Happy Mills

Out with the new in with the old...

2009-01-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

So my old blog was hacked into and littered with viruses. Since school began I stopped posting to it. I've become so active on Facebook and most of our family and friends are on there, so that defeats the purpose of the blog.

Happy Mills is moving

2005-09-13T13:29:00.000-07:00

Not far. Just drop the ".blogspot" from url. www.happymills.com

I will keep this site as an archive because I don't want to transfer everything.

Joe Carter's Statement of Beliefs

2005-09-12T14:08:00.000-07:00

If I never get the chance to write my own statement of belief's, I would gladly replace Joe's name with my own. You can read them here. I would also encourage everyone to read the Evangelical Outpost regularly. He is an excellent and thought provoking blogger who caught my attention last year.

Never Forget

2005-09-11T23:37:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of plemeljr via flickr.

New Pics Added

2005-09-05T15:49:00.000-07:00

You can see the rest by clicking on the photos in the sidebar.

Could be our new home...

2005-08-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

We are still not sure we want to go through with it. This is a new McCaffrey Home in NW Fresno. We have secured the lot but still have about 14 days to back out of it. There are more pictures from inside the model on Flickr (see sidebar).

Ugliest Dog with owner

2005-08-15T14:47:00.000-07:00

Sinking City

2005-08-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

I was exploring Flickr and came accross this awesome picture.

Pool Shark Carrie

2005-08-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

We went to my mom's house tonight and played some pool. The current score is 4-3 in Carrie's favor. I won't mention that 2 of her wins came from me scratching the 8-ball.

Sleeping like a baby

2005-08-09T23:25:00.000-07:00

A picture of mercy

2005-08-08T22:41:00.000-07:00

2 Chronicles 33:1-13 contains the story of Manasseh's reign as king of Judah. During his reign, Manasseh turned the nation astray. After a lifetime of disobedience, God allowed him to be captured and in captivity Manasseh cried out for God's help.

This is a picture of every one of us who knows the Lord. We were walking in disobedience, which makes us just as evil as Manasseh, and yet God had mercy on us. Manasseh deserved swift and severe punishment for leading an entire nation to worship other gods but, one act of humility and repentance brought about God's mercy. How are we spared from destruction? By repenting and believing. After a lifetime of disobedience God still wants to give you an eternity of blessings.

The home we let go

2005-08-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

We absolutely loved this home when we looked at the model. It was even affordable but it was only in our price range because of the location. When we drove through what would have been our future neighborhood we were pretty disappointed.

Blogging every meal

2005-08-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

BusinessWeek had an article about how blogs are so boring that some people actually take a picture of every meal before they eat it.

So here it is! My meal coming back from the CAMB in San Diego. It's a grande mocha from Starbucks and a Tornado from the gas station food mart.

You can thank me later for not doing this 3 times a day.

How will they know?

2005-08-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

Is the name of Christ important? Can a person be saved apart from knowing Jesus?

"9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved...14 But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” Romans 10:9-15

11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11-12

Mommy & Lauren

2005-07-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Awwwweeee

Just the 4 of us!

2005-07-24T15:08:00.000-07:00

Carrie's mom, Liz, left last Thursday after taking off a week to help out while Carrie was adjusting. That was a huge blessing that delayed Carrie's stress of taking care of two kids, while I am at work. The bad thing about Liz leaving is that now Carrie expects me to replace her. One of the first things Carrie pointed out was how well the kitchen was wiped down (the toaster oven is actually white!). She even suggested that I take notes before Liz left. It's amazing how you can never find a notebook and pen when you need it. Thanks a lot for raising the bar Liz!

Another blessing has been the family and friends that have brought food to the house. We have enjoyed every meal!

Exposing Sin

2005-07-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

How do you get around people saying, "Who are you to judge?" when discussing sinful behavior? This is something that comes up in conversation just as much as the idea of tolerance. Christians are seen as judgmental and intolerant. We are considered judgmental when we label someone's actions or attitude as sin, and we are considered intolerant when we claim that Jesus is the only way.

There is really no way around the argument of intolerance other than maybe clarifying what "tolerance" means. Dictionary.com defines tolerance as "The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others." The assumption is that people will disagree. Tolerance means that we recognize people will disagree and can still "tolerate" one another. Tolerance does not mean that you can't have any opinions of your own. I've talked about this before regarding Spongebob and homosexuality.

But what about the charge that Christians are judgmental? How is anyone to defend against such an accusation? There are so many angles that can be taken for a Christian to argue here. I think one of the answers is in Romans 7:7-13. In this passage Paul explains the purpose of the law. It reveals sin. By pointing sinners to the law, the judgment comes from God rather than man. The best approach is letting someone condemn themselves. Rather than telling someone that they have broken the commandments of God, allow them to come to that conclusion on their own. Check out "The Good Test" from Ray Comfort's ministry, LivingWaters. It perfectly illustrates my point.

Ugliest Dog Award

2005-07-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

Meet Sam, the Chinese crested! Carrie and I couldn't stop laughing when we read this article in World Magazine:

"For the third year in a row, Susie Lockheed can return to Santa Barbara, Calif., with a rather inauspicious award: Ms. Lockheed owns the world's ugliest dog. The pooch, Sam, a 14-year-old Chinese crested, is almost ugly beyond description. What the dog lacks in hair (and it has almost no hair) it makes up for in warts. Below its neck hangs a droopy fold of flesh, and Sam's smile is crowned by a set of snaggle teeth. The judges were said to have recoiled in horror at the sight. "People are always horrified when I kiss him. He may turn into a prince yet. He's definitely a toad," Ms. Lockheed said during the World's Ugliest Dog contest at the Sonoma-Marin fair. "I always thought he'd be great on greeting cards or on a commercial for Rogaine."

As Carrie said, "That's GREAT journalism!" The comments left on World Magazine's Blog are pretty funny too. He looks like a cross between Yoda and James Hong from Big Trouble in Little China.

Daddy and Maddie at the Zoo

2005-07-13T13:57:00.000-07:00

Maddie and I went to the zoo yesterday to give Carrie some extra time in the morning to rest. We got to the zoo right when it opened hoping to beat the heat, but it was still very hot by the time we were leaving. The heat is ridiculous right now and it is expected to get ridiculouser with 3 days straight at 106 degrees. Unfortunately, our home doesn't stay as cool as the office at work does (which John likes to keep as close to freezing as possible without losing all productivity from the staff).

We made it around the zoo twice, hoping to see the Hippo out of the water and the elephants in the water (none of which panned out). The tigers were play fighting in the water and it got pretty intense. I've never seen them play so rough. That was the first time that the tigers scared Maddie. There wasn't too much excitement anywhere else. I think all of the animals are dying from the heat. Most of them were just laying in the shade or water and barely moving. The monkeys of course were as loud as ever. They were the most active. Their is a baby monkey that is becoming a little more daring. It came right over to where everyone is standing and climbing all around the fence. They were pretty fun to watch.

Maddie Meet Lauren

2005-07-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Home from the hospital

2005-07-09T22:49:00.000-07:00

The picture is actually from the hospital this morning. I will take some more pictures tomorrow and upload them to Flickr.

Carrie is recovering incredibly well and Lauren Elizabeth is getting acquainted to her new home. Maddie has been interested in Lauren but not overly concerned. When we first got home she wanted to stay right next to her, but by the end of the night she was playing with her toys like normal.

We are so thankful for everyones prayers and concern. God had grace on Carrie and allowed this delivery to be very quick, she pushed for maybe 15 minutes. She is also recovering much faster than she did with Maddie. Lauren is very healthy, especially for being 3 weeks early. She is feeding well which is always a concern for newborns.

All cleaned up

2005-07-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's a girl

2005-07-08T13:27:00.000-07:00

She scored a 9.9 (that's out of 10 for those of you not in the know) on the APGAR test, which was better than Maddie's score.

Still no baby...

2005-07-08T08:59:00.000-07:00

Carrie is getting some rest right now and progressing along very slowly. The doctor came in around 8am and decided that if her water has not broken by noon he will come back and do that. Once that is done things will speed up...hopefully.

We're Admitted

2005-07-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

She is going to stay. The good news is that she will probably be having this baby early tomorrow. The bad news is that Carrie really wants a cheeseburger but all the nurse will let her eat is ice chips. ICE CHIPS...WHO EATS ICE CHIPS WHEN THEY'RE HUNGRY!

In the hospital again

2005-07-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

We are walking right now to give her some more contractions. If she keeps moving along they will admit her but for now we are waiting. She is having contractions about every 4 minutes or so. They started around 7:30 so we are hoping that they keep going so she will be admitted.

Happy 4th of July

2005-07-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

With Carrie on bedrest we didn't want to go anywhere. Instead we went to the Wagners for some "safe & sane" FUN!

Back in when I was in high school my dad caught some kids playing down the street throwing and kicking the fireworks. They ended up starting a fire in the field next to our house. One of the local news stations did a story on it. Stupid kids!

Generations praising God together

2005-07-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

Young men and maidens together,
old men and children! Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.

Psalm 148:12-13

A couple of things stand out when I read this passage. One is the lack of mixed generations worhipping God together. We seem to segregate the young from the old too much. I can understand the need to provide children with teaching that they can understand but, I think there needs to be time when children see their parents praising God. Of course they should see that exemplified in the home but what about at church. Many families need to see how other parents worship God with their children. If a church never allows for that opportunity, I think they are compromising family for individual. Even single adults can benefit from seeing families worshipping God together. I'm not saying children need to sit through the pastor's sermons but, they should at least be there for the singing.

Mowing the lawn in 100 degree heat

2005-07-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

This past week carried an onslaught of heat and allergies my way. My allergy medication could do nothing against its attacks. Mowing the lawn didn't help my problems either. Carrie and Maddie actually joined me in the backyard for a bit before all of us thought we were going to have a heat stroke.

Carrie is on bedrest for one more day. The doctor returns from his vacation tonight and he has pretty much given her the ok to act normal again. We are anxious to see Lauren Elizabeth. It's exciting but at the same time, scary to think there will be TWO of them.

The Abandoned Practice of Evangelism

2005-06-29T00:19:00.000-07:00

God has been really hammering me lately in the area of evangelism. As I noticed our new next door neighbors leaving their home at the same time I was going to work this morning, I was once again reminded of my lack of effort to get to know the people living in my community. Granted, this couple is still in the process of moving in but, there are only two neighbors I have actually had a conversation with, that extended beyond "hello".

Why is it that sharing the gospel does not come easily for me? What keeps me from sharing this essential truth? If the consequences of not knowing the truth could result in eternal punishment, as the Bible says, (Matt. 25:46) I should easily be persuaded to speak up. The earnestness of the gospel should always be on my thoughts.

Tag: Evangelism

How will the Supreme Court's ruling in Kelo vs. New London effect Fresno?

2005-06-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

Read the update at the bottom
I posted this on FresBlog, which I recently started posting to again. I thought it might interest anyone who reads this too...

Everyone has been talking about the latest ruling from the Supreme Court regarding eminent domain. My concern with the Supreme Court's ruling is that they seem to be completely ignoring our nation's history. The framers of the Constitution by no means intended the fifth amendment to be interpreted in ways cities are doing so now. The latest instance in Connecticut is actually nothing new. CBS had an article on this very subject a year ago. The city of Lakewood, Ohio wanted to replace homes that aren't even in what could be considered "blighted" areas, in order to replace them with property which would bring more tax dollars. The transcript of Kelo vs. New London reveals a judiciary sentiment that is scary and far-removed from the words of our founding fathers.

The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution states:

...nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The Supreme Court stated in their opinion in Kelo vs. New London "Without exception, the court has defined that concept (public pupose) broadly, reflecting its longstanding policy of deference to legislative judgments as to what public needs justify the use of the takings power...The Court declines to second-guess the wisdom of the means the city has selected to effectuate its plan." This line of reasoning flies in the face of why the Constitution was ratified in the first place. The Constitution made sense to the 9 colonies that ratified it because it gave the federal government the power to protect against unjust actions of local governments. The "unalienable rights" that each man possesses to pursue life, liberty and property would be better protected under a central government.

James Madison argued in Federalist Paper #10

"The smaller the society, the fewer probably will be the distinct parties and interests composing it; the fewer the distinct parties and interests, the more frequently will a majority be found of the same party; and the smaller the number of individuals composing a majority, and the smaller the compass within which they are placed, the more easily will they concert and execute their plans of oppression. Extend the sphere and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens..."

The "legislative judgments", of which the Supreme Court refered to in its opinion on the case of Kelo vs. New London, are made in smaller districts and are therefore more likely to be involved in "plans of oppression" as explained by Madison. Leaving the interpretation of "public purpose" to the local legislatures is a BAD move and, in my opinion, it is not consistant with the the reasoning of those who wrote and ratified the Constitution. To see that there is still some hope for the Supreme Court, read the dissenting comments of Justice O'Connor which were joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist, Justice Scalia, and Justice Thomas.

So how does the Supreme Court's ruling effect Fresno?

This would allow the government to seize private property and hand it over to developers all over the country as well as here in downtown Fresno. Specifically it could affect Fresno's Armenian Town which developers have been interested in redeveloping in recent years. (KSEE-24)

Here is an example of what the city is interested in doing. Fresno Famous has an interview with the vice president of Fresno's Downtown Association (FDA). Here is someone who is opposed to eminent domain but has the ability to take advantage of the opportunity and make a positive change. FDA has been attempting to revitalize downtown Fresno for quite some time, being in business since 1955. I found an online copy of their 2003 Annual Report. Read it to learn more of FDA's vision. They know in order to beautify the area, some nicer businesses need to move in to entice regular shoppers to visit. That is something that the Supreme Courts new ruling could make a lot easier.

On the flip side you have Fresno's Redevelopment Agency (RDA) which will gladly take advantage of eminent domain. There business practices have already come under questioning from the Downtown Fresno Coalition (DFC).

Early in the fall the DFC sent a letter to City Council members raising questions about the RDA’s practices and financial status that should be investigated in the upcoming performance review or annual audit of the Agency. A recent Grand Jury report included criticisms of the RDA. Elsewhere in this newsletter is an article by Matt Maroot that suggests some of the questionable aspects of the RDA’s approach to development. The Fresno Bee’s December 2 article on the proposed Armenian Town development also illustrates why more public awareness of the RDA’s practices is needed. After spending $4.6 million to acquire the land for the Armenian Town development, the RDA will charge developers Richard Gunner and George Andros $636,000 for the land.

More citizens need to be asking why the RDA, which had its origins in a national initiative to provide our society with more affordable housing, has become deeply involved in the business of enriching a few developers at the taxpayers’ expense. (1000FriendsOfFresno)

Local congressmen were excited about the Supreme Court's decision. They can't wait to impede upon the rights of individuals in Fresno to own property. As James Madison turns over in his grave, the least we can do is vote for congressmen who openly oppose loose interpretations of eminent domain.

Update 6/28: Captain's Quarters posted this great information.

An investment group now seeks to build a hotel with a museum dedicated to documenting the decline of property rights in Weare, New Hampshire, the home of Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Actually, they want to build the hotel in place of the home of Supreme Court Justice David Souter:

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel [address redacted -- CE] than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged."

Clements indicated that the hotel must be built on this particular piece of land because it is a unique site being the home of someone largely responsible for destroying property rights for all Americans.

"This is not a prank" said Clements, "The Towne of Weare has five people on the Board of Selectmen. If three of them vote to use the power of eminent domain to take this land from Mr. Souter we can begin our hotel development."

People who want to see Justice Souter's land put to better use than single-family ownership can e-mail the city at this link. Tell them that you'd plan on spending a week in the town as tourists at the new hotel and museum complex.

How long will this go on before the Supreme Court reverses their decision?

Carrie is on bed rest until Wednesday

2005-06-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

I came across another Fresno blog that had this shirt posted. I guess someone found it in Santa Barbara. Anyways, I don't really think it sucks here, but Carrie is sure hating it right about now...I wanted to update what has happened since our visit to the hospital on Thursday. Carrie was released from the hospital after a couple of hours. The following day she went in to see her doctor. He told her that she would need to be on bed rest for at least a week and then she would go in to see him again. Her appointment is scheduled for this Wednesday and if everything is ok, Carrie will be off bed rest and will be given the green flag to deliver any time. Thanks to everyone for praying!

On a side note: I posted some new pictures of our trip to Pump it Up with the Calles'. They were in town last Monday and I took the day off to hang out with them all day. We had a blast on the massive slide.

In the hospital

2005-06-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

Carrie had a little bit of false labor today. The doctor wanted her to come in to make sure that she wasn't going into labor. Carrie is only at 35 weeks so it's a good thing that this wasn't the real thing.

Summer school begins

2005-06-18T23:27:00.000-07:00

Another summer, another class. I just can't get enough. I'm taking Political Science 2 this semester which is American Government. I was preparing myself for a liberal professor, who was going to knock the Bush administration every lecture, but I was pleasantly surprised. The teacher is actually conservative. My first quiz is Monday, should be an easy one.

Dinner @ Ducey's on the Lake (Bass Lake)

2005-06-12T00:33:00.000-07:00

With a wonderful view and terrible service (almost a 2 hour wait for our food) we had a blast! I have not laughed as hard as I did tonight in a long time.

Lazy Dad's swing

2005-06-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

I could sell millions!

Maddie's 2nd Birthday Party

2005-06-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

Photo's have been posted! Follow the link in the sidebar under About. We had a lot of fun but it was VERY HOT! Next year is going to either be inside or in Alaska (what do you think Dan?). Thank you everyone who came...we had to cycle out some toys to make room. For everyone who couldn't make it...Maddie will forever be scarred. Just kidding, she's already over it.

Maddie's new swingset

2005-06-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

This pic was taken from my new Treo 600.

Back to the roots

2005-06-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Mills is going back to being a family blog. No more debating and politics, just boring old family photos and updates on how we're doing. I got rid of the long list of links and got back to the basics. I even got rid of the ads so you don't feel like I'm begging you for $$. BTW, if you do feel like clicking on ads you can check out my other blog called WidgetKibitz. That is my new attempt at making money with Google.

Can a Perfect God be Angry? (part 1)

2005-03-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Doesn't God's anger contradict His supposed omnipotence and omniscience? Isn't it belittling of a perfect God to assume that He would ever become angry with His creation? For, if God is all-knowing, why should any disobedience anger Him? He should already know it is going to occur. Since He is all-powerful, He could simply cause the situation to reverse for His pleasure rather than allow Himself to get angry.

Over the next several posts I will provide an abstract (influenced by my own thoughts as well) of "A Treatise on the Anger of God" by Lactantius (A.D. 260-330). Read the whole thing if you wish, you won't be disappointed.

There are four possibilities regarding the affections of God.

1. God is angry and never kind.
2. God is never angry or kind.
3. God is kind and never angry.
4. God is kind and angry.

The first option is not really an issue because no one claims this of God. For if it were true, He would necessarily be our enemy and unworthy of our worship. The second option was popularized by Epicurus. He determined that God could not contain anger because it would be inconsistent with his character. He rightly determined that he must also remove from God his kindness. God cannot be moved by anything if He cannot be angry because any affection could be seen as a weakness. The third option does not make sense. If God loves righteousness He must also hate wickedness. If God were never angry with wickedness, He could never appreciate righteousness. The last option is obviously correct of the Christian God. He must either be both kind and angry or neither. Scripture clearly points to the former.

Atheism is on the decline

2005-03-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

According to an article in Washington Times, atheists are beginning to doubt their "non-belief." The article states:

British philosopher Anthony Flew, once as hard-nosed a humanist as any, has turned his back on atheism, saying it is impossible for evolution to account for the fact that one single cell can carry more data than all the volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Mr. Flew still does not accept the God of the Bible.
But he has embraced the concept of intelligent design — a stunning desertion of a former intellectual ambassador of secular humanism to the belief in some form of intelligence behind the design of the universe.

Studies are beginning to prove over and over again that there is some "correlation between faith, prayer and recovery from illness." In fact, the article states that some 1,200 studies are confirming the phenomenon. It goes on to mention that as atheism is on the decline worldwide, paganism is at an ever-increasing high.

Debating Atheism (part 5)

2005-03-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

This is a continuation from the comments in the previous post.

We must first understand that God’s anger is nothing like man’s anger. It is a common misunderstanding that when God is portrayed as angry or “intolerant” that he has somehow taken on a character flaw. If anger is seen as a flaw in humans, then God must either not experience anger or, if He does, He is not perfect. Due to this misunderstanding, many Christians will steer away from bringing up this idea of God’s wrath. As I pointed out with Romans, and any Bible concordance will show, this theme is a very central and consistent message throughout Scripture.

The passage of Romans 1:21-32 is a description of evil that is very present in society today. John Murray defines wrath as, “the holy revulsion of God’s being against that which is the contradiction of his holiness.” What I believe Paul is saying in Romans is that God’s wrath is revealed in the manifestation of evil present today. A very good and basic interpretation of the passage is provided by James Boice in his commentary on Romans. He says,

“Paul speaks of a downward inclination of the race by which the world, having rejected God and therefore being judicially abandoned by God, is given up to evil. It is set on a course that leads to perversions and ends in a debasement in which people call good evil and evil good. Human depravity and the misery involved are the revelation of God’s anger.”

In other words, when God allows mankind to do as they wish, wickedness results. This is apparent when reading the newspapers, watching television, or reading the blogosphere. Wickedness is apparent everywhere, whether the Christian or secular community. The problem is not whether or not someone is wicked but how they will defend their wickedness before a perfect and holy God.

Debating Atheism (part 4)

2005-02-25T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is the continuation of an ongoing discussion I am having with Theomorph. We are discussing the recent debate, "Does God Exist?" between William Lane Craig and Austin Dacey. Here are my initial comments regarding his take on the debate. You might then read part 2 and part 3.

Craig must believe that those who do not agree with him are either "ignorant, irrational, or willfully defiant" according to Theomorph. If Craig does not believe his opponent is either of those, then his arguments must not be the only reasonable option.

Dacey pointed this out in one of his very first remarks. He said that Craig's willingness to even debate something he claims to be an open and shut case indicates that he must doubt his own claims to some degree and afford some level of reasonableness to the atheist perspective.

Would this not also follow for Dacey? If your statement is correct, Dacey must therefore, doubt his own doubting to be having a debate about God's existence. I don't believe that Craig feels his arguments are the only reasonable assertions. Something is reasonable if it is rational and logical. Does something have to be true in order to be reasonable, rational or logical? When the earth was assumed to be the center of the universe, were humans being rational? Absolutely! Were they correct? No. But, something is not determined reasonable by its truth or error.

Is it logical to assume that creation demands a creator? Yes, but it is also logical to assume that creation exists by the multiplication of species that have evolved from one uncausable cause, apart from a creator. Is one more logical than the other? I think so, but that doesn't mean that someone who agrees with the latter statement is irrational or willfully defiant. To be willfully defiant assumes the truth. A Christian who believes that the Bible is God's word but gets a divorce for unwarranted reasons (scripture warrants divorce for infidelity) would be considered willfully defiant. He/she has already accepted the truth of scripture. An atheist has not come to the same conclusions, therefore they could not be willfully defiant.

That leaves the option of ignorance. Does disagreeing with Craig make you ignorant? That depends on the truth of his statements. If what he says is true, then yes, to disagree with him is ignorance (assuming the reasons for doing so are not irrationality or willful defiance which I don't believe is the case for atheists). I was ignorant of the truth of scripture prior to accepting it. I know many others who were ignorant as well. Some people are willfully defiant, not wanting to face the truth because they enjoy their secular lifestyle. You have stated that you would need an "experience of God" to believe in Him. If there truly is a God, and He never bends to your demands for an experience of Him, would that make Him any less real? To box his existence to fit into your demands could only be considered ignorance if He does exist.

For example, I don't believe man ever walked on the moon and the only way you could convince me otherwise would be to take me to the moon and allow me to walk on it myself. Would I be ignorant of the truth? I would be as long as man truly did walk on the moon. A lack of knowledge or understanding doesn't change reality. We could say the same thing for someone who has never heard of math. They are ignorant of its truth.

There is no such thing as, "What's true for you is not true for me" (as tolerance seems to be defined today). That statement is self-refuting by simply defining truth. But that's beside the point. If ignorance is the state of the atheist what does that mean? I think I can anticipate your next assumption. If ignorace is the atheist's problem, how can God hold them accountable? Is punishment appeased by ignorance? I'll save my response to that for another post.

Debating Atheism (part 3)

2005-02-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

This is the continuation of an ongoing discussion I am having with Theomorph. We are discussing the recent debate, "Does God Exist?" between William Lane Craig and Austin Dacey. Here are my initial comments regarding his take on the debate. You can read part 2 here.

Theomorph believes that Craig was not arguing his case from a theists perspective but from a Christian perspective.

Craig may have claimed that he is a theist, but it would have been more honest to say that he is a conservative evangelical Christian, which is certainly not the same thing. His arguments for theism would not have the same resonance with non-conservative, non-evangelical, non-Christian theists.

I don't think Dacey was shocked to discover that Craig is a Christian. Nor do I believe that changes the debate. Craig should argue, at least in my opinion, from his own perspective. The debate becomes less personal if he can't do that. I don't think Dacey argued from a generic atheist's postition either. I think he provided reasons for his own personal beliefs and doubts. How would a skeptic argue from any other position? (BTW-I realize "skeptic" is not the same as atheist, however, I am also aware that Dacey is a skeptic-as most atheists are). Dacey certainly lost focus when he brought up an article Craig wrote about Hell. What exactly does that argument have to do with the debate? It was an ad hominem argument that backfired when Craig called him on it.

I think this is the crux of Theomorph's position:

The problem is that it's only useful to provide evidence and proof for things we have already seen (but don't understand), but it's pointless to provide evidence and proof that something we can't see is actually there.

Then why are we having this discussion? If supernatural possibilities are beyond your comprehension, no amount of convincing will ever prove anything to you. Unless God reveals Himself to you, there will be no belief in Him. The only chance of my arguments making any sense to you is if God gives you some kind of physical experience to believe in Him. But then, how would your belief be sustained? Would He have to continually provide you with physical experiences to prove He is still there? You could just as easily claim that what you experienced was merely a halucination. Now, God must come to you in bodily form and remain by your side at all times, all the while showing you that He is God, to prove to you that it was not a halucination. But then, how does He prove to you that He is God? Miracles, could be written off as some sort of slight-of-hand trick or mirrors and smoke. Miracles didn't convince everyone who saw Jesus heal the sick that He was God, why would it be any different today? So what would it take for you to believe? I see you already responded to this question...you said "it wouldn't take anything at all." And then you go on to show how the physical universe proves its existence everyday by experience. It sounds like the above analogy I gave, is not too far from the truth of what it would take for you to believe. It would take the supernatural to become natural for you to accept it. Am I wrong?

