Sheila Liaugminas has this report at her blog:
But Jesus Christ still figures very prominently in it, thank God.
This is interesting. Normally, a major news outlet will update a news story by either writing a new and more current one, or adding an ‘Update:’ blurb at the bottom of the original online. The Associated Press just ran a piece over Easter weekend about President Obama using his Saturday radio address as an Easter address. I linked to it in this post, noting (as the article did), that the president took the opportunity to weave his administration’s priorities of healthcare, jobs and education into a larger message of ”shared humanity” and common bonds, for people of all faiths and nonbelievers alike.
Just went back to that link to check something in the original story, and it’s not there. The AP removed it and replaced it with an account of Tuesday’s Easter prayer breakfast Obama hosted at the White House for Christian leaders. Follow that original link and you’ll find the new story about Obama honoring Christ.
In openly personal terms, President Barack Obama on Tuesday honored the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, saying he draws inspiration from an eternal story of pain, suffering and redemption.
“We are thankful for the sacrifice he gave for the sins of humanity, and we glory in the promise of redemption in the resurrection,” Obama told Christian leaders from around the country at an Easter prayer breakfast at the White House.
What a remarkably different story, not only from the one the AP removed, but from the usual tone Obama keeps on matters of faith and in particular, his. He’s been removed, distant, somewhat aloof, noncommittal, certainly inclusive….which was the point of the now removed AP story. And it’s still morphing. When I found this new AP story just a while ago, it called Obama’s remarks “unusually personal” in the lede. Now they’re “openly personal”….though the AP mentions this was a “brief, uncommon opening into how he views his Christian faith.”
This is inspiring, especially if sincere.
He told the religious leaders that their examples are followed by millions of people. He welcomed them warmly as “my brothers and sisters in Christ” and honored Christ as “our risen savior.”
The president spoke in particular of the story of Christ’s last words on the cross, quoting this phrase: “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”
“These words were spoken by our Lord and savior,” he said, “but they can just as truly be spoken by every one of us here today. Their meaning can just as truly be lived out by all of God’s children. So on this day, let us commit our spirit to the pursuit of a life that is true.”
This is encouraging to hear. It would be more so if he recognized the truth about life.
From here.
Thinking about ethics and current events (Began 1 April 2008)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Asian Mothers Killing Their Children, Selves
A recent article in Time magazine highlights a rising number of suicides involving a parent and child in Hong Kong. These “filicide-suicides” are not a new phenomenon in East Asia, but there have been at least 15 since the start of 2008 and three in February-March -- all mother and child -- provoking alarm amongst welfare agencies and experts.
In Taiwan it is worse. As we noted recently in a post about research showing that motherhood protects women against suicide, Taiwan has high and increasing rates of suicide amongst men and women. It also has the highest filicide-suicide rate in East Asia, with 61 reported cases since 2008.
The parent’s desperation is often linked with joblessness and financial hardship as well as marriage breakdown. Cultural attitudes come into play:
Two years ago, a study co-authored by the University of Hong Kong and the University of Macau found that a deranged sense of compassion was common - parents killed their offspring to spare them from destitution and believed it their right to do so. "We take our children as our property," says Fernando Cheung, former head of the Hong Kong legislature's welfare panel. "Asian culture dictates that they're ours, that they are not independent beings, especially when they're small."
Read it all here.
In Taiwan it is worse. As we noted recently in a post about research showing that motherhood protects women against suicide, Taiwan has high and increasing rates of suicide amongst men and women. It also has the highest filicide-suicide rate in East Asia, with 61 reported cases since 2008.
The parent’s desperation is often linked with joblessness and financial hardship as well as marriage breakdown. Cultural attitudes come into play:
Two years ago, a study co-authored by the University of Hong Kong and the University of Macau found that a deranged sense of compassion was common - parents killed their offspring to spare them from destitution and believed it their right to do so. "We take our children as our property," says Fernando Cheung, former head of the Hong Kong legislature's welfare panel. "Asian culture dictates that they're ours, that they are not independent beings, especially when they're small."
Read it all here.
WMD Fears: Australia Blocks Pakistan Shipment
SYDNEY, April 6: Australia has blocked a shipment of scientific equipment to Pakistan over fears it could be used to help build weapons of mass destruction, a spokesman for Defence Minister John Faulkner said on Tuesday.
The government used the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act to stop an Australian company exporting instruments and accessories to a Pakistani firm, he said.
“The minister forms the view, based on advice from the Department of Defence supported by other agencies, that there are unacceptable risks associated with the provision of these goods,” the spokesman told AFP.
It is the fourth time the minister has used the little-known act to block a shipment going overseas. On previous occasions, the goods had been destined for Iran or countries deemed at risk of passing them on to Iran.
The government refused to name either the Australian or Pakistani companies involved in the transaction, but The Australian newspaper said the domestic firm was GBC Scientific Equipment.
