Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 320

The new Caliphate and an Islamic Messiah

Having conquered much of Syria and Iraq, the terrorist army known as ISIS has proclaimed the restoration of the Islamic caliphate.  The group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is the new Caliph, to whom, as the successor of the Prophet Muhammad, all Muslims must submit.   ISIS [Islamic State of Iraq and Syria] has changed its name [Read More...]

More on the Hobby Lobby case

The left is up in arms over the Supreme Court’s decision that allows Christian-owned businesses to opt out of Obamacare’s requirement that they provide free contraception–including possible abortifacients like IUDs and the Morning After Pill–as part of all health insurance plans. The court applied the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to for-profit companies.  So it’s saying [Read More...]

Supremes throw out Obamacare mandate!

From  News from The Associated Press: The Supreme Court says corporations can hold religious objections that allow them to opt out of the new health law requirement that they cover contraceptives for women. The justices’ 5-4 decision Monday is the first time that the high court has ruled that profit-seeking businesses can hold religious views [Read More...]

A bold convert from Islam

Bishoy Armia Boulous converted from Islam to Christianity seven years ago and compounded his offense in the minds of most Egyptians by suing the government to give him a new Christian ID card.  Now he has been arrested–again–as a journalist for reporting on anti-Coptic violence and has been sentenced to 5 years in prison.  Christianity [Read More...]

Trying to stop smoking in the military

The men and women in our military, for various understandable reasons, smoke quite a bit more than the general public.  So our government has been launching campaigns of both persuasion and coercion to make our troops stop using tobacco. Whatever you think of the controversy, you have to appreciate this quotation from a Marine:  ” [Read More...]

Like a diamond in the sky

Astronomers have discovered a white dwarf star–basically, the burnt-out remnant of a star–that basically consists of crystallized carbon.  In other words, diamond.  It’s a diamond the size of the earth.  “Twinkle, twinkle little star. . . .” From Astronomers literally discover diamond in the sky – CSMonitor.com: Scientists have identified what is possibly the coldest [Read More...]

Sudanese Christian taking refuge in U.S. Embassy

An update on Meeriam Ibrahim, the woman sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christianity in Sudan:  After being released on appeal, she had been re-arrested, along with her husband (an American citizen) and presumably their children, for trying to leave the country.  The family was charged with possessing illegal travel documents, the sticking [Read More...]

A Christian case against Natural Law

As we posted earlier, many Christians are approaching moral issues in terms of natural law philosophy in an attempt to make a case before the secular world.  But Orthodoxy theologian David Bentley Hart argues that this is futile, that divine revelation is necessary for any kind of moral clarity.  Read the pro- and the con- [Read More...]

Supremes throw out restrictions on sidewalk counseling

In a major pro-life victory, the Supreme Court overturned laws providing “buffer zones” outside abortion clinics and other restrictions on the sidewalk counseling that attempts to talk women out of aborting their children.  This was yet another unanimous vote.  (The justices, both conservative and liberal, have been finding that the Constitution speaks clearly on at [Read More...]

Supremes reject Obama’s “recess” appointments

The Constitution’s balance of powers is re-asserting itself.  President Obama had been appointing officials that need Senate approval by doing so during holidays when Senators were out of town.  Since the Constitution allows for temporary appointments when the Senate is in recess (back when the Senate was a part time body with long periods between [Read More...]