Happy post-Independence Day. Never mind that post-independence might be all to apt a description. —– I’ve been thinking about religion more than politics these days and contemplating my possible irrelevance. This post begins with religion, but it’s about the larger picture. And freedom; as usual, everything’s about freedom. Inspired by books like Barrie Wilson’s How Jesus Became Christian, Stephen Stoeller’s comprehensive insider’s look at gnosticism, and the works of Karen King, Bart Ehrman, Elaine Pagels, and too many others to name, my mind has been in the past — and not the past of rousing revolutions or ringing statements of…
11 CommentsCategory: Religion
The links, they keep following me … In Phoenix, it’s drawn guns, profanities, and threats over a doll shoplifted by a four-year-old. You see, this is why I love to read Jonah Goldberg even as many other freedomistas scorn him. The utterly beastly tactics of the Mueller team. (H/T JB) Yes, England has gone completely bonkers. Hey guys, Knives have edges as well as points. And there are always plenty of blunt objects around the house for the resident domestic abuser to wield. As Borepatch observes, the British government is downright childish. Kitchen knives! Oh my! One of many trans…
4 CommentsThe gnostic understands Christ’s message not as offering a set of answers, but as encouragement to engage in the process of searching … — Elaine Pagels, The Gnostic Gospels Trust those who seek the truth but doubt those who say they have found it. — Andre Gide (and many others) You cannot reason with a tiger when your hand is in its mouth. — Winston Churchill, In Darkest Hour —– Political freedom is (almost!) an oxymoron. All freedom is personal. A thoughtfully constituted government like the one these formerly united States started with can for a time slow down the…
14 CommentsMy “guardian” dream from late last month continues to haunt and puzzle me. Though I’m no closer to understanding it (and it demands understanding and perhaps action), I’ve had some help along the way. I’ve already mentioned Commentariat member Shel leading me to Jung — actually two Jungs, Carl and his wife Emma. Then yesterday I found an unexpected gift in a locker at the post office. That up there at the top of this blog is a framed and bejeweled print of a 15th-century Russian icon of a (or perhaps the) guardian angel. Or as the handy translation sheet…
4 CommentsSomeone asked me why I don’t write about freedom as much as I used to. Every time I pick up a pen or put fingers to keyboard I’m writing about freedom. I just don’t write as much about politics any more. Or techniques of anti-politics. But it’s all about freedom. —– People also come around once in a while, hoping to learn new techniques for alternate ID so they can live their way around “enhanced” government drivers licenses, e-verify for employment, facial recognition systems, and such. I have nothing for them. Not that there aren’t ways. I’ve said it before;…
7 CommentsRandom action produces random results. The last two weeks have been busy-busy, with little time for reflection. It’s been the kind of busy-ness that leaves you (meaning me) tired and depleted but barely able to point to any accomplishment. At the end of the day, I ask myself what I did and can recall a lot of activity, signifying nothing. In the last week, I even attended two Dreaded Social Events. One of them was actually a hoot; but that sort of thing saps all my creative and spiritual juices, sometimes for days afterward. Oh, I also managed a smattering…
8 CommentsA historical guide to FOIA. Oil platform workers rescue a dog in a mindbendingly unbelievable place and take wonderful care of it. (H/T MtK) This dog rescue, on the other hand, evokes Stephen King. (Also H/T MtK) And since we’ve already added a creepy factor to our “lite” links, consider this: Dentistry is much less scientific than we’ve learned to think. Well, we now know the cause of Catholic priests diddling little boys and girls. The “swinging 60s” are to blame, pronounces ex-pope Benedict. And that’s not even the most bizarre of his pronouncements. Some background on unicorns — both…
9 CommentsWhen NPR reported Notre Dame was on fire, unreality descended. I wouldn’t have been more shocked had they said the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, and the Golden Gate bridge all simultaneously crumbled to ruin. I felt like one of those people in the French crowds, gazing at the blaze in disbelief and mourning. But why? I’ve never been to France and have no connection with the country. I’ve never viewed the Cathedral of Notre Dame except in pictures (and movies and songs and literature). In fact, when we studied medieval cathedrals in Art History class, I concluded they were…
15 CommentsNote: After drafting this at home all day, I’m posting it in the cold outside a closed library. I usually do a lot of revisions when blogging something I’ve written offline. So if it has more than the usual amount of typos, poor editing, or rambling passages, please forgive it. It’s been snowing and I’m not staying out here in the car much longer to give it the usual polishing. Reflections on two recent books and a tragic ancient history whose spirit is rising again I’m reading two books right now that have absolutely nothing to do with each other.…
7 CommentsDoing great this week (knock wood). My mouth has healed up nicely and with no pain at all. I’m still gobbling gift supplements to excellent effect. And other than necessities and blogging, I find I’m not missing the Internet much. The other day I had a bit of extra time on the library’s wifi and decided to make a quick cruise through some of my regular (until 10 days ago) daily news feeds. I found I wasn’t even interested — though after going a week without hearing the names Jussie Smollett or Anybody Kardashian, I was unsurprised to find them…
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