As I put this week’s issue to bed, I thought I had done a terrific job of handling what could have been a very controversial story. But let’s go to the start — here’s the story from the 3 June 2007 issue:
Religion
Jerry Falwell, American Taliban
Jerry Falwell died this week. There’s quite a bit of traffic coming into my page where I dubbed Falwell one of the American Taliban in disgust over his using the 9/11 terrorist attacks to further his own agenda. I followed some of those links back to the blogs which were quoting me, with titles such as “JERRY FALWELL IS DEAD. Good.” and I’m glad he is dead. Indeed there were so many that I Googled the combination of “Cassingham” and “Falwell” …and got a couple of hundred hits.
Cassingham’s Laws
After tagging a story with “Cassingham’s Second Law”, I got a pile of email asking me to post what my first law was. So here you go.
Randy the Anti-Christ?
Religion and Politics. It’s said those are the two subjects one should never discuss in polite company, because it just leads to impolite arguments.
True Milestone: Issue #666 Special
I started getting notes last month about whether I had “special plans” for issue #666. “Not that the number actually means anything, but it tickles me to have noticed the landmark,” noted one, Jordan in S.A., Australia.
Super Bowl vs. Churches — NFL Loses
This week’s lead story brought a fair amount of mail from the Premium subscribers, many of whom were surprised by my take on the story. Here it is:
Peace Sign
In the 3 December 2006 issue I led with this story:
Define “Political Correctness”
A story this week is notable not just because of my offered “definition” of “Political Correctness,” but for some interesting commentary it brought. First, the story, from True’s 28 August 2006 issue:
The Spectre of 6/6/6 (Eek!)
Tomorrow (as I write this), it’ll be 6 June 2006, which some have been shorthanding as 6/6/6 (except of course in Europe, where they put the dates in different order, in which case it’ll instead read 6/6/6).
Happy Politically Correct Holiday
Last week’s issue included this story, which naturally brought an incredibly whiny complaint by someone who clearly didn’t understand the concept at all:
Good Clean Family Values
Hey: the priest didn’t have any problem with it.
From True’s 4 December 2005 issue — just another story that simply needs to have a photo included.
Another Self-Proclaimed Religious Scholar
So I got this email from a reader demanding to know why I make my world-famous “Get Out of Hell Free” cards available. I’ve written about that quite a bit over the years, so I don’t intend to repeat it all here (see the GOOHF site if you’re not already aware of the story. The basic answer, though, is “Because people like them.”)
Civil Rights: Justice for All, or…?
Read the story, then decide: why did I include it in a weird news column?
Still Fundamentally Wrong
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I dubbed Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson “The American Taliban”. In the four years since, not much has changed. In 2005’s 9/11 issue of True came this story:
Equal Time …to Invoke Indignant Anger
A fair number of governmental bodies have a minister say a prayer at the start of official meetings — an invocation. When criticized by those who favor a true separation of church and state, they often insist that the invocation is not really religious.
Who “Deserves” Freedom?
We’re often told not to discuss politics or religion in polite company. But sometimes your hand is forced. It all started with two stories that appeared in subsequent weeks — in the 9 May and 16 May 2004 issues:
The Missionary’s Position
Or, Much Ado About Nothing!
I got exactly one complaint about a story in last week’s issue, and the basis of the complaint, by a Baptist Youth Pastor, is so eye-rolling in its cluelessness, you’ll begin to understand why some kids are so screwed up.
One Brave Girl
or… Welcome to the 21st Century
Editorial comments from This is True for the week of 16 February 2003:
It’s pretty rare that I get truly angry over a story.
Evangelical = Hatemonger?
A letter as a denouement on the popularity of the Get Out of Hell Free products (after my essay on the topic, which is still up on the GOOHF site).
Spawn of Satan
I’m “anti-Christian” again (darn it!) — according to a few Catholic readers, anyway. I refer to the story about the fastest-growing religion in Australia: