The President Acts

In one of his first acts as president, Barack Obama has signed an executive order lifting restrictions on foreign aid to abortions. Another executive order will lift restrictions for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.

I guess he found that deciding when a human being has rights is within his pay grade. It is a shame (although not surprising, considering the political dimensions of this decision) that he decided this one incorrectly. It is insulting that he did this as thousands upon thousands were marching for life in Washington. It is tragic that so many more babes in the womb will die for political expedience.

I wonder about all those Catholics and Evangelicals who voted for this man. Will their consciences bother them? I know all the "social justice" nonsense they presented - Obama will reduce abortions by... (list your favorite social program here). But there is no way around the reality that when you subsidize abortions, you get more abortions.

I just don't understand how one who professes faith in Christ can promote abortion, or support those who promote abortion. I am very sad that so many Catholics and Evangelicals have so little regard for life in the womb.

Old news, but pretty cool....

The Dead Sea Scrolls will be made available on-line. This project will likely take some time, but it will be a boon to scholars and of interest to many who just appreciate antiquities.

Orson Bean explains...

why and how he became a Christian. This is a very amusing article, and after listening to him interviewed on a news show I believe his new book Mail for Mikey would be worth a try. He wondered out loud why he wrote the book. It is about God, so it won't sell in the mainstream stores, and it is rather crude in parts, so it won't sell in Christian book stores. I guess word-of-mouth is his only hope!

Too Busy

Been too busy with other stuff to post regularly. Shame, because much is happening in the world.

Listening to some lectures on the Gospel according to St. John from Reformed Theological Seminary. These are available on-line through i-Tunes, and are a good series of lectures. Being a Calvinist institution, I have perhaps a differing viewpoint regarding some small points, but as I have yet been able to attend seminary, this is as close as I can get to the seminary experience.

The presenter of these lectures, Dr. Knox Chamblin, refers his students to an author of some excellent commentaries. He asks his students not to be put off by the fact that Fr. Raymond Brown is a Catholic. It strikes me as funny in a way, that this is a negative in their eyes, but I went to Amazon straightaway to order. I will report on the book when it arrives.

I did finish The Great Heresies by Belloc - a very interesting book. Lacking in some detail, and showing a strong Rome-ish bias, but interesting nonetheless. He was prescient to a degree, as many of his warnings seem particularly suited for today, even if he did not entirely anticipate the degree or the exact direction in which the world has changed.