Blogspot - skellmeyer.blogspot.com - The Fifth Column
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Modern Poverty 20 Aug 2013 | 04:46 am
As little as two hundred years ago, most of the people in the world lived in grinding poverty, bone-crushing, mind-numbing, earth-shattering poverty. At least by today's standards. Yet for almost two ...
Zimmerman's City of Refuge 15 Aug 2013 | 09:08 pm
This essay at First Things highlights a substantial and basic difference between Jewish and Christian theology. In the Torah, any man who killed another was required to flee to a city of refuge in ord...
The Math of Pornography and Rape 6 Aug 2013 | 09:13 pm
In First Things today, Bishop James D. Conley tries to make the case that pornography is fueling a culture of rape, based in large part on an NPR article authored by someone named ANONYMOUS. I unders...
The Math of Martyrdom 6 Aug 2013 | 08:48 am
It has been said, correctly, that the 20th century produced more martyrs than any previous century, and probably more than several previous centuries combined. It is also said that the attacks on Chr...
Pope Francis, Women and Homosexuals 31 Jul 2013 | 11:11 am
There's been a huge brouhaha over the Pope's recent remarks following WYD 2013. Many bloggers have already thrown their two cents into the ring, but I have held off for quite some time because it wasn...
The Role of the Extraordinary Form 31 Jul 2013 | 12:31 am
I get into all kinds of arguments. Some people think I'm antagonistic because I'm a jerk, and they are correct about that. But argument, sometimes quite vociferous argument, is the way I integrate inf...
The Day the Sun (ahem) the Bishops Danced 29 Jul 2013 | 06:41 am
When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he an...
Why Penn Jillette May Go To Heaven 27 Jul 2013 | 04:30 am
Penn Jillette is a famous magician, atheist and debunker whose anger and hatred towards religion are legendary. Despite this, he demonstrates an outstanding Christian understanding of the universe. “...
Of Contraceptives and Colt .45s 17 Jul 2013 | 08:57 am
It has recently occurred to me that the discussion about gun control parallels the Catholic discussion on contraception. Consider: how do liberals and the USCCB (but I repeat myself) deal with the p....
On Martyrdom and Zimmerman 17 Jul 2013 | 12:21 am
A lot of people are questioning George Zimmerman's use of force against Trayvon Martin. According to the law, that use of force was legitimate because Zimmerman feared for his own life. But in Chri....
