No, not to the problem with the leaked SCOTUS document, but to the abortion issue. He rushes to prevent the possibility that abortion might not remain a federally sanctioned American value. Here are a couple highlights:
"I believe that a woman's right to choose is fundamental," Biden said in a statement. "Roe has been the law of the land for almost fifty years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned."
And:
"[I]t will fall on our nation's elected officials at all levels of government to protect a woman's right to choose. And it will fall on voters to elect pro-choice officials this November. At the federal level, we will need more pro-choice Senators and a pro-choice majority in the House to adopt legislation that codifies Roe, which I will work to pass and sign into law." (underlines mine)
Again, our very Catholic president. If it wasn't for the fact that from the pope to most Catholics he likely reflects an entirely acceptable position, it would be easier to condemn him. As it is, as one of my sons said, it becomes easier to sympathize with those Germans in the 30s who saw what was happening but felt powerless to stop it.
Meanwhile, for a Scriptural spin on things:
They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I did not command them, nor did it enter My heart. Therefore, truly the days are coming, says the Lord, that it will no more be called Topheth, nor the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they will bury in Topheth because there is no other place. Jeremiah 31,32
Yep. Some say the Bible is too unrealistic for our sophisticated age of science and technology. I say the problem is it's too realistic. Our nation has for decades fully endorsed the practice of encouraging women to abort pregnancies by the tens of millions in order to sustain our drugs and sex culture in the era of AIDS. I fear on the day of Judgment that the people of Jeremiah's era will rise up and condemn us, for we had them to learn from, but refused to do so.
Sometimes I get the feeling the 21st Century wing of Heaven is going to be a sparsely populated part of eternity.
America's Catholic president speaks His baptism is still valid.
ReplyDeleteI would assume. I didn't suggest otherwise.
DeleteSacraments are DANGEROUS. Those who are baptized but go to Hell will suffer more than those who were never baptized.
DeleteThere is an Orthodox prayer before communion that ends, "May the communion of Thy Holy Mysteries be neither to my judgment, nor to my condemnation, 0 Lord, but to the healing of soul and body."
Yes they are. I sometimes think even those of us who resist the modern ways still forget the reminder that it's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God.
DeleteWill he be providing abortion before or after he provides Badacaf care?
ReplyDelete"And Hilkiah, and they that the king had appointed, went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college:) and they spake to her to that effect. And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched. And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD. Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same. So they brought the king word again."
ReplyDeleteI think that's the best we can hope for at this point.
The following is more likely.
"Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness."
Years ago I said it may come about that we realize that America was the whore of Babylon after all. When you read the OT histories and prophets, it's not hard to see America's fall into the pagan pit.
DeleteThere's an abnormal quantum of violent crime in the U.S. and our public institutions are messy and corrupt. That having been said, the defects in the moral order here aren't peculiar to this country. By way of example, abortion is far more prevalent in Japan than it's ever been in the States. France and Denmark are irreligious to a degree you will not find anywhere here, even on college faculties.
DeleteSure. Countries outside of the Christian tradition naturally have different attitudes about human life and such matters. Same with countries - like ours - happily jettisoning any link to our Christian heritage.
DeleteWhen viewed as divine punishment, those people and nations who knew better will be judged more harshly. When viewed as natural consequences, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." All these countries are experiencing demographic collapse and the consequences. I know less about the political consequences for Japan, but their Imperial line is facing a crisis, and they are in a seemingly never-ending crisis about whether they should remain pacifist or become more "engaged" in the death-dealing side of "international cooperation" -- which would also have the effect of ramping up tensions with China and BOTH Koreas. As for France, their politics is crazy, even more so than usual, it seems. Politics in the UK is definitely crazier than usual, and (in a trend mirrored in other countries) they seem to have nobody, right, left, or center, who is even basically competent. Regarding America, I don't think any of us would be surprised at some sort of ACTUAL coup or seizure of power -- from within an existing branch of government -- before the end of the decade.
DeleteAnd yeah, there are other things, too. Vast numbers of people praise "science" while simultaneously dabbling in the occult -- sometimes these are combined into "paranormal research". "Racist" math and science are being de-emphasized in our schools, but American kids (who may not know the difference between a part of speech and a part of a sentence) are learning something much more important -- a vast array of new pronouns to fit imaginary categories of people. Meanwhile, we have senators publicly calling for the assassination of the president of the nation that has the most nuclear weapons in the world.
We're all in the same boat. Russia has never been an economic powerhouse, but look at how the world, insistent on spiting its face, is shocked to find it has cut off its nose. And the US is threatening to "punish" China and India? Good luck handling the riots if you do THAT to the American -- and world -- economy.
There is more to this than abortion, of course, but the despair and self-hatred are all of a piece.
but their Imperial line is facing a crisis,
DeleteWhat did you have in mind? The Emperor abdicated. The current Emperor is 62 years old. At the end of his reign the throne passes to his younger brother, thence to his nephew. If the nephew fails to produce a son, there has to be a paternal-side cousin somewhere. Where it could get hairy is if they have to enthrone someone not meticulously schooled in imperial protocol.
OK, fair enough. I knew he had no son, and I assumed a procedure would be found to find a male heir in a different branch, which has (unsurprisingly) happened in the past, such as when Emperor Antoku drowned in the Battle of Dan-no-ura. When this has been mentioned, it was made to sound like the Japanese Basic Law would have to be changed to take this step. It is not unresolvable, but it is ... unpleasant, something like the situation with the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Delete