The Real Story of Obama's "Small-Minded" Speech

Uh, about that video clip of a public speech in which Barack Obama insists that "ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs." You know, the clip that is going the rounds of your e-mail and Facebook friends? 

I’m afraid the video clip manipulates Obama’s speech pretty badly. Yes, he did say these things in a speech in Belgium last March, but the context of his remarks shows that he was criticizing this attitude rather than promoting it. The strength of the clip, of course, is that the doctored version may well be what the President believes. But it’s not exactly what he said. The particularly offensive line (“ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs, that order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign”) is said in reference to Europe’s history of divine monarchs, not to his own opinions.

Here’s the full text of the President’s speech. But I print below the most relevant portion.

“…And it was here in Europe, through centuries of struggle, through war and enlightenment, repression and revolution, that a particular set of ideals began to emerge, the belief that through conscience and free will, each of us has the right to live as we choose, the belief that power is derived from the consent of the governed and that laws and institutions should be established to protect that understanding.

And those ideas eventually inspired a band of colonialists across an ocean, and they wrote them into the founding documents that still guide America today, including the simple truth that all men, and women, are created equal.

But those ideals have also been tested, here in Europe and around the world. Those ideals have often been threatened by an older, more traditional view of power. This alternative vision argues that ordinary men and women are too small-minded to govern their own affairs, that order and progress can only come when individuals surrender their rights to an all-powerful sovereign. Often this alternative vision roots itself in the notion that by virtue of race or faith or ethnicity, some are inherently superior to others and that individual identity must be defined by us versus them, or that national greatness must flow not by what people stand for, but what they are against…”

Again, what President Obama and his cronies are trying to do ("fundamentally transform" the United States) is certainly sinister. And this speech, even in its actual form, isn't a good one and his version of history, as usual, is wrong. For instance, the ideals of conscience and free will (which Obama himself feels compelled to trample over) did not evolve over centuries but were applications of Christianity. And confusing the initial colonists with the framers of the Declaration of Independence was inexcusably muddled. But I was particularly miffed at his use of the world "colonialists" over the one historically used, "colonists." The former is certainly much more pejorative. Again though, I fear it does reflect Obama's misunderstanding and even disdain for America's philosophic foundations.

Nevertheless, this doctored clip doesn't help us oppose Obama's socialist ideology. Barack Obama's actual words and actions, not distortions of the same, are what we must vigorously and prayerfully oppose.

What's Going Down? Important Reads for the Weekend.

* "What Hamas Planned To Do With The Terror Tunnels" (Jonathan Dahoah Baltimore Jewish Life)
HeLevi,

* "Hamas’s Big Plan Disrupted" (Scott Johnson, PowerLine)

* "Planned Parenthood Tells Young Girl to Experiment with 'Getting Spanked, Whipped or Hit'" (Megan Cairns, American Spectator's Blog)

* "Hundreds of Vets Died or Injured Under VA Care, Data Shows: The department is already under fire for delayed wait times and misconduct, and new data reveals a spike in the number of patients who died or were seriously injured in its care" (Patrick Healy and Kelly Goff, KNBC News)

* "How the Obama Administration’s Lawlessness Will Challenge the Next Conservative President" (David French, NRO)

* "Flight MH17 demonstrates Putin’s way of business" (Jillian Kay Melchior, New York Post)

Abortion Hurts...Even the Survivor

The harm performed on a preborn child by an abortionist is cruel, barbaric and, alas, lethal.

But the harm doesn't stop there.

As we tell abortion clients when we sidewalk counsel outside an abortion clinic (giving them the facts about abortion that will be denied them inside the building), the violent, remarkably unnatural act of abortion also creates terrible risks to the woman's health. In both the long and short term, a woman putting her pregnant body in the hands of an abortion profiteer faces a whole host of dangers -- not to mention the grave spiritual consequences of such an act.

These dangers posed by abortion to mothers should never be a mere "side issue" for sidewalk counselors, CPC workers, and other pro-life advocates who hold high the banner for the sanctity of life. This is because we require the mother's change of mind to save her baby's life but also because we are genuinely concerned for her welfare too.

Abortion hurts...even the survivor. That must always be one of our most important messages, shared with true compassion and accompanied by practical ways to help.

