{"id":6615,"date":"2021-06-18T19:37:07","date_gmt":"2021-06-19T03:37:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=6615"},"modified":"2021-06-19T08:04:34","modified_gmt":"2021-06-19T16:04:34","slug":"things-glen-found-interesting-volume-306","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2021\/06\/18\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-306","title":{"rendered":"Things Glen Found Interesting, Volume 306"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<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>     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\n\n\n<p>This is volume 306, which is an interesting number because 306 = 71 + 73 + 79 + 83 and is therefore the sum of consecutive primes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Glen Found Interesting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/gfile.thedispatch.com\/p\/american-passover?token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxMzIyMjQyLCJwb3N0X2lkIjozNzc2OTI2MCwiXyI6IkRzNjFhIiwiaWF0IjoxNjI0MDUyNDcyLCJleHAiOjE2MjQwNTYwNzIsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNzgxOSIsInN1YiI6InBvc3QtcmVhY3Rpb24ifQ.rYWVj5h8AaZazAzWRnkLsohRUxV3ZjtwBuMV-TChy1k\">American Passover<\/a> (Jonah Goldberg, The Dispatch): \u201cJuneteenth is a good thing for all Americans, not just black Americans, to celebrate.\u2026 I\u2019m at a loss to understand why celebrating the end of slavery is anything but good. In particular, I\u2019m at a loss to understand why seeing&nbsp;<em>white Americans<\/em>&nbsp;celebrate the end of slavery is anything but&nbsp;good.\u201d<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/future.a16z.com\/what-we-learned-doing-fast-grants\/\">What We Learned Doing Fast Grants<\/a> (Patrick Collison, Tyler Cowen, and Patrick Hsu, Future): \u201cIn our survey of the scientists who received Fast Grants, 78% said that they would change their research program \u2018a lot\u2019 if their existing funding could be spent in an unconstrained fashion. We find this number to be far too high: the current grant funding apparatus does not allow some of the best scientists in the world to pursue the research agendas that they themselves think are best. Scientists are in the paradoxical position of being deemed the very best people to fund in order to make important discoveries but <em>not<\/em> so trustworthy that they should be able to decide what work would actually make the most sense!\u201d EXTREMELY worth reading.&nbsp;<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/taibbi.substack.com\/p\/why-has-ivermectin-become-a-dirty\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/taibbi.substack.com\/p\/why-has-ivermectin-become-a-dirty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Why Has \u201cIvermectin\u201d Become a Dirty Word?<\/a> (Matt Taibbi, Substack): \u201cA <em>Catch-22 <\/em>seemed to be ensnaring science. With the world desperate for news about an unprecedented disaster, Silicon Valley had essentially decided to disallow discussion of a potential solution \u2014 disallow calls for more research and more study \u2014 because not enough research and study had been&nbsp;done.\u201d&nbsp;<ul><li>This is ridiculous. Dig into it yourself \u2014 it\u2019s crazytown. The prescient Lewis nailed it years ago: \u201cOf all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron\u2019s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.\u201d (from the underappreciated <em>God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics<\/em>)<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.firstthings.com\/web-exclusives\/2021\/06\/christians-beware-the-blame-game\">Christians, Beware the Blame Game<\/a> (Carl Trueman, First Things): \u201cBy all means, call out the moral failings of Christians, congregations and denominations, left and right; but be specific, do so without slander and vitriol, and make a clear distinction between the church and the specific failings to which you allude in order to promote clear thinking. And remember\u2014if your critique of Christians is not balanced by a Pauline emphasis on the church, the body of Christ, as the answer to the world\u2019s problems, you ultimately offer no true Christian commentary on the contemporary scene. For as soon as you see the church herself as part of the problem, you have lost the gospel and deprived yourself and your audience of&nbsp;hope.\u201d<\/li><li>Some religious freedom news and commentary:<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/frenchpress.thedispatch.com\/p\/four-things-you-need-to-know-after\">Four Things You Need to Know After a Huge Day at SCOTUS<\/a> (David French, The Dispatch): \u201cVery few comments about the<em> Fulton<\/em> case have emphasized a critical part of its ruling\u2014that Philadelphia has very limited ability to force city contractors to contract away their First Amendment rights.