Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 199
December 9, 2015
The world’s favorite Bible verses
The Bible app You Version has some 200 million users from all over the world. Christianity Today has a story on which verses are the most “bookmarked, shared, highlighted, and listened to” in the 10 countries where You Version is most popular. See which ones they are after the jump. From The World’s Most Popular [Read More...]
Supreme Court clears way for semi-automatic weapons ban
The Supreme Court refused to hear a case contesting a ban on “assault weapons”; that is, semi-automatic weapons that can hold more than ten rounds of ammunition. This will doubtless clear the way for local, state, and national bans of certain types of firearms. From US Supreme Court gives nod to assault weapons ban – [Read More...]
The gift of pain
A 39-year-old woman was born with the inability to feel pain. But this rare syndrome is no super power. A new treatment enabled her to feel pain for the first time. And she was glad. From Woman who has never felt pain experiences it for the first time | New Scientist: A woman born incapable [Read More...]
December 8, 2015
More on the top 25 most influential spiritual classics
The editor of Christian History, Jennifer Woodruff Tait, wrote me about our post on that magazine’s list of the top 25 most influential spiritual classics. She wanted to reply to some of your comments, but got tangled up in World Table (!!!), so I said I’d pass along what she said: Thanks for featuring the [Read More...]
Sexual ethics are part of social justice
Many people, including the Pope, are saying that the church should devote more attention to social justice as opposed to to sexual ethics. First Things editor Matthew Schmitz, a Catholic, reminds us that sexual ethics are part of social justice. From Matthew Schmitz, Social Justice and Sexual Ethics | Matthew Schmitz | First Things: Pope [Read More...]
The four factions of the Republican party
In 2014, think tanker Henry Olsen studied polling and voting data for the last two decades and concluded that the Republican party contains four consistent “faces” (really, factions) that have remained remarkably stable over that time: moderate or liberal voters (25-30%); somewhat conservative voters (35-40%) very conservative, evangelical voters (20%); very conservative, secular voters (5-10%). [Read More...]
December 7, 2015
From non-religious families to ISIS
It turns out that 80% of the French citizens who joined ISIS come from non-religious families. These converts to Islam and jihadism describe it in terms of religious liberation, a putting away of meaningless materialism to find personal meaning and transcendent purpose. Can it be that human beings have an innate need for transcendence, and [Read More...]
Barbie for boys
Mattel is jumping on the fluid gender bandwagon by marketing a Barbie to boys. Not as in boys playing with Barbie as with any other action figure, but targeting boys who are confused about their gender. A new ad features a Barbie with clothes from a high-end designer and the thrilled response of an effeminate [Read More...]
Not just a Hail Mary pass
Football has been good to me lately, with the Sooners making the playoffs, slated to play #1 Clemson in the Orange Bowl. But, as a Packers fan, I still feel exhilarated by the way Green Bay beat Detroit. Down 20 to nothing, they scratched their way back at the very end to within striking distance, [Read More...]
December 4, 2015
How megachurches are doing
Megachurches continue to attract big numbers, but, according to a new study, people aren’t attending as often; the churches are keeping baby boomers but losing Gen-Xers and Millennials; and they are emulating smaller congregations by having smaller sanctuaries with more services and having multiple sites. From Cathy Lynn Grossman, The megachurch boom rolls on, but [Read More...]
