Two things have come across my desk recently, that I find disturbing. First, something called the "Manhattan Declaration" (Subtitled, A Call of Christian Conscience). It affirms three truths, and I'm sure you already know what two are: "sanctity of human life" and "dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife". The third is, well, strange, to say the least, given the first two: "the rights of conscience and religious liberty." I guess they must not mean the rights of conscience for women, or the rights of religious liberty for people (like me) who think that God dignifies the marriage of two men, or two women.

Jerry Falwell died today. The progressive religious blogosphere is full of Christian kindness.

I've been a reader of The Nation on and off over the past 20 years or so. I've subscribed several times. These days, I pick it up once a month or so at newstands to read it (because I can't keep up with it weekly.) I picked up this week's Nation, and Alexander Cockburn had a column, called “Is Global Warming a Sin?” It was such an atrocious article, I felt I needed to write a letter to them.

Here's my letter: