Every time I watch Fight Club I get to the scene about God and have to reach out and talk to someone.
How do you save the too smart kids? Does God give up on them? Is God the god of kids who study things like Nietzsche in college and don't have a Baptist Student Union to keep them on the right track?
"Our fathers were our models for God. If our fathers bailed, what does that tell you about God?"
"No, no"
(Slaps him) "Listen to me! You have to consider the possibility that God does not like you. He never wanted you. In all probability, He hates you. It's not the worst thing that can happen."
"It isn't?"
"We don't need Him."
"We don't! I agree!"
"Fuck damnation. Fuck redemption. We are God's unwanted children So be it."
My brother was introduced to this movie by his friend in college, who was so blown away by it that he bought it and showed it to all his friends. My brother didn't buy it but he showed it to all his friends. All this godless bull sounds so smart. How do you minister to kids who have bought into this lie? How do you reach kids who've heard it all, done it all and believe nothing? Are we ignoring "Fight Club", or do we have an answer?
Monday, July 30, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Mindfulness for Kids?
I was taught a little bit about mindfulness at various psychological institutions. I found it useful, so long as it was separated from its eastern religious roots. People I worked with usually didn't try twice to bring up the association with yoga or whatever. I once had a boyfriend who was a karate-instructor. He tried to teach me the value of eastern ways. That was even before I had become a Southern Baptist or gotten saved or anything. I had already begun to read my Bible all the way through, though. I wanted to know what it said before I made up my mind as to what I did or did not think about it. I had always been taught it in bits and pieces. When I read it all the way through, there were a lot of things that I hadn't known were in there.
But, anyway, now they're trying, according to the New York Times, to bring Mindfulness into the grade schools. I don't know what I think about this. Here's the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/16/us/16mindful.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 I'm afraid that rabidly antiChristian teachers, of whom there are more than a few, are going to use this as a tool to bring Eastern religion into our schools, or simply to make our kids consider all religion of equal worth since what they're learning at school that has come from Eastern religions is definitely worth something. Mindfulness is worth learning, but Eastern religions aren't in the same boat as Christianity. How can we teach Christian children to accept Mindfulness without accepting Eastern religions as equal to Christianity? Oh, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Mindfulness, as best I can remember, is just a technique for quieting the mind. I remember closing my eyes and concentrating on my breathing. There's probably more to it than that. I've been taught a lot of things, like paying very concentrated attention on my surroundings when I'm outside, smelling every smell, seeing the depth of each color instead of glossing over it all as I concentrate on my inner worries.
But, anyway, now they're trying, according to the New York Times, to bring Mindfulness into the grade schools. I don't know what I think about this. Here's the article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/16/us/16mindful.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1 I'm afraid that rabidly antiChristian teachers, of whom there are more than a few, are going to use this as a tool to bring Eastern religion into our schools, or simply to make our kids consider all religion of equal worth since what they're learning at school that has come from Eastern religions is definitely worth something. Mindfulness is worth learning, but Eastern religions aren't in the same boat as Christianity. How can we teach Christian children to accept Mindfulness without accepting Eastern religions as equal to Christianity? Oh, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Mindfulness, as best I can remember, is just a technique for quieting the mind. I remember closing my eyes and concentrating on my breathing. There's probably more to it than that. I've been taught a lot of things, like paying very concentrated attention on my surroundings when I'm outside, smelling every smell, seeing the depth of each color instead of glossing over it all as I concentrate on my inner worries.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Megachurches protesting
I read that Dr. Richard Land is going to be all over the news media, talking about providing uninsured children access to quality healthcare and how that should be a government priority. It seems like our govt. is going broke, whereas my church seems to be quite well off. The govt. generously offers me disability and food stamps and Medicare, whereas the church is really stingy about giving its money to the local poor. My church prefers to send its money on foreign mission trips. It gives some moneys to the local poor, but not anywhere nearly as much as it spends on foreign mission trips. If Dr. Land is saying that there is a need here, I would challenge the Southern Baptist Association to have bake sales and whatever it needs to do to raise the money to meet that need, instead of loading more demands on an already overloaded govt.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Problem With Blogging
The Problem with Blogging is that I get so wrapped up in the "what to say" of having something to post that I seem to lose all capacity for original thought. Believe it or not, I did, at one time, have that ability, ya know, to think originally. I wind up referencing someone else on my blog just because I agree with them, without having any new thoughts to add. Not wanting to say nothing, I wind up saying the trite and outright stupid just to have something to say. I hate others who waste words in that way. Blogs have made too many of us try to act like things we're not. I'm not a theologian. I'm not a political commentator. I'm not a psychologist. I am simply what I am, a very bright, but emotionally disabled person.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Sanctity of Human Life Sunday
The sanctity of human life moves our emotions deeply.
The opposite view of human life is behind some of the blackest moments in our history.
Does denying life make you subhuman? All human beings are created in the image of God.
What does sanctity mean? Human life is separated to God. We are not simply useful matter. That philosophy has dark consequences.
It is tragic when people suffer and when people are in pain. God give us boldness to wade into the abortion debate again, though we might rather not.
He says "Let there be . . . Let there be . . . Let there be . . . animals. But, He says let Us make people. This is a trinitarian statement. We are created in the image of God, in His likeness. Both genders, male and female, share in the image of God equally.
The attack on gender is an attack on the sanctity of human life.
Attacks on human beings are attacks on God.
We were given a position of dominion. It was given to us to rule.
Children are a blessing from God. Sacred because we are blessed by God in procreation.
Remember that every encounter is significant, because we are all going to either heaven or hell.
The opposite view of human life is behind some of the blackest moments in our history.
Does denying life make you subhuman? All human beings are created in the image of God.
What does sanctity mean? Human life is separated to God. We are not simply useful matter. That philosophy has dark consequences.
It is tragic when people suffer and when people are in pain. God give us boldness to wade into the abortion debate again, though we might rather not.
He says "Let there be . . . Let there be . . . Let there be . . . animals. But, He says let Us make people. This is a trinitarian statement. We are created in the image of God, in His likeness. Both genders, male and female, share in the image of God equally.
The attack on gender is an attack on the sanctity of human life.
Attacks on human beings are attacks on God.
We were given a position of dominion. It was given to us to rule.
Children are a blessing from God. Sacred because we are blessed by God in procreation.
Remember that every encounter is significant, because we are all going to either heaven or hell.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Herman Badillo's American Dream
Herman Badillo, the first Puerto Rico born U.S. congressman, is simply sounding to the hispanic community the same cry that Bill Cosby raised in the black community a few years ago. You have to rise up and take responsibility for climbing out of poverty.
This reminds me of a book I read on treating the chronically mentally ill. It advised social workers to listen to us and not always just assume that everything we said was just more evidence of whatever disturbance they'd diagnosed us with. From this article, Stalled in America in http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110009450, it sounds like hispanics and others are getting the same treatment by overworked social workers. Social workers like to pigeonhole people. That can be helpful for getting us help, but it's a model that doesn't allow for growth. I imagine that it is those same workers, with lots of education, but little idea for what actually works that are influencing educational policy that Mr. Badillo objects to. Social workers are not bad. To some extent, I think we need to listen to them more. But, "you shall know them by their fruits." Take advice from social workers in the trenches that you see honestly making changes and advocating for their clients, not from silly lobbyists.
This reminds me of a book I read on treating the chronically mentally ill. It advised social workers to listen to us and not always just assume that everything we said was just more evidence of whatever disturbance they'd diagnosed us with. From this article, Stalled in America in http://www.opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110009450, it sounds like hispanics and others are getting the same treatment by overworked social workers. Social workers like to pigeonhole people. That can be helpful for getting us help, but it's a model that doesn't allow for growth. I imagine that it is those same workers, with lots of education, but little idea for what actually works that are influencing educational policy that Mr. Badillo objects to. Social workers are not bad. To some extent, I think we need to listen to them more. But, "you shall know them by their fruits." Take advice from social workers in the trenches that you see honestly making changes and advocating for their clients, not from silly lobbyists.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Gettin' Whooped
Well, I'm a Republican; and we got whooped pretty soundly last election. I guess, though I voted a pretty straight Republican ticket, I wasn't really that concerned about winning. It just seems like we already said what we had to say. There is a quiet-spoken moral majority that will vote as a block when it, like a sleeping giant, is aroused. It is not fooled by pretenders with bright smiles and false words. We're not stupid. We've seen salesmen before. We are less concerned with how slick someone seems on camera than how genuine he seems, how true. Not a pretense at "Aw, shucks," folksy charm, a sense that there's something true about a person. We'll be true to such a man through a lot of mistakes.
We're begging for an honest to goodness LEADER, not just another politician. A Churchill would be nice, but we'll take whatever genuine leadership we can find. We are a country of fatherless children and husbandless wives and men who want a strong example set for them. That is as important as all the politics in the world. Bureaucrats run the country. We need a strong father figure to lead the country. Does that sound really wacked out? Am I just bein' nutty 'cause it's too early in the morning to be talkin' politics?
We're begging for an honest to goodness LEADER, not just another politician. A Churchill would be nice, but we'll take whatever genuine leadership we can find. We are a country of fatherless children and husbandless wives and men who want a strong example set for them. That is as important as all the politics in the world. Bureaucrats run the country. We need a strong father figure to lead the country. Does that sound really wacked out? Am I just bein' nutty 'cause it's too early in the morning to be talkin' politics?
