Van Til in Ten Words or Less

Sorry, but this post is hopelessly esoteric for most Daily Mail readers . . .

This evening as we prayed together as a family (shocking and scandalous, I know) we were considering how to pray for the boys' friends. Marian suggested that they pray for them to "know God," to which Drew said, "They know God, they just act like they don't." How Van Tilian!

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

(Might make for a good caption contest?)

"Sinless perfection, OK, but a bit repressive"

I learned of the poetry of Steve Turner from listening to a lecture by Ravi Zacharias (and by the way, if you've never listened to Ravi, please do). I found 12 of Turner's poems about Jesus on this page. After reading them all I liked most of them, but I especially liked the first one listed, "If Jesus Was Born Today." I enjoyed it for it's social commentary, especially how the media would handle Jesus today.

If Jesus was born today
it would be in a downtown motel
marked by a helicopter's flashing bulb.
A traffic warden, working late,
would be the first upon the scene.
Later, at the expense of a TV network,
an eminent sociologist,
the host of a chat show
and a controversial author
would arrive with their good wishes
-the whole occasion to be filmed as part of the
'Is This The Son Of God?' one hour special.
Childhood would be a blur of photographs and speculation
dwindling by his late teens into
'Where Is He Now?' features in Sunday magazines.

If Jesus was thirty today
they wouldn't really care about the public ministry,
they'd be too busy investigating His finances
and trying to prove He had Church or Mafia connections.
The miracles would be explained by
an eminent and controversial magician,
His claims to be God's Son recognised as
excellent examples of Spoken English
and immediately incorporated into
the O-Level syllabus,
His sinless perfection considered by moral philosophers
as, OK, but a bit repressive.

If Jesus was thirty-one today
He'd be the fly in everyone's ointment-
the sort of controversial person who
stands no chance of eminence.
Communists would expel Him, capitalists
would exploit Him or have Him
smeared by people who know a thing or two about God.
Doctors would accuse Him of quackery,
soldiers would accuse Him of cowardice,
theologians would take Him aside and try
to persuade Him of His non-existence.

If Jesus was thirty-two today we'd have to
end it all. Heretic, fundamentalist, literalist,
puritan, pacifist, non-conformist, we'd take Him
away and quietly end the argument.
But the argument would rumble in the ground
at the end of three days and would break out
and walk around as though death was some bug,
saying 'I am the resurrection and the life...
No man cometh to the Father but by me'.
While the magicians researched new explanations
and the semanticists wondered exactly what
He meant by 'I' and 'No man' there would be those
who stand around amused, asking for something
called proof.

©2002 rejesus ltd

No "Ow," Just "Wow"

The boys and I saw this demonstrated on "This Old House" recently. This is no camera trickery, just some amazing technology!

I am very glad that our fashionable fiction seems to be full of a return to paganism, for it may possibly be the first step of a return to Christianity. Neo-pagans have sometimes forgotten, when they set out to do everything the old pagans did, that the final thing the old pagans did was to get christened.

~GK Chesterton~

More Perspective

Gflo sent me an e-mail (where he found this I haven't a clue) about a woman accused of practicing black magic in the majority Hindu Indian state of Jharkhand. In apparently government taught English it read, "Monday 23rd of July 2007 A women was stripped and brutally beaten with hot iron rods after she was branded a witch and held responsible for the death of a woman in a Jharkhand village, police said Monday."

The part that caught my attention was this (again in shaky English): "Witch-hunt cases are rampant in Jharkhand. More than 600 people, mostly women, have been killed in last 10 years after they were charged of practicing black magic." Remember, this is in only one of 28 states and 7 union territories in India.

Now that's a serious witch hunt. Here in the US the best we could do was the year 1692 in Salem, MA. 140 people were accused of witchcraft. Of those, nineteen were hanged, one person was pressed to death, and as many as thirteen people may have died in prison. And 10 years? Fuggeddaboutit! We wimped out after a year and later called for a day of fasting, "That so all of God's people may offer up fervent supplications unto him, that all iniquity may be put away, which hath stirred God's holy jealousy against this land; that He would show us what we know not, and help us, wherein we have done amiss, to do so no more."