It said GBC wanted to sell two atomic absorption spectrophotometers, which analysed liquid samples, to a Pakistani engineering firm but had been unable to convince Canberra they could not be used to analyse metals used for centrifuges and missiles.
“They’re destroying my company and, more to the point, they’ve basically moved my thoughts to forget about Australia,” the company’s managing director Ron Grey told the paper.
“Basically, you’ve got a whole lot of overpaid public servants and their job is to screw up one of Australia’s few export industries,” he said.
Faulkner said while he was aware of the commercial impact his decision would have on the company, the firm had been consulted throughout the process.
“I want to make clear, there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the Australian company,” the minister told the newspaper.
Australia normally blocks the sale of dangerous goods or items to suspect nations via the Customs Act, but the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act is used as a catch-all when this legislation does not apply.—AFP
The government used the 1995 Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention of Proliferation) Act to stop an Australian company exporting instruments and accessories to a Pakistani firm, he said.
“The minister forms the view, based on advice from the Department of Defence supported by other agencies, that there are unacceptable risks associated with the provision of these goods,” the spokesman told AFP.
It is the fourth time the minister has used the little-known act to block a shipment going overseas. On previous occasions, the goods had been destined for Iran or countries deemed at risk of passing them on to Iran.
The government refused to name either the Australian or Pakistani companies involved in the transaction, but The Australian newspaper said the domestic firm was GBC Scientific Equipment.
It said GBC wanted to sell two atomic absorption spectrophotometers, which analysed liquid samples, to a Pakistani engineering firm but had been unable to convince Canberra they could not be used to analyse metals used for centrifuges and missiles.
“They’re destroying my company and, more to the point, they’ve basically moved my thoughts to forget about Australia,” the company’s managing director Ron Grey told the paper.
“Basically, you’ve got a whole lot of overpaid public servants and their job is to screw up one of Australia’s few export industries,” he said.
Faulkner said while he was aware of the commercial impact his decision would have on the company, the firm had been consulted throughout the process.
“I want to make clear, there is no suggestion of wrongdoing by the Australian company,” the minister told the newspaper.
Australia normally blocks the sale of dangerous goods or items to suspect nations via the Customs Act, but the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act is used as a catch-all when this legislation does not apply.—AFP
Mark Shea on Glenn Beck
Over at Catholic and Enjoying It I expressed some exasperation last week about Glenn Beck’s ignorant smear of Dorothy Day, about whom Beck freely confessed knowing absolutely nothing before likening her to Stalin. Round about the same time, I remarked that I have always regarded Objectivist philosopher and screechy novelist Ayn Rand as a sort of photo negative of Stalin.
A reader writes:
Love the blog.
Your post pointing out Glenn Beck’s comparison of Dorothy Day to Stalin was the most damning thing I have seen about him (or perhaps I should say, Beck’s own worst self-indictment).
But scrolling down I saw your own not totally dissimilar comment on Ayn Rand:
“I’ve always thought of Ayn Rand as a sort of photo negative of Stalin: just as evil and selfish, but not as powerful. She couldn’t kill as many people as he could, but her philosophy is just as capable of sending a soul to hell as Stalin’s was.”
Hmmm.
OK, I have not read Atlas Shrugged (the Chambers link was fascinating, by the way). I know approximately the same amount about Ayn Rand that I do about Dorothy Day, and prefer the latter to the former. Nevertheless, your quip struck me as unfortunate and, if I may say so . . . Beckian? For all I know, you may come out with an excellent critique of Rand and Libertarianism some day, but if you do, I hope you can do better than that.
In the meantime, I’ll cut you a lot of slack. But that means I have to cut Beck at least a little slack on the Dorothy Day howler, too!
I’m glad you like the blog! Nice to meet you. I don’t think I said the same as Beck. I actually know something about Rand; he knows nothing of Day. Rand’s attitude toward the weak is, as Chambers pointed out, “To a gas chamber—go!” Day’s is nothing but compassion for the downtrodden. And I do most firmly believe that Rand’s philosophy is quite capable of damning a soul to hell. She is radically selfish and filled with pride, the sin that made the devil the devil. She merely chooses to enact her selfishness in ways that do not organize civilizations into vast killing machines. I do her justice in noting that fact. Beck does Day no justice because he does not bother to note any facts at all about her. As to Rand, “not being a mass murderer”, while commendable, is not something that did the Rich Man a lot of good when he found himself in hell in Jesus’ parable. Rand’s philosophy is radically opposed to the gospel of Christ, as is Stalin’s. At the end of the day, one racked up a higher body count in terms of public violence, but both are capable of killing souls (and bodies if you count her zeal for abortion) with great alacrity. Indeed, it could well be argued that the gospel of selfishness Rand preached is capable of doing more damage than communism did. As Jesus remarked, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).