Friday, October 13, 2006
Elections
US Rep. in the 1st Cong. Dist - Stubby Stumbaugh
Governor - Asa Hutchinson
Lt. Governor - Jim Holt
Secretary of State - Jim Lagrone
Attorney General - Gunner Delay
State Treasurer - Chris Morris
State Rep. Dist. 86 - Kelley Linck
County Assessor - Janet Lacefield
JP Dist. 4 - John D. Ayers
JP Dist. 7 - Wade Robson
JP Dist. 8 - Diana Turner
JP Dist 9 - Lynn Lasky
JP Dist. 11 - Joshua Davis
Constable Dist. 3 - Dale Jones
Governor - Asa Hutchinson
Lt. Governor - Jim Holt
Secretary of State - Jim Lagrone
Attorney General - Gunner Delay
State Treasurer - Chris Morris
State Rep. Dist. 86 - Kelley Linck
County Assessor - Janet Lacefield
JP Dist. 4 - John D. Ayers
JP Dist. 7 - Wade Robson
JP Dist. 8 - Diana Turner
JP Dist 9 - Lynn Lasky
JP Dist. 11 - Joshua Davis
Constable Dist. 3 - Dale Jones
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Steve Arterburn
Looking for Mr. Arterburn's own blog yesterday, I found a lot about a remark that had been made about him by Al Mohler, Dean of one of the Baptist seminaries, and a very outspoken conservative commentator. He's worth a listen, though I only agree with him most/some of the time.
I'd like to say just a couple of words (if you know me, you know that'll be unlikely) in Mr. Arterburn's defense. When I first heard that Mr. Arterburn had been married twice, I was appalled that he would be on a show that gives out advice to people about their marriages.
Over time, though, . . . I think of Steve like I think of Bonnie Raitt (my favorite singer). They surround themselves with the very best, and then they know when to speak and when to be quiet, when to play and when to play it straight. The difference, of course, is that what we hear of Bonnie is only the selected bits that she chooses to put on albums. Steve has the courage to come out on the air, unedited, every day, for the sake of giving hope and help to many people. I'll give ya that Steve has some weaknesses, but he's not just putting a load on my back. He's bringin' some people into his studio to help him tell me how to carry the load that I already have. And, those of us who know Steve kind of take his advice on marriages with a grain of salt. Steve just has to talk for a few minutes because it takes Henry 5 minutes to figure out what he thinks. Of course, when he does, it is SO WORTH LISTENIN' TO. But, you can't just have dead air for that 5 minutes. And, they do generally try to point people back to the Scriptures and scriptural principles.
As Paul forgave Mark, maybe you could forgive Steve. He's an encourager to us. He's not always entirely wise (who is), but his kindness and generosity make up for it.
On our radio station, New Life Live follows right after Tony Evans. So, right after Tony hits me up side the head (Like, would you wake up already!), I need New Life to come put ointment and a bandage on the wound and point and encourage me that I am able to do what Tony told me to do.
I'd like to say just a couple of words (if you know me, you know that'll be unlikely) in Mr. Arterburn's defense. When I first heard that Mr. Arterburn had been married twice, I was appalled that he would be on a show that gives out advice to people about their marriages.
Over time, though, . . . I think of Steve like I think of Bonnie Raitt (my favorite singer). They surround themselves with the very best, and then they know when to speak and when to be quiet, when to play and when to play it straight. The difference, of course, is that what we hear of Bonnie is only the selected bits that she chooses to put on albums. Steve has the courage to come out on the air, unedited, every day, for the sake of giving hope and help to many people. I'll give ya that Steve has some weaknesses, but he's not just putting a load on my back. He's bringin' some people into his studio to help him tell me how to carry the load that I already have. And, those of us who know Steve kind of take his advice on marriages with a grain of salt. Steve just has to talk for a few minutes because it takes Henry 5 minutes to figure out what he thinks. Of course, when he does, it is SO WORTH LISTENIN' TO. But, you can't just have dead air for that 5 minutes. And, they do generally try to point people back to the Scriptures and scriptural principles.
As Paul forgave Mark, maybe you could forgive Steve. He's an encourager to us. He's not always entirely wise (who is), but his kindness and generosity make up for it.
