{"id":5326,"date":"2019-02-08T19:58:48","date_gmt":"2019-02-09T03:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=5326"},"modified":"2019-02-08T19:58:48","modified_gmt":"2019-02-09T03:58:48","slug":"things-glen-found-interesting-volume-189","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2019\/02\/08\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-189","title":{"rendered":"Things Glen Found Interesting, Volume 189"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4396\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n<h3>Things Glen Found Interesting<\/h3>\n<ol class=\"simple-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wired.com\/story\/malware-dna-hack\/\">Biohackers Encoded Malware In A Strand Of DNA<\/a> (Andy Greenberg, Wired): \u201c\u2026a group of researchers from the University of Washington has shown for the first time that it\u2019s possible to encode malicious software into physical strands of DNA, so that when a gene sequencer analyzes it the resulting data becomes a program that corrupts gene-sequencing software and takes control of the underlying computer.\u201d&nbsp;<ul>\n<li>WHOA. Also, the term \u201cbiohacker\u201d is much cooler than \u201chacker.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/2019\/02\/andrew-sullivan-the-nature-of-sex.html\">The Nature of Sex<\/a> (Andrew Sullivan, NY Magazine): \u201cIt\u2019s no accident that some of the most homophobic societies, like Iran, for example, are big proponents of sex-reassignment surgery for gender-nonconforming kids and adults (the government even pays for it) while being homosexual warrants the death penalty\u2026. If you abandon biology in the matter of sex and gender altogether, you may help trans people live fuller, less conflicted lives; but you also undermine the very meaning of homosexuality.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/newrepublic.com\/article\/153083\/demon-slaying-pentecostal-billionaire-ushering-post-catholic-brazil\">How A Demon-Slaying Pentecostal Billionaire Is Ushering In A Post-Catholic Brazil<\/a> (Alexander Zaitchik and Christopher Lord, The New Republic): \u201cWhen Macedo completed his $249 million headquarters in 2014, his point of comparison wasn\u2019t John Hagee\u2019s megachurch or Pat Robertson\u2019s TV studio. It was the Christ the Redeemer statue atop Mount Corcovado, overlooking Rio de Janeiro, the symbol of Catholic dominance since 1921. In interviews, Macedo made sure to note that his Solomonic church was nearly twice as&nbsp;tall.\u201d&nbsp;<ul>\n<li>First, what a headline. Second, search for images of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=temple+of+solomon+brazil&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=isch&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwji2oLM3K3gAhVQSK0KHdbbAgAQ_AUIDigB\">Solomon\u2019s temple in Brazil<\/a>. It\u2019s&nbsp;HUGE.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.foreignaffairs.com\/articles\/2019-02-01\/stacey-abrams-response-to-francis-fukuyama-identity-politics-article?utm_campaign=tw_daily_soc&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_posts\">E Pluribus Unum?<\/a> (Stacey Abrams, Foreign Policy): \u201c\u2026minorities and the marginalized have little choice but to fight against the particular methods of discrimination employed against them. The marginalized did not create identity politics: their identities have been forced on them by dominant groups, and politics is the most effective method of revolt.\u201d&nbsp;<ul>\n<li>I don\u2019t see many straightforward defenses of identity politics. Worth reading.&nbsp; This is a rebuttal to an article by Francis Fukuyama. Further down the page a few others respond as well, and then he offers a rejoinder.<\/li>\n<li>Abrams is a Democratic politician, currently out of office. She was the one chosen to give the Democratic response to Trump\u2019s State of the Union address.<\/li>\n<li>A&nbsp; vaguely related article by one of my students: <a href=\"https:\/\/stanfordreview.org\/failed-and-racist-why-stanford-should-ditch-of-affirmative-action\/\">Failed and Racist: Why Stanford Should Ditch Affirmative Action<\/a> (Annika Nordquist and Jose Antonio Avalos, Stanford Review): \u201cAfrican American and Hispanic representation at elite universities is actually lower than it was 35 years ago, and the minority students who attend appear to be primarily upper class\u2026. Elite universities are able to pat themselves on the back and pad their promotional materials with pictures of a diverse student body, while leaving minority students genuinely trapped in cycles of poverty almost untouched.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Confession: it\u2019s not really all that related, but I try to limit myself to 7 main bullet points. I also have a commitment to posting stuff that my students get published. This is my best compromise. \ud83d\ude42&nbsp; Also, if you\u2019re in Chi Alpha and get something published be sure that I know about&nbsp;it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newyorker.com\/magazine\/2019\/01\/07\/the-philosopher-redefining-equality\">The Philosopher Redefining Equality<\/a> (Nathan Heller, New Yorker): \u201cWhen she was three, her mother asked, \u2018Why do you allow your brother to talk for you?\u2019\u2014why didn\u2019t she speak for herself? \u2018Until now, it simply was not necessary,\u2019 Elizabeth said. It was the first full sentence that she had ever uttered.\u201d I think that\u2019s the best first sentence I\u2019ve ever heard of. A tad long, but recommended.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/outline.com\/AjNL5u\">This Black History Month, don\u2019t pretend racism has disappeared from the church<\/a> (Jemar Tisby, Washington Post): \u201cMany people, including Christians, like to believe that if they were alive during the 1960s, they would have participated in the civil rights movement. If Christians refuse to acknowledge racism and fight against it today, then it is clear where they would have stood half a century ago,&nbsp;too.\u201d&nbsp;<ul>\n<li>Tisby is a Ph.D. candidate in history and graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary.<\/li>\n<li>Related: a <a href=\"https:\/\/georgepwood.com\/2019\/01\/22\/the-color-of-compromise-book-review\/\">thoughtful review of Tisby\u2019s book<\/a> by George P. Wood, an acquaintance of&nbsp;mine.