Reformed + Missional = Reformissional
From Reuters via My Yahoo!: Bush Seeks Big Jump in Missile Defense Spending
“The Bush administration will ask Congress to boost spending on missile defense by $1.2 billion next year and nearly double funding to modernize the Army in the $401.7 billion U.S. military budget for 2005, according to Pentagon documents released on Friday.
Oops, sorry, I meant Reading…
This woman’s struggle with her sexuality and identity in Christ is instructive for us all, whether you share as similar path to her own, or not. Her comments are applicable not only to those struggling particularly with homosexuality, but with sin in general.
“Indeed, He calls us His own. Despite my blatant sin against Him, Jesus never stopped loving me. He never stopped showing me grace, though He knew I would fall the next moment. Oh, the goodness of following Him. I will never offer someone who is battling homosexual thoughts, feelings and/or actions anything but His love and everlasting mercy. Nothing this side of heaven stands up to it. Books are great. Classes and support groups are helpful. But it is His kindness, love and mercy that lead us into true repentance and healing.”
Excerpt from Craving a Free Life by Cristina McEwen (via Relevant Magazine)
Permalink Comments off
I have good news, and I have bad news. First, the bad news:
In April of last year, traffic to Jeff Doolittle dot com peaked and I was excited about the amount of unique visitors I was receiving–that is until I reviewed my site’s tracking log. I use a tracking program that tells me how someone has found my page. This program tells me, for example, if someone found my site via Google, or from a website that links to mine. If you keep a photo album on the ‘net, take note because the results of my review were disturbing.
Read the rest of this entry »
From RushLimbaugh.com: It’s Not Working!
“As part of his continuing strategy to peel off Democrat voters by growing government, Bush wants to force all of us to give the NEA $15 to $20 million in 2004. Where in the Constitution does it say the federal government will fund art? If we like it, we can fund it on our own.”
The BIG Theory: It’s Not Working!
Permalink Comments off
From the Washington Post: Medicare Drug Cost Estimate Increases, Prescription Benefit’s Price Tag Rises 33%
“The White House has concluded that adding prescription drug benefits to Medicare will cost one-third more than the $400 billion advertised by Congress and the administration when President Bush signed the bill into law less than two months ago, federal sources said yesterday.”
Medicare Drug Cost Estimate Increases
Bush Budget Raises Cost of Medicare
Permalink Comments off
From AP: Bush Budget Raises Cost of Medicare
“President Bush’s new budget will project that the just-enacted prescription drug program and Medicare overhaul will cost one-third more than previously estimated and will predict a deficit exceeding $500 billion for this year, congressional aides said Thursday.”
AP: Bush Budget Raises Cost of Medicare
Permalink Comments off
From UPI: Iraqi govt. papers: Saddam bribed Chirac
“Documents from Saddam Hussein’s oil ministry reveal he used oil to bribe top French officials into opposing the imminent U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.”
Iraqi govt. papers: Saddam bribed Chirac
Permalink Comments off
Expand your blogging world. Check out the great blog links from the Carnival of the Vanities.
The American Mind: The Carnival of the Vanities #71
Permalink Comments off
NY Times: Bush Is Said to Seek More Money for Arts
“Some conservatives, like Representative Tom Tancredo, Republican of Colorado, vowed to oppose the increase. Even without support from the government, he said, ‘art would thrive in America… We are looking at record deficit and potential cuts in all kinds of programs,’ he said. ‘How can I tell constituents that I’ll take money away from them to pay for somebody else’s idea of good art? I have no more right to do that than to finance somebody else’s ideas about religion.’”
Tancredo’s analysis isn’t perfect–he seems to believe that these dollars need to be distributed to his constituents by government programs, just not this program. Rather than “potential cuts” in “all kinds of programs,” how about across the board cuts in every program? Lean, efficient government is what’s needed, not more bureaucracy, wealth redistribution and/or handouts.
