More News Potpourri

What’s that smell?  Is it a “whiff of truth or a sniff of lie“?  Nope!  It’s another news potpourri.

•     The Financial Times had a comment column on Monday, January 29, by Lawrence Summers entitled, “America must not surrender its lead in life sciences.”  His point at the beginning is well taken:

“The 20th century was an American century in no small part because of American leadership in the application of the physical sciences…

“If the 20th century was defined by developments in the physical sciences, the 21st century will be defined by developments in the life sciences.  Lifespans will rise sharply as cures are found for chronic diseases and healthcare will come to be a larger share of the economy than manufacturing…

“It is natural to ask whether the US will lead in the life sciences in this century as it did in the physical sciences in the last.  It is a profoundly important economic question, but one whose implications go far beyond to embrace issues of national security and moral leadership.”

OK so far (as long as “in no small part” is seen as a qualifier).  But when he gets to some of the details, we see some of the usual “groupthink” coming out (George Orwell fans will recognize a sense of “duckspeak” in Mr. Summers’ words, while Stephen Colbert buffs will see the usual reliance on “truthiness“).  For example…

“Most abstract, but most important, there needs to be respect for the scientific method and its results.  In sharp distinction to the situation in other industrial countries, there is an increasing move away from respecting the scientific method in US schools.  Polls demonstrate that up to one-third of high school biology teachers have as much faith in intelligent design as in evolution.  Some surveys suggest that as many as 70 per cent of the American people agree with them.  Matters are not helped when the president advocates the teaching of intelligent design alongside evolution as a ‘different school of thought’.”

First, by the way, I would like to thank Mr. Summers for recognizing that one must have “faith… in evolution.”  Like any religion, believing in evolution certainly does require faith, and I take it that Mr. Summers is one of Evolutionism’s faithful adherents.  While I suppose that Mr. Summers’ admission is an accidental one, I appreciate it all the same.

However, I take issue with his assumption that one cannot simultaneously respect the scientific method and fail to “have faith” in evolution.  Mr. Summers should stick to economics, as his understanding of the scientific method seems colored by his faith.  (Then again, many scientists’ understanding of the scientific method are similarly colored these days, so perhaps he should feel free to venture out.)

The next bit of groupthink comes out concerning “embryonic stem cell research” — as, perhaps, you could have guessed in an article on this subject.  Here’s his comment:

“And it is not a step towards a healthier 21st century to allow the views of a vocal minority in effect to cut off funding for embryonic stem cell research — which is likely to lead to revolutions in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and cancer within the next generation.”

Ah, groupthink at its best!  Please note the phrase “is likely to lead to revolutions” – one of the usual sorts of phrases we see in discussions on this topic.  (Unlike other, non-controversial stem cell research, which is already producing results.)  Also notice the lack of reference to recently discovered possible alternatives to using embryonic stem cells, such as stem cells harvested from amniotic sac fluid, which do not harm to mother or baby.

And, please do not fail to note the lack of any consideration that there may be a real ethical issue here to be discussed.  I would have more respect for those who are constantly trying to push embryonic stem cell research down the public’s throats if they would at least own up to the fact that there is a necessary discussion of the morality of the work that needs to take place.  Consider Mr. Summers comment with the words “embryonic stem cell research” replaced with “research on our rich supply of comatose elderly patients.”  But that’s not the same sort of thing, many will say.  Yet others say that it is not far removed, if at all, and that is the discussion that most embryonic stem cell research supporters do not wish to have.  For Mr. Summers to speak as if there is no ethical issue to be considered here whatsoever, and yet to mention earlier quoted concern that America will not exercise “moral leadership” is, frankly, a joke.  There is none so blind as they who will not see.

Some of Mr. Summers’ other points are well said (e.g., politics and the diseases of congress members’ relatives determining science money allocation).  However, none of it changes the fact that America’s continuing tendency to shun the God who made her great is what will precipitate the loss of global leadership, not our lack of willingness to toss God’s will aside for the sake of economic success.  To paraphrase a pastor of mine, it is unwise to pursue being first if your strategy is to put God second.  Generally, your strategy won’t work — and when it does you’ll wish it hadn’t.

