Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Why I don't like McCain [Part VI]
As my mother said: he must have reached some sort of deal with the GOP during the election year, especially considering his aspirations for the Presidential nomination and the exceptionally squirrely way he has been acting recently.
On a side note: perhaps it is time to really start a Reasons Not to Vote for McCain in 2008 series and clarify my original reasons.
Well, whether it is Reason #3 or Reason #571, this is yet another reason why McCain does not have my vote. Does he really think he is scoring points with the GOP by compromising in a way that hurts Republicans far more than it does Democrats? That it hurts conservatives far more than it hurts liberals?
As my mother said: he must have reached some sort of deal with the GOP during the election year, especially considering his aspirations for the Presidential nomination and the exceptionally squirrely way he has been acting recently.
On a side note: perhaps it is time to really start a Reasons Not to Vote for McCain in 2008 series and clarify my original reasons.
posted by Laura Keslar at 4:27 PM | |
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Privatization of classroom will eliminate ID/evolution debate
Last week was the last of my bioethics course, which taught us all how to "think critically" about modern day biology and the ethics involved. Throughout the semester, we spent a week discussing different biotech issues, like DNA profiling, cloning, bioterrorism, etc; however, the last week, the topic was evolution. The take on the issue was whether intelligent design/creationism should be taught in schools. On the first day of discussion, everyone was asked whether or not creationism should be taught in public school.
After some heated debate (well, it was mostly one sided with Christians and those who think ID should be taught very silent or trying not to get on the bad side of the crazy liberals in the class), I asked why we were thinking in this box. Why not have privatized schools--in which case, no one would have to debate whether public schools should teach evolution or creationism. Instead, the parents can decide where to send their kids--to schools who teach evolution or schools who teach creationism or something in between.
Oddly, for such an "educated" group, I got a bunch of blank stares.
My goodness...do people really read my mind this well?
Last week was the last of my bioethics course, which taught us all how to "think critically" about modern day biology and the ethics involved. Throughout the semester, we spent a week discussing different biotech issues, like DNA profiling, cloning, bioterrorism, etc; however, the last week, the topic was evolution. The take on the issue was whether intelligent design/creationism should be taught in schools. On the first day of discussion, everyone was asked whether or not creationism should be taught in public school.
After some heated debate (well, it was mostly one sided with Christians and those who think ID should be taught very silent or trying not to get on the bad side of the crazy liberals in the class), I asked why we were thinking in this box. Why not have privatized schools--in which case, no one would have to debate whether public schools should teach evolution or creationism. Instead, the parents can decide where to send their kids--to schools who teach evolution or schools who teach creationism or something in between.
Oddly, for such an "educated" group, I got a bunch of blank stares.
posted by Laura Keslar at 9:19 PM | |
McCain 2008?
Besides, wasn't it just last year that said he didn't want to run for senate, much less the President?
He says that conservatives have become more accepting, because, "he supported the president" during his race last year. Whatever. That was self-serving, in the utmost.
Ugh. I despise him. I have never voted for him. Ever. Nor will I. I don't care if Hillary is running. I am not voting for someone whose politics I utterly, utterly despise.
Count me out, if he runs. The man is a slime ball, a power-hungry creep. He is not a conservative, he doesn't have respect for individual rights.
Besides, wasn't it just last year that said he didn't want to run for senate, much less the President?
He says that conservatives have become more accepting, because, "he supported the president" during his race last year. Whatever. That was self-serving, in the utmost.
Ugh. I despise him. I have never voted for him. Ever. Nor will I. I don't care if Hillary is running. I am not voting for someone whose politics I utterly, utterly despise.
posted by Laura Keslar at 8:52 PM | |
Chlamydia's effect on animals
Chlamydia has also caused problems in another species: penguins. San Diego zoo has noted a chlamydia outbreak among their penguin colony leading to the deaths of several older penguins.
For the fun of it, let's talk about chlamydia. In humans, it causes a wide range of diseases, etc: infertility, blindness, pinkeye and even arthritis. Interestingly enough, the infertility problem associated in pandas has been linked to chlamydia infections.
Chlamydia has also caused problems in another species: penguins. San Diego zoo has noted a chlamydia outbreak among their penguin colony leading to the deaths of several older penguins.
posted by Laura Keslar at 8:16 PM | |
Evidences of a church gone astray
So, when it is reported that a nine members of a church were voted out of a congregation because they didn't support the pastor's own beliefs, you realize that the pastor and his church are going to suffer at the hands of the IRS--but at the hands of lawyers? Now that is something somewhat unexpected.
Accordingly, the nine kicked out members are thinking of hiring a lawyer to the point that they are hoping that "'he (the attorney) will make him (the pastor) leave so that the church members can come back.'"
Excuse me. Whatever happened to church members--to Christians--ever following what the Bible says? According to 1 Corinthians 6:1, 3 & 6-7:
If those nine members consider themselves among the brethern, it would behoove them to act upon the matter in a scripture-approved manner. But the state that the church has gotten itself into, the state where we have become a bunch of self-pleasing, self-gratifying, luke-warm church, has caused us to ignore what God has purely ordained as scripture.
Similarly, another woman, among those nine members that were voted out, indicated that the pastor *must* be wrong, considering that he was so young and thinks he knows it all. She said, "He's young and he thinks he knows everything."
But wasn't Timothy encouraged by Paul when Paul wrote "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12). Yet, we have this woman who disregards these things, who has disrespect for a leader that God has installed in his church.
These people who were kicked out have blatantly abandoned what scripture has said. If anything, the very evidences of what these kicked out members have said leads me to believe that no, they are not very good Christians; that they have disregarded the Bible in favor of their own pleasure, of their own desire, and of their own pride.
While obviously, neither the whole story nor the hearts of the members or pastor are not known--what is known is the words, the very evidences of who these people are and what they believe. And it is from those words that makes it easy to indicate that if these people are Christians, they have done a very poor job at representing the Body.
When you do business with the government, you are supposed to do it its way. And, if you are a tax-exempt church, that means you are expressly prohibited "from endorsing oropposing any candidate for public office." That is, simply put, the cost of doing business with the government--as imposed by the government.
So, when it is reported that a nine members of a church were voted out of a congregation because they didn't support the pastor's own beliefs, you realize that the pastor and his church are going to suffer at the hands of the IRS--but at the hands of lawyers? Now that is something somewhat unexpected.
Accordingly, the nine kicked out members are thinking of hiring a lawyer to the point that they are hoping that "'he (the attorney) will make him (the pastor) leave so that the church members can come back.'"
Excuse me. Whatever happened to church members--to Christians--ever following what the Bible says? According to 1 Corinthians 6:1, 3 & 6-7:
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?"
If those nine members consider themselves among the brethern, it would behoove them to act upon the matter in a scripture-approved manner. But the state that the church has gotten itself into, the state where we have become a bunch of self-pleasing, self-gratifying, luke-warm church, has caused us to ignore what God has purely ordained as scripture.
Similarly, another woman, among those nine members that were voted out, indicated that the pastor *must* be wrong, considering that he was so young and thinks he knows it all. She said, "He's young and he thinks he knows everything."
But wasn't Timothy encouraged by Paul when Paul wrote "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." (1 Timothy 4:12). Yet, we have this woman who disregards these things, who has disrespect for a leader that God has installed in his church.
These people who were kicked out have blatantly abandoned what scripture has said. If anything, the very evidences of what these kicked out members have said leads me to believe that no, they are not very good Christians; that they have disregarded the Bible in favor of their own pleasure, of their own desire, and of their own pride.
While obviously, neither the whole story nor the hearts of the members or pastor are not known--what is known is the words, the very evidences of who these people are and what they believe. And it is from those words that makes it easy to indicate that if these people are Christians, they have done a very poor job at representing the Body.
posted by Laura Keslar at 7:58 PM | |
