Here is a fact-check of statements made by Mitt Romney either in his campaign announcement speech Thursday or at his town hall meeting in Manchester, N.H., yesterday:
RAISING TAXES
ROMNEY: “The expectation was that we’d have to raise taxes but [as governor of Massachusetts] I refused. I ordered a review of all state spending, made tough choices, and balanced the budget without raising taxes.’’
Romney largely held the line on tax increases when he was governor, but that’s only part of the revenue story. The state raised business taxes by $140 million in one year with measures branded “loophole closings,’’ the vast majority recommended by Romney. Moreover, the Republican governor and Democratic lawmakers raised hundreds of millions of dollars from higher fees and fines — taxation by another name. Romney himself proposed creating 33 new fees and increasing 57 others — enough to raise $59 million. Antitax groups were split on his performance. The Club for Growth called the fee increases and business taxes troubling. Citizens for Limited Taxation praised him for being steadfast in supporting an income tax rollback.
Spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said yesterday that Romney does not consider the fees a tax hike. “He held the line on taxes and cut taxes 19 times,’’ Fehrnstrom said.
ON THE NATIONAL DEBT
ROMNEY: “The debt of the nation right now is almost as large as the entire economy.’’
This is true, if US debt is measured against the nation’s gross domestic product, which is essentially the total value of goods and services produced yearly in America. US GDP was about $14.6 trillion in 2010, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The total US debt on June 2, the date of Romney’s announcement of his bid for president, was roughly $14.3 trillion, or, more specifically, $14,344,706,437,041, according to the US Department of the Treasury. The debt when Obama took office in January 2009 was about $10.6 trillion.
ON GOVERNMENT GROWTH
ROMNEY: “Government under President Obama, federal, state, and local, has grown to consume almost 40 percent of our economy.’’
Last year, combined spending for federal, state, and local governments was 35 percent of gross domestic product, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget. That number includes state and local governments that Obama and the federal administration do not directly control. For much of the past 40 years, the combined government outlay has mainly been in the low 30-percent range, rising to 33.5 percent in 1991 during the recession of the early 1990s. During the administration of President George W. Bush, from 2001-08, total government outlay averaged 31 percent of GDP. The federal government’s share, which has fluctuated within a few points of 20 percent of GDP for decades, was on the high end at 25 percent in 2009 and 23.8 percent in 2010, due to emergency spending, such as the bank bailouts and the economic stimulus package, according to the White House budget office. Romney has pledged to cap federal spending at 20 percent or less of GDP. Federal outlays averaged 19.6 percent of GDP during the Bush administration.
ON TAXES AND REGULATION
ROMNEY: “Instead of encouraging entrepreneurs and employers, [Obama] raises their taxes, piles on record-breaking mounds of regulation and bureaucracy, and gives more power to union bosses.’’
Romney ignores ambitious tax cutting pushed by Obama. The stimulus plan early in his presidency cut taxes broadly for middle class and business. Obama won a one-year tax cut for 2011 that reduced most workers’ Social Security payroll taxes by nearly a third. He also campaigned in support of extending George W. Bush-era tax cuts for all except the wealthy. In office, he accepted a deal from Republicans extending the tax cuts for all. As for increases, Obama won congressional approval to raise taxes on tobacco and tanning salons. The penalty for those who don’t buy health insurance, once coverage is mandatory, is a form of taxation. Several large tax increases in the health law have yet to take effect.
ON PRESIDENT OBAMA’S EXPERIENCE
ROMNEY: Obama has “no experience in the private sector, no experience in leadership, no experience really in negotiations.’’
This seems like a line left over from the 2008 campaign, when then-Senator Obama’s slim experience as a community organizer before he got into politics was a frequent target of GOP attacks. However, since taking office in the White House, Obama has run the massive executive branch bureaucracy, commanded the world’s most powerful military, negotiated a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, and hammered out deals with congressional Republicans on a temporary extension of the Bush-era tax cuts and a spending plan for the current fiscal year that avoided a government shutdown.
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — A day after being routed by the World Cup champions, Clint Dempseyand the Americans were eager for another challenge.
They won’t have to wait long.
The United States plays its Gold Cup opener Tuesday night against Canada, meaning the Americans will have an immediate chance to move on from Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Spain in an exhibition game. The U.S. looked overmatched from the start against the smooth-passing Spaniards, who won the World Cup last year and the European title two years before that.
“It’s a little kick up the backside,” Dempsey said. “Even though it was a friendly, you never want to lose a game, especially by four goals. Everybody’s going to be fired up for this first game and making sure we take care of business.”
The Gold Cup is the premier event for CONCACAF, the federation representing North and Central America and the Caribbean. The tournament champion earns a spot in the Confederations Cup, an important World Cup tuneup.
The U.S. opens against Canada at Detroit’s Ford Field, and the Americans are expected to have Landon Donovan back for that game. Donovan was on the practice field Sunday after missing the loss to Spain with an undisclosed illness.
“I’m feeling better,” Donovan said. “I haven’t properly trained in a few days, so today was a little more difficult than a normal training session. I was breathing pretty hard, but I feel good, and I would expect I’ll be fine by Tuesday.”
Neither the Americans nor the Spaniards were at full strength when they played Saturday in Foxborough, Mass. Dempsey, for example, entered only as a second-half substitute for coach Bob Bradley.
“It was a game for Bob to look at a number of different players,” Dempsey said. “I don’t think at one time we had our strongest 11 on the field.”
Still, the loss was a resounding one. It was the first time the U.S. had allowed three or more goals in the first half since a 4-1 loss to Denmark at the Rose Bowl in 1997.
It could have been even worse, but Spain had an early goal disallowed for offside, then hit the crossbar moments later.
“They have that potential against any team in the world, so it’s difficult to limit their chances,” Donovan said. “We certainly learned from it. We’ll watch tape a little bit and learn from it, but the reality is, that’s done now. We’ve got to get what we can out of the learning experience, but I promise you Canada doesn’t care what happened against Spain.”
The U.S. last won the Gold Cup in 2007, earning a spot in the 2009 Confederations Cup, where the Americans stunned Spain before nearly upsetting Brazil in the final.