•     In the (extremely) local news, the office troll’s wife has purchased a small space heater for his subterranean office.  Reports tell us that the office troll and the office troll’s normally cold feet are very appreciative.

•    The “news ticker” at the bottom of the Fox News broadcast I was watching earlier mentioned that scientists in Hong Kong have discovered that the H5N1 strain of the “bird flu” does not have to penetrate “deep” into lungs in order to infect.  (Reference was made to Reuters, but I have not been able to find an article on searching their website.)

Of course, God has warned us that, in addition to “terror,” America will see “wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart” (Lev. 26:16) unless she repents of turning aside from Him and His ways.

•    If you have heard any news at all this morning, you are aware that Florida has been hit by some devastating tornados, causing what is expected to be numerous casualties.

As best I can tell with the limited research I have done, this is a bit unusual for central Florida given the time of year, though — as weather experts try to remind us – tornados can happen anyplace and time if supportive conditions are present.  Our prayers go out to those impacted, and we will keep an eye on the news as it develops.  I know that there is much heartbreak ahead for many Florida as the sunrise begins to shed light on what they have been through.

(If you haven’t ordered our free booklet, Who Controls the Weather?, I recommend that you consider it.  Weather plays a big role in the end times, as we cover in another popular and helpful free booklet, Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ’s Return.  Order them both while you are there, directly from the Tomorrow’s World website.)

•    On Tuesday, January 30, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about McDonald’s snack wrap and the Chef Dan Coudreaut who created the idea for the fast food giant.  What caught my attention was this bit about another idea that Mr. Coudreaut had:

“Finding products that work inside a McDonald’s has been tricky.  Mr. Coudreaut considered adding a shrimp salad to the menu but couldn’t because, he says, McDonald’s would need so much shrimp that it threatened to deplete the nation’s shrimp supply.”

Eating unclean animals aside (Leviticus 11:10-12), that statement floored me.  McDonald’s couldn’t introduce a shrimp salad because it would threaten to deplete the nation’s supply.  Wow.  Just how many people eat at McDonald’s anyway?  Actually, having finally seen “Supersize Me” on MSNBC recently, I suppose this shouldn’t surprise me as much as it did.  A great many people do eat at McDonalds, and, given the addictive and fattening effects of the McMenu, those people probably eat more than their fair share.  (I speak from experience, though my vices lie with other restaurant chains.)  Makes me wonder if America is at risk of becoming a McNation.  I’m not sure what that means, but it is fun typing “McNation.”

•    The AP reports that a group of scientists have finally concluded their study on the possibility that human activity has caused global warming.  Actually, the more precise statement of the conclusion is probably that given by scientist Susan Solomon in the article that “the increase in greenhouse gases is dominated by human activities,” which leaves open the possibility that global temperatures are rising due to other, natural factors, as well and that humans are simply exacerbating the situation.

If I recall, I read earlier this week in the build up to the release of this report that China, and not the US, was one of the leading nations opposing the adoption of stronger language.  Given that nation’s dependency on fossil fuels to power its growing economic machine (which also means powering its growing military machine, as well), this is not surprising.

I appreciate that they have attached a quantitative ”confidence level” to this report: “The scientists said global warming was ‘very likely’ caused by human activity, a phrase that translates to a more than 90 percent certainty that it is caused by man’s burning of fossil fuels.”  While it does not reduce the gravity of the report’s conclusion, it does help the statement to avoid the air religious fanaticism that adherents to Fundamental Environmentalism often bring to such reports.

