Every year, thousands of bills become law, thousands more are challenged by public opinion and in court, and thousands more die from neglect and as victims of political stalemate. Dyalogues here will argue for and against the passing, overturning or reworking of laws at the municipality, state and international levels.

Recent Dyalogues in Legislation

Aug 2009

  • Cyber Security Act of 2009: Will it Protect or Sensor Americans?

    Category:

    Politics > Legislation

    Type:

    Debates

    Status:

    Completed
    Updated on Aug 21, 2009

    According to drafts of the Cyber Security Act of 2009, Obama may "declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shut down of Internet traffic to and from any comprised federal government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network".  The President may also "order the disconnection of any Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information systems or networks in the interest of national security."

     


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Jun 2009

Apr 2009

  • Should the US institute a price-floor gas tax?

    Category:

    Politics > Legislation

    Type:

    Debates

    Status:

    Completed
    Updated on Apr 27, 2009

    2008 saw gasoline (petrol) prices skyrocket in the U.S., primarily due to a weakening dollar, but also due to instability in petroleum exporting countries, and rising global demand. Before prices started to come down, discussions started on how the effect of wild swings in price could be mitigated in the future. Among the proposals considered by policy wonks was a price floor for gasoline: a variable tax would bring the price of gas to a minimum price, disappearing if the market price exceeds the floor. The resulting revenue could be used for mass transit projects or a subsidy when prices rise too high, and would also favor the production and sale of more economical cars. A price floor is favored by conservatives such as Charles Krauthammer and Greg Mankiw, and liberals such as Al Gore and Leon Panetta.


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Dec 2008

  • Should Christians use the Bible to oppose gay marriage?

    Category:

    Politics > Legislation

    Type:

    Debates

    Status:

    Completed
    Updated on Dec 17, 2008

    As a conservative Christian, I want to praise this week’s cover story in Newsweek magazine - Gay Marriage: Our Mutual Joy. It is well-written and well-researched. And while I agree with almost every premise, I reached a very different conclusion.

    The article focuses on the fact that many Christians use the Bible to defend their opposition to gay marriage (and homosexuality in general). So author Lisa Miller went to the very same source - the Bible - and cited specific scriptural passages to show two main ideas:

    1. Many other Biblical passages aren’t followed today, so why should we focus on the few that are against homosexuality?
    2. There are many passages that focus on love and mutual understanding.

    In doing so, she brings up a great point that many Christians may not agree with, but I do whole-heartedly.

    The Bible was written for a world so unlike our own, it’s impossible to apply its rules, at face value, to ours.

    The key to that statement is “at face value.” While we can apply its rules to our own lives - that is the Bible’s very purpose - we have to take circumstance into account. This point she clarifies later:

    We cannot look to the Bible as a marriage manual, but we can read it for universal truths as we struggle toward a more just future. The Bible offers inspiration and warning on the subjects of love, marriage, family and community. It speaks eloquently of the crucial role of families in a fair society and the risks we incur to ourselves and our children should we cease trying to bind ourselves together in loving pairs.

    Her overall conclusion is that we cannot use the Bible as a defense against gay marriage - and I agree (she’s a bit self-contradictory in that she then uses the Bible to defend her stance, but…you know…whatever).

    Sunday School 101 teaches us that the law and rules of the Old Testament were done away with during and after the mortal ministry of Jesus. Even the New Testament - as was mentioned in the article - “was written for a world so unlike our own.”

    So while the Bible does indeed contain the fullness of the gospel - meaning “the power of God unto salvation” (Romans 1:16) in that it teaches us how to implement God’s power to be saved - it is not clear on a lot of topics (one of them being gay marriage).

    So instead of trying to decide what is wrong and right based on ancient scripture - and this is where the author and I disagree - shouldn’t we instead get a modern update from God to see how he feels about it?

    The Bible covers thousands of years of history, with hundreds of examples of God informing His people about what they needed to know given their current circumstances. It was often done through spokespeople - Moses, Noah, Paul, etc. - but not always. Does He not do that anymore? Has He stopped talking? Is He just sitting in his plush lazyboy in Heaven watching us fail (or succeed)?

    I have no intention of getting preachy or to suggest what is right and wrong. But I do think any individual who wants to use God and religion as an excuse or a reason needs to get some up-to-date material. You can’t use a car manual from the 60s to fix your ‘09 hybrid.

    My assertion is that anyone who believes that God is the source of all truth should probably try to find out if He’s said anything noteworthy to His people recently. And I place this responsibility squarely on the shoulders of mainstream Christianity.

    The world has changed immensely since the time of Jesus (a couple millennia ago), and Christians have been using the Bible as a shield for their actions ever since. So I think it’s about time for them to get some new material.


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