Current Events Thursday

Massachusetts flip-flops on Senate vacancies (WSJ)
Peaceful pro-lifer gunned down (Christian Post)
Memorial held for pro-life protester (NYT)
Obama gets it right in Somalia (Investor’s Bus. Daily)
Should gayness be changed? (Christianity Today)
The rights of gay employees (NYT)
60 Minutes softballs Obama on speech (CBS News)
Million maybe at Tea Party (Daily Mail)
Get real on health care (NYT)
Fact-checking the President on health insurance (WSJ)
Mexico’s hopeless drug war (WSJ)
Toy safety law hurts business (WSJ)
Why Hyundai is a hit (WSJ)
Obama and the space program (LA Times)
CA courts shut for a day a month (LA Times)
Walt Whitman’s answer to Joe Wilson (LA Times)
Joe Wilson’s a racist (Maureen Dowd)
New homes near Luke AFB? (AZ Republic)
Policy and sacrifice (Thomas Friedman)
The body count at home (NYT)
Muslims press NYC to close schools on holy days (WSJ)
Health reform and the Constitution (WSJ)
Gov’t health care vs. the elderly (WSJ)
NYC considers outdoor smoking ban (NYT)
Man credited with feeding a billion people dies (Christian Post)
The man who defused the “population bomb” (WSJ)
Teen denied US citizenship over Gardasil refusal (Christian Post)
Darwin film still lacking US distributor (Christian Post)
Acorn runs off the rails (WSJ)
Acorn live! (WSJ)
Solar support in US embarrassingly lacking (NYT)
House rebukes Joe Wilson (NYT)
Rapping Joe’s knuckles (Maureen Dowd)
Carter calls Obama opponents racists (Wash Post)
45% of doctors consider quitting under Obamacare (Investor’s Bus Daily)
1 million sold, no NYT/LAT review for Levin (CNS News)
If sports ruled the world (WSJ)
The stimulus didn’t work (WSJ)
Following trash on its journey (NYT)
Proposed Mormon temple causes dispute (AZ Republic)
Study: spanking bad (CNN)
CA lawmaker targets soda (Yahoo News)
Gays angry about liberation summit (Austr. Herald)
US shelves missile shield in Europe (WSJ)
Public option lite (WSJ)Is golf unethical? (NYT)

Wacky Wednesday--Civility Is Overrated

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.

If you really hate someone, being decent is a form of lying.
Honesty is always better, even if it’s mean honesty.
You should be able to express yourself any way you want to. That’s what people have fought and died to protect in this country.
It’s less effective than being rude.
Humor and negative emotion are extremely powerful persuasive tools.
Negative ads get run in campaigns for a reason. Because negative emotion works.
Some people don’t deserve respect. To offer it to them is to legitimize them.
Some ideas don’t’ deserve respect. To treat them with it is to legitimize them.
Incivility at root is an attempt to make our opponents look bad, when they really are bad.
Democracy presumes the ability and willingness to hear everyone’s point of view.
Free speech presumes that anyone can communicate any idea in any way he is able. If he stutters, we should still listen. If he swears, well, some people swear a lot.
All this talk about being nice to one another is a distraction from the real issues which are what inspired all the rude talk in the first place.
Sometimes it takes rudeness to penetrate a closed mind. “Gosh why does everyone hate me and treat me so badly?”
“Be more civil” is what the Baptist leadership told MLK jr.
Civiltarians are more interested in losing well than winning badly.
Rudeness is a form of power, and we should use power for good purposes.
Polite protestors don’t get air time and genial guests don’t get invited on talk shows.
Civility is just another way of marginalizing those who aren’t skilled at the rules of etiquette.
Elijah was not particularly polite to the prophets of Baal, nor Jesus to the moneychangers or the Pharisees.

