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Politics and Religion

2015-01-01T20:28:38-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What about New Year’s Resolutions?

Last updated on: January 1, 2015 at 8:28 pm By Gene Veith

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A time-honored custom is to make New Year’s resolutions, decisions to use the new beginning offered by the new year to improve one’s life in some way. Reportedly, 50% of people make such resolutions, but 89% fail to keep them. This can be seen as evidence for the theological teaching about the bondage of the will. But though moral self-improvement is largely fruitless, apart from the Gospel, are there are other kinds of resolutions (exercise, eat better, or keep a... Read more

New Year's resolutions

2015-01-01T19:35:56-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Obamacare employer mandate goes into effect

Last updated on: January 1, 2015 at 7:35 pm By Gene Veith

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Now that it’s 2015, the next phase of Obamacare kicks in: Employers of more than 100 people must give them insurance benefits. This provision of the Affordable Care Act had been delayed by executive decree, but now it goes into effect. Most employers in this range already provide health insurance to their employees, though the law does change things for the companies. For example, those who work as many as 30 hours must now get insurance, even though they... Read more

Obamacare insurance mandate

2015-01-01T20:46:46-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The Hobbit movie as “tedious havoc”

Last updated on: January 1, 2015 at 8:46 pm By Gene Veith

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I was greatly disappointed in the third part of Peter Jackson’s makeshift trilogy based on The Hobbit. The Battle of the Five Armies was mostly, to use Milton’s words, tedious havoc. It was two-and-a-half hours of killing orcs, with little story beyond that. But here is what artists who aspire to the genre of fantasy need to realize: a good fantasy evokes a sense of wonder, of the numinous. Jackson’s version of The Lord of the Rings had that; his... Read more

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

2014-12-30T21:17:53-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Happy Circumcision & Name of Jesus Day!

Last updated on: December 30, 2014 at 9:17 pm By Gene Veith

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I hope you had a big celebration last night and stayed up past midnight to see in the big holiday today. Namely, the commemoration of the circumcision and naming of Jesus, a ceremony that took place one week after His birth. To honor the occasion–and, oh, yes, it’s also New Year’s Day, isn’t it?–I am reposting something I wrote back in 2009: Today is. . . the ancient feast celebrating The Circumcision and Name of Jesus. The week after Christmas,... Read more

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Circumcision and Name of Jesus

New Year's Day

2014-12-29T23:22:56-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Make your predictions for 2015

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 11:22 pm By Gene Veith

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Now it’s time for you to make your predictions about what is going to happen in the new year that begins today. Then, on New Year’s Eve of 2015, we will review them to see who is the most far-sighted prognosticator. Again, the more specific, out-of-the-blue, and surprising predictions fare best. The example I keep giving is tODD, who a few years ago predicted the death of North Korea’s dictator , Kim Jong-Il, and the ascension of his unlikely son,... Read more

2014-12-29T22:54:17-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Checking your predictions for 2014

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 10:54 pm By Gene Veith

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You readers made some pretty good predictions last year. More than one of you predicted that gasoline prices would drop, that more states would legalize gay marriage and marijuana possession, that the Supreme Court would rule in ways that they did, in fact, rule. Some mentioned North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, including that he would be assassinated, but that vision must have been of the movie “The Interview.” With some predictions, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if they... Read more

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Predictions 2014

2014-12-29T23:07:36-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The #1 most popular Cranach blog post of the year

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 11:07 pm By Gene Veith

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The year’s most viewed post by far was not written this year, but rather in July 2011. And it wasn’t written by me, but by my liberal Democratic Southern Baptist musical genius brother, Jimmy. Here it is: The Devil’s interval. People who google this legendary evil-sounding musical lick–and I presume most of these are heavy metal head bangers (I’m sure my terminology is out of date)– are directed to this post, and I hope they find a warm welcome and... Read more

The funny year in review

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 9:21 am By Gene Veith

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One of my long-time customs leading up to New Year’s is to read Dave Barry’s annual year in review. I like the month-by-month survey of what happened in the previous year. And that his commentary is hilarious. (more…) Read more

2014-12-29T21:10:35-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The war in Afghanistan is over

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 9:10 pm By Gene Veith

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The war in Afghanistan officially ended on Sunday. It lasted 13 years, the longest armed conflict in American history. The number of American and NATO soldiers killed was some 3,500. Once again, the United States ends a costly war far short of victory. In fact, the Taliban is claiming victory. Are they pretty much right? Is it worth getting into wars like this one and Iraq, which had a similar ending? And yet, if this is peace, it’s a strange... Read more

war

Afghanistan war

2014-12-29T21:26:47-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The #2 most popular Cranach post of the year

Last updated on: December 29, 2014 at 9:26 pm By Gene Veith

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Why do Americans say “merry Christmas,” while the British and denizens of its Commonwealth say “happy Christmas”? Those who Googled that question were directed to this post, which was written for Christmas of 2013: Merry Christmas vs. Happy Christmas. This post was number 3 for most of the year, but for the last few weeks, page views for this post surged by the thousands, and it made it to #2. (more…) Read more

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