On our radio station, New Life Live follows right after Tony Evans. So, right after Tony hits me up side the head (Like, would you wake up already!), I need New Life to come put ointment and a bandage on the wound and point and encourage me that I am able to do what Tony told me to do.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Links - political
For discussion of current public-policy issues that are facing the American political system, try the resources at the Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy at www.puaf.umd.edu/ippp/
For a basic "front door" to almost all U.S. government Web sites, click onto the very useful site maintained by the Univesity of Michigan http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs
I don't know how I happened upon it, but you can just find all kinds of stuff in The National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/historical.docs/document.html?doc=38title.raw=Constitution!252
If you want to look at state constitutions, go to www.findlaw.com/casecode/state.html
Project Vote Smart's Web site on current issues in American government offers a number of articles. Go to www.vote-smart.org/issues/
You can find a directory of numerous federalism links at www.gmu.edu/
The Brookings Institution's policy analyses and recommendations on a variety of issues can be accessed at www.brook.edu/
For a libertarian approach to issues relating to federalism, go to the Cato Institute's Web page at www.cato.org/
National Assocation of State Information Resource Executives: www.nasire.org/
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the leading civil liberties organization, provides an extensive array of information and links concerning civil rights issues at www.aclu.org/
The Liberty Counsel describes itself as "a nonprofit religious civil liberties education and legal defense organization established to preserve religious freedom." The URL for its Web site is www.ic.org/
If you want to read historica Supreme Court decisions, you can find them, listed by name at supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) focuses on how development in communications technology are affecting the constitutional liberties of Americans. You can access the CDT's site at www.cdt.org/
An extensive collection of information on Martin Luther King, Jr., is offered by the Martin Luther King Papers Project at Stanford university. If you wish to check out these papers, go to www.stanford.edu/group/King/
If you are interested in learning more about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or want to find out how to file a complaint with that agency, go to www.eeoc.gov/
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is online at www.naacp.org/
For information on the League of Latin American Citizens, go to www.mundo.com/lulac.html
The URL for Women's Web World, which provides information on empowerment and equality for women, is www.feminist.org/
If you wish to contact the National Organization for Women (NOW) or check out the resources and links it offers, go to www.now.org/
You can find information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, including the act's text, at janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder
You can access the Web site of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization, at www.hrc.org/
If you are interested in children's rights and welfare, a good starting place is the Web site of the Child Welfare Institute. Go to www.gocwi.org/
FindLaw, at www.findlaw.com/ U.S. House of Representatives Law Library, at law.house.gov/
Legal Resource Guide, at www.ilrg.com/
Yale University Library, one of the great research institutions, has a Social Science Library and Information Services. If you want to roam around some library sources of public opinion data, this is an interesting site to visit. Go to www.library.yale.edu/socsci/opinion/
According to its home page, the mission of National Election Studies (NES) "is to produce high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation that serves the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, and policymakes concerned with understanding the theoretical and empirical foundations of mass politics in a democratic society." This is a good place to obtain information related to public opinion. Find it at www.umich.edu/~nes/
The Pew Charitable Trusts serves the public interest by providing information, advancing policy solutions and supporting civic life. The Trusts will invest $248 million in fiscal year 2007 to provide organizations and citizens with fact-based research and practical solutions for challenging issues. http://www.pewtrusts.org/
Now, with the explosion of weblogs and Web 2.0 services such as search, tagging, and Technorati, the Web itself has become a single, massive-scale outlet for citizen journalism. One simply doesn't need Command Post much anymore, but we're keeping the site up as an archive ... a small historical landmark along the hyperlink highway. "Oh, look, honey," Web travelers might say, "here's where average people around the world first collaboratively reported and documented history for themselves on a global scale." Something may happen one day that warrants reactivation of the network, but until then, please read and enjoy. http://www.command-post.org/
The Corner on National Review Online http://corner.nationalreview.com/
John H. Hinderaker is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. Scott W. Johnson is a Minneapolis attorney. For more than 10 years, they have written on public policy issues. Paul Mirengoff is an attorney in Washington, D.C. They publish at http://www.powerlineblog.com/
History and history in the making at the Belmont Club http://www.belmontclub.blogspot.com/ for earlier posts. Newer posts are on http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/.
Roger L. Simon is a mystery novelist and screenwriter. He can be found at http://www.rogerlsimon.com/
James Lileks, a columnist for the Star-Tribune and syndicated political humor columnist for Newhouse News Service, publishes humiliating defenseless ephemera at http://www.lileks.com/
Captain's Quarters - Thus every blogger, in his kind, is bit by him who comes behind -- http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/
The Evangelical Outpost - reflections on culture, politics, and religion from an evangelical worldview - http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/
For a basic "front door" to almost all U.S. government Web sites, click onto the very useful site maintained by the Univesity of Michigan http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs
I don't know how I happened upon it, but you can just find all kinds of stuff in The National Archives at http://www.archives.gov/historical.docs/document.html?doc=38title.raw=Constitution!252
If you want to look at state constitutions, go to www.findlaw.com/casecode/state.html
Project Vote Smart's Web site on current issues in American government offers a number of articles. Go to www.vote-smart.org/issues/
You can find a directory of numerous federalism links at www.gmu.edu/
The Brookings Institution's policy analyses and recommendations on a variety of issues can be accessed at www.brook.edu/
For a libertarian approach to issues relating to federalism, go to the Cato Institute's Web page at www.cato.org/
National Assocation of State Information Resource Executives: www.nasire.org/
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the leading civil liberties organization, provides an extensive array of information and links concerning civil rights issues at www.aclu.org/