Links

Bible References: Gen 18:1-5, Gen 19:1-3, Gen 43:25-29, Gen 47:1-11, Lev 19:32, Ruth 2:4, Prov 15:1-2, Prov 16:24, Prov 29:5, Matt 9:20-22, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:43-45, Luke 11:1-13, Luke 14:8-11, Luke 18:1-8, Acts 27:3, Acts 28:1-2, Rom 12:9-21, 1 Cor 9:19-23, Eph 4:25-32, Phil 2:19-23, Philemon 8-21, James 1:26, James 3:1-12, 1 Peter 3:10

Polite Wikipedia

Gricean Maxim Wikipedia

Politeness Logos.uoregon.edu

A Manual of Etiquette Daisy Eyebright

36 Politeness Quotations Nonstopenglish.com

Teaching Children Politeness Ksks.essortment.com

Seduced By Civility Benjamin DeMott

The Case Against Civility Randall Kennedy

Bowling Alone: America's Declining Social Capital Robert D. Putnam

A Reasoned And Reasonable Discourse Judith Rodin

An Urgent Task: President's Address Judith Rodin

Civility Book by Stephen L. Carter

Wacky Wednesday--We Shouldn't Ever Apologize

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.

Apologizing often makes the other person feel superior and inflates their ego.
Apologizing makes you look bad and loses face.
Even if you were wrong this time, there must have been tons of other times when they were wrong and you were right but you didn’t get the credit you deserved.
If you don’t get credit most of the time for the good you do, why should you get blame for the bad you do occasionally.
People respect strength, and they need to perceive you as strong to follow your lead.
When you apologize, people take advantage of you.
People don’t forgive you anyhow. They say ridiculous things like, “Oh, it’s no big deal,” or, “That’s okay.”
We’re supposed to imitate Jesus, and He never apologized, right?
If people get used to the idea that you’re wrong some of the time, they’ll come to expect you to be wrong more often, and they’ll expect you to apologize more, too.
Most apologies are strategic anyhow, and not genuine. I’m sorry, but… or they contain some sort of a justification or miss the point.
Apologizing doesn’t change the situation or undo the bad thing that was done, so what’s the point?
When people know they can apologize for doing wrong, they are actually more willing to do it because they think they can just apologize if they get caught. Forgiveness is easier to get than permission, but if you take away forgiveness, you force people to seek permission.
It just imposes upon someone else the burden of feeling the need to forgive, which they may not want to do.
In fact, since forgiving is an even greater thing if the person hasn’t asked for it, apologizing diminishes the moral worth of the best forgiveness.
Love means never having to say you’re sorry.

Links
Bible References: Lev 5:1-13, Lev 16:20-22, Lev 26:38-42, Num 5:5-8, Num 13:25-14:45, 1 Sam 25:1-38, 2 Chron 6:12-42, 2 Chron 7:11-15 , Ezra 10:1-12, Psalm 32:5, Prov 28:13-14, Dan 9:1-19, Matt 3:1-12, Matt 6:6-15, Matt 18:21-35, Mark 1:1-5, Mark 11:24-26, Luke 11:1-4, Luke 17:1-10, Acts 19:11-20, 2 Cor 2:1-11, Eph 4:25-32, Col 3:12-13, James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-10

Serena and sexism (NYT)
Public tirades and our current civility (ABC News)
Serena finally apologizes (ABC News)
Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst (ABC News)

Dr. Michael Youssef interview

We will speak with Dr. Youssef in the second hour about his church, his ministry, and his new book, “You Want Me to Do What?: Get off Your Blessed Assurance and Do Something!”

Does God Speak Today? How Can I Hear Him?

I recently received an email from someone whose ex-spouse was doing some very strange things, claiming that God had instructed this person to do them. Since we just last night discussed the difference between Divine Command Theory and Natural Law Theory and also the question of properly hearing from God, I thought this would be a perfect time to ask these two questions. Some people say that God doesn’t communicate with us today outside of the Bible. They are called Cessationists, because they believe that the examples of such things in the Bible ended with the collection of the canon of Scripture. Others believe that God communicates now just as He always has through a variety of means including the Bible and many other things such as dreams, visions, audible voice, and verbal communication in our minds. Well, if these folks are correct, then how common is such communication? And how can a person know the difference between legitimate communication from God and that coming from other sources?

Four keys to hearing God's voice (Mark Virkler)

Ethics Class, Session 19: Criteria 51-54

Tonight we are going to try to get through the next set of criteria in the ethics syllabus. (You can get more information at http://andrewtallmanshowethics.blogspot.com.) This means we will be talking about:

51. Explain Divine Command Theory
52. Critique Divine Command Theory
53. Explain Natural Law Theory
54. Critique Natural Law Theory

In order to facilitate discussion amongst those of you either taking the class or wanting to discuss these ideas in more depth, I will be posting each of the criteria separately without much (if any) actual explanation simply so you can have your discussions on those particular ideas.

