Category: US

256px-Saint_Mary_Magdalene_-_Digital_facial_reconstruction
By micoots
21/07/2016 0

What Mary Magdalene looked like?

Brazilian scientists have been using digital technology on the skulls of saints, so as to reconstruct their faces. They used their technique on a relatively well-attested relic of Mary Magdalene. This is what she may have looked like.
Details of the reconstructions after the jump. Go here for the Mary Magdalene project.
From Scientists bring saints back to life with imaging te..

By micoots
21/07/2016 0

Japan flirts with World War II ideology again

Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party has just won a 2/3 majority in both of its houses of legislature, enabling it to amend its Constitution, which had been imposed by the United States after World War II. The party wants to change the Constitution because it enshrines “the Western European theory of natural human rights,” including the freedom of speech.
Many in the party, including the Prime Minister, belong to a group that believes Japan was in the right during World War II. These lawmakers want ..

By micoots
20/07/2016 0

The nun who faced down Billy the Kid

Sister Blandina Segale was a nun who served in the wild West. Her exploits in frontier New Mexico are legion, including when she faced down Billy the Kid. Twice. She also battled the cruel treatment of Indians, worked with prisoners, tended the sick, and fought the sexual trafficking of women.
Now she is being considered for sainthood. Also for a TV series.
From Russell Contreras, Nun who defied Billy the Kid to be subject of TV series – Crux:
An Italian-born nun who once challenged Billy the Ki..

By micoots
20/07/2016 0

Fox News is coming apart

Roger Ailes, who runs Fox News, is set to be fired by Rupert Murdoch, owner of the network, over charges that he sexually harassed TV journalist Gretchen Carlson. Megyn Kelly has also said that Ailes harassed her, though other Fox News employees are defending their boss. In fact, three of the network’s biggest stars–Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, and Greta Van Susteren–are threatening to quit if Ailes leaves. This would mean, for better or worse, the end of Fox News as we know it.
From Murdochs pu..

By micoots
20/07/2016 0

Trump is now the Republican nominee

The roll call of states has been concluded, and Donald Trump is now officially the Republican presidential nominee. Discuss.
From Republican National Convention: With Trump formally nominated, attention turns back to Clinton – The Washington Post:
Donald Trump was formally nominated for the presidency by Republican delegates here on Tuesday night, a landmark moment in American political history that capped the business mogul’s surprising conquest of the GOP.
Trump formally reached the threshold ..

By micoots
20/07/2016 0

Mrs. Trump lifts from Mrs. Obama’s speech

In her speech before the Republican National Convention, Melania Trump lifted, without attribution, passages from Michelle Obama’s speech to the Democratic National Convention in 2008!
Compare what was said after the jump. (I don’t blame Mrs. Trump. I blame whoever wrote her speech. This is another yet blot on Trump’s campaign staff.)
Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech:
Like my family, they scrimped and saved so that he could have opportunities they never had themselves. And Barack and I were raised w..

By micoots
19/07/2016 0

Which denominations oppose abortion and which ones don’t

The Pew Research Center has put out a study of what position various religious bodies take on abortion. We learn that the churches that take the strongest pro-life stance are the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist, Assemblies of God, and African Methodist.

Among other religions, the Mormons and Hindus are strongly pro-life. Muslims, Buddhists, and Orthodox Jews have no position on the subject!

By micoots
19/07/2016 0

Are wedding cakes & photos commodities, or are they art?

When atheists object to a monument of the Ten Commandments, I have argued that it should be defended as a work of art. And to the reply that non-religious people find it offensive, say, “art is supposed to be offensive.” As we see in the futile attempts to ban controversial art works, art is pretty much sacrosanct and courts have ruled that it is thoroughly protected under the Second Amendment as “free speech.”
Those Christian bakers and photographers who object to taking part in gay weddings ar..

By micoots
19/07/2016 0

Missing the smoke-filled room

Delegates opposing Donald Trump disrupted the choreography at the Republican national convention. They booed, yelled (“shame!” “roll call vote!”), and walked out after their petition to have the convention vote on freeing the delegates was gaveled down without a roll call vote.
In other news, Donald Trump defied the tradition that the candidate only appears on the last night to receive the nomination, showing up to introduce his wife Melania, who was the main speaker of the night.
After the jump..

By micoots
18/07/2016 0

Lutherans have a confessional convention

Conservatives/confessionals feel very good about the triennial convention of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, which concluded last week in Milwaukee. They passed virtually all of their resolutions by big margins, elected virtually all of their candidates, and won some big victories.
The convention voted to ensure that everyone engaged in Word and Sacrament ministry be ordained. (Lay ministers may still serve in various church functions, but not they may not function as pastors, preaching and ..