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Channeling Margaret Sanger!
Child killing isn’t funny, but I laughed while listening to this audio clip of a telephone conversation (posted on YouTube) between a Planned Parenthood employee who accepted a donation from a man who requested that his money be used to help black women have their babies slaughtered in the womb, because “the less black kids out there the better.” (Pet peeve pause: the proper word in this context is fewer, not less.)
The man was a plant, part of a strategy to expose Planned Parenthood for the death-focused organization that it is. Autumn Kersey, vice president of development (no pun intended!) and marketing for Planned Parenthood of Idaho, fell right into the trap. I’m sure that happens a lot when you’re dealing with murder. (Read the text of the conversation.)
An abortion mill worker got caught in a similar web last year. She told an 18-year-old posing as a 15-year-old girl carrying a 23-year-old man’s baby to lie about her age to circumvent the statutory rape law. And then the death factory threatened to sue the poser for recording the exchange. Hey, what can you do? Child killing is legal in all states; recording people without their consent isn’t. Twisted, isn’t it? 
Big tip of the beret to blogger Dawn Eden, one of my favorite people. Dawn, author of the highly-recommended The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On, is hot on the church and college lecture circuit, speaking to young people about chastity. Read the book review.
By the way, Dawn will appear on the “Today” show (NBC) on Monday at 10 a.m. ET. Congratulations, Dawn! Set your DVRs, everybody.
Update (3/3): Actor Martin Sheen is pro-life? Apparently, he is. Why do so-called pro-life people support politicians who believe women have a right to kill their babies? I don’t get it.
One of many things I’ve learned in this life journey is never say never. Ever. That’s why I’ve never said I’ll never return to political blogging. I may one day, but for now, it’s in a corner collecting dust.
Christian writers and bloggers have to contend with many things. One of the most irritating is hearing from people who tell you what you ought to be writing about (wishing I’d write about certain things is OK), whether it’s a blog post, article, or book. (The same applies to non-Christian writers and bloggers, of course.)
That’s why I empathize with novelist Anne Rice, authoress of such vampire novels as the well-known Interview with the Vampire, which was made into a movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
A few years ago, Rice returned to the Catholic faith after years of atheism, and vowed never to write another vampire novel. She said she’d only write for the Lord. See “Interview with a Penitent.”
Let’s lay it out. Vampires are associated with evil. I mean, they’re bloodsuckers. According to vampire mythology, which has evolved over the centuries, a mortal human, once bitten or infected by a vampire, dies from blood loss or becomes a vampire. These soulless creatures are damned to exist for an eternity in non-aging, “undead” bodies, feeding on the lifeblood of mortals. In other words, they must murder (or at the very least, violate) in order to survive.
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I don’t know about you, but I’m so tired of reading stories of college students complaining about “racist” professors. It was refreshing to read one with a different spin, although a sad one.
Earlier this month, University of North Carolina biology professor Albert Harris said unborn babies with Down syndrome should be aborted. Thank goodness someone in the class complained. Unfortunately, she didn’t complain in class and to his face, which is what I’d have done if I’d been pro-life in college. Sadly, I wasn’t. An excerpt from the News & Observer (emphases added):
“In my opinion,” Harris wrote in his lecture notes, “the moral thing for older mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during pregnancy as is safe for the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21, and abort the fetus if it does. The brain is the last organ to become functional.”
Harris, who made the comments on Monday, said he has said the same thing many times before. But Lara Frame, a senior in Harris’ Biology 441, said the biology classroom is no place for opinion.
“Biology is not an opinion subject,” said Frame, an anthropology and Spanish major from Charlotte. “It’s a facts-based subject. And though abortion is legal, it’s not a fact that you should abort every baby with Down syndrome.
“If this had been a philosophy class, I wouldn’t have said anything.”
Frame’s brother, John, 18, has Down syndrome, and Frame said she became “physically ill” at Harris’ remarks. She didn’t say anything during Monday’s class. She was too angry, she said.