For a review of just how abortion hurts women, check out the information provided by the Elliot Institute about both the physical effects and the psychological effects of abortion. It will better equip you to speak life, love and health to those who desperately need to know.

Can the Middle East Problem Be Easily Explained? Yes.

Abortion Coercion

Preborn babies are routinely killed in America. And they are destroyed in the most barbaric ways -- suction machines, curettes and poisons. And all of these methods of abortion pose extremely harmful effects on the babies' mothers as well.

But the state of political affairs in the United States is so tragic and ridiculous that not only are these barbaric actions protected by law, promoted by opinion leaders, and paid for with taxpayer money, they are increasingly being mandated through ObamaCare and other federal and state requirements forced on doctors, nurses, medical students, pharmacists, insurance providers, and so on. Even if a person abhors the medical (and moral) consequences of abortive drugs, devices and procedures, the law is forcing them to participate.

And without effective protection of conscience, what are their choices? Quitting their profession altogether, leaving the field entirely to amoral practitioners. Or reluctant submission.

As we knew it would, the abortion movement has moved steadily from You Can to You Should to You Must.

Big Band Music -- All Week Long!

It's going to be one of those weeks!

After a jam-packed weekend of preaching, heavy lawn work, and hosting two big dinners and book discussions (one involving 10 people, the other involving 15), we're moving into a "relaxed" schedule this week.

Indeed, the only tasks on the agenda are: writing, proofing, printing, stamping and folding this month's LifeSharer letter; joining with friends on two mornings for prayers outside the abortion mill; answering overdue correspondence; doing the regular early morning Panera's meetings on Tuesday and Thursday...

And, oh yes, doing 7 presentations of "When Swing Was King."

(Honey, where did you put the vitamins?)

If you'd like to join us to help visit the residents of the nursing homes and other senior centers where we do the shows, you'll find the schedule right here on the Vital Signs Ministries website.

And if you do come along, we promise you a wonderful slate of big band songs to enjoy. In fact, here is the songlist for the current volume.

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra, “American Patrol.”
2) Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra, "Dolores."
3) Artie Shaw Orchestra, "Frenesi."
4) Benny Goodman Orchestra with Ella Fitzgerald, "Goodnight, My Love."
5) Jan Garber Orchestra, "I'll See You In My Dreams."
6) Doris Day, "You Oughta' Be In Pictures."
7) Guy Lombardo Orchestra, "Embraceable You."
8) Count Basie Orchestra, "April In Paris."
9) Freddie Martin Orchestra, "Dancing In The Dark."
10) Bing Crosby, "You Belong To My Heart."
12) The Mills Brothers, "Standin' On The Corner."
13) Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, "So Rare."

A relaxed week? Well, no. But mixing in these delightful visits with seniors and bringing them the music they (and we) love -- hey, that will help make it a week of most enjoyable purpose.

Hillary's Book Isn't Doing What It Was Supposed To

Hillary Clinton (and her ghostwriters) came out with a book to launch her run for the presidency. But right from the beginning things looked bad. First of all, the book generated no enthusiasm at all except for die hard Dems. The day it came out (the very day!) both Amazon and Barnes & Noble slashed it’s price 30%.

Second, the book proved to be long and boring, so boring that a study utilizing the data from e-book readers suggests the average page at which readers stop is, get ready, page 33.

Third, the book tour turned out to be one of the most unsuccessful ever. Her remarkable gaffes on the interview circuit gravely disappointed her fans, amused the general public, and vindicated her enemies.

The results? The book dropped out of the Top Ten the first week. It has already fallen behind the sales of the latest anti-Clinton book by Ed Klein. And Hillary’s approval rating (among Democrats, mind you) has fallen 11 points.

Hard Choices? Perhaps. Hard Consequences? Most assuredly.

Remembering Castro's Attack on the "13 de Marzo"

On July 13, 1994, 72 Cubans attempting to leave the island for the United States put out to sea from the port of Havana in the tugboat “13 de Marzo.” When the tug was seven miles from shore, other government boats appeared, equipped with high pressure water hoses, and proceeded to attack the old tug and, in doing so, split the stern. The pleas of the women and children on the tug did nothing to stop the attack. It sank with a toll of 37 dead.

