Craig Biddle's Articles
Philosophy
Religion would be a Hoot—if...
Craig Biddle October 5, 2006
If religion were not so damn deadly, it would just be funny. Get this. Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khameini decrees: Don't masturbate during Ramadan. Don't gamble on horse races—unless you're a jockey. You may drink water while standing. Wear foot coverings while harvesting. Don't take part in meetings with…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Speaking in (and of) Tongues
Craig Biddle October 4, 2006
This from MEMRI: Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abd Al-'Aziz: We Will Cut Off Tongues of Those Who Try to Distort Islam With Reform and Progress—They Are Serving the West. "My brothers, the danger is even greater. Even those people have become tools in the hands of the…
Politics & Rights
Frist and Company Urge Compromise with the Taliban
Craig Biddle October 4, 2006
This is a brain on conservatism. QALAT, Afghanistan—U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said Monday that the war against Taliban guerrillas in Afghanistan could never be won militarily, and he urged support for efforts to bring "people who call themselves Taliban" into the government. Frist said he learned from…
Politics & Rights
English Fairy Tales and Persian Nightmares
Craig Biddle October 4, 2006
This one-minute video is worth watching. Note the fervor not only of Ahmadinejad but also of the crowd chanting "Death to America." Lovely people. (Hat Tip to Boaz Arad)
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Why Our (Long-Overdue) Retaliation Against Iran Should Include Bombing Mosques and Madrassahs
Craig Biddle September 19, 2006
America is not being attacked by bombs or hijacked airplanes or government buildings or military installations. We are being attacked by people—specifically, by Islamists: people who believe the Koran is true, take its precepts seriously, and thus actively seek the submission or destruction of non-believers. Where are Islamists being produced?…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
A Foreign Policy of Nihilism?
Craig Biddle September 18, 2006
I hesitate to post on this story because its veracity is, as of yet, uncertain; but I cannot resist because, if it is true, it means that our foreign policy is not only altruistic but also, at least partly, nihilistic. KABUL, Afghanistan—The U.S. military said Wednesday it is looking…
Politics & Rights
Military 'Solutions' Don't Work; Try Suicide!
Craig Biddle September 12, 2006
Having observed the various unprincipled positions, non-positions, and evasions of conservatives, liberals, and in-betweenies regarding what to do about Iran, I was surprised this morning to discover a proposal even more boldly suicidal than any yet offered. This from Nicholas Kristof at the New York Times: Iran could be persuaded…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
A Video from Memri on the Arab and Iranian Reaction to 9/11
Craig Biddle September 11, 2006
This video from Memri is a vivid reminder of how genuinely evil the Islamists are. (As you watch it, bear in mind that, while some religionists are less dedicated than others to their respective creeds, all religions call for acceptance of ideas in the absence of evidence, obedience to a…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Relativism and Religion vs. the Lives of Americans
Craig Biddle September 7, 2006
With the anniversary of 9/11 approaching, here are a few facts worth circulating: That over 6,000 Americans have been killed by or in pursuit of Islamic terrorists since September 2001—and that we still have not even attacked, let alone destroyed, the regimes most responsible for their deaths—is a consequence of…
Philosophy
Jesus on Family Values and Self-Love
Craig Biddle September 2, 2006
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26) Offer this as "grace" at a dinner table full of Christians. It makes for interesting conversation.
Arts & Culture
Stop!
Craig Biddle September 2, 2006
Don't do it. There's no need to purchase that expensive Jackson Pollock painting. You can make your own for free—and it will be just as good.
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
How to Solve America's Terrorism Problem in 5 Easy Steps
Craig Biddle August 31, 2006
[caption id="attachment_7131" align="alignright" width="261"] 911[/caption] Here is how America could solve her terrorism problem in 5 easy steps: Stop sacrificing American soldiers to bring "freedom" to savages in Iraq. Pull our soldiers out of that hellhole, and let the savages have their civil war. (Iraq is not and never was…
Announcements
From the Editor, Fall 2006
Craig Biddle August 20, 2006
Craig Biddle introduces the Fall 2006 issue.
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Hezbollah Murders 56 Lebanese, Including 34 Children
Craig Biddle July 31, 2006
When the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing over 200,000 people, those people were murdered by imperial Japan. Likewise, when Israel bombs a Hezbollah-infested village in Lebanon, killing 56 people, those people are murdered by Hezbollah. In circumstances such as these, there is a difference between the…
Philosophy, Science & Technology
Reason Delivers Again
Craig Biddle July 16, 2006
Here are two welcome reports from Medical News Today: Blood Test Predicts Detects Lung Cancer Years Before CT Scan 16 Jul 2006 A new blood test is able to correctly predict non-small-cell lung cancer in patients years before any CT scan can detect it, say researchers from the University of…