Debating Atheism (part 2)

2005-02-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

This is the continuation of an ongoing discussion I am having with Theomorph. We are discussing the recent debate, "Does God Exist?" between William Lane Craig and Austin Dacey. Here are my initial comments regarding his take on the debate.

In an attempt to show that Craig simply made statements like those below without providing any support for his statements, Theomorph, quotes some of Craig's statements.

Here are a few quotes from Craig: Dacey's arguments are "enormously presumptuous" Dacey's argument is "plainly false" Dacey's arguments are "self-refuting" Dacey's arguments are "logically invalid" Dacey's argument is "pretty clearly false," "obviously false," and "pure speculation." "He's simply mistaken." And, my personal favorite, "I don't think that's true."

Again, I will say that anyone reading the transcript will see that these statements were followed up by examples. He never simply allowed the statement to stand as his argument. You are either being dishonest with these claims or you really didn't hear Craig's supporting arguments. I will assume it is the latter and we will see from the transcript, once it is available, what support Craig provided.

Theomorph argues that Craig never provided any "concrete examples." He also points out when Dacey challenged one of Craig's sources.

Dacey called him on that one, especially regarding Gerd Ludemann, and Craig replied by claiming that he had read Ludemann more closely and knew what Ludemann was really saying. But I've read Ludemann, too, and I don't see how Dacey could have been anything but correct in his assessment of Ludemann's view on the point in question, i.e., did people experience a resurrected Jesus

I felt like Dacey made his point clear on this one. It seemed to me that Craig conceded that Ludemann doesn't believe the resurrection actually happened but believes the people were halucinating. Craig simply said that Ludemann admits that people "saw" the resurrected Christ, even if Ludemann feels they were halucinations. I would agree with Theomorph here. I think Craig was reaching in trying to use Ludemann as a source. This was Dacey's biggest win, though I think it might have been one of his only ones.

Theomorph points out that Craig mainly used New Testament advocates in support of his arguments on the resurrection, "which makes their views fundamentally suspect." I don't think that sufficiently argues the points Craig made. To throw doubt on the source doesn't argue the point made. For example, if everyone wanted to shut the mouths of the few Christians who were spreading a lie about Jesus rising from the dead, why didn't they prove he didn't? The only valid argument is that the body was stolen, but that becomes a problem knowing that the tomb was guarded. I think there were about 3 other arguments that Craig made for his case that the resurrection occured, but my point is that doubting the source of these arguments proves nothing.

That only covers the first half of Theomorph's first rebuttal of my original comments. As time permits I will address the rest of that rebuttal and then move on to his most recent comments in order. As it turns out, I don't seem to have the time Theomorph has to volley back immediately. I am limited to about an hour a day with family, a full-time job, and school eating up the rest of my time.

Debating Atheism (part 1)

2005-02-18T23:18:00.000-08:00

Theomorph has written on his blog about the debate. After reading the comments he made here, I thought I would entertain a little discussion. Here is my response to his review of the debate and for now it can serve as my post about the debate. I will hopefully have time this weekend to write more in depth about some of the arguments.

From the other side of the fence (I'm a Christian) I have some differing viewpoints on the debate. I will admit that Dacey was a more personable and likable guy (very quickwitted) with his style. He came off as genuine (although very flustered in the rebuttals) while Craig was too stern. I also agree that the Q&A was a joke, and didn't add any clarity to either positions. The Q&A did bring up something that Craig didn't argue which is the moral argument. That is one of the better arguments against Atheism and should have been in his intro. rather than his cosmological arguments which I doubt anyone really understood.

During Craig's introduction I was afraid he was going to talk over everyones heads, but his rebuttals were far more cohesive and prepared than Dacey's. Craig always followed up his statements with examples, so I think you just weren't writing fast enough. When the transcript is available it will show that he doesn't just make blanket statements like, "you just don't understand" or "it's clearly true". He always followed up with his reasoning. Regardless of how abrasive his wording was, he never let those statements speak for themselves.

As far as the lady who told Craig he was being judgmental in his arguments, I don't know how she could say that. Granted the audiences reaction was uncalled for and over-the-top, but why would she ask that? She was trying to attack his character, when a debate calls for the debater to attack his opponents arguments. I could have easily said the same thing about Dacey claiming that Christian beliefs are not reasonable (when that was the whole point of him being there). Craig simply made light of her harsh critique of his character by pointing out that her own statements were judgmental. Why is she seen as the victim here?

As far as your question for Craig...I think he would have turned it around by asking you the same thing. He would not have been sucked into claiming you are an irrational or ignorant person. He would have givin you the opportunity to say that of him. So what is it? Am I naive, fearful and desperate for something to hope for, or just blindly accepting the faith of my parents?

I would ask you a question that hopefully, you can respond to better than Dacey did. Why do my teachers say I'm from Apes? I don't look like an ape...just kidding.

A Critique of Atheism (Part 3)

2005-02-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

This Critique of Atheism series comes from an essay I turned in for my philosophy class last summer. Read part 1 here and part 2 here.

If the burden of proof lies in the hands of the theist to substantiate God's existence, then naturally, the atheist has the burden of proof to explain the existence of the world apart from a creator. The atheist must remove all supernatural understanding when interpreting the origin of life. This task is rarely understood by the atheist as a requirement for his philosophy. Atheism is thought of more in terms of disproving rather than proving. Atheists will give reason after reason for why they do not belive in God, but when confronted with difficult questions such as "how do you and I exist?" they will attempt to dodge the issue. They are more likely to give the impression that it si not their responsibility to answer such questions. They desire simply to argue against the solutions that others purpose.

Smith confirms my understanding when he says, "the theist who asserts the existence of a god assumes the responsibility of demonstrating the truth of this assertion; if he fails in this task, theism should not be accepted as true." He goes on to say,"when the atheist is seen as a person who lacks belief in a god, it becomes clear that he is not obligated to 'prove' anything" (Smith). It may sound strange that an atheist does not feel any responsibility to provide solutions which answer questions regarding the origin of life. One would question the absurdity of living life in such a way. What is the point of arguing, if the questions remain unsettled? It is the skeptical mindset that the atheist thrives upon as the scapegoat for providing a response to any interrogation. Skepticism prizes doubt not theory. Rather than propose any theories of their own the skeptic is content with judging the theories that others propose. They may come off as noble and wise, but in reality they are left with the same questions to the meaning of life that everyone else faces.

Have you read your Bible lately?

2005-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

I love Charles Spugeon for his honesty and bluntness. He is such a quotable writer and usually his sermons stir up an excitement each time I read them. In a sermon he gave on the Bible he challenges all of us with this:

If this be the Word of God, what will become of some of you who have not read it for the last month? "Month, sir! I have not read it for this year." Ay, there are some of you who have not read it at all. Most people treat the Bible very politely. They have a small pocket volume, neatly bound; they put a white pocket-handkerchief round it and carry it to their places of worship; when they get home, they lay it up in a drawer till next Sunday morning; then it comes out again for a little bit of a treat, and goes to chapel; that is all the poor Bible gets in the way of an airing. That is your style of entertaining this heavenly messenger. There is dust enough on some of your Bibles to write "damnation" with your fingers.

Debate: Does God Exist?

2005-02-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

William Lane Craig will be debating Austin Dacey at Fresno State this Thursday closing out the Veritas Forum. It is sure to be the highlight of the event. They have debated at least once before at Purdue. The opening statement Dacey gave for that debate is one of the more challenging articles I've read from an atheist. That debate is the most successful debate the sponsor, CFI, has ever put on, drawing 4,000 listeners. VHS tapes of the debate are available for $28.95 (shipping included). Here is the entire trascript of a debate Craig had with Quentin Smith on the same topic.

I will be attending the debate with some friends and will let everyone know how it went. I have been told that Craig considers Dacey his toughest opponent on the subject. He should be fully prepared as I'm sure Dacey will be also.

A Critique of Atheism (Part 2)

2005-02-15T06:42:00.000-08:00

This Critique of Atheism series comes from an essay I turned in for my philosophy class last summer. Read Part 1 here.

George Smith's book Atheism: The Case Against God (Skeptic's Bookshelf) has received wide acclamation for its representation of the atheist's view. According to Smith, it is the purpose of the atheist to "convince the listener that atheism represents, not a degeneration, but a step forward" (Smith 5). His assumption that, because Atheism is built upon reason and science, an individual takes a "step forward" in life when he is able to do away with the idealistic view of the supernatural altogether. He clarifies his point when he later states:

The atheist's frustration increases as he discovers that his arguments for atheism are futile, that the average believer - who was persuaded to believe for emotional, not intellectual, reasons - is impervious to arguments against the existence of a supernatural being, regardless of how meticulous and carefully reasoned these arguments may be (Smith 6).

Before I begin a critique of Atheism, let us make sure that we have a proper understanding of the word. Theism means belief in a god or gods. Atheism simply attaches the negative prefix "a" to the word, reversing its meaning. Therefore, the atheist does not believe in the existence of a god or gods.

Debunking Atheism

2005-02-14T21:29:00.000-08:00

Weapons of Warfare has a collection of archived posts on debunking atheism. These are well-written apologetical posts which are sure to give the theist as well as the atheist something to think about. While your there you can congratulate him on receiving the award for "Best in Apologetics" from the EU Evangelical Blog Awards.

A Critique of Atheism (Part 1)

2005-02-14T07:10:00.000-08:00

This Critique of Atheism series comes from an essay I turned in for my philosophy class last summer.

I am fully aware that writing an essay which attempts to prove the existence of God using only reason and rationality in some way is an attempt at the impossible. To try to use reason to prove the existence of God is not an easy task, to say the least. In fact, the very Bible I believe in tells me that to speak of "spiritual" things using "man's wisdom" will sound like "foolishness." 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 states:

These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

With this in mind, it is not my endeavor to write an essay that has the ability to persuade someone of something that ultimately requires faith. Some of the early philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle attempted to do this without much rational success. My goal is much less complicated than proving the existence of God using philosophical methods. My motive is simply to prove that atheist's find themselves in the same position as theist's, requiring an element of faith, when their belief, or lack of belief, is critiqued with reason, rationality, and logic.

Read part 2 here and part 3 here.

God and Country

2005-02-11T06:34:00.000-08:00

Matthew 15:8-9 "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

I can't help but wonder if conservative Americans don't fall into this category. It seems, sometimes, that we place a higher priority on fighting for Bushs' cause than for Christ's. I can easily get sidetracked myself when talking about current events becomes more common than talking about God.

I realize the verse above directly refers to the Pharisees and scribes who were so focused on being obedient to their own rules and man-made regulations that they had lost the main objectives of Scripture. But, are we any better today? The Pharisees were more concerned about what went into their mouths than what came out (Matt.5:11). They clearly missed the forrest for the trees. Do we not make a similar mistake when we become more concerned about how President Bush represents us as Americans, then how we represent Christ as His followers?

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."

Movie Review: Hotel Rwanda

2005-02-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

This is the story of Paul Rusesabagina who housed over a thousand refugees in the hotel he managed in Rwanda. Don Cheadle gives the performance of a lifetime as Paul. The movie centers on the 1994 genocide that took the lives of 800,000 Tutsi's. While America was watching the Trial of the Century, one of the greatest genocides of the century was taking place across the globe.

I thought the movie might be one giant shamefest against the international community for its lack of response, and rightfully so. The global embarrassment is captured in one scene but it is one of the most emotional scenes in the movie. The UN was gathering people and fleeing the country but when a large group of children from a Catholic orphanage came running up to the Hotel, they are turned away. The priest and nuns who were caring for the children assume that the UN will take the orphans out of the country as well, but they only came for the foreigners. As those on the bus looked back at those left behind, looks of shame were returned with looks of abandonment. The song of several Rwandan children can be heard in the background as this gut-wrenching scene is taking place. If the song were on the movie's soundtrack I would buy the cd for that song alone, but I didn't hear it on the 30-second soundclips.

Hotel Rwanda is really the story of one man's courage. A man who daily risked his life to protect the innocent. You can read more about him in the not-yet-released book, Hotel Rwanda: Bringing the True Story of an African Hero to Film, written by Terry George, Paul Rusesabagina, and Don Cheadle.

In the REPORT OF THE INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE ACTIONS OF THE UNITED NATIONS DURING THE 1994 GENOCIDE IN RWANDA it says:

"Acknowledgement of responsibility must also be accompanied by a will for change: a commitment to ensure that catastrophes such as the genocide in Rwanda never occur anywhere in the future."

Yet, another genocide is underway in Darfur, Sudan. 1.8 million people have been driven to the desert and left to die by armed militia groups. Why has the international community once again turned a blind eye? World Vision is there, doing what they can, but military action needs to put an end to this conflict. Now is not the time to point fingers at America or the UN. The entire world needs to come together on this and do something for the sake of humanity. All of human life has been created in the image of God. If we respect God, we will seek to preserve His image.

Outing Joel Osteen

2005-02-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Michael Spencer has given the Evangelical Blogosphere a challenge to "out" Joel Osteen's Christless gospel. His post contains loads of information and links to articles about the message Joel Osteen is sending Americans in the name of evangelicalism. Osteen's latest book, Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential is essentially a self-help book. Don't believe me? Check out Brian Harvey's collection of Amazon's book reviews. It's quite a scary reality.

