The Cigarette Century

Allan Brandt, The Cigarette Century: The Rise, Fall, and Deadly Persistence of the Product That Defined America.
Video intro (via Spectrum) –Full video of talk by Brandt.

Stravinskas on Purgatory

A video clip on YouTube shows noted Catholic apologist Fr. Peter Stravinskas answering questions about purgatory during a debate with James White.
Questioner: “It appears to me that every good Catholic seems to have the option, instead of going to purgatory, to perhaps write a check or do alms of some kind, that will also purge [...]

Al Qaeda Alive and Well

FBI noting increased “chatter.”
The success or failure of Bush’s policy in Afghanistan and Iraq can really be judged by one criterion: Did he succeed in diminishing the threat of terrorism, or did he rally more recruits to the terrorists’ cause?
Does any one think the answer to that question is debatable?

“The Soul of War”

Speaking of Faith interviews Chaplain (MAJ) John Morris. Sent by my brother, Jim.

Michael John Poirier

I was saddened to hear (via Amy) that Michael John Poirier has been diagnosed with melanoma. We met at a conference in Houston last November (he was singing, I was speaking). Remember him and his family in your prayers.

Francis Beckwith Explains

Francis Beckwith is granting interviews regarding his reversion to Catholicism. See latest in National Catholic Register. He had been “president of the Evangelical Theological Society, an association of 4,300 Protestant theologians,” since November 2006–six months.
He says that after reading some things about the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, he went looking for the [...]

Draconian Measures in China

Government crackdown on villages–heavy fines on families with more than one children, dispossession of those unable to pay immediately, forced abortions of pregnant women–leads to rioting by tens of thousands.

Spain’s Sephardic Heritage

From the LA Times: “A journey, with baggage: The Sephardic Routes, a network of medieval sites, helps Iberia reconnect with its Jewish history, long kept in the shadows.”

“Too much Billy Graham”

That was Billy Graham’s reaction to the museum at the Billy Graham Library, soon to open in Charlotte, NC. Some also question the use of a singing cow to tell his story (at least it now has a Southern accent). Ruth is said to have called the place a “circus.” At least there is no [...]

Men’s Ministry

I’ve updated and expanded a webpage I put together a few months ago on ministry with men.

“No More Taking Sides”

Speaking of Faith–No More Taking Sides: An Israeli-Palestinian Story. Via Jim.

Memorial Day

Frederick W. Smith. My grandfather. WWI.
Joseph W. Crowther. My great-great-grandfather. US Civil War.

On Military Chaplains

Discussion at Spectrum blog about military chaplains; I chimed in.

Shavuot

A post from 2003…
Most Christians have a vague understanding of Passover; if pressed, they could probably recall the Exodus, the plagues, the lamb, the blood on the doorposts, and the unleavened bread. We can probably thank Cecil B. DeMille for that.
But how many would be able to describe the significance of Shavuot, which began at [...]

Memories of A. J. Foyt

A local guy who’s been playing with cars for many years was honored in Indianapolis yesterday — fifty years after he showed up for the first time, unannounced, eager to race. A fellow named Foyt.
1967 was one of the years A. J. Foyt won. We had moved in January of that year from New Haven, [...]

Houston Police out of Control. Again.

When confronting people with mental illness, Houston police would rather pull out a Taser than talk.

Report: Some Sodas May Mess up Your DNA … ?!

Rod Dreher links to report on dangers of sodium benzoate.

“Business as Usual”

Lutheran Pastor Paul McCain comments on his Catholic mail.

Pastoral Change in Maryland

Methodist pastor has “sex change.”

On Mormonism

The Independent (UK): The darker side of Mormonism.

Jesus as Harry Potter

Dom comments on an upcoming movie production based on Anne Rice’s novel, Christ the Lord. The producer, Good News Holdings (”a Spiritainment Company,” the CEO and co-founder of which is pollster George Barna) says of the story: “At seven years old, Jesus is a curious child, wise beyond his years, yet troubled [...]

A Long Time Ago …

Today is the 30th anniversary of the opening of “Star Wars,” and the US postal service is commemorating it with some new stamps.
May 25, 1977, was the end of my sophomore year in high school, I was 15, and I didn’t go see the movie. I had other plans that summer, including a trip to [...]

Religious and Civil Rights …?

It seems to me that the most important “religious and civil rights” include both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. This includes the right to disagree with someone else’s religion, and to say so. Bill Donohue, of the “Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights,” seems to disagree. Currently he is going after Bill [...]

Creation in Kentucky

Creation Museum opens in Kentucky. New York Times, Christian Science Monitor. Via Greg B.

Origins

Cliff Goldstein, God’s Man, Darwin …

Even from a nonliteralist interpretation of Genesis, two points are obvious: nothing was random in the act of creation, and there was no common ancestry for the species.
Now, along comes Darwinian evolution, which in its various incarnations teaches two things: randomness and common ancestry for all species. How, then, does [...]

QOD

Andrews University will host a Questions on Doctrine 50th Anniversary Conference this October. Adventists leaders published the book (full title: Seventh-day Adventists Answer Questions on Doctrine) in response to conversations with Donald G. Barnhouse and Walter Martin; these answers satisfied the evangelicals, but caused multiple controversies within Adventism. The book was republished in 2003, but [...]

“Islam vs. Islamists” Will Air

PBS will show Islam vs. Islamists.

The McPassion

On marketing: The McPassion, via Spectrum Blog.

“Knocking”

David Neff looks at a recent PBS documentary on the JWs. I had intended to watch it … but got caught up in something else.

“Renewalists”?

The study of religion has an occupational hazard–blink your eyes, and you may miss some new trend.
“Renewalism” is a neologism that is being used in some quarters as a term to refer to both the old school Pentecostals (dating to the early 1900s) and to the various mainline Protestant and Catholic Charismatic movements (of the [...]