Don’t get it twisted. The “moral thing” Harris refers to isn’t having amniocentesis; it’s killing an unborn baby with Down syndrome.
In what universe is it a “moral thing for older mothers” to kill their unborn babies with Down syndrome? A moral thing. Moral? Killing an unborn baby with chromosome abnormalities, a human being who can survive and flourish outside the womb if allowed to develop inside it, is the right thing? Slaughtering a child who’ll be less than perfect or who may not live up to his parents’ expectations is moral?
I’m not surprised Harris said what he said. I’m fairly certain many college professors feel the same way. What surprises me is that a student made some noise about it. 
To “encourage” professors to keep these sort of irrelevant opinions to themselves and just teach the darn class (free speech, my eye), we’ll need bold students, not just students with strong opinions, to speak up and often.
Update: Blogger Julie let me know about a petition “urging doctors to give more factual and accurate (and POSITIVE) information to mothers who have been told their child might have Down syndrome.” For more information, see Mommy Life.
Related posts:
Country music singer Rissi Palmer will play a free show this Thursday night in Columbia, S.C., at the Wild Wings Harbison at 8 p.m., sponsored by NEW 92 FM. I wish I were visiting home this week. Oh, well. Hey, if you go see Rissi on Thursday, let me know.
I’m not what you’d call a big country music fan, but I’m fond of Rissi Palmer’s self-titled debut album. Read the review. I’d be remiss if I didn’t promote Miss Rissi after doing the same for these guys and this guy. (Girl power!)
For the record, I don’t promote books and music for money from authors and artists. It’s all for love…and maybe a backstage pass.
What’s that old saying? Each generation will become weaker and wiser. Who said it?
The high-tech age has encouraged a sedentary lifestyle, which renders us physically weaker than generations before us. We’re weaker morally, I think, because we’ve mainstreamed permissiveness, sexual and otherwise.
Are we wiser? Under the definition “having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances,” perhaps. Thanks to the microchip, we know (or can know) a little about everything. If we’re using the definition “having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right,” then a resounding no.
What’s sad is that America as a whole is losing touch with the meaning of biblical references (the patience of Job, the wisdom of Solomon, the return of the Prodigal Son, Judas’ kiss, doubting Thomas, etc.). On a related note, we’ve heard and read about how poorly young people do on historical literacy tests. A new study from the American Enterprise Institute reports more of the same.
Half the nation’s 17-year-olds can’t identify history references, such as pinpointing the decade in which the Civil War was fought, knowing the main theme of 1984 or what Senator Joseph McCarthy had been trying to do. (But, if they’re taught, they will learn. What do government schools teach these days? I don’t know.) From USA Today:
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I was once a great lover of libraries. I haven’t set foot in one in at least two years.
Part of the reason is that the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, D.C.’s main branch, is a dilapidated, stinky building with falling ceilings and an overall dingy atmosphere. It made me dread visiting the library for the first time in my life. (I didn’t bother much with the other branches, either.)
I can’t remember why I decided to surf to the library system’s web site last year, but what I found there turned me into a library lover again, albeit the digital version.
I’m a little slow, so don’t laugh at this question: Did you that you could download audiobooks (videos and classical music, too) on public library web sites? All you need is a library card (which I’m almost certain you have to apply for in person). I did not know this. (I never could deal with PDF ebooks. I mean, reading a book on a computer? Get real.) Before the discovery, I considered joining subscription audiobook clubs and even buying digital audiobooks (the horror!). Not anymore.
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by La Shawn on February 22, 2008
in Faith
Vice: an immoral or evil habit or practice; immoral conduct; depraved or degrading behavior; sexual immorality, esp. prostitution
Sin: transgression of divine law
Bearing Our Shame
Anybody – anybody – can get caught up in immoral habits and practices. Christians are not immune to vices. The difference is that Christians, unlike the unsaved, are no longer slaves to sin. And as we grow in grace, we learn to hate sin more and more.