Grace Versus Wisdom

I was recently listening to a preacher explain the dangers of hanging around with bad people by analogy to carrying a snake around with you. You can’t be surprised when it bites you, that’s what snakes do. The implication is that we shouldn’t hang around with unreliable people because they’ll betray us. There is great truth in this wisdom principle. But if Jesus had really practiced it, He would have never left heaven to come get us. And when He was here, He clearly did not practice it, spending time both with sinners and with ungodly religious leaders of His day. So, the grace principle would seem to say, “spend time with the lost sinners of this world and put yourself at risk of being bitten by them out of love for them.” The more I thought about it, the more this pattern seemed to show up: 1. foolish behavior, 2. wise behavior, 3. gracious/divine behavior. So, I’d like to ask you what other examples of this progression we see, where acting as a Christian actually looks wrong from a wisdom perspective.

Various Current Events

Sex, lies, and abortion (Dinesh D’Souza)
Obama health care reform speech text (White House)
Obama school speech text (White House)
Pelosi: pay for Obamacare, trim Medicare (CNS News)
Will Obamacare cover illegal immigrants? (CNS News)
Rep. Joe Wilson apologizes for “You lie” comment (CNS News)
Obamacare Q+A with CO reps (Denver Post)
What Obama said and what he meant (Politico)
Reading the bill may not help (Politico)
Health care ills cost everyone (AZ Republic)
How to insure every American (WSJ)
Rare breach of protocol in outburst (NY Times)
Can capitalists learn to love socialized medicine? (Findlaw)
Czars should testify (The Hill)
7.0 quake leaves 28,000 homeless in Indonesia (Christian Post)
Indy tests school choice (WSJ)
Bible literacy law stumps schools (Houston Chronicle)
Border traffic down under new passport rules (USA Today)
Enticing classes swell enrollment (Boston Globe)
Barefoot running grows in popularity (Chicago Sun-Times)
More AZ drunk drivers could pay for jail costs (AZ Republic)
Chance for USSC to get it right on free speech (WSJ)
Elections for sale? (LA Times)
Free speech, take two (WSJ)
Teacher tenure must go (LA Times)
Christian girls, interrupted (WSJ)
Obama and the left (WSJ)
The racism of marijuana prohibition (LA Times)
Obama school controversy (Albert Mohler)
A real education outrage (WSJ)
Fewer people paying photo-tickets (AZ Republic)
AHCCCS ends this week for 10,000 parents (AZ Central)
The crisis, one year later (NY Times)
Soap star fired for objection to gay plot line (Fox News)
Martin criticizes capitol lease plan (AZ Republic)

Wacky Wednesday--We Shouldn't Criticize President Obama

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.

~We’re supposed to be at peace with all our neighbors, pray for our leaders, and be in submission to the political authorities.
~When we criticize him so vehemently, we give the impression that we are invested in politics rather than in Christ
~Much, if not all, of the criticism of Obama is disrespectful and mean rather than being respectful of his authority and office.
~Whatever else you might believe about him, the Bible is clear that leaders are ordained by God. If God has given the Presidency to Barack Obama because God likes the direction he will take this country, who are you to oppose Him? If God has given the Presidency to Barack Obama because God hates this country’s immoralities and is punishing us, who are you to oppose Him? In short, the fact that he is the President proves that criticizing him is logically just by extension a way of criticizing God and putting yourself in opposition to His greater plan.
~If such a vast majority of Americans disagree with your assessment of Obama, humility means accepting the possibility that maybe you’re wrong.
~This is our process for selecting leaders. If you are going to gripe after the fact about everything some duly elected President does, that just shows you don’t really believe in the process you participate in.
~The only way to disabuse Americans seduced by liberalism is to let a full-blown version take over so they can see the disaster.
~Every point of Barack Obama’s plans that we oppose makes us look like the stereotype of conservatives liberals and moderates have as stingy, heartless people who love the rich and hate kids.
~Whenever we criticize him, if we’re white, we just get accused of being racists. Even if we aren’t, we don’t want to give people the impression that we are. Remember, politics isn’t about being right, but about seeming to be right, and if criticism of the first black President is only going to reinforce the notion that conservatives and Republicans are racists, then why would we want to do that?
~How did criticizing the political leader of his day work out for John the Baptist?
~When you criticize Barack Obama for being a bad Christian or not a Christian at all, you make it seem like anyone who disagrees with you is unacceptable because what you really want is a theocracy.
~Barack Obama is viewed by the rest of the world as the greatest thing America has done recently. When you oppose him, in their eyes, you seem like a barbarian who is resisting the best thing this country is currently doing.

