A Betrayal of Stupidity

I tried to watch ABC’s Judas tonight. I tried. After about five minutes, I felt the need to surf the internet. I turned it on in the background, to hear qotes like this: JUDAS: We need to fight for what is rightfully ours! JESUS: Nothing is rightfully ours except the unconditional love of my father. … Read more

Violence & the Movies

Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like movies that contain graphic violence get much more scrutiny in the press than films with graphic sexuality. The Passion of the Christ has received its fair share of criticism, as did films like Saving Private Ryan, Black Hawk Down, Lord of the Rings, and a host of other … Read more

Band of Brothers

A friend lent us the DVD set of the HBO miniseries, Band of Brothers, based on the Stephen Ambrose book by the same name. We just finished with the 10th and final episode this weekend. Excellent stuff—if you liked Saving Private Ryan, you’ll love it. It makes one really appreciate what our soldiers go through. … Read more

Diet Mania

The recent diet craze has reached epic proportions, and it is really having an effect on the culture. The other day I saw a local pizza chain advertising lo-carb pizzas. Subway restaurants (no, that’s another Jared) are now offering “subs” that look more like fajitas because they’re wrapped in a tortilla rather than a hoagie. … Read more

Postmodernism and the Marriage Amendment

The proposed Federal Marriage Amendment reads like this: “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this constitution or the constitution of any state, nor state or federal law, shall be construed to require that marital status or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon … Read more

The World’s Oldest Person Dies, Again

Cary Clack of the San Antonio Express-News shares my previous concerns about an alarming new trend: the world’s oldest people are dying off at an alarming rate: Consider the facts. In March 2002, a 115-year-old Michigan woman named Maude Farris-Luse, whose longevity was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records — died. In November … Read more

Nazis at the Oscars

I only saw bits and pieces of the Academy Awards®©™ Sunday night, but one thing I did see startled me a bit. When they showed the film collage of all the Hollywood people who died in the last year (beginning with a tribute to Gregory Peck), there was a 2-3 second shot of one Leni … Read more

Jesus In America

Stephen Prothero observes that the American Protestant perception of Jesus may be changing: Since the evangelical century of the 1800’s, America’s Protestant majority has gravitated toward a Mister Rogers Jesus, a neighborly fellow they could know and love and imitate. The country’s megachurches got that way in part because they stopped preaching fire and brimstone … Read more

Mel’s Movie

I saw The Passion of the Christ this weekend, and rather than adding to the plethora of existing reviews, I thought I’d just give a few thoughts: (1) This is hands down the best of any of the many films made about Christ. It is, as many have said, exhausting to watch—an effect that is … Read more

Media Morality and the Lack Thereof

Much of the major media have openly sided with San Fransisco Mayor Gavin Newsome’s outlaw policies. How do I know this? I just read the headlines. Take, for example the many headlines like this one: “Rosie O’Donnell Weds Longtime Girlfriend.” In this article the Associated Press implicity (though it is actually overt) approves of illegal … Read more