(I originally wrote this article during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings but a friend of mine recently asked me about it. While #BelieveWomen is no longer dominating the news cycle, the topic is no less important. I've rewritten parts of it.) You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept … Continue reading #BelieveWomen Versus the Presumption of Innocence
Category: Current Events
Hydroxychloroquine, Gish Gallops, and Ignoring Thesis Statements
by John Ellis I understand that online comment sections often devolve into a form of the Gish gallop, but my cognitive acceptance doesn’t necessarily require my existential acceptance. In fact, my irritation over this phenomenon is one of the variables that drove me from Facebook and will likely drive me from Twitter once this pandemic … Continue reading Hydroxychloroquine, Gish Gallops, and Ignoring Thesis Statements
Christians Should Reject the Latest Pro-Hydroxychloroquine Video
by John Ellis Many of the responses to COVID-19 reveal a confluence of fear driven irrationality, the desire for control, political partisanship outweighing critical thinking, and a worship of personal autonomy. The result is an embrace of conspiracy theories among professing Christians that is as embarrassing as it is stupefying. I’ve attempted to unpack parts … Continue reading Christians Should Reject the Latest Pro-Hydroxychloroquine Video
Coronavirus Vaccine: An Encouraging Update
by John Ellis In late February, and especially into early March, I began following epidemiologists, virologists, and other infectious disease experts on Twitter. Knowing your own limitations is important, and I am quite aware that I do not have the training nor expertise to have a valid opinion about COVID-19. A solution, of course, is … Continue reading Coronavirus Vaccine: An Encouraging Update
Rethinking Mount Rushmore During the National Debate Over Monuments
by John Ellis When I was a kid, my family had a book promoting the national parks. I don’t remember the exact year it was published (I would’ve looked it up, even as a kid), but based on the photos and words that I can still see and read in my mind, the book was … Continue reading Rethinking Mount Rushmore During the National Debate Over Monuments
Systemic Racism Is Exhausting, But Not for Me
by John Ellis With the very first sentence of her powerful book I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness Austin Channing Brown confesses, “White people can be exhausting.” No doubt, the responses from many white people to that short sentence only serve to underscore Brown’s admission. I must admit, I’m not … Continue reading Systemic Racism Is Exhausting, But Not for Me
Christian, Please Wear a Face Mask: Part 1
by John Ellis While his novel The Plague has been studiously read for over half a century, Camus’ prophetic parable has taken on extra resonance these last few months. In the book, the plague haunting the Algerian town of Oren is Camus’ metaphor for his belief that we live in the absurd situation of … Continue reading Christian, Please Wear a Face Mask: Part 1
The Joy and Blessings of Churches Worshiping Corporately Online
by John Ellis My daily social distancing-approved walk takes me past the sprawling athletic complex that houses the baseball fields where my son’s Babe Ruth league plays. Played. Most days my eyes sweep the empty fields as I wonder when my son will again join with his teammates on those fields. Yesterday, though, my gaze … Continue reading The Joy and Blessings of Churches Worshiping Corporately Online
Is Social Distancing a Christ-Like Response to Covid-19?
by John Ellis For the first three decades of my life, my native Floridian father scoffed at tourists, Yankee transplants, and anyone else who took preemptive measures beyond simply boarding up their windows whenever hurricanes would threaten the Panhandle. While in high school, I laughed along with my dad as he mocked the Pensacola Christian … Continue reading Is Social Distancing a Christ-Like Response to Covid-19?
‘Dixie Highway’ and the Lingering Disgrace of Confederate Monuments
by John Ellis In a recent expose, The New York Times calls into question the validity of allowing stretches of roads in Florida to retain the name “Dixie Highway.” The highway system was originally envisioned in the early 20th century as an ambitious project to connect Chicago with Miami. As more states became involved, the … Continue reading ‘Dixie Highway’ and the Lingering Disgrace of Confederate Monuments
