A moral schizophrenia afflicts our culture on the issue of abortion. There are inconsistencies both in our nation’s laws and in people’s attitudes about the moral status of the unborn. Nevertheless, too many people still seem unable to see the contradictions. A case in point appears in today’s New York Times. Pam Belluck reports on a new study appearing in the The New England Journal of Medicine. A rigorous clinical trial has shown that fetal surgery can help babies with spina bifida to walk and experience fewer neurological problems if operated on before being born rather than afterward. Here’s a summary of the study’s findings:
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Politics and Roman Catholicism
Michael Gerson has a thoughtful column in The Washington Post about Roman Catholicism’s impact on American politics. He writes: “There is certainly a distinctive Catholic teaching on politics – a highly developed and coherent tradition that has influenced many non-Catholics, myself included. Human life and dignity, in this view, are primary. The common good takes precedence over selfish interests. Local institutions – families, churches, unions, religious schools – should be respected, not undermined, by government. The justice of a society is measured by its treatment of the poor and vulnerable. “These distinctive commitments have created tensions with liberal Catholic politicians who elevate autonomy and choice as the highest political values…
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The Social Costs of Pornography
Anthony Bradley has posted a summary of a little book titled, The Social Costs of Pornography: A Statement of Findings and Recommendations. The book is a summary of a 2008 symposium sponsored by the Witherspoon Institute, and here are some of the findings highlighted by Bradley. 1. More people than ever before–children, adolescents, adults–are consuming pornography with powerful effects on them and on the entire society (p. 15).
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Forgiveness
This is a great clip from an old episode of “ER.” It shows the impotency of postmodern/liberal gobbledygook theology. Best line: “I want a real chaplain who believes in a real God and a real hell!… I need answers! And all your questions and uncertainty are making things worse!” (HT: Trevin Wax)
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Lose My Soul
I love this song, and I love this video. It’s a riff on Matthew 16:26, “For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” This text is often mistaken as a verse for greedy rich people. This is a distortion. This text is for everyone. It is for every person who tends to fixate on his idols in place of Christ. It is for all of us—rich or poor, young or old, everyone. We all have hearts that are prone to wander, and this text calls us back to recognize what…
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“Son of God” an Offense to Muslims?
Collin Hansen has an important article in CT on the translation of the phrase “Son of God” in Arabic Bibles. He reports that many Muslims have come to faith in Christ as a result of Arabic Bible translations that avoid the phrase “Son of God.” He also reports that a number of evangelical scholars and missionaries disagree with the aversion towards the ancient Trinitarian moniker (e.g., Jack Collins, Darrell Bock, Vern Poyrthress, and Scott Horrell). I think Robert Yarbrough, however, underscores what is the fundamental difference between Christianity and Islam and on this point. He says,
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Obama Administration Suppresses Abortion Stats
Steven Ertelt reports that the Obama administration is being accused of suppressing U.S. abortion statistics. The CDC normally publishes these figures, but apparently that has changed. Ertelt writes: “The Obama administration’s decision to stop publishing abortion statistics is nothing short of outrageous. Even the rabidly pro-choice Clinton administration allowed the CDC to publish abortion statistics on an annual basis. Perhaps the Obama administration wants to squelch evidence that health care reform increased the abortion rate. Perhaps, seeing the momentum of pro-lifers, they do not want to be blamed if abortion numbers increase. Regardless, research and human knowledge will not advance without access to good and reliable data. As such, the…
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Pickett Speaks Out Against Internet Porn
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Russell Moore in WSJ
Russell Moore has an excellent OP-ED in tomorrow’s Wall Street Journal about the decline of denominations among American Christians. He writes: “More and more Christians choose a church not on the basis of its denomination, but on the basis of more practical matters. Is the nursery easy to find? Do I like the music? Are there support groups for those grappling with addiction? “This trend is a natural extension of the American evangelical experiment. After all, evangelicalism is about the fundamental message of Christianity—the evangel, the gospel, literally the ‘good news’ of God’s kingdom arriving in Jesus Christ—not about denomination building.”
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President Obama Defends His Faith at Prayer Breakfast
Elizabeth Tenety has the full report, but here’s the relevant excerpt in which the President defends his faith against critics who doubt his sincerity. “These past two years they have deepened my faith. My Christian faith then has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years, all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time. We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us, but whether we’re being true to our conscience and true to our God.” Read the rest of Tenety’s coverage here.