Wacky Wednesday--Christians Shouldn’t Drink Alcohol

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 was Christians who were primarily responsible for the 18th Amendment illegalizing alcohol in the United States.
~Without alcohol, there wouldn’t be any DUI fatalities. How embarrassing for Christ if you are ever involved in one of those!
~How many people have to become alcoholics for you to realize the danger?
~Even if it isn’t a danger to you, drinking alcohol can so easily cause a weaker brother to stumble if he sees you doing it? Why would you care so little about him like that?
~The sort of alcohol available in the Bible was so weak compared to our modern versions that you can’t base your belief in the acceptability of drinking on minor things they did.
~There are so many passages warning about the dangers of drink that you’re foolish for testing them.
~Non-Christians expect Christians to not drink.
~We’re supposed to be in this world, but not of it?
~If you drink, you are supporting an industry that exists because of and profits from alcoholism.
~So many people abuse alcohol, that even if you don’t, you are part of the greater problem.
~Why is it illegal to sell alcohol on Sunday before noon? Because alcohol consumption is incompatible with Christianity.
~How do you know when you take a first drink that you won’t take a second or a third or a tenth?
~Is alcohol THAT important to you that you can’t give it up?
~How much money that you aren’t giving to orphans and the poor do you spend on beer and wine?
~How can you love the Lord with ALL your mind when you’re clouding your judgment and slowing down your cognitive processes?
~We are supposed to be separate from this world so they can see the difference between Christ and their own way of life.
~Is pleasure really THAT important to you?
~When have you ever been around someone and thought, “Gee, what they really n need is to drink more alcohol!”?
~Do you want your kids around people who drink?

Links:
Con: Should Christians Drink? by Go Be Do Ministries
Con: Can Christians Drink Alcohol? by Lay Hands.com
Con: Should Christians Drink Wine Coolers? by John MacArthur
Con: Alcohol and Sin by Paul Smithson
Con: Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin? by CBN.com
Fence: Is It Sin to Drink Alcohol? by Got Questions.org
Fence: Is Drinking Alcohol a Sin? by Keyway.ca
Pro: Is It a Sin For a Christian to Drink Alcohol? by NTL World.com
Pro: Drinking Alcohol by ATrueChurch.info
Pro: Should Christians Drink Alcohol? by Banner of Truth.org
Pro: Is It a Sin to Drink Alcoholic Beverages? by John Plunkett
Pro: Is It a Sin to Drink Alcohol? by James McBride

Calvinism and Arminianism

Today on the program, my good friend and Reformed pastor, John Samson, will be discussing soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) and the differences between Calvinism and Arminianism. This will cover concepts like predestination, grace, whether salvation can be lost, and to what degree (if any) free will plays a role in our salvation.

Links:
Calvinism (Wikipedia)
Arminianism (Wikipedia)
John Calvin (Christianity Today)
Monergism.com
Calvinism (Reformed.org)

Various Current Events

Court forces girl into school for religion (Citizen Link)
ABC NBC refuse anti-Obama ad (Fox News)
America’s fat hatred (Newsweek)
Ben and Jerry’s pro-gay ice cream (Boston Herald)
Right blasts Obama speech to kids (Politico)
Abusing kids with Obamaganda (Michael Medved)
White House changes request on Obama speech (CNS News)
Parents want to excuse kids from speech (Houston Chronicle)
White House backs off request to kids (Wash Times)
Cardinal defends officiating Kennedy funeral (Boston Globe)
Complex legacy for Kennedy as Catholic (Boston Globe)
Conservatives say to respect Kennedy (Christian Post)
America as 100 people (USA Today)
Unschooling movement grows (Baltimore Sun)
A-Rod speaks out against steroids (Baltimore Sun)
Grad thesis plagues governor candidate (Wash Post)
Abortion stigma affects doctor training and choices (Wash Post)
Felon wins right to own a gun (News Observer)
IKEA outrage: new font (USA Today)
Dow hits new 2009 high (Wash Times)
FTC bans robocallers (Wash Times)

Wacky Wednesday--Obamacare Is A Good Idea

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.

