Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 321
June 26, 2014
Natural Law reconsidered
Natural law as a grounding for morality is basic to Roman Catholic ethics, though it is variously embraced or rejected by Protestants. As contemporary society tries to normalize sexual behavior long considered not just immoral but unnatural, natural law ethics have come back into vogue among those who insist that sexual morality is not [Read More...]
The liberal way of being pro-family
Conservatives claim to be pro-family. But liberals too are wrapping themselves in the family cause. But whereas conservatives are thinking about moral and cultural issues, liberals want government policies. One cause is providing child-care, so that someone can watch the kids while the parents work. Now President Obama is calling for paid family leave, whether [Read More...]
Supremes rule for cell phone privacy
The Obama administration and the state of California argued that law enforcement officials should be able to go through the information on a person’s cell phone, which they argued was no different from asking someone to turn out his pockets. But the Supreme Court, striking a blow for privacy in 21st century technology, ruled–unanimously, no [Read More...]
June 25, 2014
Freedom vs. slavery
In church last Sunday, Pastor Douthwaite’s sermon dealt with the question St. Paul raises, Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? (Romans 6:12-23). In doing so, he explored the paradox that much of what the world calls freedom, the Bible calls slavery. From Rev. James Douthwaite, St. Athanasius Lutheran [Read More...]
Divorce statistics are greatly exaggerated
It’s often said that 50% of marriages end in divorce. A new book says that the real number is between 20% and 25%. For churchgoers, the rate is somewhere in the single digits or teens. The author of The Good News about Marriage, Shaunti Feldhahn, says that hopelessness–which is nurtured by the discouraging but wrong [Read More...]
Cover-up at the IRS?
The investigation into allegations that the IRS illegally targeted conservative political groups subpoenaed e-mails from key officials. Now the IRS is saying those e-mails are gone. And that the back-up tapes have been erased. And that the key hard-drive has unaccountably been destroyed. Also the main IRS official involved has plead the 5th and has [Read More...]
June 24, 2014
Sudanese Christian woman re-arrested
Meriam Ibrahim, whom a judge released after overruling her death sentence for being a Christian, was arrested again as she tried to leave Sudan. From Sudanese Christian woman arrested again, legal team says – CNN.com: (CNN) — A Sudanese Christian woman who’d been sentenced to die for refusing to renounce her faith — and then [Read More...]
Making Christianity strange again
Russell Moore thinks the persecution of Christians around the world might bring American Christianity back to life. Tagline to his post: “Christianity in this country is big, powerful, and familiar. We need it to become strange again.” From Russell D. Moore, Could the Persecuted Church Rescue American Christianity? | OnFaith. We have grown accustomed to [Read More...]
Preventing Christian groups from hiring only Christians
In what could be yet another attempt to secularize religious groups that work with the government, the Obama administration is getting lots of pressure to require that religious organizations that take federal funds not be allowed to discriminate according to religion when it comes to hiring. That would mean Catholic or evangelical charities operating under [Read More...]
The fourth branch of our government
Law Professor Jonathan Turley discusses how the Patent and Trademark office rescinded the trademark for the Washington Redskins on the grounds that the name disparages Native Americans. This is one example, he says, of a larger trend of federal agencies that originally had a narrow focus using their power to enforce social and political policies. [Read More...]