Excuse me while I paint with the broad strokes which I usually repudiate, but President Bush seems to be an interesting combination. You have Carter (fiscal liberal, social liberal), Reagan and Bush I (fiscal conservative, social conservative), Clinton (fiscal conservative, social liberal) and now Bush II (fiscal liberal, social conservative). Is this what it means to be a “compassionate conservative?” So far in three years, we’ve had rampant social spending and accelerated growth in government’s consumption of our GDP. These have been coupled with large tax cuts, massive deficits and trade imbalance. I’m all for tax cuts, but a piece of the pie is missing. When are we going to cut (until it hurts) the ever increasing government spending?
One could argue that Bush is attempting a radical reflationary process by applying both fiscal policy tools available to him (increasing government spending and cutting taxes). These are dangerous games to play indeed, and certainly not fiscally “conservative.”
I’m betting that if President Bush is planning any budget reductions, he’ll wait until after November.
UPDATE (02/04/2004):
Apparently my assessment that “if President Bush is planning any budget reductions, he’ll wait until after November” is turning out to be incorrect. The pressure on the President to display some fiscal discipline appears to be having an effect.
News flash: Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis to debate on PBS.
Of course, both of these influential men are no longer living. However, “For more than 25 years, Dr. Armand Nicholi has taught a popular course at Harvard University in which students deconstruct the lives and arguments of Freud, one of the 20th century’s chief spokesmen for atheism, and Lewis, who came to faith at age 31.”
Dr. Nicholi’s research led him to author a book entitled The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life which is also the basis of a PBS series that will air in the fall.
HoustonChronicle.com - Freud, C.S. Lewis to ‘debate’ on PBS
Permalink Comments off
From Yahoo! News:
“For three years, the Bush administration has wanted to pass a new welfare reform law, one that includes a couple hundred million dollars a year to help strengthen marriage in poor communities, thus reducing unmarried childbearing, saving the taxpayers a bundle, and giving more kids the protection of a married mom and dad.
“Despite the politics, the fear, the cynicism, the intellectual silliness from the anti-marriage crowd, in the end I suspect President Bush is onto something bigger than conservative or liberal, bigger than Democrat or Republican. Something bigger even than being pro- or anti-George W. Bush.”
Yahoo! News - Kids Just Want a Two-parent Family
Permalink Comments off
Do you ever get confused when people discuss “monetary policy” versus “fiscal policy?” Ever wondered why inflation and unemployment tend to move in opposite directions?
For a great primer on these and other economic related issues, visit the Virtual Economy website. This site offers a great general overview of economic principles and will even let you try your hand at managing your own virtual economy. Being Alan Greenspan isn’t that easy after all!
Permalink Comments off
Back in December, I highlighted an article by Jonah Goldberg that discussed his belief that there should be more representatives in the US House of Representatives.
The World Magazine blog has now picked up the story and has a good discussion going regarding this issue. Check it out.
Permalink Comments off
From February 2, 2004 edition of The New Republic:
“Like the fears that surrounded NAFTA, those around offshoring are mostly baseless. While offshoring is definitely an economic trend, there is no statistical evidence pointing to the massive employment drain activists call the ‘coring out’ of America’s best jobs. In fact, recent studies show that the opposite is true: While offshoring may displace some workers in the short term, in the medium and long terms it represents a net benefit for both domestic businesses and their workers. In fact, the greatest threat from outsourcing is that its opponents will use it to force a new wave of protectionism.”
The New Republic Online: Missed Target
Permalink Comments off
From the February 2, 2004 edition of Time Magazine:
“Christian colleges are booming–and reinventing the meaning of a faith-based education… Professors invoke religion not just in required theology courses, but in biology and English as well.”
How dare they?!
Permalink Comments off
With todays young voters apparently leaning more conservative than their parents, is it any wonder that “most 18- to 29-year-olds say for now, they’re behind both the president and the war in Iraq”? Apparently conservative is the new liberal as young adults seek an identity of their own, distinct from the sixties generation.
