The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/599049
The Press-Dispatch Opinion Wednesday, November 11, 2015 C- 5 NEED grave error in the past, or the Church is toying with heresy today." According to Buchannan, Pope Francis's sermon af- ter the Synod took aim at the traditionalists within the church: "None of the disci- ples stopped, as Jesus did [for the blind man]. If Bartimae- us was blind, they were deaf. His problem was not their problem." "This can be a danger to us. … A faith that does not know how to grow roots into the lives of people remains ar- id and, rather than oases, cre- ates other deserts." The Catholic Church is plagued with the same issues and pressures as Protestants in trying to stay relevant in a changing world. Buchannan's conclusion does not bode well for his church: "How the Catholic Church can avoid greater con- fusion among the faithful — after the pope's virtual bless- ing of the Kasper recommen- dations, and the synod's rejec- tion of them — escapes me" Historic changes are knock- ing upon Catholic teaching, practice, and the church as a cultural force. Buchannan has it right. It is not possible to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be- come relevant to a hedonistic, sex-crazed world by emulat- ing and condoning what the church has called sin. Being relevant does not mean to get with the times; sin remains sin regardless of the era. The Good News of Jesus Christ is that you are forgiv- en of your sins! The Gospel of Christ does not change – The Hebrew writer proclaimed as much when he wrote: Jesus, the same yesterday, today, and forever! The preposition remains clear; either the Church has the Gospel of Christ right, or it is wrong. If wrong then the faith is wrong, and churches need to abandon their catechisms and creeds and disband. Church then can be held wherever, and all can worship God from the heart as he/she chooses [or not]. That is what cultural rele- vancy demands. The church has to abandon its definition of "sin" and those beliefs held by the faithful generations be- fore us. Bob Dylan's lyrics, "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows" is apropos for the times. I don't know what the pope will do now, but I shall contin- ue to proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified. In so doing, I am not exclud- ing anyone or closing the door to grace and salvation for any- one. This is a dangerous posi- tion to take in a world of secu- lar Christians. Think about it! Court Report SHOT OBVIOUS DECLINING Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 Continued from page 4 PROBLEMS SUBMIT LETTERS TO THE EDITOR All letters to the editor must be signed and include an address and phone number. Only your name will be published with the letter. editor@pressdispatch.net | P.O. Box 68, Petersburg to school to pick him up ear- ly. She admitted that he was "hitting, kicking, biting and spitting at other children and adults." A fter he was transferred to another public school, "he was very happy and had not been suspended once." How happy others were to have him in their midst was not reported. It would be wonderful if we could develop ways to educate all students, de- spite whatever kinds of at- titudes and behavior they had. But how many gener- ations of other youngsters are we prepared to sacrifice to this hope that has never yet been fulfilled? Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institu- tion, Stanford University. Cruz changed the campain landscape Pursuit of the Cure by Star Parker About a quarter of the way into the CNBC-hosted Republican debate at the University of Colorado, Sen. Ted Cruz reached back and cast a lightning bolt into the proceedings. He jolted the de- bate, the whole debate process, and pos- sibly even the election. CNBC's Carl Quintanilla raised the issue of the debt limit with Sen. Cruz. The deal that Congress and the White House is about to make, said Quintanil- la, "would ... prevent a government shut- down and calm financial markets that fear another Washington-created crisis is on the way. Does your opposition to it show that you are not the kind of prob- lem-solver America voters want? " What? This is journalism? Cruz responded, "The questions that have been asked so far in this debate il- lustrate why the American people don't trust the media. This is not a cage match. And if you look at the questions, 'Donald Trump, are you a comic book villain? ' 'Ben Carson, can you do math? ' 'John Kasich, will you insult two people over here? ' 'Marco Rubio, why don't you re- sign? ' 'Jeb Bush, why have your numbers fallen? ' How about talking about the sub- stantive issues that people care about? Cruz's incisive mind was on full dis- play here, as he methodically repro- duced, without notes, the vacuous ques- tions that had been asked to each can- didate. Moderator Quintanilla sat looking amused. But the applause from the audience and the subsequent move by the RNC to suspend the debate scheduled for Febru- ary, which would have been sponsored by NBC and Telemundo, shows that Cruz hit a bull's- eye. Now, thanks to that spar- kling moment when Cruz woke everyone up by ask- ing the most basic ques- tion, "What are we doing here," the Republican can- didates and the RNC are doing some serious soul- searching about these de- bate platforms. Typically, chaos and fail- ure are symptoms of not having a clear direction in mind. And these debates cer- tainly have had these characteristics. A political campaign is a job-inter- view process designed to vet all the can- didates and pick the best one for the job. The interviewers here, so to speak, are Republican voters. Debates should be structured to serve this end of informing Republican voters. They are part of the interviewing process to help voters get to know their candidates and help them make the best possible choice. But how can it work if the debate mod- erators asking the questions are hostile to the Party and don't care about helping to vet the candidate that will best carry the Party's banner? That's exactly what we had with this CNBC debacle. The idea that the Party needs to part- ner