Taking on Ark Times Bloggers on various issues Part K “On what basis do you say murder is wrong?”Part 1 (includes film ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE)

I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control  and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline Republican.

On 2-23-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  I asserted: 

Mudturtle you said, “Absolutes? Go for them Saline.As for me,I prefer TO GO WITH WHAT’S RIGHT.”

Really you can figure that out how? Let me challenge any moral nonabsolutist to answer this question below concerning a morality issue.

Remember back in April of 2012 when we saw some newly released pictures from Hitler’s bunker?

Hitler’s last few moments of life were filled with anxiety as they should have been. He went on to face his maker and pay dearly for his many sins. When I look at the never before released pictures of Hitler’s bunker, it makes me wonder how anyone can claim that this life doesn’t count for all eternity and people like Hitler are home free like Woody Allen’s movie “Crimes and Misdemeanors” suggests.

Mudturtle answer this one question. HOW COULD JUDAH HAVE REMOVED HIS TROUBLESOME MISTRESS FROM HIS LIFE WITHOUT KILLING HER? Woody Allen knew what he was doing in this film and he was showing that without God and an afterlife then there is no reason not to murder!!!!

Woody Allen’s 1989 movie, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS , is concerning the need of God while making decisions in the area of personal morality. In this film, Allen attacks his own atheistic view of morality. Martin Landau plays a Jewish eye doctor named Judah Rosenthal raised by a religious father who always told him, “The eyes of God are always upon you.” However, Judah later concludes that God doesn’t exist. He has his mistress (played in the film by Anjelica Huston) murdered because she continually threatened to blow the whistle on his past questionable, probably illegal, business activities. She also attempted to break up Judah ‘s respectable marriage by going public with their two-year affair. Judah struggles with his conscience throughout the remainder of the movie. He continues to be haunted by his father’s words: “The eyes of God are always upon you.” This is a very scary phrase to a young boy, Judah observes. He often wondered how penetrating God’s eyes are.

Later in the film, Judah reflects on the conversation his religious father had with Judah ‘s unbelieving Aunt May at the dinner table many years ago:

“Come on Sol, open your eyes. Six million Jews burned to death by the Nazis, and they got away with it because might makes right,” says aunt May

Sol replies, “May, how did they get away with it?”

Judah asks, “If a man kills, then what?”

Sol responds to his son, “Then in one way or another he will be punished.”

Aunt May comments, “I say if he can do it and get away with it and he chooses not to be bothered by the ethics, then he is home free.”

Judah ‘s final conclusion was that might did make right. He observed that one day, because of this conclusion, he woke up and the cloud of guilt was gone. He was, as his aunt said, “home free.”

On 2-23-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  the person using the username “DeathByInches” observed: 

“but you both are afraid to answer the question concerning Judah having his troublesome girlfriend killed since you know there is no enforcement factor there to punish him if there is no afterlife.”

I don’t believe in Judah or his girlfriend unless he’s that South African runner with no legs who killed his women at the end of last week. I’ve got to get a leg up on this story before I can render an intelligent decisions on his guilt.

Let me put this as politely as I can….Saline, old fellow, you’re unhinged, deranged, not in touch with reality, slipping a cog, rowing with 1 oar, and perhaps a danger to those who live around you. I have to assume you live alone and for guys like you that’s expected, but not good for your community since there’s no one around to notice when you’ve slipped entirely off the edge.

It’s too late tonight but tomorrow I’m going to Google up some possible help for you in Saline County. In the mean time….uh…I want to answer your question concerning Judah having his troublesome girlfriend killed, just in hopes it will calm you down. Yellow, I think Judah’s girlfriend is wearing yellow. There…I’m not afraid to say it….YELLOW

____________

On 2-23-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  I responded: 

DBI you want to verbally attack me instead of logically answering the question “On what basis do you say murder is wrong and is there any reason at all that Judah should have restrained from killing his troublesome mistress?” Everyone can see you are running away because you have no answer. Why don’t you prove my statement false and answer?

DBI you need have to face the fact that in the materialistic worldview that you hold there is no logical way to attain lasting meaning to one’s life.

DBI you should take a long look at the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes or the song “Dust In The Wind” by Kansas because they correctly life’s meaning without a hope of an afterlife .

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. 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.”

Olphart responded:

Oh, there you are, Saline. I posted my response here: http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archi…

I was afraid of losing you back in the archives but now I find you (where else?) but back in the archives. I surely do hope that you’re not trying to avoid me.

BTW, I’m in the middle of watching “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and will respond to that as well.

BTW again. I think I’ve figured you out finally and will reveal my theory of Saline here soon. Do I hear your knees knocking? Is that your teeth gnashing? It’s definitely not MY teeth gnashing. They’re in the back bathroom by the sink.

____________

Dr. C. Everett Koop is pictured above.

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE

Published on Oct 6, 2012 by

____________

Great  quotes from “Whatever happened to the human race?”  by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop (from the shelter website):.

Summary

Francis Schaeffer and, former Surgeon General, C. Everette Koop deal directly with the devaluing of human life and its results in our society. It did not take place in a vacuum. It is a direct result of a worldview that has rejected the doctrine of man being created in the image of God. Man as a product of the impersonal, plus time and chance has no sufficient basis for worth.

With nothing higher than human opinion upon which to base judgments and with ethics equaling no ethics, the justification for seeing crime and cruelty as disturbing is destroyed. The very word crime and even the word cruelty lose meaning. There is no final reason on which to forbid anything — “If nothing is forbidden, then anything is possible.”
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

During the healthcare debate in 2009 we were told that Obamacare would not pay for abortions but according to this article below that is not true.

Amy Payne

January 9, 2013 at 9:13 am

Hobby Lobby gained national attention when its leadership announced they would not bow to the Obama Administration’s violation of their religious liberty. Thousands of Americans pledged to shop at the retailer over the weekend to show their appreciation for this stand—a stand that could cost the company up to $1.3 million in fines per day.

Tweet this image

Like many other companies, Hobby Lobby’s health insurance plan renewed on January 1, causing them to be subject to the Health and Human Services (HHS) mandate under Obamacare. This mandate forces employers to pay for coverage of abortion-inducing drugs like the “morning after” and “week after” pills, which directly violates many Americans’ deeply held beliefs—including Hobby Lobby’s owners, the Green family. The Greens, who founded the company, close all its locations on Sundays and seek to operate in accordance with Christian principles—including offering an employee health care plan that aligns with those values.

The Obama Administration’s outrageous position is that business owners’ rights to religious freedom end when they walk into their workplaces, claiming that “for-profit, secular employers generally do not engage in any exercise of religion protected by the First Amendment.”

If employers don’t change their health plans to comply, they will be hit with fines—up to $100 per employee per day. But if they stop providing health coverage, Obamacare’s double whammy means that, come 2014, employers with more than 50 employees could instead be hit with fines for that.

Thirteen for-profit companies have received rulings touching on the merits of their cases from the courts so far. Ten have secured relief—though temporary—from having the mandate enforced against them. Three companies have been denied relief: Hobby Lobby, Autocam Corp., and Grote Industries.

Hobby Lobby founder and CEO David Green said, “The conflict for me is that our family is being forced to choose between following the laws of the country that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful and have supported our family and thousands of our employees and their families.”

>> Watch the Green family talk about their convictions and their work

Hobby Lobby has more than 13,000 employees, so the $100 per employee per day fine is crippling.

John Kennedy, CEO of Autocam in Grand Rapids, MI, says his employees “are like family” and that he “can’t in good conscience choose between violating my beliefs and meeting my associates’ needs. It just doesn’t seem right.”

>> Watch John Kennedy of Autocam explain why he is fighting the mandate

William Grote III, CEO of Grote Industries, which manufactures vehicle lighting and safety systems, has said, “It would easily destroy the company should we not do it.”

For family business owners like the Kortes, a Roman Catholic family seeking to manage their construction company, K & L Contractors, in a manner consistent with their faith, this means penalties of as much as $730,000 per year, an amount that would be financially ruinous for their company and for them personally.

But at least one federal appellate court has expressly rejected the position that the Kortes’ religious freedom rights depend solely on the fact that they operate a secular, for-profit business, and litigation over this key legal question, which affects other family business owners like the Greens of Hobby Lobby, is likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Late last year, a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to issue a preliminary injunction in favor of the Kortes, concluding that their Religious Freedom Restoration Act challenge to the HHS mandate is likely to succeed when their case is ultimately decided. It criticized the government’s position for “ignor[ing] that Cyril and Jane Korte are also plaintiffs” who “would have to violate their religious beliefs to operate their company in compliance with [the HHS mandate].” “That the Kortes operate their business in the corporate form is not dispositive of their claim,” the court held.

In other words, the fact that they operate a business doesn’t mean they give up their rights.

Pastor and author Rick Warren said in a statement about Hobby Lobby’s stance:

Every American who loves freedom should shudder at the precedent the government is trying to establish by denying Hobby Lobby the full protection of the First Amendment.

Freedom of religion doesn’t stop when an American walks outside his or her home or place of worship. For these business owners trying to live out their beliefs in the way they run their businesses, this mandate forces an excruciating decision.

Heritage research fellow Dominique Ludvigson contributed to this article.

