By George Ricker (Author’s note: I first wrote this piece in 2001, just after the inauguration of George W. Bush and well before the tragic attacks of September 11th. Although it was never published in any national forum, I did distribute it to a few people via a modest newsletter called “One Voice” that I was …
Why ‘magical thinking’ explains nothing On the last weekend of February, a fishing trip went tragically wrong in the Gulf of Mexico. A boat manned by four friends capsized in rough seas. Three of the four, two of them NFL players, could not be found and are presumed dead. The fourth, 24-year-old Nick Schuyler was …
By George A. Ricker Like most of you, I get lots of unwanted email. Most of the time I simply trash it without ever opening it, a practice that has doubtless caused me to miss a few things but also has made me much less susceptible to the malignant viruses, trojan horses and all the …
The importance of some words in a treaty By George A. Ricker By coincidence, my birthday, May 26, falls on the anniversary of the date in 1797 on which the Treaty of Tripoli was communicated to the United States Senate for its consideration. Treaties are negotiated by the executive branch of our government but must be approved …
Concerning the immoral tunnel vision of the Catholic ChurchBy George A. Ricker You may have read about the incident* but, in case you did not, here are the facts as I understand them. A nine-year-old Brazilian girl had been repeatedly raped by her stepfather and, when she was taken to the doctor complaining of stomach …
It is one of the great debates of our time, the ongoing argument between those who maintain that, ultimately, science and religions are compatible and those who claim they are not. There have been books, blogs, online debates, opinion columns, such as this demurral called “God and Science Don’t Mix” by Lawrence Krauss in a recent Wall Street …
Read more “Irreconcilable differences: the myth of compatibility between science and religions”
By George A. Ricker Here is a press report I would love to see coming from our nation’s capitol on January 20, 2009. (Washington, D.C) President Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th president of the United States of America in a simple inauguration ceremony that was notable for a lack of …
I know this sounds like one of those horrid assignments from a high school English class. “Now students, write a 500-word essay about a body part.” But that is not what this is about. Not at all. Those of you who know me or have read my book, Godless in America, will know that I suffer …
Random thoughts on being human This happened more than half a lifetime ago. The image has stayed with me through the passing decades. I stood on the back porch of my home in South Florida and watched the advance of a thunderstorm moving in from the north. The clouds, massive and ominous, were dark, purpling …
In the November general election, residents of the state of Florida will be asked to vote on an amendment to the state constitution that is billed as the “Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.” The amendment will be on the ballot by virtue of its having acquired more than the necessary 611,009 signatures of registered voters. If …