At first, the Danish government has apparently mandated that churches must perform same-sex marriages. I say apparently because when I read stories like this, I always wonder what is not being said. However, since this is not a Christian source, it likely has no reason to paint it worse than it actually is. Is this coming to America? I doubt it since the outcry would be deafening. But if it does, it won’t be a big deal for the church. Pastors are not now required to perform any marriages. I do so at my own discretion, and I have managed to chase off most couples in the first counseling session or two. If it became “perform them all,” I simply would refuse to perform any. But I doubt the sky is falling yet.
At second, some in the SBC came out recently with a document entitled “A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation.” Others have commented on it (Roger Olson, Al Mohler, John Aloisi, Kevin Bauder, and more), and there are some significant problems with it. If anything, I think this will increase the divide over the issue because of the number of people who are not willing to embrace what is essentially a semi-Pelagian view of man. And part of the problem is that many of the defenders don’t seem to know what that even is.
In honor of the Triple Crown, at third this time around, is the news that I’ll Have Another, the horse that won the first two legs of horse racing’s Triple Crown (the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness) was pulled out of the Belmont Stakes this past weekend. CBS reports that it was a choice to make money over making history. No horse has won the Triple Crown since 1977 when Secretariat won it, though a number of horses won the first two. The Belmont Stakes weeds them out since it is a longer run. But the owners of I’ll Have Another decided to go for the big payday that comes from stud fees (fathering other horses in hopes of producing a champion race horse), rather than the glory that comes from winning.
And last, it’s a sad day for NPR and all lovers of Car Talk. Click and Clack, the Tappet brothers (actually Tom and Ray Magliozzi) are signing off for the last time. Car Talk was a Saturday program on NPR about car repair that was quite humorous. It was one of my favorite shows on NPR. Fortunately, the producers will create some reruns that will continue to air.
4 comments:
Larry, on the first item, I read another article somewhere (LifeNews?) that mentioned it was the Established Church that was under this mandate, not "all churches". That article wasn't crystal clear on the point, however.
I can see how an established church that is hand and glove with the government might easily be mandated to do this. Hard to see how free churches could be mandated in a democratic society. That's not to say it's impossible.
Anyway, just noting that there is some question on what "all churches" means in the article.
Maranatha!
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
Thanks Don. That's why I am always a bit nervous about these kinds of articles.
Larry --- I'll Have Another was scratched from the Belmont Stakes due to developing tendonitis in his left front foreleg, not to make more money as a stud as your blog seems to imply. The track vets were clear that racing in the Belmont would/could have severely progressed the injury since he already had tears in his muscle fibers. Had he been healthy there's no way he would not have raced.
http://www.nyra.com/belmont/stories/June082012d.shtml
The decision to immediately retire IHA to stud (rather than heal and continue racing) was most surely economic in nature, but what's wrong with that? Horse owners are in it make money too. Besides, IHA had already won 4 graded stakes races, including the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. There wasn't much left for him to prove.
By the way, Affirmed was the last Triple Crown winner in 1978. Secretariat won it all in 1973.
Kent McCune
Thanks Kent.
I was simply quoting the article from CBS who brought up the money issue. They said that winning the Belmont would bring $600,000, but running would risk his life and the millions from stud fees.
So they, not me, made the money an issue. My closing comment was based on the CBS article.
And thanks for correcting my dates and names. I missed both. That's what I get for going from memory on that.
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