Category Archives: Religion

Links and Comments: Republicans and Doing the Right Thing, Not; Religion as LARP

Posted on 18 February 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Adam Kinzinger; Pat Toomey; role playing games.

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Republicans and Doing the Right Thing, Not; Religion as LARP

Links and Comments: Conspiracy Theorists, Psychology, and Beliefs

Posted on 19 January 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

What does “belief” even mean? How can people claim to believe things that, to others, are transparent nonsense? Clearly belief has nothing to do with what, based on evidence and reason, is actually real. Belief can simply mean conviction to … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Conspiracy Theorists, Psychology, and Beliefs

Links and Comments: Reality; Economics; Religion and Politics

Posted on 16 January 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

Scientific American: Now Is the Time to Reestablish Reality, subtitled “We need to agree on the evidence—so we can disagree on what to do in light of it” On the occasion of the passing of the Trump administration, of course. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Reality; Economics; Religion and Politics

Links and Comments: Insurrectionists, the G.O.P., Evangelicals, Fantasies, and Lies

Posted on 13 January 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

It’s always dangerous to characterize any entire group with some common trait; that’s the first step toward prejudice and bigotry. Yet there are more and more article and essays that find common traits among Republicans, as a group, or at … Continue reading →

Posted in Lunacy, Politics, Psychology, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Insurrectionists, the G.O.P., Evangelicals, Fantasies, and Lies

Links and Comments: Not Who We Are; Christians and Trump

Posted on 11 January 2021 by Mark R. Kelly

First, those of my Facebook friends who have the fortitude to read right-wing sites indeed confirm my suspicion that insurrectionists are planning more violence, against all the state capitals, and on inauguration day. So then. Two articles about the claim … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Not Who We Are; Christians and Trump

Links and Comments: Religion and Abortion

Posted on 20 December 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

I’m fascinated by how the supposed verities of religion turn out to shift and sway with the times, especially with politics. The religious cherry-pick from scripture whatever they currently want to support, since it’s so easy to find in scripture … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Religion and Abortion

Links and Comments: Trying to Be Smarter; Faith vs Fact

Posted on 16 December 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

NYT: How Do We Get to Herd Immunity for Fake News?, subtitled, “We need to match our focus on the supply of misinformation with a focus on the demand for it.” Yet the chorus of angst over misinformation has focused … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Religion, Science | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Trying to Be Smarter; Faith vs Fact

Links and Comments: Christian Nationalism; Covid and Climate Denial

Posted on 17 November 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

NYT: Trump or No Trump, Religious Authoritarianism Is Here to Stay, subtitled “Their unlikely ally may have lost the White House, but Christian nationalists still plan to win the war,” by Katherine Stewart. The 2020 election is proof that religious … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Christian Nationalism; Covid and Climate Denial

The Afterlives, Part 2

Posted on 8 November 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

I read a striking insight somewhere recently, but don’t remember where it was or who said it. The insight flips inside out the standard belief (at least among Christian faiths) that living a good life gets you into heaven, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Evolution, Religion | Comments Off on The Afterlives, Part 2

Links and Comments: Religion and Government; Sophisticated Believers; Religious Indoctrination of Children

Posted on 17 October 2020 by Mark R. Kelly

NY Times, Wajahat Ali: If Amy Coney Barrett Were Muslim, subtitled “It’s not hard to imagine how conservatives would smear her religious beliefs.” For all that Christians complain that they are oppressed or victimized, in fact their religion so saturates … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, Religion | Comments Off on Links and Comments: Religion and Government; Sophisticated Believers; Religious Indoctrination of Children