A new book is in press, and will be released in a month. The author of the BadAstronomy blog, Phil Plait has written "Death From the Skies: These Are the Ways the World Will End!" That's him, exhibiting typical Ivory Tower Professorial reserve as he eyes his pre-release copy (click…
At DI, we have an extremely conservative fellow visiting the blog these days. He's trying to convert all of us to his reactionary world view. He clings to his Bible as a book of literal truths and he seems to love everything that Sarah Palin ostensibly stands for. I'd like…
I received an email today implying that Palin was the latest incarnation of Teddy Roosevelt. Sure, they both were tapped for VP when young, had been governor a short time, and both liked to shoot. But TR had been a military commander in a shooting war and later Assistant Secretary…
The Alliance Defense Fund, a legal action group whose purpose appears to be to promote an American Theocracy, has instituted The Pulpit Initiative. In brief, it calls for ministers, priests and pastors to openly stump for particular candidates on September 28, 2008 ("Pulpit Freedom Sunday") and beyond. No more pussyfooting…
What is religion? The video below features a short excerpt and animated discussion involving Sam Harris and Rabbi David Wolp. It's both serious and entertaining. The Rabbi calls religion "the path to God," then elaborates, before Harris begins his cross-examination. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjhbccXIp4c[/youtube] Contrast the Rabbi's definition to that of Jonathan Haidt's…