_______________
Related posts:

Francis Schaeffer’s prayer for us in USA

 Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book  really helped develop my political views […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 10 “Final Choices” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 1 0   Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode X – Final Choices 27 min FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 9 “The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 9 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode IX – The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence 27 min T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 8 “The Age of Fragmentation” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 8 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VIII – The Age of Fragmentation 27 min I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 7 “The Age of Non-Reason” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 7 Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode VII – The Age of Non Reason I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 6 “The Scientific Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 Uploaded by NoMirrorHDDHrorriMoN on Oct 3, 2011 How Should We Then Live? Episode 6 of 12 ________ I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 5 “The Revolutionary Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

E P I S O D E 5 How Should We Then Live? Episode 5: The Revolutionary Age I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Francis Schaeffer noted, “Reformation Did Not Bring Perfection. But gradually on basis of biblical teaching there […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 4 “The Reformation” (Schaeffer Sundays)

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – Episode IV – The Reformation 27 min I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to […]

“Schaeffer Sundays” Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 3 “The Renaissance”

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 3 “The Renaissance” Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 3) THE RENAISSANCE I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 2 “The Middle Ages” (Schaeffer Sundays)

  Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 2) THE MIDDLE AGES I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard […]

Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 1 “The Roman Age” (Schaeffer Sundays)

Francis Schaeffer: “How Should We Then Live?” (Episode 1) THE ROMAN AGE   Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why […]

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 5) TRUTH AND HISTORY

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 5) TRUTH AND HISTORY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices once […]

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 4) THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY

The opening song at the beginning of this episode is very insightful. Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 4) THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY Published on Oct 7, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices […]

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 3) DEATH BY SOMEONE’S CHOICE

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 3) DEATH BY SOMEONE’S CHOICE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis This crucial series is narrated by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer and former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop. Today, choices are being made that undermine human rights at their most basic level. Practices […]

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE

It is not possible to know where the pro-life evangelicals are coming from unless you look at the work of the person who inspired them the most. That person was Francis Schaeffer.  I do care about economic issues but the pro-life issue is the most important to me. Several years ago Adrian Rogers (past president of […]

The following essay explores the role that Francis Schaeffer played in the rise of the pro-life movement. It examines the place of How Should We Then Live?, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, and A Christian Manifesto in that process.

This essay below is worth the read. Schaeffer, Francis – “Francis Schaeffer and the Pro-Life Movement” [How Should We Then Live?, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, A Christian Manifesto] Editor note: <p> </p> [The following essay explores the role that Francis Schaeffer played in the rise of the pro-life movement.  It examines the place of […]

Who was Francis Schaeffer? by Udo Middelmann

Great article on Schaeffer. Who was Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer? By Francis Schaeffer The unique contribution of Dr. Francis Schaeffer on a whole generation was the ability to communicate the truth of historic Biblical Christianity in a way that combined intellectual integrity with practical, loving care. This grew out of his extensive understanding of the Bible […]

.

April 16, 2013 – 5:49 am Categories: Francis Schaeffer, President Obama, Prolife | Post a comment

How can a loving God allow evil like the Boston Marathon explosions to happen?

How can a loving God allow evil like the Boston Marathon explosions to happen?

Here are some of the details of the explosions:

Boston Marathon Explosion 04/15/2013

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Prayers go out to the victims and their families!

The Boston Globe is reporting that at least a dozen people have been seriously injured. CBS Boston is reporting that 20-30 have been injured. According to police scanner radio, the bomb apparently came from a suspicious package under the bleachers.

2e74e19f-418e-44b9-8713-ca877888245b_500[1]

Boston’s JFK Library explosion aftermath (photo by Neil Ungerleider, WCVB-TV)

(CNN) – Boston police are investigating whether a third explosion, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, is connected to Monday’s two bombings at the Boston Marathon, Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

Blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed two people and injured at least 28 others, Boston police said.

The marathon itself, on its Facebook page, referred to the blasts as bombs. Authorities did not say immediately what caused the explosions.

Massachusetts General Hospital said it was treating 19 injured people; Tufts Medical Center reported that some injured were to be treated there as well.

The explosions sent smoke billowing into the air at Copley Square, turning a site of celebration into a mess of destruction.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Lenox Hotel was evacuated, the Boston Globe reported, as authorities looked into possible security concerns.

Off icials in other cities, including New York and Washington, D.C., tightened security as a result.

The explosions occurred at about 2:45 p.m., more than two hours after the first of the race’s nearly 27,000 runners had crossed the finish line.

The race was halted as was subway service into the area.

The FBI and troops from the Massachusetts National Guard were assisting police.

_____________

At least 2 dead, dozens injured after two bombs explode at Boston Marathon

Published April 15, 2013

FoxNews.com

At least two people are dead and dozens injured – including up to 10 with amputated limbs – after two bombs tore through the finish line of the Boston Marathon and another exploded near a Boston library, according to the Boston Police Department.

The simultaneous explosions, and reports of two other unexploded devices found near the scene raised suspicions that the blasts, just before 3 p.m., could be part of a terrorist attack. Authorities shut down cellular service in the area in order to prevent remote detonations. Intelligence officials told The Associated Press two unexploded devices were being dismantled, and a third explosion near the JFK Library in the Columbia Point section of Dorchester. Competitors and race organizers were crying as they fled the bloody chaos, while some witnesses reported seeing victims with lost limbs.

“Somebody’s leg flew by my head,” a spectator, who gave his name as John Ross, told the Boston Herald. “I gave my belt to stop the blood.”

The first two explosions occurred at 2:50 p.m. – nearly five hours after the marathon began – about 50 to 100 yards apart, according to Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis. The third explosion occurred several miles southeast of the marathon’s finish line, at around 4:15 p.m. Police could not say if it was related to the earlier explosions.

Witnesses heard booms that sounded like two claps of thunder near the finish line inside the Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel, according to multiple local reports. The horror unfolded as the city marked the 238th annual Patriot’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Video of the scene showed a number of emergency crews in the area tending to victims and blood on the ground near the finish line.

“I saw two explosions. The first one was beyond the finish line. I heard a loud bang and I saw smoke rising,” Boston Herald reporter Chris Cassidy, who was running in the marathon, told the newspaper. “I kept running and I heard behind me a loud bang. It looked like it was in a trash can or something…There are people who have been hit with debris, people with bloody foreheads.”

“There are a lot of people down,” said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

About three hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another thunderous explosion could be heard a few seconds later.

Runner Laura McLean of Toronto said she heard two explosions outside the medical tent.

“There are people who are really, really bloody,” McLean said. “They were pulling them into the medical tent.”

Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.  “I was expecting my husband any minute,” she said. “I don’t know what this building is … it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don’t know what it was. I just ducked.”

Authorities in New York, meanwhile, are deploying counter-terrorism vehicles around landmark sites in Manhattan, including prominent hotels, according to the New York City Police Department.

Nearly 25,000 people, including runners from around the world, competed in Boston’s celebrated 26.2-mile race, attracting huge throngs of onlookers, especially near the finish line.

“This is a horrific day in Boston,” Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the President, Mayor [Thomas] Menino and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”

____________________

Many have asked during this tough time: How can a good God allow evil and suffering?

Their thinking is that either God is not powerful enough to prevent evil or else God is not good. He is often blamed for tragedy. “Where was God when I went through this, or when that happened.”  God is blamed for natural disasters, Even my insurance company describes them as “acts of God.” How to handle this one-  (O.N.E.) a. Origin of evil— man’s choice- God created a perfect world… b. Nature of God—He forgives, I John 1:9—He uses tragedy to bring us to Himself, C.S. Lewis, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains:  it is His megaphone to arouse a deaf world.” c. End of it all—Bible teaches that God will one day put an end to all evil, and pain and death. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).As Christians we have this hope of Heaven and eternity. Share how it has made a tremendous difference in your life and that you know for sure that when you die you are going to spend eternity in Heaven. Ask the person, “May I ask you a question? Do you have this hope? Do you know for certain that when you die you are going to Heaven, or is that something you would say you’re still working on?”How could a loving God send people to Hell? (O.N.E.) a. Origin of hell—never intended for people. Created for Satan and his demons. Jesus said, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt 25:41). Man chooses to sin and ignore God. The penalty is death (eternal separation from God) and, yes, Hell. But God doesn’t send anyone to Hell, we choose it by refusing or ignoring God in attitude and action. b. Nature of God—“ God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). He is so loving that He sent His own Son to die and pay the penalty for our sin so that we could avoid Hell and have the assurance of Heaven. No one in Hell will be able to blame God. He doesn’t send people there, it’s our own choice. We must choose to repent, to stop ignoring God in attitude and action, accepting His salvation and yielding to His leadership.c. End of it all—Bible teaches that God will one day put an end to all evil, pain, death, and penalty of Hell. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).As Christians , we need not worry about Hell. The Bible says, “these things have been written . . . so that you may know you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13).  I have complete confidence that when I die, I’m going to Heaven.  May I ask you a question?___________________________-

Print E-mail

Answers the problem of evil and a good God… puts the issue squarely in the lap of the skeptic asking the question (where it belongs).

