The Opinion Blog

Apply drug-test amendment to GOP senators?

In today's editorial, the newspaper takes another swipe at the proposed S.C. constitutional amendment requiring drug tests as a condition of filing for public office:

"The bad news: The S.C. Senate last week debated the proposed constitutional amendment to require all candidates for public office, state and local, to submit to drug tests as a condition of filing for office. The good news: It takes a two-thirds majority of both houses of the General Assembly to put constitutional amendments on the general election ballot. The Republican sponsors of the measure don't appear to have the 31 votes necessary to move the measure on to the S.C. House.

"Here's one way the Republican majority in the 46-member Senate might achieve the necessary two-thirds majority: Restrict the amendment to Republicans running for legislative and constitutional offices, exempting Democrats and local officials.

As technology evolves, so also must sin

Ripped from the wires ... As the Catholic Church updates its sin list, a Jesuit priest speculates on what the sins of the future might be.

By Ryan Maher

In the sixth century, Pope Gregory the Great cracked the whip and spelled out the seven deadly sins of Catholicism: pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed and sloth. Almost 1,500 years later, the Vatican last weekend identified some newfangled transgressions, including genetic manipulation, pollution, drug abuse and excessive wealth. While human nature and the temptations that bedevil it never change, technology does -- and presents ever more vexing ethical questions. Who knows? In 3508, the Vatican's list of mortal sins might include ...

1. EARTHISM, or the belief that the cultures and practices of terrestrial societies are superior to those of other planets. Such planeto-centric bigotry leads to intergalactic discord and exploitation.