In the 2009 Gold Cup, with far less at stake, the U.S. fielded an inexperienced team and lost 5-0 to Mexico in the final.
The U.S. has never lost a group stage game in Gold Cup play. After taking on Canada, the Americans head to Tampa, Fla., to face Panama on Saturday night, then play Guadeloupe on June 14. The top two teams in the group automatically advance to the quarterfinals.
“What we always do is try to take a little bit from the last game, but then quickly turn our attention to what comes next,” Bradley said. “In this case, we’ve all been looking forward to getting started in the Gold Cup.” Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
Brazil: Palmeiras (7), Atletico-MG, Vasco da Gama, Sao Paulo, Corinthians and Fluminense (6).
On the tube
Sunday: Poland vs. Argentina friendly (11 a.m., ESPN2), Colombia vs. Italy friendly (12:30 p.m., GOL-TV), Real Madrid All-Stars vs. Bayern Munich All-Stars (1 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel), U.S. women vs. Mexico (2 p.m., ESPN2), Flamengo vs. Corinthians (3 p.m., GOL-TV), Boston Breakers vs. MagicJack women’s league (6 p.m., FSC), Cuba vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup (6 p.m., Univision), Mexico vs. El Salvador (8 p.m., Univision)
The European leagues have closed shop for the summer, and Barcelona’s much-hyped Champions League title over Manchester United is history. It’s time to turn attention to our home soil for the 2011 Gold Cup — a 12-team biennial regional tournament that opens Sunday in Dallas and makes a stop in Miami on Friday night.
As usual, Mexico and the United States are favored to make the final June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., with defending champion Mexico getting a slight edge.
The Mexican team routed the United States 5-0 in the 2009 final and features Manchester United rookie phenom Javier “ El Chicharito” (the small pea) Hernandez, Tottenham’s Giovani dos Santos and captain Rafa Marquez, a veteran central defender who played for Barcelona and now is with the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer.
Marquez and U.S. star Landon Donovan are among 32 MLS players on Gold Cup rosters, which raises the question: Why doesn’t MLS take a timeout for Gold Cup? But then, this is the same league that plays through the World Cup. Silly decisions, in my opinion, but I digress.
Mexico has won five Gold Cup titles, the United States has won four, and the border rivals have met four times in the final. The winner represents the CONCACAF region at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil, site of the 2014 World Cup. Four years ago, the United States won the Gold Cup and earned a spot in the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa. The Americans earned international respect there, shocking eventual World Cup champion Spain in the semifinals, and leading Brazil in the first half of the final.
EVALUATION TIME
The Gold Cup serves as a springboard to the next World Cup cycle. It is a chance for coaches to evaluate young talent and begin weeding out aging players.
“We certainly look at this Gold Cup as being such an important tournament for the United States and something that we really put a lot of time and effort into,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said.
Bradley’s Gold Cup roster has many holdovers from the World Cup last summer, including Donovan, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Carlos Bocanegra, Oguchi Onyewu, Jozy Altidore of Boca Raton and Maurice Edu. He also will be looking at 18-year-old Juan Agudelo of the Red Bulls, a Colombian-born forward who scored two goals in his first four matches with the national team, including one against Argentina.
Other players to watch include much-hyped former teen phenom Freddy Adu, midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, who grew up in South Florida, and defenders Tim Ream and Eric Lichaj.
The Americans are in Group C with Canada, Panama and Guadeloupe. Their first match is Tuesday against Canada in Detroit. Mexico opens Sunday against El Salvador at Cowboys Stadium, and Cuba plays Costa Rica in the first half of the opening-day doubleheader. A crowd of nearly 100,000 is expected. Mexico gets huge crowds wherever it plays in the United States. A five-game pre-Gold Cup exhibition tour drew crowds averaging 51,000.
Group B — the group that plays Friday night at Florida International University — features Honduras, Jamaica, Grenada and Guatemala. Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz play Guatemala at 7 p.m., followed by Honduras vs. Grenada.
“I won’t go so far as to say that we are favorites,” Mexico coach Jose Manuel de La Torre said. “We are aspiring to be champions, but there are teams in this tournament that could surprise us.”
Costa Rica could make life difficult for Mexico. The Ticos are led by veteran coach Ricardo La Volpe and Bryan Ruiz, a creative playmaker based in the Dutch league. Honduras, which won the title in 1991, played in the 2010 World Cup and relies on the England-based trio Wilson Palacios, Maymor Figueroa and Hendry Thomas.
NOTABLE ABSENCES
Jamaica will be missing Tyrone Marshall and Omar Cummings, who decided to stay with the Colorado Rapids, but Reggae Boyz fans still have reason for optimism. L.A. Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts is minding the net, Theodore Whitmore is in the midfield and young speedster Dane Richards of the Red Bulls could make a name for himself.
Canada could make a run with a talented roster that includes Dwayne DeRosario and fleet-footed forward Simeon Jackson, a key reason Norwich City was promoted to the English Premier League for the 2011-12 season.
Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Cuba and Grenada are considered the lightweights — with an 8-31-9 combined Gold Cup record. Grenada will be without Shalrie Joseph, who chose to stay with the New England Revolution. Guatemala could be a surprise, with Carlos “ El Pescadito’’ Ruiz and Marco Pappa on the roster. And Cuba, led by Roberto Linares, played well at the recent Caribbean Cup, losing just once.
Fox Soccer Channel will be broadcasting all U.S. matches, the quarterfinals, semifinals and final. The U.S. team plays Canada at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Panama at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Guadeloupe at 8:30 p.m. on June 14.
Univision is televising the Mexico matches, beginning with the 8 p.m. Sunday opener, the Cuba vs. Costa Rica match Sunday (6 p.m.) and also the quarterfinals, semifinals and final.
Tickets for the matches at FIU are $20 to $60 and available at goldcup.org.
“I’m Dr. Jack Kevorkian. Vote for me and I promise to solve the Medicare and Social Security crisis!” I am sure that Dr. Jack Kevorkian never used that slogan in his race for Congress.
Well-heeled art patrons wandered through Detroit’s Ariana art gallery, sipping wine and nibbling strawberries. But the exhibit was enough to make most lose their appetites.