_________________________________________

In his article “A Conversation with an Atheist,” Rick Wade notes:

The problem of evil is a significant moral issue in the atheist’s arsenal. We talk about a God of goodness, but what we see around us is suffering, and a lot of it apparently unjustifiable. Stephanie said, “Disbelief in a personal, loving God as an explanation of the way the world works is reasonable–especially when one considers natural disasters that can’t be blamed on free will and sin.”{17}

One response to the problem of evil is that God sees our freedom to choose as a higher value than protecting people from harm; this is the freewill defense. Stephanie said, however, that natural disasters can’t be blamed on free will and sin. What about this? Is it true that natural disasters can’t be blamed on sin? I replied that they did come into existence because of sin (Genesis 3). We’re told in Romans 8 that creation will one day “be set free from its slavery to corruption,” that it “groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.” The Fall caused the problem, and, in the consummation of the ages, the problem will be fixed.

Second, I noted that on a naturalistic basis, it’s hard to even know what evil is. But the reality of God explains it. As theologian Henri Blocher said,

The sense of evil requires the God of the Bible. In a novel by Joseph Heller, “While rejecting belief in God, the characters in the story find themselves compelled to postulate his existence in order to have an adequate object for their moral indignation.” . . . When you raise this standard objection against God, to whom do you say it, other than this God? Without this God who is sovereign and good, what is the rationale of our complaints? Can we even tell what is evil? Perhaps the late John Lennon understood: “God is a concept by which we measure our pain,” he sang. Might we be coming to the point where the sense of evil is a proof of the existence of God?{18}

So,… if there is no God, there really is no problem of evil. Does the atheist ever find herself shaking her fist at the sky after some catastrophe and demanding an explanation? If there is no God, no one is listening.

Related posts:

How can a loving God allow evil like the Boston Marathon explosions to happen?

How can a loving God allow evil like the Boston Marathon explosions to happen? Here are some of the details of the explosions: Boston Marathon Explosion 04/15/2013 Published on Apr 15, 2013 Prayers go out to the victims and their families! View this image › Via: @theoriginalwak The Boston Globe is reporting that at least a […]

Videos and Pictures of Explosion at Boston Marathon 2013 and JFK Library

Explosion At Boston Marathon Update (15/04/2013) Published on Apr 15, 2013 Explosion At Boston Marathon Many Injured  Many people have reportedly been injured after two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Latest Boston Marathon News Conference Police Confirm 3rd Explosion Published on Apr 15, 2013 Boston Marathon News Conference Police Confirm 3rd Explosion JFK […]

April 15, 2013 – 4:36 pm Categories: Current Events | Post a comment

Videos and Pictures of Explosion at Boston Marathon 2013 and JFK Library

Explosion At Boston Marathon Update (15/04/2013)

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Explosion At Boston Marathon Many Injured 
Many people have reportedly been injured after two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Latest Boston Marathon News Conference Police Confirm 3rd Explosion

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Boston Marathon News Conference Police Confirm 3rd Explosion JFK Library 15th April 2013

Boston Marathon Bombs Explode 2013

Published on Apr 15, 2013

20+ injured and 2 have been confirmed dead.. #Prayforboston -@TheTitusTucker

_________________

Aftermath of the Boston Marathon – Graphic warning

Published on Apr 15, 2013

(Boston Globe) Graphic footage. Early scenes of the aftermath of blast at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. By David Abel/Globe Staff

Boston Marathon 2013 – Raw Footage Right After Bomb Explosion

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Boston Marathon 2013 – Raw Footage Right After Bomb Explosion

_______________

Two Explosions at Boston Marathon 2013 – Several Dead and Many Injured F

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Boston Marathon Explosions – Two Bombs Went Off at Boston Marathon Killing Several and Injuring Many Runners and citizens at the 2013 Boston Marathon.

So far 3 have been reported dead and many injured loosing limbs and taking impact from explosion at Boston Marathon 2013. Police have found two more devices that are confirmed bombs that were found and not exploded.

Boston Marathon Explosion 04/15/2013

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Prayers go out to the victims and their families!

Explosion at JFK presidential library in Boston: police

Reuters – 16 mins ago (3:55 CST)

BOSTON (Reuters) – Boston police said on Monday that an explosion occurred at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston after other blasts in the city near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

              Police spokeswoman Neva Coakley said “there has been another explosion at JFK.”

              Rachel Day, a spokeswoman for the John F. Kennedy Library, located about three miles from the marathon’s finish line, said that there was a fire at the library but no one was injured.

              (Reporting By Svea Herbst-Bayliss and Scott Malone; Editing by Grant McCool)

Explosions At Boston Marathon Finish Line

UPDATED, 4:45pm: Breaking news updates from the Boston Marathon. The situation is developing. It appears there have been injuries, but it’s unclear what the extent of the damage is. WARNING: Graphic images. posted on April 15, 2013 at 3:02pm EDT

I know, right? Now tell your friends!
Explosions At Boston Marathon Finish Line

Jessica Testa

View this image ›

Via: @theoriginalwak
The Boston Globe is reporting that at least a dozen people have been seriously injured. CBS Boston is reporting that 20-30 have been injured. According to police scanner radio, the bomb apparently came from a suspicious package under the bleachers.

View this image ›

Via: @jasonschreier
Greg@gsoutiea

Some sort of explosion at the #BostonMarathon finish line!!???? pic.twitter.com/fddnDax6yN

Boston to a T@Boston_to_a_T

Large explosion at Coply Square during marathon @universalhub pic.twitter.com/fhuO0Cs43b

Boston to a T@Boston_to_a_T

Explosion at coply pic.twitter.com/EqKbGeWhha

7. UPDATE, 3:20pm: Reporters and runners are tweeting images and reactions from the finish line

Jackie Bruno@JackieBrunoNECN

We were so close it was scary. Felt the force of the explosion. People were fleeing and victims were scattered. pic.twitter.com/3WSlXTFkqY

Dennis Crowley@dens

FYI no one at mi 26 has any idea what’s happening.

LINK

10. UPDATE, 3:35pm: Screencaps of the explosion from CBS Boston.

UPDATE, 3:35pm: Screencaps of the explosion from CBS Boston.

View this image ›

View this image ›

View this image ›

13. UPDATE, 3:39pm: Fox reports three dead; NYC counterrerorism unit on its way to Boston.

Shepard Smith of Fox News is reporting that three people are dead as a result of the explosion. They also report that New York is sending a counterterrorism team to assist Boston police.

Via: Fox News

14. UPDATE, 3:41pm: A Twitter user uploaded a video of the explosion from a local news station.

View this embed ›

Via: vine.co

15. UPDATE, 3:47pm: Twitter user @CaptainDurk uploaded a Vine of the finish line before the explosion…

View this embed ›

Via: vine.co

16. And after the explosion.

View this embed ›

Via: vine.co

______________

2e74e19f-418e-44b9-8713-ca877888245b_500[1]

Boston’s JFK Library explosion aftermath (photo by Neil Ungerleider, WCVB-TV)

(CNN) – Boston police are investigating whether a third explosion, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, is connected to Monday’s two bombings at the Boston Marathon, Police Commissioner Ed Davis said.

Blasts near the finish line of the Boston Marathon killed two people and injured at least 28 others, Boston police said.

The marathon itself, on its Facebook page, referred to the blasts as bombs. Authorities did not say immediately what caused the explosions.

Massachusetts General Hospital said it was treating 19 injured people; Tufts Medical Center reported that some injured were to be treated there as well.

The explosions sent smoke billowing into the air at Copley Square, turning a site of celebration into a mess of destruction.

Out of an abundance of caution, the Lenox Hotel was evacuated, the Boston Globe reported, as authorities looked into possible security concerns.

Off icials in other cities, including New York and Washington, D.C., tightened security as a result.

The explosions occurred at about 2:45 p.m., more than two hours after the first of the race’s nearly 27,000 runners had crossed the finish line.

The race was halted as was subway service into the area.

The FBI and troops from the Massachusetts National Guard were assisting police.

_____________

At least 2 dead, dozens injured after two bombs explode at Boston Marathon

Published April 15, 2013

FoxNews.com

At least two people are dead and dozens injured – including up to 10 with amputated limbs – after two bombs tore through the finish line of the Boston Marathon and another exploded near a Boston library, according to the Boston Police Department.

The simultaneous explosions, and reports of two other unexploded devices found near the scene raised suspicions that the blasts, just before 3 p.m., could be part of a terrorist attack. Authorities shut down cellular service in the area in order to prevent remote detonations. Intelligence officials told The Associated Press two unexploded devices were being dismantled, and a third explosion near the JFK Library in the Columbia Point section of Dorchester. Competitors and race organizers were crying as they fled the bloody chaos, while some witnesses reported seeing victims with lost limbs.

“Somebody’s leg flew by my head,” a spectator, who gave his name as John Ross, told the Boston Herald. “I gave my belt to stop the blood.”

The first two explosions occurred at 2:50 p.m. – nearly five hours after the marathon began – about 50 to 100 yards apart, according to Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis. The third explosion occurred several miles southeast of the marathon’s finish line, at around 4:15 p.m. Police could not say if it was related to the earlier explosions.

Witnesses heard booms that sounded like two claps of thunder near the finish line inside the Fairmount Copley Plaza Hotel, according to multiple local reports. The horror unfolded as the city marked the 238th annual Patriot’s Day, commemorating the anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.

Video of the scene showed a number of emergency crews in the area tending to victims and blood on the ground near the finish line.

“I saw two explosions. The first one was beyond the finish line. I heard a loud bang and I saw smoke rising,” Boston Herald reporter Chris Cassidy, who was running in the marathon, told the newspaper. “I kept running and I heard behind me a loud bang. It looked like it was in a trash can or something…There are people who have been hit with debris, people with bloody foreheads.”

“There are a lot of people down,” said one man, whose bib No. 17528 identified him as Frank Deruyter of North Carolina. He was not injured, but marathon workers were carrying one woman, who did not appear to be a runner, to the medical area as blood gushed from her leg. A Boston police officer was wheeled from the course with a leg injury that was bleeding.

About three hours after the winners crossed the line, there was a loud explosion on the north side of Boylston Street, just before the photo bridge that marks the finish line. Another thunderous explosion could be heard a few seconds later.

Runner Laura McLean of Toronto said she heard two explosions outside the medical tent.

“There are people who are really, really bloody,” McLean said. “They were pulling them into the medical tent.”

Cherie Falgoust was waiting for her husband, who was running the race.  “I was expecting my husband any minute,” she said. “I don’t know what this building is … it just blew. Just a big bomb, a loud boom, and then glass everywhere. Something hit my head. I don’t know what it was. I just ducked.”

Authorities in New York, meanwhile, are deploying counter-terrorism vehicles around landmark sites in Manhattan, including prominent hotels, according to the New York City Police Department.

Nearly 25,000 people, including runners from around the world, competed in Boston’s celebrated 26.2-mile race, attracting huge throngs of onlookers, especially near the finish line.

“This is a horrific day in Boston,” Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured. I have been in touch with the President, Mayor [Thomas] Menino and our public safety leaders. Our focus is on making sure that the area around Copley Square is safe and secured. I am asking everyone to stay away from Copley Square and let the first responders do their jobs.”

____________________

Related posts:

How can a loving God allow evil like the Boston Marathon explosions to happen?

How can a loving God allow evil like the Boston Marathon explosions to happen? Here are some of the details of the explosions: Boston Marathon Explosion 04/15/2013 Published on Apr 15, 2013 Prayers go out to the victims and their families! View this image › Via: @theoriginalwak The Boston Globe is reporting that at least a […]

Videos and Pictures of Explosion at Boston Marathon 2013 and JFK Library

Explosion At Boston Marathon Update (15/04/2013) Published on Apr 15, 2013 Explosion At Boston Marathon Many Injured  Many people have reportedly been injured after two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Latest Boston Marathon News Conference Police Confirm 3rd Explosion Published on Apr 15, 2013 Boston Marathon News Conference Police Confirm 3rd Explosion JFK […]

April 15, 2013 – 3:46 pm Categories: Current Events | Post a comment

Conservatives win the first round in the medicaid expansion debate

 

I was glad to see that the true Tea Party Conservatives won the first round in the medicaid expansion debate. According to AFP in the last 5 years Arkansas’ current Medicaid program has run a deficit of a billion dollars. Why expand it willingly with Obama? The “Do Nothing” expansion plan increases spending by 5.9 billion with 158,000 new recipients when the Gov. Beebe Expansion plan increases spending by 21.99 billion with 247,000 new recipients.

Here is how the individuals in the House of Representatives voted today in Little Rock:

HB1219  –  AN ACT FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES – DIVISION OF MEDICAL SERVICES APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2013-2014 FISCAL YEAR.

 

Related posts:

 

Great article by Michael Cannon on Arkansas Medicaid expansion plan

CATO Institute Michael Cannon on the OReilly Factor Published on Mar 19, 2013 The CATO Institute’s Michael Cannon spoke at the Arkansas Conservative Caucus on Tuesday March 19th. Several conservatives were present. Cannon talked about how to defeat Obamacare in Arkansas & how the states can stop Obamacare on a national level. __________________ CATO Institute […]

Michael Cannon of Cato Institute speaks to Arkansas Senators (Part 3 includes editorial cartoon)

Jacque Martin asks CATO Institute Michael Cannon about Obamacare Published on Mar 19, 2013 The CATO Institute’s Michael Cannon spoke at the Arkansas Conservative Caucus on Tuesday March 19th. Several conservatives were present. Cannon talked about how to defeat Obamacare in Arkansas & how the states can stop Obamacare on a national level. Jacque Martin […]

After visit to Arkansas Cato’s Michael Cannon puts out new article

  After a visit to Arkansas on March 19, 2013 the Cato Institute’s Michael Cannon published another article claiming that “To date, 34 states, accounting for roughly two-thirds of the U.S. population, have refused to create Exchanges. Under the statute, this shields employers in those states from a $2,000 per worker tax that will apply […]

Michael Cannon of Cato Institute speaks to Arkansas Senators (Part 2 includes editorial cartoon)

Representative Doug House asks CATO Institute Michael Cannon about Obamacare Published on Mar 19, 2013 The CATO Institute’s Michael Cannon spoke at the Arkansas Conservative Caucus on Tuesday March 19th. Several conservatives were present. Cannon talked about how to defeat Obamacare in Arkansas & how the states can stop Obamacare on a national level. Representative […]

Michael Cannon on Obamacare (editorial cartoons on Judge Roberts and Obamacare)

Representative Bollinger asks CATO Institute Michael Cannon about Obamacare Published on Mar 19, 2013 The CATO Institute’s Michael Cannon spoke at the Arkansas Conservative Caucus on Tuesday March 19th. Several conservatives were present. Cannon talked about how to defeat Obamacare in Arkansas & how the states can stop Obamacare on a national level. Representative Bollinger […]

Michael Cannon of Cato Institute speaks to Arkansas Senators (Part 1, includes editorial cartoon)

An ObamaCare Debate Challenge (Michael F. Cannon) CATO Institute Michael Cannon at the Arkansas Conservative Caucus Published on Mar 19, 2013 The CATO Institute’s Michael Cannon spoke at the Arkansas Conservative Caucus on Tuesday March 19th. Several conservatives were present. Cannon talked about how to defeat Obamacare in Arkansas & how the states can stop […]

Max Brantley of the Ark Times takes on Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute today concerning Obamacare

Max Brantley of the Ark Times takes on Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute today concerning Obamacare. I have posted many links to Cannon’s articles in the past on my blog and on the Arkansas Times liberal blog. The finest article written in my estimation was written on Nov 20, 2012 and here is a […]

Is Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute right about states blocking Obamacare, factchecker says he is wrong.

Cato’s Michael F. Cannon Discusses ObamaCare’s Individual Mandate Is Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute right about states blocking Obamacare, factchecker says he is wrong. I Have Been False* Posted by Michael F. Cannon *According to PolitiFact. In an unconscious parody of everything that’s wrong with the “fact-checker” movement in journalism, PolitiFact Georgia (a project of […]

An ObamaCare Debate Challenge by Michael F. Cannon (editorial cartoon)

Obamacare is a poorly written and because of that the majority of states may never have to put into practice.   February 28, 2013 2:13PM ObamaCare Debate Challenge: Lawrence Wasden Edition By Michael F. Cannon Share Tweet Like Google+1 Congress empowered states to block major provisions of ObamaCare, including its subsidies and employer mandate. All […]

Sanders v Greenberg on KARN

Sanders v Greenberg on KARN Published on Apr 12, 2013 Sen. David Sanders takes on former Rep. Dan Greenberg on the private option health care plan – audio from KARN Newsradio 102.9 FM in Little Rock ____________ Here is what Jason Tolbert had to say about it. If you missed KARN’s Dave Elswick Show on Friday […]

April 15, 2013 – 3:02 pm Categories: Cato Institute, Healthcare, spending out of control, Taxes | Post a comment

The United Nations is full of gun control nuts (includes gun poster)

 

The United Nations is full of gun control nuts.

 

Citing the analysis of America’s former Ambassador to the United Nations, I wrote last year about a treaty being concocted at the United Nations that would threaten our right to keep and bear arms.

Well, with the aid of the Obama Administration, this new treaty has been approved. Fortunately, there probably are not 67 votes in the Senate to ratify the measure.

And that’s a good thing. The Wall Street Journal has a column by John Bolton and John Yoo explaining why the new U.N . treaty is so misguided and dangerous.

…the new treaty also demands domestic regulation of “small arms and light weapons.” The treaty’s Article 5 requires nations to “establish and maintain a national control system,” including a “national control list.” …Gun-control advocates will use these provisions to argue that the U.S. must enact measures such as a national gun registry, licenses for guns and ammunition sales, universal background checks, and even a ban of certain weapons. The treaty thus provides the Obama administration with an end-run around Congress to reach these gun-control holy grails.

But doesn’t the Second Amendment protect our rights, regardless?

Unfortunately, that’s not clearly the case, as Bolton and Yoo note.

The Constitution establishes treaties in Article II (which sets out the president’s executive powers), rather than in Article I (which defines the legislature’s authority)—so treaties therefore aren’t textually subject to the limits on Congress’s power. Treaties still receive the force of law under the Supremacy Clause, which declares that “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land.” …this difference in language between laws and treaties allows the latter to sweep more broadly than the former.

One thing we can state with certainty is that opponents of individual rights will use the treaty to push an anti-gun agenda inside the United States. And since the Supreme Court has upheld the Second Amendment by only one vote, I’m not overly confident that we can rely on the judiciary anyhow.