At 3:00 pm on July 13, several advocates for freedom and human rights will join together around the main fountain at Florida International University in a silent call for justice. The event will last 20 minutes, one minute for each year that has passed without justice. They have been doing this at Florida International University since 1995.

For those outside of Florida who yet would like to participate in this event, Claire and I urge you to take some time in prayer on Sunday, July 13th. Pray for the families and friends of those people on the “13 de Marzo” (and so many, many others over the decades) who died because of their yearning for freedom. Pray for the world’s leaders, journalists, clergy, businessmen, and other opinion leaders to awaken to the cruelty, injustice and economic stagnation that has marked the Castro regime. And pray that Cuba will soon be free from the disaster which has been Castro’s brand of Communism.

For more, please see the event FB page.

Honoring and Thanking the U.S. Military (and Ronald Reagan)

Post by Afghanistan Combat Footage - Funker530.

The Left Is Lying About the Hobby Lobby Decision.

The Democrats are desperate. Therefore, the media is desperate.

Barack Obama and the Democrats have disillusioned, depressed and disgusted most American voters with their outrageous (and innumerable) public policy failures. Thus, the November elections represent a minefield for them. They have no issues — absolutely none — they can run on.

The economy? It’s a shambles. Energy? Gas prices are soaring and it’s going to get worse. Immigration? Just look at the border. Justice? This is the most secretive and scandal-prone administration in history. Foreign affairs? We’re losing face and losing our grip everywhere in the world. Health care? It’s a disaster of unmitigated proportions. Crime? Off the charts.

Everywhere one looks, the Democrat brand is tied to arrogance and incompetence.

They need something. Even if it has to be forced, concocted from half-truths and outright lies. Something like the infamous “war on women” that Democrats love to blame Republicans for. And so, the White House, Hillary Clinton, Pelosi/Reid & Company, and the press are trying to make hay out of the Hobby Lobby decision.

It’s nothing. But it’s all they have. And they will plump it up, puff it out, and push it incessantly from now till November.

Therefore, it’s up to you and me to tell the truth to our friends, family and the editor of the local paper. Tell them plain. Tell them kindly. But tell them over and again. Here’s the basic points.

1) The Hobby Lobby decision did not restrict anyone’s access to contraceptives. It didn’t even restrict anyone’s access to those so-called contraceptives that are actually abortifacients. Yes, I know the media is saying the very opposite but they’re dead wrong. And they know it. For the clear proof can be found by walking into any Walmart and just scanning the shelves. All of those products are right there for purchase by anyone. The Hobby Lobby decision changed nothing in this regard.

So much for restricted access. It's just a lie.

2) The Hobby Lobby decision allowed the company to refuse to pay for 4 particular products in the insurance policies they give to their employees. That's only 4 out of the 16 they did pay for. And they didn’t give objection to paying for those other 12 products. Is the White House mentioning this? Is Hillary or NBC News bothering to tell this to the public? Of course not.  But note again -- the company isn’t involved in restricting anyone’s access even to those 4. They are still right there on the shelves of Walmart and CVS and many local supermarkets. The Court decision only said that Hobby Lobby's insurance doesn't have to pay for them. The Democrats and the media want the public to think that free access means free…period.

As Jonah Goldberg asks the Democrats, “If birth control is ‘not your boss’s business,’ why do you expect him to pay for it?”

3) Hillary Clinton is bursting with manufactured rage at the Hobby Lobby decision because it treats American law (specifically, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act which her husband signed) with deference and respect. So why are you so enraged now, Mrs. Clinton? You and your husband applauded that law then and it contained much more generous conscience protections for employers than those of the Hobby Lobby decision. Indeed, the former reads, “Nothing in this title shall be construed to . . . prevent any employer from contributing to the purchase of a standard benefits package which excludes coverage of abortion or other services, if the employer objects to such services on the basis of a religious belief or moral conviction.’

As Ramesh Ponnuru over at NRO quips about Mrs. Clinton’s new position, “Now we’re supposed to believe that favoring a weaker conscience protection makes you the American equivalent of the Taliban.”

