I wonder what the king is doing tonight?

You’ve got to take it with a grain of salt — a politician’s self-reporting of what books he is reading is more about image than a reflection of what they are actually reading — but it’s revealing what British members of parliament think will impress the citizenry:

In the annual survey of MPs’ holiday reading, released today by the bookshop chain Waterstone’s, first place was taken by William Hague’s biography of William Wilberforce, which was published to coincide with the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade. It came well ahead of books that received more hype at the time of publication, such as the latest Harry Potter fantasy, or the diaries of Alastair Campbell.

It is perhaps not surprising that Mr Hague should be the top seller among Conservative MPs, but what is less predictable is that the survey showed the same book to be the Liberal Democrat’s top summer read.

A new mood of religious scepticism seems to have taken hold of Labour MPs, who have made The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins, their main choice. This follows the loss of Tony Blair, who looked to God as the ultimate judge of whether it was right to invade Iraq.

I am reminded of Bush’s announcement that he was reading that godless Frenchman, Camus. Now there was a cryptic message to the electorate…I think he was relying on the likelihood that his base wouldn’t have any idea what the The Stranger was about, so he was actually just trying to convince them that he is too a smarty pants. The title The God Delusion doesn’t leave a lot of room for ambiguity, though, and is well-known enough that everyone knows what it’s about.

Maybe some reporter should ask W if he has read any Dawkins lately…

(By the way, the Wilberforce biography is also on my to-read list, although I don’t know that I’ll get to it before the new term slams into my face.)

Down with the DCCC

It’s a perfect example of the failure of the Democratic party: they allowed the FISA bill to pass, and essentially revealed that they don’t give a damn about civil liberties. Revere is right: don’t support them. Don’t donate to the DCCC. He recommends ActBlue, which does look like a very good organization that actually promotes progressive politics rather than the craven do-nothing politics of the current party organization.

You should also voice your displeasure with your representatives. I gave Senator Amy Klobuchar grief for her spinelessness, and also yelled at my representative
Collin Peterson, who allowed the house bill to pass (and other Minnesotans might cuss out Tim Walz, if you’re in his district). What good is a party that won’t represent any ideals, and instead seems to be a gathering of cowards who do nothing to oppose the Republican bullying?

Chris Clarke: Criminally inoffensive

Well, I’m afraid we’re going to have to start a blog war with Creek Running North since he is neglecting his bloggy duties by shunning blog wars. It’s Catch-22, man—refusing to feud is an insult that instigates a feud.

Does he really imagine that people might read his writing simply because they like his writing, without the extraneous conflict motif to motivate us? What species does he belong to, anyway?

Tats for Science

Carl Zimmer is collecting examples of scientists with tattoos having a science theme. Got a tattoo? Send him a picture!

There is a weird comment about reluctance to show off these things if you don’t have tenure yet … I really don’t think skin art is one of the considerations in tenure decisions, though. At least it’s never come up in any of the reviews I’ve been involved in, although perhaps photos of artfully inked buttocks would enliven those often deadly dull tenure files.

Help some skeptics

The atheists, skeptics, and secular humanists of Fresno have formed up and consolidate, and now they’re looking for a name for their group. Since, in the absence of an infusion of God’s creative will, they couldn’t possibly come up with an idea of their own, they’ve started a contest to come up with an appropriate label for their nest of elitist vipers in the bosom of Christendom. Can someone here think of a good name?

Godless goodness and godly grodiness

Go read Carnival of the Godless #72.

Then Revere’s Sunday Sermonette takes on the clueless Steven D. Levitt.

Hemant links to the freakiest mindset. This is not a satire, although I wish it were.

Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died, deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.

All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.

I’m sorry, but the author of that piece is an evil freak representing an all too common view that can’t help but cripple our culture. You do not deserve to die. God is not keeping you alive. You will one day perish whether you repent or not, and your goal now should be to live this one life you have as well as you can.