Jay Michaelson, in The Daily Beast, proclaimed on Christmas Day that there is a decrease in the numbers and influence of Christians in America, but that the “war” on Christianity is a myth. I’m not sure the war on Christianity […]
Holidays
The Strange American Inversion of the Liturgical Year
Historically in Christian liturgy, Advent was supposed to be a sort of penitential time, a little Lent leading up to Christmas, as Lent led up to Easter. Anglican hymnbooks have an Advent section and a Christmas section. Songs like “O […]
Valentine’s Day Carols? And Other Observations
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers. As usual, what Americans call ‘The Holidays’ is an odd mix, especially in the special music now played. What are effectively Gospel carols [especially if they sing all […]
After a Century, Why is the San Francisco Bay Area Kicking our Butt Now?
I was young in the early Sixties, when the cultural rivalry between Los Angeles and San Francisco was strong and active. Jack Smith, for Los Angeles, and Herb Caen, for San Francisco, used to feud regularly in their newspaper columns […]
Thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day
In a few days comes one of the strangest holidays in our American calendar, in which we honor a saint who actually deserves honoring or remembering, and at the same time the first major non-Protestant ethnic group to come to […]
Christmas and Steven Pinker’s Decline of Violence
A few months ago biologist Steven Pinker released a paper (Article 1, Article 2) and a book claiming that despite 9/11, Rwanda, and other such events, violence is actually declining in the world. He rebukes the myth of the ‘noble […]
Christmas Greetings
A Happy Incarnation, Jesus’ Birthday, and Solstice to all my readers. And a more prosperous New Year than, for most of us, the last one. – Howard Ahmanson
Prudes at Dinner, Gluttons in Bed
Apropos of my post more than a month ago on New Year’s Resolutions (attached to refresh your memory) I just found a column by George Will on a similar theme. It seems to me that the words “sin” and “sinful” […]
New Years Resolutions, Neuroscience, and What We Calvinists Knew All Along
Greetings, beloved fans, and welcome to the decade of the teens, and farewell to the decade of the “aughts.” Some of you are no doubt thinking about New Years’ resolutions. For some of you your resolutions, no doubt, have to […]
Why They Sometimes Call New Year’s Eve “Sylvester”
WHY THEY SOMETIMES CALL NEW YEAR’S EVE “SYLVESTER” If you go to a New Year’s Eve dinner or party in a continental European country – and for all I know, probably in Mexico and Latin America as well (I’ve never […]