Blogworthies XV

Because The Blog from the Core simply can't cover everything.

Noteworthy entries @ One Hand Clapping, Thrown Back, JunkYardBlog, The Curt Jester, Cox & Forkum, little green footballs, Hoystory.com, Catholic Analysis, GetReligion, The Mudville Gazette, Flos Carmeli, and HerbEly.

Churches vote to condemn Iraqis to deadly terror @ One Hand Clapping:

To paraphrase what Will Rogers said about the Democratic party, I am not a member of any organized religion, I'm a United Methodist. And the UMC is a member of the National Council of Churches. And the NCC is a refuge for transnational progressivists, not to mention political neo-Marxists....

Update On Terri Schiavo @ Thrown Back:

By now most of you know that last week, Judge Douglas Baird issued a decision ruling "Terri's Law" unconstitutional. Terri's Law is the legislation which gave the governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, the authority to intervene on her behalf and restore her feeding tube. Judge Baird's decision is a setback, but not an unexpected one.

Given the dedication which Judge Baird and his colleague on the Pinellas County bench, George Greer, have shown in making their courtrooms a congenial forum for Michael Schiavo and his attorney, George Felos, it is surprising to no one that Baird ruled the way he did. It is even less surprising, given that Judge Baird revealed that he had already concluded that Terri's Law was unconstitutional before briefs were filed or arguments heard in the case. Normally such clear evidence of judicial prejudice would cause a judge to recuse himself, or be removed from the case. But oddly enough in this case, though Governor Bush sought Baird's removal, it didn't happen. Apparently Pinellas County judges are considered so godlike in their intuitive powers that they don't have to consider things like arguments or evidence when they prejudge cases before they're even heard....

JunkYardBlog's Dark Night of the Soul @ JunkYardBlog:

Those of you looking around for the latest on the Boston Globe's airing of uncensored hard-core porn that smears US troops, see the post below. For the rest, story time.

I guess I'm what National Review and others have taken to calling a "panicked hawk." Having supported the Iraq war — and continuing to support it to the utmost — I find myself of the opinion that we are playing a solid hand very badly and are in real danger of losing the war. I've gone from an optimist on the war to a near abject pessimist in the space of about 10 days, and this blog has reflected that change. I think an explanation is in order....

Chasing After the Supernatural @ The Curt Jester:

It surprises me that some Catholics will travel miles and miles to see the latest alleged apparition. While some apparitions have been declared "worthy of belief" by the Church, the over whelming number of them are not. No Catholic is required to give faith in even those apparitions in the category "worthy of belief." I accept those apparitions such as Fatima, but even in these cases I think that God giving us a visible reminder of truths already given us by public revelation is sad. It is a lack of faith that we require such. As Jesus told St. Thomas "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." But just as Jesus allowed St. Thomas to feel the nail holes he allows those of us weak in faith to be reminded of the supernatural and God's mercy....

The Good, the Bad, the Media @ Cox & Forkum:

Where's the Outrage? @ little green footballs:

The debased swine of Hamas are now attempting to hold the body parts of murdered Israeli soldiers for ransom....

Michael Moore, liar @ Hoystory.com:

Lying, hate-filled, arrogant, et cetera, ad infinitum fillmmaker created a brouhaha last week when he accused Disney of violating his First Amendment rights by refusing to distribute his latest film pack of lies....

When does schism become schism? @ GetReligion:

A consistent theme in coverage of the United Methodist Church's General Conference was how "stunned" delegates were by a suggestion of freeing theologically divided Methodists to go their separate ways. Reporters also seemed stunned by the idea: after conservatives won the crucial votes on sexuality issues, sometimes by substantial majorities, why would William Hinson of the Confessing Movement within The United Methodist Church float such a risky trial balloon?...

Clerical Malpractice @ Catholic Analysis:

When an educated professional with qualified staff and other available resources gives a superficial and erroneous analysis of an issue within his area of responsibility with harmful results, our culture calls it malpractice. Recent statements by clerics, such as Cardinal McCarrick in Washington, D.C., respond to the issue of pro-abortion politicians receiving the Eucharist by saying that you cannot deny them the Eucharist because we cannot see into their hearts and minds and know what lurks therein (see Catholic News Service story, 4/27/04). Here is what Cardinal McCarrick is quoted as saying in the Catholic News Service story:

"I would be very uncomfortable to have a confrontation at the altar, because it implies that I know precisely what's in a man's heart or in a woman's heart, and I'm not always sure," he said.

That is the analysis presented to the public and to fellow Catholics. It is devastatingly wrong. It is clerical malpractice....

The Greyhawk Factor @ The Mudville Gazette:

Seymour Hersh has had an amazing story dropped into his lap. A group of American GIs, caught on camera, abusing and humiliating Iraqi prisoners. Heinous acts. The wheels of justice were certainly turning, but nailing the abusive guards is not enough for the intrepid reporter. Indeed, since evidence indicates that one of those guard's attorneys most likely provided that information to Hersh, it follows that getting the higher ups was likely part of the deal.

But, having failed to provide "actionable intelligence" against those "higher ups" in his largely factual (albeit chronologically challenged) New Yorker article, Hersh has embarked on a televised disinformation campaign, recently appearing on the "O'Reilly Factor" in an effort to sow additional confusion in a public already stunned into incomprehension by the graphic photos he helped make famous worldwide.

The campaign relies on two main points, neither of which is completely factual: 1) the Army did nothing, and 2) it's the superior's fault, not the troops. Point one is a lie. Point two is true, but there's a level where it becomes ludicrous. Given that point one is a lie, that level is low....

I Just Don't Believe It @ Flos Carmeli:

Quoted from Tom's blog, Ono Ekeh, whom I like but whose views I do not share, says this:

If social conditions were changed so that women were empowered, and if we effectively addressed issues such as health care, child care, family leave, wage inequity, domestic violence and other women’s issues, we could reasonably expect a significant reduction in the number of abortions in the United States.

I believe this to be the usual utter nonsense liberals like to feed us in the promotion of their cause. I don't think bettering social conditions will undo the perceived need for abortion. In fact, as we empower women, it may increase that perceived need as they move into positions of authority that require more attention than a mother of two can give them.

I don't think addressing social issues (as defined above) addresses the abortion problem at all. I think we need to address spiritual issues. We need to address very real fears held by individuals — not some shapeless mass of Women and their needs. Women who are driven to seek abortions are individuals with individual problems, needs, and concerns. When I speak of addressing this level, I'm not talking merely about health care and empowerment. I'm talking about loving concern for an individual in time of trial. Support, a kind voice, a shoulder to cry on, a person to come to when everything is overwhelming. When I argue that this is better than legislation, I do not mean to rule out legislation but to promote this "hands-on" person-to-person caring....

Why we didn't find WMD @ HerbEly:

Here is my next column for the Charlottesville Observer....

See also Blogworthies XIV and Blogworthies XVI.

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sat. 05/15/04 04:26:34 PM
Categorized as Blogworthies.