Faith and Fiction

A thriller writer and an FBI veteran eschew sermonizing for suspense in two Christian fiction hits.

U.K.: “In the face of growing radicalization in Britain, Muslim leaders are ignoring extremists’ points of view and glossing over some of the more unsavory parts of Islam’s ancient texts”

All quite true. This story again demonstrates the uselessness of the “moderate” label. As “moderation” is relative to extremes, all the term can tell us is that the “moderate” is perceived as not being as bad as the next guy. It does not, however, imply a forthright and useful engagement…

The Best Hour in Television History?

Timothy Olyphant as US Marshall Raylan Givens in FX’s “Justified”
When I was first married, we basically watched prime television on one night– Thursday.  First stop CBS for Magnum P.I., then over to ABC for Taxi and Barney Miller, and ending up on NBC for Hill Street Blues.  Other than that, it was mostly sports and [...]

Kenyan police pursuing Somali-born Australian national suspected of plotting suicide attack on military base

With apologies to Dr. Seuss: Oh, The Places You’ll Misunderstand Islam! “Kenyan Police Hunting Australian Terror Suspect,” from VOA News, March 30: Anti-terrorism police units in Kenya are still searching for a Somali-born Australian terror suspect, who escaped earlier this month while in police custody in a town near the…

Nigeria: Islamic court makes temporary injunction against online debate of Sharia provisions permanent

“The Association of Muslim Brotherhood of Nigeria, a pro-Sharia group based in the northern city of Kaduna, argued that the forums would mock the Sharia system.” When “government knows best” meets “Allah knows best,” this is what happens to a citizen’s right to criticize — or change — his or…

Bad medicine: ER nurse knows and fears the reality of ObamaCare

Pushing an overburdened emergency care system to the brink
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By Kerry Allen
As an Emergency Room nurse I am very skeptical of the new health care reform bill – to say the least.  But now that Congress is no longer tied up with this legislative monster, I have a few questions and concerns for them to address.
As a [...]

A Potential Roadblock to Conservative Victory

Today on National Review Online, Sean Hannity delivers a thumbnail sketch of his latest book’s thesis—“The American people have woken up to President Obama’s true agenda. It’s up to the GOP to make the most of it”:
No president in the history of modern polling has lost so much support in so short a period of [...]

Russia looking for 21 members of “black widow” jihadist cell trained in Turkey

According to this story, one of the bombers in yesterday’s attack in Moscow may also have been mentally retarded. Such gallant mujahedin, pressing the most vulnerable members of society into the business of mass murder. And it would not be the first time we have seen this tactic employed. “Russia…

Pakistan: Taliban threats force closure, demolition of movie theaters

Long-term economic changes wrought by violence, intimidation and the consequent hostile and uncertain climate for continuing to do business. And it’s not the first, and won’t be the last source of livelihood to be destroyed by jihad and the imposition of Sharia. “Pakistan: Taliban threat forces cinemas to close,” by…

Fox News Delivers the Progressive Slapdown

When I was a newly-minted journalist we called Ted Turner’s Cable News Network the Chicken Noodle Network. Today that poultry- based moniker seems poised to make a return.  The NY Times reports this morning:
CNN continued what has become a precipitous decline in ratings for its prime-time programs in the first quarter of 2010, [...]