I loved the opening two sentences for this article on the abortion debate:
"As an atheist and a secular kinda guy, I practice moral relativism regularly. Still, I always have struggled mightily with the ethics and politics of abortion."
Honesty. It's a virtue.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
The Fair Tax
Or National Sales Tax.
This Washington Post article got me thinking about it again. Still not decided on it, but anything that could potentially get rid of the IRS gets my interest.
One of the critiques is that since prices would rise across the board, the poor would be the hardest hit. Maybe everyone having an equal share-paying the same-in the taxation process would enliven political participation. In order for politicians to pay for whatever programs they dream up, they would need to sell it to ALL the voters since ALL the voters would be paying for it.
Hmm.
This Washington Post article got me thinking about it again. Still not decided on it, but anything that could potentially get rid of the IRS gets my interest.
One of the critiques is that since prices would rise across the board, the poor would be the hardest hit. Maybe everyone having an equal share-paying the same-in the taxation process would enliven political participation. In order for politicians to pay for whatever programs they dream up, they would need to sell it to ALL the voters since ALL the voters would be paying for it.
Hmm.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Bells
This latest word from Thomas Merton in his book Thoughts in Solitude and to you who hear bells regularly or rarely. It's made the bell sounds at TaylorU a lot more significant to me:
Bells are meant to remind us that God alone is good, that we belong to Him, that we are not living for this world.
They break in upon our cares in order to remind us that all things pass away and that our preoccupations are not important.
They speak to us of our freedom, which responsibilities and transient cares make us forget.
They are the voice of our alliance with the God of heaven.
They tell us that we are His true temple. They call us to peace with Him within ourselves.
The Gospel of Mary and Martha is read at the end of the Blessing of a Church Bell in order to remind us of all these things.
The bells say: business does not matter. Rest in God and rejoice, for this world is only the figure and the promise of a world to come, and only those who are detached from transient things can possess the substance of an eternal promise.
The bells say: we have spoken for centuries from the towers of great Churches. We spoke to the saints your fathers, in their land. We called them, as well call you, to sanctity. What is the word with which we called them?
We did not merely say, "Be good, come to Church." We did not merely say "Keep the commandments" but above all, "Christ is risen, Christ is risen!" And we said: "Come with us, God is good, salvation is not hard, His love has made it easy!" And this, our message, has always been for everyone, for those who came and for those who did not come, for our song is perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect and we pour our charity out upon all.
Bells are meant to remind us that God alone is good, that we belong to Him, that we are not living for this world.
They break in upon our cares in order to remind us that all things pass away and that our preoccupations are not important.
They speak to us of our freedom, which responsibilities and transient cares make us forget.
They are the voice of our alliance with the God of heaven.
They tell us that we are His true temple. They call us to peace with Him within ourselves.
The Gospel of Mary and Martha is read at the end of the Blessing of a Church Bell in order to remind us of all these things.
The bells say: business does not matter. Rest in God and rejoice, for this world is only the figure and the promise of a world to come, and only those who are detached from transient things can possess the substance of an eternal promise.
The bells say: we have spoken for centuries from the towers of great Churches. We spoke to the saints your fathers, in their land. We called them, as well call you, to sanctity. What is the word with which we called them?
We did not merely say, "Be good, come to Church." We did not merely say "Keep the commandments" but above all, "Christ is risen, Christ is risen!" And we said: "Come with us, God is good, salvation is not hard, His love has made it easy!" And this, our message, has always been for everyone, for those who came and for those who did not come, for our song is perfect as the Father in heaven is perfect and we pour our charity out upon all.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
No Way...
I saw a headline on Yahoo! that a returning contestant to Dancing With the Stars had a wardrobe malfunction.
Now. It seems as if this is inevitable and/or preferable and should be no surprise to anyone. Those ladies perform acrobatic feats in an amount of fabric that combined would make an adequate dish towel. "What!?! The dish towel fell off while you were flipping?!? That wasn't supposed to happen...*cough*"
The laws of physics are defied everyday in many ways on that show.
Now. It seems as if this is inevitable and/or preferable and should be no surprise to anyone. Those ladies perform acrobatic feats in an amount of fabric that combined would make an adequate dish towel. "What!?! The dish towel fell off while you were flipping?!? That wasn't supposed to happen...*cough*"
The laws of physics are defied everyday in many ways on that show.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Keynes
One cannot get much more Keynesian than Noble Prize winnng economist Paul Krugman in his latest article:
Falling Wage Syndrome
Some excerpts:
"Whatever the specifics, however, falling wages are a symptom of a sick economy. And they’re a symptom that can make the economy even sicker."
"But if everyone takes a pay cut, nobody gains a competitive advantage. So there’s no benefit to the economy from lower wages. Meanwhile, the fall in wages can worsen the economy’s problems on other fronts."
"To break that vicious circle, we basically need more: more stimulus, more decisive action on the banks, more job creation."
Falling Wage Syndrome
Some excerpts:
"Whatever the specifics, however, falling wages are a symptom of a sick economy. And they’re a symptom that can make the economy even sicker."
"But if everyone takes a pay cut, nobody gains a competitive advantage. So there’s no benefit to the economy from lower wages. Meanwhile, the fall in wages can worsen the economy’s problems on other fronts."
"To break that vicious circle, we basically need more: more stimulus, more decisive action on the banks, more job creation."
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Movies
I've watched some good movies lately.
Elephant, an independent film about a school shooting.
Being There, with Peter Sellers who plays a mentally handicapped gardener who through random circumstances makes it into the upper echelons of American government just be making general statements about gardening.
Philadelphia, where Denzel Washington played a different character than usual. Thoughtful, emotional. Best Picture 1993.
Annie Hall, Woody Allen and wit and post-modernism. Very good. Best Picture 1977. I'd buy it.
Elephant, an independent film about a school shooting.
Being There, with Peter Sellers who plays a mentally handicapped gardener who through random circumstances makes it into the upper echelons of American government just be making general statements about gardening.
Philadelphia, where Denzel Washington played a different character than usual. Thoughtful, emotional. Best Picture 1993.
Annie Hall, Woody Allen and wit and post-modernism. Very good. Best Picture 1977. I'd buy it.
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