Hmmm. I wonder how long it will take the Hindus to tire of hunting witches?

Perspective

So, we're a week into the indictment against P-Funk, Q, T, and Ookie for dog-fighting and related atrocities, and I have to say I've only heard one person say anything about it that has made any sense. Dr. Alveda King, the niece of MLK, issued a statement on July 20 which stated:

"The appalling cruelty to dogs described in the complaint against Michael Vick immediately reminds me of another kind of cruelty that is not only not punished, but is protected by our authorities," said Dr. King. "I'm talking about the incredible cruelty suffered by babies who are stabbed, have limb torn from limb, or have their skulls crushed in the womb by abortionists. The pain these children endure is undoubtedly excruciating, yet we close our eyes and look the other way in the name of 'choice.' Yes, of course we should ensure humane treatment of animals," said Dr. King, "but shouldn't we also humanely treat humans?"

That's unfortunately a decidedly minority view in the world of public figures. Even most abortion opponents wouldn't dare in this climate declare that unborn babies are more important than dogs. Political correctness protects dogs, not babies. Drives me nuts. Also, I am rather impressed that Dr. King used "ensure" instead of "insure;" that's a bright woman. And just to show how big of a disconnect there is in our society on the issue of abortion, check out these numbers from the CDC:

The only thing the chart lacks is a bar for the number of African-Americans "Killed in Iraq," (which would be 339).

Military Blogs

I am late discovering the world of blogs authored by our warrior class. A couple to note: Blackfive and Acute Politics.

Matthew Currier Burden started Blackfive upon learning of the valorous sacrifice of a friend that was not reported by the journalist whose life he saved. The most recent post on Blackfive is from "Uncle Jimbo" (which gave me pause since my kids have an Uncle Jimbo in the USAF) about our beloved Senate majority leader Harry Reid entitled "I'm Surrendering as Fast as I Can."

Acute Politics is a smaller operation from "Teflon Don." His latest post is a primer on Iraqi Security Forces and is a must read if you would like to actually understand what is happening instead of getting reports from journalists who never leave their briefing areas. This is great stuff you really can't get from other sources. As Don says "This blog represents my views and my views alone. Do not misconstrue anything you read here as US policy, goverment opinion, celebrity babblespeak, or anything else."

"Liberty hath a sharp and double edge, fit only to be handled by just and virtuous men;
to bad and dissolute, it becomes a mischief unwieldy in their hands."
~John Milton~

Jupiter

I had mentioned to some of you that we finally got the boys' (I think it's technically Drew's) telescope set up this past week. This time of year you can look to the south at dusk and prominently see Jupiter. (Looking west you'll see Venus.) And if you train your telescope on Jupiter, you'll see four of his moons as well. Pretty cool for just standing out on the front porch! This is essentially, though probably slightly better than, the view Galileo had when he looked at Jupiter the first time. If you click here, you can see his chart that records the position of the moons.

Another thing you might notice when you look through your telescope is "floaters" (not what you're thinking, Greg). These are detached cones or rods from your retina and they are literally floating around in your aqueous humor. You might have seen them when: 1) looking at bright sky or bright objects on a sunlit day; 2) when reading a book on your lap under a bright light; or, 3) when addressing a golf ball on a bright day. It didn't mention photographers, but it seems like you guys might see them, too.

So, if you haven't looked through a telescope in awhile, try it out. Happy gazing!

Darn Experiments

Men show their character in nothing more clearly
than by what they find laughable. ~Anonymous

Darwinists do best when they simply have ideas in their heads and don't try to verify them in the real world. They can even manage to give their ideas a romantic appeal as they hide behind time and chance. "Surely given enough time with conditions that are just so . . ." Thus, the "infinite monkey theorem" has been employed by Darwinists from time to time as an illustration that this ol' world could indeed have been produced by that magic cocktail of time and chance. Sounds alright, until you try it at home! From leithart.com:

How long will monkeys typing randomly on typewriters take to produce the works of Shakespeare? That's been a way of thinking about Darwinian evolution since who knows where. In 2002, researchers at the Paignton Zoo in England decided to find out. They left a computer terminal in a cage with six monkeys. The results: Mike Phillips, one of the researchers, said "They pressed a lot of S's" and "the lead male got a stone and started bashing the hell out of it." That is not even to mention the regular urination and defecation on the keyboard. After a month, the monkeys had produced about 5 pages of material, with very little resemblance to Shakespeare.

