A Thinking Reed

  • Health care info you can use

    Given the ratio of noise to light in the current health care debate (“death panels”!), it’s become rare to see a sober look at what’s actually being proposed. Lynn offers some helpful links on making sense of the various health-care reform plans currently under consideration. The FCNL’s side-by-side comparison of the plans is particularly good,…

  • A WaPo reporter investigates the mystery of grindcore

    There was a very entertaining article in this Sunday’s Washington Post Magazine about the grindcore band Pig Destroyer and one man’s attempt to understand the appeal of the death metal genre. The profiles of the band members are very interesting too: these aren’t guys with delusions of becoming rock stars. They hold down day jobs,…

  • The real Friday metal

    The mighty Meshuggah:

  • Bp. Chilstrom’s letter

    Herbert Chilstrom was the first presiding bishop of the ELCA, from its inception until 1995. Here he responds to an open letter from the group Lutheran CORE, which was signed by a number of theological heavyweights (Braaten, Jenson, etc.), opposing the proposed changes to the church’s policy on same-sex relationships.

  • Friday metal ’80s pop: John Hughes edition

  • Things I learned today while listening to NPR

    Sonia Sotomayor is–get this–the first Hispanic person to be appointed to the Supreme Court! And only the third woman! Also, Republicans, it seems, are worried that she will rule as a liberal “judicial activist.” Democrats, on the other hand, insist that she will merely “apply the law” in the most mechanical fashion imaginable and never,…

  • Recent nibbles from Philosophy Bites

    I’ve flagged the excellent philosophy interview series Philosophy Bites before, but here are some recent highlights: –Political philosopher G.A. Cohern (who died yesterday-R.I.P.) on egalitarianism –Ben Rogers on Pascal’s Pensées –Christian philosopher and priest Marilyn McCord Adams on evil –Paul Snowdon on persons and animals

  • Links: food, animals, the environment, etc.

    This piece from the Boston Globe looks at the tensions between an increasing sense of idealism among zoo officials–they want to treat their animals better and raise awareness of wildlife conservation–and the undeniable need to entertain zoos’ human visitors. James McWilliams writes on the recent report out of the UK which found that organic foods…

  • In defense of the ELCA sexuality proposals

    Though the Episcopalians always get more press, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s biennial churchwide assembly later this month will consider recommendations related to the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of non-celibate gay and lesbian Christians. The church appointed a “Sexuality Task Force” to study the issue and present recommendations, which it has…

  • CofE vs. Anglicanism

    Interesting column by Giles Fraser: the genius of the Church of England has been to allow different theological temperaments to wor­ship alongside one other, united by common prayer and community spirit. This was how we recognised each other as members of the same Church. This was our particular charism, and we were widely valued for…