Grammar Guerilla: Begging Versus Raising The Question

Guerilla-Gorilla

Almost without fail today, whether on a media news program, in print, or in causal discussion, when one hears or reads the phrase “begs the question” (or some variant) it is used to mean, raises the question. On its face this might seem an odd thing since raises is hardly an obscure or antiquated verb. Continue reading →

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

You’re all romantics. Not in the Charlotte Bronte sense but in that when you read biblical stories you imagine yourselves as Daniel not the gamekeeper. You’re Lawrence ruling the desert while astride a majestic white charge not a faceless Arab extra on . . . Continue reading →

Strangers And Aliens (17a): As It Was In The Days Of Noah (1 Peter 3:18–22)

18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19in whom he went and proclaimed to the spirits in . . . Continue reading →

10 Million Americans

Americans and Republicans, remember: You asked for this. Given the choice between a dozen solid conservatives and one Clinton-supporting con artist and game-show host, you chose the con artist. You chose him freely. Nobody made you do it. —Kevin Williamson

I Have Not Seen Miracles Here: Between Pentecost And The Parousia

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were . . . Continue reading →