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Politics and Religion

2016-10-13T07:52:32-06:00

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.

Atheism, morality, and social control (with apologies for the dorky post title)

Last updated on: October 13, 2016 at 7:52 am By Jane the Actuary

Here’s a post in which I try to assemble some ideas I’ve been thinking about for a while, but which are newly relevant in light of yesterday’s Supreme Court decision. As I tend to do in such posts, I’m writing without much reference to the literature on the topic, just trying out ideas. Yeah, amateur hour — but have at it in the comments. First thought: There’s a running debate over whether religion is necessary for morality — whether an... Read more

2015-06-26T18:45:29-06:00

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.

10 thoughts on Obergefell v. Hodges

Last updated on: June 26, 2015 at 6:45 pm By Jane the Actuary

In no particular order, some thoughts on the gay marriage decision today. (What, are you living under a rock? By a 5 – 4 vote, the Supreme Court declared that, across the United States, same sex couples have the same right to marry as opposite sex couples. But I admit that I haven’t read the decision — both due to a lack of time and because, to be honest, as with the Obamacare decision yesterday, I don’t want to set... Read more

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2015-06-25T19:33:59-06:00

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.

Today’s Recommended Reading

Last updated on: June 25, 2015 at 7:33 pm By Jane the Actuary

The Federal Government is, therefore, notwithstanding the precautions of those who founded it, naturally so weak that it more peculiarly requires the free consent of the governed to enable it to subsist. It is easy to perceive that its object is to enable the States to realize with facility their determination of remaining united; and, as long as this preliminary condition exists, its authority is great, temperate, and effective. The Constitution fits the Government to control individuals, and easily to... Read more

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2015-06-25T11:53:42-06:00

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.

In other news. . . when does the pursuit of “fairness” go too far?

Last updated on: June 25, 2015 at 11:53 am By Jane the Actuary

Here’s a non-Obamacare, non-flag news item: the Illinois High School Association, which runs high school athletics, has now agreed, in a settlement with the attorney general, to open up athletic competition to disabled athletes, in a more comprehensive and integrated fashion. Here’s the Tribune article, and a press release, and here are the key paragraphs from the Tribune: The settlement . . . establishes dual championships in swimming and track — one that does not count the results of athletes... Read more

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2015-06-25T21:01:04-06:00

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.

Supreme Court ruling, blah, blah, blah

Last updated on: June 25, 2015 at 9:01 pm By Jane the Actuary

Subsidies stay. Go read Ann Althouse, who’ll be updating with commentary on the opinion later, I’m sure, then come back here to give me your opinion on the opinion. I don’t know enough about the whole process and the extent to which it’s legit to use “intent” (as interpreted after-the-fact, after seeing the consequences) to be able to determine whether the opinion is appropriate or a cowardly bowing to politics and/or imposition of the Justices’ personal preferences. My instinctive reaction?... Read more

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2015-06-24T21:52:06-06:00

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.

Envisioning “no-frills” healthcare – or not

Last updated on: June 24, 2015 at 9:52 pm By Jane the Actuary

So, remember how my son broke his arm last week? And remember my brief run-down of healthcare systems outside the U.S.? I was thinking about our experience, and the differences between healthcare here and abroad. One common way, after all, of providing healthcare is with something that you might call “Medicaid for all” — that is, a lousy base level of healthcare that’s free (no or minimal out-of-pocket costs) and the opportunity to upgrade by buying private insurance. In the... Read more

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2015-06-23T19:47:39-06:00

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 Confederate Flag – and Identity

Last updated on: June 23, 2015 at 7:47 pm By Jane the Actuary

“Identity” — that’s the word of the day, isn’t it? Jenner identifying as a woman. Dolezal as black. Lots of people yammering on about their identities, in some manner or another. In the meantime, the consensus has very quickly formed that the Confederate flag should be removed from, well, its official spot in South Carolina, for one. Did Amazon, ebay, Walmart, etc., likewise make the right call in their announcements that they’d cease selling items with the flag on them,... Read more

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2015-06-23T05:56:11-06:00

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.

Your handy-dandy guide to health care outside the United States

Last updated on: June 23, 2015 at 5:56 am By Jane the Actuary

Yeah, OK, that’s an ambitious title for what’s mostly an unresearched “what I know” type of post. The key point is this: there is a lot of variation, and it’s a mistake to think that the rest of the world has single-payer healthcare and the U.S. is the outlier. Heck, even countries we think of as having single-payer healthcare, don’t, really. Now, the U.S. is an outlier in the amount of private spending on healthcare, to be sure, but... Read more

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2015-06-22T07:22:15-06:00

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.

A different kind of Father’s Day

Last updated on: June 22, 2015 at 7:22 am By Jane the Actuary

You know life is changing when. . . the facebook status updates by friends reminiscing about their now-deceased fathers outnumber those of friends with fathers still with us. And when my own call back home, intentionally timed, for the first time in a while, early enough for Dad to still be up, ends up with my recounting the story of my husband’s current business travel, and then my son’s broken arm, which leads Dad onto a tangent about my broken... Read more

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2015-06-21T13:51:42-06:00

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.

Oh, c*&@: more on prayer

Last updated on: June 21, 2015 at 1:51 pm By Jane the Actuary

Hi, everyone. Please pray for healing for my friend R., who is undergoing treatment for cancer, and for his wife and children (four of them, ages 7 – 14) at this difficult time. ******************** That’s how this post is supposed to go. But: A couple days ago, I wrote a little post on gratitude, and how I have a hard time with idea of being grateful for life circumstances (even though, in the grand scheme of things, my family’s life... Read more

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