Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 93
March 3, 2017
Trumpism as the new punk rock
A young former-buttoned-down conservative at CPAC (the Conservative Political Action Conference) said that he has moved to the alt.right because it feels like “the new punk rock.” Scott Galupo of The Week discussed this with Daniel Wattenberg, a former punk rocker, now a respectable editor. Wattenberg disassociated punks with the alt.right, but he did see a connection [Read More...]
March 2, 2017
We Lutherans as others see us
I stumbled upon a tab at the Patheos site that is called “Religion Library.” It includes information about a host of religions and Christian denominations and traditions. So I checked out the information for “Lutheran.” For each church category, you can click on topics such as “Sacred Narratives,” “Sacred Time,” “Sacred Space,” “Rites and Ceremonies.” Reading [Read More...]
Why science is sexist and racist
Joy Pullman at the Federalist writes about a doctoral dissertation that maintains that science is inherently sexist and racist. In the study of STEM syllabi, the education graduate student draws this conclusion: Initial exploration of the STEM syllabi in this study did not reveal overt references to gender, such as through the use of gendered pronouns. However, [Read More...]
The presidential President Trump
President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress is being hailed as a “home run.” He came across as presidential. He was eloquent, measured, and reasonable. He also showed a lot of heart, expressing compassion (including for the Muslims who are also victims of ISIS) and giving a touching tribute to the widow of a [Read More...]
March 1, 2017
“Welcome, dear feast of Lent”
“Welcome, dear feast of Lent,” wrote George Herbert in a poem on the subject. Of course, it is not a feast but a fast. But I know what Herbert means. Lent, even when celebrated by fasting, gives us lots to feast upon. I love Lent, which begins today. I get so tired of my constant [Read More...]
Mortification of the flesh
Lent has traditionally been a time to practice “mortification of the flesh.” That’s another concept we don’t hear too much about today. But isn’t that Catholic? An example of that medieval asceticism that the Reformation reacted against? Not at all. Reformation Christians also emphasized mortification. In fact, it’s enshrined in the Lutheran confessions: “We teach [Read More...]
Glitter Ash Wednesday
LGBT-friendly churches are planning to mix glitter with the ashes that are imposed on Ash Wednesday. This “Glitter Ash Wednesday” event is being planned to give “an inclusive message,” showing that LGBT folks can also be Christians. Here is a link to the organizers. So are those who are receiving ashes, along with the glitter, repenting? [Read More...]
February 28, 2017
Discuss Trump’s speech to Congress
This is the place to discuss President Trump’s address to the joint session of Congress. You may comment on the speech as the event unfolds, live-blog style, and also once it’s over. What do you think about his proposals? Photo by Gage Skidmore [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...)], via Wikimedia Co
An online, social media Lenten observance
Tomorrow is the beginning of Lent, a time for reflection and devotion. Christ Lutheran Church (LCMS) of Topeka, KS, has devised an ingenious online, social media observance, built around specific words for each day of Lent. The idea is to post a picture that captures each word, posting it on FaceBook, tagged with @christlcms, or Instagram, [Read More...]
Trump’s “America first” budget
President Trump will submit a budget that he says will put “America first.” Defense spending will jump 10%, a $54 billion increase. That money will come from what we used to spend for foreign aid and from big cut-backs to most other federal agencies. Law enforcement and Veterans’ benefits will also get more money. Trump vowed that [Read More...]
