Saturday, December 16, 2023

My Year In Books

 

Evidently I am in the top 25% of all Goodreads readers. I forgot to add one book that I'd read early in the year, so I'm actually working on book 48 for the year. 

I finished book 47 today, and started on 48. I'll be doing good to finish - it's almost 16 hours long (though I'm listening at 1.5 speed).

DALE MURPHY [SABR Bio] had the next-longest consecutive games played streak during Cal Ripken's record streak of 2,632 game. Murphy played 740 straight games between 26-Sep-1981 and 08-Jul-1986. Murph’s streak is the 13th longest of all time. He was the youngest player to win consecutive NL Most Valuable Player awards, in 1982-1985 at ages 26 & 27. He played in exactly 162 games in each of four straight seasons, in 1982-1985

Denison: the Satanic Temple placed a statue of the pagan idol Baphomet and other satanic paraphernalia in the Iowa capitol building’s rotunda near the capitol’s annual nativity scene. Governor Kim Reynolds called it “absolutely objectionable” while asking for prayer over the building. Rep. Jon Dunwell pointed out, “I don’t want the state evaluating and making determinations about religions.” Michael Cassidy—who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in Mississippi last year—responded by tearing the idol down yesterday. He’s since been charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief.

Equal representation for satanic groups isn’t really the point they’re trying to make by placing their idol on capitol grounds. As Russell Moore described, “These gaudy goats exist to make a point in the culture war—namely, that public places shouldn’t allow Christmas crèches or Hanukkah menorahs. The devil displays are just a means to an end. It’s not so much about whom the followers love as about whom they hate, which is religious people—especially the kind that would be outraged by a devil in the capitol. Shock and repulsion from religious people aren’t merely unintentional byproducts; they’re the whole point.” When Christians like Cassidy react to such displays with anger and violence rather than prayer or dialogue, we play right into the hands of those who are hoping for just such a response.

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/satanic-display-in-iowa-capitol-torn-down/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Satanic+display+in+Iowa+s+capitol+torn+down&utm_campaign=12-15-23+DA+Condensed+-+Ryan+Denison+-+TITLE

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