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"Luke Ford reports all of the 'juicy' quotes, and has been doing it for years." (Marc B. Shapiro)
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) LATEST POSTS:
- Robert Putnam: The Man Who Counted What America Lost
- W. Bradford Wilcox: The Sociologist Who Tells America to Get Married
- Peter Moskos: The Cop Who Talks to People
- Julius Krein
- Ryan Burge: The Numbers Man in the Empty Church
- Emily Oster: The Economist in the Delivery Room
- The Most Ridiculous Story Ever Told
- Tanner Greer
- Economist Tyler Cowen
- Richard Reeves: A Life in Institutions
- Jake Adelstein: The Reporter Who Became His Story
- Jim Goad (1961-2026)
- Moira Greyland
- Robert Oscar Lopez: The Inconvenient Witness
- Two Ledgers: Decoding the Gurus and the Price of Talk
- The Pervert’s Progress: Costin Vlad Alamariu and the Making of Bronze Age Pervert
- Curtis Yarvin: A Life Against Democracy
- Mark Helprin: Against the Current
- Mark Brandt: The Man Who Asked Who Else Is Prejudiced
- John T. Jost: The Psychologist of Acquiescence
BEST POSTS:
- * The Enlightenment Wasn’t Enlightened (6-23-26)
* Mr. Burge Draws The Line (6-23-26)
* 'Improving on Democracy' (6-17-26)
* People Leak To People Who Are Fun (6-11-26)
* Why Does Australia Produce So Many Great Journalists? (6-11-26)
* Steve Wynn and the Press: Power, Litigation, and the Contest Over Las Vegas (6-3-26)
* Sheldon Adelson and the Journalists (6-3-26)
* The Vigilant Animal: Thinkers Who Reject the Myth of Human Gullibility (6-2-26)
* The Cost of Refusing the Misunderstanding Myth (6-2-26)
* Show Me How It Travels (6-2-26)
* The Norm Explainers (6-2-26)
* Centering Marginalized Voices (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Washington Post put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Financial Times put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for the Los Angeles Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for The New York Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* Why Wembanyama Lives on the Perimeter (5-31-26)
* The Emotional Palettes Of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Sacramento (5-27-26)
* The Administrative Capital: Sacramento Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* San Diego - The Quiet Republic (5-27-26)
* The Quiet Bar: San Diego Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* SF v LA Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* Why Talent Travels Poorly Between San Francisco and Los Angeles (5-27-26)
* San Francisco and Los Angeles as Rival Models of Urban Access (5-27-26)
* Social Cliques in New York, 2026 (5-25-26)
* Social Cliques in San Francisco, 2026 (5-25-26)
* The Rival Courts of Washington (5-25-26)
* The City of Private Rooms (5-25-26)
Category Archives: Christianity
Non-Orthodox Judaism Disappearing?
I’ve heard other Orthodox rabbis, such as Berel Wein, say they expected non-Orthodox Judaism to be around for hundreds of years. It would be delusional to think otherwise. Chaim Amalek emails:Isn’t that the case with all liberalizing religions in the … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Conservative Judaism, Modern Orthodox, Orthodoxy, R. Norman Lamm, Reconstructionist Judaism, Reform Judaism
Tagged berel wein, gil student, norman lamm, orthodox judaism, orthodox rabbis, protestant sects, rabbi isaac
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‘Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America-and Found Unexpected Peace’
Instead of going to shul Shabbos morning (I was exhausted, I have a sore and swollen right knee from doing squats in yoga), I stayed home and read a great new book by former Los Angeles Times religion reporter William … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Journalism, Orthodoxy, Religion
Tagged christian journey, clear and present danger, David Berger, orthodox judaism, religion in america, religion reporter, unexpected peace, william lobdell
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The Bad Jew
"Would you carry this?" she asks. We’re outside the Santa Monica Co-Op on Broadway, a few blocks from where I had a passionate one-year fling with a gorgeous shiksa who was ten years my junior, five times more flexible, one-quarter … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Personal
Tagged alexander technique teacher, goyi, kipa, kosher sushi, oy vey, passionate one, shiksa
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Pastor Melissa Scott
Mary emails: Hello Luke, I read your critique of about Melissa Scott. Melissa was so brazen as to give a teaching where she refers to him openly during her lesson, believing it to be so esoteric that only the chosen … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Melissa Scott
Tagged b productions, google images, pastor melissa scott, promises of god, sacred song, trinity broadcast network
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Santa Rampage Did Not Reflect The True Meaning Of Christmas
A friend emails: "Truly, this guy does not understand the meaning of Christmas. Like my aunt said to me last week, "It’s Jesus’s birthday, and we need to remember that.""
Posted in Christianity
Tagged friend emails, jesus, meaning of christmas, santa rampage, true meaning of christmas
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What Can We Learn From Christians?
I’m not sure. Judaism is a very different religion. Orthodox Judaism in particular is a highly demanding way of life. Sure, groups such as the Happy Minyan and Aish HaTorah can make the medicine of fundamental Jewish life go down … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Jews
Tagged Aish HaTorah, gil student, orthodox jews, orthodox judaism, pagan religions, welcome newcomers
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Pastor Tony Alamo Says He’s Jewish
Chaim Amalek emails: Why aren’t you all over this story? LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Since Tony Alamo’s start as a California street preacher more than 40 years ago, the self-styled evangelist’s story has been colorful and checkered. When his … Continue reading
Posted in Abuse, Christianity, Jews, Tony Alamo
Tagged amalek, girls having sex, southwest arkansas, state custody, street preacher, Tony Alamo
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Christian Celibacy
Steve Watters writes: Dennis Prager spoke at Focus on the Family last Friday. One of the points he made was that the emphasis of God’s work on the second day of creation was in separating. He explained that in the … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, Dennis Prager
Tagged christian singleness, christianity today, Dennis Prager, distinctive life, steve watters, vocational commitment
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Three Live Jews Go To Church
Joey Kurtzman wears jeans and sunglasses. Last night at a party, he chatted up novelist Salmon Rushdie. Jeff* drives up in a sportscar to pick us up. Joey climbs in. I try to sit on his lap. There’s no room. … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity
Tagged church of christ in god, floyd h flake, private sector employers, salmon rushdie, subsidiary corporations, wilberforce university
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