Prager H1: Nina Totenberg excused herself for using the phrase “Christmas Party.” This is a perfect expression of the secularization of America. Dennis announces a new feature for next year: “Wisdom from the Bible” will be the subject of twenty Ultimate Issues Hours next year.
Prager H2: The NYT comes to a surprising conclusion: it doesn’t really make that much difference what college you go to. It’s all about the student — a hard-working, ambitious student does well no matter where they get their higher education. Columbia physicist, Brian Greene, has some very wise answers about the nature of intelligence. When he gets into his multiple universe theories, he sounds strangely silly, however. The idea of a designer (God) who designs an ordered universe, that’s absurd. But multiple universes where apples go up instead of down when they “fall” from a tree, that makes perfect sense?
Prager H3: Dennis talks to Steve Stewart-Williams, lecturer in evolutionary psychology at Swansea University. Darwin, God and the Meaning of Life: How Evolutionary Theory Undermines Everything You Thought You Knew.
Prager H1: Dennis ponders what has happened to the phrase “Merry Christmas”. A caller then shared her experience singing in the Blacksburg Master Chorale, whose annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah”, held at a church, must be called a “Holiday Concert”. Dennis then concluded people most often say they are offended, rather than simply in disagreement, as a way to shut up their opposition.
Prager H2: Dennis reviewed the repercussions of repealing “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”. A caller posed the question of whether or not Christians in the military would be allowed to share their views on homosexuality if gays are allowed to openly share their sexuality.
Prager H3: Dennis discussed the health of the Lockerbie bomber, who continues to live past his 3 month diagnosis from prostate cancer. While Scotland initially refused to release him, it was actually Britain who gave in to international threats over the bomber’s release. Dennis was then joined by author and filmmaker Bjorn Lomborg, who discussed his views on global warming and the excessive amount of tax payer money spent on it, as seen in his film/book Cool It.
Prager H1: FDA has withdrawn the breast cancer drug Avastin from the US market. They don’t believe it’s effective. But thousands of women with breast cancer and their doctors disagree. California now has its own cap and trade system, 3000 pages of new job killing, Byzantine regulations. Think this will help create jobs?
Prager H2: It’s time to stop blaming your parents for your unhappiness.
Prager H3: Per usual, callers set the agenda. Issues raised include: is it okay to play video games; why do ex-catholics resent the church so much; and a teenager calls in to ask… how can i learn to think rationally.