One painting, titled Coma, showed a bedridden man being dragged through the jaws of a gigantic skull. In another painting, titled Genocide, soldiers hold a bleeding, severed head by the hair. A third painting depicts Santa Claus stomping the life out of the Baby Jesus.
What is this, the latest outrage funded by the National Endowment for the Arts? No, it’s an exhibit of paintings by Jack Kevorkian. And you couldn’t have asked for a better illustration of the real Dr. Death.
Many Americans have been drawn in by sympathetic media accounts, and view Kevorkian’s suicide machine as a rational and compassionate solution for the sick and suffering. Or they view him as at worst a harmless crank. But in a recent article in the New Republic, Michael Betzold says reporters have kept Kevorkian’s background and true agenda firmly under wraps.
IN ONE PAINTING, SOLDIERS HOLD A BLEEDING, SEVERED HEAD BY THE HAIR.
For example, Kevorkian was given the nickname “Dr. Death” decades ago—not because he favored assisted suicide, but because he enjoyed photographing patients’ eyes as they lay dying. Kevorkian also campaigned for the legalization of medical experiments on prison inmates. As a young pathologist, he conducted bizarre experiments, such as transfusing blood from corpses into live volunteers.
But the most chilling of Kevorkian’s private compulsions is his conviction that doctors alone should make life-and-death decisions.
During his murder trials, Kevorkian frequently reassures the public that “the patient always has… absolute autonomy;” that doctors are ethically bound to honor the patient’s decision. But listen to what he said during a 1993 interview. When asked who should determine when someone’s life is no longer worth living, Kevorkian snapped, “That’s up to physicians, and nobody can gainsay what doctors say.”
In other words, if Kevorkian says it’s time for you to check out, don’t even think of arguing.
Even worse, Kevorkian once testified that his goal was to implement “a rational policy of planned death for the entire civilized world.” A chilling scenario.
Americans have been taken in by Kevorkian’s rhetoric of autonomy—the idea that the patient should decide if he wants to live or die. But this is a classic diversionary tactic. Ever since the great founder of medicine, Hippocrates, doctors have been morally committed to preserving life. The current talk of autonomy is nothing but a ploy to get rid of the traditional ethic in favor of a deadly new one.
As bioethicist Nigel Cameron puts it, “Autonomy is a smokescreen for the introduction of a new substantive ethic… [for] sinister new values.”
Kevorkian exemplifies this ethical sleight of hand. He’s been so dressed up by the media and by his own slick language that we don’t realize what’s really behind his actions.
In fact, maybe we ought to be grateful for Kevorkian’s grotesque artwork, because it’s helping to expose the real Jack Kevorkian. As one art lover put it: “I used to respect what [Dr. Kevorkian] did. These paintings changed my mind. He’s a sick person.” She added: “How do I know he doesn’t do what he does because he enjoys killing people?”
In light of what we now know about Kevorkian’s history, that’s an excellent question.
Calvary Chapel Spring Valley | Sunday Evening | September 2, 2012 | Pastor Derek Neider
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Ecclesiastes 2-3
Published on Sep 19, 2012
Calvary Chapel Spring Valley | Sunday Evening | September 16, 2012 | Derek Neider
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Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago:
Solomon, Woody Allen, Coldplay and Kansas
What does King Solomon, the movie director Woody Allen and the modern rock bands Coldplay and Kansas have in common? All four took on the issues surrounding death, the meaning of life and a possible afterlife, although they all came up with their own conclusions on these weighty matters.
Let me start off by pointing out what they all had in common. First, they were very successful and rose to the top of their fields. Second, they were very famous and of course, thirdly they were wealthy and experienced the privileges that fame and wealth brought. Finally, they were still seeking answers to life’s great questions even though it seemed they had experienced all the world had to offer.
Unlike many the past grammy winners of “Best Rock Album,” Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay is filled with songs that deal with spiritual themes such as death, the meaning of life and searching for an afterlife.
Leadsinger Chris Martin notes, “…because we’ve had some people close to us we’ve lost, but some miracles — we’ve got kids. So, life has been very extreme recently, and so both death and life pop up quite often” (MTV News interview, June 9, 2008).
Russ Briermeier of Christianity Today observes that this album is “often provocative, spiritual, and seemingly on the verge of identifying a greater truth, asking and inspiring many questions without providing the answers.” It reminded me of King Solomon’s search for answers in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. Solomon also dealt the subject of death a lot. Ecclesiastes 7:2-4 asserts, “It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time. Sorrow is better than laughter, it may sadden your face, but it sharpens your understanding.”
The subject of death is prominent in the songs “Poppyfields,” “Violet Hill,” “Death and All His Friends,” “42,” and the “Cemeteries of London.” Then the song “The Escapist” states, “And in the end, We lie awake and we dream, we’re makin our escape.” In the end we all die. Therefore, I assume this song is searching for an afterlife to escape to. The song “Glass of Water” sheds some more light on where we possibly escape to: “Oh he said you could see a future inside a glass of water, with riddles and the rhymes, He asked ‘Will I see heaven in mine?’
Coldplay is clearly searching for spiritual answers but it seems they have not found them quite yet. The song “42“: “Time is so short and I’m sure, There must be something more.” Then the song “Lost“: “Every river that I tried to cross, Every door I ever tried was locked, I’m just waiting til the shine wears off, You might be a big fish in a little pond, Doesn’t mean you’ve won, Because along may come a bigger one and you will be lost.”
Solomon went to the extreme in his searching in the Book of Ecclesiastes for this “something more” that Coldplay is talking about, but he did not find any satisfaction in pleasure (2:1), education (2:3), work (2:4), wealth (2:8) or fame (2:9). All of his accomplishments would not be remembered (1:11) and who is to say that they had not already been done before by others (1:10)? This reminds me of the big fish in the little pond that Coldplay was talking about. Even if you think you are on top, are you really? Also Solomon’s upcoming death depressed him because both people and animals alike “go to the same place — they came from dust and they return to dust” (3:20).
In 1978 I heard the song “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas when it rose to #6 on the charts. That song told me thatKerry Livgren the writer of that song and a member of Kansas had come to the same conclusion that Solomon had. I remember mentioning to my friends at church that we may soon see some members of Kansas become Christians because their search for the meaning of life had obviously come up empty even though they had risen from being an unknown band to the top of the music business and had all the wealth and fame that came with that. Furthermore, like Solomon and Coldplay, they realized death comes to everyone and “there must be something more.”
Livgren wrote:
“All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see, Dust in the Wind, All we are is dust in the wind, Don’t hang on, Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and Sky, It slips away, And all your money won’t another minute buy.”
Both Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope of Kansas became Christians eventually. Kerry Livgren first tried Eastern Religions and Dave Hope had to come out of a heavy drug addiction. I was shocked and elated to see their personal testimony on The 700 Club in 1981 and that same interview can be seen on youtube today. Livgren lives in Topeka, Kansas today where he teaches “Diggers,” a Sunday school class at Topeka Bible Church. Hope is the head of Worship, Evangelism and Outreach at Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin, Florida.
The movie maker Woody Allen has embraced the nihilistic message of the song “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas. David Segal in his article, “Things are Looking Up for the Director Woody Allen. No?” (Washington Post, July 26, 2006), wrote, “Allen is evangelically passionate about a few subjects. None more so than the chilling emptiness of life…The 70-year-old writer and director has been musing about life, sex, work, death and his generally futile search for hope…the world according to Woody is so bereft of meaning, so godless and absurd, that the only proper response is to curl up on a sofa and howl for your mommy.”
The song “Dust in the Wind” recommends, “Don’t hang on.” Allen himself says, “It’s just an awful thing and in that context you’ve got to find an answer to the question: ‘Why go on?’ ” It is ironic that Chris Martin the leader of Coldplay regards Woody Allen as his favorite director.
Lets sum up the final conclusions of these gentlemen: Coldplay is still searching for that “something more.” Woody Allen has concluded the search is futile. Livgren and Hope of Kansas have become Christians and are involved in fulltime ministry. Solomon’s experiment was a search for meaning to life “under the sun.” Then in last few words in the Book of Ecclesiastes he looks above the sun and brings God back into the picture: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
You can hear Kerry Livgren’s story from this youtube link:
Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. I wrote this article a couple of years ago: The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention […]
CP I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it […]
Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]
Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]
Coldplay performing “Glass of Water.” Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the first part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the Afterlife.” Coldplay’s latest musical […]
Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Official) The new single – download it now from iTunes at http://cldp.ly/itunescp (except in the UK, where it will be released to download stores at 12.01am on Sunday June 5th). Written by Berryman / Buckland / Champion / Martin / Allen / Anderson. Produced by Markus Dravs, Dan […]
Archaeology demonstrates solid connections between the biblical record and ancient history, in contrast to Christopher Hitchens’ assertion that it is an implausible record. Consider the following:
The United Monarchy
David’s existence has been questioned frequently. Examples of petty monarchs ruling miniscule kingdoms in the Near East find rare mention in ancient sources, yet generally their historicity is taken at face value with minimal skepticism. Even Gilgamesh, the hero of the Epic of Gilgamesh, is thought to have been a historical figure ruling in Mesopotamia between 2600-2700 B.C. based on a reference in the famous Sumerian king list. Yet, David’s historicity is viewed with extreme suspicion, even though there are references to David found in the Tel Dan Inscription and the Moabite Stone, as well as numerous references in the Hebrew Bible. Indeed, Gilgamesh is thought to have been a real person despite being the semi-divine hero in a mythical composition, which also includes such fantastic details as a beast-man named Enkidu, a divinely sent creature of destruction called the Bull of Heaven, and a plant that can grant the person who eats it eternal life. David is frequently labeled a myth despite the solid evidence in favor of his existence.
After the evidence is surveyed, it is apparent that much of the criticism of the Bible arises—not from intense scrutiny of the evidence—but from ignorance of it. The overwhelming weight of the archaeological and historical evidence firmly places the Bible in the sphere of reality rather than myth.
As of April 8, 2011, Dewayne Bryant holds two Masters degrees, and is completing Masters study in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, while pursuing doctoral studies at Amridge University. He has participated in an archaeological dig at Tell El-Borg in Egypt and holds professional membership in the American Schools of Oriental Research, the Society of Biblical Literature, and the Archaeological Institute of America.
I will be sharing portions of the article “How Do We Know that the Bible Is True?,” by Dr. Jason Lisle, Answers in Genesis, March 22, 2011. Here is the third part:
The Bible is an extraordinary work of literature, and it makes some astonishing claims. It records the details of the creation of the universe, the origin of life, the moral law of God, the history of man’s rebellion against God, and the historical details of God’s work of redemption for all who trust in His Son. Moreover, the Bible claims to be God’s revelation to mankind. If true, this has implications for all aspects of life: how we should live, why we exist, what happens when we die, and what our meaning and purpose is. But how do we know if the claims of the Bible are true?
Some Typical Answers
Begging the Question
Some have cited 2 Timothy 3:16 as proof that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. This text indicates that all Scripture is inspired by God (or “God-breathed”) and useful for teaching. That is, every writing in the Bible is a revelation from God that can be trusted as factually true. Clearly, if the Bible is given by revelation of the God of truth, then it can be trusted at every point as an accurate depiction. The problem with answering the question this way is that it presupposes that the verse itself is truthful—which is the very claim at issue.
In other words, how do we know that 2 Timothy 3:16 is true? “Well it’s in the Bible,” some might say. But how do we know the Bible is true? “2 Timothy 3:16 assures us that it is.” This is a vicious circular argument. It must first arbitrarily assume the very thing it is trying to prove. Circular reasoning of this type (while technically valid) is not useful in a debate because it does not prove anything beyond what it merely assumes. After all, this type of argument would be equally valid for any other book that claims to be inspired by God. How do we know that book X is inspired by God? “Because it says it is.” But how do we know that what it’s saying is true? “Well, God wouldn’t lie!”
On the other hand, some Christians might go too far the other way—thinking that what the Bible says about itself is utterly irrelevant to the question of its truthfulness or its inspiration from God. This, too, is a mistake. After all, how would we know that a book is inspired by God unless it claimed to be? Think about it: how do you know who wrote a particular book? The book itself usually states who the author is. Most people are willing to accept what a book says about itself unless they have good evidence to the contrary.
