Articles written by Paul Erland

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About me - Paul Erland

I'm a writer living near Nashville, and maybe the only one within a 50-mile radius who's never written a song. Writing fiction is my preference, but journalism provides my daily bread. I'm from the Clark Kent school of journalism - I never carry a pad to take

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Politics, News & Issues > Baseball Are baseball players paid too much?: 1 of 40
Baseball's back again it keeps turning up, like a bad penny (not Brad Penny) or a strain of mutant cicadas that return every spring.USA Today ran a spread last week on baseball salaries, a feature that also turns up every spring and gets readers' blood boiling and puts them in the mood to resent baseball players through anoth... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Death Penalty Assessing the death penalty: 6 of 139
"Most people approve of capital punishment, but most people wouldn't do the hangman's job." - George Orwell (1937).A recent Gallup poll showed a drop in the percentage of Americans that believe in the death penalty. Could it be that we're becoming a kinder and gentler nation?Or could it be that, as our economic fortunes plumm... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Defining Christian faith: 9 of 99
When Jonathan Edwards delivered his famous "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" sermon to the congregants of his church in Northampton (Mass) in 1741, he elaborated on a theme from Deuteronomy: Their foot shall slide in due time. Gazing sternly down from his pulpit, grimly sizing up his flock, Edwards reckoned that the onl... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Gun Control: Does it really matter?: 4 of 38
Everyone is insane in his own way, Mark Twain wrote in a letter to a friend near the end of his life, and at least several times a day we are all temporarily, murderously insane. These moments generally lead to nothing, he said, because the opportunity is seldom at hand at the same moment as the murderous impulse. "This saves... More..
Sports & Recreation > NBA NBA age limit issue: 5 of 41
The foundation - and a flimsy one it is - of the proposition to raise the legal age limit of the NBA to 21 is that both the league and the colleges will be best served by the restriction.The colleges will benefit because the great players that would otherwise be pros will be plying their talents for their dear old schools for... More..
Entertainment > Television (Other) How can people spend so much time watching tv: 5 of 33
With another brutal summer looming here in the South, we all have another reason to stay inside and watch TV. As the average household's viewing time hovers around 16 to 18 hours a day, the question is: Can we ever get enough TV?Let me turn down the sound on my set and attempt to give a well thought-out answer to that.The ans... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Christian Beliefs & Culture Key issues that lead one to doubt Christianity: 4 of 26
Christianity would be OK if it weren't for the Christians.A "Christian" woman of my acquaintance, for example - let's call her Grace - tells me often that she's praying for me: She knows that I drink, and that I never keep the Sabbath. When I point out to her that Jesus himself preferred the company of wine bibbers and whores... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Gender Issues Assessing whether real men cry: 10 of 63
When Brandt Snedeker broke down and cried at the Masters it might have embarrassed some people - he was somewhat shamefaced and apologetic about it himself - but personally, we think it's perfectly all right for grown men to cry. After all, as the book of John tells us, even Jesus wept.There are plenty of things that can brin... More..
Sports & Recreation > College Basketball How March Madness works: 2 of 11
Every year the NCAA Tournament delights millions of basketball fansand infuriates millions of soap-opera viewers, whose favorite daily dramas are preempted by the games. The following is offered as a brief overview of college basketball and its signature tournament, for the non-fan of the game. Basketball was invented when Dr... More..
Sports & Recreation > NBA Why the NBA is not what it used to be: 4 of 19
No, the NBA isn't what it used to be - but who is? Professional basketball has changed, indeed, but whether for better or worse, well, that depends on one's prejudices, of course, and also on one's experience and perspective. Those who decry, for example, the violence in the NBA as alarming and unprecedented should read Terr... More..