Urban Legends: Preaching

Read this “Pentagon Bible” e-mail that is actually circulating: From today’s USA Today, page 5A, talking about the scene at the Pentagon: “Yet, as he looked up into the back chasm torn into the symbol of the mightiest military in the world,...

A Moment of Silence, or Prayer?

Moments of silence have proliferated in the days following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. One week to the minute after the initial attack in New York, White House officials observed a moment of silence. On Monday, the New York Stock...

The Rhetoric of Terrorism: Pray, Combat Evil

Leaders across the globe have struggled to articulate the nature of Tuesday’s attacks on New York and Washington, D.C. In the 24 hours following the terrorist activity, prominent politicians and newspapers have spoken of the events in decidedly religious terms,...

From “Candid Microphone” to “Spy TV”

What, if anything, is the difference between an old reality show like “Candid Camera” and a new one like “SPY TV”? As the former proves, so-called “reality TV” is nothing new. Allen Funt’s “Candid Microphone”...