The Liberty Counsel describes itself as "a nonprofit religious civil liberties education and legal defense organization established to preserve religious freedom." The URL for its Web site is www.ic.org/
If you want to read historica Supreme Court decisions, you can find them, listed by name at supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/
The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) focuses on how development in communications technology are affecting the constitutional liberties of Americans. You can access the CDT's site at www.cdt.org/
An extensive collection of information on Martin Luther King, Jr., is offered by the Martin Luther King Papers Project at Stanford university. If you wish to check out these papers, go to www.stanford.edu/group/King/
If you are interested in learning more about the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or want to find out how to file a complaint with that agency, go to www.eeoc.gov/
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is online at www.naacp.org/
For information on the League of Latin American Citizens, go to www.mundo.com/lulac.html
The URL for Women's Web World, which provides information on empowerment and equality for women, is www.feminist.org/
If you wish to contact the National Organization for Women (NOW) or check out the resources and links it offers, go to www.now.org/
You can find information on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, including the act's text, at janweb.icdi.wvu.edu/kinder
You can access the Web site of the Human Rights Campaign Fund, the nation's largest gay and lesbian political organization, at www.hrc.org/
If you are interested in children's rights and welfare, a good starting place is the Web site of the Child Welfare Institute. Go to www.gocwi.org/
FindLaw, at www.findlaw.com/ U.S. House of Representatives Law Library, at law.house.gov/
Legal Resource Guide, at www.ilrg.com/
Yale University Library, one of the great research institutions, has a Social Science Library and Information Services. If you want to roam around some library sources of public opinion data, this is an interesting site to visit. Go to www.library.yale.edu/socsci/opinion/
According to its home page, the mission of National Election Studies (NES) "is to produce high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation that serves the research needs of social scientists, teachers, students, and policymakes concerned with understanding the theoretical and empirical foundations of mass politics in a democratic society." This is a good place to obtain information related to public opinion. Find it at www.umich.edu/~nes/
The Pew Charitable Trusts serves the public interest by providing information, advancing policy solutions and supporting civic life. The Trusts will invest $248 million in fiscal year 2007 to provide organizations and citizens with fact-based research and practical solutions for challenging issues. http://www.pewtrusts.org/
Now, with the explosion of weblogs and Web 2.0 services such as search, tagging, and Technorati, the Web itself has become a single, massive-scale outlet for citizen journalism. One simply doesn't need Command Post much anymore, but we're keeping the site up as an archive ... a small historical landmark along the hyperlink highway. "Oh, look, honey," Web travelers might say, "here's where average people around the world first collaboratively reported and documented history for themselves on a global scale." Something may happen one day that warrants reactivation of the network, but until then, please read and enjoy. http://www.command-post.org/
The Corner on National Review Online http://corner.nationalreview.com/
John H. Hinderaker is a lawyer with a nationwide litigation practice. Scott W. Johnson is a Minneapolis attorney. For more than 10 years, they have written on public policy issues. Paul Mirengoff is an attorney in Washington, D.C. They publish at http://www.powerlineblog.com/
History and history in the making at the Belmont Club http://www.belmontclub.blogspot.com/ for earlier posts. Newer posts are on http://fallbackbelmont.blogspot.com/.
Roger L. Simon is a mystery novelist and screenwriter. He can be found at http://www.rogerlsimon.com/
James Lileks, a columnist for the Star-Tribune and syndicated political humor columnist for Newhouse News Service, publishes humiliating defenseless ephemera at http://www.lileks.com/
Captain's Quarters - Thus every blogger, in his kind, is bit by him who comes behind -- http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/
The Evangelical Outpost - reflections on culture, politics, and religion from an evangelical worldview - http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Gideons
I sometimes have some fairly unpopular opinions. This is one of those times.
This morning, at my church, we had a Gideon speaker get up to speak. As soon as he got up to speak, this scripture started running through my head. It was something about not throwing your pearls before swine.
Right before the Gideon speaker, we had heard about our church's ministry in Brazil. I'd been wondering why we had to go halfway across the world to minister the gospel. When the Gideon speaker got up, he shed some light on the subject. We have callused our Western world by over-disseminating the gospel, maybe.
This is, trust me, such a strange thought for me to have. I grew up wanting to be a sort of biblical Johnny Appleseed. I remember in grade school, when I heard the story of Johnny Appleseed, I literally wanted to be like him, except scattering God's Word all over the world.
The problem is that I hear God's Words spoken by the strangest people in bus stations and homeless shelters. Everyone knows a couple of verses by which they justify their lifestyle, but nobody knows or has much interest in knowing the whole book. It's like Western society has been given a Gospel innoculation to make it immune to the real Gospel message.
This morning, at my church, we had a Gideon speaker get up to speak. As soon as he got up to speak, this scripture started running through my head. It was something about not throwing your pearls before swine.
Right before the Gideon speaker, we had heard about our church's ministry in Brazil. I'd been wondering why we had to go halfway across the world to minister the gospel. When the Gideon speaker got up, he shed some light on the subject. We have callused our Western world by over-disseminating the gospel, maybe.
This is, trust me, such a strange thought for me to have. I grew up wanting to be a sort of biblical Johnny Appleseed. I remember in grade school, when I heard the story of Johnny Appleseed, I literally wanted to be like him, except scattering God's Word all over the world.
The problem is that I hear God's Words spoken by the strangest people in bus stations and homeless shelters. Everyone knows a couple of verses by which they justify their lifestyle, but nobody knows or has much interest in knowing the whole book. It's like Western society has been given a Gospel innoculation to make it immune to the real Gospel message.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Here are some notes from an article on the Rev. Gregory A. Boyd of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul. I don't entirely agree with him, but I think he has some points.
A common concern is that the Christian message is being compromised by the tendency to tie evangelical Christianity to the Republican Party and American nationalism, especially through the war in Iraq.
I'm a dedicated Republican, as it so happens. But, I agree that the inextricable tying of evangelicals to the Republican Party is disastrous. It leaves us talking about political issues more than we talk about Jesus Christ. People who don't agree with our politlcal convictions might not be attracted to the Savior if we identify the two so closely.
He said there were Christians on both the left and the right who had turned politics and patriotism into “idolatry.”
It seems to me that Christians of all stripes are turning a lot of different leaders into idols, political leaders = political idols. religious leaders = religious idols. I think we should look back to what God said to the Israelites when they wanted a king. As Christians, God is our leader.
“I am sorry to tell you,” he continued, “that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”
I think that abortion and homosexuality are bad things, but I think that they are nowhere near as bad as people dying and going to hell. I never shop at our local Wallgreen's because of their support of homosexuality. But, I don't see many commandments in the Bible about trying to contain or hinder the sin of the world. I see commandments about weeding out sin in my life, to perfect my testimony to that world. I also see statements about shining as a light to a lost world. We can't stop the world from being . . . worldly. The god of this world is the devil. We shouldn't be surprised if the world is more and more evil. We should pick out battles and not waste our time trying to change the world. We should, instead, divide and conquer. Change individuals with the gospel and the world may slowly change a little.
A common concern is that the Christian message is being compromised by the tendency to tie evangelical Christianity to the Republican Party and American nationalism, especially through the war in Iraq.
I'm a dedicated Republican, as it so happens. But, I agree that the inextricable tying of evangelicals to the Republican Party is disastrous. It leaves us talking about political issues more than we talk about Jesus Christ. People who don't agree with our politlcal convictions might not be attracted to the Savior if we identify the two so closely.
He said there were Christians on both the left and the right who had turned politics and patriotism into “idolatry.”
It seems to me that Christians of all stripes are turning a lot of different leaders into idols, political leaders = political idols. religious leaders = religious idols. I think we should look back to what God said to the Israelites when they wanted a king. As Christians, God is our leader.
“I am sorry to tell you,” he continued, “that America is not the light of the world and the hope of the world. The light of the world and the hope of the world is Jesus Christ.”
I think that abortion and homosexuality are bad things, but I think that they are nowhere near as bad as people dying and going to hell. I never shop at our local Wallgreen's because of their support of homosexuality. But, I don't see many commandments in the Bible about trying to contain or hinder the sin of the world. I see commandments about weeding out sin in my life, to perfect my testimony to that world. I also see statements about shining as a light to a lost world. We can't stop the world from being . . . worldly. The god of this world is the devil. We shouldn't be surprised if the world is more and more evil. We should pick out battles and not waste our time trying to change the world. We should, instead, divide and conquer. Change individuals with the gospel and the world may slowly change a little.
AMEN, Rivkin & Casey
A few quotes taken from David Rivkin & Lee Casey's Article "The British Way" from THE WALL STREET JOURNAL's Editorial Page.
Indeed, judging by some of the more extreme criticism leveled against war-on-terror policies, there are those who consider as the purest tyranny any compromise of individual autonomy to meet the community's needs.
For 30 years, Britain's military and law-enforcement forces investigated, infiltrated, surveilled and openly fought the IRA and won, deriving two important advantages in the process. First, Britain's armed forces and police have been thoroughly schooled in the most advanced techniques of surveillance and counterterrorism. Second, its political establishment and population (obviously, with some exceptions) have become accustomed to the measures, sometimes intrusive and burdensome, necessary to prevent terrorist attacks.
The United States cannot, of course, adopt all aspects of the British system; our constitutional systems are really quite different. Nevertheless, there are clear lessons that can be drawn from the British experience--especially in affording the police greater investigative latitude and in accepting some compromise of privacy in exchange for a greater security. Bush administration critics often misquote Benjamin Franklin as having said that "those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." What Franklin actually proposed was a balancing test: "They that would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." In fighting terrorism, the British appear to have been striking that balance successfully.
Indeed, judging by some of the more extreme criticism leveled against war-on-terror policies, there are those who consider as the purest tyranny any compromise of individual autonomy to meet the community's needs.
For 30 years, Britain's military and law-enforcement forces investigated, infiltrated, surveilled and openly fought the IRA and won, deriving two important advantages in the process. First, Britain's armed forces and police have been thoroughly schooled in the most advanced techniques of surveillance and counterterrorism. Second, its political establishment and population (obviously, with some exceptions) have become accustomed to the measures, sometimes intrusive and burdensome, necessary to prevent terrorist attacks.
The United States cannot, of course, adopt all aspects of the British system; our constitutional systems are really quite different. Nevertheless, there are clear lessons that can be drawn from the British experience--especially in affording the police greater investigative latitude and in accepting some compromise of privacy in exchange for a greater security. Bush administration critics often misquote Benjamin Franklin as having said that "those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." What Franklin actually proposed was a balancing test: "They that would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." In fighting terrorism, the British appear to have been striking that balance successfully.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Internet supervision
Marybeth Hicks has a great article on how she'd rather be an overprotective momma than ever see her kids on the 6:00 news. http://www.jewishworldreview.com/0806/hicks081006.php3
Monday, August 07, 2006
EU: Hezbollah not a terrorist group ?
