Sunspots 951

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*

Education: A Conversation writer tells us about the Liberal Arts. The article considers the matter of West Virginia University planning to cut many of its courses, and the question of higher education and race.

Environment: Once again, there is a report that Exxon knew that fossil fuel use caused climate to change, but didn't really respond to this knowledge. (from NPR)

Ethics: Nature reports that research on octopi may be subject to ethical standards.

Finances: (and Politics) Yahoo! News reports that the Trump organization reported that an airplane was worth about $1,000 in April, 2023, and, more recently, reported that it was worth about $5 to $25 million.

Humor: (and Science) The Scientist and Gizmodo report on the igNobel prizes, for such work as studying licking fossils in the field and using spider-like appendages to enhance the grip.

Politics: A Conversation article on how the children of Presidents have been perceived, going back quite a while.

Science: Gizmodo reports that bumblebee populations in Europe are declining.

A Conversation writer reports that NASA has found no evidence for UFOs.

Another Conversation writer tells us why most of us adults don't urinate in our sleep.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view

Thanks for reading.

Sunspots 727

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars films, has died. He was over seven feet tall. 

The History Blog reports that Maurice Sendak, of Where the Wild Things Are fame, also worked on stage design, for operas.

Christianity: National Public Radio reports on a fairly rare couple -- they were both virgins when they were married.


Computing: Gizmodo tells us how to delete voice recordings from Google Home.

Finance: Catherine Rampell on why Stephen Moore should not be nominated to the Federal Reserve Board by President Trump. The Hill says that Lindsay Graham and other Republican senators also are doubtful about Moore. Eventually, his name was withdrawn.

Health: Gizmodo reports on the variety of things men will try, in order (they hope) to grow taller.

NPR on why it's so hard to lose weight.

(and politics) Catherine Rampell reports that Attorney General Barr has joined legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act. If these challenges succeed, millions of people will lose health insurance, and other popular provisions of the ACA will be null and void.

Politics: Michael Gerson complains about Attorney General Barr's belief in the expansion of the power of the President.

Science: Gizmodo asks if there will ever be new colors that humans can see.

Gizmodo reports that Chinese scientists, and others, claim that the recent gene-changing procedure, using the CRISPR system to alter the genes of two girls, was unnecessary, and that the whole procedure was flawed.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Christianity and the Presidency, part two

In a previous post, I argued that the New Testament teaches, unambiguously, that President Obama and other leaders deserve our respect and should be honored for their service. I wish to consider some other issues.

1) Does respect and honor mean that you, or I, can't vote against a sitting President or other elected official? I don't think so. There may be important issues where we disagree with an elected official, and that would be a legitimate reason to vote against that person. This is especially true if the official takes some unbiblical position, such as persecution of Christians. Paul stood up to various authorities occasionally, including a high priest and Peter.

2) Does the Bible require that we honor candidates for office in the same way as a current official? I don't think so. I think we should respect, and have a certain degree of admiration, for anyone putting themselves on the line to run for President, City Council, or any other office. Without such candidates, our system wouldn't work. But respect and admiration don't need to go so far for a candidate as for someone who holds office. There are candidates who run for frivolous reasons, including two professional comedians who have, sort of, run for President within my lifetime. There are some candidates for local office who seem to run out of spite, or even so that they can financially advantage themselves through the office sought. There are candidates who are not well qualified. In the 2010 election in South Carolina, the Democratic candidate for U. S. Senate was not well qualified for the office, and even some officials of his party admitted that he wasn't. For the more important offices, at least, in the early stages, candidates may not have had their past life examined thoroughly. This seems to have been true of Herman Cain, who was for a time a candidate for President this year. I can admire Mr. Cain for his willingness to run, but I don't have to admire him about everything, if the allegations of sexual harassment, or worse, that were placed against him, are true.

3) Now, a different sort of side issue. The previous post referred to some disrespect of President Obama, relating to the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. Some people aren't giving the President any credit. I personally believe that he deserves some of the credit, if credit is the right word for assassinating someone on the territory of another country*. He at least allowed this to take place, however else he may have been involved, and he appointed Leon Panetta as CIA director. It is true that the President didn't gather the intelligence, plan the mission, run communications, transport the assassins, or pull the trigger. However, if he gets no credit for this, by the same logic, it would seem that he shouldn't be blamed for some of our problems with the economy. He wasn't a greedy banker, he didn't take on mortgages that he couldn't pay for, etc.

4) On the other side, it is also possible for the administration to claim too much credit, or to inflate the importance of the death of Bin Laden, and, no doubt, there has been and will be some of that. That shouldn't be done, either.

*Some Christians are pacifists, and believe that no war is justified, and, I suppose, don't believe that killing someone in cold blood in a sovereign nation that we aren't at war with is justified, either. Other Christians believe that some wars are justified, and some are not. At least some of them believe that the killing of Bin Laden was justified. See here for a discussion of this subject.

Thanks for reading.

Christianity and the Presidency

Who gets credit for the Osama Bin Laden's death? Some recent chatter about this has been contrary to the Bible. It has gone beyond saying President Obama was not responsible. I have seen -- more than once -- a comparison of the President to a fast food company's clown. I'm afraid that that is going too far. Disagreeing with a political leader is one thing. Mocking and disrespecting is different. It's unbiblical:

Romans 13:1 Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. 2 Therefore he who resists the authority, withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the same, 4 for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. 5 Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, attending continually on this very thing. 7 Give therefore to everyone what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due; customs to whom customs; respect to whom respect; honor to whom honor.

1 Timothy 2:1 I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and givings of thanks, be made for all men: 2 for kings and all who are in high places; that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence.

1 Peter 2:13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; 14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. 15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16 as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

Remember that the head of the government referred to here was the Roman emperor. Rome had conquered many nations, including the Jewish homeland, and was no special friend to Christianity. It was Roman soldiers who put Christ to death. Roman emperors persecuted Christianity, having Christians killed in various unpleasant ways. (Nero was most likely the emperor during the time when Romans, 1 Timothy and 2 Peter were written.) Nonetheless, Peter and Paul expected that Christians would honor their emperor, and Peter that we would be subject to the authorities, whether Emperor, or lesser officials.

President Obama didn't personally gather the intelligence, plan the mission, or go into Pakistan, and it is possible to say that this objective was achieved in spite of President Obama, not because of him. But even such a claim should still be done with respect for the office, and the person who holds it, as I understand the Bible. I hope to post tomorrow on some related side issues, but my main concern in this post is that I won't violate the Bible's teachings about honoring rulers.

In a subsequent post, I considered some side issues related to this.

Thanks for reading. For more on the subject of Christianity and government, see this previous post. For musings about some apparent failings of the Obama administration, including the attack on the embassy at Benghazi, see here.