About Satan

Why did the alleged God banish the alleged Satan from the alleged heaven? Many Christian accounts of Satan bluntly conclude that Satan was full of pride, causing God to give him the boot. Which leads to the follow: satan pride I don't know who creates these images, which are often posted on Facebook. They sharply challenge assertions commonly made by believers. Sometimes they challenge deeply held theological arguments. And as Ronaldo de Souza once suggested, theology is “intellectual tennis without a net.”

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Obama drone policy gets some sunshine

From Truthout:

Only because Rand Paul, Ted Cruz - and now others - have been willing to stand up to the administration and demand transparency on drone strike policy are Americans learning the chilling truth about the executive's elastic definition of "imminence" in "imminent threat." If you're concerned about the lack of transparency and accountability of the policy of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, you have to concede that Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz have done us a great service: Cruz, R-Texas, with his questioning of Attorney General Eric Holder in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Paul, R-Kentucky, with his widely reported filibuster on the Senate floor. Unfortunately, some Democrats don't want to acknowledge this contribution. That's a shame.

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Most radiologists don’t see gorilla on lung scans

An early "inattention blindness" study demonstrated that half of the people viewing a group of students playing basketball failed to notice that a "gorilla" joined the game. In a newer study of "inattention blindness," the experimenters inserted an image of a gorilla onto the upper right corner of a lung scan. It would be quite visible to anyone looking for it. Despite this, 83% of radiologists failed to notice it. Both studies are featured here.

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How the Swiss handle corporate fatcats

This from The Economist:

PUBLIC wrath at the widening gap between packages awarded to company bosses and the average citizen’s take-home pay resounded through Switzerland on March 3rd. Voters there overwhelmingly backed an initiative to give shareholders of Swiss listed companies a binding say on executive pay and an annual right to vet board appointments. Other sanctions would forbid the award to executives of severance packages, side contracts, and rewards for buying or selling company divisions. The penalty for infringements could be as much as three years in jail, or the forfeit of up to six years’ salary.

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