Various Current Events

Why Arizona drew a line (NYT)
AZ Rep Grijalva supports sanctioning AZ (IBD)
Mysteries of an immigration law (Steve Chapman)
Arizona’s ugly but necessary immigration law (Jonah Goldberg)
A law Arizona can live with (George Will)
AZ, outpost of contradictions (NYT)
Jeb Bush criticizes immig. law (Politico)
Calls to boycott AZ multiply online (AZR)
OK Rep wants to end birthright citizenship (OK Watchdog)
Donny, we hardly knew ye (Hugh Hewitt)
MSNBC pulls plug on Deutsch (NYT)
MSNBC pulls Donny for critiquing Keith (Newsbusters)
More Americans giving up citizenship (NYT)
USSC to decide if minors have right to violent games (Findlaw)
USSC’s animal cruelty video decision (Findlaw)
United States v Stevens
Church planter fired over “Beer and Bible” (Christian Post)
Happy meal toys the new target (LAT)
Nebraska’s abortion law (Findlaw)
USSC allows Mojave Cross (Christian Post)
Salazar v Buono
FL bill requires ultrasound before abortion (Lifenews)
OK House overrides veto on ultrasound bill (Fox News)
Obama’s remarks on financial reform (Daily Herald)
BSA offers video gaming merit badge (Fox News)
NH retains adultery law (Union Leader)

Wacky Wednesday--We Shouldn’t Reprimand Other People’s Children

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~It’s their problem, not yours.
~Why are you sticking your nose in what doesn’t affect you?
~You don’t have any authority over those children.
~You’re circumventing the proper channels of authority.
~Would you want strangers confronting your kids?
~How often does it work out well?
~It’s an insult to the parents, even when you’re trying to be helpful.

Wacky Wednesday--We Shouldn’t Have The National Day Of Prayer

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Designates non-adherents as political outsiders, even if only for a day. This clearly violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
~The only reason you support this is because you believe in the side that benefits from the ruling. ~The real question is how many people who aren’t in favor of prayer believe that the country as a whole is entitled to have a national day of prayer?
~How would you feel if the President announced a national day of no-praying, a Presidential prayer ban? What about a national day of church attendance, where people are encouraged to go to whatever religious institution they like? Or to not go to any at all?
~You have to learn to think about these things as if you’re not in the group the rule happens to benefit and decide whether it’s truly a fair rule. You have to play referee rather than advocate.
~The reason you are encouraged by this is because you want a soft theocracy, and this seems like a good start. But that’s a particularly religious view.
~The Constitution would allow States to do this on their own, but not the federal government. I thought you believed in Federalism/States’ Rights?
~If you are going to have it, having such a generic one perpetuates the notion that any prayer to any deity is equally acceptable to the one true God.
~Just as Christians and Muslims can’t pray together, really, so we shouldn’t be excited about a NDOP that encourages us all to do so collectively.
~“I can think of no stronger example of government pushing religion on its citizens, willing and unwilling, than having the commander-in-chief urge us all to pray.” -Bonnie Erbe
~How is the world any different if you don’t have it?

Links:

NDOP (Wikipedia)
NDOP confusion (Wash Post)

Bruce Waltke and RTS

Bruce Waltke has resigned from Reformed Theological Seminary over a controversial video of him discussing theistic evolution. For more details, check out the links below.

Links:
Waltke’s open letter from Facebook (Aquila Report)
Waltke/BioLogos joint statement
On the courage of Bruce Waltke (BioLogos)
The video that ended a career (Inside Higher Ed)
The evolution of Bruce Waltke (Science and Religion Today)
RTS first announcement 4/6/10
RTS second announcement 4/11/10
Waltke bio for RTS (Cached)
Evangelical prof resigns over video row (Christian post)
Original video post (removed) (BioLogos)
Controversy update (BioLogos)
Barriers to accepting creation by evolutionary means (Waltke)

Ethics: Is The Principle Of Double Effect Correct?

Causing the death of a human being is sinful. Preventing the death of a human being is virtuous. So, are you morally allowed to risk the death of an unjust assailant (a criminal as opposed to a police officer, for example) in order to protect your own life? In ethics, the standard answer is yes, because you are intending primarily to save a life and not intending primarily to kill the assailant. Thus you must only use as much force as necessary to stop him and may not pursue his death after your own safety has been secured. Although this particular case may seem obvious, there are numerous other applications where this principle is often invoked that are not so obvious. Since this principle (created by St. Thomas Aquinas) is so influential in ethical thinking, I thought it would be useful to explore it and its legitimacy today.

Links:
Doctrine of double effect (Wikipedia)
Principle of double effect (Standford)

Who Should Pay For The Volcano?

