When Dan Rather put out his report on George Bush’s National Guard service during the Vietnam War, within hours, bloggers had shown that the evidence he was relying on was fabricated. When politicians try to pull their old-style political tricks, within minutes someone somewhere has exposed the thing. The most recent example of this was …
Scandals are Interchangeable
One of Girard’s conversation partners (Jean-Michel Oughourlian) says that it “is obvious that bringing to light the founding murder completely rules out any compromise with the principle of sacrifice” (Reader, p. 179). Well, no. Our task here is to point to some of the reasons why Girard falls into this either/or trap. “That is indeed …
The Ward Churchill Wing of FV Criticism
I want us to keep our eye on the ball, which is the upcoming trial of Louisiana Presbytery before the Standing Judicial Commission. I have been writing about my deep concerns that the desire of some in the PCA to get at Steve Wilkins is so profound that they are willing to take out a …
Mudgobbing and Deadcatting
I am not going to spend a great of time today answering this — it is Thanksgiving after all — but I thought I should let you know about it, and make two quick observations. First, our FV critics are so bent on pursuing their particular “defense of the gospel” that they are willing to …
A Whole Lot Creepier Than I Remember It
Okay, I want to go up the stairs one at a time here. Discussion of the ins and outs of this is continuing over here, for those who are interested. Let’s begin with first principles — the basic one being the presumption of innocence for the accused. This is not some secular American ideal that …
Standing Google Commission
Let me begin this by noting that I am a six-day creationist, so nothing in this comparison should be taken further than a simple illustration. In the Scopes monkey trial, the State of Tennessee won, and the creationist position was upheld. But the creationists had the misfortune to have H.L. Mencken in attendance, filing regular …
Unsuccessful Bracketing
Throughout the course of this book Darryl says many good things, and makes many fine observations. Unfortunately, they are set in the context of this dualistic background of his, which make the result resemble a collection of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires set in a fitting of tarnished and battered sheet metal. Chapter six on “impersonal …
Just and Fair (1 Tim. 5:17-25)
INTRODUCTION Justice and fairmindedness can take various forms, but it always reveals the same kind of heart. Remember that this giving heart has already been displayed in the section we just finished, in the discussion of widows. God loves the generous heart. THE TEXT: “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double …
The Need to Banish Lying Tongues
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Of mercy and judgment I will sing; Unto You O Lord, I will always sing. I will walk in wisdom, in a perfect way. When will You come down to me? Within my house I will walk the same way, With a …
Scratching the Itch of Morality
In the next chapter, Richard Dawkins undertakes the question of morality, seeking to ground that morality on the unshakeable foundation of evolution. What kind of foundation might that be? Well, let’s go down into the basement and have ourselves a little check. But before getting to this important issue, Dawkins gives us some samples of …