\u2026 When the government expands\u2014and government contracts and government funds touch more American lives and institutions\u2014opposing partisans frequently demand that those funds come with ideological strings attached.\u201d Sadly paywalled, but the best commentary on the ruling I\u2019ve read. If you\u2019re an avid news consumer, <a href=\"https:\/\/thedispatch.com\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/thedispatch.com\/\">The Dispatch<\/a> is well worth a subscription.<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2021\/06\/from-the-court-a-vindication-of-faith-based-service-from-alito-a-blueprint-for-the-future\/\">From the court, a vindication of faith-based service. From Alito, a blueprint for the future<\/a>. (Andrea Picciotti-Bayer, SCOTUSblog): \u201cAt the end of the day,&nbsp;<em>Fulton<\/em>&nbsp;is an important rebuke to overzealous government officials who weaponize anti-discrimination laws against traditional religious belief. Brace yourself for the response of disgruntled progressives.\u201d<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/06\/17\/us\/supreme-court-gay-rights-foster-care.html\">Supreme Court Backs Catholic Agency in Case on Gay Rights and Foster Care<\/a> (Adam Liptak, New York Times): \u201cThe decision, in the latest clash between antidiscrimination principles and claims of conscience, was a setback for gay rights and further evidence that religious groups almost always prevail in the current court.\u201d&nbsp;<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/religion\/2021\/06\/09\/biden-justice-lgbtq-lesbian-gay-christian-college-university-bostock-equality-act\/\">Justice Department says it can defend religious schools\u2019 exemption from anti-LGBTQ discrimination laws<\/a> (Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post): \u201cTo others, including supporters of President Biden, the administration had no other option, since federal civil rights law regarding education \u2014 called Title IX \u2014 exempts religion. They noted the purpose of the department\u2019s filing, which was to block conservative religious groups from becoming parties to the lawsuit, arguing the agency can defend the exemption on its&nbsp;own.\u201d<\/li><\/ul><ul><li>A frank analysis of the dynamics: <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/slate.com\/news-and-politics\/2021\/06\/biden-justice-department-lgbtq-discrimination.html\">No, the Biden Administration Isn\u2019t Betraying Its Support for LGBTQ Rights<\/a> (Mark Joseph Stern, Slate): \u201cThe best way to prevent the federal judiciary from adopting CCCU\u2019s extreme stance is to stop the organization from making it before a court in the first place. That is presumably one reason why the Justice Department strongly opposed the group\u2019s request to intervene, insisting on Tuesday that the administration can defend the Title IX exemption just fine by itself. The DOJ\u2019s latest filing does not imply that the agency is exceedingly enthusiastic about the exemption, but rather that the Biden administration can be trusted to support the law\u2019s legality in&nbsp;court.\u201d<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.jpclett.1c01475\">The Peril of Politicizing Science<\/a> (Anna I. Krylov, The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters): \u201cThe Cold War is a distant memory and the country shown on my birth certificate and school and university diplomas, the USSR, is no longer on the map. But I find myself experiencing its legacy some thousands of miles to the west, as if I am living in an Orwellian twilight zone. I witness ever-increasing attempts to subject science and education to ideological control and censorship. Just as in Soviet times, the censorship is being justified by the greater good.\u201d The author is a professor of chemistry at&nbsp;USC.<\/li><li>Some Stanford news:<ul><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jweekly.com\/2021\/06\/15\/stanford-therapists-allege-hostile-climate-for-jews-in-the-workplace\/\">Stanford therapists allege \u2018hostile climate\u2019 for Jews in the workplace<\/a> (Gabe Stutman, Jewish News of Northern California): \u201cTwo Jewish mental health professionals at Stanford\u2019s on-campus counseling clinic have filed workplace discrimination complaints after what they call \u2018severe and persistent\u2019 anti-Jewish harassment from colleagues. Dr. Ronald Albucher, a psychiatrist and associate professor in the medical school, and&nbsp;Sheila Levin, a therapist specializing in eating disorders, describe being pressed into joining a \u2018whiteness\u2019 affinity group by staffers with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion program, being told they were \u2018privileged,\u2019 and seeing antisemitic incidents downplayed.