Way back in the 1980s, when this writer was doing the traditional “go-to-college-and-reject-Christianity” thing, a friend was ordained to the Episcopal priesthood. As a good friend would, I attended the newly ordained’s first Sunday at his new parish on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Something he said in his sermon that day has lodged in my memory as a sort of theological Occam’s Razor. It was this simple claim: No other religion has anything like the Incarnation. Forty years later, my friend's sermon leads me to conclude that there are really only two religions in the world: that of the Incarnation and and that which I call, for lack of a better word, “Ignosticism." As I noted, at the time, there was an active spiritual rebellion going on in my heart, so I immediately rejected this idea. When we went out for lunch after that service, we argued about it. It was not the end of our friendship (that came later, for other reasons) but it was the beginning of my return to the Church. The Christian claim that God became man is not repeated anywhere else in humanity's shared religious history. Yes, there are places in world mythology where a divinity has appeared on earth as if human. There are places in world religion where a divinity is banished or condemned to life as a mortal human for a time or to a mortal life leading to a mortal death. There are religions where the divine “inhabits” their clergy or “possesses” the devotees. There are religions in which a divinity mates with a human woman giving rise to a demigod. And there are far more religions in which divinity stands apart from humanity, only sometimes deigning to help or antagonize it. But only Christianity has a God who takes on a human nature; a God who remains infinite spirit while becoming finite flesh and blood. Only the Christian God has entered the world of change and time that we inhabit and passed through it as one of us — while still remaining in the infinite now. This is the Christian difference. My friend was correct.The longer I remain a student of comparative religion, the more truths I can discern in other paths. At the same time, I'm more aware that it is the fatal absence of the Incarnation that makes those paths dead ends. Yes, there is more or less of the truth in each path, but all truth anywhere is the God who said ‘I am the Truth’. If that truth has not incarnated in the flesh for us, it’s only a way-pointer, not the way itself. There is more or less truth in various places, but it’s not, if you will, living up to its vocation. What is true about Islam and Judaism and various forms of paganism is true only insofar as it points you in the right direction. It is not in itself salvific. For salvation you need to meet the truth in the person of Jesus Christ. Forty years later, my friend's sermon leads me to conclude that there are really only two religions in the world: that of the Incarnation and and that which I call, for lack of a better word, “Ignosticism." I don't mean "gnosticism." That word has become too identified with specific historical Christian heresies. "Agnosticism" isn't quite right either.This neologism, “Ignosticism,” means exactly “making a religion of ignorance."The Church says that the son of God, Jesus, the impoverished itinerant preacher from Nazareth, is not only the Divine Incarnation, but also the very logos through whom God the Father created everything that is. Thus, to willfully ignore the Incarnation is to fail to understand anything in its fullness. We can know what things are made of, we can know how they are made and what they do, but, without the fullness of the logos in our worldview, we can never know what things actually are. The meaning of everything is there to be seen, but only if you are willing to see it. This applies not only to other religions but also to the dominant "religion" of our day: scientism. For all of our advances in technology and the mastery over the world they grant us, we seem to be moving farther and farther away from reality. Witness our current inability to come agreement on matters as basic as sexual difference or whether a fetus is alive. The confusion is only likely to worsen as Christianity gets pushed to the side. The God of Abraham has entered time and space as a crying, incontinent baby. When we no longer know that, we can know nothing of any real worth at all.

In the 1978 remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” the great Donald Sutherland (who died yesterday at 88) plays Matthew Bennell, a San Francisco health inspector. He’s a bureaucrat, but one with a sense of humor who never forgets that he, like the restaurant owners he visits, is only human.Bennell’s faith in the system is such that when his colleague Elizabeth (Brooke Adams) starts sensing that the people around them — including her husband, Geoffrey — are changing in disturbing ways, his first impulse is to suggest she see his psychiatrist friend, Dr. David Kibner. Maybe Geoffrey's simply become a Republican, Bennell jokes.Bennell soon comes around to Elizabeth's theory: strange, plant-like aliens are taking over people's bodies and duplicating them; the duplicates then work to assimilate their friends and loved ones. They won't stop until the whole planet is theirs. The original 1958 "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" famously lends itself to dueling interpretations: the all-consuming collective coming for our heroes can represent either Communism or the anti-Communist hysteria of McCarthyism.What's brilliant about Kaufman's update is the way it transplants this creeping conformism to the "free-spirited" milieu of Me-Generation California. When Elizabeth does meet Kibner (at a book release party for his latest pop psychology bestseller), he's comforting another woman who claims her husband is not himself. Kibner comforts her with meaningless therapeutic babble until she reluctantly overcomes her instinctive sense that something is deeply wrong. Perfectly cast as Kibner is Leonard Nimoy. Nimoy brings a little of Spock's inhuman rigidness to the role, although the logic this character adheres to is that of 1970s self-help. Kibner is one of the first in their group to turn and emerges as a major antagonist; it's one of the movie's better jokes that it's difficult to tell the real Kibner from the pod-person duplicate. "There's no need for hate now. Or love," he says toward the end, urging our heroes to succumb. "Don't be trapped by old concepts, Matthew, you're evolving into a new lifeform." For those of us wary of the many ways life in America has been deformed and degraded by the mania for "progress," those are chilling words indeed.