Amazing Shot - Jordan Snipes swishes a 90-Footer to Win!

2005-02-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

"For this former quarterback, it took a Hail Mary thrown like a baseball to win the basketball game. With 0.6 seconds left in overtime, Jordan Snipes of Guilford College rebounded the other team's missed free throw, wheeled around and heaved the ball the full length of the court."
Read the rest at Yahoo News.

See the video of the shot at ESPN.

Outing The Discerning Reader

2005-02-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

I had my own customer service issue with TDR which has led me to look elsewhere for books. It took them 6 months to refund my money ($200) after countless emails were sent to resolve the issue. Now, with the new direction Rob is taking TDR, I have many more reasons to look elsewhere. His decision to lash out and attack his customers is akin to an athelete complaining about his fans. Not the best approach. The progressive direction he is taking TDR is like a Country Singer deciding he is going to become a Rap Artist. Also, not a good approach. The likely outcome will be a drastic drop in TDR orders, and a merge with Sojourners.

Philip Johnson's Bookmarks:

The Discerning Reader - The story of this company's sudden meltdown is one of the saddest and most bizarre sagas of the Christian Web. The Discerning Reader is a Medford, OR-based bookselling business that over the years sponsored several excellent and well-designed Web sites—including Antithesis, Christian counterculture, and a colorful critique of postmodernism. At least ninety percent of their book recommendations were excellent and insightful. We highly recommended them for more than two years.
Then complaints began to multiply about customer service problems at The Discerning Reader. Customer-service difficulties per se are inevitable and an understandable part of doing business by mail. What was disturbing here was the coarse and pugnacious way owner Rob Schläpfer lashed out at his customers with profanity-laced abuse. We know this is a fact, because (even though we never complained about customer service,) as we have sought to understand and make sense of the changes taking place on the various Discerning Reader-sponsored Web sites, we have more than once been on the receiving end of some choice but unprintable expletives from Mr. Schläpfer.
As the controversy grew regarding Mr. Schlapfer and his abuse of customers, he began to attack the theological stance he himself had at first claimed to represent. He hypocritically wagged his finger at Reformed Christians, suggesting that their theology made them abusive and unloving. He has now given a wholesale endorsement and his highest rating to a book calling for evangelicals to embrace postmodernism. Since we once recommended this site and its sister sites with the highest accolades, we think it only fair to issue an equally strong warning: Discernment seems to be in very short supply these days at The Discerning Reader. Caveat emptor.

To Rob's credit, he did respond:

I am sending this note out to anyone who has had any contact with our online work in the last 6 months or so. I would like to have addressed it with the salutation "Dear Friends." Sadly, some of you would not consider yourselves as such today. Where this is my fault, because of something I should not have said, I am truly sorry. Where this is the result of some disagreement over a theological matter, or the direction we have chosen to take in recent days, I would urge you to put that aside for a moment.

It has been reported around the Web that in recent weeks/months I have expressed anger with some of the people I have encountered in our work, "taking them to task" in a manner that is utterly inconsistent with the values I hold dear -- values that have been expressed throughout our six years on line.

It is true. I have done so. And I would like to formally apologize. I've been wrong. I would ask all injured parties to forgive me -- for Jesus' sake, and for the glory of the gospel.

for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.

Selah.

Having said that -- with no qualification whatsoever -- I think it is important to underscore the source of my anger. It isn't because I just like to fly off the handle . . . I don't. It isn't some personal animus -- nor is it the fact that I occasionally "just have a bad day." No, there is something profound eating away at me, making it all the more needful to be kept in check -- something I have obviously failed to do, to my own shame. (It has also put me in a deep state of genuine depression for many months.)

In my last Christian Counterculture editorial, "This Is the Way of Love" (published in September 2004), I noted some important insights from author Greg Boyd regarding what I believe is the major problem that confronts the Christian community today: the tragic lack of love [and grace] among us. (Critics of Boyd's Open Theology: I know it is hard for you, but please put that aside for a moment and hear him on a point that has nothing to do with that debate. Thanks.) He writes:

"How much harm has been done to the church and to the cause of Jesus Christ because Christians have placed other considerations alongside or above the command to love as God loves? In the name of truth, Christians in the past have sometimes destroyed people, even physically torturing and murdering them. In the name of holiness, Christians have often pushed away and shamed those who don't meet their standard, creating their own little holiness club to which struggling sinners need not apply. And in the name of correct biblical doctrine, Christians have frequently destroyed the unity of the body of Christ, refusing to minister or worship together because of doctrinal differences, sometimes viciously attacking those who disagree with them."

"The unsurpassable worth of the person who doesn't share our truth, doesn't meet our definition of holiness, or doesn't agree with our "correct biblical doctrine" has all too often been neglected or denied. Which means that in such cases the truth, holiness, or correct doctrine we have defended was altogether worthless: clashing cymbals, resounding gongs, religious noise, nothing more. Such noise tarnishes the reputation--the glory--of God. It also explains why the church generally has been known for many things other than love and many things that contradict love."

I then made a comment that is very telling of my own disposition since beginning our work in 1999:

"Now I must confess that in recent years this reality has taken me from sheer bewilderment, on to near despair, and all the way to anger. And while I am ashamed of the later, there is no question in my mind that the issue at stake is the glory and reputation of God -- as Dr. Boyd suggests. This is not about "being nice" -- as one "pastor" snidely remarked to me. It is about being Godly. And being Godly means -- above all else -- loving as God loves."

There is something terribly wrong with people who call themselves "born again" believers in America today. Greg Boyd (above) nails it: we are judgmental, moralistic and almost completely lacking in the grace and love that mark God's character. As Christians, we fail to heed the most basic truth that marks the breaking in of the new age:

For the law was given through Moses;
but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

I have seen it first hand on almost a daily basis for years -- especially since opening our book ministry five years ago. Judgment. Accusation. Vindictiveness. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." It is most notorious in Reformed circles -- the people who love "the Law." But it tends to mark all too many of those who are conservative and evangelical in their beliefs. And it makes me angry. Sometimes irrationally so. For that I do apologize. Most sincerely.

Please pray for me. Having been a Christian most of my life now, I find this gnawing anger a terrible thing to combat. I find the depression overwhelming at times. And I have deliberately pulled away from our work. But I will continue to look to the Lord to restore my hope.

So let's just leave it at this:

I am sorry.

rob schläpfer

The Dismemberment of the Body of Christ

2005-01-31T22:24:00.000-08:00

The current trend in the Evangelical Church in America has dismembered the body of Christ. By placing a greater priority upon musical style the Church has sacrificed the essential element of diversity. Many Christians have the perception that the "old-fashioned," organ-playing, choir-singing, orchestra ensemble style of music is for the graying generations while the contemporary/alternative worship music is for those under the age of 40. Numerous mega-churches have successfully filled their directory by incorporating services, classes and small groups separated by age and preference. Does numerical success reveal the authenticity of the movement? Are believers more united or divided in a church that models this philosophy? Is diversity an essential element of the believers sanctification or do we have some liberty in this area?

In Unceasing Worship: Biblical Perspectives on Worship and the Arts, author Harold Best provides an excellent look at this subject:

"It is ironic-worse, scripturally troublesome-to see local assemblies broken into groups, each doing their niche worship, for that is all it really seems to be...The divisions are primarily about music and musical style. This being true, worship is not really about the binding power of Jesus and his gospel but about something earthly, relative and transient. If we took music out of worship, would we have the same problem and the same set of solutions? I do not think so."

I would venture to take a guess that many of the larger churches in your area have a "traditional" and a "contemporary" service. The traditional service is usually the earlier service because the church knows that the older generations want to go to church at the crack of dawn. The contemporary service might begin right around noon giving ample time for the younger and lazier generations to get up. The two services may or may not hear the same message but one thing is for certain...the style of music will suit your taste. Another likely side-effect of this set-up is the lack of interaction between the younger and older believers. Best continues:

"Traditionalists have much to answer for in their reluctance to understand that tradition does not mean stasis but change. In their reaction against contemporary styles, they fail to understand that what they have gotten used to was once contemporary and often objectionable."

At the same time, contemporary worshippers must accept their lack of diversity. In their fight for culturally relevant music, they have lost sight of the union that the body of Christ requires.

"The church desperately needs an artistic reformation that accomplishes two things at once: first, it takes music out of the limelight and puts Christ and his Word back into prominence; and second, it strives creatively for a synthesis of new, old and crosscultural styles (pgs.74-75)."

That is my desire and hope when I am in full-time ministry. I want to encourage interaction between the various age groups and see a God-honoring, Christ-glorifying merge of the two styles.

Terrible Weatherman

2005-01-31T11:04:00.000-08:00

How would you like this guy to be your weatherman?

The Terrorists Got the Finger!

2005-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

With the historic Iraqi elections that took place yesterday, I thought this cartoon would be appropriate. The Iraqi turnout is estimated to be 60-70% of the population (see update). America's recent election which was the highest in 36 years had a turnout of just under 60%. I think Iraq is sending a clear message to the world about their desire for democracy.

Update: The voter turnout refers to the number of eligible voters, not population. Thank you commenter Andy for the tip!

The Calvin Challenge: Without knowledge of self there is no knowledge of God

2005-01-27T13:19:00.000-08:00

"Indeed, our very poverty better discloses the infinitude of benefits reposing in God." (I.i.1)

We cannot grasp the richness of God until we accept our poorness. When I was younger it was explained to me that the closer I get to God the more I realize my wickedness. The analogy of a flashlight was given. If God is the flashlight, as I walk toward Him I begin to see more blemishes in my own life. His light shines on the areas of my life that were dark and covered.

Isn't it true that the longer you have been a growing Christian the more you realize your imperfections? If we attempt to come to God without acknowledging our own weakness we will fail to comprehend our need for Him to save us. We will probably have some ulterior motive for coming to God that results in greater separation rather than reconciliation.

"Thus, not only will we, in fasting and hungering, seek thence what we lack; but, in being aroused by fear, we shall learn humility." (I.i.1)

Calvin declares that when we truly know ourselves, we will see the wickedness and darkness that has been present all along. We will realize our emptiness. Emptiness will lead to fear then humility as we determine the depth of our need. Humility is the attitude God wants us to have when we come to Him (1Pet.1:5).

The Calvin Challenge

2005-01-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

For a couple of years now, I have really wanted to read through The Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin. I first confronted Calvinism in a challenging way about 5 years ago. My understanding of soteriology, the theological doctrine of salvation, was limited to the 4 spiritual laws at that time. Whenever I spoke about the 5 points of Calvinism (aka TULIP) with a Calvinist, I usually felt woefully inadequate. I could find Bible verses few and far between with which I would challenge their conviction. Sometimes, they would stumble for a response to my interrogation, but usually it was I who did the stumbling. I was typically left out-of-words.

One day, in the Calvary Chapel Bible College coffee-shop, I sat speechless before a good friend of mine. For about a week we had been meeting, going back and forth through Hebrews discussing the doctrine of "Once Saved Always Saved," aka "Perseverance of the Saints" (the P in TULIP). We had gone over every passage in the book of Hebrews that I felt proved that a Christian could lose their salvation. He very easily responded to each verse with clear and contextual answers. During that conversation I found out that he had the entire book of Hebrews memorized. I was shocked and awed! I realized that I might not know as much as I thought I did.

It took me awhile after that day to accept that I was wrong. And it took much longer than that to accept the other 4 points of Calvinism. Once I did accept Calvinism, I was amazed at how much of God's Word was clarified. There were countless verses that I used to skim over in frustration because I couldn't understand them. I am far from a scholar on soteriology, but I have grown quite a bit in my faith over these last 5 years.

Now I'm ready to go deeper. I want to challenge myself to read through The Institutes of the Christian Religion and blog about my thought process. I have no idea how it will turn out, but at least I will have some accountability to sift through it for all its worth. I'm anxious to get started!

Mark Wesson Jury Selection begins Tuesday

2005-01-23T22:44:00.000-08:00

FRESNO, Calif. Jury selection begins Tuesday in the case of Marcus Wesson, a Fresno man accused of the worst mass murder in the city's history.
The 58-year old Wesson has been charged with the slaying of nine of his children last March. His children ranged in age from one to 25. He's also accused of raping several girls in the family. About 2,200 people have been summoned to appear as potential jurors. They'll be asked to complete a 20-page questionnaire and they'll be interviewed individually by prosecution and defense attorneys. Jury selection is expected to take about a month. Wesson's public defenders have been turned down several times in their efforts to have the trial moved out of Fresno.
Article source: KESQ News.

Would Wesson get a fair trial anywhere? I don't understand why the defense team even tries to transfer him to another district. The only place that wouldn't give him the death penalty is Austria, and I don't think Arnie would let him go to a bunch of "girly-men"?

War in Iraq and the American Media

2005-01-22T00:10:00.000-08:00

Essay courtesy of Blackfive. I wonder if FoxNews has an opening for a quality correspondent? Better yet, maybe CBS just found their replacement for Rather. I've posted the essay in it's entirety (with pictures of LTC Tim Ryan) because it would be a disservice to post any less. Please read it all.

