Life and Choices

Fri - November 23, 2007

"The Dark Underbelly of Cohabitation"

In my last post I made the point that God's boundaries around sexual activity are for our good. Here is further empirical confirmation of that. Several studies have shown that children are considerably more at risk of physical harm if not raised by their two biological parents. One excerpt from the Associated Press report on this:

Posted at 06:52 PM Read More |

Thu - November 15, 2007

Abortion Strongly Linked to Breast Cancer

Update November 17: the abortion/breast cancer study referenced here turns out not to be trustworthy. Paul T. said I should have done better fact-checking, and he was right. I'll leave this post live as a reminder to myself of that.

Sure, it's correlational data—but with a .98 correlation coefficient! I think Scott actually understated how remarkable a correlation that large really is. Scroll to the end of his post and you'll see there is also ~~theory~~ to support a cause-effect relationship. Experimental research would be the "gold standard" to support this result, but in humans it would be unethical in the extreme. Barring that, a result like this one is virtually "smoking gun" evidence that abortions contribute strongly to breast cancer.

Posted at 12:10 PM Read More |

Mon - November 12, 2007

Televangelists Under Investigation

This—financial investigations regarding several televangelists and authors—has been going on for several days now. It would be inappropriate for me to draw conclusions about any of these preachers—that's what investigations are for. I do regret the poor choice of words in the L.A. Times's headline: "Is prosperity a blessing from God, or a crime?" It depends on where it comes from, friends, and how it's used. It is the love of money that is the root of all kinds of evil, not money itself.

Posted at 09:12 AM Read More |

Tue - August 28, 2007

Flaws in Abstinence-Only Education Research

Having just congratulated one author for responsible science reporting, I have to turn around and do something nearly opposite. The British Medical Journal had reported that abstinence-only education is of no value in preventing STDs. Scott Gilbreath steers us toward information revealing flaws in that research, serious enough that they ought to invalidate it--or at least to call it into serious question. The fault this time doesn't seem to be with any science reporter, but with the BMJ itself.

Posted at 09:07 AM Read More |

Tue - April 24, 2007

Mindless Indoctrination

World Magazine Blog links to two videos demonstrating how some schools handle homosexuality.* I viewed them. I was Not Pleased.

The title of the videos is "Homosexuals Brainwashing Children." At first I was put off by that--it seemed, potentially, overly strong. But then I watched. It's brainwashing.

The problem isn't really homosexuality, though. Listen in on a faculty meeting where plans are being made for "Gay and Lesbian Pride Day":

Posted at 02:41 PM Read More |

Disturbing Directions

The gay rights movement is shutting down parental rights in Massachusetts.

And there's a bill before Congress that could shut down churches' right to disagree over this.

Posted at 11:32 AM Read More |

Mon - July 10, 2006

Most of the following never happened

Jim Graham, former member of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) board, has been removed from his position for discriminatory, anti-Catholic remarks he made last week.

Posted at 01:31 PM Read More |

Wed - July 5, 2006

Correction

I wrote something misleading in my last post today:

"The Bible recognizes that humans face plenty of obstacles to doing what is right, including inborn obstacles, which is why we need God's help."

Posted at 08:19 PM Read More |

Stirring the Pot

A new study reports that illicit drug use and abuse may be genetically influenced. What does that mean for our ethical views on it? Following the logic of many homosexual rights advocates, it would make illicit drug use either morally neutral or a positive good.

Posted at 02:34 PM Read More |

Fri - June 23, 2006

If you marry yourself, do you have to get a divorce to marry someone else later?

Alexandra Gill tells why she is marrying herself, along with six other women who are doing the same:

"a celebration of womanhood and a toast to our independence.... In our minds, it is essential to find happiness and fulfilment on your own before committing to another."

This absolutely begs for commentary, some of it in the category of easy pickings. The most obvious, which I will not spend much time on, is that it's another example of the slippery slope from the homosexuals' drive to re-define marriage. Gill wrote:

"We are not opposed to the institution of marriage or trying to make a mockery of it. But let's face it. Traditions are changing -- for the better.... We are fortunate for the opportunity, which many of our mothers never had, to live life to the fullest and not feel compelled to define ourselves by a man. But let's not get too serious. For the most part, this is also a good excuse to throw a fabulous party."

Note the trivialization of a once-sacred ceremony. But I have a different question to pursue. If one of these women decides later to marry a man, will she have to divorce herself first? In a very practical sense, the answer is yes.

Posted at 07:14 AM Read More |

Wed - June 14, 2006

Postscript on Same Sex "Marriage" and Civil Rights

The NY Times has echoed (free registration required) reports, mentioned earlier here, of expected religious discrimination from the same sex "marriage" movement. The source of this information is a non-partisan group of legal scholars, many of them supporters of same sex "marriage."

Posted at 11:40 AM Read More |

Sat - June 10, 2006

Civil Rights Abuses Promoted By the "Gay Rights" Movement

Are civil rights arguments from gays credible? Consider such claims in light of this:

Posted at 02:37 PM Read More |

Thu - June 8, 2006

. . . And Hijacking the Language of Pathology

I wrote yesterday about how the gay rights movement has hijacked the Civil Rights legacy. They've done the same with the language of mental illness. The word "homophobic" sounds very medical, but its only real value is propagandistic.

Posted at 09:37 AM Read More |

Wed - June 7, 2006

Hijacking the Civil Rights Legacy

Eugene Rivers and Kenneth Johnson, in a Weekly Standard editorial (Hat Tip: Christian Mind), show how the gay rights movement is "hijacking the civil rights legacy." (The Senate has already voted on the marriage amendment--this may be old news--but the issue is not going away.)

The experience of blacks in the United States is unparalleled for its oppression, and the courage of leaders going back as least as Sojourner Truth who have stood for justice for African-Americans is part of the great story of American history. Progress in civil rights has been encouraging, though the issue remains complex and difficult.

The homosexual experience is being cast in civil rights terms, but it is simply not parallel to it. Nevertheless, as Rivers and Johnson write,

"This strategy [tying the homosexual movement to a civil rights agenda], though cynical, has enormous strategic utility. For what reasonable, fair-minded American could object to a movement that conjures up images of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellows campaigners for racial justice facing down dogs and fire hoses? Who is prepared to risk being labeled a bigot for opposing same-sex marriage?"

Posted at 01:55 PM Read More |

Wed - May 31, 2006

It's Just What?!

I saw this t-shirt today in the airport, worn by (of course) a man: "Relax, It's Just Sex."

That is about the best four-word summary I know of for what's wrong with today's view of sexual morality. This view of sex is not just wrong; it's grievously weak.

Posted at 12:59 PM Read More |

Children Need a Mom and a Dad

In case you saw Tuesday's AP report about lesbians' brains' processes being different . . .

"Freedom of Speech" at Northern Kentucky University

Abortion and Mental Health

More slip-slidin' away

What's that slippery slope question again?

Tolerance Is Too Weak

Same Sex "Marriage" and Political Repression

Divorce is not benign

Misinformation on Gay Marriage

"So Much For Conscience in Wisconsin"