Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 18
June 12, 2018
How Legalizing Gay Marriage Also Oppresses Gays
One of the bêtes noires of the hard, hard left is “heteronormativity,” the view that heterosexual relations, marriage, and child-bearing are “normal,” which means that other lifestyles are not. Now some radicals are criticizing homonormativity, in which gays emulate heterosexual “normalcy” by getting married and having children. By this thinking, legalizing gay marriage is also a […]
June 11, 2018
The Suicide’s Question
TV bon vivant Anthony Bourdaine committed suicide last week, just days after fashion mogul Kate Spade did the same. The same week the Center for Disease Control issued a study about suicide, which noted that taking one’s own life is the 10th leading cause of death and that the number of suicides in half of […]
My BBQ Pilgrimage
The week before last I found myself in Texas at the very epicenter of the barbecue world. So I took advantage of that opportunity by undertaking a five-day food pilgrimage. I’ve got to tell you about it, but lest you worry that you will be indulging in mere food porn, I will close by drawing […]
June 8, 2018
Europe Is Neither Secularist, nor Devout
The Pew Research Center has carried out a study of religion in Europe, finding that the picture is far more complicated than had been assumed. The different conclusions drawn from the study are evident in the different news stories that have been written about it. The liberal leaning Religious News Service headline was Europe: Not […]
“Muwaji’s Law” against Child-Killing in Brazil
As we blogged about before, Brazil is attempting to outlaw the practice of some indigenous tribes of killing children whom they think are bad luck–children born of single mothers, babies with blemishes or handicaps, twins, etc. But anthropologists are up in arms trying to block the legislation on the grounds of moral and cultural relativism, […]
June 7, 2018
Nearly Half of Americans Believe Pornography Is “Morally Acceptable”
The annual Values and Belief Survey from Gallup has found that nearly close to half Americans–with more than that in specific demographics–believe that pornography is “morally acceptable.” And for some reason the numbers have jumped significantly higher over last year. Altogether 43% of Americans find pornography to be “morally acceptable.” That’s a 7% jump over the […]
June 6, 2018
Work as Religion
For many people, work is their religion. Their work gives meaning to their lives, establishes their identity, guides their everyday actions, and is the locus for their hope. “What does it mean to have a god?” asks Luther. “A god means that from which we are to expect all good and to which we are […]
But the Disinvited Eagles Always Stood for the National Anthem!
President Trump disinvited the Philadelphia Eagles from the traditional White House reception for SuperBowl champions. The president castigated NFL players for protesting America by taking a knee during the National Anthem. But the Philadelphia Eagles were one of eight NFL teams whose players always stood for the National Anthem! What created the contrary perception is […]
June 5, 2018
Sex Offenders Told Not to Confess Their Sin
Despite the “seal of confession,” priests in the Church of England are being required to notify authorities if a penitent confesses to committing sexual abuse. Therefore, new guidelines have the priest telling the penitent beforehand not to confess anything that the priest might have to reveal! Some churches practice confession and absolution, in which an […]
Religious Objections to Gay Marriage “Are Protected Views”
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Jack Phillips, the Christian baker in Colorado who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex ceremony. The decision turned on specific factors in the case, so it stopped short of definitively resolving the conflict between religious liberty and non-discrimination laws. Nevertheless, some important principles emerged. Notice […]