So a massive volcanic eruption closes Europe’s airspace for several days, costing the airline industry somewhere in the neighborhood of $2 billion dollars. Individual travelers have also suffered various costs, including hotel stays, meals, lost business or income, and even additional airport parking fees. Given the size and scope of such impacts of a natural disaster, who should be responsible for these costs?

Links:
Who should pay for the volcano disruptions? (BBC Blogs)
Ash chaos, anger over cost grows (BBC)
Air travel disruption after 2010 eruption (Wikipedia)

Various Current Events

Muslims threaten South Park creators (BBC)
AOG head retracts from civility pledge (Christian Post)
FCC and the Internet (NYT)
Lessons of Oklahoma City (Bill Clinton)
Tea Party foes to infiltrate, embarrass (AP)
Evaluation flunks Climate Report (Fox News)
Science Assessment Report (link at bottom) (U East Anglia)
Is “La Raza” “The Race?” (VDare)
Hooking up in decline on campus (CNN)
Less fountain in Fountain Hills? (AZR)
Obama to appeal NDOP ruling (CNS News)
Boulder to hung “energy vampire” homes (Denver Post)
Spirit Air: no reclining seats, charge for carry-on (Sun Sentinel)
Not gay enough, softball team sues (SF Chronicle)
Trinity students protest diplomas (Wash Times)
Indoor tanning addictive (Fox News)
Do 47% really pay no taxes at all? (Findlaw)
Eco-friendly college list developing (USA Today)
Payday lenders lobbying heavily for exemption (USA Today)

Wacky Wednesday--Selfishness Is A Virtue

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~You’re supposed to love your neighbor as you love yourself. If selfishness isn’t a virtue, then what do you call it when you love yourself? How can you possibly love your neighbor if you don’t first understand self-love?
~If you don’t take care of yourself, who will take care of you?
~How much prosperity do we currently enjoy precisely because we have a system designed to channel selfishness into productive motivation?
~A selfish person is fairly reasonable and can be persuaded, as opposed to an ideologue who will be irrationally committed to any project he’s into.
~We must believe it’s good since it’s one of the primary things we use to train children to behave properly.
~If selfishness isn’t a virtue, why are we so hard-wired with it?
~A lot of people would be significantly more useful to society if they simply worried more about themselves instead of intruding into everyone else’s business.
~Some people let themselves get taken advantage of because they aren’t selfish enough, and this often leads them to be overwhelmed with things because they are too nice to simply say, “No.”
~We all need “me-time.”

Wacky Wednesday--Kids Shouldn’t Have Recess

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Unsupervised play doesn’t seem like the sort of thing you need to build schools and hire teachers in order to accomplish.
~Without recess, schools wouldn’t need to spend all that money on play equipment.
~Recess is just like babysitting, and not really that since it’s barely supervised or not at all.
~Can’t kids play on their own?
~Why do you need gym class, after-school sports, and recess?
~Isn’t recess what happens after school?
~Some kids find recess terrifying, especially with fights, bullying, teasing, and other social struggles.
~In problem schools, discipline is a primary issue, but recess is deliberate chaos and a massive disruption to what fragile discipline and order might have already been successfully established that day.

Links:
Recess (Wikipedia)
Is recess necessary? (Wash Post)
AZ Leg considers mandatory recess (AZR)
HB 2408 (Mandator Recess) (AZ Leg.gov)
The value of play part 1, part 2 (Psychology Today)
The serious need for play (pdf) (Scientific American)
No child left out of the dodgeball game? (CNN)
Recess: it’s indispensible! (NAEYC)
Importance of play in child development (Childhood Education)
The right to recess, quotes (Auburn)

Theological Tuesday

~Was Jesus happy?
~What should we do with Jennifer Knapp?
~Does the Bible teach us to “sow seed gifts in faith to reap a harvest?”
~When Jesus tells us to give to anyone who asks, what does He mean?
~What’s a Christian solution to mean people?
~Can a Christian believe in the Bible and evolution?

Ethics: Should A Christian Students’ Club Exclude Gays?

The Christian Legal Society of Hastings Law School has been barred from receiving official status and school benefits because they have a policy prohibiting unrepentant gays from serving in leadership positions. This violates the non-discrimination policy of the college. Oral arguments were just heard in this case today at the Supreme Court, so I thought we could talk about who is right in this case and what the implications might be.

Links:
Oral arguments transcript (pdf) (USSC)
A case of discrimination (NYT)
Freedom of all student groups at stake (Findlaw)
Can a law school stop CLS? (Findlaw)
Can Hastings require CLS to accept gays? (Findlaw)

Are Team Sports Communistic?

In the realm of economics and politics, we have a powerful opposition to anything which looks like communism or socialism, two labels which only political scientists can really distinguish. But when it comes to team sports, we discover that we have strong opposition to anything like pure rampant individualism. People who put themselves or their own performance ahead of the team’s desire to win are viewed with something between disdain to contempt. So if team sports are universally praised as training-grounds for good morals and even citizenship, should it worry us that some of the characteristics of a team sports environment look more like communism than rugged individualism?