Aiding and Abetting the Enemy: the Media in Iraq
By LTC Tim Ryan, CO, 2/12 Cav, 1st Cav Div

What if domestic news outlets continually fed American readers headlines like: "Bloody Week on U.S. Highways: Some 700 Killed," or "More Than 900 Americans Die Weekly from Obesity-Related Diseases"? Both of these headlines might be true statistically, but do they really represent accurate pictures of the situations? What if you combined all of the negatives to be found in the state of Texas and used them as an indicator of the quality of life for all Texans? Imagine the headlines: "Anti-law Enforcement Elements Spread Robbery, Rape and Murder through Texas Cities." For all intents and purposes, this statement is true for any day of any year in any state. True -- yes, accurate -- yes, but in context with the greater good taking place -- no! After a year or two of headlines like these, more than a few folks back in Texas and the rest of the U.S. probably would be ready to jump off of a building and end it all. So, imagine being an American in Iraq right now.

I just read yet another distorted and grossly exaggerated story from a major news organization about the "failures" in the war in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a small fraction of the events in Iraq and more often than not, the events they cover are only the bad ones. Many of the journalists making public assessments about the progress of the war in Iraq are unqualified to do so, given their training and experience. The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international public support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.

The fact is the Coalition is making steady progress in Iraq, but not without ups and downs. War is a terrible thing and terrible things happen during wars, even when you are winning. In war, as in any contest of wills with capable opponents, things do not always go as planned; the guys with the white hats don't always come out on top in each engagement. That doesn't mean you are losing. Sure, there are some high profile and very spectacular enemy attacks taking place in Iraq these days, but the great majority of what is happening in Iraq is positive. So why is it that no matter what events unfold, good or bad, the media highlight mostly the negative aspects of the event? The journalistic adage, "If it bleeds, it leads," still applies in Iraq, but why only when it's American blood?

As a recent example, the operation in Fallujah delivered an absolutely devastating blow to the insurgency. Though much smaller in scope, clearing Fallujah of insurgents arguably could equate to the Allies' breakout from the hedgerows in France during World War II. In both cases, our troops overcame a well-prepared and solidly entrenched enemy and began what could be the latter's last stand. In Fallujah, the enemy death toll has already exceeded 1,500 and still is climbing. Put one in the win column for the good guys, right? Wrong. As soon as there was nothing negative to report about Fallujah, the media shifted its focus to other parts of the country. Just yesterday, a major news agency's website lead read: "Suicide Bomber Kills Six in Baghdad" and "Seven Marines Die in Iraq Clashes." True, yes. Comprehensive, no. Did the author of this article bother to mention that Coalition troops killed 50 or so terrorists while incurring those seven losses? Of course not. Nor was there any mention about the substantial progress these offensive operations continue to achieve in defeating the insurgents. Unfortunately, this sort of incomplete reporting has become the norm for the media, whose poor job of presenting a complete picture of what is going on in Iraq borders on being criminal.

Much of the problem is about perspective, putting things in scale and balance. From where I sit in my command post at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, things are not all bad right now. In fact, they are going quite well. We are not under attack by the enemy; on the contrary, we are taking the fight to him daily and have him on the ropes. In the distance, I can hear the repeated impacts of heavy artillery and five hundred-pound bombs hitting their targets in the city. The occasional tank main gun report and the staccato rhythm of a Marine Corps LAV or Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle's 25-millimeter cannon provide the bass line for a symphony of destruction. Right now, as elements from all four services complete the absolute annihilation of the insurgent forces remaining in Fallujah, the area around the former stronghold is more peaceful than it has been for more than a year. The number of attacks in the greater Al Anbar Province is down by at least 70-80% from late October -- before Operation Al Fajar began. The enemy in this area is completely defeated, but not completely gone. Final eradication of the pockets of insurgents will take some time, as it always does, but the fact remains that the central geographic stronghold of the insurgents is now under friendly control. That sounds a lot like success to me. Given all of this, why don't the papers lead with "Coalition Crushes Remaining Pockets of Insurgents" or "Enemy Forces Resort to Suicide Bombings of Civilians"? This would paint a far more accurate picture of the enemy's predicament over here. Instead, headlines focus almost exclusively on our hardships.

What about the media's portrayal of the enemy? Why do these ruthless murderers, kidnappers and thieves get a pass when it comes to their actions? What did the media not show or tell us about Margaret Hassoon, the director of C.A.R.E. in Iraq and an Iraqi citizen, who was kidnapped, brutally tortured and left disemboweled in streets of Fallujah? Did anyone in the press show these images over and over to emphasize the moral failings of the enemy as they did with the soldiers at Abu Ghuraib? Did anyone show the world how this enemy had huge stockpiles of weapons in schools and mosques, or how he used these protected places as sanctuaries for planning and fighting in Fallujah and the rest of Iraq? Are people of the world getting the complete story? The answer again is no! What the world got instead were repeated images of a battle-weary Marine who made a quick decision to use lethal force and who now is being tried in the world press. Is this one act really illustrative of the overall action in Fallujah? No, but the Marine video clip was shown an average of four times each hour on just about every major TV news channel for a week. This is how the world views our efforts over here and stories like this without a counter continually serve as propaganda victories for the enemy. Al Jazeera isn't showing the film of the CARE worker, but is showing the clip of the Marine. Earlier this year, the Iraqi government banned Al Jazeera from the country for its inaccurate reporting. Wonder where they get their information now? Well, if you go to the Internet, you'll find a web link from the Al Jazeera home page to CNN's home page. Very interesting.

The operation in Fallujah is only one of the recent examples of incomplete coverage of the events in Iraq. The battle in Najaf last August provides another. Television and newspapers spilled a continuous stream of images and stories about the destruction done to the sacred city, and of all the human suffering allegedly brought about by the hands of the big, bad Americans. These stories and the lack of anything to counter them gave more fuel to the fire of anti-Americanism that burns in this part of the world. Those on the outside saw the Coalition portrayed as invaders or oppressors, killing hapless Iraqis who, one was given to believe, simply were trying to defend their homes and their Muslim way of life.

Reality couldn't have been farther from the truth. What noticeably was missing were accounts of the atrocities committed by the Mehdi Militia -- Muqtada Al Sadr's band of henchmen. While the media was busy bashing the Coalition, Muqtada's boys were kidnapping policemen, city council members and anyone else accused of supporting the Coalition or the new government, trying them in a kangaroo court based on Islamic Shari'a law, then brutally torturing and executing them for their "crimes." What the media didn't show or write about were the two hundred-plus headless bodies found in the main mosque there, or the body that was put into a bread oven and baked. Nor did they show the world the hundreds of thousands of mortar, artillery and small arms rounds found within the "sacred" walls of the mosque. Also missing from the coverage was the huge cache of weapons found in Muqtada's "political" headquarters nearby. No, none of this made it to the screen or to print. All anyone showed were the few chipped tiles on the dome of the mosque and discussion centered on how we, the Coalition, had somehow done wrong. Score another one for the enemy's propaganda machine.

Now, compare the Najaf example to the coverage and debate ad nauseam of the Abu Ghuraib Prison affair. There certainly is no justification for what a dozen or so soldiers did there, but unbalanced reporting led the world to believe that the actions of the dozen were representative of the entire military. This has had an incredibly negative effect on Middle Easterners' already sagging opinion of the U.S. and its military. Did anyone show the world images of the 200 who were beheaded and mutilated in Muqtada's Shari'a Law court, or spend the next six months talking about how horrible all of that was? No, of course not. Most people don't know that these atrocities happened. It's little wonder that many people here want us out and would vote someone like Muqtada Al Sadr into office given the chance -- they never see the whole truth. Strange, when the enemy is the instigator the media does not flash images across the screens of televisions in the Middle East as they did with Abu Ghuraib. Is it because the beheaded bodies might offend someone? If so, then why do we continue see photos of the naked human pyramid over and over?

So, why doesn't the military get more involved in showing the media the other side of the story? The answer is they do. Although some outfits are better than others, the Army and other military organizations today understand the importance of getting out the story -- the whole story -- and trains leaders to talk to the press. There is a saying about media and the military that goes: "The only way the media is going to tell a good story is if you give them one to tell." This doesn't always work as planned. Recently, when a Coalition spokesman tried to let TV networks in on opening moves in the Fallujah operation, they misconstrued the events for something they were not and then blamed the military for their gullibility. CNN recently aired a "special report" in which the cable network accused the military of lying to it and others about the beginning of the Fallujah operation. The incident referred to took place in October when a Marine public affairs officer called media representatives and told them that an operation was about to begin. Reporters rushed to the outskirts of Fallujah to see what they assumed was going to be the beginning of the main attack on the city. As it turned out, what they saw were tactical "feints" designed to confuse the enemy about the timing of the main attack, then planned to take place weeks later.

Once the network realized that major combat operations wouldn't start for several more weeks, CNN alleged that the Marines had used them as a tool for their deception operation. Now, they say they want answers from the military and the administration on the matter. The reality appears to be that in their zeal to scoop their competition, CNN and others took the information they were given and turned it into what they wanted it to be. Did the military lie to the media: no. It is specifically against regulations to provide misinformation to the press. However, did the military planners anticipate that reporters would take the ball and run with it, adding to the overall deception plan? Possibly. Is that unprecedented or illegal? Of course not.

CNN and others say they were duped by the military in this and other cases. Yet, they never seem to be upset by the undeniable fact that the enemy manipulates them with a cunning that is almost worthy of envy. You can bet that terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqarwi has his own version of a public affairs officer and it is evident that he uses him to great effect. Each time Zarquari's group executes a terrorist act such as a beheading or a car bomb, they have a prepared statement ready to post on their website and feed to the press. Over-eager reporters take the bait, hook, line and sinker, and report it just as they got it.

Did it ever occur to the media that this type of notoriety is just what the terrorists want and need? Every headline they grab is a victory for them. Those who have read the ancient Chinese military theorist and army general Sun Tsu will recall the philosophy of "Kill one, scare ten thousand" as the basic theory behind the strategy of terrorism. Through fear, the terrorist can then manipulate the behavior of the masses. The media allows the terrorist to use relatively small but spectacular events that directly affect very few, and spread them around the world to scare millions. What about the thousands of things that go right every day and are never reported? Complete a multi-million-dollar sewer project and no one wants to cover it, but let one car bomb go off and it makes headlines. With each headline, the enemy scores another point and the good-guys lose one. This method of scoring slowly is eroding domestic and international support while fueling the enemy's cause.

I believe one of the reasons for this shallow and subjective reporting is that many reporters never actually cover the events they report on. This is a point of growing concern within the Coalition. It appears many members of the media are hesitant to venture beyond the relative safety of the so-called "International Zone" in downtown Baghdad, or similar "safe havens" in other large cities. Because terrorists and other thugs wisely target western media members and others for kidnappings or attacks, the westerners stay close to their quarters. This has the effect of holding the media captive in cities and keeps them away from the broader truth that lies outside their view. With the press thus cornered, the terrorists easily feed their unwitting captives a thin gruel of anarchy, one spoonful each day. A car bomb at the entry point to the International Zone one day, a few mortars the next, maybe a kidnapping or two thrown in. All delivered to the doorsteps of those who will gladly accept it without having to leave their hotel rooms -- how convenient.

The scene is repeated all too often: an attack takes place in Baghdad and the morning sounds are punctuated by a large explosion and a rising cloud of smoke. Sirens wail in the distance and photographers dash to the scene a few miles away. Within the hour, stern-faced reporters confidently stare into the camera while standing on the balcony of their tenth-floor Baghdad hotel room, their back to the city and a distant smoke plume rising behind them. More mayhem in Gotham City they intone, and just in time for the morning news. There is a transparent reason why the majority of car bombings and other major events take place before noon Baghdad-time; any later and the event would miss the start of the morning news cycle on the U.S. east coast. These terrorists aren't stupid; they know just what to do to scare the masses and when to do it. An important key to their plan is manipulation of the news media. But, at least the reporters in Iraq are gathering information and filing their stories, regardless of whether or the stories are in perspective. Much worse are the "talking heads" who sit in studios or offices back home and pontificate about how badly things are going when they never have been to Iraq and only occasionally leave Manhattan.

Almost on a daily basis, newspapers, periodicals and airwaves give us negative views about the premises for this war and its progress. It seems that everyone from politicians to pop stars are voicing their unqualified opinions on how things are going. Recently, I saw a Rolling Stone magazine and in bold print on the cover was, "Iraq on Fire; Dispatches from the Lost War." Now, will someone please tell me who at Rolling Stone or just about any other "news" outlet is qualified to make a determination as to when all is lost and it's time to throw in the towel? In reality, such flawed reporting serves only to misshape world opinion and bolster the enemy's position. Each enemy success splashed across the front pages and TV screens of the world not only emboldens them, but increases their ability to recruit more money and followers.
So what are the credentials of these self proclaimed "experts"? The fact is that most of those on whom we rely for complete and factual accounts have little or no experience or education in counter-insurgency operations or in nation-building to support their assessments. How would they really know if things are going well or not? War is an ugly thing with many unexpected twists and turns. Who among them is qualified to say if this one is worse than any other at this point? What would they have said in early 1942 about our chances of winning World War II? Was it a lost cause too? How much have these "experts" studied warfare and counter-insurgencies in particular? Have they ever read Roger Trinquier's treatise Modern Warfare: A French View on Counter-insurgency (1956)? He is one of the few French military guys who got it right. The Algerian insurgency of the 1950s and the Iraq insurgency have many similarities. What about Napoleon's campaigns in Sardinia in 1805-07? Again, there are a lot of similarities to this campaign. Have they studied that and contrasted the strategies? Or, have they even read Mao Zedung's theories on insurgencies, or Nygen Giap's, or maybe Che' Gueverra's? Have they seen any of Sun Zsu's work lately? Who are these guys? It's time to start studying, folks. If a journalist doesn't recognize the names on this list, he or she probably isn't qualified to assess the state of this or any other campaign's progress.