So it is quite relevant that the Bible itself claims to be inspired by God. It does claim that all of its assertions are true and useful for teaching. Such statements do prove at least that the writers of the Bible considered it to be not merely their own opinion, but in fact the inerrant Word of God. However, arguing that the Bible must be true solely on the basis that it says so is not a powerful argument. Yes, it is a relevant claim. But we need some additional information if we are to escape a vicious circle.
The truth of the Bible is obvious to anyone willing to fairly investigate it. The Bible is uniquely self-consistent and extraordinarily authentic. It has changed the lives of millions of people who have placed their faith in Christ. It has been confirmed countless times by archaeology and other sciences. It possesses divine insight into the nature of the universe and has made correct predictions about distant future events with perfect accuracy. When Christians read the Bible, they cannot help but recognize the voice of their Creator. The Bible claims to be the Word of God, and it demonstrates this claim by making knowledge possible. It is the standard of standards. The proof of the Bible is that unless its truth is presupposed, we couldn’t prove anything at all.
Calvary Chapel Spring Valley | Sunday Evening | September 2, 2012 | Pastor Derek Neider
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Ecclesiastes 2-3
Published on Sep 19, 2012
Calvary Chapel Spring Valley | Sunday Evening | September 16, 2012 | Derek Neider
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Coldplay – 42 Live
Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9.
I wrote this article a couple of years ago:
The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife
Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention God and other Biblical themes such as dealing with death, and the afterlife and meaning in life and the shortness of life. The song “42” states,
Those who are dead are not dead
They’re just living my head
And since I fell for that spell
I am living there as well
Oh…Time is so short and I’m sure
There must be something more
This is the same journey that Solomon went on 3000 years ago in the Book of Ecclesiastes. The Christian Scholar Ravi Zacharias noted, “The key to understanding the Book of Ecclesiastes is the term UNDER THE SUN — What that literally means is you lock God out of a closed system and you are left with only this world of Time plus Chance plus matter.” Most people are not in the position of Solomon was in because he had a great deal of resources and could see if getting true lasting satisfaction was possible without God in the picture and Solomon went about this experiment. He found out these hard cold facts.
Three things that do not bring lasting Satisfaction
Satisfaction does not come through (#1) learning more, or (#2) putting more effort in your work or (#3)seeking pleasure.
Read Solomon’s words for yourself.
Ecclesiastes 1:16- 2:11
16-17 I said to myself, “I know more and I’m wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I’ve stockpiled wisdom and knowledge.” What I’ve finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind.18 Much learning earns you much trouble.
The more you know, the more you hurt.
Chapter 2
1-3 I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!
My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?
With the help of a bottle of wine
and all the wisdom I could muster,
I tried my level best
to penetrate the absurdity of life.
I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do
during the years we spend on this earth.
4-8 Oh, I did great things: built houses,
planted vineyards,
designed gardens and parks
and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,
made pools of water
to irrigate the groves of trees.
I bought slaves, male and female,
who had children, giving me even more slaves;
then I acquired large herds and flocks,
larger than any before me in Jerusalem.
I piled up silver and gold,
loot from kings and kingdoms.
I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,
and—most exquisite of all pleasures—
voluptuous maidens for my bed.
9-10 Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!
11 Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.
No band has worked harder than Coldplay (creating 4 of the greatest cds in pop history) and Chris Martin is a very educated man who has achieved the storybook life in many areas. Why has his writing turning more towards spiritual matters now? Could he be traveling down the same road that Solomon was going 3000 years ago?
Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. I wrote this article a couple of years ago: The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention […]
CP I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it […]
Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]
Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]
Coldplay performing “Glass of Water.” Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the first part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the Afterlife.” Coldplay’s latest musical […]
Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Official) The new single – download it now from iTunes at http://cldp.ly/itunescp (except in the UK, where it will be released to download stores at 12.01am on Sunday June 5th). Written by Berryman / Buckland / Champion / Martin / Allen / Anderson. Produced by Markus Dravs, Dan […]
Philosopher and Theologian, Francis A. Schaeffer has argued, “If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer, How Shall We Then Live? (Old Tappan NJ: Fleming H Revell Company, 1976), p. 224.
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Francis Schaeffer was a prophet in many ways. His writings have turned out to be prophetic in this subject of euthanasia. Take a look at this article below:
Euthanasia is a term we hear more frequently today. The word is derived from two Greek words–one meaning “well” and the other meaning “death” — and so the word “euthanasia” has come to mean “an easy or painless death.” In current usage, euthanasia refers to the practice commonly called “mercy killing.” To painlessly put to death persons who suffer from incurable and extremely painful diseases seems like an act of mercy to many unthinking people.
The article, which follows, explains that “pulling the plug” is a common term used to indicate the withdrawal of all life support-’including mechanical ventilation, intravenous fluids, and tube feeding for nutritional support when there is no hope of recovery.”
Today there are increasing pressures on medical professionals, pastors, families, and individuals to hasten the death of those under their care. Such hastening sometimes takes the form of direct action (including lethal injection), or it may also take a passive form (the neglect or withdrawal of the necessary means of preserving life). Most of us hope that our death will come naturally. We generally prefer not to be kept alive on a machine when we are irreversibly dying, but neither is it ethical to hasten the end of physical life.
When “assisted suicide” once becomes acceptable for elderly dying patients on life support, it can quickly become acceptable to use the procedure for cases that do not fit that stereotype. When paralyzed 21 year old Roosevelt Dawson was released from a Michigan hospital in February, 1998 so that he could die at the hands of Jack Kevorkian, we were shown how easily active euthanasia can become a widespread practice.
Human life is a gift of God and only He has the right to terminate it. In the Bible, life is regarded as precious. The Scriptures have a different perspective on death and life–from that on which the modern euthanasia debate is usually based. The Bible consistently presents the hope of a life after death. The Scriptures repeatedly testify to the certainty of the world to come, with a guarantee of freedom from death for those who belong to God.
The writer of this article is a medical doctor, and in the following essay, he presents insights that are important for Christians to think about in this age of respirators, heart pumps, and feeding tubes. We must distinguish between treatments that preserve life and those that simply prolong death.
