The Don: Right On

I’ve had my disagreements with Don Surber in the past. He remains always on my bloglines, becacuse I know that whether he infuriates me or not, he always has good reasons and he thinks through what he writes. Today, Don hits the issue of “male abortions” brilliantly:

A 25-year-old computer programmer is ready to file suit to block a child support order to pay for a daughter he does not want. The National Center for Men plans to use the suit to establish that men, too, can choose whether they want to become parents.

Its one of those great inconsistencies of Roe v. Wade. Even viewing the unborn child as property, our current law is confusing. Under Roe v. Wade, it makes the child the sole property of the mother, but under Child Support Laws it makes it the Joint Responsibility of the Father. Talk about a violation of Equal Protection Under Law.

Surber continues:

This lawsuit should do what South Dakota’s misguided abortion ban cannot do: End abortion rights.

The double standard is outrageous. Consider AP’s quote of feminist Jennifer Brown:

“Roe is based on an extreme intrusion by the government – literally to force a woman to continue a pregnancy she doesn’t want. There’s nothing equivalent for men. They have the same ability as women to use contraception, to get sterilized.”

Excuse me, but the federal government collects $22 billion a year in child support. There are heavy fines for companies that do not dock the pay of parents to comply with this intrusive law.

Checkmate! Very incisive and Surber is reading the law better than a lot of lawyers. (Maybe he missed his calling.) Surber’s clear that he does believe child support should be paid, but the double standard he points out is very compelling. Surber does pretty good at this writing stuff. He might consider making a living of it. Oh wait! He already has.

The Knucklehead of the Day Award

We present today’s TFM Memorial Knucklehead of the Day Award to Baseball Hall-of-Famer Willie McCovey.

The Giant great injected a charge of Racism into the debate over allegations of Barry Bonds steroid use:

“Knowing what I have gone through in sports, there are always those little, you know, racial overtones,” said McCovey, a black man who started his career in the segregated south of the 1950s and broke into major league ball with the Giants.

“I don’t think it would be this big a deal if McGwire was still playing and was in the same shoes chasing that record,” he said of McGwire, who is white. “I don’t think they would be spending all this time to dig all this dirt up on him.”

Willie, the media about crucified McGwire for refusing to answer questions before Congress. Jason Giambi’s been in the doghouse. This whole controversy crosses racial lines.

I’ve got some problems with this. See this post at WhereIStand, but there’s no need for this.

While, he’s had a tough past, McCovey played the race card to distract from the allegations. Overall, if anything he’s made things worse for Barry Bonds, not better and for that Willie McCovey is the knucklehead of the day.

Linked to Don Surber

The Yak Celebrates

Procastination week has started and the Yak celebrates it as only he can.

Christian Carnival 112

Welcome to the 112th Christian Carnival. For more than 2 years, once a week, we’ve come together to celebrate the best from Christian Bloggers. This week is no exception as we have a great list of posts for you:

The Church

Over at Give Your All for God they begin a series on Servant Leadership by clarifying what Servant Leadership Is Not Here’s a Hint: Servant Leader does not equal equal wimp.

These things command and teach.-1 Timothy 4:11 (KJ21)

On the other hand, how do people end up stuck in abusive and controlling churches? Diane at Crossroads takes a closer look in Why are Some Churches too Controlling?

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God-Ephesians 5:21

Free Money Finance takes on a very controversial yet important topic, Tithe versus Offerings, What’s the Right View?

Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete, therewith it shall be measured to you again.”-Luke 6:38

Matt Jones at Random Acts of Verbiage considers what types of divisions and diversities in the church are important and which are silly in Divisions and Diversity in the Church

There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. –Ephesians 4:4-6

Scot at Random Responses is rebuking the “bloodless” Christianity of some in the Church and calls us to reaffirm that salvation comes through the blood of Jesus in Lift High The Cross!

For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.-1. Corinthians 2:2

Jeremy Pierce at Parableman presents a critical look at the Emergent Church movement in Strains Within the Emergent Church Movement

Terry Hull of Terra Extraneous continues his series on “Why I Am No Longer a Christian Fundamentalist.” This week Terry addresses Fundamentalist Opposition to alcohol in “Prohibition: Precepts of Men Are Not Fundamentals.”

Personal Devotion

Have you ever tried to memorize scripture..but you just couldn’t stay with it? Willing to try again? Check out “How to Memorize the Bible” from Kathleen Dalton at Vegetable Soup.

Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee.-Psalm 119:11

Dana at Home School Blogger discusses discusses our children’s need to feel significant and addresses how to meet this need scripturally in Cherishing Our Children

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies at the gate.-Psalm 127:4, 5

Leo at Diary of a City Parishioner invites us to take the Jesus Test and see how you measure up to the Sermon on the Mount.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?-Matthew 7:16

Laura at Pursuing Holiness presents What is Holiness? in which she explains how holiness is like a coin, it has two sides. What we are, and what we do.

