Steveawiggins
MY BLOGS
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Sects and Violence in the Ancient World
http://sawiggins.wordpress.com/
A blog that tries to find intelligent things to say about religion and related subjects.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 4137 )
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Wag the Tail
Among the most respected of intellectual endeavors is political science. Analysts who read and reason beyond national borders, finding implications in... Read more
Posted on 08 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
With My Luck
I wish I didn’t believe in luck. I guess I’m just not lucky that way. And I’m not alone. Of all the “superstitions” that haunt the human psyche, luck is among... Read more
Posted on 07 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Holi Daze
It’s pretty white out there. For many parts of the eastern United States it has been a season of snow on snow on snow (why does that sound familiar?). Read more
Posted on 06 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Once Bitten
Once vampires sink their fangs into you, it’s hard to shake them. I’m referring to an intellectual connection here, instead of a physical one. M. Read more
Posted on 05 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
British Libraries
Quintessentially intellectual, the mental image of the British goes, they are often the sophisticated, educated, literate, worldly individuals. I know I’m... Read more
Posted on 04 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Theological Fiends
Vampires are among the most theological of monsters. Not that I’m a theologian, but I sometimes read those who are. Although zombies and vampires rival one... Read more
Posted on 03 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
National Reading Month
Welcome to National Reading Month. Today is the birthday of Dr. Seuss (Theordor Geisel). Since so many children begin reading with Dr. Seuss, March has been... Read more
Posted on 02 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Whack-A-Prof
My Ph.D. was conferred in 1992. Not by design, I’ve held several jobs since then. One thing I’ve noticed over and over is that supervisors enjoy knocking down... Read more
Posted on 01 March 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Live Long and Prosper
He lived long and prospered. Perhaps it’s a generational thing, but the icons of my youth have been dying. I have to confess to having sat far too many hours... Read more
Posted on 28 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Scientific Belief
The human brain is a marvelous thing. Neuroscientists find all kinds of surprises as they probe the gray matter in our heads. One of those findings is that we... Read more
Posted on 27 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
A Night at Culture
One of the undisputed benefits of living in the greater New York City metropolitan area is the potential for culture. I know that culture exists everywhere,... Read more
Posted on 26 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Our Gods, Ourselves
The near-death experience, made popular by Raymond Moody in the 1970s, has hit the cultural mainstream with movies like Heaven Is Real. Read more
Posted on 25 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Lazarus, Come Forth
The red-cast face staring down from the giant LCD billboard this side of the Lincoln Tunnel has my attention. Having become an unwitting fan of horror movies,... Read more
Posted on 24 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Four Gods’ Sake
Statistically speaking, most people don’t like statistics. I’m one of those. Numbers can do funny things to a person’s perception of things, nevertheless, I... Read more
Posted on 23 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Parallelism?
An article in Mother Nature Network that a friend sent me suggests that “Parallel worlds exist and interact with our world, say physicists. Read more
Posted on 22 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Ultimate Superlative
“Push men too far and they fall off the cliff. Push great men too far and they soar.” The words are those of my novelist friend K. Marvin Bruce. Read more
Posted on 21 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Incitatus Redux
What more is there to say about God and politics? Far too much, I fear. In a Sunday Review in the New York Times, Frank Bruni lays out a catalogue of what, in... Read more
Posted on 20 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Material to Ponder
From my youngest days I remember wanting to be a scientist. This desire was tempered with a real fear of Hell and wish to please. In my career, it seems, the... Read more
Posted on 19 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Biblical Script
The popular perception of the Bible generally does not match the actual contents very well. Like most books, the Bible has its highlights: Creation, Flood, Davi... Read more
Posted on 18 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY -
Biblical Weather
On President’s Day, my wife pointed out an article in the New Jersey Star-Ledger headlined, “‘Biblical’ snowstorms battering New England.” She asked,... Read more
Posted on 17 February 2015 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY