Leftover books from 2010

Books & Movies
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So many books cross my desk during the course of a year. Some are review copies send by the publisher, others that pique my interest are purchased outright. I read when I can, but inevitably what happens is the stack of unread books grows by the month.

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Saturday Sermon: “Grace”

Poetry & Fiction
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Bless me, O Lord, and these your gifts, your emissaries: bacillus, yeast, and virus, protozoa and metazoa—all who receive me as their gift. I thank you for this, our Holy Commensalism.

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Protesting Westboro Baptist Church with poetry

Todd's Blog
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This post is a first. In the 2+ years of Not About Religion’s existence, Westboro Baptist Church has never been mentioned in our pages. No Fred Phelps; no “God Hates [Fags, Fag Enablers, America, Israel, Your Tears, etc]” signs. You couldn’t find it here. Seriously, we had better things to do. Phelps and his posse [...]

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“We either live together, or die together”

Todd's Blog
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News from the Middle East, involving Christian/Muslim relations, is rarely positive. Surely there is good news to report, but we hardly ever hear it. So when I read about the Christian and Muslim solidarity displayed in Egypt on Christmas eve, I couldn’t help but become overwhelmed with positive emotion.

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A list of 2010 religion year-end lists

Todd's Blog
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Happy 2011 religionistas! With 2010 still fresh in our memories, it’s time for writers and bloggers to whip out their favorite perennial posts: the year-end list. I never cared for writing year-end lists myself. Luckily, everyone else put one together so I don’t have to.

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Evil Santa: My first Christmas memory

Todd's Blog
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It’s not easy for a 6-year-old Jehovah’s Witness at Christmas.

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Bowie and Bing: A Christmas miracle

Todd's Blog
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Of all the Christmas miracles bestowed upon mankind, perhaps none has showcased the sheer majesty of divine power more than when David Bowie and Bing Crosby came together for one fateful night to perform the best, and most unlikely, Christmas duet of the last 2000 years.

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Saturday Sermon: MLK preaches peace on Christmas

Features & Essays
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. first delivered A Christmas Sermon on Peace on Christmas eve 1967, a few months before his violent death.

As relevant now as it was 43 years ago, here are excerpts from the simple yet profoundly moving address.

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7 minus 4: good things about the holiday season

Features & Essays
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Seven good things. Four bad things.

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Tony Blair vs. Christopher Hitchens

Todd's Blog
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I personally disagree with a lot that Christopher Hitchens has to say on the subject of religion. But I don’t care what faith you belong to or don’t belong to. You’re not human if you don’t respect the uber-atheist’s intelligence, sharp wit, and biting sense of humor. I’m pretty sure God himself is a big fan.

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Always light from left to right

Todd's Blog
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Last year, the kids and I decided to celebrate Hanukkah for the first time. We thought it would be fun. We’re not Jewish, but then again we’re not necessarily Christian and we celebrate Christmas.

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