This is another cartoon from the series 9 Chickweed Lane. The daughter (on the right) may be pregnant. She certainly seems to be having the symptoms, and she has gone fearfully to her mother to talk to her. The series has been having quite a good discussion so far on the whole issue of unplanned […]
Archives for March 2012
They come out every fasting season
We are just past mid-Lent. And, they are starting to crawl out of the dark, like Pithless Thoughts has documented in various cartoons lately. Who are they? They are the people who busily tell us how we ought to observe our Lent. They are the ones who know what additives are in every food that we eat so […]
Breaking the casual/causal dilemma
So, here is a problem. Given what I have said in the previous two postings, how does one break the impasse? As I was writing this, I received a comment from Fr. Greg on my previous post in which he commented: While “post modernism” is usually identified with a certain kind of “left wing” nihilism, […]
Casual, Causal, Conspiracies, and the End Times
Yesterday, I wrote about those who propounded conspiracy theories and those who propounded end-times predictions. I commented that they shared in common a confusion between a casual and a causal relationship. What do I mean? I pointed to something that was very popular several years ago called Six Degrees of Separation. Or, perhaps another way […]
End time predictions and conspiracy theories
I can remember a book published back in the late 1980’s called 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988. Obviously, the book was not accurate. However, it did manage to sell 4.5 million copies and caused the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the “World’s Largest Faith Channel”, to periodically include instructions for what to do […]
The reality of unplanned pregnancy and the unreality of Limbaugh
The panels above are from a current story arc in the comic 9 Chickweed Lane by Brooke McEldowney. You can find his blog here. I have skipped several of the panels, but the ones above reflect the story arc. I do not know what the development of the arc will be, but it is apropos to my previous […]
Orthodoxy and pro-life
I have previously mentioned that there are clear modern Orthodox statements against abortion. However, one of my favorite statements is actually not a statement. It is an amicus curiae brief filed by the Orthodox in this country before the Supreme Court in 1988. You can find a full copy of that brief here. I like […]
Christian morality about women; immorality about men
The comic above is a slight, but only a slight exaggeration. Actually, Roman Catholic healthcare plans do not, and have never, subsidized vasectomy. According to Roman Catholic teaching, vasectomies and tubal ligations are all equally forbidden, as they are both forbidden forms of birth control. But, the rest is true. In fact, Roman Catholic spokesmen […]
Christian Unity and Politics
When my wife first went to meet some of my relative in Miami, she had a shock. Our family is a typical Latino family. This means that when we discuss contentious subjects, our hands start waving and our voices rise up. My wife comes from a family that is not quite that demonstrative. My family, […]
The real state song of Alabama
Now, if you go to the official state website, you will find a state anthem listed. Hmm, don’t believe what you read there. Everyone who lives in Alabama knows what the real state anthem is, “Sweet Home Alabama.” In fact there are people here who will chat and ignore the national anthem, but will get […]
