide…
Not in Our Name is trying to launch an initiative for November 2, 2005 called “The World Can’t Wait – Drive out the Bush Regime.” They envision mass outpourings of popular protest on the anniversary of the “re-election.” Politics as usual isn’t going to work, and dependence on semi-magical “leaders” in the Democratic party or elsewhere doesn’t appear to be a good option either. Silence and paralysis are irresponsible – what you will not protest and fight you will be…
They live by the rules / No matter the context / The rules always rule