thoughts in and out of season
James Kalb A good summary by a postmodern of the perspective for which he stands: “Postmodernism is what you have when the modernization process is complete and nature is gone for good.” Fredric Jameson, Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism (Duke, 1991), p. ix.
It appears that in Jameson’s definition “modernization” is the reduction of … More ...
Here’s some interesting background (I would skip the commentary) on the religious restrictions our troops must observe in Arab countries: Keep it to Yourself. Was “Islamic tolerance” ever much more than a stick to beat Christianity with?
A clever summary of the arguments for “gay marriage” and their intrinsic flaw: The Marriage of True Minds: A Dialogue. Why, after all, shouldn’t I be able to marry George Washington or the Bank of Nova Scotia?
Political tendencies, theological tendencies and ecclesiastical position often seem to go together. Here are some very sketchy — and not particularly spiritual — thoughts:
The wonders of the multicultural welfare state, chapter whatever: Anglican vicar attacked with bricks by mob of Asians trying to burn down his church. In addition to inheriting a variety of religious and ethnic animosities, it seems clear that these young people had grown up in a radically disordered social setting. The welfare state … More ...
What this means depends on what you bring to it: Afghan opium production is almost at the peak reached before the Taleban suppressed it. What the president of the World Bank draws from that is that “the failure to rid the country of its drug lords and poverty could undermine the West’s moral case for … More ...
“Inclusiveness” marches on. British local councils are increasingly banning hot cross buns as “offensive” to non-Christians. As one spokesman said, “We can’t risk a similar outcry over Easter like the kind we had on Pancake Day [Shrove Tuesday]. We will probably be serving naan breads instead.”
It’s hard to figure out how much of an … More ...
The relation between Christianity and politics is always going to be unsettled. Christ wasn’t married, didn’t own anything or live anywhere, didn’t join any organizations, turned down worldly power as a temptation of the devil, and believed in giving their due to God and Caesar. In spite of all that he got himself executed as … More ...
Something that should surprise people who claim that using “inclusive” language is just accepting the natural development of how people speak: Mankind, Other Lazy Terms, Return to News Pages. According to the Women’s Enews commentator:
… More ...Despite years of effort by women’s groups, linguists and educators to encourage speakers of English to adopt words that
Here’s my new weblog, which expands my old Metanoia log and folds in entries from View from the Right (which will continue its separate existence).
As the description states, it’s a place for exploring culture, politics, tradition and Catholicism. The point of view I’ll be presenting is that there’s something wrong with politics and culture … More ...