Can Science Help Us Live Forever?

"It’s not really a matter of living forever, it’s just a matter of not wanting to die." (Aubrey de Grey)

Dr. de Grey (photo at right) directs the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) project, in which he has defined seven causes of aging, all of which he thinks will be completely overcome soon. Furthermore, he insists that eternal youthfulness can be enjoyed, people living for centuries in a splendid balance of the life force just as if they were 20-25 years of age.

And de Grey's utopian vision isn't just for some distant future. Oh, no. The breakthroughs are going to start -- any minute now. Indeed, he thinks that the humans who will end up living for a thousand years are among us right now, perhaps people who are already past age 60.

Of course, de Grey's hopes to defy death are sheer fantasy. For not only have his theories and experiments failed over and again to produce the slightest movement towards anti-aging, they are based on an inescapably fatal flaw. Science, which is merely the study of God's creation, cannot be used as a weapon against His purposes. And it is God that has clearly decreed, "It is appointed unto men once to die, and then the judgment." (Hebrews 9:27)

No one escapes.

However, here's the good news. Man can conquer death through resurrection. But that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ, accepting the sacrifice for sin that He provided by dying in our place on the cross.

Man's hope for eternal life cannot be found in de Grey's wishful thinking any more than it could in Ponce de Leon's mythical Fountain of Youth. Eternal life (of a grander quality than de Grey has ever dreamed) is found through the singular sacrifice of Jesus. "Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water which I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:14)

Michelangelo once wrote that "Death destroys a man, but the idea of death saves him." So true. The great artist understood that the inescapable reality of death provides the motivation to effectively prepare for it; specifically, by receiving Christ's atoning sacrifice in man's behalf. Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die." (John 11:26)

I'm afraid that no matter what the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence attempt to do about it, death is going to come to Aubrey de Grey. And to you and me too. Therefore, instead of wishful thinking, science fiction, whistling through the graveyard, or any other distractions, men must face the hard fact which is death.

And in squarely facing it, make sure of your salvation from death through the triumph of Christ's resurrection.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Top Ten Lessons from Noah and the Ark

“The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark” 

(Jan Brueghel the Elder, painted in 1613.)

There are a lot of important life lessons to be learned from Noah's experience with the ark. Simple but profound lessons.

Here's my list of the top ten.

1) Don’t miss the boat! Listen to what God says and do it...now.

2) Plan ahead.  Once Noah got the design specs from God, he acted ahead of the crisis.

3) Don’t be deterred by criticism or unpopularity. Once the Lord has set the agenda, you stay on task.

4) Appreciate nature in the way God has designed it.  Stewardship of His creation is a serious responsibility.

5) Stay alert for action, whatever your age. Noah was 600 years old when he became a ship maker. (He was even older when he became a sailor.)

6) We’re all in the same boat, baby. Help each other out.

7) Avoid loneliness – travel in pairs.

8) Learn to be patient and accept God’s will. Sometimes that means you’re a builder; sometimes a zookeeper. Other times, you’ve just gotta’ float awhile.

9) As long as you put your trust in the Lord, even the very worst of life's storms can be weathered.

10) Do your duty to God no matter how difficult it may seem at that time. For, in His time, there will come rest from your efforts. Plus there's the beauty and security of the rainbow too!

On Fortune Tellers

I once had an interesting discussion after being asked by a non-Christian friend about fortune telling. I told him that I could get a higher percentage of predictions picking weekly winners in the NFL than any psychic he could name. He agreed that would probably be true if I were matched against people who only claim to be psychic. But then he asked, “Denny; what about the real deal? What do you think about someone who really can read the future, someone like Jeane Dixon?”

I was glad he asked because I had done a bit of research into the matter, including details on the lady who has (to date) been America’s most famous seer. “Well,” I began, “the late Jeane Dixon was certainly the most celebrated fortune teller of my time, mainly because of her syndicated newspaper column. But there were her books too, astrological guides that included charts for dogs, cats, your daily meals and so on. But, I’m afraid I’ve got to disappoint you. Mrs. Dixon couldn't tell the future better than anyone else. Just check her record. In reality, she wasn’t a fortune-teller; she was only a fortune-guesser. And not a particularly good one at that.”

My friend seemed skeptical. "How then did she become so famous?"

I replied, "How did Tiny Tim become famous? Because he was talented? Of course not. Johnny Carson, the National Enquirer, and the rest of the media make people celebrities for all kinds of goofy reasons. But in Jeane Dixon's case, I can assure you, her star status wasn't something she earned. She simply gave away a huge amount of predictions and then conveniently remembered only the 10 or 15% that could be liberally interpreted as coming true."

"No kidding?"

I gave him a few examples. “When Mrs. Dixon just started to cash in on the popularity of horoscopes and fortune-telling in the early 50's, she made a pretty famous prediction. She said that World War III was going to begin in 1958. That error cooled her jets until the tabloids of the 60's were looking for wild attractions. They hauled Mrs. Dixon out again. She promptly assured Americans that the Vietnam conflict would be over by 1966. She was only nine years off, poor thing. Must have been a short in her crystal ball."

"She also predicted there would be a cure for cancer in 1967. She predicted Fidel Castro would be overthrown and tossed out of Cuba in disgrace before the year 1970 was out. Of course, Cubans are still waiting for that one. She predicted there would be universal peace by the year 2000. And how about her confident assertion that Russia would be the first nation to put men on the moon?"

"But hey; I can't forget my favorite," I finally added. "On October 19th, 1968, Mrs. Dixon predicted that the last thing on Jackie Kennedy’s mind was any possibility of remarriage. And then, bingo, the very next day, headlines announced to the world the wedding of Jackie and Aristotle Onassis.”

No, I assured my friend, I would feel no pressure from a prediction contest with even a "pro psychic" like Jeane Dixon. "We would all be in the guessing game together. The fact is that there is only one source of accurate, dependable information about the future."

“I know, I know,” my friend said laughingly. “Forget the psychic hotlines and read the Bible instead.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

I Received a Letter Today from President Obama

Yes, of course, it was just a form letter but, after writing several letters to the White House in recent years, it was the first time there was ever a response. Thank you, Mr. President.

However, I must point out a few ironic elements in your note.

1) You say "abortion is a heart-wrenching issue." Why do you think that? Is it because, no matter what slogans or hype or convoluted justifications are used, everyone realizes that abortion kills a human child? Indeed, Mr. President, abortion is not merely a heart-wrenching matter, it is a violent, blasphemous heart-destroying act. And, though you claim such things are above your pay grade, you know this quite certainly.

2) You remind me that you are "committed to protecting a woman's right to choose." That is hardly arguable, is it? Your record on abortion -- not just protecting it, but promoting it, defending it, glorifying it, and financing it -- is the most extreme in political history. Yet, once again, this proud statement of yours lacks honesty and intellectual value. A woman's right to choose...what? The tearing apart of her child by a suction machine? The barbaric dissection of her baby by sharp curettes? The cold-hearted corrosives of saline and other poisons that bring a torturous death to the developing baby?

You are committed to that? 

3) Your letter goes on to make claims about preventing unintended pregnancies, helping moms and kids, and so on. But really, Mr. President, do you really expect the public to buy that, especially those who are aware of your intense partnership with Planned Parenthood, the nation's mega-abortion corporation that also excels in promoting (and enabling) sexual promiscuity? No, Mr. President, that's not going to fly.

4) And finally, the reminder of your promise regarding your administration's transparency is a particularly weak part of your note. For it's awfully hard to forget the seemingly innumerable scandals which, in fact, emphasize just the opposite. On one hand, there's your insistence about transparency. But, on the other hand, there's the matters of NSA, IRS, Benghazi, Fast & Furious, secret White House logs, talking points that deny clear truths, stonewalling, dissembling, distraction, blaming, lost e-mails, the epidemic of forgetfulness when officials are questioned by Congress or the press, repression of press access, revisionist history, and more.

Mr. President, I do indeed thank you for your letter. But, I'm afraid, I found it quite unsatisfactory. Therefore, I will continue to pray for you (as I regularly do), asking God to bless and protect you, to give you wisdom and guidance, but also to awaken your conscience to your part in the appalling destruction of prenatal life that is occurring in our era. 

Sincerely...

What Should You Call An Abortionist?

