Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 64
July 18, 2017
Trump’s presidency after six months
President Trump will have been in office for six months, as of January 20, so observers are assessing how he’s doing so far. His popularity is at record lows; the claims of a Russian connection will not die; he hasn’t passed any of his legislative agenda (taxes, the wall, health care, infrastructure). But he has put [Read More...]
The U.S. doctor will go to U.K. for Charlie Gard
If the baby can’t go to the doctor, let the doctor come to the baby. Here is the latest development in the case of Charlie Gard, the baby with a horrendous disease whom British judges won’t allow to come to America for experimental treatment, violating his parents’ wishes, so that he can “die with dignity”: [Read More...]
July 17, 2017
The Reputation of Churches
Studies show that, despite everything, churches still have a good reputation in the United States.
Discrimination in footnotes
Two geographers have written an academic article arguing that scholars should not cite research by so many experts who are “white, male, able-bodied, economically privileged, heterosexual, and cisgendered [meaning someone whose gender identity is the same as the sex they were born with]. To footnote such people contributes to the “system of oppression” known as “heteromasculinism.” [Read More...]
The new Doctor Who is a woman
The latest regeneration of Doctor Who is a woman, played by Jodie Whittaker. The actress is best known for her role as Beth Latimer on Broadchurch (a really good mystery, especially the first season). She played the bereaved mother, co-starring with David Tennant, a former Doctor Who. In the series, the character of the time-and-space traveling [Read More...]
July 14, 2017
The earth will soon be uninhabitable
Within a few decades, according to an article in New York Magazine, global warming will make our planet uninhabitable. Human beings will become extinct due to heat death, the end of food, climate plagues (such as bubonic plague germs thawing out when the icecap melts), unbreathable air, perpetual war, permanent economic collapse, and poisoned oceans. In [Read More...]
Misunderstanding the cultural influence of the Reformation
The cultural influence of the Reformation is getting lots of attention on this 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 Theses. But the topic is often treated with a theological ignorance that is surprising to find in works of scholarship. The Nation has a long article on the subject, quoted and linked after the jump, which is essentially a [Read More...]
OK, try this health care bill
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has released yet another health care bill, designed to pick up support from both conservative and moderate Republicans who opposed the previous version for different reasons. This new plan to replace–or, some say, revise–Obamacare keeps more of that program’s taxes and provides more money for opioid addiction, low-income subsidies, and insurance [Read More...]
July 13, 2017
Reading the language of creation
I’m at the Conference on Classical Lutheran Education in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the theme of which this year is “A Pedagogy of Truth.” Our keynote speaker is Rev. John Hill, who is giving a brilliant series of lectures on the concept of truth according to the Bible (delving deeply into the original languages), the Lutheran Confessions, and Christian theology in [Read More...]
Oregon to force taxpayers to pay for abortion
Oregon is enacting a law that will require all insurance companies to pay for abortions, without a co-pay, and will set aside $10,000,000 in taxpayer money to pay for abortions through Medicaid. From Cullen Herout, Bill Forcing Taxpayers To Sponsor Abortion Is A Human Rights Violation, The Federalist: The state of Oregon is in the process [Read More...]