~I am my brother’s keeper
~We owe it to our neighbors to help them not be sick
~People have a fundamental right to health care which flows from their right to life.
~We feed the starving, we clothe the naked, and we house the homeless. It makes no sense to deny penicillin and tonsillectomies to the sick.
~The fact that someone can’t pay should never be a barrier to them getting the health care they need.
~Think of all the things we do to produce good citizens in this country, such as provide government education.
~What good is it to have an education if you are sick?
~We are all in this together.
~It’s a disgrace that we are the only major industrialized nation on the planet to not offer health insurance to everyone.
~The cost of health care in America has wildly outpaced income.
~The private sector has no incentive to induce downward pressure on health care prices because it continues to make money as prices go up.
~The downside risks of getting a major illness or being born with a disease are massive to such a degree that no one would rationally take the gamble that he wouldn’t suffer them himself or in his family.
~The larger the participant pool, the more broadly diffused the risk is to any particular participant.
~You’ll be able to keep your current plan.

Wacky Wednesday--“Birthers” are right.

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.

Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution reads: No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

~We are governed by the Constitution, not by public opinion.
~If Obama is qualified, why hasn’t he produced an original birth certificate?
~Theory 1: Barack Obama was not born in Hawaii, but Kenya
~Theory 2: Even though born in Hawaii, he had dual citizenship
~Theory 3: Obama has dual citizenship himself from his father
~Theory 4: Anne Dunham wouldn’t grant him citizenship if born abroad
~Theory 5: Adoption by second father lost him US citizenship.

Links:
Obama’s citizenship theories (Wikipedia)
The truth about Obama’s birth cert. (FactCheck.org)
Culture of conspiracy: birthers (Politico)
Is Obama eligible? (Index) (WorldNet Daily)
What does natural born citizen mean? (WorldNet Daily)
America Must Know

Theological Tuesday

~Does Christianity require us to support Obama’s health care plan?
~What does it mean to render unto Caesar and God?
~What should we make of Josh Hamilton’s lapse?

Obamacare

Having amassed a very frightening pile of research and information about the health care debate, I have decided it is finally time to talk about this with you. There are dozens of big questions, and loads of different viewpoints. But at the end of the day, the real question is whether we should continue with things basically they way they are right now or whether we should create a huge new government health policy for all Americans. I know we won’t get to everything in just one hour, and we may wind up talking about this extensively all week long. But we have to start somewhere, so today we start at 5:00.

Weblinks
Health Insurance in US (Wikipedia)
Medicare (Wikipedia)
Medicaid (Wikipedia)
Obama’s health reform plan (Wikipedia)
Health care reform debate in US (Wikipedia)
Gov’t coops really aren’t (WSJ)
Republicans shouldn’t compromise (WSJ)
Obama’s trust problem (NY Times)
Basis for elderly fears seen in plan (NY Times)
Healthcare endgame near but uncertain (Findlaw)
Healthcare reform: time for action (John Dean)
Truth versus facts and the media (LA Times)
A public option that works (NY Times)
Rationing is scary (Newt Gingrich)
Obama and the practice of medicine (WSJ)
Language in the health care debate (CS Monitor)
Why we need health care reform (Barack Obama)
Health care’s generation gap (NY Times)
Tell grandma no (NY Times)
The Swiss menace (NY Times)
Whole foods boycotted for editorial (WSJ)
What death panels might look like (WSJ)
Alternative plans muddy debate (NY Times)
Health co-ops = government care (WSJ)
Obamacare and anesthesiology (WSJ)
Single payer for kids (WSJ)
Plain English on health care (NY Times)
Priority test: health care or prisons? (NY Times)
Obamacare’s contradictions (WSJ)
Canadian and British lessons (Larry Elder)
Obama frames issue around faith (Wash Times)
Rep imposes civility rules at townhall (Denver Post)
Doctors versus the AMA (Forbes)
Thousands quit AARP over Obamacare support (CBS News)
Obama’s tone-deaf health campaign (WSJ)
In healthcare debate, “reality” in dispute (CS Monitor)
Separating fact from fiction on health care (WSJ)
A primer on the health care debate (NY Times)
Whole foods alternative to Obamacare (WSJ)
Truth about health insurance (WSJ)
Medicare for all isn’t the answer (WSJ)
10 steps to better health care (NY Times)
If Uncle Sam becomes your doctor (CS Monitor)
Obama’s healthcare horror (Camille Paglia)
ObamaCare’s real price tag (WSJ)
Health insurance and car insurance (CS Monitor)
Healthcare bill’s troubling religious exception clause (Findlaw)
Obamacare all about rationing (WSJ)
Health care co-ops (NY Times)
A health insurance lawyer tackles scare tactics (CS Monitor)
USPS a scary model for health care (Wash Times)
Does Obamacare require euthanasia consults? (Politico)
Dr. Obama’s tonsillectomy (WSJ)
Is health care a right? (WSJ)
Correcting Obama’s fact errors (NY Times)
State-by-state impact of Obama’s tax surcharge (Heritage)
FixHealthCarePolicy.com (Heritage)
Obama attacks docs and cops (Bill Kristol)
Text of Obamacare press conference (NY Times)
GovernmentCare’s assault on seniors (WSJ)
Congress’s health care numbers don’t add up (NY Times)
World’s best health care (NY Times)
Maternity bed shortages in UK (Daily Mail)
Health care in the early church (Christianity Today)
Mr. Obama, you promised health care (LA Times)
Health care fit for animals (NY Times)
Obama targets Medicare Advantage (WSJ)
Obama’s health-rationer-in-chief (WSJ)
Elderly have concerns about Obamacare (AP)
Rationing has always been the norm (Findlaw)
You’ll lose 5 key freedoms under Obama’s plan (CNN)
2 rules by which to judge a health reform plan (Health Care Blog)
A detailed analysis of candidate Obama’s health plan (Health Care Blog)
5 biggest lies about Obama’s health care reform (Newsweek)
Top 5 lies about Obama’s plan (MoveOn.org)

