The Powers of 10

This brings back memories of high school physics.

Well Put!

In a recent newsletter, Michael O'Brien described the state of moral confusion in our culture this way (emphasis mine):

For many years now the chief shepherds of the flock of the Lord have been speaking boldly about the "culture of death" and the "dictatorship of moral relativism." They remind us that the tasks ahead are not easy ones, and that the consequences of ignoring them are grave. Our fathers in Faith have taught us that the spirit of murder and the spirit of falsehood are always in partnership, that the culture of death is necessarily a culture of lies. This present age ("this present darkness," St. Paul calls it) tells lies to us all the time. Whenever the lie is not a boldfaced inversion of truth it is a distortion of truth, often manifesting itself as a vast cloud of impressions that weaken our understanding of the ultimate real. The overwhelming forces that spread such falsehood in our times are the communications and entertainment industries, which by and large have become the dominant form of culture, with a subsidiary assist from state-funded arts and mammon-motivated newspapers.

I particularly appreciate the phrase that we live in a "vast cloud of impressions that weaken our understanding of the ultimate" reality. It reminds me of C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy, where the demon undermined the understanding of the new Eve by repeatedly telling her different stories. No one story was particularly bad, but there was something small wrong with each of them. Taken as a whole, they had a very powerful effect.

If you don't exercise your conscience, it gets flabby.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has shown once again its truly amazing ability to pick the wrong (and I do mean wrong, as in "incorrect" or "immoral") side of almost every issue of import. Wednesday's editorial, "Editorial: Mavericks/Get them out of pharmacies" is a truly amazing piece of work. The hypocrisy is so blatant that one would, in charity, want to think it was a piece of satire. Sadly, it is not.

Speaking of pharmacists who refused to fill prescriptions for birth control and abortifacients, the Strib says, "[State law] does not allow Pamida or any other pharmacy to let pharmacists 'exercise their consciences,' which a spokesman for Pamida said is company policy." Think about this statement. Think about the sneer quotes. For activists on the Left, the conscience is a trump card which supersedes any and all moral codes. We are constantly told that it is admirable for students to defy school authorities, or women to get an abortions, or soldiers to refuse to follow orders, if their consciences tell them to do so. (And, except for the case of abortion, there are certainly times when such actions could be demanded by conscience.) Conscience is repeatedly invoked as an excuse to ignore or break a moral law. But as soon as a person's conscience actually convicts them of a wrong and, by following their conscience they follow a moral law, then all Hell breaks loose.

The hate speech from those who oppose orthodox Christianity is growing more and more strident. Pharmacists who refuse to materially participate in grave immorality are labeled "mavericks" and are told they should find another trade. This is extremely disturbing.

The article also states that one of the main dangers of allowing pharmacists to follow their consciences is, "Especially in small towns, maverick pharmacists can thwart the delivery of professional health care, not to mention violate the privacy rights of people attempting to fill a perfectly legal prescription." Their solution is that these people should instead not be allowed to be pharmacists. Tell me again how removing the pharmacist completely will help these people in small towns do get their prescriptions filled?

This is what happens when you mix an almost two-year-old with some grown-up shoes and a Mickey Mouse hat. 

We love birthdays!