Senator Ted Kennedy died early this morning from brain cancer. He will be remembered as one of the most powerful senators ever to have served, as well as one of the Senate’s most effective orators. He was the third-longest-serving senator in American history. He will also be remembered for his infamous role in a 1969 scandal that came to be known as “Chappaquiddick,” an auto accident that left a young woman dead. Many think that this incident ruined any hope that he might one day be elected president.
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Healthcare Legislation to Fund Abortions
The Associated Press reports that Americans may be getting more than they bargained for from healthcare legislation that is now making its way through Congress. “Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue. . . “Advocates on both sides are preparing for a renewed battle over abortion, which could jeopardize political support for President Barack Obama’s health care initiative aimed at covering nearly 50 million uninsured and restraining medical costs. The dispute could come to a head with House and Senate floor votes on abortion this fall,…
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Keeping the Courts out of the Marriage Debate
Robert George has a must-read opinion piece in today’s Wall Street Journal. He argues that the Supreme Court should stay out of any effort to redefine marriage. The Supreme Court sparked the fire of a culture war in its Roe v. Wade decision, and the court would do so again if they were to issue a decision on marriage. Instead, George argues, the matter should be resolved democratically. He concludes with this: ‘Because marriage has already been deeply wounded, some say that redefining it will do no additional harm. I disagree. We should strengthen, not redefine, marriage. But whatever one’s view, surely it is the people, not the courts, who…
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How Should Christians Feel About Healthcare Reform?
There’s a national debate going-on about healthcare reform, and the battle is at a fever pitch. Today’s The New York Times reports that the President Obama’s proposal is losing support with Americans who fear that reform will cause costs to rise and care to diminish in quality. One item that is not often reported is the way in which reform could affect social policy. There is a group of pro-life Democrats, for instance, who have said they will oppose any bill that requires abortions to be financed by the American taxpayer. Russell Moore had a fascinating discussion on this very topic last week on “The Albert Mohler Program,” and I…
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The War We’d Like To Forget
Ross Douthat calls the Iraq War “The War We’d Like To Forget.” He argues that American opinion on the war is set: “Having spent the better part of the Bush era arguing foreign policy with a fury not seen since Vietnam, Americans have settled on a remarkably durable consensus: It was a mistake. We’re winning. Let’s leave. Each of these beliefs is contestable. But almost nobody — right, left or center — seems to have much interest in debating them.” I think Douthat is right. Americans by and large seem to agree that the war was a mistake. The sad thing is, however, that I suspect that some of those…
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President Carter Takes on the Bible
Former President Jimmy Carter recently revisited his decision to leave the Southern Baptist denomination. In an article for the British Observer, he stated the following: “My decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when th e convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be “subservient” to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service. This was in conflict with my belief – confirmed in the holy…
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Concerns about New Hate Crimes Bill
The Baptist Press reports some disturbing news: ‘The U.S. Senate passed legislation July 16 to expand hate crimes protections to include homosexuals and transgendered people.’ Here’s how the Baptist Press explains the significance of the measure: ‘The measure, combined with existing law, could expose to prosecution Christians and others who proclaim the Bible’s teaching that homosexual behavior and other sexual relations outside marriage are sinful. For example, if a person commits a violent act based on a victim’s “sexual orientation” after hearing biblical teaching on the sinfulness of homosexual behavior, the preacher or teacher could be open to a charge of inducing the person to commit the crime, some foes…
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Healthy Economies Rely on Healthy Marriages
Pope Benedict XVI has some fascinating things to say in his latest encyclical titled Caritas in veritate “Charity in Truth.” A papal encyclical is a general letter to Roman Catholic Christians, and Popes use such letters to teach the church the Christian viewpoint on key issues. The document is 30,472 words, which translates to about 54 pages of single-spaced text. For a good summary, see Francis Beckwith’s piece at the Christianity Today website. Among other things, I found it interesting that the Pope attempted some “public access” arguments in favor of marriage. Much of this letter is taken up with economic issues, and the Pope insists that healthy economic policies…
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AG Holder To Investigate Bush Interrogation Practices
United States Attorney General Eric Holder is contemplating something pretty big. Here’s the scoop from Newsweek: “Four knowledgeable sources tell NEWSWEEK that he is now leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration’s brutal interrogation practices, something the president has been reluctant to do. While no final decision has been made, an announcement could come in a matter of weeks, say these sources, who decline to be identified discussing a sensitive law-enforcement matter. Such a decision would roil the country, would likely plunge Washington into a new round of partisan warfare, and could even imperil Obama’s domestic priorities, including health care and energy reform.”
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John Fund on ‘Why Palin Quit’
John Fund has an interesting OP-ED in today’s Wall Street Journal on “Why Palin Quit.” In a nutshell, he says that the Beltway media have likely gotten it wrong. Fund suggests that there may not have been any political strategery involved in this decision to resign the governorship. The reasons for her departure were uncomplicated. Not only were Palin’s legal bills piling up due to frivolous ethics complaints, but her family was also taking a beating in the press. Fund writes: “Ms. Palin gave birth to a baby with Down’s Syndrome in 2008, and also has a six-year old. Everyone in the family was weary of endless personal attacks, including…