Free Republic

A terminally ill boy had his dying wish granted in Australia this month, but ethicists are still at odds over whether it was the right thing to do. The wish was not for a trip to Disneyland or to meet a famous sports star. Instead, the 15-year-old wanted to lose his virginity before he died of cancer. The boy, who remains anonymous but was called Jack by the Australian media, did not want his parents to know about his request. Because of his many years spent in the hospital, he had no girlfriend or female friends. Jack died last week, ...

<p>U.S. May Dump 'Infinite Justice' Name Thursday, September 20, 2001 The U.S. will likely rename operation "Infinite Justice" because the phrase could offend Muslim states and others who see it is a specific religious term that refers to powers held only by God. "In talking to several Islamic scholars, they find that name offensive. The only person or thing that can grant infinite justice, according to their religion, is Allah," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said at a press briefing on Thursday. Rumsfeld, responding to a question about the name, said he had heard the term but did not know if it had been formally adopted. In any case, he said, the United States "does not want to do or say things that create an impression on the part of the listener that would be a misunderstanding." Religious scholars on Thursday said there were several problems with the use of the term, and that it could be considered offensive by Christians and Jews as well as Muslims. "The concept that only God has the power to administer absolute or indefinite justice exists in both the Old and New Testaments as well as the Quran," a professor at American University said. "This is very much a central idea of the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam." The use of the term by the U.S., or any other nation or political entity, implies the power of the Almighty is being usurped by man, another scholar noted, "which is something no religious Muslim could accept." In other languages, the term might also be translated into a phrase that sounds far more sinister than the U.S. intends. That’s particularly the case with the translation of the word "infinite," which can have many meanings in other languages. "What does infinite mean? It can mean there are no limits to time or space, and that the U.S. reserves the right to pursue this campaign forever, without limits," noted one Islamic scholar. "That’s certainly not something the allies in the coalition are willing to support, I don’t think." There’s also a danger the term could be deliberately manipulated by enemies of the U.S. effort seeking to fan the flames of disinformation. "This can certainly be misread if some Muslim cleric, who is perhaps quite attuned to the media culture, uses this as a rhetorical device in his efforts against the U.S.", said the American University scholar. The flap over Infinite Justice is not the first semantic issue in recent days to cause a stir among Muslim nations. President Bush on Sunday angered some in the Muslim world with his reference to a "crusade" against terrorism. That was a reminder to some of the Crusades, a series of bloody Christian invasions of the Muslim-held Holy Lands in the Middle East during the 11th to the 13th centuries. White House officials later said they regretted the remark.</p>

What happened to the rules of the road??? Maybe I’m getting old but it seems that in the last few years the number of BAD drivers has increased and the rules of the road are changing. For example: 1. The light turning RED does not mean that 6 more cars get to make a left turn. 2. The United States does not have an AUTOBAHN. You just can’t go as fast as you want (owners of BMW’s and Mercedes Benz’s take note). I’m already going 10mph over the limit just to keep from getting run over so get off my ...