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The U.S.A. was founded on Christian principles, true or false? As usual, it depends on how you define things like "founding" and "Christian principles." Jennifer at Scattershot takes a look at the question. It's harder - not easier - to argue that Canada is not a religiously founded country, btw. Our ties to the English Monarchy (defender of the faith) ought to make that clear enough for anyone (but sadly doesn't). *** Postscript*** Peter Thurley at Diner Table Don'ts tips us to a lengthy New York Times article on the same subject. Seven Sorrows is a Catholic alternative band whose music you can download for free. The band's site is here (looks good, sound quality is muddy) or from Download.com (MP3's sound good, site looks, well, blah). Before I became a country bumpkin I listened to alternative stuff for years. It leaves me a bit cold now, but I can still get into light trippin' ambient anytime. There's lots to be found on internet radio too. Godspy takes a look at Peter "some humans are not persons" Singer. Singer violated his own utilitarian ethics by caring for his mother when she developed alzheimer's. Rather than question his ethical conclusions, Singer simply says it is "very hard to do what's right." Singer is a classic intellectual, more in love with "humanity" than with flesh and blood people, more comfortable with a universal ideas than anything tangible before him. David Warren has an annual ritual, it seems, and it involves an evaluation of why he writes. No a bad idea, that, especially for bloggers whose page never gets full. He offers us a golden observation in this column:
The journalist who thinks what he writes doesn't matter, is not humble but irresponsible. The one who is cynical and posturing -- who pretends to be world-weary -- is not neutral in the face of events. He is on the wrong side. The one who thinks he is a mere entertainer, is an even greater fool than I am: for there is no such thing as "pure entertainment". Everything has moral consequences, including mere idleness.
Get Religion has a look at Ron Howard's upcoming take on C.S. Lewis' Narnia tales. Money quote: "I suspect you can portray resurrection in the same way that E.T. comes back to life, and that practically every fairy tale has a hero or heroine who seems to be gone forever but nevertheless manages to come back." This does not sound at all promising, especially after what Peter Jackson was able to do with Tolkien's very Catholic Lord of the Rings. Mind you, it is very subtle in Tolkien and more up front with Lewis. Still, I think audiences have shown a willingness (and a hunger, even) to have the real goods so that they can debate it like adults.

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