Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 142
August 3, 2016
Update on the Zika plague
The Center for Disease Control has issued a travel advisory warning people to stay away from Miami’s Wynwood district, an artsy area where the particular mosquito that carries the Zika virus is resisting efforts at eradication. Fifteen people in the district have come down with Zika, which causes birth-defects in new-born babies. This is the first [Read More...]
August 2, 2016
The Christian case for Trump?
Wayne Grudem is a conservative evangelical theologian who has written an article entitled Why Voting for Donald Trump Is a Morally Good Choice. I excerpt it after the jump, along with some attempts to answer the article. Read both sides. What do you think about the arguments? Can you provide further “answers” to either position? [Read More...]
Patriotism vs. Nationalism
The words “patriotism” and “nationalism” have different meanings. So explains Jonah Goldberg, channeling William F. Buckley. This is in the context of an essay criticizing both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. But, for now, consider these two different ways of loving one’s country. From Jonah Goldberg, Hillary Clinton’s 2016 Democratic Convention Speech: Reintroductions Won’t Work | National [Read More...]
Makers of Planned Parenthood videos cleared of all charges
You will recall how a Texas grand jury investigating whether or not Planned Parenthood was trafficking in fetal tissue, as revealed in some undercover videos, instead indicted the video makers, for trafficking in fetal tissue, since they posed as buyers to the abortionists eager to sell their products. The filmmakers were also charged for using fake [Read More...]
August 1, 2016
He is the priest, He is the Samaritan, He is the robber
A few weeks ago, our pastor (and son-in-law) was preaching about the parable of the Good Samaritan. He developed the idea that this parable gives us a picture of love, which is what the Law looks like in practice. And because Jesus fulfills the law, all acts of righteousness–that is, all acts of love–look like [Read More...]
The Libertarian candidate on religious liberty
Is Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson someone social conservatives could vote for as an alternative to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton? Well, check out what he says about religious liberty, which he describes as a “black hole,” a liberty outside the bounds of his kind of libertarianism. From David French, Donald Trump — Religious Right Shouldn’t [Read More...]
As Republicans veer left, Democrats veer right
At the Republican convention, Donald Trump and company invoked what have traditionally been Democratic themes: quoting dubious statistics about how women earn less than men do; opposing free trade; wanting to regulate capitalism; claiming workers are oppressed; cheering gay rights; promising no more war, etc. The Democratic convention has done the reverse, invoking what are [Read More...]
July 30, 2016
Hillary’s speech
In her acceptance speech, Hillary Clinton sounded a theme of bringing people together–even Republicans–in contrast to the divisiveness of Donald Trump. She contrasted Ronald Reagan’s “morning in America” optimism with Trump’s “midnight in America” gloom. Here is an annotated transcript of her speech. Here is a fact-check. Read a news story about what she said [Read More...]
“A Christian and a Feminist Almost Agree on Stuff”
From Hans Fiene of Lutheran Satire. (HT: Kerner):
July 29, 2016
The plight of religious traditionalists
Rachel Lu has written an important essay for National Review on the plight of religious traditionalists. Donald Trump, she observes, has no interest in religious liberty issues or “fake culture war” causes that traditionalists care about. And Republicans planning a post-Trump party are going the way of “fiscally conservative but socially liberal.” And progressives, of [Read More...]