Now, that's funny right there, I don't care who you are!

Erotic Worship

This should get things stirred up around here and further cement my "NC-17" rating. Some of you regulars won't be with me on this, but it should lead to some good discussion. The subject is worship. Specifically, the erotic character of too much contemporary worship. Over at the Boar's Head Tavern "Pirate" sarcastically writes:

Let’s point out the obvious: replace the buxom blonde babes with stout matrons in their late 50’s, and the worship experience just plain doesn’t happen. Hire an older fellow that walks with a cane as your worship pastor instead of that handsome, young, energetic [bible college] graduate, and Sunday morning just won’t “work.” That should indicate something is wrong. This kind of “worship” isn’t anything new. Maybe fog machines, synthesizers, and colored lights are new, but sensuality and eroticism in worship aren’t. It’s just that in the olden-tymie days, you had to go to a pagan temple to get that. [The Church] did a remarkably bad job of incorporating the pagan culture into their worship. A few things changed with the imperialization of the Church, but the damage had already been done. Christian worship was doomed to centuries of reverence, formality, seriousness, regularity, and deliberation until the 20th century brought Aphrodite back to her rightful place as the orchestrator of our worship.

I'm in essential agreement with that, and I would love to hear someone defend the thesis that typical evengelical worship forms ("praise bands," "worship leaders," "special music solos," etc.) DO NOT come from pagan sources.

Tiger, Golf, and Our Military

If you like any of the above you need to watch this.  Tiger in Special Ops?  It might have happened!  And I love when he lets his caddy take the putt.  Nice event, Tiger. Watch the first six minutes or so of this video . . .

A Word of Caution . . .

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

• death (56x)
• abortion (25x)
• kill (11x)
• hell (8x)
• gay (7x)
• pain (5x)
• dangerous (4x)
• gun (3x)
• drugs (2x)
• bomb (1x)

Consider yourself warned.

Meet the Carolina Chocolate Drops

I was introduced to these guys this past weekend. They play "Old Timey Music from the Carolina Piedmont." Click below to watch "Sourwood Mountain." YouTube has better videos of them, but I like the line "Big dog bark, the little one bite you" in this one. That's certainly my experience; the only dog that ever bit me was one with a definite Napoleon complex. You can hear more of the Drops here, like "Viper Mad," which has another good line: "Good tea is my weakness." Amen!

I found this great interview with the band which was part of an event at the Atlanta History Center. "We’re trying not to make a big agenda, we just play the music. You can see that we’re black, we’re a string band, and that should be enough of a message." Very interesting.

It's not easy being green!

At least that's what color I think this shriveled up frog was once upon a time. This guy was found on my route between Rack Room Shoes and Lane Bryant. He appears to have been victimized by a work order in some office somewhere: his leaky faucet was fixed and his water supply was gone! A tough break in the middle of a drought!

Happy Independence Day!

Our morning July 4th celebration in Oxford. You'll notice that #2 son is missing. I'm sure he would love to tell you why.

There's nothing more expensive
than what the government promises to give you for free.
~Jerry Agar~

Try Foxit

I got an e-mail from Pop asking about a program called Foxit. It's an alternative PDF reader to Adobe Acrobat. Like Acrobat Reader, Foxit is free and has pay versions for additional features. I had never heard of Foxit before, but I downloaded it and it is great! The word that comes to mind is "FAST," which is definitely not the word that comes to mind with Adobe. Try it out.

46-53!

Sanity prevails, if only for the moment! The Senate rejected the Immigrant Amnesty today in a very interesting vote. Here are the 46 turncoats who joined with Sen. "Grahamnesty" to "embrace the 12 million," as he says.