"'Given the sensitive situation, I don't think we will be acting on this now,' said Finnish foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja, speaking for the 25 member states of the European Union, which this week rebuffed a plea from 213 U.S. congressmen to brand Hezbollah a terrorist group." - Diana West
"Some Islamist groups, notably Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine and Al-Qaeda have used suicide bombers against civilians, soldiers, and government officials of the regimes that they oppose." -Wikipedia
"Some Islamist groups, notably Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine and Al-Qaeda have used suicide bombers against civilians, soldiers, and government officials of the regimes that they oppose." -Wikipedia
"Nowadays, Hezbollah operates a number of operative agents in Israel, whose objectives are threefold:
- Establishing and developing terrorist groups in Israel with the purpose of perpetrating terrorist attacks in Israel, orchestrated directly by Hezbollah.
- Smuggling arms and ammunition including rockets and concealing them in Israel.
- Providing logistic and operative assistance for perpetrating terrorist attacks in Israel by Palestinian terrorist groups based in the Palestinian Authority administered territories." -- The Lebanese Foundation for Peace
In April 2005 Al-Manar (Hezbollah's satellite TV station) broadcast a 12-part series, also produced in Syria, the biography of Yehia Ayash (“the engineer”), one of Hamas’ most vicious senior terrorists. The series exalted and glorified Yehia Ayash, turning a brutal killer into a role model.(Between 1994 and 1996 he was behind several suicide bombing attacks in Israeli cities whose aim was to sabotage the Oslo peace process, and was responsible for the killing, wounding and maiming of hundreds of Israeli civilians.) http://www.intelligence.org.il/eng/sib/6_05/hezb_pub_e.htm
What I keep thinking as I'm reading up on this is . . . If right and wrong are determined by who seems to be getting the worst of the fight at the moment, the underdog, then the scales of our foreign policy will keep tipping back and forth as we support one movement until it gets strong enough to prevail, then we turn and start supporting its rival. This seems to be a very unstable way to determine foreign policy. This is what public opinion will do, though, without some intervention. Govt. leaders: When it comes to things as difficult to understand as terrorism, we've got to count on you, to some degree, to act in our best interest and not listen to us whining and mewing. Please hire people who are better and smarter than us, 'cause honestly we're pretty confused.
Sudden Jihad Syndrome
Have you heard of Sudden Jihad Syndrome? I hadn't. Jeff Jacoby mentions it today over at Jewish World Review (http://www.jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby080706.php3), as he discusses Naveed Haq. Mr. Haq "forced his way into the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle by holding a gun to the head of a 13-year-old girl. Once inside, Haq announced, "I am a Muslim American, angry at Israel," and opened fire with two semi-automatic pistols. Pam Waechter, 58, died on the spot. Five other women, one of them 20 weeks pregnant, were shot in the abdomen, knee, or arm."
How does a country maintain freedom of religion when one of the religions is determined to make war on the other? Must not freedom of religion in this case give way to other freedoms, like freedom from semi-automatic pistol fire?
How does a country maintain freedom of religion when one of the religions is determined to make war on the other? Must not freedom of religion in this case give way to other freedoms, like freedom from semi-automatic pistol fire?
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Child Custody Protection Act
I'm not terribly strident about abortion to tell you the truth. Maybe I should be. I don't know. I guess what disturbs me most about interstate transportation of minors to obtain an abortion is not the abortion. It's that we're institutionalizing (if that's the right word) the circumvention of our laws. Disrespect for authority is pretty common among teenagers. Did I hear right that Senator Reid's block of the CCPA's passage into conference committee, thus keeping it from becoming law this term, was about his concern that clergy be allowed to circumvent the state laws? It's like the left's trying to play the church vs. state card that it's seen work so well for the right.
Whether you're left, right, or center, we have laws in this country. Circumventing them is not good. Teaching our children that politics or religion make breaking the law okay is horrible.
Of course, our getting our kids to pray at football games, refusing to acknowledge certain supreme court rulings falls under the same heading. The right is just as bad as the left.
Whether you're left, right, or center, we have laws in this country. Circumventing them is not good. Teaching our children that politics or religion make breaking the law okay is horrible.
Of course, our getting our kids to pray at football games, refusing to acknowledge certain supreme court rulings falls under the same heading. The right is just as bad as the left.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Deity Over Dignity
I was just looking at the passages in Mark and Luke where the disciples are bragging about how they saw a man driving out demons in Jesus' name and commanded him to stop it, because he wasn't one of them. But, Jesus told them that who wasn't against them was for them. I think there are some subtleties to that, because later the seven sons of Sceva got some seriously bad results from trying to drive out demons in Jesus' name. But, this passage (passages) reminds me of the relationship between me and my church. I try to do good things by studying and volunteering and things that I don't have to do. I could just sit at home and watch TV and play video games all day. I've been cleaning my house today. That's a huge step for me. If I told them, they wouldn't care. Nothing matters to them except that I don't have a job. I'm sure you don't see how this relates at all to this passage. I probably just sound like I'm griping for no reason at all. I'm like the man who wasn't one of the disciples. I'm not like all the others at church. I'm different from them. I don't fit in, so they don't know what to do with me. But, just because I don't fit in with them, doesn't make me against Jesus. If I'm not against them, and I'm certainly not, then let's all play on the same team. I've probably oversimplified things. I just get tired of people, in the name of love, voicing condescension and anything but love. It hurts.