Ultimately, our fundamental rights to protect ourselves and our families only exist because politicians are scared of getting voted out of office and losing the best job most of them will ever have.

And remember that the “slippery slope” is a very relevant concern. Many anti-gun activists think only government should have the right to possess guns, and they view incremental gun control measures as building blocks to that ultimate goal.

Even though government monopolies on gun possession have been associated with some of the world’s most brutal dictatorships!

I’m not worried that the United States is going to turn into some Venezuelan-style anti-gun totalitarian regime, so I actually disagree with the results of my poll on the biggest reason to oppose gun control.

If I was asked to give my worst-case scenario for why we need private gun ownership, it would involve fiscal and societal breakdown because of an ever-growing welfare state.

But regardless of why you believe in the Second Amendment, this U.N. treaty would be a very bad development.

Related posts:

Comparison of crime data and concealed carry gun laws between Houston and Chicago (includes funny gun control posters)

Sometimes you just have to look at the facts!!! An Inside Look at Left-Wing Social Science Gun Research March 20, 2013 by Dan Mitchell In a presumably futile effort to change their minds by learning how they think, I periodically try to figure out the left-wing mind. Why, for instance, do some people believe in Keynesian […]

Michael Moore’s idea that pictures from Sandy Hook will help gun control argument (includes editorial picture)

I do love Michael Moore’s movie “Canadian Bacon” and I have blogged about it before. However, I am not a big Michael Moore fan. Take a look at this excellent article by Trevor Burrus of the Cato Institute on Moore’s latest stupid claim. March 15, 2013 3:50PM Some Pictures for Michael Moore By Trevor Burrus […]

Open letter to President Obama (Part 256) (on gun control)

(This letter was mailed before October 1, 2012) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what […]

Letter from David Kopel of Cato Institute to Senator Cruz on constitutional issues in federal gun control proposals (Great yardsign on gun control)

  Great yardsign on gun control from Dan Mitchell’s blog. Here’s a quiz. What do you do after seeing this sign? Letter to Senator Cruz on constitutional issues in federal gun control proposals David Kopel • February 11, 2013 2:25 pm On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human […]

Gun control posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog Part 5

The rear of the Bath School after the May 18, 1927 bombing. Wikimedia Commons ___________ I have put up lots of cartoons and posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog before and they have got lots of hits before. Many of them have dealt with the economy, eternal unemployment benefits, socialism,  Greece,  welfare state or on gun control. Did […]

Gun control posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog Part 4

I have put up lots of cartons and posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog before and they have got lots of hits before. Many of them have dealt with the economy, eternal unemployment benefits, socialism,  Greece,  welfare state or on gun control. There is no doubt that Hitler took away guns from those he wanted to persecute and […]

Ilya Shapiro’s Feb 8, 2013 testimony before Senate subcommittee on proposals to reduce gun violence (gun control cartoon)

  Max Brantley of The Arkansas Times again on 2-18-13 is complaining about those who believe strongly in the 2nd amendment. Another good cartoon from Dan Mitchell’s blog on gun control. It seems that Colorado is the only state that has passed sensible gun control laws after a gun tragedy and that was after the […]

Gun control posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog Part 3

I have put up lots of cartoons and posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog before and they have got lots of hits before. Many of them have dealt with the economy, eternal unemployment benefits, socialism,  Greece,  welfare state or on gun control. Raising My Daughter Right March 26, 2010 by Dan Mitchell I got her this t-shirt at the […]

Gun control posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog Part 2

I have put up lots of cartons and posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog before and they have got lots of hits before. Many of them have dealt with the economy, eternal unemployment benefits, socialism,  Greece,  welfare state or on gun control. Amusing Gun Control Picture – Circa 1999 April 3, 2010 by Dan Mitchell Dug this gem out […]

Gun control posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog Part 1

I have put up lots of cartons and posters from Dan Mitchell’s blog before and they have got lots of hits before. Many of them have dealt with the economy, eternal unemployment benefits, socialism,  Greece,  welfare state or on gun control. On 2-6-13 the Arkansas Times Blogger “Sound Policy” suggested,  “All churches that wish to allow concealed […]

 

 

April 15, 2013 – 1:06 pm Categories: Cato Institute, Economist Dan Mitchell, Gun Control, President Obama | Post a comment

Taking on Ark Times Bloggers on various issues Part J “Can atheists find lasting meaning to their lives?” (includes film ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE)

I have gone back and forth and back and forth with many liberals on the Arkansas Times Blog on many issues such as abortion, human rights, welfare, poverty, gun control  and issues dealing with popular culture. Here is another exchange I had with them a while back. My username at the Ark Times Blog is Saline Republican.

On 2-22-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  the person using the username “DeathByInches” asserted: 

“I would love to hear from any atheist that would present a case for lasting meaning in life apart from God.”

Jesus! Your brain wiring is so messed up, Saline. You don’t worship god, you worship you….it’s totally on display here ever since your first post.

My life has meaning because of the dead people I came from and the live people I live with and love. My life has lasting meaning because of the beautiful dumb state I love, the uptight city that’s been my home since I was 6 years old. My imperfect friends who love the imperfect me. Even iTunes helps give my life lasting meaning. Struggling to support the downtrodden will keep me busy for the rest of my life.

And since I’m not greedy, I’m very happy with the idea that when I die I’ll return to the nothingness from which I came and won’t have another worry or concern for the rest of time. And I’ll know that I have helped create 2 wonderful kids who will go on to create more wonderful kids who won’t be stuck in the terrifying world of hocus-pocus, judging and hate.

What more could any rational human wish for? God didn’t make my kids good people, the honesty they learned from mag and I coupled with childhoods absent of hateful teachings made them the way they are today and who they’ll be 50 years from now.

I’m sorry it takes the fear of a fiery hell to keep you straight, but maybe someday you’ll evolve and be able to tell right from wrong, good and bad without turning to endless jabber from the minds of someone else. When real live people become as real to you as unborn fetuses, Biblical characters and actors in a Woody Allen movie….you might finally be making some progress. Good luck to you.

On 2-22-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  the person using the username “Olphart” added: 

Well said, DBI. I’m glad I didn’t tackle that one myself. It would not have been nearly as well thought out.

I do have one slight quibble though. You said “God didn’t make my kids good people”. No, He made them bad and you had to overcome it. Remember, how Eve ate of the apple and God decided he would punish mankind from then on because they learned about sin. They learned about it because of the temptation from the talking snake. God was aware of the talking snake’s slithering around the garden but did nothing about it. So, therefore…uh, get Saline to explain it to you.

On 2-22-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  I responded: 

DBI you are fully embracing the materialistic view of the universe just like Olphart is but you both are afraid to answer the question concerning Judah having his troublesome girlfriend killed since you know there is no enforcement factor there to punish him if there is no afterlife.

You both also have not thought through logically where a materialist universe leaves us in the area of morals.

Francis Crick was in agreement with your materialistic views and he concluded, “The Astonishing Hypothesis is that you—your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules”

What if all this is true? What if the cosmos and the chemicals and the particles really are all that there is, and all that we are?

“If man has been kicked up out of that which is only impersonal by chance , then those things that make him man-hope of purpose and significance, love, motions of morality and rationality, beauty and verbal communication-are ultimately unfulfillable and thus meaningless.”
—Francis Schaeffer in The God Who Is There
“Eventually materialist philosophy undermines the reliability of the mind itself-and hence even the basis for science. The true foundation of rationality is not found in particles and impersonal laws, but in the mind of the Creator who formed us in His image.”
—Phillip E. Johnson,
Defeating Darwinism by Opening Minds
“Can man live without God? Of course he can, in a physical sense. Can he live without God in a reasonable way? The answer to that is No!”

On 2-23-13 on the Arkansas Times Blog  the person using the username “Olphart” added: 

I was afraid of losing you back in the archives but now I find you (where else?) but back in the archives. I surely do hope that you’re not trying to avoid me.

BTW, I’m in the middle of watching “Crimes and Misdemeanors” and will respond to that as well.

BTW again. I think I’ve figured you out finally and will reveal my theory of Saline here soon. Do I hear your knees knocking? Is that your teeth gnashing? It’s definitely not MY teeth gnashing. They’re in the back bathroom by the sink.

___________

In the film series “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE?” the arguments are presented  against abortion (Episode 1),  infanticide (Episode 2),   euthenasia (Episode 3), and then there is a discussion of the Christian versus Humanist worldview concerning the issue of “the basis for human dignity” in Episode 4 and then in the last episode a close look at the truth claims of the Bible.

Many liberals actually truly do argue for abortion rights over human rights. Prochoice advocate Elizabeth Williams came out and said that on 1-23-13 in her article on Salon. We hear reasons for abortion such as poverty,and  child abuse,  but why not consider adoption? Instead, the political left will stop at nothing to push the pro-abortion agenda. Why not stop and take an honest look at when life begins for the unborn child and when she begins to feel pain?

Dr. C. Everett Koop is pictured above.

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE

Published on Oct 6, 2012 by

____________

Great  quotes from “Whatever happened to the human race?”  by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop (from the shelter website):.