I speak in the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as ye have yielded your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness.-Romans 6:19

Kim at Mother-Lode invites us to leave the rat-race and join the dance of life in Liturgy for Living.

casting all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.-1 Peter 5:7

Catez Stevens of Allthings2all is reflecting the work of God in the hidden places in Becoming Radical: A New Order

For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;-Job 19:25

Violet Nesdoly of promptings has a whole patch of alien plants Seems independence is sprouting up where trust should be growing.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing.-John 15:5

This week at Light Along the Journey John reflects on one Biblical character’s Opportunity of a Lifetime, what it meant to him, and what it can mean to us.

Lent and Easter

Alan at Cajun Financial Stuff has an idea for lent that could change your financial future. Learn more in Early Sunday Thought: Lent

If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?-Luke 16:11

Richard describes the significance the phrase “on the third day” and connects it to the meal served in Emmaus and the role of Luke and Johanna in Precision Time Makers.

They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”-Luke 24:32

The bloke in the outer… examines the significance of the events surrounding Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem and His death, in The Meaning of Pentecost

but every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.-1 Corinthians 15:23

A Penitent Blogger has a humble suggestion for Lent: Get wet

Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded his fisher’s coat unto him (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea. –John 21:7

Politics

Chip Bennett at cb.blog see some contradictions in a recent pronouncement by Catholic Democrats in Congress in Catholic Congressional Democrats Release Statment of…Something

James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Mark Olson at Pseudo-Polymath presents Clash of Cultures or Fighting for the Right to (not) Paaarrty

For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another. For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion of the flesh, but by love serve one another.-Galatians 5:13

Doll at Freedom watch presents Lawmakers Will Push Legislation to Block Ports Deal

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.-Matthew 10:16

I debunk a blogosphere rumor in Official Religion Not Coming to Missouri…So Chill

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.-Exodus 20:16

Other

Phil at Another Man’s Meat ponders the state of Christian Arts and Creativity in Inspiration is Two Thirds Perspiration.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might-Ecclesiastes 9:10

Martin over at Sun and Shield was traveling this week, but he found a 19th Century devotional that speaks to us today. Check out the Diary of an Old Soul, February 27-March 5th

Then said He unto them, “Therefore every scribe who is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.”-Matthew 13:52

Thomas at Thinking Christian examines a vexing mind-body problem which raises another question in Can A Materialist Think

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal-Matthew 6:19

Rey from the Bible Archive tells us about the Existential Anthem that goes through most Hollywood movies these days in Measure in Love

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.-Philippians 4:8

Ron Stewart at the Northern’burbs blog Talks about the importance of Memories , both from our own lives and from the Bible.

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”-Luke 22:19

Thanks to everyone who provided a post. Click here to learn more about the Christian Carnival. Next week’s host is Light Along the Journey

Christian, Carnival

Is “You Bigot!” a Valid Argument?

If you think it is, allow me to turn it around for you:

We’ve gone back and forth on one issue this week, but I believe that something needs to be said. Every legislator sitting in the South Dakota statehouse who voted “no” for the abortion ban is a BIGOT. Yes, a BIGOT. And if you’re against it, you’re also a bigot. I’d venture to say some of them are also fetusphobes, but BIGOT is a clearer way of putting it. A BIGOT is someone who discriminates because of race, gender or some other trait. By asserting that a group of people has rights that a different group of people will not be allowed, our legislators act discriminately, and I find it rephrehensible. When I look at their pictures, I see people who are just as disgusting as racists, Nazis and fascists. I see people without compassion, who don’t believe humans were created equal or that everyone should have the same rights as others. They’re BIGOTS, plain and simple. And if you agree with them, you’re a BIGOT, too.

Now, before you go off on me, I’m just trying to make a point (which would’ve been even more paralell if they’d voted down the ban.) I’m not sure the ban was a wise move. They’re jumping the gun and not waiting until we have a stronger majority on the Supreme court could end up backfiring. And, while I believe it’s immoral to punish a child for their father’s crimes, it’s not pragmatically wise to try to codify that into law when the majority feels being conceived by rape or incest makes one worthy of death.

And yes, I do feel abortion is a discriminatory practice. In many cases, in addition to saying human beings before certain stage of development do not have the same right to life we enjoy, it also is often carried out in a way that is both racist AND sexist. A true feminist values the rights of females in all stages of life.

Christian Carnival Up Later

The Christian Carnival will be up Wednesday Evening, once I get home from work. I got a lot of pieces. (Most submitted within the last day.) As such, I’m about half way done getting them entered it, but it will look good once its done, I guarantee.

Shut Up and Teach!

Russ “responds” to my post by scarcely saying much in regards to my point which was more experiental than anything else.

