This and That

Stories like this one leave me bemused:

Children exposed to sex in TV programmes, films, magazines and music are more likely to engage in sexual activity than those who are not, according to research out today.

There is a direct relationship between the amount of sexual content a child sees and their level of sexual activity or their intentions to have sex in the future, the study found.

Such media also has at least an equal influence on sexual behaviour as religion or a child’s relationship with their parents and peers, the study said.

I suppose the marketers and advertisers out there are no more surprised than I.

Business puts information (marketing and advertising, you know) in front of people knowing that it will affect the behavior (desiring and acquiring, you know) of many.

So why should it even be a story that exposure to sex (as in marketing and advertising) affects the behavior (as in desiring and acquiring) of many?

Reuters reports:

The spiritual leader of the world’s Anglicans does not believe that creationism — the Bible-based account of the world’s origins — should be taught in schools.

Williams, head of a church which has no problem with the Darwinian theory of evolution, told the Guardian newspaper: “I think creationism is, in a sense, a kind of category mistake, as if the Bible were a theory, like other theories.”

Uhhhh, sir?

Do you mean only theories should be taught in school?

Here I thought facts, history, and reality were to be taught in schools.

There! I exposed my own quaintness!

Oh, for the record, here are two more paragraphs from the story:

Williams’ stance echoes the position of the Roman Catholic Church, the world’s largest single Christian denomination, which has weighed into the debate by praising a U.S. court decision that rejected the intelligent design theory as non-scientific.

Catholicism, which has never rejected evolution, teaches that God created the world and the natural laws by which life developed.

So where does your denomination/religion stand?

Where do you stand?

A Shi’ite man cuts his head with a sword during the Arbain mourning rite in the Iraqi holy city of Kerbala, March 20, 2006. (from Yahoo!)

…this:

An Afghan man who allegedly converted from Islam to Christianity is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death, a judge said Sunday.

The defendant, Abdul Rahman, was arrested last month after his family went to the police and accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told the Associated Press in an interview. Such a conversion would violate the country’s Islamic laws.

“We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law,” the judge said. “It is an attack on Islam. … The prosecutor is asking for the death penalty.”

Free elections. Democracy on the march. Etc.

Let this be a reminder to Christians to continue praying for fellow believers in Islamic countries, even Afghanistan and Iraq.

Let us remember that “democracy” and “liberation” in these countries does not automatically grant followers of Christ safety and freedom of expression.

HT: Joel Rosenberg

US opposition to UAE port firm takeover seen as racist:

“There is a racist dimension in this matter, and that is because the firm linked to the deal is Arab, which, in the opinion of some people, should not manage US ports,” Emirati political analyst Abdul Khaleq Abdullah told AFP.

Oh.

Here I thought it had to do with it being a foreign Arab firm — a firm which is entirely owned by the government of Dubai. And participates in an Arab boycott against Israel. Sure, Dubai is an “ally” — so much so it has a strong anti-US vote record in the UN.

But playing the race card is so much simpler.

In which case, an urgent memo to Mexican President Fox: Sir, use one of your government-owned firms to take over management of several key US border crossings.

And keep a corner of the race card just poking out of your suit jacket pocket.

😉

Maybe in the “grand scheme” of global politics and issues, something like this just doesn’t matter:

The tiny Christian community in the Gaza Strip has come under threat as worldwide violence over anti-Muslim cartoons continued.

Palestinians have threatened to blow up a Christian center in Gaza City. The Palestinian Bible Society was accused of missionary activities and given until Feb. 28 to leave the Gaza Strip.

“We are under serious threat,” a Gaza Christian who did not want to be identified said. “There is nobody here willing to help us.”

But God — not to be confused with Allah — cares.

And watches and hears.

And acts.

By the way, what does He hear from you about this matter?

Over the last week, it has been interesting to me to note the split among conservative talk radio hosts.

Now this morning I see WND pointing it out:

The heated issue of turning operating control of six major U.S. ports over to a state-sponsored company based in the United Arab Emirates is splitting some of the biggest names in American broadcasting, including Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly who favor the transfer, and Sean Hannity and Michael Savage who oppose it.

Snow. They left out Tony Snow. He supports the deal.

Larson? I don’t know where Lars stands. Ditto for John Gibson and Larry Elder.

Anyway, I guess it’s going to be up to you to make up your own mind.

Me? I still think it’s extremely questionable at best. So I suppose that puts me on Sean and Mike’s side. Oh boy.