<\/li>\n<li>Related: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.andrerhenry.com\/thoughts\/2019\/2\/5\/to-all-the-white-friends-i-couldnt-keep\">To All The White Friends I Couldn\u2019t Keep<\/a> (Andre Henry, personal blog): \u201cI thought that if you heard from a black person you trusted\u2014me\u2014that racism is alive and well in our times, that you would come to understand that what happened to Mr. Castile, to Mr. Martin, Ms. Bland, Ms. Boyd, Mr. Sterling, Mr. Brown, Mr. Garner, Mr Grey, Ms. Shirley, Ms. Gaines, and so many others were not unique, isolated incidents but parts of a pattern.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2019\/02\/06\/state-american-fact-checking-completely-useless\/\">The State of American Fact-Checking Is Completely Useless<\/a> (David Harsanyi, The Federalist): \u201cThere are plenty of legitimately misleading statements worthy of fact-checkers\u2019 attention. Yet, with a veneer of impartiality, fact-checkers often engage in a uniquely dishonest style of partisanship.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3>Less Serious Things Which Also Interested\/Amused Glen<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"simple-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=brfCtXwzX7g\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jon Dorenbos Blows Minds With Unbelievable Magic<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (America\u2019s Got Talent, YouTube)&nbsp;<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WWDg7IndmgI\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shin Lim is back with wild card tricks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (America\u2019s Got Talent, YouTube)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/god-agrees-to-spare-virginia-if-10-democrats-who-never-wore-blackface-can-be-found\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">God Agrees To Spare Virginia If Just 10 Democrats Who Never Wore Blackface Can Be Found<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Babylon Bee): savage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/imgur.com\/gallery\/L3FLExM\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Batman vs Daredevil<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Imgur)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dilbert.com\/strip\/2019-02-03\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dilbert Dooms The World<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Dilbert)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Things Glen Found Interesting A While&nbsp;Ago<\/h3>\n<p>Every week I\u2019ll highlight an older link still worth your consideration. This week we have&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.verber.com\/mark\/xian\/weight-of-glory.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Weight of Glory<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (C.S. Lewis): It was originally preached as a sermon and then printed in a theology magazine. Related: see the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/CSLewisDoodle\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C. S. Lewis Doodle YouTube channel<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 it\u2019s really good! (first shared in <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2016\/02\/12\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-36\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">volume 36<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Why Do You Send This&nbsp;Email?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors \u201cwho understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u201d (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Disclaimer<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey\u2019s agenda and we are not about the elephant\u2019s agenda \u2014 we are about the Lamb\u2019s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass <a href=\"http:\/\/econlog.econlib.org\/archives\/2011\/06\/the_ideological.html\">the ideological Turing test<\/a> and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say \u201cI agree\u201d or \u201cI disagree\u201d until I can say \u201cI understand\u201d) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I\u2019ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent.<\/p>\n<p>Also, remember that I\u2019m not reporting news \u2014 I\u2019m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There\u2019s a lot happening in the world that\u2019s not making an appearance here because I haven\u2019t found stimulating articles written about&nbsp;it.<\/p>\n<p>If this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/\">here<\/a>. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/category\/links\">view the archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way. Things Glen Found Interesting Biohackers Encoded Malware In A Strand Of DNA (Andy Greenberg, Wired): \u201c\u2026a group of researchers \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2019\/02\/08\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-189\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u201cThings Glen Found Interesting, Volume 189\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Biohacking, a demon-slaying Pentecostal billionaire, and a handful of  controversial topics.","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[16],"tags":[253,161,228,238,113,177,252,116,172,214],"class_list":["post-5326","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-links","tag-brazil","tag-global-christianity","tag-identity","tag-latin-america","tag-lgbtq","tag-media","tag-philosophy","tag-race","tag-racism","tag-technology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1nU","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5326","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5326"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5326\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5328,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5326\/revisions\/5328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5326"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5326"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5326"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}