A Father's Account of his Son's Deployment in Iraq
A miserable March day, overcast and cold, rain spit on our faces. Parents, spouses, and children all locked in the same nightmare, a bad dream, an insanity sending men and women off to war but somehow we agreed to let this thing happen. Behind our kids, behind our soldiers standing at attention, there is a graveyard. I am not amused by the irony; I am a part of it. This was the first day of what would be a God-awful fifteen months. On Mother’s Day, two months later, our son the soldier and his National Guard unit deployed to Iraq.
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Tags: Essays · War
The World of Cyber Gender Bending and Computer Cross-Dressing
Electronic communication networks now construct much of our understanding of reality. The distinct categories of identity that develop in these digital realms along with the interface between the body and these electric fantasies create new possibilities for what some call “computer cross-dressing.” Just as “real world” drag queens disrupt gender categories that were previously considered static, computer cross-dressers deconstruct, explore, and reconstruct new identities. Communities of computer cross-dressers destabilize identity categories so that they are constantly in transit, bearing no stable ontological relationship between what is on the World Wide Web and who is behind the computer.
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Tags: Essays · Cyber Identity · Futurism · Technology
A Short Guide to Debunking Common Creationist Claims
Religious fundamentalists who still espouse belief in a geocentric Universe are now met with ridicule and scorn; not due to discrimination but a lack of evidence for their cause. Unfortunately, the same can not be said about the 40-50% of Americans who, despite a near unanimous consensus among scientists, refuse to accept the theory of evolution. Ever since Darwin published The Origin of the Species in 1859, the idea of common descent has been hard for many religious individuals to swallow. The refusal to accept anything as truth that contradicts the Biblical account of creation has resulted in a massive war of misinformation waged by anti-evolutionists in our courts, schools, and places of worship.[…]
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Tags: Nonfiction · Creationism · Evolution · Religion · Science
Why are we here? What is our purpose? Mustn’t there be a point to this vast, remarkably complex drama being played out on this relatively tiny little speck in the cosmos? In short, what is the meaning of life?
By definition, there cannot be a more important question. Surprising, then, how little attention it receives. Most academics will scoff at attempts to approach the issue in a scholarly context. […]
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Tags: Philosophy · Emotivism
Artists and Professors Examine God’s Place in America
Whether it’s jazz, hip-hop, or rock, music is often born of the two headed beast of religion and politics. While in the hands of the much-maligned Bush Administration, the country has seen an explosion of politically fueled records. And given the influence of religion on today’s divided political landscape, it’s no surprise that many musicians have also been grappling with notions about God.
With over two decades in one of music’s most influential punk bands, Bad Religion frontman Greg Graffin has been one of the most outspoken voices on religion in society. Holding a master’s in geology from UCLA and a Ph.D. from Cornell University, Graffin will soon pack up the road gear from this year’s Warped Tour and head to UCLA where he teaches life science courses. […]
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Tags: Features · Books · Music · Religion