\u201d<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scotusblog.com\/2021\/06\/from-the-court-a-vindication-of-faith-based-service-from-alito-a-blueprint-for-the-future\/\">When the medalists aren\u2019t the money-makers<\/a> (Jasmine Kerber, Stanford Daily): \u201cIf athletic directors were rewarded for Olympic sports every bit as much as for football and men\u2019s basketball, you would see different behavior,\u201d Hogshead-Makar said.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Less Serious Things Which Also Interested\/Amused Glen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/arielfitzpatrickofficial\/posts\/231401632130541\">What People Think Reading the Bible Looks Like<\/a> (Ariel Fitz-Patrick, Facebook): thirty amusing seconds. A more serious video addressing similar themes: <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jude3project\/status\/1404879508944179204\">NT prof Esau McCaulley on when Bible passages bother us<\/a> (Twitter): seven and a half minutes<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/kim-jong-un-attends-ivy-league-university-to-learn-new-brainwashing-techniques\/\">Kim Jong Un Attends Ivy League University To Learn New Brainwashing Techniques<\/a> (Babylon Bee)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sSfejgwbDQ8\">Jon Stewart On Vaccine Science And The Wuhan Lab Theory<\/a> (The Late Show, YouTube): seven minutes. Also recommended, the subsequent <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sSfejgwbDQ8\">\u201cThey Are Going To Kill Us All\u201d \u2014 Jon Stewart Declares His Love For Scientists<\/a> (The Late Show, YouTube): four minutes<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j_V6PTcCQCc\">World Taekwondo Demonstration Team Shocks the Judges<\/a> (America\u2019s Got Talent, YouTube): eight jaw-dropping minutes<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jWJfhyJFcog\">Klek Entos SCARES The Judges With Chilling Magic<\/a> (America\u2019s Got Talent, YouTube): six minutes<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sBhzeTuh600\">Modest Is Hottest<\/a> (Brian West, YouTube): two and a half minutes in honor of Father\u2019s Day<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=L0AA6Q8A0eg\">Dad\u2019s Perfect Father\u2019s Day<\/a> (You Betcha, YouTube): three minutes<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Glen Found Interesting A While&nbsp;Ago<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every week I\u2019ll highlight an older link still worth your consideration. This week we have some thoughts about slavery and the Bible \u2013 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bethinking.org\/bible\/does-the-bible-support-slavery\">Does The Bible Support Slavery?<\/a> (a lecture given by the warden of Tyndale House at Cambridge University, the link is to the video with notes) and <a href=\"http:\/\/christianthinktank.com\/qnoslave.html\">Does God Condone Slavery In The Bible? (Part One \u2013 Old Testament)<\/a> and also <a href=\"http:\/\/christianthinktank.com\/qnoslavent.html\">Part Two \u2013 New Testament<\/a> (longer pieces from Glenn Miller at Christian Thinktank). All three are quite helpful. (first shared in <a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2016\/11\/18\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-76\">volume 76<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Why Do You Send This&nbsp;Email?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\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\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Disclaimer<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\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.\n\nAlso, 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 it.\n\nIf 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>some really outstanding articles this&nbsp;week<\/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":"Some really outstanding articles this week - highly recommended!","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":[131,168,160,275,138,135],"class_list":["post-6615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-links","tag-academia","tag-america","tag-how-the-church-is-perceived","tag-pandemic","tag-religious-freedom","tag-stanford"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1IH","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6615","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=6615"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6624,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6615\/revisions\/6624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}