Worse yet, why in the world would they seek opinion from someone who probably knows even less than they do about the state of affairs in Iraq? It sells commercials, I suppose. But, I find it amazing that some people are more apt to listen to a movie star's or rock singer's view on how we should prosecute world affairs than to someone whose profession it is to know how these things should go. I play the guitar, but Bruce Springsteen doesn't listen to me play. Why should I be subjected to his views on the validity of the war? By profession, he's a guitar player. Someone remind me what it is that makes Sean Penn an expert on anything. It seems that anyone who has a dissenting view is first to get in front of the camera. I'm all for freedom of speech, but let's talk about things we know. Otherwise, television news soon could have about as much credibility as "The Batchelor" has for showing us truly loving couples.

Also bothersome are references by "experts" on how "long" this war is taking. I've read that in the world of manufacturing, you can have only two of the following three qualities when developing a product -- cheap, fast or good. You can produce something cheap and fast, but it won't be good; good and fast, but it won't be cheap; good and cheap, but it won't be fast. In this case, we want the result to be good and we want it at the lowest cost in human lives. Given this set of conditions, one can expect this war is to take a while, and rightfully so. Creating a democracy in Iraq not only will require a change in the political system, but the economic system as well. Study of examples of similar socio-economic changes that took place in countries like Chile, Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia and other countries with oppressive Socialist dictatorships shows that it took seven to ten years to move those countries to where they are now. There are many lessons to be learned from these transformations, the most important of which is that change doesn't come easily, even without an insurgency going on. Maybe the experts should take a look at all of the work that has gone into stabilizing Bosnia-Herzegovina over the last 10 years. We are just at the eighteen-month mark in Iraq, a place far more oppressive than Bosnia ever was. If previous examples are any comparison, there will be no quick solutions here, but that should be no surprise to an analyst who has done his or her homework.

This war is not without its tragedies; none ever are. The key to the enemy's success is use of his limited assets to gain the greatest influence over the masses. The media serves as the glass through which a relatively small event can be magnified to international proportions, and the enemy is exploiting this with incredible ease. There is no good news to counteract the bad, so the enemy scores a victory almost every day. In its zeal to get to the hot spots and report the latest bombing, the media is missing the reality of a greater good going on in Iraq. We seldom are seen doing anything right or positive in the news. People believe what they see, and what people of the world see almost on a daily basis is negative. How could they see it any other way? These images and stories, out of scale and context to the greater good going on over here, are just the sort of thing the terrorists are looking for. This focus on the enemy's successes strengthens his resolve and aids and abets his cause. It's the American image abroad that suffers in the end.

Ironically, the press freedom that we have brought to this part of the world is providing support for the enemy we fight. I obviously think it's a disgrace when many on whom the world relies for news paint such an incomplete picture of what actually has happened. Much too much is ignored or omitted. I am confident that history will prove our cause right in this war, but by the time that happens, the world might be so steeped in the gloom of ignorance we won't recognize victory when we achieve it.

In a related post at Chrenkoff the numbers don't lie.

SpongeBob Squarepants to Promote Homosexuality Tolerance

2005-01-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Original Post: 1/7/2005

A slew of cartoon characters will soon be participating in a homosexual tolerance campaign for children. I'm not surprised that Blue's Clues is participating but not my childhood favorite Clifford!!

How does 2-4% of the population generate such support? John Piper has a good article on tolerance that he wrote back on Christmas in 1988. To be "tolerant" of homosexuality means that it cannot be taught as a sin. That contradicts God's Word. I can tolerate a homosexual person the same way that I tolerate every other sinner in the world (which is all of us) but to condone the sin is asking too much.

Update 1/21/2005: The mainstream media caught onto the story after James Dobson made a statement about the video. Here is one example. Just type in Spongebob on Google news and you can read a plethora of articles on the subject. Most are attacking the closed-minded Christians for there intolerance of tolerance issues. While it may seem like the video is just an innocent remake of "We Are Family," the whole story needs to be understood. If the video, scheduled to be delivered in March to 61,000 schools nationwide, did not come with a curriculum for teachers to speak about tolerance - there wouldn't be an issue. If the kids were seeing nothing more than happy cartoons jumping around and hugging each other, it wouldn't be an issue. Here's where the problem lies (quoted from the liberal source at MSNBC):

"The eight-page long teacher's guide that accompanies that DVD makes three passing references to same-sex parents. It contains generic advice about what teachers should do if kids ask them about atypical homes— like ones with adoptive parents, step-siblings, or grandparents. Teachers are advised to remind kids that everybody's family is different, but they're all based on love."

There is also a tolerance pledge found on the website which encourages the same idea. If tolerance held true to it's meaning, "The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others," then people are being pretty selective in who they choose to tolerate.

Would there be an outcry if the KKK chose to use the Simpson's to portray a nuclear family reading the Bible together and encouraging others to take a stand for God? Even though the KKK claims to read the Bible and claims to love God, they obviously clash with It's teachings. Some might point out that the actual KKK video doesn't portray any racial hatred or violence, yet would that be ok? Wouldn't it be obvious to all that the video was merely a shadow of the reality the KKK teaches? Clearly, we can all agree that tolerance should have it's limits.

Though the above example is extreme compared to the "We Are Family" video, the point I am trying to make is that we all have our own set of standards and beliefs. For some, the idea that a child could be raised in a homosexual family, brings thoughts of prejudicial breakthrough. They encourage it and look forward to the day when all people will be accepted as equal and given the same rights to adoption. For others, the same idea causes a conflict of spiritual beliefs. If the Bible teaches homosexuality as a sin, then no amount of "tolerance" teaching is going to change what a conservative Christian believes. Their authority is in God's Word, not the media.

Does that mean us Christians despise homosexuals? Do we teach and encourage gay-bashing? Hardly. That would be hypocritical of us. I show love to "sinners" everyday, I too am a "sinner." I can accept someone's differing opinions and co-exist without any violence. I can understand where they are coming from and even befriend them, but I won't condone the sin. And I won't encourage public schools to condone it either.

Update 1/22/2005: Finally, a Christian Blog that defends Dobson. So many of my daily reads were attacking Dobson right along with the MSM. Hugh Hewitt does the right thing and challenges God-blogs to think twice before agreeing with the NY Times.

Imago Dei has two of the best posts on the subject that I have read in the blogosphere. Read The Intolerance of Tolerance and then check out Cartoons: Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Another great article on the ultimate threat the video poses. This article links to the Writing for Change program (which he inappropriately associates with the cartoon video) which explicitly discusses homosexuality tolerance.

Here's an example of when tolerance goes too far. Illinois has added "sexual orientation" to their discrimination law. Discrimination laws of this nature typically attach a clause that makes religious organizations exempt, however, this particular bill doesn't.

When churches are forced to hire homosexuals the govenment has overstepped it's boundaries. The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Carol Ronen, D-Chicago says regarding churches, "If that is their goal, to discriminate against gay people, this law wouldn't allow them to do that."

IFI Director Peter LaBarbera says, "It's about saying that 'gay rights' are more important than religious freedoms, and we hope ultimately it will be struck down in court."

Forget About the Prom Lemoore High

2005-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Original Post 12/31/2004:

LEMOORE - Hold the shopping for that pretty dress and don't reserve the limo yet. This year's Lemoore High School junior/senior prom has been canceled.

According to LHS Principal Jim Bennett, the decision was not an easy one to make.

"I have approached students at dances, and before they occur, about this behavior for months," Bennett said. "We (school staff) have explained to students that certain types of dancing are not appropriate. I also warned them that this would happen if things didn't change."

Students, according to Bennett, are "freak dancing" - performing exceedingly sexually provocative moves that are not appropriate at school-sponsored events.
Read the rest at the Hanford Sentinel.

When I first heard about this, I laughed and called my wife, who graduated from Lemoore High School in '95. I thought it was a great idea. If the "freak" dancing doesn't stop, then NO DANCING AT ALL! I guess Principal Bennett wanted to ring in the New Year with a little bit of controversy.

After thinking more about it, I started to have a change of heart. It's not that I think kids should be allowed to "freak" each other at school, but what about all of those kids who don't participate in that dancing? I'm sure there are still students at LHS who dance like the scene from Napoleon Dynamite shown to the right. I went to 4 proms between my junior/senior years. I had no clue how to "freak" dance, nor did I want to learn how. I just enjoyed a night out with friends. High School Prom is such a part of the whole experience. Everyone remembers who they went with, what kind of dress or tux they wore, where it was at, yada, yada, yada. To take that experience away from every student due to the idiocy of a few is not fair. I'm sure he will rethink things after all of the parent letters come in. I know I would.

BTW: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Update 1/10: The story has caught on at CQ, one of the elite political blogs. Check out what the blogosphere is saying about the story.

Update 1/11/2005: When I posted this article back on New Years Eve, never did I think the attention to the story would become national. Yesterday I mentioned that Captain's Quarter's had posted about it. You can read his thoughts here. Today I discovered that MTV has even talked about the story. MTV mentions an occasion in NV where another principle canceled school dances. His car was vandalized and the dances were held by the school's parents at a local dance hall. Jim Bennett is sticking by his reasoning stating, "There will be no more dances at Lemoore until the student sponsors of the dances abide by two conditions: Number one, no freak dancing, and number two, the administrators don't have to assure number one," Bennett said. "Whether or not that will work, we'll have to see."

Update 1/20: I agree wholeheartedly that freak dancing should be squelched immediately when it occus on the dance floor of a high school gym. I have also heard since posting about this that school dances are much worse than when I was there ('96 grad). I realize that the freak dancing is much more sexual now as well. People simulating sex like a Brittany Spears concert. That being said, I completely understand Principal Bennett's concerns.

My proposal: Have an 80's dance music theme, or Disco night. If the music isn't "freak dance" material, won't the dancing become more acceptable (and talented for that matter)? As long as the DJ's are allowed to play the artists with sexually-charged lyrics, that's what the kids will learn to dance to.

You can check Lemoore High's website for updates on the status of the dances. The students in charge of dances are attempting to work out a solution.

Amber Frey book signing in Fresno

2005-01-20T09:35:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in meeting the witness who single-handedly took Scott Peterson down, mark your calendar for Jan. 29th. Amber Frey will be signing at Barnes & Noble across from the RiverPark shopping center.

Most people are applauding her for her critical assistance throughout this whole ordeal. She cooperated with the police, the investigators, and the prosecution team. Her life for the last two years has revolved around nothing else. Now that the trial is over, the guilty verdict with a sentence to death has been achieved, her life can slowly become normal again...yeah right.

Instead of trying to gain some privacy again, Amber has accepted her instant-celebrity status and taken it to the next level. She has been traveling around the country talking to anyone willing to televise an interview with her. Some question her motives, and wonder if she isn't taking advantage of an unfortunate situation. I believe Amber was caught in a catch-22. It isn't appropriate to expect her to disappear. Anyone placed in her shoes would likely do the same thing with this opportunity. My question for Amber is...How much of the books proceeds will be going to the Laci Peterson Fund?

Update 1/26: Here is a good article from Slate on Amber's new book.

Re-circulation of an excellent prayer

2005-01-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

You may have seen this prayer in a recent chain that has been re-circulating. The information in the letter is, for the most part, legitimate. Read Snopes for the whole truth. Here is Rev. Joe Wright's opening prayer before the Kansas House of Representatives back in January of 1996:

Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, "Woe to those who call evil good." But that's what we've done.

We've lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism.

We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle.

We've exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We've neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. In the name of choice, we have killed our unborn. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it taxes. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us. Show us any wickedness within us. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of the State of Kansas, and that they have been ordained by you to govern this great state.

Grant them your wisdom to rule. May their decisions direct us to the center of your will. And, as we continue our prayer and as we come in out of the fog, give us clear minds to accomplish our goals as we begin this Legislature. For we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!!

Iraqis want to vote

2005-01-18T23:15:00.000-08:00

Two-thirds of the registered voters in baghdad say they will be voting in the upcoming elections despite all of the threats of violence. Captain Ed points out that Baghdad will have a better turn-out than America did for her past election, which at 60.7% is the best turnout in 36 years.

Iraqi's living in the US are willing to travel 9 hours just to register to vote, and then repeat the same trip to actually vote 2 weeks later. That kind of dedication is what makes democracy such an attainable goal for Iraq.

"For us, right now, this is like a new birthday," said Ali Alhachem of Dearborn. "And we say thank you very much for the USA people, thank you very much for the USA government, thank you very much President Bush."

You won't be reading that quote in the mainstream media.

Unfortunately, some people will have to wait to be "recognized" for voter eligibility. Israeli Iraqi's will be refused the opportunity to vote simply because their country is not recognized. That situation sounds vaguely familiar to our own history of racial prejudice. In time...they will learn.

Update 1/22: Another poll shows that 80% of Iraqi's plan on voting.

How can the dream survive if we murder the children?