Akaka (D-HI) Bennett (R-UT) Biden (D-DE) Boxer (D-CA) Cantwell (D-WA) Cardin (D-MD) Carper (D-DE) Casey (D-PA) Clinton (D-NY) Conrad (D-ND) Craig (R-ID) Dodd (D-CT) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Graham (R-SC)

Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Inouye (D-HI) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Klobuchar (D-MN) Kohl (D-WI) Kyl (R-AZ) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (ID-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL)

McCain (R-AZ) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Obama (D-IL) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Salazar (D-CO) Schumer (D-NY) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Whitehouse (D-RI) Wyden (D-OR)

The guys in bold have to be remembered whenever their primaries finally come around. The biggest surprise, even though he was part of the backroom dealings, is Kyl; I can't believe he actually pulled the trigger in the end. And McCain, who was on life support, is now officially dead in his bid for la casa blanca.

This bill was bad for many reasons, but fiscally it would have been a complete disaster. In fact, I was so unimpressed with the Senate's lack of examination of the financial ramifications of the bill that I sent a donation to the Heritage Foundation for Robert Rector's early number crunching that warned us all of the trillions we taxpayers would be out as a result of this legislation. Kudos to Heritage. Kudos to the 53. Kudos to talk radio, "the generators of simplicity." Kudos to the American people.

We Could Do Worse . . .

How's this for a potential '08 ticket? I guess they would run as independents?

Remodeling

Major redesign underway! Everything should still be here . . . somewhere. Posts will resume shortly. For now, the mail must go through!

"I am the literary equivalent of a Big Mac and Fries."
~Stephen King~

I Passed the US Citizenship Quiz:

Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Quiz?

The best data we have (concerning the big bang) are exactly what I would have predicted had I nothing to go on but the five books of Moses, the Psalms, the Bible as a whole.
~Arno Penzias~

FDR's D-Day Prayer

I heard this on the radio on my way home today. I don't know why I've never heard this before! (I guess government schools are as bad as I thought.) This is the prayer FDR led the nation in by radio the evening of D-Day, June 6, 1944. There are enough mentions of Almighty God and faith to make any self-respecting atheist squeamish. What is amazing is placing yourself in the context of that day, sitting by the radio and praying along with the president in such uncertain times. Incredible!

Text here. Audio here. For you high-speeders here is an excellent video presentation of the prayer appropriately updated for our nation's current conflict. And for something else interesting, even General Eisenhower made mention of Almighty God in his Order of the Day delivered to the Allied Expeditionary Force that morning.

D-Day Remembered

On the 40th anniversary of Operation Overlord, known forvever to the world as D-Day, June 6, 1944, Ronald Reagan spoke at the site of the U.S. Ranger Monument above the beaches upon which so many had died. In addition to the valor of those troops, the words of our 40th president are also worth remembering. You can read the whole speech here, but here is a portion:

The men of Normandy had faith that what they were doing was right, faith that they fought for all humanity, faith that a just God would grant them mercy on this beachhead or on the next. It was the deep knowledge--and pray God we have not lost it--that there is a profound, moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt.

You all knew that some things are worth dying for. One's country is worth dying for, and democracy is worth dying for, because it's the most deeply honorable form of government ever devised by man. All of you loved liberty. All of you were willing to fight tyranny, and you knew the people of your countries were behind you."...you knew the people of your countries were behind you."

The Americans who fought here that morning knew word of the invasion was spreading through the darkness back home. They thought--or felt in their hearts, though they couldn't know in fact, that in Georgia they were filling the churches at 4 a.m., in Kansas they were kneeling on their porches and praying, and in Philadelphia they were ringing the Liberty Bell.

Something else helped the men of D-Day: their rock-hard belief that Providence would have a great hand in the events that would unfold here; that God was an ally in this great cause. And so, the night before the invasion, when Colonel Wolverton asked his parachute troops to kneel with him in prayer he told them: Do not bow your heads, but look up so you can see God and ask His blessing in what we're about to do. Also that night, General Matthew Ridgway on his cot, listening in the darkness for the promise God made to Joshua: "I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.''