with mainstream media outlets, re- gardless of their political leaning, cre- ates a problem that can be summed up thusly: "By being everything to everyone you are nothing to anyone." This upcoming election, perhaps more than ever, is a battle for America's soul and future. Are we going to be a left-wing socialist na- tion or a free nation under God? Democrats are clear and settled with who they are. Now Republicans must pick the candidate that will crystalize what it means to be a free nation under God. The debates must serve this end and provide moderators who can ask tough and informed questions that vet each candidate, on behalf of Republican vot- ers, to clarify where each stands on what America is about and their ability to lead and implement their vision. Why not, for instance, a debate plat- form to focus on the evangelical voter? Evangelicals comprised 26 percent of the vote in the last presidential election, 78 percent of whom voted Republican. Why not a debate hosted by the National Re- ligious Broadcasters, whose members report a weekly cumulative listenership and readership of 60 million Americans? Meanwhile, Ted Cruz has shown his mettle here. He changed the landscape of this campaign and distinguished him- self as a real Republican star and leader. Star Parker is an author and president of CURE, the Center for Urban Renewal and Education. Contact her at www.ur- bancure.org. clude. "The cumulative effect of these factors has resulted in a U.S. military that is mar- ginally able to meet the de- mands of defending Ameri- ca's vital national interests." "Marginally able"? This is unacceptable. Every con- cerned citizen should ask Congress, the president and those running for office, "What are you doing to re- build our military and make us fully capable of defending our country? " Ed Feulner is founder of the Heritage Foundation (heri- tage.org). slim, outside chance the ba- by will come early enough that we can bring her home and let people come over and give us things/food while we sleep, but life is not that perfect. And then of course, the final (but also first) holi- day of the year, New Year's Eve. I have never been the type to swig champagne and watch the ball drop and kiss whoever's next to me—I don't think my usu- al New Year's party com- panion, Ben, would take it in the proper spirit—but this year I'm guessing I'll be either sleeping, trying to sleep, or thinking about sleep while cleaning up poop. Beautiful poop made by my beautiful daughter. from CBS: "Chris Chris- tie's Emotional Plea For Addiction Treatment Goes Viral." Treatment is not any sort of panacea for addiction, ei- ther. Dr. Sally Satel, a psy- chiatrist and addiction spe- cialist, estimates that be- tween 40 and 60 percent of participants in drug treat- ment programs drop out within the first few weeks or months while effective outpatient treatment typ- ically requires at least a year. She is encouraged by the success of programs such as Swift, Certain, and Fair, which impose imme- diate (but not harsh) con- sequences on substance abusers and have been found to be quite effective. But realists will keep their expectations modest. The second half of Chris- tie's emotional appeal was more offensive than the first. "I'm prolife," he pro- claimed. "And I believe that if you're going to be pro- life you have to be pro-life for the whole life, not just for the nine months in the womb. It's easy to be pro- life for the nine months you're in the womb; they haven't done anything to disappoint us yet. ... But when they get out, that's when it gets tough." This is a tired and fa- miliar charge from the left. They are fond of say- ing that pro-lifers only care about babies before they're born and not af- ter. Good liberals, by con- trast, may be fine with dis- membering unborn babies, but once they're out of the womb, boy, they're deter- mined to give them such benefits as WIC and Head Start. This is fatuous. In the first place, no level of so- cial welfare support for children can morally out- weigh licensed killing. Surely that's what the un- born would say, if they had a voice. Second, the cli- che about pro-lifers being indifferent to babies after birth is utterly fictional. This country boasts more than 2,000 crisis pregnan- cy centers that feature support for pregnant wom- en and provide aid during the first year of life (and sometimes beyond) for their children. Christians, who comprise the majority of pro-life Americans, are more than twice as likely to adopt children as non- Christians. People who at- tend religious services at least once a week (again, I'm assuming consider- able overlap with pro-life views) are also more likely to serve as foster parents, volunteers of all kinds and blood donors. They are al- so more likely to donate to charities than their secu- lar counterparts. How does that possibly translate into not caring about the "whole life"? Christie doubtless knows all of this, which makes his cheap shot at his fellow pro-lifers especially disappointing. Mona Charen is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Technology Solutions by Scott Hartley Stop spreading falsehoods It's that time of year again. When the leaves change to multicol- ored bright, beautiful hues. When the cool, crisp air of early morn- ings slaps you awake as you walk to your car. When the dreaded sinus and allergies cause nagging headaches, runny noses, scratchy throats and annoying cough- ing spells. As I scrolled through my Facebook feed last Sunday night, I thought I'd fi- nally discovered the Holy Grail remedy to alleviate future coughing spells. One of my friends shared the following image with one of her family members who must be suffering from this common discomfort. Pineapple juice sounds much tastier than Robitussin. If it can also fight in- fections and bacteria, this sounds like THE antidote to keep stocked up on this winter. But, like many of these images plas- tered all over Facebook and incessant- ly forwarded through email, it's simply a myth. My friend, like most others who use social media, fell victim to propagating falsehoods without recog- nizing the tell-tale