Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4647 )

• No Singing Matter

  

  A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr., is one of those books that I read years ago, and when I picked it up again found that I remembered very... Read more

  Posted on 23 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Com-Passion

  

  I suppose it is always premature to hope that ancient institutions are likely to improve. Like many other followers of developments in religion, I was pleasantl... Read more

  Posted on 22 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• From Darkness

  

  All things being equal, most religions side with light. Let there be light. Enlightenment. Dewali, the festival of lights. The light of heaven is as much the... Read more

  Posted on 21 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• A Certain Man Went Down

  

  Among the progeny claimed by Wabash College is Dan Simmons. I’ve read a couple of Simmons’ ghost novels, although in reverse order. I read A Winter Haunting,... Read more

  Posted on 20 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Our Lady of Culture

  

  So I’m in the land where sport and religion become one.  Notre Dame is an intimidating university for a small Protestant like myself.  Like on a first date,... Read more

  Posted on 19 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• High Tide

  

  While the devastating rains in Colorado this month are a very serious concern, over the past several days I heard and read the adjective “biblical” associated... Read more

  Posted on 18 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Grace, Virtually

  

  Although Yom Kippur is now over, I have a confession to make. My wife just showed me eScapegoat, the website where you can confess your sins over the virtual... Read more

  Posted on 17 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Where No One Has Gone Before

  

  I already miss Voyager. Not that I ever met her, but I followed her progress from her youngest days and to when she was a curious youngster flirting with Jupite... Read more

  Posted on 16 September 2013 SCIENCE

• Just Binghamton

  

  I seem to find myself in Binghamton again. The town, while clearly economically depressed, still retains a bit of its 19th-Century charm with some beautifully... Read more

  Posted on 15 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dystopian Dreams

  

  One of the most terrible stories in the Bible is the slaying of the firstborn of Egypt. Of course, depending on your point of view, this was either a necessary... Read more

  Posted on 14 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• True Possession

  

  Demons are among the earliest of supernatural creatures. Although sources can be spotty, they appear in the first advanced civilization known, that of the... Read more

  Posted on 13 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Arduino Anything?

  

  Before my daughter enrolled in college I’d never heard of an Arduino. Since her high school robotics team leadership has now passed into more able hands, I... Read more

  Posted on 12 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• No Cult

  

  The image of hundreds of lifeless bodies in the jungles of Guyana foregrounded by a metal tub of poisoned Flavor Aid is a difficult one to forget. Read more

  Posted on 11 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Down the Garden Trail

  

  According to NBC, a new “Christian” alternative to Boy Scouts USA is being launched in (over)reaction to the vote to allow gay teens to “join” the organization. Read more

  Posted on 10 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Instant Education

  

  Among the “non-essentials” upon which I spend my earnings, books hold the top spot, if not in value, certainly in quantity. Reading is more than a pass-time—it... Read more

  Posted on 09 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• To the Flag

  

  In the great witch hunt that began (or perhaps simply continued) with the Neo-con upsurge in which big business climbed into bed with theological... Read more

  Posted on 08 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Proselytization and Cheese

  

  One of the universals of many childhood lives is Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. If I were the financial sort, I would consider investing in it. Read more

  Posted on 07 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Goddess

  

  Merlin Stone was a sculptor and an artist. I met her only once, a few years back when I was still recognized as an “authority” on ancient goddesses. Read more

  Posted on 06 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Chronic Religion

  

  The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes a surprisingly large number of articles that touch on religion. I write “surprisingly” somewhat ironically here,... Read more

  Posted on 05 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Have a Blessed Day

  

  “Last stop: New York Port Authority. Have a blessed day.” This secular blessing is sometimes appreciated after the harrowing commute to Manhattan, but I often... Read more

  Posted on 03 September 2013 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY