He’s got a lot more ripping to do

As noted in Actor rips anti-homosexuality pages out of the Bible, Ian McKellen of ‘Lord of the Rings’ thinks it is swell to rip Leviticus 18:22 out of hotel room Bibles.

Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.

Here are some observations.

Seems kinda like book burning.  Aren’t Liberals supposed to oppose that?  Oh, that’s right, free and open speech is just for people that agree with them.

Should Conservatives do this with literature we don’t agree with?  I’d only have some of the comics plus a Post-It note sized piece of the Houston Chronicle left each day.

Hey, at least he realizes what the Bible really says. If he’d just hang out with theologically Liberal (read: fake) Christians, they’d tell him that the Bible doesn’t really say that homosexual behavior is wrong.  He should just chat with Dan, ER, Geoffrey, Alan, Chuck et al and they’d straighten him out.  When it says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” what it really means is, “Go ahead and lie with a male as with a woman.  God made you that way, so He approves of it.” / sarcasm

Also, he has a lot more tearing to do besides Leviticus 18:22:

• 100% of the verses addressing homosexual behavior denounce it as sin in the clearest and strongest possible terms.
• 100% of the verses referencing God’s ideal for marriage involve one man and one woman.
• 100% of the verses referencing parenting involve moms and dads with unique roles (or at least a set of male and female parents guiding the children).
• 0% of 31,173 Bible verses refer to homosexual behavior in a positive or even benign way or even hint at the acceptability of homosexual unions.

By tearing out that page he also tears out the following, among other things.  Does he think those behaviors are acceptable?

Leviticus 18:20 And you shall not lie sexually with your neighbor’s wife and so make yourself unclean with her.

Leviticus 18:21 You shall not give any of your children to offer them to Molech, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 18:23 And you shall not lie with any animal and so make yourself unclean with it, neither shall any woman give herself to an animal to lie with it: it is perversion.

They can tear out all they like, but the word of God isn’t going anywhere.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Also see flaws of the shellfish argument, which addresses errors people make when trying to rationalize away Leviticus 18:22.

Also see Problems with pro-gay theology, which addresses the three primary ways the pro-gay theology crowd gets it wrong.

Good news: Planned Parenthood director sees abortion ultrasound and quits

More at Jill Stanek – Planned Parenthood director sees abortion ultrasound and quits; PP files restraining order

Ultrasounds have saved countless lives at crisis pregnancy centers.  We see it all the time at CareNet Pregnancy Center.  Many women believe the lie that the unborn is just a blob of tissue — until they see her heart beating and limbs moving on an ultrasound.

Now an ultrasound of an abortion has changed the heart and mind of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director.  Johnson was pressured to increase abortions to raise money.  See the link above for video of Johnson and for more information.

Planned Parenthood isn’t pro-choice, it is pro-abortion.  It encourages promiscuity.  PP hides statutory rape over and over, yet its supporters in Congress keep funding it.

Rochelle Tafolla, a PP spokesperson issued the following statement: “We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff, however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary.”

The temporary restraining order contends that PP would be irreparably harmed by the disclosure of certain information . . .

No kidding.  And great!

From Fox:

Abby Johnson, 29, used to escort women from their cars to the clinic in the eight years she volunteered and worked for Planned Parenthood in Bryan, Texas. But she says she knew it was time to leave after she watched a fetus “crumple” as it was vacuumed out of a patient’s uterus in September.

Remember, Planned Parenthood was firmly pro-life, until they realized how much money was at stake.

It is tragic that so many professing Christians support Planned Parenthood out of ignorance or as part of their fakery.

Pray that many more Planned Parenthood employees, volunteers and supporters will see the light.  Pray that people involved in any way with abortions will learn that forgiveness and healing are possible in Jesus.

Hat tip: Bret

Roundup

Simple and important reminder by Mike that we shouldn’t just pray for people, we should pray with them.

After talking with Shirley for about 5 minutes or so, and as I saw the tears in her eyes, I asked Shirley if I could pray with her. Not simply FOR her, but WITH her. She nodded her head and held her hands to her face, shielding me from her now-falling tears. I prayed a short prayer right there in the restaurant with her, and when I finished she wrapped her arms around me, put her head on my shoulders, and cried. And cried, and cried, and cried. I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. I just comforted Shirley for those few raw moments. Neither of us seemed to care much about whatever else was going on around us.

Read it all.

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It occurred to me that Obama is “That 70′s President,” deftly combining the bad ideas and ineffectiveness of Carter with the ethics and paranoia of Nixon.  Just sayin’.

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William Lane Craig debates radical skeptics on the resurrection of Jesus – great apologetics post, as usual, by the Wintery Knight.

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Australia considers bill to criminalize free speech by Christians – as I often say, coming soon to a country near you.

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Check out some of the sample articles of Salvo, a phenomenal magazine.  Great content and presentation on key issues of day.  I think it targets college aged / 20′s types but could be of interest to anyone.

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The abortionist and his #1 foe — Late-term abortionist Larry Carhhart and pro-lifer Troy Newman are analyzed. CNN owes me a new irony meter, because these quotes broke it:

He glances at the poster of [murdered late-term abortionist George] Tiller. “I don’t want his death to be in vain.”

“I have abortion on the front of this building, because I think abortion isn’t a four-letter word. It’s a part of life.”

Tomorrow, just before and after performing abortions, Carhart will pray at the bedside of his patients.

And did I miss it, or did CNN fail to mention the pesky fact about the pro-lifer who was recently murdered?

This quote makes more sense:

What part of wanting to save a baby’s life is so bad that it makes people hate me?
–Troy Newman

The answer is that abortion makes a lot of money for some people and gives a false illusion of sexual freedom and equality for others.

(Hat tip: Theobromophile)

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Are abortion proponents smarter than a 2nd-grader? (um, no)

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The truth and “the truth”

I always enjoyed this bit from The Simpsons with Phil Hartman playing Lionel Hutz, Real Estate Agent and how it played on the concept of truth.

Lionel Hutz: Marge, I had a lot of calls about you.  Customers love your no-pressure approach.

Marge: Well, like we say, “The right house for the right person.”

LH: Listen, it’s time I let you in on a little secret, Marge.  The right house is the house that’s for sale.  The right person is anyone.

M: But all I did was tell the truth.

LH: Of course you did!  But there’s the truth [shakes head ominously side-to-side] and the truth [nods head up and down with big smile].  Let me show you. [Shows pictures of houses]

M: It’s awfully small

LH: I’d say it’s awfully . . . cozy.

M: That’s dilapidated.

LH: Rustic!

M: That house is on fire.

LH: Motivated seller!

Here’s the dictionary.com definition of truth:

1 .  the true or actual state of a matter: He tried to find out the truth.

2. conformity with fact or reality; verity: the truth of a statement.

In egghead philosophical circles those definitions are referred to as the correspondence view of truth.  It is also the definition that five-year olds intuitively know.  And it is the real version.  The problem is that some highly intelligent people try to mangle the concept of truth to mean all sorts of other things.  Some people mock those who hold to the correspondence view as if we are ignorant or old-fashioned. 

But I’m quite confident that the correspondence view of truth will always be demonstrably accurate compared to other views.  Here’s why: If you want to convince me that your view of how truth works you’ll unwittingly use the correspondence view to do so.  You’ll try to tell me that your version of how truth works is what corresponds to reality, and you will prove my point every time. 

Truth matters, and those who try to distort the plain definitions of it usually have ulterior motives.  As noted in a highly recommend and  more detailed perspective by J.P. Moreland:

Postmodernism denies the correspondence theory, claiming that truth is simply a contingent creation of language which expresses customs, emotions, and values embedded in a community’s linguistic practices. For the postmodernist, if one claims to have the truth in the correspondence sense, this assertion is a power move that victimizes those judged not to have the truth.

But note how the Postmodern must go on to prove that his definition of truth corresponds to reality.

I completely agree with Moreland’s closing:

For some time I have been convinced that postmodernism is rooted in pervasive confusions, and I have tried to point out what some of these are. I am also convinced that postmodernism is an irresponsible, cowardly abrogation of the duties that constitute a disciple’s calling to be a Christian intellectual and teacher.

. . .

Faced with such opposition and the pressure it brings, postmodernism is a form of intellectual pacifism that, at the end of the day, recommends backgammon while the barbarians are at the gate. It is the easy, cowardly way out that removes the pressure to engage alternative conceptual schemes, to be different, to risk ridicule, to take a stand outside the gate. But it is precisely as disciples of Christ, even more, as officers in His army, that the pacifist way out is simply not an option. However comforting it may be, postmodernism is the cure that kills the patient, the military strategy that concedes defeat before the first shot is fired, the ideology that undermines its own claims to allegiance. And it is an immoral, coward’s way out that is not worthy of a movement born out of the martyrs’ blood.

Postmoderns will admire you for seeking the truth, but they will mock and revile you for claiming you found it.  They are proud that you can’t know things, though that is just a smokescreen for lying, cowardice or laziness.

Also see There is no truth except these five things, which highlights how postmoderns continually make truth claims while denying they do so.

Budget deficits: One picture says it all

For the record, I thought that President Bush spent way too much money.  But even more for the record, consider these projected deficits.  They make the Bush spending look like break-even years — and this is before the atrocious health care bill. 

I know Obama likes to blame Bush for all his problems, even though that is 180 degrees off his campaign rhetoric, counter to what past Presidents have done and just plain immature.  But if this is the best Obama can do I’d rather have Bush back.

Hat tip: Democrats Consider Plans To Lower Deficit They Created

Blank checks to unelected officials = bad idea

There are many causes for concern buried in the health care bill, but one of the greatest is the vague and broad powers given to unelected officials, such as the ability to prevent tort reform.  As evidenced in Texas, tort reform is one of the best ways to improve the health care situation.  But not only does the Democrats’ plan not include it, it explicity discourages it.  Are Liberals not concerned that tort lawyers have such power over health care in America? 

A few items from ObamaCare: To Be Determined…

• Rationing: “The Secretary shall make such adjustments as are necessary to eliminate such deficit, including reducing benefits, increasing premiums, or establishing waiting lists.”

• Preventing tort reform: “The Secretary shall make an incentive payment, in an amount determined by the Secretary, to each State that has an alternative medical liability law in compliance with this section …[if] the law does not limit attorneys’ fees or impose caps on damages.”

• Micromanaging hospitals: e.g., “The Secretary shall not permit an increase in the number of operating rooms, procedure rooms, or beds of a hospital under clause (i)…”