I am calling once again for conservatives to reject the Coulterization of politics (read my previous posts on this topic). Ann Coulter brings public discourse to new lows on a regular basis, and Christian conservatives in particular should have no part of it. The latest example appears in an exchange that Coulter had with Elizabeth Edwards (wife of presidential candidate John Edwards) on “Hardball” with Chris Matthews. You can watch a video of the encounter, or you can read the following transcript of the exchange:
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Protesting Paris (and rightfully so)
Kudos to MSNBC reporter Mika Brzezinski who refused to talk about Paris Hilton on a morning news show (watch it here). Her producer repeatedly put the story in front of her as the lead, and each time she refused to report it, choosing instead to tear up the paper on which it was written. Way to go Mika!
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President Supports Kennedy Amnesty Bill
Well, maybe President Bush wouldn’t describe it as the “Kennedy Amnesty” bill, but he did call it “amnesty” yesterday. Talk about a misunderestimated Freudian slip! Here’s the money-line: “You know, I’ve heard all the rhetoric — you’ve heard it, too — about how this is amnesty. Amnesty means that you’ve got to pay a price for having been here illegally, and this bill does that.” Read about the gaffe here.
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The “Oppression†of Ruth Graham
A Washington Post staff writer suggests that Ruth Graham’s life was less than it could have been because she decided to support her husband and his ministry: “The world will never know what else Ruth Graham, who as a wife and mother reared five children and wrote 14 books, could have accomplished had she not been Billy Graham’s ‘helpmeet,’ . . . Being a pastor’s wife, particularly an evangelical Christian pastor’s wife, is one of the hardest jobs there is. Not only are you expected to obey and serve your husband, you’re supposed to like doing so, and on the occasions you don’t, keep quiet about it.” I guess in…
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America at War with Iran?
The Agence France-Presse reports that Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have crossed the border into Iraq: Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces have been spotted by British troops crossing the border into southern Iraq, The Sun tabloid reported on Tuesday.
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Southern Baptists and Elders
Morris Chapman wrote an interesting piece in the Baptist Press last week about the confessional status of the SBC’s doctrinal statement, “The Baptist Faith and Message 2000” (BF&M). His article comes on the heels of the annual meeting of the SBC in San Antonio where Southern Baptists voted to reaffirm the BF&M as a sufficient guide for SBC leaders when they make convention-wide policies (read story). Because Chapman is president of the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), his reflections carry a lot of weight with many Southern Baptists. I’m not going to interact with Chapman’s entire essay, but I do want to comment on a small piece…
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The World’s Ugliest Dog
It’s a rare thing to see something so ugly that you take time to write a blog post about it. But this dog is so ugly that he looks like he fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. The Associated Press reports that the dog’s name is Elwood, and he has just received $1,000 for winning the title of ugliest dog. I think he won that one going away.
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Abortion Orthodoxy
This news is not news to anyone who’s been paying attention. But it is interesting to read a statement like the following in the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times. Melinda Henneberger writes: “Democrats are too unwilling to tolerate dissent on abortion. It is a point of orthodoxy no more open to debate within the party than the ordination of women is in Rome.”
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Dwight McKissic Resigns as Trustee of SWBTS
Sam Hodges of the Dallas Morning News reports that Pastor Dwight McKissic has resigned as a trustee of Southwestern Seminary. Pastor McKissic has released his letter of resignation in which he writes: “My involvement as a trustee has been a huge distraction from my ministry priorities for the past nine months. I’ve devoted too much mental, physical, emotional and even spiritual energy to matters resulting from the aftermath of my chapel sermon. I’ve been distracted and consumed with SBC/SWBTS matters the past nine months in a way that I haven’t been the past 24 years of pastoring an SBC church. It has taken a tremendous toll on my family and…
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Bush Does the Right Thing with Stem Cell Veto
There are many reasons that conservatives have become disenchanted with President George W. Bush. But there is yet one thing to be thankful for. He is standing firm in favor of life. The Associated Press is reporting that he intends to veto legislation that would ease restrictions on federal funding for stem cell research. This veto means that the President will be taking a very unpopular stand, despite the political reality that he doesn’t need to be giving people any other reasons to dislike him. I’m thankful that he’s chosen the right thing over the expedient thing. “Bush to Veto Stem Cell Bill” – Deb Riechmann (Associated Press)