Russ wrote regarding the idea that Jay Benish needed to balance his class out:

Hogwash. Teachers should teach the subject with passion and with a quest for the truth. This is easy in a hard sciences class, but in a social studies class, it is necessarily going to be infused with personal opinion. The idea that we should provide “all sides of the issue”, regardless of the merit of the arugment, is ridiculous. That’s what leads to schools teaching Intelligent Design along side Evolution, so as to provide a “fari (sic) and balanced” look at biological science. It’s how news organizations now feel they have to report Swift Boat attacks alongside actual military records, because if one side says one thing and the other side disagrees, bioth (sic) must be presented on equal footing.

So, lets say I’m a teacher and I get up in my classroom and in the Middle of Geography, I explain precisely why the Palestinians don’t have a foot to stand on, and how there’s so much good going on in Iraq right now but that the media refused to support it.

Then as a student asks a question about the oil fields of Brunei and then go off on a tangent about the French, the Iraqi Oil for Food program scandal. How could we trust these corrupt bozos at the UN as they’re all on the take.

And Russ would say, “Get that wingnut out of the public schools!” Would any liberal seriously support that and claim it was part of an appropriate discussion for the classroom.

As Russ went on to explain how he agreed with or sympathized with many of the teacher’s statements, his argument would be that my statements are wrong. I’m not going to argue them, but who is to decide what propoganda gets taught in school? Radical Russ Belville? Adam Graham?

Now, to Adam’s point. Does any of this belong in a geography class? I guess it depends on what you consider geography. If it is just the location of countries, their capitols, the rivers, mountain ranges, etc.? If so, then political discussions do not belong. But in the geography classes I took, the geopolitics and history were an integral part of the discussion. Otherwise, geography could be learned with an atlas over a weekend.

Ah, thus the justification for turning education into re-education, have to make the good comrades behave.

I think what Adam’s angry about is that professors have this annoying tendency to question authority.

No, what actually angers me is that people don’t pay good money so they can hear the “Opinions” of College professors or High School Teachers. I came to class every morning at 8:00 a.m. to learn Montana History. I didn’t come to hear Moses’ views of Republicans, didn’t come to hear his attempts at painting Bush as an idiot, nor the opinion of the class on the Gore-Bush presidential debate.

Call me task-focused, but I came to get an education. At the end of semester (surprise, surprise) we were told to read a lot of stuff in the book as there wouldn’t be time for it in class. Also, wouldn’t be time for people to present their research papers to the Class. Where did all that class time go? One guess.

Yeah, a teacher who sits there and tries to shove political views down people’s throats while another kid sits in the back trying to figure out the geographical facts they need to understand the world-and you’ve got an example of a prime problem with education.

When kids in the US are falling behind the rest of the world, teachers like Jay Bennish are wasting their times with nonsense. If you want to give an opinionated speech: hold a meeting, start an organization, but don’t do it with taxpayer dollars.

But that’s what Russ forgets. These are taxpayer dollars. George Soros ain’t funding this school, the taxpayers of Colorado are. The taxpayers of the United States are. You don’t want “In God We Trust” on the money, but you’re perfectly content to promote liberalism with taxpayer under whatever guise you can find such as “broadening their horizons.” As for the leaning towards “challenging authority”. Does that explain why 90% of the elite university professors are Democrats?

After all, Adam’s liberal professors didn’t seem to be able to brainwash him into joining the ACLU, NARAL, and the Sierra Club, now, did they? Is it so harmful that students may be presented with viewpoints counter to the God-Mom-Apple-Pie America that is served up daily in political speeches, church sermons, and misty-eyed historical dramas?

First of all, Russ, I had a lot stronger core than a lot of folks entering college. So many people are just plain sheep. The professor says, “Up is down.” and they just nod and go Baaaah. People enter college awestruck by some of these guys.

These professors and teachers have the power to help them succeed or crush them like a grape. A mix of what seems like Amazing education (including Masters, Doctorates, and the whole jazz) combined with incredible power and the professor stands in an incredibly intimidating position over his students.

Its true of High School teachers. If you were a Conservative, wouldn’t you be afraid that Jay Benish would ruin your high school career if you stood up to him. He has that power.

Of course, you don’t hear much about us lefties complaining that the military is relentlessly conservative, or that business schools turn out a majority of conservative students, or that seminaries and religious colleges are turning out conservatives by the thousands.

This is of course somewhat silly. The military is Conservative because more Conservatives join it. You’d have cause to complain if instead of teaching business, the teacher went off on a 20 minute tear on the Clinton Administration’s disastrous spending policies setting the stage for our current deficits. You really don’t have cause to complain about religious colleges and seminaries. Religious Colleges are private, which means you really don’t pay for them. Seminaries particularly at Liberal Universities tend to produce all those liberal ministers who preach the social gospel.

Still, look at the facts. The closest the study I cited showed Republicans was 20% of the faculty. 20%! Boy, what a diverse group these Universities are.

Linked to Don Surber, Cao’s Blog, Basil’s Blog, TMH Bacon Bits, Freedom Watch USA, Blue Star Chronicles, Jo’s Cafe