Putting some bite into the decree on women priests. Bravo, Cardinal Levada!
News Clips: May 2008 Archives
Here is a good article from the Smithsonian Magazine on the alleged Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia you may be interested in. The reporter didn't extract any more information about what the ark looks like (nor did he see it) but it's got some interesting background information.
A court case is being closely watched involving two lesbians who were refused fertility service by Christian doctors. A court initially ruled in their favor but an appeals court overturned the ruling. Lots of organizations are taking sides; the American Civil Liberties Union, California Attorney General Jerry Brown, the National Health Law Program and the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association all back the lesbians, while the Virginia-based American Civil Rights Union, the Islamic Medical Association of North America, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations, the California Catholic Conference, the American Association of Pro Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists and Americans United for Life all back the doctors. The California Medical Association originally backed the doctors but wimped out under pressure from gay rights groups. The case is going to be heard by the California Supreme Court.
Personally I see this as another example of the sacredness of conscience being violated. I don't think people should be forced to do something they consider to be immoral. We are going to see more and more of this I think. Of course, this is similar to the case of pharmacists filling orders for birth control pills, and I know some Christians disagree about whether they have the right to refuse service on moral grounds, prime examples being Muslim cabbies who refuse to transport alcohol or Muslim cashiers who refuse to check it out. But I think I'd rather put up with having a tough time finding a cab to bring my bottle of wine home than forcing doctors to perform abortions or other objectionable medical procedures.
Britain has approved hybrid human-animal embryos, an absolute horror that no one would have considered doing not too long ago. Fortunately the law requires that the hybrids be destroyed within 14 days of creation, and prohibits their implantation. But how long is that going to last?
China is making an exception for qualified applicants to their one-child policy for earthquake victims. This is of course scant comfort to the sterilized or menopausal parents who lost their only child in the quake, but it is better than nothing. I figured they would end up doing this. Thanks be to God.
... for a contemporary Christian music artist who is near and dear to my heart (Chapman's first album was the first album I owned; I won it on a radio show), Steven Curtis Chapman and his family, especially their 15 year-old son. They suffered a tremendous tragedy on Wednesday when the son inadvertently ran over his five year-old sister in the driveway. How terrible the pain must be for them, and the anguish in the heart of the 15 year-old.
(Thanks to G.C.)
'It seemed like an almost literal answer to their prayers. When two New Zealand pilots ran out of fuel in a microlight airplane they offered prayers and were able to make an emergency landing in a field coming to rest right next to a sign reading, "Jesus is Lord."'
The Vatican astronomer (who, of course, speaks only for himself, not for the Catholic Church in an interview admitted the possibility of extraterrestrial life and stated that he saw no conflict with church doctrine. Predictably, the media attributed the view to the Vatican and by extension to the Church.
Be that as it may, he has a point: There really isn't anything in the faith that would rule out aliens. Except for the matter of angels, the bible of course is totally silent on the matter, as is church teaching. The only thing I think I'd rule out is the idea that the Word became incarnate in their race, because, presumably, if he was incarnate in ours, he couldn't be incarnate in theirs, though even that might be up for debate. He could of course redeem them (if they were fallen) without becoming incarnate. Ultimately, I think the question has little bearing on our faith. If they exist, we know he loves them.
(Thanks to PittCaleb)