–Harold S. Martin
Pulling the Plug
The Christian’s Response to Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia
“Why don’t you just give me enough medicine to put me asleep forever?” asked Mary pathetically. Mary asked me that question one morning as I visited her in the hospital a few months ago just before she died a natural death from a painfully malignant tumor of the bowel.
But Mary is not the only patient asking that question and many who support assisted suicide and euthanasia are clamoring for legislation and court decisions to legalize this practice in the United States. Several developments have combined to open this once forbidden subject to current public debate. Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop, in a book co-authored 25 years ago entitled Whatever Happened to the Human Race, postulated that the legalization of abortion, which devalues human life prior to birth, would quickly usher in the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia, which is the devaluation of life at the end of life. Abortion became legal in the United States in 1973 and many believe that the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia is now imminent.
In order to understand the argument surrounding this controversy, a clear definition of terms is necessary. Euthanasia is the direct act of another person, usually a physician, administering lethal doses of medication to kill another person either with or without the person’s consent Assisted suicide is supplying patients who have voluntarily requested to end their lives, with the medications to kill themselves. “Pulling the plug” is a common term used to indicate the withdrawal of ail life support including mechanical ventilation, intravenous fluids, and tube feeding for nutritional support when there is no hope for meaningful recovery.
1. THE CURRENT SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES IN 1998
The American Nurses Association also has a statement in their constitution asserting the incompatibility of assisted suicide with the role of healer. Yet in a survey of 1500 critical care nurses published in the March, 1996 New England Journal of Medicine, 20% of the 800 responders stated that they had actually killed a patient mercifully while taking care of them in an intensive care unit, without the patient’s consent.
Just as legal and medical opinions are divided, so is popular opinion. In an article published in the March, 1996 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, 12% of physicians polled stated that they had received requests for assisted suicide and 4% stated they had received requests from patients for euthanasia. Many lay persons are sympathetic with the work of Jack Kevorkian, the retired Detroit pathologist who is no longer a practicing physician, but who has publicly acknowledged assisting with dozens of suicides in patients who have terminal or severely debilitating illnesses. Although Kevorkian has been arrested on several occasions, not once has he been successfully convicted of a criminal act. In addition, the Hemlock Society is an organization which actively promotes a patient’s taking his own life at any time, and has published materials giving details of the various methods to accomplish this. When patients are asked why they have requested assisted suicide or information regarding euthanasia, their stated reasons are often that they want the satisfaction of knowing how and when their life will end if faced with suffering or disability.
The promotion of mercy killing is born out of a rampant disrespect for the sanctity of human life in our society. This disrespect for human life is rooted in secular humanism which places man at the center of his existence rather than espousing a God centered existence. Society measures the value of a person’s life by its own standards and not by God’s. Society today wants to avoid suffering at all costs. Suffering is viewed as an extreme evil, so laws are created to help us avoid suffering. Now a mother can obtain an abortion rather than suffer the heartache of an unwanted child. Parents can obtain a late term abortion after it is discovered that a baby has a severely disabling condition rather than face the pain of raising a disabled child. And soon patients who are facing debilitating and terminal illnesses will be allowed to end their own suffering by assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Medical technology has advanced to the point where there is the ability to extend life almost indefinitely. The average age of death has increased from forty-five in 1900 to seventy-six for women and seventy-two for men in 1990. Vaccines and antibiotics fight infectious diseases that once meant an early death. Advance diagnostic procedures, surgical techniques, and even organ transplantation which once were considered experimental, are now treatments of choice for many heart, lung and kidney diseases, as well as for many cancers. The question now is when should life be allowed to end.
2. THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
In considering the ethical questions surrounding assisted suicide and euthanasia the Christian must consider the biblical perspective on the sanctity of human life. Christians need to base their opinions not on judicial, medical, or popular opinion, but on God’s opinion, which is recorded in the Scripture. Although there is no chapter and verse which states thou shalt not commit assisted suicide or euthanasia,” the Scripture gives a high value to human life which is opposed to the value which society places on life .
This value to human life begins in the book of Genesis where it says God created man “in his own image.” It also states that God breathed into him “the breath of life”;’he became a living soul” and ‘God saw that it was very good.” The argument follows that if God created life, do human beings have the right to end it? The sixth commandment, “Thou shall not kill,” precludes premeditated murder. God does provide a system of capital punishment for specific sins but never is murder used for sickness or disability in either the Old or New Testament.
Jesus himself speaks to the sanctity of human life when he speaks of God’s knowledge of sparrows in the air and states that we are more important in God’s sight than these. Jesus also makes reference to the value of a person’s life with disabilities when he speaks of the purpose for the man born blind in John 9. Paul speaks to God’s authority and rule over our lives in Romans 14:7-9, “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Again in 1 Corinthians 6:19b-20, Paul speaks concerning the authority and rule of God in our lives: “Do you not know that … you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” The New Testament also states that it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. It should be noted that this is scheduled in God’s appointment book and it is not our own decision to make.
Even the psalmist David realized that God was in control of his life. In Psalm 31:10-12 David’s life was fast coming to an end as he wrote “For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my iniquity, and my bones waste away … I am like a dead man out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.” Doesn’t this remind us of a person who is coming to the end of life with ill health and being abandoned by his friends and family? Yet David did not ask for euthanasia, for in verse 15 he says, “My times are in Your hand.”
The Bible speaks of the sanctity of human life in God’s sight, and of the authority and rule of God in our lives. The Bible says that our times are in God’s hands and that He has appointed the day of our death. It also reveals to us the purpose of suffering in our lives as we study the lives of Job, Paul, and Jesus.
Because human life is sacred according to Biblical principles, we have no right to end life prematurely. Job stated that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away, and although this probably referred to his material possessions, it can also be assumed that since the Lord took away his entire family, that Job could be speaking about his own life. Joni Erickson Tada, the paraplegic who has a worldwide ministry to disabled persons, states that instead of making it easier for people with disabilities to die, the focus should be on making it easier for them to live. When making life and death decisions (such as pulling the plug or withholding medical support), we should not ask the question, “Does this life have value?”–or, “Is this life worth living?”–but rather, “Is this treatment worth giving?” There is a difference between prolonging life and preventing death in a hopeless situation, and causing premature death by euthanasia and assisted suicide.
3. SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS OF ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA
As Christians we must understand that the most important part of preparing for death is not to be concerned about the advanced directives, medical technology or asking for assisted suicide in the face of disability and terminal illness. The most important part of living is preparing to meet the Lord. We must have the attitude of the Apostle Paul when he states, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). We must take comfort in the words of the Lord Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Not only do we need to prepare for our own deaths by accepting God’s plan of salvation, but we need to vigorously minister to others the Gospel message and the hope of life after death. God gives grace even in the midst of suffering.
In our congregations we need to make concerted efforts to minister to those who are suffering terminal illnesses. We need to treat the disabled with kindness and respect and try to meet their needs physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. We need to cultivate the attitude that if the patient can’t be cured, still others will care for their well being. Finally, we need to understand that there is no legal or moral obligation to accept life support or any type of medical technology. This does not mean that we have a fatalistic attitude when it comes to medical decision making, but it does mean that we should seriously and prayerfully evaluate what kinds of medical treatment are necessary and would be acceptable in fulfilling God’s plan for our life, rather than trying to orchestrate the circumstances of our death.
Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers?
Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it seems they have experienced all the best the world has to offer.
Gwyneth Paltrow is an Academy Award winning actress and in 2003 she married Chris Martin who is the leader of the musical group Coldplay (currently one the most successful bands in the world today).
On July 9th it was revealed that the Rupert Murdoch owned paper The Guardian in London had secretly paid more than 1.6 million dollars to cover up legal cases involving celebrities (including Gwyneth Paltrow) who had their phones bugged. It is ironic to me that the press wants to find pieces of information about what Paltrow and Martin are doing with their spare time when to me what they are saying in their music and art is so much more interesting.
Unlike many the past grammy winners of “Best Rock Album,” this year’s winner Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends by Coldplay is filled with songs that deal with spiritual themes such as death, the meaning of life and searching for an afterlife.
Lead singer Chris Martin notes, “…because we’ve had some people close to us we’ve lost, but some miracles — we’ve got kids. So, life has been very extreme recently, and so both death and life pop up quite often” (MTV News interview, June 9, 2008). In 2005 the song “Fix You” was written by Martin to help his wife deal with the death of her father Bruce Paltrow, and it has become one of Coldplay’s most popular songs of all time.
The subject of death is prominent in the songs “Death and All His Friends,” and the “Cemeteries of London.” Then the song “The Escapist” states, “And in the end, We lie awake and we dream, we’re makin our escape.” In the end we all die. Therefore, I assume this song is searching for an afterlife.
The song “Glass of Water” sheds some more light on where we could possibly go: “Oh he said you could see a future inside a glass of water, with riddles and the rhymes, He asked ‘Will I see heaven in mine?’ ”
Coldplay is clearly searching for spiritual answers but it seems they have not found them quite yet. The song “42“: “Time is so short and I’m sure, There must be something more.” Then in the song “Lost” Martin sings these words: “Every river that I tried to cross, Every door I ever tried was locked..”
Solomon went to the extreme in his searching in the Book of Ecclesiastes for this “something more” that Coldplay is talking about, but he found riches (2:8-11), pleasure (2:1), education (2:3), fame (2:9) and his work (2:4) all “meaningless” and “vanity” and “a chasing of the wind.” Every door he tried was locked.
Overshadowing it all was Solomon’s upcoming death which depressed him because both people and animals alike “go to the same place — they came from dust and they return to dust” (3:20).
In 1978 I heard the song “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas when it rose to #6 on the charts. That song told me that Kerry Livgren the writer of that song and a member of Kansas had come to the same conclusion that Solomon had. I remember mentioning to my friends at church that we may soon see some members of Kansas become Christians because their search for the meaning of life had obviously come up empty even though they had risen from being an unknown band to the top of the music business and had all the wealth and fame that came with that. But just like Solomon before him and Coldplay after him, Kerry Livgren realized death comes to everyone and “there must be something more” than just these material possessions of this world.
Livgren wrote:
“All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see, Dust in the Wind, All we are is dust in the wind, Don’t hang on, Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and Sky, It slips away, And all your money won’t another minute buy.”
I am glad to report that both Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope of Kansas found the answers they needed eventually. Kerry Livgren first tried Eastern Religions and Dave Hope had to come out of a heavy drug addiction. In 1981 I saw both gentlemen on The 700 Club in a clip (available now on youtube) that can be summed up by Blaise Pascal’s quote: ” There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man that cannot be filled by any created thing but only by the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.”
Livgren lives in Topeka, Kansas today where he teaches “Diggers,” a Sunday school class atTopeka Bible Church. Hope is the head of Worship, Evangelism and Outreach at Immanuel Anglican Church in Destin, Florida.
Are Paltrow and Martin looking for spiritual answers? Clearly the facts indicate that they are, but they have not found them quite yet. Russ Briermeier of Christianity Today observes that the latest work by Martin’s musical group Coldplay is “often provocative, spiritual, and seemingly on the verge of identifying a greater truth, asking and inspiring many questions without providing the answers.”Solomon’s experiment in the Book of Ecclesiastes was a search for meaning in life “under the sun”(1:3). Then in last few words in Ecclesiastes he looks above the sun and brings God back into the picture: “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
You can hear Kerry Livgren’s story from this youtube link:
Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. I wrote this article a couple of years ago: The Spiritual Search for the Afterlife Russ Breimeier rightly noted that it seems that Coldplay is “on the verge of identifying a great Truth” and their latest CD is very provocative. Many songs mention […]
CP I wrote this article a couple of years ago. Are Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin looking for Spiritual Answers? Just like King Solomon’s predicament in the Book of Ecclesiastes, both of these individuals are very wealthy, famous, and successful, but they still are seeking satisfying answers to life’s greatest questions even though it […]
Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]
Views:2 By waymedia Coldplay Coldplay – Life In Technicolor ii Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the second part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the […]
Coldplay performing “Glass of Water.” Back in 2008 I wrote a paper on the spiritual themes of Coldplay’s album Viva La Vida and I predicted this spiritual search would continue in the future. Below is the first part of the paper, “Coldplay’s latest musical lyrics indicate a Spiritual Search for the Afterlife.” Coldplay’s latest musical […]
Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (Official) The new single – download it now from iTunes at http://cldp.ly/itunescp (except in the UK, where it will be released to download stores at 12.01am on Sunday June 5th). Written by Berryman / Buckland / Champion / Martin / Allen / Anderson. Produced by Markus Dravs, Dan […]
Philosopher and Theologian, Francis A. Schaeffer has argued, “If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.” Francis Schaeffer, How Shall We Then Live? (Old Tappan NJ: Fleming H Revell Company, 1976), p. 224.