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Since Apple acquired Beats in 2014, Cupertino has taken a long road until it got the core of Beats right. While the music company was a fundamental part of Apple's now-successful music streaming service, we couldn't say the same about its product lineup. For almost a decade, Beats headphones and earbuds were confusing to choose from. Some offered Apple custom audio chips, while others focused on Android. In between, the company would keep updating old headphones and earbuds with special collaborations. Over the past few years, it seems Beats has been cleaning up its lineup to offer its most consistent products to date. With the release of Beats Solo Buds, I think the company has finally achieved that, as it is now delivering a consistent sound throughout its lineup, in addition to fair prices and well-made products. This is our Beats headphones buying guide, which will help you find the best Beats product for your needs at the best price. Beats Solo Buds: Something to begin with Image source: José Adorno for BGR Beats Solo Buds are the latest addition to the Beats lineup. By replacing the 2021 Beats Studio Buds, the company focused on offering a great price point for those looking for affordable earbuds that still sound good. Although they lack some of Beats' signature bass, they last up to 18 hours on a single charge, have a very thin charging case, and offer great features for both Apple and Android devices. All of that for $79.99. Who should get these earbuds: Those looking for affordable earbuds without losing comfort and sound quality with style. Read our Beats Solo Buds review Beats Studio Buds+: The best cost-benefit Image source: José Adorno for BGR Of all Beats earbuds and headphones, Beats Studio Buds+ are my favorite choice. Released in 2023, it improves all the weak features of the first Studio Buds earbuds. It has a cool design, a similar sound quality to the AirPods Pro 2, and costs way less than Apple's premium earbuds. With up to nine hours of listening time (and 36 hours when charging it with the case), it seems these earbuds never let you down. They cost $169.95, but they're often heavily discounted now. Who should get these earbuds: Those looking for a product with AirPods Pro 2-like sound quality but with a different design and more affordable price. Read our Beats Studio Buds+ review Beats Fit Pro: Beats' AirPods Pro competitor Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR One of the oldest products in the Beats lineup, the Beats Fit Pro, was released in 2021. At the time, it was the best alternative for those who found AirPods Pro uncomfortable. It has the same features but more battery and a different fit wing design. Beats Fit Pro is one of the best earbuds available in the market. They cost $199.95 but are usually available for $50 less. Who should get these earbuds: Those looking for the same audio quality as AirPods Pro but with an improved design and comfort. Read our Beats Fit Pro review here Beats Solo 4: Big sound, great comfort Image source: José Adorno for BGR Beats is back on its roots with Beats Solo 4. It offers the new signature Beats sound, which focuses on bass while still delivering clean vocals and rich sound. With up to 50 hours of wireless listening (or endless time with a wired connection), these headphones are similar to what you'd expect from a Beats product but with a way better construction. They're available for $199.99 but are usually found at lower prices. Who should get these headphones: Beats Solo 4 offers big sound at an affordable price; however, it only has passive noise cancellation. Read our Beats Solo 4 review here Beats Studio Pro: Everything you want Image source: José Adorno for BGR As I mentioned before, all of these earbuds and headphones have a similar sound, which I think is great. Consistency is the keyword for this new Beats era. However, what's the difference between all of these products? The perks they offer. With Beats Studio Pro, you'll get ANC, Transparency, Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head-Tracking, and Profile Modes for different moments, such as playing a game, watching a movie, or listening to your favorite song. These headphones are all about the details and great battery life. They're available for $349.99 but are usually found at lower prices. Who should get these headphones: Beats Studio Pro offers the ultimate Beats experience with every key feature you might desire. It has some functions that even AirPods Max lacks—and it costs way more. Read our Beats Studio Pro review here Beats headphones buying guide wrap-up These are the main Beats headphones and earbuds you should be looking for with this buying guide. After testing all these products, I assure you you won't be disappointed with your choices. The Los Angeles company is embarking on a new era of audio products with improved sound quality and even more perks for both Android and iOS users. Don't Miss: Beats Solo Buds review: Music on, frills gone The post Beats now has its best headphones lineup ever: How to pick the perfect model for you appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Best laptop deals for 2024 Today’s deals: $30 Thermacell mosquito repeller, $189 AirPods Pro, free LED smart bulb, $349 Dyson, more Today’s deals: $3 smart plugs, $299 Apple Watch S9, $38 bug zapper, $700 off Samsung G9 monitor, more Today’s deals: $30 Echo Dot, $22 mini power bank, $629 Weber Spirit grill, $130 Beats Solo 3, more

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