2005-01-17T23:33:00.000-08:00

That was the question proposed by Dr. Alveda King, the neice of Martin Luther King, Jr. She will be participating in a "March for Life" on January 24th. Priests for Life will be organizing the annual march. The national director of Priests for Life, Frank Pavone, notes a sermon MLK preached on Christmas in 1967:

"The next thing we must be concerned about if we are to have peace on earth and good will toward men is the nonviolent affirmation of the sacredness of all human life."

La Shawn Barber has a great post about the vision of Martin Luther King, Jr. Her concern is that the liberal elite are fighting in his name, but without the same vision, they are not honoring his name.

Third Trimester Abortion Survivor to speak in Modesto

2005-01-16T23:45:00.000-08:00

Gianna Jessen was not supposed to live. Her mother had chosen to abort Gianna in her third trimester, after receiving counsel from Planned Parenthood in Southern California. The saline her mother was injected with was supposed to have burned Gianna inside and out within 24 hours. Thankfully, her mother delivered Gianna at 6am inside the abortion clinic before the "doctor" arrived for his 9am shift. Gianna believes that the abortionist would have ensured her death that morning regardless of the saline's ineffectiveness. Ironically, had the abortionist been guilty of this, he could have been tried for murder.

In her testimony before the Constitution Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on April 22, 1996 (19 years-old) Gianna had this to say

"I am happy to be alive. I almost died. Every day I thank God for life...Today, a baby is a baby when convenient. It is tissue or otherwise when the time is not right. A baby is a baby when miscarriage takes place at two, three, four months. A baby is called a tissue or clumps of cells when an abortion takes place at two, three, four months. Why is that? I see no difference. What are you seeing? Many close there eyes..."

Gianna will be telling her story in Modesto at the Sanctity of Life Rally this Friday, 7pm at Modesto High School. If you can't make it to the event, consider purchasing her book, Gianna, and reading about the amazing story.
Read the entire article at Modbee.

I Can't Imagine the Pain of Losing a Child

2005-01-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

Michelle Malkin urges us to pray for Evan Parker Scott. He is a three-and-a-half-year-old who was removed from his adoptive parents custody to be reunited with the mother who birthed him. She links to an excellent article at The Boston Globe by Jeff Jacoby titled "When blood matters more than love." You can also find a video of the transfer at First Coast News.

I couldn't imagine the depth of loss that the Parker's are experiencing right now. The child they have cared for and loved was torn away from them by a very confused biological mother. But what saddens me the most is trying to understand the fear and confusion this boy will go through. In all of this, Evan is the true victim. God, have mercy on him and comfort him with the protection of Your loving arms.

Sanctification Through Trials

2005-01-14T22:40:00.000-08:00

James encouraged his readers to “count it all joy…when you meet trials of various kinds” (Jam.1:2). He knew that trials were the anvil upon which our faith is sharpened. Trials draw us nearer to our Lord as we rely upon Him to sustain us. Why is it that we often take the path of least resistance in order to avoid trials? If we aspire to have a closer walk with God, we must accept our trials and persecution with Joy! It is for His glory that we endure and it is by His strength that we succeed.

As the trials come, don’t panic and turn your back on God. Instead cling all the more tighter to the promise of future grace. "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

The President's $40 Million Inaugural Ball

2005-01-13T23:20:00.000-08:00

Is this new debate an attack from the liberal media to question Bush and challenge everything he does? Is the Inaugural theme of "Celebrating Freedom, Honoring Service" a worthy response to the expense? I suppose you could ask one of the soldier's who was invited. It's one thing to question the frivolity of the Inaugural Ball when 210,000 lives have been lost and a costly war is taking place. It's another thing to completely ignore the fact that the Inaugural Ball has been going on for over 200 years and that Republicans and Democrats both participate when it's their turn. In fact, the former President Bill Clinton had two of his own. One that cost about 33 million and another that was just shy of 30 million.

Can we assume Kerry would have done things differently if he were president now? I guess we can all safely answer affirmative to that. We probably wouldn't be at war in Iraq (or we would have, then we wouldn't have, then we would have but not really), Saddam would still be wreaking havoc in the lives of the Iraqi people, we would be encouraged with the scam-ridden results of the United Nations - promoting their oil-for-food plan, and ultimately the world would be worse off but Democrats could have their party...guilt free.

Still, I think the idea of throwing an extravagant party at a time like this is pretty poor taste. Not only does it give the media world more ammunition to bash Bush, but it reveals a little too obviously that rich Americans will be rich Americans regardless of the state of the world. That goes for individuals in both political parties. "The love of money is the root of all evil", and it's times like this which reveal how much we Americans abhor that verse. I say, cancel the ball and send the money to World Vision (not the UN). At the same time, the rest of the world and each individual should be looking for ways to live more frugally and give more freely.

Consumer Reports and the United Nations

2005-01-13T16:04:00.000-08:00

Consumer Reports has made a response defending their reasoning for encouraging abortion as birth control. In their response they cite the UN.

Speaking of the UN, they have a new ad campaign that involves condoms. Meet the 3 Amigos. In one of the spots, they mock abstinence as being unrealistic and old-fashioned.

Keep digging that hole Consumer Reports. Soon you'll polarize yourself from half of America just like your buddies over at the United Nations.

Freeze Proposed for Prop. 71 - Stem Cell Reseach

2005-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Fresno Mayor Alan Autry is calling for the suspension of the stem cell research Proposition 71. With the state not in a position to afford shelling out an additional $200 million per year ($6 billion over 30 years), the mayor of Fresno is asking for the prop. to be suspended for 5 years. I was in the 40% that didn't vote for the prop. so I would love to see the state recognize the mayor's concerns. However, since the state is painted blue everywhere but here in the central valley, I'm inclined to think he'll be ignored.

Update - Consumer Reports has been thrown into the flame with Planned Parenthood

2005-01-12T13:19:00.000-08:00

Original Post 1/10:
In a previous post I mentioned that Planned Parenthood condoms ranked with the worst. In fact, two out of the three condoms that Consumer Reports tested from Planned Parenthood ranked dead last. Planned Parenthood has placed their spin on the results claiming that they have retested all of their condoms and received "excellent results."

Now the report itself is coming under fire as Consumer Reports praises Planned Parenthood for their work and encourages women to consider the several birth control options, including abortion. Surgical abortion is described as the sucking out of "uterine contents." The procedure is said to contain less risk than following through with the pregnancy.

Thank you Consumer Reports for overstepping your boundaries! You just went from being a respectable and trustworthy magazine to puppet in one article. That's no small feat! I especially like the way you called the growing child within my wife's womb "uterine contents." I can't wait to see what those contents will look like in about 7 months. Probably similar to my mother's "uterine contents" when I was a child. If I were at all naive I might discourage my wife from having the child as you report that delivering the child is 118 times more likely to end fatally for the mother than abortion (which coincidentally ends with 100% fatality of the "uterine contents"). You made getting an abortion sound better than an enema. If I had a subscription to cancel I would! Since I don't, I will do my best to convince others to cancel.

Update 1/12:
An interesting new discovery has been made about the CEO of Consumer Reports. WND is reporting that he once led a state branch of Planned Parenthood. Sounds like a possible conflict of interest to me...

Update - Kid Rock (Not) to perform for the youth at Bush's Inauguration

2005-01-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

An article over at World Net Daily voices concern about choosing the vulgar rocker to headline the performance.

If Christians were largely influential in re-electing Bush to his second term, it would be extremely bad taste to allow Kid Rock to headline his inauguration. I'm not sure who organizes the events festivities but they should be fired today! Those who can afford the $750 tickets to the ball should be appalled at what their kids will be encouraged to listen to. Kid Rock may be a Bush supporter...but he is a perverted rock singer first and foremost. What is he going to sing? One of his latest sexually explicit, profanity laced ballads? He could follow one of those great hits up with "God Bless America."

Update 1/7 8:50 AM:

Despite press reports originating in the New York Times that rock-rapper Kid Rock would perform at the Bush inauguration, the Presidential Inauguration Committee now says the vulgar entertainer is "not confirmed" to appear at the celebration's youth concert.
Read the rest at World Net Daily.

Thank goodness!

Update 1/12:
A new report reveals that Kid Rock definately is not going to be playing at the inauguration. I wonder if this was another blogosphere takedown.

This is how I want to leave this earth...

2005-01-12T13:03:00.000-08:00

Rev. Jack Arnold, a Presbyterian minister at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Orlando, died at the age of 69 in the midst of giving a sermon about Heaven. What an amazing way to go! A colleague reported his last words to be, "And when I go to heaven..." I've always thought I would like to die in my sleep, but this definately trumps that!
Article origination from My Way, via the Drudge Report.

If you like BlogExplosion, Try BlogClicker!!

2005-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

I started using blogexplosion a couple of weeks ago and I have found some great blogs to read. I've also received several comments on my own blog from users of BE. Now there is a new click-exchange for blogs called BlogClicker. It works the same way so give it a shot!

Evangelism Training from Jesus

2005-01-11T17:13:00.000-08:00

Matthew 8:20 “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Jesus never shied away from the harsh reality that following Him required. He was always very upfront about the cost. He warned of persecution and trials that every Christian would inevitably experience. For some, that promise became the bedrock of their faithfulness. For others, it was the stumbling block that led to indifference.

Jesus’ method of sharing with others was never diluted by promises of ease. Life is difficult, and following Him does not alleviate the hardship. In fact, generally, it increases the pain. Jesus did not coddle every individual who came to Him with false hope. He laid out the cost, and waited to see conviction. If someone was coming to Jesus to escape the challenges of life, they would not be satisfied with His response.

Despite the clear method Jesus exemplified, the gospel today is often presented with opposite claims. In an attempt to attract the seeker Christ is presented to them as a cure-all. “Come to Jesus and all your troubles will disappear.” Today, the message of the gospel is littered with flowery speech that produces false converts or at best ill-prepared converts. The church should take care that we don’t forsake the truth for numerical gain.

The Tsunami was predicted and warned about!

2005-01-09T23:16:00.000-08:00

I was floored when I read this article. At first I thought someone was just trying to get some media hype but the man is a genious who deserves the attention. His name is Kerry Sieh and he claims that he had been trying to get the attention of officials in Asia for months prior to handing out flyers and putting up posters which warned of the tsunami. He is a professor of geology at California Institute of Technology. The school website has this to say about it:

In Sumatra: Notes From a Geologist in the Field UPDATED 1/7/05
For more than a decade, Kerry Sieh, the Robert P. Sharp Professor of Geology and a member of the Tectonic Observatory, has studied the Sumatran subduction zone. Last summer he and his colleagues distributed brochures to people living on nearby islands to explain the area's geology and suggest ways to limit future damage. Sieh recently returned to Indonesia, and in these e-mailed messages, presents his observations following the Aceh earthquake.

Kudo's to Kerry (never thought I'd be saying that...)!

So I now have trackback capabilities...

2005-01-09T22:53:00.000-08:00

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

I got my first trackback from Sisu - Thank you very much.

I learned how to install it and begin using it but I didn't realize that all my previous comments would be deleted. That's kind of lame! It was probably in the small print somewhere at Haloscan but I'm a guy, and everyone knows that guys don't read small print.

I just want to formally apologize to the millions of commentators whose precious words have been lost forever. Now no one will believe me when I say that all of my posts had the quantity of comments that Joe Carter gets with every post he makes.

Planned Parenthood Condoms Rank with the Worst

2005-01-07T21:41:00.000-08:00

A study done by Consumer Reports has Planned Parenthood (PP) scrambling to spin the results. Pro-life advocates have accused PP of providing poor condoms to people knowing they will fail. That in turn provides the abortion industry continued traffic. Although the study certainly doesn't prove their case, PP definately felt the sting of the news when it was leaked.

Should Evangelical leaders flex their political muscles?

2005-01-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

James Jewell of Rooftop Blog has a great post on the subject. The post is a response to a NY Times article regarding some comments made by James Dobson. Though Focus on the Family has been very influential in the Christian as well as political realm, James Dobson, often walks a thin line between the two. As Jewell points out, it may be better for him to simply choose one or the other rather than cloud the issue, and possibly misrepresent God.

Members of the Univ. of Oregon wrestling team were attacked in Fresno

2005-01-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

Two members of the University of Oregon wrestling team were the victims of a brutal attack in a convenience store parking lot last weekend while the team was in Fresno, Calif., for a dual meet.

Junior Martin Mitchell and sophomore Cyle Hartzell were jumped from behind by a group of men just after midnight Sunday. One of the assailants knocked Mitchell to the ground with a blow to the back of the head, while others attempted to slice off Hartzell's left ear.

Mitchell said the attack was over in a matter of seconds, ending when both wrestlers ran back to their hotel, which was located behind the store.

Hartzell's ear was nearly cut off and clung to the side of his head only by the lobe. He immediately underwent successful surgery in Fresno to have the ear reattached.

"I don't know if they used a straight blade or a box cutter or what, but it was a clean cut," Oregon coach Chuck Kearney said. "It was just hanging there."
Read the entire article at The Register-Guard.

What a bunch of cowards. The attackers hit the UO wrestlers from behind and then ran off. How pathetic is that?

Gender Roles in the Church

2005-01-06T01:00:00.000-08:00

...In a few years, one of the two congregations I served (it was a yoked parish) no longer had any women on its board of elders and this led to our coming under the rebuke of our denomination since we were violating the constitutional requirement that women and men hold office in equal numbers in each local congregation.

After about a year and a half of deliberation within our board of elders, we decided to leave that denomination, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and join another denomination, the Presbyterian Church in America.

