Recent Comments
- In Search of Catholic "To Kill a Mockingbird" (9)
Emily: "I've never read Walker Percy, but now y'all have inspired me to go find some of his books! Another Catholic novel that came to my mind last night --…"
Jerry: "I'd second Walker Percy. He may be an easier person to start with than O'Connor. I've read Evelyn Waugh's "Helen" and can recommend that. I've heard…"
- Why Is Prostitution Illegal? (104)
john: "Only cheap/inexpensive prostitutiion is illegal-- the kind which is controlled by a pimp. In New York City, escorts charge $300/hr. at the minimum.…"
- Virtual Red Light District (8)
Steve: "RE: How I found this page. I googled 'red light' while looking for pictures of a red traffic light. Was not thinking about the 'district' but that's…"
- The Church in the Modern World (60)
Sharon Woo: "Hi Funky Dunk, I happened to bump into this blog more than 3 years later after you gave your post. I agree with you that female celibate priests are…"
Ales Rarus
A Rare Bird, A Strange Duck, One Funky Blog
random thought of the moment:
The sovereign, after taking individuals one by one in his powerful hands and kneading them to his liking, reaches out to embrace society as a whole. Over it he spreads a fine mesh of uniform, minute, and complex rules, through which not even the most original minds and most vigorous souls can poke their heads above the crowd. He does not break men’s wills but softens, bends, and guides them. He seldom forces anyone to act but consistently opposes action. He does not destroy things but prevents them from coming into being. Rather than tyrannize, he inhibits, represses, saps, stifles, and stultifies, and in the end he reduces each nation to nothing but a flock of timid and industrious animals, with the government as its shepherd.
— Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America, Vol. 2 [1840]
evangelical
After the Fire
Ever wonder what Marty Minto's been up to?
Marty Minto, Part 1: After the firing, his fire still burns
Some might say that Turning Point Community Church is going the wrong way. But its pastor, the Rev. Marty Minto, would not be among them.
The congregation that Minto began about three years ago moved last fall from the […]
Must Christians Support Israel?
[Cross-posted at RedBlueChristian]
I’ve heard many Christians imply or explicitly state that Christians ought to be supportive of Israel in ways that exceed our support of other nations. This is predicated on the notion that Israel is still a nation of God’s chosen people. I’m curious what their theological basis for believing this is.
The argument, as […]
Freebies!
Adrian Warnock is giving out some freebies, so head on over and tell him I sent ya. BTW, while you're there, tell him his blog needs a better name.
Straining Gnats and Swallowing Camels
"You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" - Matthew 23:24
The irony in the following was too good for me to pass up. My favorite (I mean that. He's a nice fellow when not on his soap box.) Bible thumpin', street preachin', Jack Chick resemblin' Fundamentalist, Rand, had an unpleasant exeperience […]
Still Amusing the Church to Death
Thisentryis part 2 of 4 in the series He Who Sings Prays TwiceRemember the post I wrote about Chuck Colsen's critique of trite worship music? I agreed with Colsen's distaste for "Draw Me Close to You" and its ilk. My buddy Rob didn't. When discussion on both blogs died, I figured the […]