What should be the descriptive term for doctors who perform abortions?

Well, let’s see now, the doctor who takes care of your feet is given a special designation for that particular field – he’s called a podiatrist. In the same way, one routinely refers to a heart doctor as a cardiologist. The doctor who gives you anesthetic before an operation is an anesthesiologist. And a doctor who treats the nervous system is a neurologist. So, doesn’t it simply make sense to use the term abortionist to describe a doctor who specializes in that particular...uh, operation?

Timothy Lamer, a writer for World Magazine, once conducted a search of America’s foremost newspapers in which he looked specifically at the nomenclature of abortion. In a one-month period, these newspapers had 39 references to dermatologists. Not even in one instance were they referred to as a skin doctor or skin care provider. But when it came to abortion, it was a much different story.

The word “abortionist” showed up only 8 times and almost all of those were used in the somewhat negative term "anti-abortionist." Ant that term applied, of course, to those people who believe preborn children shouldn't be killed.

But describing the fellows who perform the abortions, the newspapers used the term “abortion doctor” 21 times and “abortion provider” 36 times.

One can certainly understand an abortionist being ashamed to admit what he is in public. But why does the so-called independent, objective press strain so hard to provide cover for them?

That is a pretty clear example of cultural collusion...and journalistic irresponsibility.

Planned Parenthood Flunks Embryology 101

“Q: My friend says that life begins when the egg and sperm join together. I say that it begins when a baby takes its first breath. Which of us is right?”

That was the question once posed in a Q&A section of Planned Parenthood’s website. How did Dr. Vanessa Cullins, PP’s vice president for external medical affairs, answer it?

She wrote, “All kinds of people — theologians, philosophers, scientists, lawyers, legislators, and many others — hold very different views about when life begins. In fact, both the egg and the sperm are living things before they meet and join. There's no real argument there. The really hot question is, ‘When does being a person begin?’ Most medical authorities and Planned Parenthood agree that it starts when a baby takes its first breath.”

That answer, of course, is not merely incorrect. It is a lie.

“Most medical authorities” wouldn’t think of denying the clear and incontrovertible facts of embryology. Neither would practicing physicians, academics, parents, or the general public. But the greedy interests that run the nations’s largest abortion corporation? They make that absolutely preposterous claim because they don’t care a whit for science. Or morality. Or the lives of children. Or the longterm health and well-being of women.

No, Planned Parenthood cares about profit and the ongoing escalation of the abortion culture.

Lying is just part of the business plan.

"The Security of Hope" (The Latest Letter from Vital Signs Ministries Is Up)

Dear Vital Signs friends,                                                                                           
The May LifeSharer letter was actually started twice but circumstances arising from an even busier-than-usual schedule last month interrupted both of those efforts.  The result is that the May LifeSharer has now morphed into a May/June LifeSharer!  So perhaps I should have made the salutation “Dear patient and understanding LifeSharer friends” for I know you have been very good in accepting with good grace those times (pretty rare actually) when we’ve been unable to get out our monthly letter. 

The fact is that even this LifeSharer is being written in a very hectic week, one that suggests June may be almost as packed as May.  This week includes Saturday morning prayers and public witness at the Planned Parenthood abortion mill, two early morning Panera’s meetings, a luncheon we’re hosting today for old friends, revising the next “When Swing Was King” volume, writing for Vital Signs Blog and the Book Den, writing this LifeSharer letter and getting it in the mail, mowing the lawn and working in the gardens, and conducting a funeral service in central Nebraska.

But what of those busy activities since our last letter? Well, since I hope to include a few thoughts about the Bible’s perspective on hope later on in this letter, I only have space for a few highlights…

Read the rest of Denny’s Vital Signs letter right here.

When Poisons Are Mislabeled

We recently received a note asking about a particular "birth control" product being sold by Walmart. However, the product in question is less a prophylactic than it is an abortifacient. Thus, we sent our friend this note:

Dear -----,

The pill you are talking about is "Plan B One Step."  It went out on the shelves last July.  It is usually in the aisle next to condoms, tampons and sanitary napkins, instead of behind the pharmacy counters.  Walmart, CVS, Walgreens, Target, etc. all put it out and now anyone can buy it. 

