Chris Hedges On Walter Benjamin And Capitalism

From the Chris Hedges piece titled “Welcome to the Asylum“ Walter Benjamin argued that capitalism is not only a formation “conditioned by religion,” but is an “essentially religious phenomenon,” albeit one that no longer seeks to connect humans with the mysterious forces of life. Capitalism, as Benjamin observed, called on human societies to embark on a ceaseless and futile quest for money...

Gay Marriage And Hermenutical Hilarity

Over on Homebrewed Christianity, Tripp regales us with a story about a former youth and his hermenutical..ahem..challenges in the debate over gay marriage.  It’s a great read, one that everyone should check out.  Here’s a small taste: COLLEGE FRIEND Former Youth – Unfortunately, The Bible is not an ally in the fight for such legislation, but rather a liability. If “one man & one woman”...

Theory Vs. “Theory”

I’ve been a scientist for nearly 20 years now.  If there’s anything I’ve learned is that science, as with most cultures, has its own language, its own idioms, its own communication styles.  In the science world, certain terms and phrases are used and their meaning is understood by the community. In the recent debate of Evolution vs. Creationism, or even over Climate Change, there is a...

Gary Stein, Marine, Discharged For Insubordination

*Updated 4/30/12* The interwebs are abuzz about Gary Stein, a 26 year old idiot who received an “Other Than Honorable” discharge for his comments about President Obama on Facebook. To which I say good.  He deserved it.  Not because he called President Obama a “coward” or “the enemy”, but because it is an appropriate punishment for the number of rules, regulations, and articles...

Quote Of The Day | Carl Sagan

Thanks to David Chapman on Facebook for this one. ‎”The chief deficiency I see in the skeptical movement is its polarization: Us vs. Them — the sense that we have a monopoly on the truth; that those other people who believe in all these stupid doctrines are morons; that if you’re sensible, you’ll listen to us; and if not, to hell with you. This is nonconstructive. It does not get our message...