Believe when I tell you, hating sin is an acquired taste. You see, the natural man loves sin. Can’t get enough. Let me tell about one of my vices.
Ever heard the term “addictive personality”? According to shrink types, people with this “mental disorder” are more vulnerable to developing addictions. It’s not just pop psychology hype to me. I believe I have an addictive personality. That is, when I like something and get excited about it, I have a strong tendency to go to the extreme. It becomes an idol. And you know how much God hates idolatry. For example, I knew I was hooked on alcohol the first time I drank it. I should have avoided it like Black Death. But I liked the way it made me feel. (Christians know “addictive personality” by another name: sin.)
After that, I couldn’t drink just one beer or martini or whatever. I had to keep drinking until I was blind, until I couldn’t remember where I was. My life was centered around drinking or looking forward to the next drink.
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When I read that iTunes had been hacked yet again, I smiled. I liked it. Was that wrong? Because I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe it’s “un-Christian” to be enjoying it so much.
Hacking is not a good thing, is it? I mean, a hacker is one “who attempts to gain unauthorized access to proprietary computer systems.” Doesn’t sound very nice.
Some Norwegian dude developed a program that allows iPod users to copy music and videos bought in iTunes to other devices, including cell phones. (Actually, this isn’t new. I’m “acquainted” with other programs that help users to do this.) Now, if you use only an iPod (or iPhone) and only iTunes and you don’t want to copy or transfer, you’ve got no problems. But if you have a second or non-Apple digital media player and want to play your online store-bought music and videos on those devices, you’ve got issues with iTunes. That’s not Steve Jobs’s problem. Is it?
Companies go to the trouble and expense of making a product and protecting it, and some Joe comes along and gains “unauthorized access” to your creation for various reasons. I’m not against proprietary programs and systems, but when they prevent users from transferring, copying, and otherwise having the freedom to use what they bought how ever they want, I call foul. I like hackers who do good things, like developing programs to help free digital media. I don’t like hackers who seek to vandalize and destroy. Does it matter if the hacker is using his power for “good”? If he were trying to gum up the works so that no one could use it, that’s a different story. Right?
As you can tell, I’m having trouble wrapping my mind around the ethics of all this.
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by La Shawn on February 20, 2008
in Faith
How come nobody ever contacts me to be interviewed for articles like this one on Christians and the death penalty?
The story’s slant is that Christian support for the death penalty is somehow weakening. It’s a decent article, but I want to focus on one paragraph, which I believe is the most important:
“It’s anti-evangelical to kill people,” [John] Whitehead said. “Christianity is redemptive. But you can’t redeem people by extinguishing them.” Whitehead believes opposition to the death penalty will gain momentum in the future. “Young Christians are seeing right away that, hey, the meek and mild Jesus—would he pull the lever? Would he put the hood on and pull the lever? I don’t think so.”
Even if one supports capital punishment, the idea of killing another human being for any reason is not supposed to be pleasant. Whether the subject is murder, manslaughter, or justifiable homicide, the taking of a human life and its subsequent consequences are serious matters. Even if you kill someone who aims to kill you, it’s got to be disturbing to know you’re responsible for ending someone’s life.
I don’t want to get bogged down with death and murder and electric chairs or poison in the veins, or whether it’s biblical or unbiblical to support capital punishment. I want to talk about the Rutherford Institute’s John Whitehead’s “Christianity is redemptive” quote and why I think it’s sad that a Christian doesn’t seem to understand the point of redemption.
By the Blood of the Lamb
Redemption is one of the key components of the Christian faith. To redeem is to buy back or to pay off. Theologically speaking, it means that Christ paid the penalty for my sins, thereby “buying” me back from Satan, releasing me from sin’s chains, and “paying off” my sin debt. I am bought and paid for. Without this redemption, I’d still be under God’s wrath and facing the just punishment that awaited me when I died.
