“The three friends are no more interested in truth than are Soviet prosecutors. They are there to persuade Job to recognize in public that he is guilty. It does not matter of what he is guilty, provided that he confesses it in front of everyone. In the last analysis, the unfortunate man is asked to …
Please, Pat, Stop
Frank Turk has put together a good thing for you to sign. After Pat Robertson’s most recent prophetic embarrassment, Frank organized a petition for Christians to sign if they would like Robertson to cease and desist. Frank has also given a short explanation of what this is supposed to do here. Please cruise on over. …
What We All Wished We Had
For the last several years, I have been privileged to be involved in editorial and writing work on the Omnibus project. Some of you may have noticed the books as they have appeared in the right hand column here. Just yesterday I received Volume III in the mail, and thought this would be a good …
Where Scholarship Gets Underfoot
“We are mistaken when we believe that culture and the humanities are being served by scholarship. The truth is that art and culture do not belong in a university. It cannot be a home for them, because culture proper and scholarship proper are diametrically opposed” (Jacques Barzun, The Culture We Deserve, p. 10).
Not a Philosophy Seminar
“The three friends try to obtain Job’s assent to the verdict that condemns him. This is the true purpose of their mission, since the efficacy of the scapegoat mechanism depends on it. This is no abstract discussion of the question of Evil” (Girard, Job, p. 111).
A Culture’s Life Cycle More Than Cultural Life Choices
“It has been shown that, normally, the rise and fall of great nations are due to internal reasons alone. Ten generations of human beings suffice to transform the hardy and enterprising pioneer into the captious citizen of the welfare state” (John Glubb, The Fate of Empires, p. 24).
Famous for Being Famous
“Judging by the time and space allotted to them in the Press and television, football and baseball are the activities which today chiefly interest the public in Britain and the United States respectively. The heroes of declining nations are always the same—the athlete, the singer or the actor. The word ‘celebrity’ today is used to …
How Cathartic Healing Is Threatened
“If there is just one exception, if even one single voice is raised in disagreement with the unison against the victim, then there is no guarantee of a favourable outcome. The drug loses its effect; the group’s unity cracks. If the hatred appears in the least bit lukewarm, doubt may spread, comprising the cathartic effects …
Austin Outer Limits
Been out of town for a few days . . . we were down in Austin, TX for a wedding. A wonderful time, great friends, a really fun town. One of the things we did during our off-hours was visit the Whole Foods Market there in Austin. I understand that it is a mongo-big chain, …
Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign
“In line with the postmodernist slogan that everything is a text, advertisers have turned the world into a gigantic billboard, making commercials out of everything from sporting events to shopping carts” (Gene Edward Veith, Postmodern Times, p. 178).