Summary

Francis Schaeffer and, former Surgeon General, C. Everette Koop deal directly with the devaluing of human life and its results in our society. It did not take place in a vacuum. It is a direct result of a worldview that has rejected the doctrine of man being created in the image of God. Man as a product of the impersonal, plus time and chance has no sufficient basis for worth.

…because the Christian consensus has been put aside, we are faced today with a flood of personal cruelty. As we have noted, the Christian consensus gave great freedoms without leading to chaos — because society in general functioned within the values given in the Bible, especially the unique value of human life. Now that humanism has taken over, the former freedoms run riot, and individuals, acting on what they are taught, increasingly practice their cruelties without restraint. And why shouldn’t they? If the modern humanistic view of man is correct and man is only a product of chance in a universe that has no ultimate values, why should an individual refrain from being cruel to another person, if that person seems to be standing in his or her way?
(Francis A. Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop, Whatever Happened to the Human Race?, Ch. 1)

Sarah Torre

January 24, 2013 at 4:26 pm

As they have done every year since the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, feminist groups have used the 40th anniversary of that ruling to faithfully reiterate decades-old slogans extolling the Roe ethic of abortion-on-demand, for any reason, as a boon for gender equality.

But for the millions of women and girls unable to speak because their lives were extinguished before birth simply for being female, the mantra of equality through unrestricted abortion falls flat.

Fueling a worldwide phenomenon often referred to as “gendercide,” sex-selective abortion has caused a dearth of girls in a number of countries—over 160 million women are “missing” in Asia alone.

In China, the government-imposed one-child limit, coupled with a cultural preference for boys, is ravaging the country’s female population. Bucking nature’s dictated sex ratio of 100 girls for every 105 boys, China’s average birth ratio is now 100 girls for every 118 boys—with some provinces reporting skewed gender balances as high as 130 boys for every 100 girls.

Such deadly discrimination extends well beyond China’s borders. India shows a skewed sex ratio of 112 boys for every 100 girls. Hong Kong and El Salvador aren’t far behind, with both countries tipping blue at 110 baby boys for every 100 females.

The consequences? Child kidnapping, commoditization of brides, and expanded demand for human trafficking are the costs of persistent gender imbalance, making for an arguably more violent and less free world for women.

Sex-selective abortion has even touched the shores of the United States. According to one study from Columbia University researchers, among children born to Korean, Chinese, and Indian immigrant parents, the birth of a first-born baby girl tended to forecast the sex of her future siblings. For a second birth, the male-female ratio was 117 to 110. If the couple already had two girls, the ratio for the third birth tended to skew even higher at 151 to 100.

To all this, feminist groups have remained deafeningly silent at best and dismissive at worst of the travesty of sex-selective abortion that is decimating their own around the world.

The National Organization for Women and NARAL Pro-Choice America refuse to join calls to ban such deadly bias. When Congress was considering legislation last year that would have outlawed sex-selective abortion in the U.S., Nancy Keenan, then-President of NARAL Pro-choice America, referred to the proposed ban as “attacking a woman’s right to choose.”

But, as Mara Hvistendahl explains in her book, Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls and the Consequences of a World Full of Men, there’s a harsh irony lurking in an unwavering allegiance to unrestricted abortion. “In a world in which women are unnaturally scarce,” she explains, “the right to abortion will be the least of our worries.”

As Heritage’s Jennifer Marshall eloquently explains, feminists cannot simultaneously hold up the values of unfettered “choice” while also claiming to fight for gender equity:

If there is equality between women and men, it’s rooted in our nature and purpose as human beings. Denying that fundamental dignity inherent in all human life destroys the very basis of equality.

A vast majority of Americans—almost 80 percent according to a recent poll by the Charlotte Lozier Institute—would support a sex-selective abortion ban when gender was the sole reason for seeking an abortion. For the sake of their most vulnerable sisters, feminists would likewise do well to rethink where an unrestricted “right to choose” really leads. Sincerity to upholding the rights of all women suggests it and over 160 million “missing” girls demand it.

___________

Related posts:

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 7) “Poverty not good reason for abortion, why not give up for adoption?”

Dr Richard Land discusses abortion and slavery – 10/14/2004 – part 3 The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 6) For many pro-abortionists ” …the problem is not determining when actual human life begins, but when the value of that life begins to out weigh other considerations”

The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Francis Schaeffer pictured above._________ The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book  really […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 5) “Slavery issue compared to rights of unborn child”

The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue of abortion. I asked over and over again for one liberal blogger […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 4) “How do pro-lifers react to the movie THE CIDER HOUSE RULES?”

Francis Schaeffer pictured above._________ The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue of abortion. I asked over and over again […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 3) “What should be the punishment for abortion doctors?”

The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” On 1-24-13 I took on the child abuse argument put forth by Ark Times Blogger “Deathbyinches,” and the day before I pointed out that because the unborn baby has all the genetic code […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 2) “The pro-abortion child abuse argument destroyed here”

PHOTO BY STATON BREIDENTHAL from Pro-life march in Little Rock on 1-20-13. Tim Tebow on pro-life super bowl commercial. Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue of abortion. Here is another encounter below. On January 22, 2013 (on the 40th anniversary of the […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 1)

Dr Richard Land discusses abortion and slavery – 10/14/2004 – part 3 The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue […]

April 15, 2013 – 7:48 am Categories: Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Post a comment

Open letter to President Obama (Part 298)

Obamanomics: A Legacy of Wasteful Spending

Published on Aug 12, 2012 by

This mini-documentary from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation highlights egregious examples of wasteful spending from the so-called stimulus legislation and explains why government spending hurts economic performance.

**Links to additional reading material**

Thomas Sowell, “Stimulus or Sedative?”
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/03/09/stimulus_or_sedative_104…

Veronique de Rugy, “Green Energy Loans: Beyond the Solyndra Drama,”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/303787/green-energy-loans-beyond-solyndr…

CF&P Economic Lessons Video, “Keynesian Economics is Wrong: Bigger Gov’t Is Not Stimulus,”
http://freedomandprosperity.org/2008/videos/keynesian-economics-is-wrong-bigg…

Doug Bandow, “Federal Spending: Killing the Economy with Government Stimulus,”
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/federal-spending-killing-economy-…

Dan Mitchell, “Spending Is Not Stimulus: Bigger Government Did Not Work for bush, and It Will Not Work for Obama,”
http://www.cato.org/pubs/tbb/tbb_0209-53.pdf

CF&P Economic Lessons Video, “Obamas So-Called Stimulus: Good For Government, Bad For the Economy,”
http://freedomandprosperity.org/2009/videos/obamas-so-called-stimulus-good-fo…

Nicolas Loris, “Department of Energy Budget Cuts: Time to End the Hidden Green Stimulus,”
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/03/department-of-energy-budget-…

Jim Powell, “How Obama’s Last Stimulus Bill Became a Comedy of Errors,”
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/how-obamas-last-stimulus-bill-bec…

__________

 

President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

I am afraid that you messed up when you bailed out the auto industry.

The Truth about the GM and Chrysler Bailouts

Posted by Randal O’Toole

Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan has been accused of lying when he claimed that Obama broke a promise by letting a Wisconsin auto factory close, when in fact the factory closed before Obama took office. Although that isn’t precisely what Ryan said, there is some validity to the accusation that his statement was deceptive.

But numerous Obama supporters are playing just as loose with the facts when they say that, if Obama hadn’t rescued GM and Chrysler, far more factories would have closed permanently. That is simply untrue. While news agencies have fact-checked some of the things being said at the Democratic convention, I haven’t seen any challenges of this claim.

Both GM and Chrysler were headed for bankruptcy. If they had gone bankrupt under chapter 11, most of their factories would have stayed open and they would have continued making and selling cars. Bankruptcy would have allowed the companies to avoid interest and dividend payments for a time, and to renegotiate union contracts. Under bankruptcy laws, stockholders would have lost the value of their stocks, but bond owners–who have first claim to company assets and profits–would have been paid off, if not in whole than at least in part.

Instead of letting the companies declare bankruptcy, Obama decided to “bail them out” by taking them over. Once the administration had control of the companies, it had them file for bankruptcy, just as they would have done without the government takeover. Stockholders still lost everything, but so did Chrysler’s bond holders. Instead of renegotiating union contracts, the administration gave the unions greater say over the companies. In other words, the administration didn’t bail out the companies; it bailed out the unions at the expense of (in Chrysler’s case) the bondholders.

In doing so, the administration created uncertainty in the bond market. Bonds were supposed to be safer investments than stocks. But who would want to invest in long-term bonds if the government could step in at any time and void the legal rights of the bond owners? The result is that bond sellers must be willing to pay more interest to attract buyers.

In short, the Obama auto bailout probably didn’t save many jobs (though it probably did keep worker pay uncompetitively high). Instead, it is more likely that the Obama administration’s action prolonged the recession by discouraging private investment in American industry.

__________

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your commitment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

April 15, 2013 – 7:44 am Categories: President Obama, spending out of control | Comments (1)

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 34 (includes editorial cartoon)

Dr. Koop

 C. Everett Koop

Published on Feb 25, 2013

The PBS NewsHour interviewed former Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop, on the anniversary of the first surgeon general’s report on smoking. Jim Lehrer interviewed Koop for a newsmaker conversation for the The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour from the surgeon general’s office in Washington on Jan. 11, 1989. Koop died Monday at the age of 96.

