Pat Robertson has recently gotten himself in trouble for suggesting that Ariel Sharon’s stroke was judgment from God and for calling for the assassination of Hugo Chavez. Now he’s in the news again, this time saying God has told him about storms and a possible tsunami in 2006.

Writes the AP:

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – In another in a series of notable pronouncements, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson says God told him storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America’s coastline this year.

Robertson has made the predictions at least four times in the past two weeks on his news-and-talk television show “The 700 Club” on the Christian Broadcasting Network, which he founded.

Robertson said the revelations about this year’s weather came to him during his annual personal prayer retreat in January.

“If I heard the Lord right about 2006, the coasts of America will be lashed by storms,” Robertson said May 8. On Wednesday, he added, “There well may be something as bad as a tsunami in the Pacific Northwest.”

Is this worth the news coverage it has received? “The coasts of America will be lashed by storms” is an extremely vague statement that could be considered true of any year depending on one’s definition of “lashed.” Likewise, “there well may be something as bad as a tsunami” isn’t exactly a strong assertion about the future.

If MSNBC’s poll is any indication, the general public is equally skeptical: Only 11 percent believe Robertson truly received warnings from God about storms and tsunamis.

It’s being reported that President Bush will deliver a speech tonight in which he calls for the deployment of the National Guard along the southern U.S. border:

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Bush had decided to propose the use of thousands of troops to support the Border Patrol while it builds up its resources to more effectively secure the 2,000-mile line between the U.S. and Mexico.

Snow said the effort would use “a very small percentage of the Guard,” which numbers about 400,000 members around the country. White House officials say it would involve fewer than 8,000 Guardsmen.

In a signal of the high stakes on the issue, Bush arranged to make the announcement at 8 p.m. EDT, in a rare prime-time speech from the Oval Office. He planned to follow up with a visit Thursday to the border, in Yuma, Ariz., to further press his case.

As long-time readers of Virtue Magazine probably know, I have not exactly been the most ardent supporter of the Bush administration—for very good reasons. This news report is a welcome change, however, and if this signals a shift in our president’s previously deplorable position on illegal immigration, I will be the first to praise him for it. Bush’s speech tonight will be especially commendable if it does not call for what Democratic leader Harry Reid calls for:

“He must publicly denounce” a House-passed bill that makes all illegal immigrants subject to prosecution as felons and calls for construction of a 700-mile fence along the Mexican border, Reid said on the Senate floor.

Bush’s speech will air at 8 p.m. eastern time tonight, and it sounds like a speech definitely worth listening in on.

There’s an extremely interesting and thought provoking post at the blog Crystal Spirit about the objectification of women. Not just any women, but “traditional Christian conservative homeschooling” women:

[Objectification] even exists among your “traditional Christian conservative homeschooling” circles. Oh, they’d deny it, I’m sure. After all, God created men and women equal. It’s just that men are more equal than women. Gotta love the Animal Farm twist there.

But how in the world are women being objectified in such a circle? They don’t treat women as sexual objects, after all. Well, maybe not…but I’d venture a guess that they do treat them as objects. See, in your traditional circle, women are expected to stay at home, raise 10+ children, submit to their husband in everything and not question what he says. The man’s word is law. Women are not allowed any say…they are under the authority of their husband. I’ve seen too often this “women can’t have any opinions other than their husband’s mentality”, and it IS objectifying women.

You can read the rest of the post here. It definitely provides an intriguing view point that I haven’t seen addressed before, but does seem worth some consideration.