Read it all here.
A reader writes:
Love the blog.
Your post pointing out Glenn Beck’s comparison of Dorothy Day to Stalin was the most damning thing I have seen about him (or perhaps I should say, Beck’s own worst self-indictment).
But scrolling down I saw your own not totally dissimilar comment on Ayn Rand:
“I’ve always thought of Ayn Rand as a sort of photo negative of Stalin: just as evil and selfish, but not as powerful. She couldn’t kill as many people as he could, but her philosophy is just as capable of sending a soul to hell as Stalin’s was.”
Hmmm.
OK, I have not read Atlas Shrugged (the Chambers link was fascinating, by the way). I know approximately the same amount about Ayn Rand that I do about Dorothy Day, and prefer the latter to the former. Nevertheless, your quip struck me as unfortunate and, if I may say so . . . Beckian? For all I know, you may come out with an excellent critique of Rand and Libertarianism some day, but if you do, I hope you can do better than that.
In the meantime, I’ll cut you a lot of slack. But that means I have to cut Beck at least a little slack on the Dorothy Day howler, too!
I’m glad you like the blog! Nice to meet you. I don’t think I said the same as Beck. I actually know something about Rand; he knows nothing of Day. Rand’s attitude toward the weak is, as Chambers pointed out, “To a gas chamber—go!” Day’s is nothing but compassion for the downtrodden. And I do most firmly believe that Rand’s philosophy is quite capable of damning a soul to hell. She is radically selfish and filled with pride, the sin that made the devil the devil. She merely chooses to enact her selfishness in ways that do not organize civilizations into vast killing machines. I do her justice in noting that fact. Beck does Day no justice because he does not bother to note any facts at all about her. As to Rand, “not being a mass murderer”, while commendable, is not something that did the Rich Man a lot of good when he found himself in hell in Jesus’ parable. Rand’s philosophy is radically opposed to the gospel of Christ, as is Stalin’s. At the end of the day, one racked up a higher body count in terms of public violence, but both are capable of killing souls (and bodies if you count her zeal for abortion) with great alacrity. Indeed, it could well be argued that the gospel of selfishness Rand preached is capable of doing more damage than communism did. As Jesus remarked, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28).
Read it all here.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
US Consulate Attacked in Peshawar
PESHAWAR/ TIMERGARA, April 5: Grenade and suicide attacks on the US Consulate in Peshawar and on a rally of the Awami National Party in Timergara killed 51 people and injured over 120 others on Monday.
Government and security officials said a squad of at least five suicide bombers armed with rocket-propelled grenades, guns and car bombs struck the outer security parameter of the heavily-guarded US Consulate from the main T-junction connecting the city with the cantonment and the highway to Afghanistan.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“It was a well-coordinated and well-planned attack,” a senior intelligence official told Dawn.
The suicide bombers came in a double-cabin pick-up, two intelligence and a senior government officials said. The first bomber walked towards the outer security post and fired from his automatic assault rifle. He later blew himself up near an armoured personnel carrier.
They said that three other bombers followed closely in tow and one of them fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the APC. The RPG exploded with a big bang but missed the target.
“The attackers used Russian-made RPG-7. It is the most effective anti-tank explosive device. Had it hit the APC, it would have dug a hole in it,” a senior official of the Bomb Disposal Squad said.
The officials said that it was not clear whether security guards deployed inside and outside the US Consulate engaged the attackers. But as the three bombers moved forward, the vehicle carrying them exploded, setting off a huge plume of smoke into the sky.
The security officials said they believed that the three bombers had died because of the explosion near the checkpost.
An intelligence official said the forensic evidence suggested that a suicide bomber inside the vehicle had set off the bomb prematurely which killed his three associates. Two of the bombers still had live suicide jackets on them and BDS personnel later untangled wires and prima-cords and defused the bombs.
Their bodies were badly burnt and beyond recognition. They couldn’t get the time to pull the cords,” the official said.
The explosion left a seven-feet-long and four-feet-wide crater, Sahfqat Malik, head of the DBS, told Dawn. He said that high-quality TNT explosives used in the attack weighed 80-100kg. He said the suicide jackets bore the tell-tale signs of TTP’s involvement, particularly its outfit in the Orakzai tribal region.
The dead included one police constable and two security guards of the Frontier Constabulary. Most of the people killed or wounded were civilians.
No-one inside the consulate was hurt and there was no major damage to the consulate building. The explosions smashed wind-shields of several cars parked inside the consulate.
The three, relatively smaller blasts, were triggered by BDS personnel in order to defuse the explosives, an official said.
He said that an intelligence agency had forewarned the US Consulate of a possible attack. It was not clear whether the consulate had heeded the warning and taken extra security measures, but officials said that senior US diplomats were not in the office at the time of attack.