Naum's Links (A loyal, liberal, Christian listener)
10 Reasons to Support Health Care Reform
A Canadian Doctor Diagnoses U.S. Healthcare
A Christian Creed on Health Care Reform
A Socialist Attends a Town Hall Health Care Meeting
A System From Hell
Another Poll Shows Majority Support for Single-Payer
Bill Moyers Journal (8/28/09)
Buy Health, not Health Care
Compulsory Insurance Will Not Work
Conservatives are Wrong About Free Market Health Care
Debunking Canadian Health Care Myths
Doctors Just Want to Be Doctors
Ezra Klein
Five Myths About Health Care in the Rest of the World
Health Care Abroad: Japan
Health Care and the Christian Tradition
Health Care Destruction
Health Care Fit for Animals
Health Care Hypocrisy
Health Care is a Human Right
Hope for Fundamental Health Care Reform
How American Health Care Killed My Father
How does the quality of U.S. Health Care Compare Internationally?
Inequality is Unhealthy: Dr. Stephen Bezruchka on How Economic Inequality is Dangerous to our Health
Insurance Industry: The Parasite That Feeds on US Public Health System
Mythbusting Canadian Health Care Part I
Mythbusting Canadian Health Care Part II
Obama's Doctor Speaks Out for Single-Payer Healthcare Reform
Our Health Care System is Just Fine as is!
"Paying for" Health Care Reform
President Obama and Congress: If You Missed Wise County, Join Me in L.A.
Pro-life but Anti-Health Care?
Quality of Life and an Economic Bill of Rights
Remember When Health Insurance was a Great Idea?
Recession Causing Massive Health Insurance Losses
Scoring Truthfulness in the Health Care Debate
Socialism for Children, Capitalism for Adults
Socialist Health Plan? In Norway, Obama's Plan Not Even Close
Socialized Medicine: Only 13% of Americans Purchase Their Own Health Insurance
The Cost Conundrum
The Evil-Mongering of the American Medical Association
The Health Care Debate, Early Church Style
The Health Care Cruise
The Health Care Debate: Another Country Heard From
The Health Care Debate From a Doctor's Perspective
The Health Care Industry vs. Health Reform
The Real Health Care Question: Who are we, as a people?
The Real Issue
The Truth About Socialized Medicine
Top World Healthcare Systems
True Competition A Myth in the Private Health Insurance Marketplace, Part 1
Understanding Health Care
Washing Health Care Clean
Wendell Potter on Patients and Profits
When it comes to healthcare, U.S., Britain, and Canada are hurting
Why Conservatives are Radical on Health Care
Why I am a Conservative on Health Care Reform
Why We Must Ration Health Care
Why we need health care reform
Yin vs. Yang on Health Care: Conservatives Make a Few Points

Ethics Class, Session 18: Criteria 49-52

Tonight we are going to try to get through the next set of criteria in the ethics syllabus. (You can get more information at http://andrewtallmanshowethics.blogspot.com.) This means we will be talking about:

49. Explain Virtue Theory
50. Critique Virtue Theory
51. Explain Divine Command Theory
52. Critique Divine Command Theory

In order to facilitate discussion amongst those of you either taking the class or wanting to discuss these ideas in more depth, I will be posting each of the criteria separately without much (if any) actual explanation simply so you can have your discussions on those particular ideas.