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Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop could see that people like Jack Kevorkian would be coming down the road. Read Schaeffer’s words at the first of this article below. I put them in bold letters.
Once government begins to define life and humanity, there is no end to the possibilities for subjective and selective determination as to who will be allowed to live.
At one time, blacks were not recognized as human beings. This was the rationale behind the slave trade that brought black Africans to the United States. They were transported in slave ships that held them confined in the same manner that livestock is confined when shipped to the slaughter houses. In Nazi Germany, only the Aryan race was considered human, and we know the consequences of that thinking. The treatment of Jews and other non-Aryans was similar to that of animals. And the Nazi genetic experiments remain a source for horror stories even today.
Will a society which has assumed the right to kill infants in the womb – because they are unwanted, imperfect, or merely inconvenient – have difficulty in assuming the right to kill other human beings, especially older adults who are judged unwanted, deemed imperfect physically or mentally, or considered a possible social nuisance?
The next candidates for arbitrary reclassification as non-persons are the elderly. This will become increasingly so as the proportion of the old and weak in relation to the young and strong becomes abnormally large, due to the growing antifamily sentiment, the abortion rate, and medicine’s contribution to the lengthening of the normal life span. The imbalance will cause many of the young to perceive the old as a cramping nuisance in the hedonistic lifestyle they claim as their right. As the demand for affluence continues and the economic crunch gets greater, the amount of compassion that the legislature and the courts will have for the old does not seem likely to be significant considering the precedent of the non-protection given to the unborn and newborn. [Francis Schaeffer, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?]
Euthanasia
Joseph Fletcher, the popularizer of “situational ethics,” in his 1973 discussion of death with dignity gives this argument for euthanasia:
It is ridiculous to give ethical approval to the positive ending of sub-human life in utero as we do in therapeutic abortions for reasons of mercy and compassion but refuse to approve of positively ending a sub-human life in extremis. If we are morally obliged to put an end to a pregnancy when an amniocentesis reveals a terrible defective fetus, we are equally obliged to put an end to a patient’s hopeless misery when a brain scan reveals that a patient with cancer has advanced brain metastases. [Joseph Fletcher, “Ethics and Euthanasia,” American Journal of Nursing, 1973.]
One is reminded of the slave holders who devoutly espoused the theory that slavery was really for the good of the black man and that in the end he would be thankful for the opportunity to share in the white man’s culture, even from the distance of the garden shed. The Nazis also argued that their victims were being sacrificed for the high end of the general good of society. Many well-meaning people are attracted to what might seem to be the beneficial aspects of some sort of euthanasia program, because they think they can be free of the guilt of responsibility.
The “right-to-die” movement is not calling for a right to die, they’re mostly talking about a right to kill. The advocates of euthanasia are asking the government and courts to step aside and allow people who are feeble and elderly to be snuffed out.
Consider the people who were “assisted” in ending their lives by Dr. Jack Kevorkian. He wasn’t killing terminally ill patients – they had Alzheimer’s and were in a lot of pain, but they were alive and walking around. Dr. Kevorkian portrays another basic belief of humanist ideology – the extermination of the old, useless, and the infirm. Kervorkian believes that he has the right to help people out of their pain if they want to die. He claims to render “a medical service,” and his lawyer is clear that “he’s not going to stop … doing the right thing.” Already the suicide doctor has had an impact on our society’s views regarding suicide and euthanasia.
Language is an important tool in convincing others of your position. Euthanasia advocates have been skillful in masking their true intent with slogans like “death with dignity” and “a right to die.” These phrases easily capture people’s attention. Everyone believes in a death with dignity.
Though I’m sure the medical community is well intentioned, it is still a fact that their idea of mercy is increasingly to dehumanize their patients, to disguise the helpless person so that not even their family recognizes them. In time, the family’s love turns to pity, which turns to horror until, to our warped hearts, murder becomes mercy.
But these slogans take on new meaning when they are interpreted by our courts. The right to die may sound wonderful – until we realize that legally it means that you can kill yourself or someone can kill you, even if you don’t want to die. Language is powerful. But when it is interpreted by the courts it becomes much more than mere slogans. It becomes the law of the land, and often that interpretation is not at all what we expected.
Daily, senior citizens and accident victims are starved to death because their families have been convinced that even food and water are extraordinary means to preserve their life.
Over one-fifth of Medicare expenses are for persons in their last year of life. Thus in fiscal year 1978, $4.9 billion dollars was spent for such persons and if just one-quarter of those expenditures were avoided through adoption of living wills, the savings under Medicare alone would amount to $1.2 billion. [ WASHINGTON POST, June 22, 1977]
The drug company, Hoescht AG, has been granted the first patent for a euthanasia drug developed by Michigan State University. The drug is intended for use on animals but the patent is worded to include humans. (Source: UPI)
Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court’ Roe v. Wade decision have long claimed that legalized abortion would lead to legalized euthanasia. Supporters of Roe have often scoffed at the idea, insisting that decisions to eliminate a human fetus in no way devalue the lives of born persons. Yet recent court cases in Michigan and Washington have reversed the debate: Euthanasia supporters are openly citing Roe as precedent for a constitutional right to “rational” suicide. In the case of People v. Kevorkian, a trial judge has relied partly on Roe and the later abortion case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, to find a consitutional right to assisted suicide. Jack Kevorkian’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger argues that such a right is even better grounded than a right to abortion, because no unwilling ‘third party’ is involved.
Citing Planned Parenthood vs. Casey, on May 3, 1994, Washington U.S. District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein struck down the Washington state law that banned physician assisted suicide. Judge Rothstein stated that the terminally ill “have the same right to hasten death that they have to choose an abortion…” “Like the abortion decision, the decision of a terminally ill person to end his life involves the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime,” the judge wrote in her decision.
The Daily Hatch 