TTP spokesman Azam Tariq called reporters in Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, and said the attack was a reaction to military operations and drone attacks in the tribal region. “We will continue attacks on the Americans in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he added.
From here.
Government and security officials said a squad of at least five suicide bombers armed with rocket-propelled grenades, guns and car bombs struck the outer security parameter of the heavily-guarded US Consulate from the main T-junction connecting the city with the cantonment and the highway to Afghanistan.
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility for the attack.
“It was a well-coordinated and well-planned attack,” a senior intelligence official told Dawn.
The suicide bombers came in a double-cabin pick-up, two intelligence and a senior government officials said. The first bomber walked towards the outer security post and fired from his automatic assault rifle. He later blew himself up near an armoured personnel carrier.
They said that three other bombers followed closely in tow and one of them fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the APC. The RPG exploded with a big bang but missed the target.
“The attackers used Russian-made RPG-7. It is the most effective anti-tank explosive device. Had it hit the APC, it would have dug a hole in it,” a senior official of the Bomb Disposal Squad said.
The officials said that it was not clear whether security guards deployed inside and outside the US Consulate engaged the attackers. But as the three bombers moved forward, the vehicle carrying them exploded, setting off a huge plume of smoke into the sky.
The security officials said they believed that the three bombers had died because of the explosion near the checkpost.
An intelligence official said the forensic evidence suggested that a suicide bomber inside the vehicle had set off the bomb prematurely which killed his three associates. Two of the bombers still had live suicide jackets on them and BDS personnel later untangled wires and prima-cords and defused the bombs.
Their bodies were badly burnt and beyond recognition. They couldn’t get the time to pull the cords,” the official said.
The explosion left a seven-feet-long and four-feet-wide crater, Sahfqat Malik, head of the DBS, told Dawn. He said that high-quality TNT explosives used in the attack weighed 80-100kg. He said the suicide jackets bore the tell-tale signs of TTP’s involvement, particularly its outfit in the Orakzai tribal region.
The dead included one police constable and two security guards of the Frontier Constabulary. Most of the people killed or wounded were civilians.
No-one inside the consulate was hurt and there was no major damage to the consulate building. The explosions smashed wind-shields of several cars parked inside the consulate.
The three, relatively smaller blasts, were triggered by BDS personnel in order to defuse the explosives, an official said.
He said that an intelligence agency had forewarned the US Consulate of a possible attack. It was not clear whether the consulate had heeded the warning and taken extra security measures, but officials said that senior US diplomats were not in the office at the time of attack.
TTP spokesman Azam Tariq called reporters in Miramshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, and said the attack was a reaction to military operations and drone attacks in the tribal region. “We will continue attacks on the Americans in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he added.
From here.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Pope's Easter Message to Persecuted Christians
VATICAN CITY, April 4: Pope Benedict XVI urged humankind to undergo a “spiritual and moral conversion” during his traditional Easter Sunday message as scandals rocked the Roman Catholic Church.
“Humanity needs... a spiritual and moral conversion,” the 82-year-old pope said in his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” message. “It needs... to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences.”
The pope also touched on key hotspots in the world, calling for a “true exodus” from conflict in the Middle East, “the land sanctified by death and resurrection (of Jesus).”
Condemning persecution and lamenting the “suffering” of Christian minorities, he said: “May the Risen Lord sustain the Christians who suffer persecution and even death for their faith, as for example in Pakistan.”
He added: “To the Christian communities who are experiencing trials and sufferings, especially in Iraq... Peace be with you.”
Top prelates rallied around the pope over the paedophile priest crisis. Easter mass kicked off with a greeting from the dean of the College of Cardinals, who told the pope: “The people of God are with you and do not allow themselves to be impressed by the idle chatter of the moment.”—AFP
“Humanity needs... a spiritual and moral conversion,” the 82-year-old pope said in his traditional “Urbi et Orbi” message. “It needs... to emerge from a profound crisis, one which requires deep change, beginning with consciences.”
The pope also touched on key hotspots in the world, calling for a “true exodus” from conflict in the Middle East, “the land sanctified by death and resurrection (of Jesus).”
Condemning persecution and lamenting the “suffering” of Christian minorities, he said: “May the Risen Lord sustain the Christians who suffer persecution and even death for their faith, as for example in Pakistan.”
He added: “To the Christian communities who are experiencing trials and sufferings, especially in Iraq... Peace be with you.”
Top prelates rallied around the pope over the paedophile priest crisis. Easter mass kicked off with a greeting from the dean of the College of Cardinals, who told the pope: “The people of God are with you and do not allow themselves to be impressed by the idle chatter of the moment.”—AFP
Quote of the Week - Albert Einstein
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." --Albert Einstein, "Science, Philosophy and Religion: a Symposium", 1941
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)