While we Americans tend to embrace our “exceptionalism,” people from other countries often see that as a bad thing. Britain’s prominent Christian author N. T. Wright excoriates America for our presumption in the bin Laden assassination: Popular author and New Testament scholar N.T. Wright has accused the world of giving America a free pass for violating Pakistan’s sovereignty and killing an unarmed man during the recent attack that killed Osama bin Laden. The former bishop of Durham sent a short statement… Read more
Navy chaplains & gay marriages
May 10, 2011 By Gene Veith 40 Comments
Chaplains in the navy have been told that they may perform gay marriages in navy chapels, if they are legal in the particular state and if the chaplain is willing to do so: Anticipating the elimination of the military ban on homosexuality, the Office of the Chief of Navy Chaplains has decided that same-sex couples in the Navy will be able to get married in Navy chapels, and that Navy chaplains will be allowed to perform the ceremonies — if… Read more
The mighty Mississippi
May 10, 2011 By Gene Veith 10 Comments
The street in Memphis where the blues were born is underwater, as are many of the towns and cities and farms along the Mississippi river: Waging war against flooding of historic proportions that has already affected thousands of people in eight Midwestern and Southern states, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opened a spillway Monday north of New Orleans in an effort to calm the rising Mississippi River. A crowd gathered near the entrance to the Bonnet Carre spillway to… Read more
This blog’s new title heading
May 9, 2011 By Gene Veith 86 Comments
In the midst of all of the talk about Redeemed Rambling’s critique of the appearance of this blog, the consensus that this blog has a good design really, the addition of Cranach’s seal with its many variations, the minor suggestions that people put forward, and the tweaks that Stewart implemented, commenter Tom Hering–who knows a thing or two about design–was kind enough to design some other possible headings for the title of this blog. I really liked the one with… Read more
Closing a campus ministry because it works?
May 9, 2011 By Gene Veith 66 Comments
University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis is the LCMS campus ministry to the University of Minnesota. It has ministered effectively to generations of college students, quite a few of whom have gone on to seminary and the pastoral ministry due to its influence. My oldest daughter went to the University of Minnesota, and though exposed to some of the worst excesses of left wing postmodernist academia, she graduated battle tested and more firmly grounded in her Christian faith than ever, thanks… Read more
New horizons in taxation
May 9, 2011 By Gene Veith 236 Comments
How do you think this would go over? The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive. The plan is a part of the administration’s Transportation Opportunities Act, an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly. The White House, however, said the bill is only an early draft that was not formally circulated within the… Read more
This is the church, where is the steeple?
May 6, 2011 By Gene Veith 139 Comments
Steeples and bell towers have gone out of fashion for church buildings, reports USA Today. What hurts is the reason: Nationwide, church steeples are taking a beating and the bell tolls for bell towers, too, as these landmarks of faith on the landscape are hard hit by economic, social and religious change. . . . Architects and church planners see today’s new congregations meet in retooled sports arenas or shopping malls or modern buildings designed to appeal to contemporary believers… Read more
Analyzing the Situation Room photo
May 6, 2011 By Gene Veith 68 Comments
We don’t get to see a photograph of Osama bin Laden’s body, but we did get to see a photograph of the President and his team watching the mission go down. It’s quite dramatic to see the expressions on everyone’s faces during this intense moment–the President’s intense stare, the Secretary of State’s hand covering her face (apparently in emotion, though she says now she might have just been coughing due to her allergies). The Washington Post features various experts commenting… Read more
Tweaks to the blog
May 6, 2011 By Gene Veith 44 Comments
In the midst of your fulsome praise of this blog and its design–in response to some silly words from Redeemed Rambling–you DID include a few suggestions. Thanks to Stewart Lundy of Bulldog Media (click the dog in the sidebar for all of your website needs), we have fulfilled your dreams. There is now a “Preview” feature for the comments. The black borders have been lightened to a dark grey, which also seems to make the white appear lest stark, being… Read more
Versions of Cranach’s Seal
May 6, 2011 By Gene Veith 64 Comments
As an update to the post on tweaks to this blog, let me show you some different versions of Cranach’s Seal, as we try to interpret what it means. (I thought it is an image of redemption; Tom Hering suggested it was alchemical symbolism, so I’ve asked Dr. Montgomery; it could also be some kind of conventional heraldry symbolism–someone who knows something about heraldry, please chime in.) Special thanks to Abby for alerting me to the final version here, which is the… Read more
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