This second denomination still honors Scripture, and she is a community of believers still confessing what Scripture clearly says: that abortion, infanticide, fornication, and homosexuality are sin. Further, church discipline is still practiced within this ecclesiastical fellowship, the Bible is still honored, and only men are eligible for the offices of pastor and elder.

While I was in the process of transferring my credentials, I was examined by the local presbytery I was seeking to enter within the PCA and was asked the following question: “Do you believe in the ordination of women as pastors and elders?”

I answered, “No; in the past I have ordained women but I repent.”

Why did I (and do I) repent of ordaining women to the eldership?

Because the Bible with great clarity and simplicity forbids women to exercise authority over men.

*Luther on Loving Word of God and Conflict: Anyone who intends to love God and His Word will not have an easy time of it. It will often hit him between the eyes, and the love will often become the kind that the devil sours and embitters for him. Hence we need the ability to hold tight and to be devoted to the Word of God. -Luther's Works, Volume 21; edited by Jaroslav Pelikan; Concordia Publishing House; Saint Louis; “Sermon on Matthew 6:24,” p. 191.

The clarity and simplicity of God's commands concerning these matters is devastating to those moderns and postmoderns who try to use Scripture for their own purposes. This is why I have a certain respect for the original feminists such as the late Paul King Jewett of Fuller Theological Seminary who, in his classic work, Man as Male and Female, had the integrity simply to say that the Bible is clear and the Bible is wrong (pp. 118-119). It is also why I respect secular feminists who, having no need to honor Scripture or its Author, put it bluntly as they see it saying: “The Bible is hopelessly patriarchal,” by which they mean that because of its patriarchy we must reject Scripture.
Read the entire article at Baylyblog.

This is a great article by Tim Blayly regarding gender roles. He talks about how he initially desired to involve women in pastoral and elder positions (when he was apart of the PCUSA). He eventually left that church to go to a PCA which generally holds the historical views of the reformed church. I especially like his point that he respects feminists who are able to admit the Bible's clear teachings on the issue. It is difficult to keep quiet when people try to inappropriately apply scripture to their worldviews. In an attempt to cater to both scripture and the modern view they blaspheme God's Word. If your foundation for reasoning is based upon scripture, there is not much room for women pastors.

Gun Control Doesn't Work

2005-01-05T22:45:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – While it is an article of faith among gun-control proponents that government restrictions on firearms reduces violence and crime, two new U.S. studies could find no evidence to support such a conclusion.

The National Academy of Sciences issued a 328-page report based on 253 journal articles, 99 books, 43 government publications, a survey of 80 different gun-control laws and some of its own independent study. In short, the panel could find no link between restrictions on gun ownership and lower rates of crime, firearms violence or even accidents with guns.

The panel was established during the Clinton administration and all but one of its members were known to favor gun control.
Read the entire article at World Net Daily

While this report doesn't come as a shocker to many of us conservatives, what is surprising is who the report comes from. Most liberals would immediately like to attack the source when a report of this magnitude is released. However, the source is a group of advocates for gun-control doing research appointed by Clinton! What an amazingly honest find! I am impressed by the reports truthfulness, yet I am not shocked by it's lack of media attention. If you don't read World Net Daily, you likely have not heard of it.

Back from Vacation in So.Cal.

2005-01-05T22:37:00.000-08:00

I've got some pics to post...but not tonight.

Tsunami, Sovereignty, and Mercy - John Piper

2004-12-31T16:14:00.000-08:00

God claims power over tsunami's in Job 38:8 when he asks Job rhetorically, Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb . . . and said, Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed? Psalm 89:8-9 says, O Lord . . . You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. And Jesus himself has the same control today as he once did over the deadly threats of waves: He . . . rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm (Luke 8:24). In other words, even if Satan caused the earthquake, God could have stopped the waves...

For children, who are too young to process mentally the revelation of God in nature or Scripture, death is not the final word of judgment. Gods commitment to display his justice publicly means that he does not finally condemn sinful people who could not physically construe natural or special revelation (Romans 1:20). There is a difference between suppressing revelation that one can mentally comprehend (Romans 1:18), and not having a brain sufficient to comprehend it at all. Therefore, when small children suffer and die, we may not assume they are being punished or judged. No matter how horrible the suffering or death, God can turn it for their greater good....

When the Bible says, Weep with those who weep (Romans 12:15), it does not add, unless God caused the weeping. Job's comforters would have done better to weep with Job than talk so much. That does not change when we discover that Jobs suffering was ultimately from God. No, it is right to weep with those who suffer. Pain is pain, no matter who causes it. We are all sinners. Empathy flows not from the causes of pain, but the company of pain. And we are all in it together.
Read in it's entirety at Desiring God.

Some people shake their fist at God, others blame Satan. John Piper contends that both are inappropriate responses. When Job lost everything (family, livelihood, and health) he said, “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). God honored him with his response. Job didn't blame Satan for the trials he was experiencing. All he could do was weep, and trust that God would restore him. I can't relate to what the victims of the tsunami are going through. But I can point them to someone who can. I can weep with them and send support for their relief. But ultimately, apart from God, no amount of human comforting can appease their pain. If you would like to send support, go to World Vision. If you would like to know God, go to Living Waters.

U.S. Boosts Tsunami Aid Tenfold to $350M

2004-12-31T13:47:00.000-08:00

By DEB RIECHMANN

CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) - The United States is pledging $350 million to help tsunami victims, a tenfold increase over its first wave of aid, President Bush announced Friday.

"Initial findings of American assessment teams on the ground indicate that the need for financial and other assistance will steadily increase in the days and weeks ahead," Bush said Friday in a statement released in Crawford, Texas, where he is staying at his ranch.

"Our contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this epic disaster."
Read the rest at My Way News

Powell also praised the generosity of private donors in the United States and said he hoped the world would follow their example.

"I want to encourage all the nations of the world to reach deep and to make as significant contribution as they are able to because this is an unprecedented disaster. It is unprecedented in my career, and I have been through a number of humanitarian crises in the last 20 years, so I hope that the world will be generous in this regard," he said.
Read the rest at Yahoo News

It's nice to see that America isn't the only country that stepped up their initial pledge. Now how long will it take the world to forget the generosity of America? I would suggest giving to World Vision if you have not given yet. They are a very capable Christian organization.

For some statistics of America's private donations to the relief go to Powerline. They have an estimation of $169 Million.

Bush 'Undermining UN with Aid Coalition'

2004-12-30T17:25:00.000-08:00

By Jamie Lyons, PA Political Correspondent
United States President George Bush was tonight accused of trying to undermine the United Nations by setting up a rival coalition to coordinate relief following the Asian tsunami disaster.
The president has announced that the US, Japan, India and Australia would coordinate the worlds response.
But former International Development Secretary Clare Short said that role should be left to the UN.
"I think this initiative from America to set up four countries claiming to coordinate sounds like yet another attempt to undermine the UN when it is the best system we have got and the one that needs building up," she said.
"Only really the UN can do that job," she told BBC Radio Fours PM programme.
"It is the only body that has the moral authority. But it can only do it well if it is backed up by the authority of the great powers."
Ms Short said the coalition countries did not have good records on responding to international disasters.
She said the US was very bad at coordinating with anyone and India had its own problems to deal with.
"I dont know what that is about but it sounds very much, I am afraid, like the US trying to have a separate operation and not work with the rest of the world through the UN system," she added.
Article origination: Scottsman.com (linked from Drudge Report)

This comes after the UN attacked America for being stingy by only donating $35 million to the relief fund. It's ridiculous to act as if the only financial aid from America comes from the government. The United Nations is failing to recognize that every individual in America has the opportunity to write a check to the organization of their choice. I know several people who are donating to the American Red Cross and others who are giving to World Vision. There are countless other organizations providing aid. When it is all said and done, private donates will surely outweigh the $35 million donated by our government. America is a very generous country! Quit politicizing the catastrophe to cover up your own mistakes!

Will the Poker Craze Survive?

2004-12-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

I'll admit...I was not into poker at all until all the latest craze. Now, whenever I get the chance to veg in front of a TV with cable I look for poker (about once a month since we just have the bunny ears at home). I know all of the top personalities. I have my favorites. I want the real poker chips at home so I can learn to shuffle like the pros. It's kind of pathetic isn't it! The Fresno State Blog has a good article on this...

Poker is a great game but the pitfalls that surround it are just too large for most to truly succeed in it. One of the greatest players if not the greatest player of all time Stu Unger could control any table he played at but he lost everything he had to the many distractions that surround the game.
Read the rest at the Fresno State Blog.

Jesus' Reply to a Disaster of His Day

2004-12-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

We must not fall into the age old trap of thinking that the recent disaster was a specific judgement of God on either the victims or the world. Jesus made it very clear his view on that when asked about a disaster of his time. In fact he made us realise that the reality is far worse- we are all under threat of death and "perishing". That threat is commuted every day. God said that on the day that Adam sinned he would die. In a way God never kept that promise, and the fact he didn't is grace. Every breath, the fact that we werent swept off a beach somewhere, food, a home, a job, a family, it is all grace. We have no rights. Our first sin took them away. Maybe God allows events like this to shake us from the lie that we are immortal here on earth. The bell will toll for me one day. What will they say at my funeral?

I thank God for second (and third, fourth, fifth etc....) chances, and that the gospel really is good news to the hopeless.

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

ESV Bible Online: Passage: Luke 13
Post originated from Adrian Warnock's UK Evangelical Blog.

I like this gracious response to the chaos that is happening in the world right now. 52,000 have died from the Tsunamis. That is an amazing number, yet, all of us will "perish" one day. A catastrophe such as this allows us to show grace to the hurting and at the same time reminds us that life is but a vapor. Here is a link to World Vision. They are responding to the need by providing food and family survival kits to the victims.

A Star is Born in Fresno

2004-12-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

Aaron Ruell, known for his role as Kip (the one on the skates above) in Napoleon Dynamite, was born and raised here in Fresno. Check out the Q&A he did with FresYes.

The Need for a Method of Sanctification in the Protestant Church

2004-12-28T08:50:00.000-08:00

Dallas Willard in his book “The Renovation of the Heart” says the western church does not have a transferable method of sanctification. What is meant by this statement is that the Christian cannot go to his elder in the faith, become his student, and come out two years later as a transformed person. Sure we have classes on personal disciplines and anger management, BUT the product of such classes and discipleship programs, as far as I can see, are very low quality. On the level of personal sanctification and the transformation of our temperaments, the church lacks a method and a true process. Jesus was a disciple-maker and he taught his disciples the ways of prayer and humility and self-denial. These virtues and how to attain them are all but lost in the church. This element of salvation (personal transformation) is the primary program of the church, yet the process has not yet been designed.
Read the rest at 21st Century Reformation.

I completely agree that the Church today needs a reformation in its discipleship method (or more likely, lack of method). There is too much of a focus on the altar call that even Charles Finney admitted failed most of the time. Once a person prays to receive Christ it is assumed that the work is done. They now have their ticket to Heaven so we can move on to the next unsuspecting soul. I'll leave you with what Spurgeon said regarding this...

Do not, therefore, consider that soul-winning is or can be secured by the multiplication of baptisms, and the swelling of the size of your church. What mean these despatches from the battle-field? "Last night, fourteen souls were under conviction, fifteen were justified, and eight received full sanctification." I am weary of this public bragging, this counting of unhatched chickens, this exhibition of doubtful spoils. Lay aside such numberings of the people, such idle pretence of certifying in half a minute that which will need the testing of a lifetime.

The Central Valley Project: Is it Broken?

2004-12-28T08:24:00.000-08:00

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) - A handful of large farms get most of the water and subsidy dollars delivered by the country's biggest federal water supply project, according to a study by a national environmental organization.

The Central Valley Project, authorized in 1936 to support family farms, now funnels up to $416 million of subsidized water to agricultural giants in California's Central Valley, according to a study released earlier this month by the Environmental Working Group.

Specifically, the report indicated that the top 10 percent of agricultural water users were getting 67 percent of the water.

``The system is broken,'' said Environmental Working Group spokesman Bill Walker.
Read more...

If the project was intended to support "family farms" then the system is certainly broken. How does only 10% of the farms get 67% of the supply? Who's regulating this? That would be like Starbucks taking advantage of federal dollars and leaving Java Time up in Auberry with pennies.

Charles Spurgeon's Evening Devotional

2004-12-27T22:12:00.000-08:00

"And the LORD shall guide thee continually."—Isaiah 58:11.

"The Lord shall guide thee." Not an angel, but JEHOVAH shall guide thee. He said He would not go through the wilderness before His people, an angel should go before them to lead them in the way; but Moses said, "If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence." Christian, God has not left you in your earthly pilgrimage to an angel's guidance: He Himself leads the van. You may not see the cloudy, fiery pillar, but Jehovah will never forsake you."
Read the rest at Spurgeon Archives.

God is not only the giver of life, He sustains it as well. If we must fully rely upon Him for salvation, we likewise rely upon Him for sanctification. It is all by Grace. Apart from Him we can do nothing.

Fresno State Wins MPC in OT

2004-12-27T17:30:00.000-08:00

What a game! The Dogs win in OT 37-34! Read about it at ESPN. 5 TD tosses from Paul Pinegar was the nail in the coffin for Virginia. Fresno State did a pretty good job redeeming their season after losing 3. Their final record was 9-3.

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2004-12-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

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