Various Current Events

Immigration Bill SB 1070 summary

Did FDR end the Great Depression? (WSJ)

Clean Elections arguments to be heard (AZR)

DeMaree case (Wal-Mart kids pics) update (AZR)

Will Obamacare cut costs pro/con (CS Monitor)

The post-Protestant USSC (Christianity Today)

NDOP declared unconstitutional (CNS News)

Few lawmakers file their own tax returns (The Hill)

Judge allows both faiths for child in custody case (LAT)

Taxpayers pay for State Dept’s liquor (Wash Times)

Town eliminates HS sports b/c budget gap (Boston Globe)

Tea partiers wealthier and more educated (NYT)

Foster mom disqualified for not serving pork (Balt Sun)

SC bill to search parolee or probation w/o warrant (The State)

AOG leader declines civility pledge (Christianity Today)

Jennifer Knapp comes out (Christianity Today)

India outsourcing to US (CS Monitor)

Huckabee causes stir over gay marriage (The Perspective)

Wacky Wednesday--Grace is Stupid

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~What’s wrong with just giving people what they deserve?
~Grace undermines personal responsibility.
~It indebts people unfairly.
~It does not teach people how to solve their own problems.
~It creates dependency.
~If you don’t give everyone equal relief from what they deserve, it becomes disparate treatment.
~Grace must not be so great or else we would be encouraged to sin so that it might abound.
~The soil for growing grace is evil and imperfection, so how can something good grow out of that?
~It’s just a manipulative to get better behavior out of people.
~People abuse it and those who are prone to give it.

Wacky Wednesday--It’s A Sin To Be Angry

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~James 1:20 says the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
~Titus 1:7 says not to have an overseer who is quick to anger.
~Colossians 3:8 says to put aside anger and wrath.
~Ephesians 4:31 says to put away all anger and wrath.
~Galatians 5:20 lists outbursts of anger with other awful sins.
~Is anger part of the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23)
~Have you ever regretted your behavior while angry?
~Have you ever solved a problem by getting angry?
~Does anger help you make better decisions or make you stupider?
~Name someone known for anger and wisdom, effectiveness, love, etc.
~Don’t you have to admit that the things that make you angry are either trivial or else demonstrate that you don’t trust God to be in control?
~Sentence never uttered in a marriage: “Ah, now I know you love me because you are furious with me.”
~Anger is counterproductive in most situations, and usually indicates weakness rather than strength.

Theological Tuesday

~When Jesus tells us to give to anyone who asks, what does He mean?

~What’s a Christian solution to mean people?

~Is God just?

~Does the Bible teach us to “sow seed gifts in faith to reap a harvest?”

Life Tips And Tricks Not Everyone Knows

Last Monday, we had an entire show on different life tips and tricks that other people don’t know. One hour wasn’t nearly enough time to even get through all the ones I had, let alone all the excellent ones you supplied in calling. So, I thought we’d try to finish the subject (for now) again today. What do you know about driving, children, cleaning, shopping, cooking, clothes, travel, computers, or anything else that is useful but not everyone knows? Well, call or email me when you think of it.

Links:
Sometimes the smallest things (NYT)
How to avoid blind spots (Car and Driver)
How to adjust your car mirrors
Tying your laces properly
19 most overlooked tax deductions (MSN Money)
Index for AZ Form 321: Working Poor Tax Credit
Actual list of qualifying charitable organizations

Ethics: Should Guilty People Get A Vigorous Defense?

In our system of law, everyone accused of a crime has a variety of legal entitlements, such as to an attorney, to a jury trial, to not have his own testimony used against him, and to not have all sorts of illegitimate (though possibly accurate) evidence used against him. In sum, he is entitled to a vigorous defense using any means available to secure his acquittal…even if he’s guilty. And if he fails to provide this defense, he can lose his own license to practice law. But this means that many people will go free not because they are innocent, but precisely because a lawyer helped them evade justice. Does this make our society safer? Is such vigorous defense of the guilty even ethical? We’ll talk about it.

