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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 9h

(My opinion, your mileage... er, kilometers per liter... may vary!)

Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 9h

But what I notice is that the Evangelical focus on Fundamentalism ("You must believe THIS literal interpretation!") and imminent eschatology sure does seem to run in the same circles as patriarchal white supremacy. So I usually assume religious Fundamentalism is manipulative.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 9h

As a Methodist (and thus a Mainline instead of Evangelical Protestant) I reject both Fundamentalism and the Draper-White hypothesis myself. Since my denomination and myself are fine with a 13.8 gigayear universe and various mechanisms of evolution, I like science and distrust anti-science dogmas.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 9h

I'd trace the Rapture fixation to John Nelson Darby's Dispensationalism in the 1830s and to the Millerite Movement that led to the Great Disappointment on 22 Oct 1844.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 1d

My voidkitty makes me happy (she's my fourth cat and second midnight kitty over the past third of a century).

Black cat perched on a smiling human's back and shoulder; happy little beastie.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 4d

:(

Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 4d

Judge Karin Immergut's experienced view matches my own understanding of our U.S. Constitution.

In turn, the many people who are saying "What gives them the right to limit our power!?" and decrying efforts by our judiciary to make us return to (mostly) following our laws sound a lot like bullies.

Laurence H. Tribe @tribelaw.bsky.social · 4d

“This is a nation of Constitutional law, not martial law. Defendants have made a range of arguments that . . risk blurring the line between civil and military federal power—to the detriment of this nation.” — Trump-appointed U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut (Oct. 4, 2025).

Laurence H. Tribe @tribelaw.bsky.social · 4d

www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/...

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 4d

This is fantastic, in my view!

NPR @npr.org · 4d

Syria is holding parliamentary elections on Sunday for the first time since the fall of the country's longtime autocratic leader, Bashar Assad, who was unseated in a rebel offensive in December.

What to expect as Syria holds first parliamentary elections since Assad's ouster

Syria is holding parliamentary elections on Sunday for the first time since the fall of the country's longtime autocratic leader, Bashar Assad, who was unseated in a rebel offensive in December.

n.pr

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 4d

(In my own view, I am happy with your religion or rejection thereof IF you feed and house people - be it locally, in Gaza, in Sudan, or wherever people need food and shelter - and if you don't spread hate or disease.)

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 4d

As a church-going United Methodist* with a fair number of Jewish friends, and who used to be Baptist long ago, I think this sadly sounds like it fits what I see.

(*UMC Methodists are Mainline Protestants rather than Evangelical Protestants; think "Progressive" and LBGTQIA accepting, if it helps.)

John Scalzi @scalzi.com · 5d

Important line in the story, of the US president: "...[H]is pro-Israel message sometimes appears aimed more at his conservative and evangelical Christian supporters than at American Jews, who he has complained are insufficiently appreciative of his positions on the Middle East."

wapo.st/42q0h5z

Many American Jews sharply critical of Israel on Gaza, Post poll finds

Most Jews say Israel is committing war crimes — and 39 percent say genocide — while often distinguishing between the country and its leadership.

wapo.st

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 7d

(Pretty sure I typed in vitro, not in vivo. But what they did was amazing: modifying and repairing some of Ashanti's marrow to give her an immune system that has lasted a lifetime. She is now 39.)

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 10d

Think what I am saying sounds "far future"? Think again. Here are the current FDA gene therapy and cellular therapy products:
www.fda.gov/vaccines-blo...

Approved Cellular and Gene Therapy Products

Listing of licensed and approved products from the Office of Therapeutic Products (OTP).

www.fda.gov

Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 10d

Astute observation; what they did in 1990 was much harder than to do it in vivo.

But I fear you missed my point:
We must do a better job of discussing this as a society since we HAVE been modifying human genomes for 35 years. And any "eugenics" proponents are just being racist and very outdated.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 12d

4/4
But soldiers and sailors reflect America, too. 😞 IHL protects POWs ☆&☆ civilians, but U.S. media no longer cares.

Here is a discussion of the sort that I heard decades ago. We intended no more My Lai atrocities... but Cheney snd W. brought us Abu Ghraib and Gallagher. 😞
ucmj.us/direct-order...

Direct Order vs Lawful Order: Understanding the Difference

Explore the crucial differences between direct and lawful orders in organizations like the military, and learn the importance of legal and ethical compliance. Understand the need for critical evaluati...

ucmj.us

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 12d

3/4
Note "that I will bear true faith and allegiance to [the Constitution]... and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter."
www.army.mil/values/offic...

www.army.mil

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 12d

2.5 Enlisted Oath
www.army.mil/values/oath....

www.army.mil

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 12d

2/4
Here is the oath that enlisted soldiers take. Note how it says that "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice"; the officer's oath is similar.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 12d

1/4
@tsal.outof.coffee is indeed a veteran. And as they note, soldiers and sailors are only supposed to follow lawful orders.

But then the President and SCOTUS are supposed to uphold the U.S. Constitution, as well. One problem in human societies is how we follow or abuse our laws.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 15d

No, Bluesky.
(Sorry, sorry, had to! ^_^ )

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 15d

Sharing.

Library of Congress @librarycongress.bsky.social · 15d

On this day in 1957, U.S. Army troops escorted the Little Rock Nine to Central High School in Arkansas. Less well known—in August 1958 all the city's high schools were closed for a year to resist integration. Students learned through televised lessons, as shown in these photos.

Photograph shows an African American high school girl being educated via television during the period that the Little Rock schools were closed to avoid integration. September 1958. Thomas O'Halloran, U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Two teachers teaching a class which is being broadcast by KATV 7 television, after high schools were closed to prevent integration, Little Rock, Arkansas. September 1958. Thomas O'Halloran, U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Photograph shows three pajama-clad white girls being educated via television during the period that the Little Rock schools were closed to avoid integration. Thomas O'Halloran, U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 16d

Pay attention. 😞

Kid from the End of Nevada @dalydes.bsky.social · 16d

'Judith Butler is an eminent queer theorist, literary theorist and philosopher, and one of the most famous public intellectuals in the United States.

Butler’s name is also notable for another reason: Butler is proudly and publicly Jewish.

Butler likened their public targeting to the McCarthy era.'

Judith Butler is being targeted by the US government. We must stand up | Joel Swanson

What is happening to Judith Butler – a Jewish intellectual – in the name of fighting ‘antisemitism’ is outrageous

www.theguardian.com

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 19d

Insanity.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/u...

Trump Justice Dept. Closed Investigation Into Tom Homan for Accepting Bag of Cash

www.nytimes.com

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 19d

Heh.
Doubly amusing because - while I dunno about the first - you can look up and see that the rest are accurate.

NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · 19d

TikTok will be co-owned by China and Trump allies, Paramount was sold to a pro-Trump billionaire who's also set to buy Warner Bros, X is owned by an apartheid-bred fascist, WaPo and Meta are owned by Trump-cowering billionaires, and Murdoch owns the Fox empire. Here's why media has a liberal bias.

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 20d

Truth.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · 20d

Disney/ABC have a responsibility to refuse to participate in corruption.

Kimmel must be reinstated. If Disney/ABC agree to this extortion then perhaps creatives + workers should consider collective action to push back. Same w/buying park + cruise tickets if they bow.

People have power. Ask Target

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Old Man Glas @oldmanglas.bsky.social · 24d

Any excuse will do to shoot someone like us, it would seem?

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