We live in an “instant” society; it’s the downside of technological advance to think we can solve everything. Now. We crank out bestsellers about the “secret” of success, the “path” to enlightenment, the “key” to wealth, the “recipe” for health, and the “fast track” to happiness — as if we can really formulize everything. It’s [...]
Finally, a TV show I might like. Haven’t watched it yet, but several people who know me, say that THIS TV PROGRAM is one I would like. From the looks of it, they’re probably right. I’m a bit skittish about this stuff; it’s why I have a survival kit at our house, a shotgun, and [...]
I’ve watched with growing interest the unfolding of the Don Imus saga and, while I’m no fan of his, feel the uproar highlights a monstrous double standard at the heart of American society. His statements about the Rutgers’ Women’s basketball team were obviously out of bounds — everybody agrees about that. But should he have [...]
Within my circle of psychonauts, something unexpected was brewing. One of the guys — a huge fan of Led Zeppelin — began to uncover bizarre occult themes in the music. No, I’m not talking about backward masking. This was much less subliminal. Lead guitarist Jimmy Paige was known to have a fascination with the black [...]
An eerie silence followed the crash, but it didn’t last long. As we came to our senses — and the blessed realization that no one had been ejected — we piled out of the vehicle. That is, everyone but me. I couldn’t move. God’s given us mental shock absorbers, an internal mechanism that dulls us [...]
I always tell my kids: The hard road will get you home. This is about that. . . * * * I was raised in the Catholic Church — confirmed, baptized, did the altar boy gig, and attended parochial school for nine years. The religion — as in the ritual — didn’t stick, but the [...]
Perhaps the biggest box office surprise of the new year is 300, which as of this weekend, has made almost $180 million. The movie is an adaption of Frank Miller’s graphic novel about the Battle of Thermopylae in which King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fought to the death against Xerxes and his massive Persian Army. [...]
The question was posed by radio host Dennis Prager yesterday and, I must admit, it has me thinking. Prager was not questioning the existence of God, but whether the presence of evil and suffering makes God naturally unlovable — or at least, difficult to love. The question is not, Is God worthy of love? or [...]
No issue has been more politically hijacked than the issue of Global Warming. I’m not a climatologist, and neither are most of the people voicing their opinion on the subject. So the fact that those opinions are so shrill and hysteric is disconcerting. As evidence of this hysteria, Ellen Goodman, columnist for the Boston Globe, [...]
According to the 2001 American Religious Identification Survey, 80% of the U.S. is Christian. The percentage has always seemed high to me (especially when driving SoCal freeways), but demographic studies like this and this seem to support those figures. This could explain why Rep. Pete Stark’s profession of non-belief was such big news. The Secular [...]
