Monthly Archives: September 2009

An Ungrateful Freed Slave

From “Khutabat” by Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi: The Quran says: “Lo!  Allah hath bought from the believers their lives and their wealth in return for Paradise which will be theirs.” (9:3) This is the attitude of the Master towards you.  And now look at your behavior.  You sell away a thing to others which was …

September 20, 2009 – 9:23 PM | By joshua | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

With Friends Like Calvinists, Who Needs Enemies?

It didn’t take me long after researching the question to conclude that I’ve always been Calvinist.  Calvinism and Arminianism both provide equally logical frameworks of description, and both are orthodox reform Christianity.  Neither explanation is flawless, but both are as good as can be expected.  I don’t expect humans to ever come up with anything …

September 20, 2009 – 9:00 PM | By joshua | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (2)

Young Earth Creationism as Litmus Test

Some Christians are convinced that modern geology and anthropology are terribly mistaken, and that the earth is, literally, only 6,000 years old.  These people call themselves “Young Earth Creationists”.  I’ve read through the entire Bible a few times, and don’t remember reading that verse, but these folks assure me it’s there. Since I wasn’t there …

September 14, 2009 – 12:08 AM | By joshua | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (9)

Anti-Islam Propaganda

[via oldadam] Baptist Press and Catholic News Agency are both reporting that the Egyptian government has arrested 155 people for publicly eating food during Ramadan.  The implication is that those crazy Islamic fundamentalists are persecuting secularists again.  The reaction in the Western media is very predictable: Look at what happens when you let these crazy …

September 13, 2009 – 11:24 AM | By joshua | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Siegel on Tarantino

Quentin Tarantino and Jon Stewart fulfill a common role for today’s cultural “elites”.  Both pander to people’s desire to feel erudite, ironic, and “above” the childish sincerity of the past.  They (and their followers) want to be seen as smarter than everyone else, but when you push aside the curtain, they protest, “I only make …

September 4, 2009 – 9:21 AM | By joshua | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)