tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post4057170055465852045..comments2024-03-25T19:00:40.046-06:00Comments on The Constructive Curmudgeon: One More Time: What an Obama Presidency Would MeanDouglas Groothuis, Ph.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/08766692378954258034noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-28885320403138148732008-09-10T11:35:00.000-06:002008-09-10T11:35:00.000-06:00Looks like my assumptions were faulty about rich p...Looks like my assumptions were faulty about rich people being conservative:<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/07/magazine/07Inequality-t.html?pagewanted=2&sq=vanishing%20republican&st=cse&scp=1" REL="nofollow">"In 2000, Al Gore beat George Bush, 56-39, among the 4 percent of voters who identified themselves as 'upper class.'”</A>Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-47090008231304294812008-09-09T23:35:00.000-06:002008-09-09T23:35:00.000-06:00Ben:I've ordered the book I referenced. I got the ...Ben:<BR/><BR/>I've ordered the book I referenced. I got the basic statistic elsewhere (Action Institute), but will follow up by looking at the book in more depth.<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>DGDouglas Groothuis, Ph.D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/08766692378954258034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-67567336073695233032008-09-08T21:57:00.000-06:002008-09-08T21:57:00.000-06:00Dan:There's more to the story.Your concern arises ...Dan:<BR/><BR/>There's more to the story.<BR/><BR/>Your concern arises from the fact that the major forms of chemical birth control (the daily pill, the patch, and the ring, all of which function in basically the same fashion) create a uterine environment that is less stable for a newly conceived child. This is true. A conceptus has a lesser chance of implantation and survival in the uterus of a woman on chemical birth control (hereafter CBC) than in a woman who is not on CBC.<BR/><BR/>However, this is a secondary cause of CBC. The primary purpose of CBC is to prevent ovulation. It does this very effectively. Another secondary cause of CBC is the thickening of cervical mucus, which provides another barrier to conception in the unlikely case that ovulation occurs.<BR/><BR/>At the same time, spontaneous abortion is perhaps more common than you realize in women who are not on CBC. <A HREF="http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/340/23/1796" REL="nofollow">One in three embryos</A> (implanted conceptuses) in these women end in <A HREF="http://patient-research.elsevier.com/patientresearch/displayAbs?key=S0015028202046940" REL="nofollow">spontaneous abortions</A>, and over half of those occur before the woman is ever aware that she is pregnant. (Statistics for conceptuses that never implant are not available.)<BR/><BR/>CBC prevents a lot more than one in three conceptions. Therefore, even if every conceptus was terminated in women on CBC (which it's not), <I><B>a woman on CBC is much less likely to have a spontaneous abortion than a woman on no birth control</B></I>. By preventing the vast majority of conceptions, CBC actually prevents a lot more spontaneous abortions than it causes.<BR/><BR/>Therefore, a pro-life woman can use CBC in good conscience. For many couples, there are other good reasons not to use CBC, but its abortifacient properties should not be a deterrent.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-68291812414952057132008-09-08T21:15:00.000-06:002008-09-08T21:15:00.000-06:00DG - well said. Thorough yet succinct. Thanks espe...DG - well said. Thorough yet succinct. Thanks especially for making explicit the bit about poverty; people need to understand exactly what you have to say there.<BR/><BR/>One wondering you've inspired - what would the statistics on charitable giving between conservatives and liberals looked like if they were normalized for wealth (or possibly even religious commitment)? Wealthy people tend to be conservative, and wealthy people tend to give more to charity (both in sheer volume and in percentage). Ditto for religiously committed people (I think and hope). The classic example of a rich liberal giving very little to charity is Al Gore (I forget the year), but we would commit a fallacy to generalize from his case. Anyhow, just curious to about the numbers; if you have a source, I'd love to see it.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01113478704537113397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-9520579240481963652008-09-07T17:16:00.000-06:002008-09-07T17:16:00.000-06:00claudia, as someone born Canadian and now living i...claudia, as someone born Canadian and now living in the US, I'd suggest that the term "African Canadian" isn't used because of the different history of race relations in the two countries and the difference in demographics. And I suspect for many "French Canadian" is about *much* more than explaining language skills!Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12953251818466792517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-6535414720753559922008-09-07T14:06:00.000-06:002008-09-07T14:06:00.000-06:00You present solid argument in the 3 cases.The Cath...You present solid argument in the 3 cases.<BR/><BR/>The Catholic Church, probably considering that a mother would prefer to give her life so that her child could live, doesn't agree to abortion to save the mother. It also preconises a Calendar System instead of birth control pills. Of course, the Catholic Church is not trying to win an election in America!<BR/><BR/>I was curious as to why you mentioned that Jack Mc Whorter (I hope I got the name right) was African American. Does it make his book on poverty more valid? We seldom say African Canadian in my country. Canadian seems to be sufficient. We know someone is black when we see her/him. I'm not criticizing. I'm just curious.<BR/><BR/>The only reason I would add French to Canadian would be to explain my imperfect English.Claudehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04307495672130972111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-16137720674160607322008-09-07T08:28:00.000-06:002008-09-07T08:28:00.000-06:00The Pill as is the daily birth control pill, not t...The Pill as is the daily birth control pill, not the day after pill (though both do the same thing if conception occurs).ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15607243070123689466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-42030564206144333192008-09-07T08:27:00.000-06:002008-09-07T08:27:00.000-06:00McCain supports abortion. He won't outlaw the pill...McCain supports abortion. <BR/><BR/>He won't outlaw the pill. The pill is abortive. Voting for McCain vs. Obama is only a difference of degree. <BR/><BR/>Don't gloss over a salient fact. Sophistry is unacceptable. <BR/><BR/>One question DG: Do you think that the pill should be outlawed? Do you think that it is an acceptable form of abortion.ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15607243070123689466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-16652222502560449212008-09-07T05:35:00.000-06:002008-09-07T05:35:00.000-06:00Thanks, Professor. It must get tedious to repeat w...Thanks, Professor. It must get tedious to repeat what seems so obvious, but I guess someone has to do it.Jeff Burtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18068021849429001560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-46102283069832743292008-09-07T02:30:00.000-06:002008-09-07T02:30:00.000-06:00Plus, McCain is so well-versed on economic issues:...Plus, McCain is so well-versed on economic issues:<BR/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUZwL9GPcNw&feature=relatedJeremy Williamsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16899355798783996116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14410967.post-84512198480975465682008-09-06T22:05:00.000-06:002008-09-06T22:05:00.000-06:00Some Christians are deceived into thinking that po...<I>Some Christians are deceived into thinking that political liberalism is better for the poor than conservatism. So, since the Bible tells us to care about the poor and the oppressed, we should support the Democrat</I><BR/><BR/>I am so tired of hearing this narrative. There's a smug, hip contingent of evangelicalism that seems to be saying "either you can be a closed-minded, single-issue, robot and vote for pro-life candidates OR you can be like Jesus and vote Democrat."<BR/><BR/>Call me closed-minded.Darrellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09516232190711003316noreply@blogger.com