Pearls of Wisdom

  

Yesterday at Southeastern University was a good day. My department brought in as a special speaker Dr. Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of World magazine, which serves as an excellent commentary on current events from a Biblical perspective. We kept Dr. Olasky quite busy. In the morning, he delivered a message in chapel that focused on how to analyze issues through a Biblical lens, showing that there are gradations in how directly the Scriptures apply to various situations. Some are obvious—abortion, homosexuality—while… Read more »

A Privilege, Not a Right

  

Back in the fall of 1981, Ronald Reagan had to deal with a public-sector strike threat. The union threatening the strike was PATCO, which represented the air traffic controllers. I’m sure they had some legitimate complaints, but they sought to risk the safety of all air travel passengers by their action. Reagan was firm with that government union, reminding the members that they had taken a pledge when they were hired not to strike. Reagan’s position was that no public-sector… Read more »

Quality Coverage?

  

My first degree was in radio, TV, and film production, so I remain interested in how the media cover the news. There’s a lot to be disappointed about in the quality of that coverage, and unfortunately, a rather blatant bias sometimes appears. When Republicans in the Wisconsin legislature passed their bill to scale back collective bargaining for public-sector employees, the Democrats kept yelling “Shame, shame” at them. It was quite a spectacle. Quality coverage of that incident would have emphasized… Read more »

In a Reasonable World …

  

The Wisconsin saga refuses to go away. How about a short review of the episode thus far? How did it start? Well, one has to look at November first, where Republicans sweep the races in the state, taking the governorship and control of both houses of the legislature. They do so on the promise to deal with the financial problems looming. What problems? How about a projected deficit of over $3 billion? So, after being elected, they set out to… Read more »

Southeastern’s Forum

  

The university where I teach, Southeastern, each year holds a Forum where leaders in various fields—Christian ministry, business, and politics—come and share their approach to leadership. It attracts well-known leaders, and is quickly becoming a heralded annual event. I attended most of the sessions last week and came away inspired by the stories and principles the speakers communicated. One of this year’s speakers was Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist. For those who don’t know, Graham not only oversees… Read more »

The Supreme Court Got It Right on Westboro

  

Yesterday’s post was on Libya because I had inquiries about my thoughts on that subject. Today’s post also stems from an inquiry, this time about a recent Supreme Court decision on freedom of speech involving the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. It seems that most of its members are part of one extended family, and that there are fewer than 100 people in the congregation. I’m not really keen on calling this group a church because I don’t believe… Read more »

Libyan Thoughts

  

I’ve had a few inquiries regarding my thoughts on the events transpiring in Libya. I’ve been more concerned, frankly, with events in Wisconsin, among other travesties. But Libya is an important story as dominoes continue to fall in Africa and the Middle East, and as other countries face the threat of similar revolutions. First of all, I don’t have the same rosy view that some commentators do, as they rejoice in the ascendancy of what they call democracy. As I… Read more »