DR Radio: Charlie Held Hostage and Cultural Litmus Tests

Dead Reckoning

In this edition of DR Radio, Hadley, Brian, and Jay untangle the healthcare debate, the horrible case of Charlie Gard, the whiplash we experienced regarding Eugene Peterson and more!

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Dead Reckoning Radio

Show Notes, July 18, 2017

Jay’s Introduction

Quick Takes ?

• Personal Updates (If Any)
• Notable Movies – It’s summer blockbuster time, which means it’s comic book movie time. Wonder Woman was a box office success, but can Hollywood turn out a blockbuster that doesn’t feature superheroes? A good candidate opens this weekend: Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, the World War II story of the evacuation of the British army which (Spoiler Alert!) saves them from annihilation.
• So, Game of Thrones? …. Game of Thrones is a successful television franchise, but they seem to be making their money from licensing their theme! It’s everywhere you look. The new season premiere for the cultural juggernaut has dropped, and it’s time for Christians once again to argue with each other about whether one should watch the show. So, guys: let’s argue!
  • https://mereorthodoxy.com/game-of-thrones-gospel/
• …or Christian Soap Opera? Pure Flix media has announced that, at long last, they will produce a Christian soap opera. If that’s the Christian alternative to Game of Thrones…..would we rather watch Game of Thrones?
• Are Online Groceries Going to be a Thing? Interesting news: Amazon attempted to buy Whole Foods, and now is trying to buy out Blue Apron. Is this the future? Amazon delivering our groceries with “One Click”? Do you guys see this as viable? Is it a good idea? What are the implications for free markets and local produce?
• Welcome to Hadley’s Wheelhouse! Wage Gap/Healthcare – Now the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Resident public policy expert Hadley Heath Manning will now bring you up to speed on two of her wheelhouse topics.

First, Verily Magazine cited her expertise in a recent article on the wage gap. So, Hadley, once again: explain to us why we should not care about the wage gap.

Second, what in the world is going on with getting a decent healthcare bill through Congress???

• Internet trolls and cake: http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/09/technology/troll-cakes-online-harassment/index.html

Break

[Sponsor]: ADF: Norvilla Etinne’s Story: 1:53

[Game]: Two Truths and a Lie

• 1. The character Bottom has the head of a duck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (False – the head of an ass/donkey)
• 2. Shakespeare’s parents were probably illiterate, and his children almost certainly were.
• 3. Iago is a bad guy in Othello.

• 1. Shakespeare coined the phrase “in a pickle.”
• 2. Romeo was a merchant in venice (false)
• 3. Rosaline disguises herself as a man in As You Like It.

• 1. Shakespeare created the name “Jessica”
• 2. There are 154 sonnets attributed to the Bard.
• 3. King Lear makes makes an appearance in Julius Caesar. (False)

• 1. Shakespeare’s theater company was named The Kings Men.
• 2. West Side Story, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Sons of Anarchy are all adaptations of Shakespeares plays.
• 3. Guildenstern and Rosencrantz were in Macbeth (False – in Hamlet)

• 1. Juliet commits suicide by stabbing herself.
• 2. Shakespeare left his “second-best bed” to his wife in his will.
• 3. “Beware the Ides of May” was famously coined in Julius Caeser (false)

Segment One: Who’s Responsible for Charlie Gard?

Charlie Gard is an 11-month old baby in the UK who has a mitochondrial disease that degenerates the brain and muscle tissue and is life-threatening. He’s currently on a ventilator and needs help to move. His parents want to keep him alive and to seek experimental treatment in the US from a doctor who has used trial therapy on individuals with a reportedly less severe form of the disease. The UK High Court ruled that the hospital could stop providing life-support treatment in April. His parents appealed the decision until the case landed with the European Court of Human Rights who refuse to intervene, the decision reverting to the lower courts ruling (no intervention for Charlie Gard).

Where we’re at now: Now the Pope and Donald Trump have spoken up in support of Charlie Gard coming to the US for treatment. Charlie’s hospital has refiled for a case with the High Court and the US doctor has traveled to meet Charlie and his physicians. The hospital refuses to release Charlie for treatment elsewhere or to return him home to die there.

Is this the NHS gone amok? What rights do parents have in these sorts of situations? Should medical care providers have the right to intervene in certain cases and override the individual or their caregivers? Who has the final say on what’s best for a child? ?

Break

[Sponsor]: ADF: Pastors 1:17?

[Game]: Not The Onion News

• Gang of goats terrorizes Louisville business –

http://kdvr.com/2017/07/17/gang-of-goats-terrorizes-louisville-business/

• Fake Attempted robbery thwarted by goat

Segment Two: The Mysterious Mind of Eugene Peterson?

In a stunning bout of 24-hour whiplash, the evangelical Twitter-verse broke its neck. Jonathan Merritt of the Religion News Service published an interview with beloved Christian pastor/teacher Eugene Peterson, who is best known for his vernacular translation of the Bible, The Message. In the interview, Peterson appeared to clearly endorse the idea of same-sex marriage, even claiming he would perform such a ceremony. Sad emojis flew around the web faster than the speed of light, delighted cackles were heard echoing through the stratosphere by others. Hot takes piled up by the thousands.

And then. Eugene Peterson took back everything he said to Jonathan Merritt.

Which raises some questions, not all revolving around the question of same-sex marriage.

This seems to be an example of “You Will Be Made to Care.” Homosexuality has not been a hobby horse with Eugene Peterson, but at least one reporter was only too delighted to put him on the spot. Should we all expect this sort of “gotcha”?

Sociologically: Why do we (on all sides) have this desire to seek allies and/or hunt down enemies?

And: Is this all a side-effect of Christian celebrity culture? Can our deep disappointment with this sort of thing point to a touch of idolatry? Putting people on way too high a pedestal? (To his credit, Peterson has never sought celebrity status. In fact, he’s something of a recluse.)

Finally: Can you guys figure out what Eugene Peterson thinks after all this? Or, alternatively: should we care what Eugene Peterson thinks?

Segment Three: Dead Reckoning Recommends (Brian)

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