Various Current Events

Kennedy (CS Monitor)
Kennedy (WSJ)
Kennedy (NY Times)
Christ the King bells case (ADF)
Arizona should ban paddling students (AZ Republic)
The high cost of liberalism (WSJ)
The real CIA news (WSJ)
The Pelosi-Obama deficits (WSJ)
The dairy quandary (NY Times)
Tight controls on CIA interrogations (NY Times)
US Ed Sec dodges question on MLK ethics (CNS News)
Study says Americans will take any job (CNS News)
FCC chief wants public dominance of media (CNS News)
IDT advocate tells students to learn evolution (Christian Post)
4000 convicts get stimulus checks (Boston Herald)
UN wants 5-year-olds to learn about sex (Fox News)

Theological Tuesday

~Non-Biblical Christian mythology.
~What does it mean to render unto Caesar and God?
~What should we make of Josh Hamilton’s lapse?

Ethics Class, Session 17: Criteria 47-50

Tonight we are going to try to get through the next set of criteria in the ethics syllabus. (You can get more information at http://andrewtallmanshowethics.blogspot.com.) This means we will be talking about:

47. Explain Social Contract Theory
48. Critique Social Contract Theory
49. Explain Virtue Theory
50. Critique Virtue Theory

In order to facilitate discussion amongst those of you either taking the class or wanting to discuss these ideas in more depth, I will be posting each of the criteria separately without much (if any) actual explanation simply so you can have your discussions on those particular ideas.

Workplace Pet Peeves And Reverse-Peeves

For those of us who work every day, a significant portion of our lives are spent in the business environment. This of course means that there are many opportunities for other people, machines, and the environment itself to frustrate us. Since venting about such things is both fun and also instructive to others who may not realize their own predilection to irritate others, I thought we’d talk about office pet peeves. Also, since I like balance, perhaps we’ll talk about workplace reverse-peeves: small things that regularly make our lives better, whether we notice them or not.

Links:
Workplace pet peeves (ChacoCanyon)

Various Current Events

Arizona’s tax cut plan (WSJ)
Lifelock under fire (AZ Republic)
Questions answered on Afghanistan (NY Times)
Gender at issue in female runner’s victory (NY Times)
Rudeness isn’t un-American (Findlaw)
Candles = pollution (Wash Times)
The Hillary doctrine (WSJ)
Lesbian of the year married with kids (News Busters)
Date set for Prop 8 challenge (CS Monitor)
Guns by the President? (Findlaw)
Protestor part of publicity stunt (AZ Republic)
Afghans in Kabul prepare to vote (LA Times)
Boycott Israel (LA Times)
Michael Vick’s second chance (WSJ)
More opting out of clergy funerals (USA Today)
Fortuneteller challenges ban (Wash Post)
Burquini required at British pool (Telegraph)
Rationing is scary (Newt Gingrich)
Obama and the practice of medicine (WSJ)
Language in the health care debate (CS Monitor)
Why we need health care reform (Barack Obama)
Health care’s generation gap (NY Times)
Tell grandma no (NY Times)
The Swiss menace (NY Times)
Whole foods boycotted for editorial (WSJ)
What death panels might look like (WSJ)
Alternative plans muddy debate (NY Times)
Health co-ops = government care (WSJ)
Obamacare and anesthesiology (WSJ)
Single payer for kids (WSJ)
Plain English on health care (NY Times)
Priority test: health care or prisons? (NY Times)
Obamacare’s contradictions (WSJ)
Canadian and British lessons (Larry Elder)
Obama frames issue around faith (Wash Times)
Rep imposes civility rules at townhall (Denver Post)

Wacky Wednesday--You Shouldn’t Have 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.

