Stray links

Some stray links to entertain you over the long weekend:

1. Adam Laats notes that the U.S. government employs creationist scientists: Well, duh! Since asking religious questions in an interview violates anti-discrimination laws (you can be sued just for asking), and since belief in evolution doesn’t tell you anything useful…of course creationist scientists can get employed in the government. Just as creationists can become world-class pediatric neurosurgeons!
2. Freddie deBoer urges us to never apologize for being a casual sports fan. His analysis can be applied to interest in science: “I want to endorse the virtues of liking science just as much as you want to and when you want to.”
3. Rod Dreher asks an important question about diversity: “Diversity proponents in journalism constantly say that journalism needs the perspectives that minorities bring to the news business, and on that, they’re right. Black, Hispanic, and Asian reporters are likely to notice things that are opaque to me, because of my racial and cultural background. Why does that insight stop at race, gender, or sexuality, though? It shouldn’t, but it so often does among liberal journalists.”
4. Continuing with the journalism theme, TNC’s observation can also be applied to Christians: “I also knew that the New Republic very much opined on quote-unquote “black issues” very often, in a fashion that struck me to be blunt and completely ill-informed and utterly ignorant. If you want to know the source of some of my motivation, it’s that. It strikes you to be a young person and watch people in general speak about you as though you’re not there … Specifically I’m reacting to … the idea of people having a conversation as though you’re not in the room, with no curiosity about who you are about your humanity. Discussing you as a problem. Disease, an infection.”

Happy 4th of July people!