Fandango’s Flashback Friday — May 13th — Just one day late This is a 2021 flashback but I’ve done so much editing on it, it’s sort of a new flashback. The subject of whether or not we have an afterlife keeps… Read More ›
Religion
GOD HAS A PLAN
I was still trying to figure out if John Oliver was really going off the air or we’d just missed the final few minutes of his piece because there was a sports emergency which had interrupted the show. It was… Read More ›
MOSES, MEL, AND ME – GARRY ARMSTRONG
Before I put a finger on the keyboard, I admit this is probably heresy, at least to some people. As Easter approaches, one simply doesn’t make fun of religious movies. But I do. Last night, Marilyn and I had our annual viewing of… Read More ›
THE FUTURE WENT ON TRIAL AND LOST
“INHERIT THE WIND” AND THE SCOPES TRIAL The Scopes Trial was officially The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. The trial is usually referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial. It was held in Tennessee in 1925. In it, John Scopes… Read More ›
WHEN NOTHING MEANS ANYTHING
It’s a Friday Flashback! I’m always glad to have a reason to pull this out of my archives and dust it off. It represents years of thought, night-long discussions in college, several obscure philosophy courses and at least one 40-page research paper…. Read More ›
AND THE CHOIR SANG ON
For a woman who is essentially religiously neutral, firmly clinging to my position of “no opinion” like a limpet on a wet rock with the tide coming in — I love church music. I cannot help myself. Play me some… Read More ›
THE JONESTOWN MASSACRE’S 44th ANNIVERSARY
Today is the 44th anniversary of this horrible event. It appears we have not learned anything in the subsequent years. We don’t seem able to “get” that slavish following of lying leaders can be lethal. That’s what these people did… Read More ›
ONLY A PAPER MOON
I noticed I have about an equal number of religious and atheist friends. That probably means I’m doing something right. If you get right down to it, I believe in you and me. I believe in intelligence and our right to exercise… Read More ›
FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE
Date: June 24, 2022, 5:53 PM So I guess if any of my young relatives get pregnant, and a serious situation develops, they should just walk down the street and ask random strangers what they should do. Mind you, these… Read More ›
THE BOTTOM LINE: IT’S ABOUT THEIR RELIGION, NOT MINE
From the same mindset that brought you the Inquisition and the Crusades, welcome to America. While claiming with all their power that all they are doing is “preserving the original intent of the Constitution,” the rulings have a powerfully Christian… Read More ›
EVIL DOESN’T NEED A REASON
What does “basically” mean? I keep hearing this from people who are sure – really sure – most people are basically good, kind, caring folks. What does “basically” mean? “Live and let live” has never been the way of nations…. Read More ›
HE WHO TROUBLES HIS OWN HOUSE WILL INHERIT THE WIND
Fanaticism and ignorance is forever busy and needs feeding – Clarence Darrow
WHAT IS RELIGION?
Fandango’s Provocative Question #163 Do you believe that atheism is a set of religious beliefs or is a religion in any sense? If so, why? If not, why not? Do you maybe have no opinion on the matter or just don’t… Read More ›
MARRIED WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLERGY
I was Jewish when I married Garry in a Lutheran Church. I was fine with that. Garry was fine and both ministers — we had two — were also fine with it. Oddly enough, my entire family was happy that… Read More ›
FRIDAY FLASHBACK: PRACTICING PEDIATRIC RELIGION
FROM APRIL 2019 When my first husband and I were getting married, he was vaguely Protestant, though no one in his family knew what kind of protestant. They never attended church and while they were wild about Christmas, it was… Read More ›
MARCHING BACKWARD, BACKWARD
This segment comes from the 1960 movie “Inherit the Wind.” The dialogue is virtually a direct quote from Clarence Darrow’s real speech to the judge and jury in the “Monkey Trial” held in Dayton, Tennessee in 1925. In fact, most… Read More ›
IN SEARCH OF PEACE ON EARTH – RICH PASCHALL
The Same Auld Lang Syne, by Rich Paschall Another year has begun and we can see it is not exactly the same as days gone by. If “old acquaintance be forgot” as one year passes into another, then we would… Read More ›
THE JONESTOWN MASSACRE’S 43rd ANNIVERSARY
Today is the 43rd anniversary of this horrible event. It appears we have not learned that slavish following of lying leaders is lethal. We should not need to learn this again but apparently, we do. Maybe we aren’t able to… Read More ›
PLANS
Few of us have a realistic game plan right out of high school. We might think we do, but not long after we start college or end college and start work, we find the profession we prepared for isn’t it…. Read More ›
THE JONESTOWN MASSACRE — STILL RELEVANT IN 2021
We are again approaching the anniversary of the Jonestown massacre. 43 years later, it appears we have not learned the lesson yet. Slavish following of lying leaders is deadly. We should not need to learn this again. Once should have… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 