~Having children is the single most ungreen thing you can ever do.
~Who wants to bring a child into this world of corruption, danger, and uncertainty?
~We are overpopulated, and somebody’s got to start being responsible.
~Pregnancy is a major health risk to women.
~Children often turn out badly.
~How can you have a great career and take time off for pregnancy as well?
~Children are one of the greatest sources of stress for a marriage.
~They cost you sleep.
~They cost you money.
~They certainly don’t provide you with more free time.
~They make messes, and break things.
~There is no greater challenge to your self-image as a competent, intelligent person than parenting.
~Children could keep you from going on the mission field.

Links:
Tie your tubes and save the planet? (LA Times)

American babies are ruining everything (WSJ)

Wacky Wednesday--We shouldn’t build church buildings

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.

~We are the temple of the Holy Spirit now.
~That money could certainly go to more Scriptural uses: widows, orphans, the poor, community outreach, and community service.
~Single-use facilities go unused most days of the week.
~Didn’t Jesus pretty much condemn the temple? And God finished this off by having it destroyed in 70 AD.
~Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am among them.
~Just as most people waste their money on the home they live in, most churches waste their money on a church building, especially including interest payments if there is a mortgage.
~Growth of congregations in any area is historically in an inverse relationship to the emphasis on church buildings in that area.
~Jesus told His disciples to not take any provisions with them on their missionary journeys.

Theological Tuesday

~Should you take notes during a sermon?

~What should we make of Josh Hamilton’s lapse?

~Is abstinence too much to ask?

~What does it mean to render unto Caesar and God?

Them and Us

I read an LA Times piece last week that I thought was brilliant for one simple idea. The author was making the case that the divide between conservatives and liberals in America (as showing itself strongly in the health care debate and townhall events) is that liberals tend to think of government as “us” while conservatives tend to think of government as “them.” Since a couple of questions have come up recently on the subject of political philosophies (libertarianism, socialism, etc.), I thought it would be useful to explore this concept further and also talk about some of the labels we use for political views.

Links:

Them and Us (LA Times)

Ethics Class, Session 16: Criteria 45-48

Tonight we are going to try to get through the next set of criteria in the ethics syllabus. (You can get more information at http://andrewtallmanshowethics.blogspot.com.) This means we will be talking about:

45. Explain Kantianism
46. Critique Kantianism
47. Explain Social Contract Theory
48. Critique Social Contract Theory

In order to facilitate discussion amongst those of you either taking the class or wanting to discuss these ideas in more depth, I will be posting each of the criteria separately without much (if any) actual explanation simply so you can have your discussions on those particular ideas.

Various Current Events

A primer on the health care debate (NY Times)
Whole foods alternative to Obamacare (WSJ)

Truth about health insurance (WSJ)
Medicare for all isn’t the answer (WSJ)
10 steps to better health care (NY Times)
If Uncle Sam becomes your doctor (CS Monitor)
Obama’s healthcare horror (Camille Paglia)
Townhall challenges “Un-American” (Pelosi + Hoyer)
White House responds to Pelosi op-ed (ABC News)
Townhall protestors like KKK? (Weekly Standard)
Obama Hitler poster exposed (Blogger)
Obama should extend marriage promotion (CS Monitor)
Muslim teen threatened for Christian conversion (Fox News)
Hillary’s meltdown over question about husband (ABC News)
Junkyards clamor for trashed clunkers (AZ Republic)
Government should help dairy farmers (CS Monitor)
Napolitano: We’re not Bush (CS Monitor)
FCC officer advocated radical public radio funding (CNS News)
Miley Cyrus video (You Tube)
Fox News on Miley Cyrus (Fox News)
Prostitution legal in Rhode Island? (Boston Globe)
What of non-job seekers? (CS Monitor)
Exercise won’t make you thin (Time)
Teen unemployment remains high (WSJ)
$12 million pro-Obama ads hit airwaves (Politico)
AZ “No More Deaths” littering case (LA Times)
AZ Republic coverage of the case (AZ Republic)
Iraqi Shiites show restraint in face of attacks (NY Times)
White House upset about poster (Wash Post)
70% say wife should adopt husband’s last name (USA Today)
No lemonade stands in Tulare, CA (Fresno Bee)
Them versus us (LA Times)
GDP RIP (NY Times)
Bud Schulberg’s heroism (LA Times)
Lessons of the stimulus bill (WSJ)
Tax withholding undemocratic (WSJ)