Josh Brahm, Director of Education and Public Relations for Right To Life of Central California, writes an articulate and extremely well-researched and documented post entitled 9 Things the Media Messed Up About the Obama Stem Cell Story. Regardless of how well read you are on the embryonic stem cell debate, I think you will find Brahm's treatment to be accessible and informative. Here are the 9 Things: 1. Omitting the importance of Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cells 2. Omitting that the diseases everyone is talking about curing (diabetes, Parkinson's, paralysis) have already been treated … [Read more...] about 9 Things the Media Messed Up About the Obama Stem Cell Story
Culture
Time Magazine: New Calvinism is Changing The World
According to Time Magazine's latest cover story, ten ideas changing the world right now are: 1. Jobs Are the New Assets 2. Recycling the Suburbs 3. The New Calvinism 4. Reinstating the Interstate 5. Amortality 6. Africa, Business Destination 7. The Rent-a-Country 8. Biobanks 9. Survival Store 10. Ecological Intelligence Yep, #3 jumps out. At least I didn't see that coming. The write-up is pretty fair (particularly for secular media). John Piper, Mark Driscoll, Albert Mohler, Collin Hansen, and Between Two Worlds are all mentioned. If you're curious about this phenomenon, Hansen's book is a … [Read more...] about Time Magazine: New Calvinism is Changing The World
Obama’s Science Fiction on Stem-Cells
Charles Krauthammer, from an entirely secular perspective, dismantles President Obama's stem cell executive order:I am not religious. I do not believe that personhood is conferred upon conception. But I also do not believe that a human embryo is the moral equivalent of a hangnail and deserves no more respect than an appendix. Moreover, given the protean power of embryonic manipulation, the temptation it presents to science and the well-recorded human propensity for evil even in the pursuit of good, lines must be drawn. I suggested the bright line prohibiting the deliberate creation of human … [Read more...] about Obama’s Science Fiction on Stem-Cells
2008 Survey Finds Americans Becoming Less Christian
I first heard this on Christian radio this morning, but I see that CNN now has a lead story on it. The American Religious Identification Survey 2008 results are out: adherents to Christianity are diminishing, losing ground not to another faith system as much as a rejection of all forms of organized religion. While the non-denominational Christian identity has been trending upward (particularly since 2001), the losses among historic Mainline churches and denominations has been more pronounced. In 1990, 86% of American adults identified as Christians while only 76% do so in 2008. … [Read more...] about 2008 Survey Finds Americans Becoming Less Christian
Female High School Wrestler Makes State Championship
Elissa Reinsma became the first female to compete in the Minnesota state high school wrestling tournament. To which you should say: How bizarre. What on earth is a girl doing in a wrestling match with a guy? How can I guy competitively wrestle a girl and not (a) wrestle with a handicap, for fear of touching her in certain places; or conversely (b) fascinate about dominating her physically if not sexually; or (c) provide entertainment to young men who will fascinate along the lines of (b). John Piper offers a razor-sharp reflection:Get real, dads. You know exactly what almost every healthy … [Read more...] about Female High School Wrestler Makes State Championship
Pastor Fred Winters Killed In Pulpit
The Reverend Dr. Fred Winters, senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Maryville, IL, was shot and killed this morning during the 8:15 service. Apparently, an unidentified man walked up the center aisle and exchanged words with the pastor before opening fire with a .45 caliber gun. According to Illinois State Police director Larry Trent, Winters used his Bible to deflect three of the bullets. A fourth bullet hit Winters in the chest. The assailant's gun jammed, at which point several parishioners tackled him. The assailant had a knife, resulting in several injuries, including a serious … [Read more...] about Pastor Fred Winters Killed In Pulpit