Category Archives: Religion

The Dystopian Portrait of America Is Not True

Posted on Sunday 12 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

An essay on American loneliness denies the dystopian view of the nation; Gay marriage opponents revive a discredited 14-year-old junk science study; Brief items: a “Christian values” candidate with dicey behavior; restricting the public expressions of Muslims; Pete Hegseth’s pastor … Continue reading →

Posted in Lunacy, Morality, Religion, Tribalism | Leave a comment

“We think and dream and fuss and project entire worlds into existence”

Posted on Saturday 11 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

A new NYT newsletter called Gravitational Pull; Remembering Roger Williams, an early American advocate of religious liberty; And about early American philosophers Jonathan Williams and Benjamin Franklin; And revisiting Richard Einhorn’s Voices of Light, after 30 years; it’s still beautiful. … Continue reading →

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Religious Presumption and Denial of Reality

Posted on Thursday 9 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Dale Partridge wants the white race to again subdue and enslave the Africans; Red Joseph thinks gays are impossible; Recalling Howard Zinn, who told the history conservatives would deny; Will conservative historians 50 years from now erase MAGA, as an … Continue reading →

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The New Commie Threat

Posted on Monday 6 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Robert Reich on the Commie threat, a tired Republican charge, recalling McCarthy; Lazy Republican thinking about communism and current kids these days; Twisted thinking about religious liberty; A video of Paula White, presidential spiritual advisor; Stephen Miller, divine providence, and … Continue reading →

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What Is This About Democratic Socialists?

Posted on Thursday 2 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Jonathan Chait thinks they’re bad; Jerry Coyne echoes his animus; Robert Reich sees a different trend, more exciting than democratic socialism; While Paul Krugman thinks “most of us are social democrats”, which seems to exhibit the way these words are … Continue reading →

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Lost Potential

Posted on Wednesday 1 July 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

The families conservatives want; Heather Cox Richardson on the Republican motives to strike down the Fourteenth Amendment; Brief items about mandating the Bible in class; yet another study finds no link between Tylenol and autism; a conservative wants to sterilize … Continue reading →

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The Arrogance of the Devout

Posted on Saturday 27 June 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Texas inserts Bible readings into public school instruction, only some of them related to literary works; Adam Roberts reviews Disclosure Day, with insights similar to my own; Gubbins: Dismal turn-out for Trump’s rally; right-wing paranoia about Dems. – – – … Continue reading →

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Assessing Disclosure Day

Posted on Thursday 25 June 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

National Review is offended by the film’s presumption to redefine “the Judeo-Christian ethic that formerly ruled Hollywood — making it a global, cultural superpower…”; Vox on how faith and UFOs go hand in hand; Slate on how Spielberg’s films are … Continue reading →

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Reflecting Pool Fiasco

Posted on Wednesday 17 June 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

How the reflecting pool fiasco is emblematic of Trump’s manner of government; Facebook’s AMV about how the reflecting pool is a miniature Anthropocene; Why Trump keeps talking about voter fraud: he has specific ideas about the kind of people who … Continue reading →

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The Barbarians Are Well Within the Gates

Posted on Sunday 14 June 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump’s cage match, planned for this evening; his attack on the weather service; comments from Bill Kristol and Robert Reich; How MAGA-style Christianity isn’t about Christ at all, what with attacks against James Talarico for quoting Jesus; Abbott’s nonsensical claim … Continue reading →

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