Dr. C. Everett Koop was appointed to the Reagan administration but was held up in the Senate in his confirmation hearings by Ted Kennedy because of his work in pro-life causes.

Memorial Tribute Former Surgeon General C.Everett Koop © A Genuine G-Shot.wmv

On 2-25-13 we lost a great man when we lost Dr. C. Everett Koop. I have written over and over the last few years quoting Dr. C. Everett Koop and his good friend Francis Schaeffer. They both came together for the first time in 1973 when Dr. Koop operated on Schaeffer’s daughter and as a result they became close friends. That led to their involvement together in the book and film series “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE?” in 1979.

Wikipedia notes:

C. Everett Koop

C. Everett Koop
Surgeon General of the United States
In office
January 21, 1982 – October 1, 1989
President Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Preceded by Edward Brandt (Acting)
Succeeded by James Mason (Acting)
Personal details
Born Charles Everett Koop
(1916-10-14)October 14, 1916[1][2]
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Died February 25, 2013(2013-02-25) (aged 96)
Hanover, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Elizabeth Flanagan (1938–2007)
Cora Hogue (2010–2013)
Children Allen
Norman
David
Elizabeth
Alma mater Dartmouth College
Cornell University
Religion Presbyterianism

Charles Everett Koop, MD (October 14, 1916 – February 25, 2013) was an American pediatric surgeon and public health administrator. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps,[1] and served as the 13th Surgeon General of the United States under President Ronald Reagan from 1982 to 1989.[3] According to the Associated Press, “Koop was the only surgeon general to become a household name”.[4]

HideEarly life and education

Koop was born in Brooklyn, New York. His parents, John Everett Koop (1883–1972) and Helen (née Apel) Koop (1894–1970), were both children of German immigrants, and Koop was their only child.[5] In 1937, he earned his A.B. degree from Dartmouth College,[6] where he was given the nickname “Chick” (occasionally used for his first name, Charles, but here an allusion to a chicken coop).[7] He earned his MD degree from Cornell Medical College in 1941 and doctor of science degree in medicine from the University of Pennsylvania in 1947.[8]

  • Baby Doe and the Rights of Handicapped Children: In Apri
  • l 1982, a child born in Bloomington, Indiana, was diagnosed with Down syndrome as well as esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula. Six days later, after court involvement and parental discussion involving disagreement among physicians about whether or not to treat the baby or let him die, the baby died, having been denied surgical treatment to correct his esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. Baby Doe, as he would be known, became a symbol for children with birth defects, handicapped infants, and the debate over infanticide. Koop was not initially involved with the Baby Doe case but had a special interest in it. As a pediatric surgeon in Philadelphia, he and his colleagues had operated on 475 such babies during his 35 years there, with ever-increasing survival rates. During his last eight years in active practice, Koop never lost a full-term baby upon whom he had operated to correct esophageal atresia. It was due to this background that he became actively involved championing policies to protect the rights of newborns with defects, which led to Congress passing the Baby Doe Amendment.

These four issues combined with Koop’s personality and his willingness to make use of mass media brought to the office of Surgeon General a higher public profile than it previously had merited; he is, for instance, the first Surgeon General to have been the subject of a popular song – “Promiscuous”, by Frank Zappa. Koop was well known for his mustache-less beard and colorful bow ties. During much of his day-to-day work, Koop wore the Surgeon General’s US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps uniform, a uniform similar to that of a U.S. Navy Vice Admiral’s. During his tenure he re-instated the daily wearing of the PHS uniform by the officers of the PHS.

HidePersonal life

In early 1968, Koop’s son David was killed in a rock climbing accident on Cannon Mountain during his junior year at Dartmouth College. Koop later wrote that because of his son’s death he thought, “I might be better able to help parents of dying children, but for quite a while I felt less able, too emotionally involved. And from that time on, I could rarely discuss the death of a child without tears welling up into my eyes.”[34] Years later, he and his wife wrote a book called Sometimes Mountains Move to help others who had lost a child.

In February 2007, Elizabeth Koop, his wife of nearly 70 years, died. On April 17, 2010, he married Cora Hogue, a former staff member of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.

At a 2010 news conference, Koop spoke from a wheelchair and said that he was “very, very deaf” and legally blind.[2]

Death

Koop died on February 25, 2013, at the age of 96 at his home in Hanover, New Hampshire.[2] According to a Koop aide, he had been ill for several months and suffered kidney failure the previous week.[6] No official determination of cause of death has yet been announced.[35]

Remarking on Koop’s death, American Medical Association president Jeremy Lazarus commented, “Because of what he did, and the way he did it, he had a dramatic impact on public health.”[36] The Associated Press called his impact “great”,[35] while the Philadelphia Inquirer called him “a courageous and brilliant pediatric surgeon who pioneered techniques … and became an outspoken surgeon general”.[37] Writing for The New Yorker, Michael Specter said, “I don’t think I have ever met anyone for whom I had more respect… In this era, during which progress, facts, and science are under unrelenting siege, it is thrilling to remember that even ideologues can love the truth.”[38]

HideAwards and honors

____________________

In the film series “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE?” the arguments are presented  against abortion (Episode 1),  infanticide (Episode 2),   euthenasia (Episode 3), and then there is a discussion of the Christian versus Humanist worldview concerning the issue of “the basis for human dignity” in Episode 4 and then in the last episode a close look at the truth claims of the Bible. 

In this 1979 film series they dealt with the big social issues and predicted what social problems we have in the future because of humanism. For instance, they knew that the Jack Kevorkians of the world would be coming down the pike. They predicted that there was a slippery slope from abortion to infanticide to youth euthanasia brought on by the materialistic worldview.

Dr. C. Everett Koop is pictured above.

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE

Published on Oct 6, 2012 by

Here is an editorial cartoon about abortion.

Sad 😦

  •  
Christianity and Scientific Concerns

 

AP

C. Everett Koop

Related posts:

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 12 (with editorial cartoon)

Dr. C. Everett Koop on Baby Doe, euthanasia, abortion Uploaded on Nov 3, 2008 Dr. Koop answers questions on Baby Doe, euthanasia and abortion during interview at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL http://www.christianethics.org Dr. Koop   On 2-25-13 we lost a great man when we lost Dr. C. Everett Koop. I have written over and over […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 11 (including editorial cartoon on abortion)

Dr. Koop Memorial Tribute Former Surgeon General C.Everett Koop © A Genuine G-Shot.wmv On 2-25-13 we lost a great man when we lost Dr. C. Everett Koop. I have written over and over the last few years quoting Dr. C. Everett Koop and his good friend Francis Schaeffer. They both came together for the first […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 10 (includes editorial cartoon about abortion)

Newsmaker Interview with Surgeon General C. Everett Koop Published on Feb 25, 2013 The PBS NewsHour interviewed former Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop, on the anniversary of the first surgeon general’s report on smoking. Jim Lehrer interviewed Koop for a newsmaker conversation for the The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour from the surgeon general’s office in Washington […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 9 (Picture of Joycelyn Elders with Koop)

Dr. C. Everett Koop on Baby Doe, euthanasia, abortion Uploaded on Nov 3, 2008 Dr. Koop answers questions on Baby Doe, euthanasia and abortion during interview at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL http://www.christianethics.org Dr. Koop   Joycelyn Elders was the first black Surgeon General of the USA and I have a picture of her with Dr. C. […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 8 (editorial picture about Surgeon General)

Memorial Tribute Former Surgeon General C.Everett Koop © A Genuine G-Shot.wmv Dr. Koop. C. Everett Koop Before Dr. C. Everett Koop arrived in 1981 as Surgeon General could anybody ever name who the Surgeon General was? Koop also caused lots of editorial cartoons to be drawn about him because of his positions he took on […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 7 (Public Health poster)

Newsmaker Interview with Surgeon General C. Everett Koop Published on Feb 25, 2013 The PBS NewsHour interviewed former Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Koop, on the anniversary of the first surgeon general’s report on smoking. Jim Lehrer interviewed Koop for a newsmaker conversation for the The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour from the surgeon general’s office in Washington […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 6 (includes funniest cartoon ever during Koop’s tenure)

Dr. C. Everett Koop on Baby Doe, euthanasia, abortion Uploaded on Nov 3, 2008 Dr. Koop answers questions on Baby Doe, euthanasia and abortion during interview at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL http://www.christianethics.org Dr. Koop. C. Everett Koop On June 8, 1988 Ralph Dunagin of the LA Times came out with the funniest editorial cartoon I […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 5 (Public Health poster developed under Koop)

Memorial Tribute Former Surgeon General C.Everett Koop © A Genuine G-Shot.wmv Dr. C. Everett Koop was active on getting the word out about how people could catch AIDS. Public Health officials during the second half of the 1980s became concerned about the spread of AIDS particularly among minorities, a disproportionate number of whom were intravenous […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 4 (funny editorial cartoon too)

Dr. Koop Gary Brookings of the Richmond Times Dispatch did a very funny editorial cartoon about the time in 1988 when Dr. C. Everett Koop sent the unapproved mail  piece out to millions of homes about AIDS. There were many such cartoons at the time since everyone knew Dr. Koop got the mail piece out […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 3 ( three more editorial cartoons too)