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My beloved 80s favorites are considered oldies?! Oy. Well, it has been over 20 years. And when I was a teen, I called my parents’ favorites from the 60s oldies (and a lot worse). One good turn deserves another! It’s funny. I now like the songs they tortured me with as a child, including “beach” music. (I grew up in the Carolinas) Interesting…
Update: At a conference a couple months ago, I overheard a teenager referring to Fame as an “old movie.” Man…
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SeeqPod is a cool site.
It’s the Google of music search. Type in a song, no matter how obscure, and the engine searches servers all over the globe and kicks out links to where you can find the song. You can play the song right there at SeeqPod and add it to a playlist, or follow the links and download the MP3.
Sometimes (oftentimes? most of the time?), the links lead to illegal downloads. Not cool, but SeeqPod shouldn’t be held responsible for that, right? After all, Google searches turn up copyrighted works all the time, yet Google isn’t held responsible for including copyrighted works in the search results.
Major music label Warner Music doesn’t agree. It’s suing SeeqPod to the tune of $150,000 per illegally downloaded song. Download (legally) the 57-page lawsuit (courtesy of the Electronic Freedom Foundation) in PDF.
The gist is that Warner Music accuses SeeqPod of infringing copyright and profiting from that infringement and continuing the cycle of infringement by allowing users to embed links on social networking sites. SeeqPod says it is legally protected through the “safe harbor” provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which allows companies to link to, but not host, copyrighted materials.
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When I read an article, I tend to start dissecting and analyzing before I’m finished the entire piece.
For instance, I’ll read a headline and spend way too much time coming up with all sorts of questions and theories about the subject. Reading the article from start to finish, or at least most of it, would answer many questions and debunk or confirm any theories. But I get so caught up in…
That’s what I did yesterday when I saw this headline: “Flash Drives: The Newest Option for Digital Music.”
A band called The Mars Volta* is selling its latest album on USB sticks (for $30!). “Why would anybody think it’s a good idea to sell music on flash drives?” I asked the wall. Given the decrease of CD sales, the expense of making a physical CD, and the small cut artists get from CD sales, I couldn’t figure out why this band was going backward – offering music through a physical medium – rather than going forward by making the most of the straightforward digital download format.
Then I read the story, and the answer was looking up at me with plaintive eyes:
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by La Shawn on February 13, 2008
in Reviews
At 43, Lenny Kravitz is more self-reflective than usual.
He recently spoke to Maxim magazine about his newly declared sexual abstinence, “a promise I made until I get married.” Sex-free for the past three years, Kravitz wants more than just a physical connection. “I’m looking at the big picture.”
Relishing the satisfaction that can result from practicing self-discipline in a gratify-me-now culture, the four-time Grammy winner told Australia’s Herald Sun that abstinence “frees you from a lot of things and it also takes a lot of power away from people who are trying to seduce you… Ultimately I’m trying to do the right thing, to honour myself and the other person and honour God.”
Read the rest.
Later…Thanks for the linkage, Webutante and Randy.
The first thing any good band PR person should tell a new artist or band trying to promote their work is to create a free MySpace music page. Love it or hate it, MySpace is where musicians need to be. The site allows artists to embed music players and showcase their best work so that potentially millions of people can get a taste of the music. MySpace is all about “friends.” Similar bands and fans of those bands will send friend invitations, which will lead even more people to your page.
I became active on MySpace this week, and I’m already getting friend invites (and a backstage pass offer) from bands and fans who found me through other bands and fans. As long as I like the music, I’m willing to promote it (a backstage pass would be welcome!), no matter how modest my efforts. There probably are thousands of people like me online who want to help good bands promote their music. Free of charge. (Well, a backstage pass would be…see where I’m going with this?)
For new artists, exposure is more important than money, as counterintuitive as that may sound. Get people’s attention first, give away your music, build a fanbase, then start charging.
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