signs of an urban legend or doing ap- propriate research. It's a personal pet peeve of mine when I see factually in- accurate or completely false information spread like wild- fire across Facebook, email and other social platforms. Whether it is a home "rem- edy" for an ailment or polit- ical facts taken out of context, it drives me crazy. How can you identify an urban legend, myth or factually inaccurate statement? First, it sounds too good to be true. In the image above, it says "pineapple juice is 500 % more effective." Large num- bers usually indicate an exaggeration. You've got to be skeptical. Don't believe everything you read on the Internet, hear on the radio, watch on T V, or otherwise. Second, its source cannot be identi- fied. No reliable source of the informa- tion about the pineapple juice is provid- ed in the picture, so that should at mini- mum prompt the question – who verified this information? Another friend posted on Facebook yesterday a myth about a virus spreading that targets Android phones. His post, which he had copied and pasted, said "and I heard this on a local radio station." Truth was, he didn't hear it on the ra- dio. And whomever he copied it from hadn't either. No radio station was ever identified on which the "news" had been announced. If a source is provided, evaluate its re- liability and verify it. What can you do to stop spreading falsehoods on the Internet? Stop, research, then post! It's all too easy to read something intriguing then click the Share button on Facebook or the Forward button in our email and blast it to everyone you know. Ask yourself questions about what you read: • Does this sound too good to be true? • Do the numbers make sense? • Where did this information come from? • Can it be verified? • Is it a trustworthy source? • Is it taken out of context? Do your homework by spending a few minutes researching trustworthy re- sources on the Internet. Snopes.com is an excellent site that debunks many of the urban legends and myths seen online. Its team of writers thoroughly digs into the sources and facts of commonly shared posts, emails, and pictures and provides a summary supporting or disproving it. Once you've taken a few minutes to check the facts and determine its truth- fulness and usefulness to others, then– and ONLY THEN–feel free to share with your friends and family. Otherwise, keep on scrolling! Scott Hartley is the President/CEO of Calibre Computer Solutions in Princeton. For computer tips, information, and free software tools, check out our website at http://www.calibreforhome.com. CRIMINAL Pike Circuit Court Brittany N. Collins charged with domestic battery, a level 6 felony. Kim L. Cannon charged with count I battery with moderate bodi- ly injury, a level 6 felony; count II dis- orderly conduct; and count III crimi- nal mischief. Michael W. Downing charged with count I battery with moderate bodi- ly injury, a level 6 felony; count II do- mestic battery; count III disorderly conduct; and count IV criminal mis- chief. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANOR Pike Circuit Court Michael A. Dunn charged with count I possession of paraphernalia and count II possession of marijuana. John B. Lawyer charged with count I operating a vehicle while in- toxicated; count II possession of par- aphernalia; and count III possession of marijuana. Ronald B. Arvin charged with count I operating a vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more and count II op- erating a vehicle while intoxicated. Jason M. Boyd charged with count I leaving the scene of an accident and count II operating a vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more. Beth A. Snipes charged with count I operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance or its me- tabolite in the body and count II op- erating a vehicle while intoxicated. Jessica J. Cole charged with driv- ing while suspended. CIVIL DOCKET Pike Circuit Court Portfolio Recovery Assoc., LLV sues Tyler Bass on complaint. American Acceptance Two, LLC sues Joanna Clendenen on com- plaint. David Alexander Salmon sues Hol- ly Ann Salmon for dissolution of mar- riage. Jenny J. Roeder sues Onis A. Roed- er for dissolution of marriage. Allyssa M. Simmons sues Jared R. Simmons for dissolution of marriage. SMALL CLAIMS Pike Circuit Court Kyle Kinder sues Melissa Richen- son on complaint. Tower Construction sues Carolyn Colin on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike Circuit Court Jill Cooper charged with failure to renew registration. Al-Hummza Stokes charged with speeding, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Connor Craig charged with speed- ing, 97 mph in a 70 zone. Michael Ivie charged with speed- ing, 79 mph in a 70 zone. Don Minor charged with speeding, 79 mph in a 70 zone. Kamille Sandidge charged with speeding, 79 mph in a 70 zone. Lauren Tiernan charged with speeding, 79 mph in a 70 zone. Tasha Cato charged with viola- tion of administrative rules adopted by Natural Resources Comm. under IAC Title 312. Eli Eck charged with violation of administrative rules adopted by Nat- ural Resources Comm. under IAC Ti- tle 312. Kaleb Mason charged with viola- tion of administrative rules adopted by Natural Resources Comm. under IAC Title 312. Kayla Brown charged with speed - ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Lukas Euler charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Toby Gaynor charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Parker Hart charged with speed- ing, 110 mph in a 70 zone. Kimberly Gentry charged with ex- pired plates. Dalton Arnold charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Jacob Ashley charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Sar Bai charged with speeding, 87 mph in a 70 zone. Nicholas Duncheon charged with speeding, 83 mph in a 70 zone. Zachary Guenzel charged with speeding, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Jasvir Kaur charged with speed- ing, 98 mph in a 70 zone and driving while suspended. Kelly Parker charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Emily Riester charged with speed- ing, 79 mph in a 70 zone.