Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 391

First sleep, second sleep

David T. Koyzis points to historical research that shows that people used to sleep differently than we do today.  Instead of sleeping for an 8-hour-or-so block of time, people would sleep three or four hours, wake up for two or three hours, and then sleep again until morning.  It would all take about 12 hours–go [Read More...]

The Lutheran roots of Radical Orthodoxy

Not long ago we posted about the theological and philosophical movement known as Radical Orthodoxy, asking whether Lutherans could have a seat at that table.  Well, in another context, my friend George Strieter put me on to Johann Georg Hamann, a devout Lutheran who was friends with Kant and Hegel but who critiqued their philosophies [Read More...]

A Constitutional convention?

Conservative pundit Mark Levin has written a book entitled  The Liberty Amendments (which debuted at #1 on Amazon) which calls for a Constitutional convention to propose amendments that would rein in the power of the federal government.  (Under Article V of the Constitution,  2/3 of the states could call such a convention.  That would mean [Read More...]

Syria gasses insurgents, so U.S. may attack

Syria’s dictator Bashar al-Hassad has apparently used poison gas against the insurgents rebelling against him.  The London Telegraph is reporting that the United States, along with Great Britain, is preparing a cruise missile attack, possibly to begin this week. Should we intervene militarily in yet another Middle Eastern country? From Navy ready to launch first [Read More...]

Photographers must shoot same-sex weddings

Advocates of gay marriage and even opponents who grudgingly accept its inevitability say that it won’t affect Christians and other people who have moral qualms about homosexuality.  But religious exemptions apparently only apply to churches and not to religious individuals.  It looks like the anti-discrimination laws are going to force individuals and businesses to go [Read More...]

Pope Benedict quit “because God told me to”

More evidence of Luther’s point about Roman Catholics and Protestant “enthusiasts” being basically the same in thinking God speaks to them directly and experientially, apart from His Word: “God told me to do it,” the 86-year-old former pontiff told a friend, six months after his decision to step down shocked the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. [Read More...]

Obama administration defends government-sponsored Christian prayers

The Supreme Court is hearing a case that will decide whether or not it is constitutional for a city council to begin with an explicitly Christian prayer.  Surprisingly to both sides, the Obama administration has filed a brief defending the city council being sued and arguing that the government should not determine the content of [Read More...]

Sexual orientation change vs. gender change

New Jersey has passed a law forbidding counseling or therapy that tries to change a minor’s sexual orientation.  But it specifically allows for counseling or therapy that tries to change a minor’s gender.  Matthew Schmitz sees a contradiction here. From Matthew Schmitz, NJ: No Orientation Change Therapy for Minors—But Gender Change Is Fine » First [Read More...]

Murder by reason of boredom

Three teenagers in Duncan, Oklahoma, shot and killed a college student from Australia just jogging by.  Why?  Because they were bored. This happened not in some big city but in a small Oklahoma town of less than 24,000.  Boring, perhaps (speaking as a product of a small Oklahoma town).  But after the jump we see [Read More...]

The only four nations that allow abortion after viability

The only nations in the world that permit abortion after the fetus is viable are China, North Korea, Canada, and the United States.From Matthew Schmitz (who provides the links) in Only Canada, China, North Korea, and U.S. Allow Abortion After Viability for Any Reason » First Thoughts | A First Things Blog: Carly Fiorina is [Read More...]