Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 355
February 6, 2014
UN panel tells Church to change its teachings
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child has issued a statement directing the Roman Catholic Church to change its teachings on abortion and sexuality. The document, which you can read here, begins by addressing the pedophile scandal–which certainly needs to be addressed–but then it calls for canon law to be changed to [Read More...]
Getting information about a person just by staring
There is a new app that would give anyone access to facial recognition software. Use Google Glasses to look at someone, whereupon you will then tap into that person’s online profiles, social media networks, relationship status, arrest records, and whatever else is online. Right now, Google is not allowing this app for use on its [Read More...]
The next legal obstacle to Obamacare
Under Obamacare, those who don’t have health insurance coverage at work sign up for policies at online “exchanges.” If their income level makes the policies too hard to afford, the government will offer subsidies to make up the difference. There is a problem, though. As the law is written, the subsidies are for people who [Read More...]
February 5, 2014
The good wine
I was struck by something in the Epiphany scripture reading a few Sundays ago, about Christ’s first miracle, turning the water into wine. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of [Read More...]
An actor’s death by heroin
On Monday, a complete stranger came up to me and said, “Hey, you know who you look like?” “No,” I said. “That actor who just died. What was his name?” “Philip Seymour Hoffman.” It never occurred to me that we looked like each other, but maybe we did. I have been lamenting his death–not because [Read More...]
Will Obamacare make us lazy?
According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, Obamacare, when fully implemented, will cost the equivalent of 2.3 million jobs. Not so much from businesses cutting back hiring but because people will not want to work so much. Older people will no longer feel they need to keep working until they can get on Medicare, so [Read More...]
February 4, 2014
The end of cultural Christianity
There was a time, not long ago, when people were just expected to go to church. It was a cultural thing–to be respectable, a fine upstanding member of the community, you went to church. Whether or not you believed it or practiced it or not. The upshot was churches full of nominal Christians. Today, though, [Read More...]
Bob Dylan, Chrysler salesman
So what did you think of Bob Dylan’s Chrysler commercial? There he was, clear voiced, no mumbling, unobscure, voicing over some great Americana imagery. (He doesn’t appear until 47 seconds in.) I’m assuming that he wrote the script. Though it lacks Dylan’s trademark surrealistic imagery, the commercial sounds like him with lines like these: So [Read More...]
“Extreme Religious Liberty Rights”
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act was passed back in 1997. Liberal Democratic Senator from New York Chuck Schumer introduced it, the House passed it unanimously and the Senate voted for it 97-3, and President Bill Clinton signed it into law. But now the Freedom from Religion Foundation is asking the Supreme Court to declare it [Read More...]
February 3, 2014
Are Lutherans boring?
Yet another definitive answer to the question, Why not Lutheranism?, has been written. This one is by Anthony Sacramone and you simply must read all of it. It is both humorous and profound. He says that Lutherans are essentially boring, both in a bad and a good way. He shows why Lutheranism doesn’t show up [Read More...]