Various Current Events

Mixed-gender dorm rooms (LAT)
Coed dorm rooms? (Albert Mohler)
Obama’s new nuclear strategy (Joe Biden)
Mr. Obama’s nuclear policy (NYT)
Obama’s nuclear strategy (NYT)
Nuclear weapons: full disarmament possible? (CS Monitor)
Nuclear fantasies and realities (Steve Chapman)
Obama’s empty nuclear posturing (Commentary0
Suicide bombing very unstrategic (LAT)
War on interns (CS Monitor)
Less baggage, airlines save big (NYT)
Dump truck driver booked on manslaughter (AZR)
Is Ronald McDonald the new Joe Camel? (ABC)
TV more family-friendly? (LAT)
New strategy for abortion in Neb. (ABC)
Need for broadband speed standards (NYT)
TX, MN name April “Abortion Recovery Month” (C Post)
Planned Parenthood and the Girl Scouts (C Post)
TX church gives massive prizes at Easter (C Post)
Social costs of pornography (Witherspoon Institute)
Rep insists no mandate to buy H Care (CNS News)
Are these earthquakes normal? (Fox News)
People think Obamacare covers them now (McClatchy)
47% pay no federal income taxes (Yahoo)
Why is Obamacare unconstitutional? (Examiner)
5 more states join suit against Obamacare (Reuters)
Pastor won’t talk faith in school speech (C Post)
Obama’s generic Easter message (C Post)

Wacky Wednesday--Ipods Are Evil

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Makes you listen to radio less, including AM radio!
~Music is art, which means it does and should take time, lots and lots of time.
~It’s ruined the fine art of making mix tapes, which took hours of intense effort.
~Wearing one is a clear declaration to other people that you love music more than their companionship. “Don’t talk to me, mom, I’m busy listening to my songs!”
~Contributes to the problem of no quiet time.
~The cords get tangled when you try to do a lot of things while wearing one.
~It’s bad for your ears.
~Music should be an immersion experience, not an add-on to something else. Listening to an album should be a thing you do for its own sake.
~The former limited location for listening to these things contributed to a sense that they were special and precious. Listening was a sacred experience.
~You actually might have to work to learn the lyrics so you can sing them elsewhere and become the music maker yourself.
~A little absence makes the ear grow fonder. Do you actually yearn to hear a song on the radio anymore? No, you just download it or listen to it right now.
~Selfishness and instant gratification are not the keystones of a great civilization.

Links:
The trouble with easy listening (LA Times)

Wacky Wednesday--Facebook Is Evil

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Forcefeeds me information I don’t care about
~All the stupid games
~There’s a very good reason you aren’t currently in touch with those people. You don’t want to be in touch with those people.
~How much time does it take?
~The entries most people make are ridiculous.
~The feeling like you need to say something but you don’t really have anything to say should be reserved exclusively to obligatory birthday cards.
~Gossip
~Narcissism
~Makes you have more relationships with people you just shouldn’t, like exes.
~Postings that are false just by their existence. “totally stressed out today. No time at all.” But clearly enough time to post this complaint.
~Stalkers
~Inappropriate content and pictures
~The awkward situation you are put in by having people request to be your friend and you care just enough about them to not want to tell them no, even though you want to tell them no.
~Too much power to hurt people publicly.
~Bullying and abuse.
~How many REAL friends do you have?
~Social competition to be popular.
~I’m not on it often enough to have yet experienced being poked by someone, and I consider that a blessing, quite frankly.
~Multiple invitations to groups, causes, and activities I’ve already ignored.
~It’s the worst television show I ever watched.
~Virtual interaction is not a substitute for real interaction.

Links:

Down with Facebook (Weekly Standard)
Defense of Facebook (Relevant Magazine)
Defense of Facebook and importance of the mundane
Top ten reasons Facebook is evil

Theological Tuesday

~Why does the resurrection matter?
~What does it mean to be a Christian student?
~When Jesus tells us to give to anyone who asks, what does He mean?

Easter—Handel’s “Messiah”

Although it has become more often associated with Christmas, the renowned oratorio “Messiah” by George Frideric Handel was actually in its origin an Easter production. Since yesterday was Easter, I thought it would be neat to go through this masterpiece and explain the Scripture passages on which it is based and enjoy some selections in praise of our Lord and Savior.

Links:
Handel’s Messiah and Easter (Mark Roberts)
Messiah’s Text (Libretto) (Stanford)
Matthew Henry’s commentary on Messiah
Handel’s Messiah (Wikipedia)
Handel’s Messiah for Christmas (Suite 101)
Rediscovering Handel’s Messiah (Deep Cove Crier)

Various Current Events

Persistent offender law in NY struck down (NYT)
Schools reconsider attendance praise (Boston Globe)
Gov’t imposes new fishing restrictions (Boston Globe)
NYC to stop paying poor to behave (NYT)
5-10 MPH cushion may disappear (USA Today)
$ for kidneys wouldn’t lure poor (USA Today)
AZ tax on rich urged to pay for health care (AZR)
Federal judge goes after gun owners (Wash Times)
Restaurants roll out small bites at small prices (USA Today)
AZ towns pitch in to save parks (LA Times)
No Social Security crisis (Findlaw)
Neal McDonough fired for refusing sex scene (Deadline)
No more Spring training in Tucson (AZR)
AZ lawmaker pushes jobless aid for students (AZR)