I hope that the report is considered seriously and that people will avoid knee-jerk reactions in either direction, either pro or con.  (I will admit that my own knee jerks in the more conservative direction of skepticism, but I am trying to subdue that knee for the sake of more critical thinking, with an eye to 2 Cor. 10:5.)  Revelation 11:18 does say that a time is coming when God will “destroy those who destroy the earth.”  Nailing this prophecy down to only global warming is a mistake.  Yet, too, is it a mistake to see this as an endorsement of the view some have that we somehow “owe” our “mother earth” something.  The earth is a resource, a dominion, and an inheritance — not an object of worship.  Yet, we are appointed by God as its stewards (cf. Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15) and as such have a responsibility to our Master to tend and keep it well (1 Cor. 4:2).

•    Since regular readers of this blog have done some thinking about life on Mars, I thought it would be worthwhile to mention a Space.com article that JW sent to me.  Posted on January 29, the article, “Study: Surface of Mars Devoid of Life,” says that the newest issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters will report that any life on Mars will of necessity be found only very deep:

Unlike Earth, Mars is no longer protected by a global magnetic field or thick atmosphere. As a result, the planet has been vulnerable to radiation from space for billions of years.

“Even the hardiest cells we know of could not possibly survive the cosmic radiation near the surface of Mars for that long,” said study leader Lewis Dartnell of University College London.

Consequently, even in some of the most promising sites, such as what the article calls a ”frozen sea” in a major Martian volcanic area, life would have to be no closer to the surface than several meters.

The article has more details to give, and I will leave them to those who wish to follow the link and peruse the article for themselves.  Whether Mars was once lush and living and suffered from Satan’s fall, or whether it has always been simply raw materials suffering decay while waiting for the “glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21), one thing is for sure: currently, it is not a good place for a summer home — even if you are a microbe.

•    In another article sent to me by JW, WorldNetDaily published a fascinating interview with an aspiring Palestinian suicide bomber.  Posted here back on November 24, 2006, you might find it worth a read.  Even if you are not a WorldNetDaily fan (and it is certainly a biased news source), I greatly doubt that they created the interview out of whole cloth.

I think the interview adds a human dimension to suicide bombers that isn’t often reflected upon in these murderous acts.  And, if anything, it should cause some rethinking amongst those who think that land concessions will solve the problem or that poverty and other similar cause célèbre are the chief causes behind such horrific actions.

In particular, I thought this was an interesting exchange:

WND: What do you think about the Unites States?

BOMBER: I have no interest in the American culture which is an empty culture with no values. It is full of immorality and elements that are forbidden by Allah, like free sex and violence.

WND: So I take it you don’t listen to American music or watch American movies?

BOMBER: I do not watch American movies and regret those days before the intifada (the Palestinian terror war that started in 2000) when I used to watch American movies like “Platoon” and that film that was made under the water.

These are stupid things and I ask Allah to forgive me for those hours I spent watching this nonsense.

In my opinion, America is the big enemy leading the war against Islam, Muslims, Palestinians and against anything that threatens the Zionist enemy.

“I have no interest in the American culture which is an empty culture with no values. It is full of immorality and elements that are forbidden by Allah, like free sex and violence.”  Too many Americans think that once our brand of freedom gets a toehold in the Muslim world, many will begin clamoring for it.  They don’t recognize (or they recognize but don’t appreciate) that the American version of “freedom” in the eyes of many Muslims means having their daughters wallow in a culture that will powerfully encourage them to dress (or undress) like Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and to act like whores.  If that “freedom” is considered an inherent and essential part of what we have to offer, it’s going to continue to be a hard sell.

Well, I think that’s going to be it for now.  I have more priorities today than I have fingers and toes to count them on, but I hope you have found at least something to tickle your nose in this potpourri.  They aren’t the top news items of the day, or even the most impactful.  But then again, there are sources much better equipped than I to deliver such things, as I’m sure you all would agree.

(In looking back at this little potpourri mixture, I now see a number of things that probably deserved their a post akk their own.  It certainly would have made them more indexable and easier to find in subject specific searches.  Oh well, live and learn!  Perhaps I will break them out at another time.)

I suspect that the office troll will crawl back to his computer at least once more today and make another blog entry, but in the event that I do not let me say that I hope you have a profitable and meaningful Sabbath!