Escalating Conflict
I just read an article by Jeff Jacoby in the Jewish World Review called Hezbollah is our Enemy, too (http://jewishworldreview.com/jeff/jacoby073106.php3). I confess. I haven't really been keeping up with the news lately. I've heard people make stray comments about something going on over in Israel and thought that I really ought to check that out. Sometimes, I'm just really off in my own little world. I know that's irresponsible.
After reading Jeff Jacoby's article, I wonder if part of our government's refusal to get involved has to do with the fact that it's Israel that they'd be seen as defending. Would Mr. Bush maybe not want it to seem that his evangelical convictions were setting his foreign policy, and therefore . . . I don't know how to say it. You know how a teacher is harder on her own child than on any other child, lest she be seen to show favoritism.
Then, there's the fact that our troops are already committed in Iraq. Do we really want to be fighting on two fronts if we don't absolutely have to? Is this attack on Israel a ploy by Hezbollah against the United States? Are they concerned about our slow but steady progress in Iraq? I don't know much of anything about military tactics. When we're done in Iraq, it would be very satisfying to just knock Hezbollah into the middle of the next century. But, maybe our commanders know what they're doing for now.
After reading Jeff Jacoby's article, I wonder if part of our government's refusal to get involved has to do with the fact that it's Israel that they'd be seen as defending. Would Mr. Bush maybe not want it to seem that his evangelical convictions were setting his foreign policy, and therefore . . . I don't know how to say it. You know how a teacher is harder on her own child than on any other child, lest she be seen to show favoritism.
Then, there's the fact that our troops are already committed in Iraq. Do we really want to be fighting on two fronts if we don't absolutely have to? Is this attack on Israel a ploy by Hezbollah against the United States? Are they concerned about our slow but steady progress in Iraq? I don't know much of anything about military tactics. When we're done in Iraq, it would be very satisfying to just knock Hezbollah into the middle of the next century. But, maybe our commanders know what they're doing for now.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Philip's Prophesying Daughters
I just finished reading the Everyday with Jesus Newsletter from Lifeway. I kind of liked it, but I have to take exception with it in a small way. Philip's four prophesying daughters in Acts 21:9 are seen as courageous and creative for speaking up despite their singleness and their femininity, which wasn't valued much back then.
I think that we don't much understand these days what the word prophesy means. I don't suppose any special brilliance about Greek or anything. It just seems like I understand the Word best when I test it and really try to live it out. To me, the word prophecy has come to mean having something to say that's not my word, that's God's word. Sometimes, if I'm not careful, God's word will get me so excited that I'll start embellishing it with my words. I ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT DO THAT. God's words are standalone. They are what they are. I have to just say them and then let people do what they will with them, without my help. Nothing I can add can make God's words better. When I hear what this writer from Lifeway says about Philip's daughters, I want to say . . . don't you get it? If the God who made heaven and earth tells you to say something, you say it. Period. If you don't say it, you bear the responsibility for it. You have to say it. Lots of people don't really want to hear what I have to say. It doesn't matter. I won't be able to sleep until I've said those words to someone. If I don't say them to this crowd, I'll feel so guilty because I know this is what God wants. Sometimes, I'm not really sure whether it was really God or whether I'm just crazy. But if there is a question, I would rather have gone out on a limb for God and looked like a fool than to have sat around my whole life wandering if that could really be God's voice calling me.
I think that we don't much understand these days what the word prophesy means. I don't suppose any special brilliance about Greek or anything. It just seems like I understand the Word best when I test it and really try to live it out. To me, the word prophecy has come to mean having something to say that's not my word, that's God's word. Sometimes, if I'm not careful, God's word will get me so excited that I'll start embellishing it with my words. I ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT DO THAT. God's words are standalone. They are what they are. I have to just say them and then let people do what they will with them, without my help. Nothing I can add can make God's words better. When I hear what this writer from Lifeway says about Philip's daughters, I want to say . . . don't you get it? If the God who made heaven and earth tells you to say something, you say it. Period. If you don't say it, you bear the responsibility for it. You have to say it. Lots of people don't really want to hear what I have to say. It doesn't matter. I won't be able to sleep until I've said those words to someone. If I don't say them to this crowd, I'll feel so guilty because I know this is what God wants. Sometimes, I'm not really sure whether it was really God or whether I'm just crazy. But if there is a question, I would rather have gone out on a limb for God and looked like a fool than to have sat around my whole life wandering if that could really be God's voice calling me.
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