Bush’s Secret Weapon: Young Voters
Permalink Comments off
(Which I’m sure you already do anyway). You never know who may be watching…
“It’s 2:30 on a Thursday afternoon, and inside a windowless adult video store a dozen people are perusing XXX-rated movie titles. Pastor Jim Norwood surmises this because he has photographed the customers’ cars in the parking lot, carefully adjusting his digital camera so that each license plate is in focus. Each car owner will soon get a postcard in the mail from Norwood’s Oakcrest Family Church. On the front will be a color photo of their vehicle in the video store parking lot. On the back will be a note: ‘Observed you in the neighborhood. Didn’t know if you were aware there is a church in the area…please stop by next time. We’d love to have you visit.’”
Yahoo! News - Texas Church Cards People Who Patronize Adult Stores
Permalink Comments off
From AP: Colleges Noticing Home Schooled Students
“While exact figures are not available, the number of middle and high school students educated at home is now estimated at between 1 million and 2 million. Such young people have grown up academically with a greater emphasis on learning - rather than testing - compared with conventionally educated students.”
AP: Colleges Noticing Home Schooled Students
Permalink Comments off
Apparently today’s young voters are trending more conservative. The following two articles highlight this trend:
The Future Belongs To Who? Bush Has Lead Among Young
RealClear Politics - Commentary
“Here’s a harrowing pair of facts for Democrats: In 60 years, no Democrat has ever won the presidency without carrying the youth vote. And right now President Bush’s approval rating among 18- to 29-year-olds is 62 percent, higher than his nationwide rating.”
Survey: Freshmen more political — and more conservative
USATODAY.com - Survey: Freshmen more political and more conservative
“Since then, the survey shows, students’ political views also have shifted to the right. Liberals still outnumber conservatives, but just barely: 24% say they hold liberal political views; 21% call themselves conservatives. The percentage of liberals has nose-dived from its high of 38% in 1971.”
Permalink Comments off
In my recent entry, The Morality of Free Trade I referenced Jordan Ballor of the Acton Institute and his article about the moral questions of free trade. Today, AP released an article that is pertinent to the discussion on free trade.
Greenspan Is Confident of Replacing Jobs
“Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Monday that jobs lost in the last recession can be replaced but that unemployed workers may need retraining to qualify for new work… He said competition from low-wage countries was not a new development. He said that in the 1950s and 1960s, the concern was that U.S. jobs were migrating to Japan with fears about competition from Mexico rising in the 1990s. He said more recently the concern has been that we are losing jobs to China.
“Greenspan said what people needed to keep in mind is that the U.S. economy has always been able to generate enough jobs in cutting-edge industries to replace jobs lost in industries facing the highest competition from low-wage labor.”
AP via Yahoo!: Greenspan Is Confident of Replacing Jobs
Permalink Comments off
Well, not really. But Amazon.com is making it easier to donate to your favorite candidate for President.
“Amazon.com takes the friction out of grass-roots contributions to presidential candidates. 1-Click® payments are the easiest way to make small contributions–from $5 to $200.”
Permalink Comments off
“As never before, corporate customers are turning to Linux software instead of Microsoft Windows to run big business operations. Now, if only they could get the word processor’s basic ‘cut and paste’ feature to work.”
CNN.com - Searching for a Windows desktop killer - Jan. 22, 2004
Permalink Comments off
It is true that Jesus has no affiliation with a political party, but here’s another question: Would he even vote at all? And if he did, would he vote for Howard Dean? While you are pondering those questions, check out this website:
“The truth is, Jesus is neither Republican or Democrat. As Christians, we should be fiercely independent and deeply thoughtful, supporting leadership that best reflects our ideals and convictions.”
From the Christians for Dean website
Note: My linking to this site does not imply endorsement of it’s views or opinions.
Permalink Comments off
“I am convinced that God rules the Earth through the laws of physics.”
Study: Red Sea parting was possible - (United Press International)
Permalink Comments off
It’s about time…
Bush to propose spending freeze - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics
Permalink Comments off
