Landover Baptist Church is getting many, many letters from young Christians inquiring about presidential candidate Barack Obama: “Is Obama really gonna make momma get an abortion? I wanted a little brother and she promised to make one for me!” — Mark Ingram, Age 5, Home Schooled “Does every Christian family move to Canada if Obama is elected, or is it just everyone on my Daddy’s side?” — Henrietta Rutherford, Age 11, Lynchburg Christian Academy “Are all the people who don’t… Read more
My friend Greg Epstein, also the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, has written a piece for the On Faith blog about the need for Humanist/atheist chaplains in the military. He writes that the non-religious are not trying to eliminate religion from the military. Certainly, anyone can practice their faith as they wish. What we are against is proselytization of one particular faith over other faiths or no faith. … we simply [ask] legislators to eliminate any publicly funded religious proselytizing,… Read more
What comes to mind when you think of the Book of Leviticus? Christianity Today asks that very question: … Leviticus often becomes that graveyard where read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plans go to die. Skeptics know it as ammunition for homosexual haters or as a target for animal-rights activists. Many Jews regard it as awkward and outmoded. To slog through it can be unbelievably tedious. Which is why most of us [Christians] don’t. But what would it look like to take Leviticus as seriously… Read more
This picture of kids huddled over an iPhone is in dire need of a caption: (via Glocal Christianity) Read more
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I have a tattoo fetish (ambigrams = awesome) as well as a strong desire never to go through the pain of getting one. But they’re still fun to look at. And Carl Zimmer has a bundle of awesome science-related tattoos. Like Darwin Kong: Chris writes, “I teach science at a public school in eastern Mass. This tattoo was taken from a New Yorker cartoon that my wife and I… Read more
Another classic set of conversations with my students: … From a class of seniors: [Bell rings. Kids are running out of the classroom.] Student 1 (Running out the door): Have a good day, sir! Me: What was that? Sir?! I’m not that old! Student 2 (Running out the door): You’re getting there… … From a lower-level Geometry class…: Student 1: Mr. Mehta! I found a math video online that you have to watch! Me: Oh? What is it? I’ll check… Read more
Regarding the Christian-themed Florida license plates: Discuss! (Cartoon by Wayne Stayskal) Read more
This amusing question was posed on Reddit: Why is it that when christians come to me with a computer problem, and I tell them to try prayer to fix it, that they won’t even consider that as a plausible option. Many of the responses are quite entertaining 🙂 Read more
An anecdote and question from reader Steven: Yesterday my daughter fell down some stairs and sustained a mild concussion (she’s OK, according to the doctor at the hospital where she received the best of care.) My co-workers were completely supportive when I had to leave to deal with this accident but my team lead who is a devout born-again Christian sent me an e-mail invoking God for protection and healing. His second e-mail, once we knew my daughter was OK,… Read more
