Talking about the "things that matter most" on June 13:00 – Kresta Comments – Trying to Justify Murder
Years ago, Al debated the defrocked and excommunicated Presbyterian pastor Paul Hill (1954-2003) over the question of whether or not killing abortionists was justifiable homicide. In short, Al argued “Absolutely not.” Hill argued that he was obligated to protect the unborn by killing their murderers and thus preventing further abortions. Paul Hill wasn’t insane or even “mean.” Rather he was in the grip of an abbreviated logic. He reasoned that since abortionists kill children then by killing abortionists we will save children. When it was clear that pro-life people dismissed his argument as grossly inconsistent with the moral law, he went out and killed an abortionist and his escort and wounded the abortionist’s wife. Paul Hill was arrested, convicted and, in September 2003, executed for their murder. Al comments on the Tiller killing.
3:20 – Notorious Abortionist Gunned Down in Church
George Tiller, one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions despite decades of protests and attacks, was shot and killed Sunday in a church where he was serving as an usher. The gunman fled, but a 51-year-old suspect was detained some 170 miles away in suburban Kansas City three hours after the shooting. We have talked with Joe Scheidler many times about “Tiller the baby killer.” He joins us again.
3:40 – The Hippocratic Oath and the Florence Nightingale Pledge
The Hippocratic Oath is an oath traditionally taken by physicians pertaining to the ethical practice of medicine. It is widely believed that the oath was written by Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, in the 4th century BC. The phrase "Above all, do no harm" is the most famous part of the oath. We talk with Dr. Rusty Chavey about the history and full meaning of the oath.
4:00 – Government Run Motors – Gov’t Now Owns GM
GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this morning, marking the humbling of an American icon that once dominated the global car industry and setting up a high-stakes gamble for U.S. taxpayers. The filing marks the climax of a lengthy debate over the auto maker's future after it sought a bailout from the U.S. government in December to stay alive. In the end, GM couldn't complete its restructuring out of court and filed for bankruptcy-court protection to get billions more in aid from U.S. taxpayers. The question now facing 56,000 auto workers, 3,600 GM dealers and the Obama administration: Will it work? The U.S. government has agreed to provide GM with another $30 billion in aid, in addition to the $20 billion the auto maker has already borrowed, to see it through its restructuring and exit from bankruptcy protection. In return, the government will get a controlling stake in the company. George Schwartz is here to analyze.
4:20 – The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin
In the 150 years since the publication of Origin of Species, Charles Darwin's reputation has wavered between two extremes--secular saint or heretic. But the truth is much more complicated than that. While he was by all accounts a kind and virtuous man, Darwin's theory of evolution and natural selection has been one of the most destructive ideas in history. So who is Charles Darwin? What did he really believe--and what did his research really prove? In The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin, Benjamin Wiker cuts through the myths and misconceptions and sets the record straight. Taking a "warts and all" approach, Wiker offers a critical examination of Darwin's theories as well as the scientific, social, and religious implications of his life and work.
5:00 – Direct to My Desk
After listening to the portion of the show involving Charles Darwin, I have to say I am somewhat confused by the logic of Mr. Walker. Although I have not read his book, in which my complaints might be addressed, he seemed to imply that if a theory had bad consequences it somewhat would make it not true. This is an attempt to apply the appeal to consequences to an epistemological argument, which is a fallacy. If for some reason the Pythagorean Theorem caused people to go murder each other, it still would be true that in a flat plane the sum of the squares of the legs of a right triangle would equal the square of the hypotenuse.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, his argument that Evolution cannot explain morality is simply ill-informed. There is an overwhelming amount of evidence that it can, and indeed does. I do not know whether or not the author was simply not informed or chose to bury his head in the sand on this topic. Other than that I am interested in reading his book to get a better idea of what his arguments are saying.