As of yesterday, the federal government is officially maxed out on the great national credit card. We reached our credit limit of $14.294 trillion. Government accountants think they can keep the bills paid using accounting tricks until August 2. In the meantime, Congress needs to raise the debt ceiling. Otherwise, the government could go into default. Usually, raising the debt ceiling was more or less automatic, like passing resolutions celebrating Flag Day, but this time fiscal conservatives in Congress are… Read more
Bin Laden’s porn stash
May 17, 2011 By Gene Veith
34 Comments
From the New York Times: The enormous cache of computer files taken from Osama bin Laden’s compound contained a considerable quantity of pornographic videos, American officials said on Friday, adding a discordant note to the public image of the Islamist militant who long denounced the West for its lax sexual mores. The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity about classified material, would not say whether there was evidence that Bin Laden or the other men living in the house had… Read more
New movement of the Holy Spirit?
May 16, 2011 By Gene Veith
482 Comments
From a collection of responses to the PCUSA’s decision to remove the celibacy requirement for single pastors. Donald Fortson III observes that “Church history is crystal clear: Homosexual practice has been affirmed nowhere, never, by no one in the history of Christianity.” Adoption of amdendment 10-A is therefore, by definition, anti-catholic. Archpriest Siarhei Hardun from the Orthodox Church of Belarus, an ecumenical observer, said this to the Presbyterians at last year’s convention, which passed the proposal that was recently ratified… Read more
Eye of Newt and Mitt of Romney
May 16, 2011 By Gene Veith
98 Comments
Finally two big-name, legitimate candidates have thrown their hats into the ring, running for the Republican presidential nomination. They are: Newt Gingrich. And Mitt Romney. Those of you whose Christianity shapes your politics, could you vote for either of these guys? Newt has lots of creative conservative ideas, but he has a history of admitted adultery, has been divorced twice, and is on his third marriage. Would you say that character is more important than ideology? And if so, would… Read more
Oklahoma City Thunder
May 16, 2011 By Gene Veith
22 Comments
Oklahoma finally has a professional sports team–the Oklahoma Sooner don’t count–and, within just a few years, it’s in the championship hunt! The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 105-90, to win the seventh game playoff, putting them up against the Dallas Mavericks for the Western Division championship in the NBA. The winner will play the Eastern champion, either the formerly always dominant Chicago Bulls or the superstar team of today the Miami Heat. Wouldn’t it be something if the… Read more
Let us now praise comic books
May 13, 2011 By Gene Veith
122 Comments
Nice article about Stan Lee of Marvel Comics, now 88, whose comic book creations such as Spider Man and now Thor, have gone from cheap pulp paper to the silver screen, making him a rich man: Stan Lee professes no deep and analytical insight into the human soul. “I’m not a psychiatrist,” he begs off. “All I know is, the good superhero movie has got action, suspense, colorful characters, new angles — that’s what people like.” The rangy 88-year-old —… Read more
Top ten signs you’re too afraid of your government
May 13, 2011 By Gene Veith
36 Comments
My brother Jimmy is always a little behind, which means that when he comments on this blog he usually does so after everyone else is tired of the topic and has stopped following the discussion. But he posted a top 10 list on that presidential cell phone thread that is worthy of David Letterman. And even though it is arguably wrong-headed, it is very humorous. So I wanted all of you to see it: Top ten signs that you too… Read more
Reactionary liberalism
May 13, 2011 By Gene Veith
18 Comments
Today’s liberals, George Will argues, are strangely oblivious to history and resistant to change. After giving some examples and examining the apocalyptic objections to Paul Ryan’s plan to cut the deficit, Will says this: The hysteria and hyperbole about Ryan’s plan arise, in part, from a poverty of today’s liberal imagination, an inability to think beyond the straight-line continuation of programs from the second and third quarters of the last century. It is odd that “progressives,” as liberals now wish… Read more
Military chaplains will NOT do gay weddings after all
May 13, 2011 By Gene Veith
6 Comments
We blogged a few days ago about the Navy authorizing chaplains to perform gay marriages in military chapels in states where that is legal. The resulting outcry has led to a cancellation of that policy, at least for now: Navy revokes guidance on same-sex marriages – The Washington Post. Read more
Presbyterians to ordain gays & swinging singles
May 12, 2011 By Gene Veith
199 Comments
The Presbyterian Church (USA) opened the door to ordaining sexually-active gays–as well as other single people who want to be sexually-active outside of marriage–by removing the celibacy requirement for single clergy: After decades of debate, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on Tuesday struck down a barrier to ordaining gays, ratifying a proposal that removes the celibacy requirement for unmarried clergy, in the latest mainline Protestant move toward accepting gay relationships. The change was endorsed last year by the Presbyterian national assembly,… Read more
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