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Saturday, February 22, 2020

News Weakly - 2/22/20

Healthcare for Most!
The UK already has "universal healthcare" for its people. It turns out, however, that "universal" is misleading. New rules coming out in April will allow medical care providers to refuse non-critical care for people who are "racist," "sexist," "homophobic," or ... get this ... "otherwise insulting and aggressive towards hospital staff." The new rules include no tests for "racist" etc. And heaven help the mentally ill who might be aggressive by nature. Apparently any hospital worker that feels harassed will be allowed to refuse care. If they don't like your view, apparently, your healthcare will not be guaranteed.

The Gall
Scientists from Penn State and the University of Manchester have lost their minds. They are suggesting that human beings are born as one of only two distinct sexes: male and female. They claim ... get this ... that it is incontrovertible medical fact that sex is binary and there is no sort of "spectrum." The say, "If male and female are merely arbitrary groupings, it follows that everyone, regardless of genetics or anatomy should be free to choose to identify as male or female, or to reject sex entirely in favor of a new bespoke 'gender identity.' To characterize this line of reasoning as having no basis in reality would be an egregious understatement. It is false at every conceivable scale of resolution." How dare they bring facts and science to an emotional gunfight?

Fired for being Happy
Kennedy Catholic High School: "Two teachers voluntarily resigned. They were great and their loss will be felt deeply."
Public: "You guys forced them out because they're gay and you hate gays!"
City counsel: "Forcing them out says that being LGBTQ is wrong!"
Catholic Church: "Being LGBTQ is a sin."
Me: The question is were they forced out or was it voluntary. Isn't the answer "Yes" if they refused to uphold the conditions of employment in a Catholic school? "You agreed to this standard when you came to work for us. Do you wish to abide by it, or do you wish to resign?" "I will resign."

Why is it that the general sentiment is "We want to take advantage of the good things that Christianity provides (like the better education of the Catholic high school or a moral basis that makes democracy and the free enterprise system work) but not allow Christianity to stand as it is"? Did the parents, teachers, students, City Counsel, etc. not know that the church considers LGBTQ to be a sin? Is it time to dismember the Constitution and rip out the 1st Amendment?

When Do My Values Get to Tell You What to Do?
For reasons I don't fully grasp, Harvard University has a $40 billion investment in companies that profit from the prison industry. Okay. Whatever. So the students are suing the school to force them to withdraw the investment. Now, that people might oppose for-profit prison stuff isn't odd. That students might urge a school to lean toward their personal values isn't strange. But I am baffled by this effort at legal action to force a school to comply with student values, as if they own the school and it must bow to their demands. If you don't like the school's investments (or other values), don't go there. (We call that "market forces.") Use of the law to force a values-change is quite intolerant and judgmental, isn't it? (Note: Students tried this in the past. They filed a lawsuit to force Harvard to divest from fossil fuel investments. The judge threw it out. They failed to show that they "have been accorded a personal right in the management or administration of Harvard's endowment." My point exactly.)

It's similar to the "evangelical Christian" who refuses to work on Sundays and was "forced to quit" because of it. He's suing. It is the same question for me. Do we, as believers, get to impose our values on others by force of law? Or are we called to rejoice when we suffer for righteousness' sake? (Since such a suggestion doesn't appear to be in the repertoire of this "evangelical Christian," I question his grasp of biblical principles.) (I note that not one on the Left is outraged by the attack on this guy's rights simply because of his religious beliefs. Substitute "forced to quit because he was gay" and you'd see a firestorm.)

Save the Baby Whales!
"No, no, no, no, no! A thousand times no! We refuse -- absolutely refuse -- to protect the most defenseless humans on the planet! And it's hateful of you to keep trying," said a panel of federal judges to Mississippi this week. No one is particularly surprised.

A Parody (read "Commentary") on Our Times

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