What exactly is the deal with Plan B? Well, it isn't good. In fact, it's dastardly...and deadly.

Below are some links to pieces Denny did on the blog about the Plan B pill. Thanks for the inquiry.

A Closer Look at the “Morning After” Pill

When Is the Beginning Not the Beginning?

A Progressive Priority: Abortifacient Drugs for Young Girls

Parrying the Blow

The wisest thing in the world is to cry out before you are hurt. It is no good to cry out after you are hurt; especially after you are mortally hurt. 

People talk about the impatience of the populace; but sound historians know that most tyrannies have been possible because men moved too late. It is often essential to resist a tyranny before it exists. 

It is no answer to say, with a distant optimism, that the scheme is only in the air. A blow from a hatchet can only be parried while it is in the air.

So wrote G.K. Chesterton in the opening paragraph of Eugenics and Other Evils (1922).

Tragically, the hatchet blow of humanist eugenics was not parried by the Church in those days when it could have been and so we now struggle against a "culture of death" that has become all too entrenched.

Yes, we will fight and fight gladly the terrible things the eugenics movement has started (abortion, the disrespect for the institution of family, an anti-child mentality, euthanasia, genetic engineering, and so on) but Chesterton's words remind us of how much more difficult is the struggle when God's people slumber through the first alarms.

Christian Activism and the Code of Chivalry

“Chivalry is only a name for that general spirit which disposes men to heroic actions, and keeps them conversant with all that is beautiful and sublime in the intellectual and moral world.”

That’s how Anglo-Irish writer Kenelm Henry Digby described chivalry in The Broad-Stone of Honour published in 1822.

It’s a nice description. But I like even more the way Sir Walter Scott put it when he had the charming and brave knight, Ivanhoe, answer a young woman’s question in this way:  “Chivalry?  Why maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection, the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant.  Nobility were but an empty name without her.  And liberty finds the best protection in her lance and sword.”

Chivalry. The word itself stirs the imagination and moves the soul to embrace manly virtues: strength, courage, a willingness to fight in a noble cause. But also kindness, innocence, courtesy and grace.  And we must not forget honor, self-discipline, loyalty, and a burning love for God.

In recent speaking engagements (three Christian men’s groups, a gathering of teenagers, a church congregation), I’ve dealt with these themes.  And in these talks, I do not treat chivalry as myth or literary legend.  I deal with the subject as a historian and Christian activist, emphasizing to my audiences that chivalry did not live only in the romances of King Arthur, Sir Roland, Robin Hood and others.  Chivalry was a hard fact. It was a set of ideals, to be sure, but ideals which were devoutly pursued by men very much from the real world.

Note, for instance, the vows of allegiance, holiness and service taken by those knights allowed into the Order of Bath early in the 12th Century.  “Brother, the king our Sovereign lord wills it that you take up this high and worshipful order, which as a knight I declare to you certain points... You shall love God above all things, be steadfast in faith, sustain the church, and be true to your sovereign lord.  Be true to your word and promises, be secure in this.  Also you shall sustain widows in their rights, anytime they require you, maidens in their virginity, helping them and succoring them in your good that they not be misgoverned for their own faults.  You shall sit in no place where an evil judgment should be wrongfully given to anybody, according to your knowledge.  You shall suffer no murderers, nor extortions of the people within the country where you dwell, but with your power you shall put them into the hands of justice, that they be punished as the king’s law requires.” (1128 AD)

Do these vows sound familiar to you?  They should because they illustrate how the honored code of chivalry was founded on something harder, older and more sublime. They come directly from Christianity.  Indeed, the knight of chivalry has his best model in the New Testament picture of the warrior-saint. Remember Ephesians 6?  2 Timothy 2:1-4?  And what of the wealth of Scriptures (Old and New Testament) that speak of purity of heart and body, courage, justice, mercy, graciousness of speech, service to the defenseless, humility, loyalty to the Sovereign King, and so on?