Dr. Koop with Hillary Clinton In 1980 I really was influenced at my highschool by a teacher of mine named Mark Brink. He introduced me to the film series “Whatever happened to the human race?” by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop. In this  film series that came out in 1979 they dealt with […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 2 (Doonesbury cartoon by Gary Trudeau included)

Dr. Koop On 2-25-13 we lost a great man when we lost Dr. C. Everett Koop. I have written over and over the last few years quoting Dr. C. Everett Koop and his good friend Francis Schaeffer. They both came together for the first time in 1973 when Dr. Koop operated on Schaeffer’s daughter and […]

Remembering Dr. C. Everett Koop with pictures and quotes Part 1

Dr. C. Everett Koop is pictured above. Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race” (Episode 1) ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis Dr. Koop On 2-25-13 we lost a great man when we lost Dr. C. Everett Koop. I have written over and over the last few years […]

 

Open letter to President Obama (Part 232 B) Dr. C. Everett Koop and Reagan pictured together

Dr. C. Everett Koop with Ronald Reagan. Dr. Koop was delayed in his confirmation by Ted Kennedy because of his film Whatever Happened to the Human Race? President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you […]

“Sanctity of Life Saturday” Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop asked Reagan to issue pro-life proclamation in 1983 (includes video ABORTION OF THE HUMAN RACE)

In the film series “WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HUMAN RACE?” the arguments are presented  against abortion (Episode 1),  infanticide (Episode 2),   euthenasia (Episode 3), and then there is a discussion of the Christian versus Humanist worldview concerning the issue of “the basis for human dignity” in Episode 4 and then in the last episode a close […]

Dr. C. Everett Koop on abortion’s 1973 Roe v. Wade impact on child abuse

Dr. C. Everett Koop with Ronald Reagan. Dr. Koop was delayed in his confirmation by Ted Kennedy because of his film Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Watch the film below starting at the 19 minute mark and that will lead into a powerful question from Dr. C. Everett Koop. This 1979 film is WHATEVER […]

Open letter to President Obama (Part 221 B) Dr. C. Everett Koop and Francis Schaeffer rightly called abortion “the watershed issue of our era”

 Dr. Koop was delayed in his confirmation by Ted Kennedy because of his film Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Francis Schaeffer February 21, 1982 (Part 1) Uploaded by DeBunker7 on Feb 21, 2008 READ THIS FIRST: In decline of all civilizations we first see a war against the freedom of ideas. Discussion is limited […]

Francis Schaeffer and C. Everette Koop on the Hippocratic oath (March for Life January 20, 2013)

Dr. C. Everett Koop was appointed to the Reagan administration but was held up in the Senate in his confirmation hearings by Ted Kennedy because of his work in pro-life causes. I was thinking about the March for Life that is coming up on Jan 20, 2013  and that is why I posted this today […]

Ronald Wilson Reagan pictured with Dr. C. Everett Koop

High resolution version (11,426,583 Bytes) Description: The photograph is signed by President Ronald Reagan with the inscription “To Chick Koop, With Best Wishes.” Chick, from chicken coop, was the nickname Koop gained will attending Dartmouth College in the mid-1930s. Koop maintained a cordial relationship with President Reagan, despite his disappointment over Reagan’s refusal to address […]

Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop were prophetic (jh29)

Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop were prophetic (jh29) What Ever Happened to the Human Race? I recently heard this Breakpoint Commentary by Chuck Colson and it just reminded me of how prophetic Francis Schaeffer and C. Everett Koop were in the late 1970′s with their book and film series “Whatever happened to the human […]

Should Michele Bachmann be punished for taking pro-life views from Schaeffer and Koop? (March for Life January 20, 2013)

  Dr. C. Everett Koop I was thinking about the March for Life that is coming up on Jan 20, 2013  and that is why I posted this today Secular leaps of faith 39 Comments Written by Janie B. Cheaney August 15, 2011, 2:17 PM I’m willing to cut Ryan Lizza some slack. His profile […]

“Schaeffer Sundays” Francis Schaeffer’s own words concerning humanism and its bad results

Francis Schaeffer: “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” (Episode 2) SLAUGHTER OF THE INNOCENTS Published on Oct 6, 2012 by AdamMetropolis The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book  really helped develop my political views concerning […]

“Sanctity of Life Saturday”:Derek Melleby’s review of the book “Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life” (includes film THE BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY)

  I truly believe that many of the problems we have today in the USA are due to the advancement of humanism in the last few decades in our society. Ronald Reagan appointed the evangelical Dr. C. Everett Koop to the position of Surgeon General in his administration. He partnered with Dr. Francis Schaeffer in making […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 5) “Slavery issue compared to rights of unborn child”

The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue of abortion. I asked over and over again for one liberal blogger […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 4) “How do pro-lifers react to the movie THE CIDER HOUSE RULES?”

Francis Schaeffer pictured above._________ The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue of abortion. I asked over and over again […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 3) “What should be the punishment for abortion doctors?”

The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” On 1-24-13 I took on the child abuse argument put forth by Ark Times Blogger “Deathbyinches,” and the day before I pointed out that because the unborn baby has all the genetic code […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 2) “The pro-abortion child abuse argument destroyed here”

PHOTO BY STATON BREIDENTHAL from Pro-life march in Little Rock on 1-20-13. Tim Tebow on pro-life super bowl commercial. Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue of abortion. Here is another encounter below. On January 22, 2013 (on the 40th anniversary of the […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 6) For many pro-abortionists ” …the problem is not determining when actual human life begins, but when the value of that life begins to out weigh other considerations”

The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Francis Schaeffer pictured above._________ The 45 minute video above is from the film series created from Francis Schaeffer’s book “Whatever Happened to the Human Race?” with Dr. C. Everett Koop. This book  really […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 7) “Poverty not good reason for abortion, why not give up for adoption?”

Dr Richard Land discusses abortion and slavery – 10/14/2004 – part 3 The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue […]

Taking on Ark Times bloggers about abortion on the 40th anniversary date of Roe v. Wade (Part 1)

Dr Richard Land discusses abortion and slavery – 10/14/2004 – part 3 The best pro-life film I have ever seen below by Francis Schaeffer and Dr. C. Everett Koop “Whatever happened to the human race?” Over the years I have taken on the Ark Times liberal bloggers over and over and over concerning the issue […]

Paul Greenberg became pro-life because we are all “endowed with certain unalienable rights”

On January 20, 2013 I heard Paul Greenberg talk about the words of Thomas Jefferson that we are all “endowed with certain unalienable rights” and the most important one is the right to life. He mentioned this also in this speech below from 2011: Paul Greenberg Dinner Speech 2011 Fall 2011 Issue Some of you […]

How Pulitzer Prize-winning Paul Greenberg, one of the most respected and honored commentators in America, changed his mind about abortion and endorses now the pro-life view

It is not possible to know where the pro-life evangelicals are coming from unless you look at the work of the person who inspired them the most. That person was Francis Schaeffer.  I do care about economic issues but the pro-life issue is the most important to me. Several years ago Adrian Rogers (past president of […]

 
April 15, 2013 – 7:20 am Categories: Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Comments (1)

Once someone is dependent on the government it is tough to get off

Once someone is dependent on the government it is tough to get off.

Rachel Sheffield

March 22, 2013 at 12:30 pm

Newscom

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) says welfare dependence is no measure of success when it comes to helping the poor.

“Sadly, there are some in our nation’s capital who measure success in government by how many are dependent on the government,” said the governor. “Our mindset in Wisconsin is a sharp contrast.… We measure true compassion by helping people no longer require the assistance of the government.”

That’s why Wisconsin will reform the food stamps program to require work for able-bodied recipients.

Food stamp rolls have swelled nationally, with spending doubling in the past four years. Part of the reason for the growth is connected to President Obama waiving the (small) work requirement in food stamps, which requires able-bodied adults to work or prepare for work in exchange for receiving benefits.

According to the governor’s plan, able-bodied adult recipients without young children would be required to work or participate in job training for 20 hours a week in order to receive food stamp benefits:

Previously, Wisconsin was one of 46 states receiving a waiver from a federal requirement for food stamp recipients to get job skills. However, we think it is an important investment in the futures of these individuals and our state.

Work requirements for able-bodied individuals should be at the foundation of welfare. This policy establishes the principle of work and promotes personal responsibility and self-sufficiency.

Tragically, the vast majority of the federal government’s 80-plus welfare programs include no work requirement at all, and the Obama Administration has been diligently toiling to remove work requirements from those programs that do include them. In 2009, Obama suspended food stamp work requirements as part of his stimulus package. That suspension was supposed to end in September 2010, but his next two budgets requested that the suspension continue. Rather than waiting for Congress to act, however, the Administration simply began allowing states to waive the work requirement.

To make matters worse, last summer the Administration issued another policy to waive the work requirements from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which was created by the1996 welfare reform law.

Self-sufficiency for those who are able should be the goal of welfare assistance. “It is important to give temporary hand up to those in need, but for those who are able, we should not provide a permanent hand out. Our goal is simple: transition people from government dependence to true independence,” said Walker.

April 15, 2013 – 5:09 am Categories: spending out of control | Post a comment

“Music Monday” Avril Lavigne’s best songs

“Keep holding on” is my favorite Avril Lavigne song. Enjoy this clip of it followed by a 2007 interview of Lavigne.

April 15, 2013 – 1:39 am Categories: Current Events | Post a comment