Author Archive

What the Frack!: Can We Have Some Reasoned Discussion, Please?

June 23, 2013

I just saw an article about fracking that reminded me of a conversation I had on Facebook a couple months ago. (Yes, another one….) A liberal friend of mind had shared the anti-fracking image below from New Yorkers Against Fracking. It expresses a concern that isn’t usually highlighted in anti-fracking posts & rants. (At least, […]

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Posted in Politics, Politics & Science, Science | 4 Comments »

Informal Logic 101: How to Think and Argue Better, Part 2

June 16, 2013

Part 2: Propositions and Logical Relationships “Having, then, once introduced an element of inconsistency into his system, he was far too consistent not to be inconsistent consistently, and he lapsed ere long into an amiable indifferentism which to outward appearance differed but little from the indifferentism….”  — Samuel Butler, iconoclastic Victorian author Despite what you […]

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Posted in Politics, Politics / Science / Religion, Religion, Science | 4 Comments »

Informal Logic 101: How to Think and Argue Better, Part 1

June 12, 2013

Part 1:  Firm Foundation “I yam what I yam, and that’s all what I yam.”  — Popeye, the sailorman Given the subjects that I usually read and write about on this blog, critical thinking really comes in handy. Not that I’m some great logician or anything. Far from it! But, over the last few years, […]

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Posted in Politics, Politics / Science / Religion, Religion, Science | 2 Comments »

Is Sin an “Unintended Consequence” of Creation? (Part 2 of 2)

June 5, 2013

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”  — Proverbs 27:17 (NIV) Previously, I introduced “Darryl” and his idea that “sin is ultimately a consequence of Creation… albeit, an unintended consequence.” In fact, in an effort to exculpate God from all responsibility for sin, he hypothesized that perhaps “God sovereignly created a ‘Law of […]

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Posted in Religion | 2 Comments »

Is Sin an “Unintended Consequence” of Creation? (Part 1 of 2)

June 2, 2013

We often hear people speak of “unintended consequences”. It certainly comes up a lot in talks of politics & economics. But, the other day — OK, it was a few months ago — I heard the term used regarding quite a different topic. I was browsing a Facebook thread, in which a bunch of people […]

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Posted in Religion | 2 Comments »

Reagan’s 1986 Memorial Day Speech

May 26, 2013

In an effort to remind myself (and others) of the many lives lost, sacrificed in the service of this great country, for the freedom of her people and those of her allies, I have reproduced the 1986 Memorial Day speech given by President Ronald Reagan at Arlington National Cemetery: “Today is the day we put […]

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Posted in Politics | No Comments »

A Basic Civics Lesson for Pseudo-Historians

May 19, 2013

I confess, I’m not really a “Tenth Amendment” guy. Not that I don’t recognize its importance in our founding and our ongoing freedoms. I definitely do. It’s just that First (and sometimes Second) Amendment rights are usually those that catch my attention. But, with the recent, national attention to certain issues — e.g., gun control […]

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Posted in Politics | No Comments »

Is Bigger Always Better?

May 12, 2013

While I work on a new series of articles, I’d like to offer you a little economics lesson this week, courtesy of Jay W. Richards and his terrific book, Money, Greed, and God (2009). In the midst of a chapter discussing capitalism, consumerism, and the local vs. global issue, Richards gives a little perspective on […]

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Posted in Politics | 1 Comment »

Can You Accept “Revealed Wisdom” and Still Be “Scientific”?

May 5, 2013

“[S]cience and religion are two essential components in the search for truth. Denying either is a barren approach.”  — Dr. Martin Andreas Nowak, mathematical biologist Once upon a time (actually, it was about a year ago) in a land far, far away (OK, it was here in NE Florida), I had a brief but interesting […]

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Posted in Religion, Science, Science & Religion | 2 Comments »