September 2008

In discussing an article written By Jonathan Martin, “Boston Kathy” made this comment:

The Obama camp is extremist on the issue of abortion. They miss the point that while many are Pro-Choice…no one is Pro-Abortion. That they would try to politicize and victim of rape is disgusting.

The first half is correct: the Obama camp is extremist (and even that word is too kind) on the abortion issue. The second half is wrong, though. There are lots of people who are not pro-choice, but who are, rather, pro-abortion. I discussed this in an earlier post, for example (A New Media Low: Targeting Trig). Perhaps the biggest pro-abortion group (in every sense of the word), is Planned Parenthood, sarcasticly but aptly refered to as Planned Barrenhood. Planned Parenthood, ostensibly “the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider,” is really more about Profit than Parenthood, as the former is usually the only thing that comes of the organization. Don’t believe me? Look here, here, here here and here, and that’s just for starters.

Note the dollar figures. In 2007, Planned Parenthood earned over $1 billion in revenues. That’s a “b.” In 2006, they recorded a profit of $112 million, with an astounding $336 million of that coming from tax payer funds.  That’s our money they’re using to turn a profit. Some people, like the authors mentioned above, are pro-abortion in at least some cases because the “should-be” aborted would be a burden.  Others, like Planned Parenthood, are pro-abortion because they’re making a killing.  In every sense of the word.

Who do you think would win in a fight between actors Richard Gere and Kirk Cameron? I tend to think Cameron, and I certainly hope his love story movie will prevail over Gere’s at the box office this weekend.

You see, each stars in a new movie, specifically a love story. While Gere has the promotional engine of Hollywood in his corner, Cameron has had the support of Evangelical churches, which gives him a fighting change.

One of the many glowing secular reviews of Gere’s says in “‘Nights in Rodanthe,’ based on another highly adaptable romance novel by Nicholas Sparks (“The Notebook”), we witness a couple of middle-age characters slowly getting a life after denying themselves one for many years.”

As best as I can tell, this is a story of two married adults seeing each other outside of the bonds of their own marriages. So here we apparently have yet another film begging the viewer to root for an inappropriate romance. Meanwhile, in the Dallas Morning News, Kirk Cameron talks about his role in Fireproof, that I previously reviewed. OK, I’ve admitted I’m rooting for Kirk. For whom will you root with your movie ticket dollars?

Here are the foremost social conservative politician’s thoughts are the current financial storm.

“Frankly, I’m disappointed and disgusted with my own Republican party as I watch them attempt to strong-arm a bailout of some of America’s biggest corporations by asking the taxpayers to suck up the staggering results of the hubris, greed, and arrogance of those who sought to make a quick buck by throwing the dice. They lost, but want the rest of us to cover their bets so they won’t be effected in their lavish lifestyles as they figure out how to spend their tens of millions and in some cases, hundreds of millions in bonuses and compensation which was their reward for not only sinking their companies, but basically doing the same to the entire American economy.”

Read the rest here.

The indispensable Christian journal, First Things, has an important piece on the subject. It begins, “Mormonism has been much in the news over the past year. The presidential campaign of Mitt Romney was the principal reason, though there were other causes as well: the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to become the fourth-largest denomination in the United States, for instance, and the prominence of Harry Reid as Senate majority leader. The total number of news articles devoted to the church in the past year more than doubled the previous high, reached during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.”

In another portion, one of the piece’s two authors, Gerald R. McDermott, continues: “Most Christians say Mormonism is not Christian—though their reasons are sometimes awkward.”

Read the rest here.

As a technology junky, Google has long fascinated me.  When they burst on the scene, they had amazing technology and spunk, and that facet continues today.  One of the things that has set them apart corporately is their motto “Do no evil” (see item #6).  Unfortunately for pro-lifers, that philosophy is distorted or ignored to exclude us when it comes to advertising.  While denying the chance to buy targeted advertising to pro-life groups, Google has made a regular practice of selling ads to pro-abortion groups.  Thanks to the yeoman’s effort by the Christian Institute, a cross-denominational pressure group, Google has had to reverse its discriminatory policy and allow the pro-life ads.  You can read more about it here.

As you’ve likely heard by now, John McCain has chosen a running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.  You’ve also likely heard that she has several children, the youngest of which, Trig Palin, has Down’s Syndrome.  Have you heard, though, the new depths to which the main stream media (MSM) have gone to tear down Gov. Palin?  James Taranto has, and he’s not happy:

Fowler uses Palin’s motherhood to disparage her accomplishments, an obvious betrayal of the principle of women’s equality. And although proponents of permissive abortion laws nearly always claim to support not abortion but “a woman’s right to choose,” here we have three of them rebuking Palin for choosing not to abort her baby.

So a woman has the right to choose, as long as she chooses to abort her baby.  Their true colors finally shine.

I just heard about a new book on apologetics, When God Goes to Starbucks. Meanwhile, I am reading a rejoinder to Christopher Hitchens’ God Is Not Great. Written by Christian author Douglas Wilson, the book (which is more of a pamphlet) is called “God Is,” and offers a brief answer to each of Hitchens’ main points.

I bring these book titles up to say, in this age of so-called New Atheists and constant gratuitous broadsides to the historic Christian faith, apologetics appears to be more important than ever.

This quote is from Al Mohler’s blog:

Speaking Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Senator Joe Biden, the Democratic nominee for Vice President, made headlines by stating that he accepts “as a matter of faith” that human life begins at conception, but he would not impose that view on others as a matter of law. Sen. Biden’s statement is similar in form to those offered by other Catholic politicians like former New York Governor Mario Cuomo.

Biden’s remark, which made Mohler think of Cuomo, made me think of another New York politician who thinks likewise. During his bid for President, Rudy Giuliani explained his pro-choice stance to include that he “hated abortion.”

This line of thinking is what the pro-life debaters, such as Stand to Reason’s Gregory Koukl calls, “personally opposed to abortion.” Koukl reminds pro-life spokesmen to follow up these kinds of statements with, “Why are you personally opposed?” Or, “Why do you hate abortion?” Their answer almost invariably is, “Because it takes a life.”

By taking them to the logical end of their position, I have even known some to abandon the “personally opposed” position for the solid ground of “personally opposed and publicly opposed.”

Last week, the Democrat’s Convention contained several notable speeches, including one by Michelle Obama. This week, at the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, there were many speeches worthy of comment. To that end, below is our assessment of the major ones that provided the driving force for the convention, and thus, determined the momentum of the upcoming elections. Our grades are, as is with everyone, mostly subjective.

John McCain: B+

Explanation: His words were Churchillian, his story is heroic, his delivery was a tad lacking and lengthy. He’ll make a great President though. [listen to a speech excerpt].

Sarah Palin: A+

Explanation: She stole the show and single-handedly shifted the momentum of the election. She was feisty but not flashy. She was substantive but not boring [speech excerpt].

Read the rest of this entry »

I just finished watching Governor Sarah Palin give her acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. This woman is phenomenal and gave one of the greatest speeches in American political history. Read the rest of this entry »