Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 316
July 18, 2014
Civilian airliner shot down over Ukraine
A Malaysia Airline Boeing 777 was shot down over the Ukraine, killing 298 passengers and crew. Most were Dutch and Australian. As many as 23 may have been Americans. [UPDATE: Only one American has been identified.] The plane was reportedly brought down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile, and pro-Russian separatists are being blamed. From Missile [Read More...]
Israel invades Gaza
With Hamas refusing a ceasefire after its rocket attacks on Israel were met by air attacks, Israeli ground forces have launched an invasion of Gaza. From Israel launches ground invasion of Gaza – The Washington Post: Israeli forces, backed by artillery shells and airstrikes, launched a major ground offensive into Gaza late Thursday, marking a [Read More...]
Senate fails to nullify Hobby Lobby ruling
As we blogged about, Democrats in the Senate, which they control, fast-tracked a bill that would nullify the Supreme Court’s ruling that Hobby Lobby and other privately-held companies could opt out of the Obamacare contraception mandate by citing their religious objections to abortifacients. The bill would prevent the Religious Freedom Restoration Act from applying in [Read More...]
July 17, 2014
Was Luther a Calvinist?
Short answer: NO! But Calvinists often claim him for their own. Douglas Sweeney,Trinity Evangelical Seminary church historian, takes up this question at the Gospel Coalition site, showing where Luther and Lutherans stand vis a vis the Five Points of Calvinism. It’s a good discussion. Prof. Sweeney stresses that the controversy between Calvinism and Arminianism, according [Read More...]
Targeted political ads
As you will have noticed, internet advertisers are bombarding you with ads tailored just for you, based on your browsing history and the volumes of data that the marketers have put together about you. That technology is finding its way to television. Watch for its use in political advertising. In his last election, Chris Christie’s [Read More...]
Foiling spies by going back to the typewriter
Some German officials have become so paranoid over revelations of NSA surveillance and CIA spying, that they are considering dropping computers for communications and going back to typewriters. They are also playing classical music during meetings to thwart American bugging devices. From Germany’s plan to take on NSA: Block eavesdroppers with classical music, and use [Read More...]
July 16, 2014
When atheists give the invocation
When the Supreme Court recently ruled that prayers from a distinct religion could be offered in public meetings, it allowed for Christian prayers in Jesus’ Name. But the ruling also said that prayers from other religions would also be allowed, including the equivalent from atheists. So now atheists are being invited to preside over [Read More...]
Targeting the taboos against pedophilia & incest
Michael Avramovich writes about efforts in academia, psychiatry, and the law to normalize pedophilia and incest; that is, to make them morally and socially acceptable. From Michael Avramovich, After Homosexual “Marriage”, Are Pedophilia and Incest Acceptance Next? – Mere Comments: I have noticed that there have been some accelerating steps regarding the acceptance of pedophilia, [Read More...]
Are spies manipulating your Facebook polls?
According to new revelations from Edward Snowden, a British spy agency is manipulating online polls, inflates YouTube numbers, directs online traffic, and manipulates the web in other ways for propaganda purposes. From Hacking Online Polls and Other Ways British Spies Seek to Control the Internet – The Intercept: The secretive British spy agency GCHQ has [Read More...]
July 15, 2014
Alexander Hamilton on religion
July 11 was the 210th anniversary of the death of Alexander Hamilton, who was killed in a duel with the sitting vice president Aaron Burr. Hamilton was one of the important founders, having written most of the Federalist Papers, being a key aide to General Washington, and organizing the foundations of the American economy. He [Read More...]