The Knights of the Round Table are the epitome of the chivalric heroes of the early medieval era. But the codes of chivalry they represented so wonderfully did not originate with them.  Rather, these ideals come from the pages of Holy Scripture.  And so too did the role models of chivalry: Moses, Joshua, Samson, Daniel, Gideon, David, the mighty men of valor, and yes, the apostles and other early missionaries of the Church.  All of these heroes could rightly be described as knights-errant with a devotion to God’s holy commands.  All were champions of those virtues which would, centuries later, be described as chivalry.  And those biblical ideals resound even louder than the vows taken by the Knights of the Bath. Here are a few examples:

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil.  Learn to do good.  Seek justice.  Reprove the ruthless.  Defend the orphan.  Plead for the widow.”  (Isaiah 1:16 & 17)

“Thus says the Lord, ‘Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.’”  (Jeremiah 22:3)

“Vindicate the weak and fatherless.  Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.  Rescue the weak and needy.  Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”  (Psalm 82:3 & 4)

“Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”  (James 1:27)

“Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back. If you say, ‘See, we did not know this,’ does He not consider it Who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it Who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?”  (Proverbs 24:11 & 12)

You say that living out the chivalric code is a tough task?  No doubt about it.  But not too tough for men of God.  And that’s the key point I’ve been making in my talks about chivalry.  I want men to know that the codes of chivalry were real, that they were noble and exhilarating, and that they derive from Holy Scripture.  But the most important thing for them to understand is that the codes of chivalry are of the utmost relevance to them today!  They are certainly high ideals. But, just as certainly, they are do-able ideals.

You say you’re not worthy?  Jesus can take care of that.  He died to pay the penalty of  your sin and to create in you a clean heart.  His blood makes you worthy.  You say you’re not equipped?  Jesus has that covered too.  He offers His redeemed children the Holy Spirit, specific spiritual gifts, the powerful sword of the spirit which is the Word of God, and the fellowship of the Church.

Make no mistake; the exciting adventures of chivalry are not all in the past.  They’re right here, right now.  And God is looking for those who will simply answer the call.  Whether you are a carpenter or a clerk or a cook or a clergyman, whether you work in an office or a factory or a warehouse or a hospital, whether you’re retired or in school or unemployed or in prison, the chance to be a knight of the Cross who joyfully embraces the code of Christian chivalry is there for any man on the planet.  And, for that matter, any woman too.

Think what a rebirth of chivalry in America would do for marriages.  For parenting.  Think what it would do to such demonic wickedness as abortion.  Think what would happen if instead of anti-heroes, hip hoppers and dopey sit-com dads, there were Christian knights full of integrity, courage, wisdom, and a love of God whom young men could look to as role models.

Consider with me just a few timely possibilities.  What would have happened if Christian men around the Omaha area (Christian men by the hundreds and thousands) would have called or written Ralston Arena officials and protested their plans to bring in the Lingerie Football League? And what if those thousands of Christian men would have contacted the Omaha City Council over the sexual deviancy proposal that came up earlier this year?  Or the Omaha Public School Board when it spent thousands of tax dollars to force employees to undergo indoctrination on matters of sexual deviancy and anti-Americanism?  Would these outrageous actions have succeeded had Christian men calmly, simply, but resolutely stood against them? Not a chance.

Therefore, when one considers such examples of moral failure, one is tempted to conclude, as Edmund Burke did in the 19th Century, that the age of chivalry is dead and the glory of Christendom extinguished.  But I, for one, will not accept that.  For the Scripture is quite clear as to our responsibilities to be salt and light in a decadent culture.  Indeed, God desires us to be part of His triumphal procession (2 Corinthians 2) as we serve as warrior-knights  -- wearing His armor, wielding His sword, and displaying a confident willingness to engage the enemy.  Thus we overcome in our personal struggles, in the culture wars and even in those battles being waged in the heavenlies.

“Chivalry,” said Ivanhoe. “Why maiden, she is the nurse of pure and high affection, the stay of the oppressed, the redresser of grievances, the curb of the power of the tyrant.  Nobility were but an empty name without her.  And liberty finds the best protection in her lance and sword.”

So, what do you say, guys? There are before us holy quests to fulfill, innocent citizens to rescue, and plenty of dragons to slay. Let’s saddle up.

(The painting at the head of the essay is “The Vigil” by John Pettie. Exhibited first in 1884, it is part of the Tate Collection.)