He goes on to add words for which Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, William F. Buckley, and the like ought to give heed:

We in America have learned bitter lessons from two World Wars: It is better to be here ready to protect the peace than to take blind shelter across the sea, rushing to respond only after freedom is lost. We've learned that isolationism never was and never will be an acceptable response to tyrannical governments with an expansionist intent.

May we never forget.

Talk (or rather Listen) to Mr. Ed !

Back to the Grindstone!

Wow. "Vacation" is over. Now the garage is cleaner; the basement could probably still be called a mess (too many toys); my cousin is married due in small part to Jacob's ringbearing and my eating a good share of the rehearsal dinner! So, it's back to the Post Office and maybe even back to blogging.

"Self Portrait" by Drew

Drew says, "This is how I look when I'm scared." That's his hair going wild with fright. I wish you could see the whole thing; it fills a 12 x 18 inch page, but our scanner isn't that big.

He says you can tell it's him by the "whale tail" necklace. You can also recognize him by the square jaw (if you don't first mistake him for Tom Petty or Steve Tyler!).

Daily Mail Straw Poll

I've posted a new poll asking which Republican presidential candidate you would vote for. The poll is in the left-hand column, or you can access it by clicking here.

I voted for Duncan Hunter. He hasn't flipped on anything. He's built a wall in San Diego to combat illegal immigration. He voted for a war which he has sent his own son to fight in (3rd tour coming up). He's tough on Iran. Tough on China. Solidly pro-life. His vote ratings:

• A+ National Rifle Association
• 100% Eagle Forum
• 100% National Right to Life
• 92% Lifetime rating, American Conservative Union
• 100% Concerned Women for America
• 100% Christian Coalition
• 100% Campaign for Working Families
• 7% ACLU (that's right, 7%)

Besides, if he's good enough for Chuck Yeager, he's good enough for me! He's just the sort of ideological conservative we need in la Casa Blanca. Who are you supporting?

Time to Make the Donuts!

One of my all-time favorite characters and one of my all-time favorite foods:

Good Call

I wonder how accurate any of you think this is . . .

A caller to the Laura Ingraham radio program this week made the point that the mood of the country toward abortion is generally presented by the media as "pro-choice with restrictions," whereas he felt it could more accurately be described as "pro-life with exceptions." It's a significant distinction; I think he makes a good point.

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: that God governs in the affairs of men.
~Benjamin Franklin~

What if you were a pompous curmudgeon who was pudgy with self-importance?

You would be Chris Hitchens! Initially I wanted to place here the video of Hitchens making a self-righteous fool of himself as he blamed every problem on earth for the last 30 years on Jerry Falwell, but I decided I didn't want his face on my beautiful little corner of the internet, so if you want to take a look at it you'll have to go here. He begins by lamenting that there is no hell for Falwell to go to. Well, at least there's no atheist heaven for Hitchens to go to. Now, I'm not the huge fan of Falwell that Ann Coutler is, but he is nowhere near the cause of the world's ills.

Also, Hitchens vs. Wilson Part 3 is up over at CT. I'm learning from this debate that Hitchens is not all that interested in the debate; he's simply impressed with his own thoughts. And somehow he has convinced himself that Thomas Jefferson was an atheist, but he needs to see my post of May 15, or he could at least read the Declaration of Independence!

Survey Says . . .

I stumbled onto pollingreport.com and though it's a bit overwhelming it really does pull together all the polls you hear about on different subjects. Just click on a category and you can go through a chronological listing of questions and answers from Gallup, Zogby, ABC, FOX, CNN, etc. Now, I don't in the end care about polls, and they are usually misrepresented in the media reports as much as possible (and of course no one has ever solicited my opinion!). But sometimes there are interesting things to be found in the "internals" of the polls. For you political junkies especially, Polling Report is worth a look.

"Morning Glories for Mother's Day" by Drew

God who gave us life gave us liberty. And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed our only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God?

~Thomas Jefferson~

Lord Willing and the Pancakes Don't Rise

I was unhappy with some blueberry pancakes I made recently. They were flat, not fluffy. If this happens to you, it's probably your baking powder. It doesn't have a very long shelf-life, so if you're unsure you should test it before using it. Here's how: pour a teaspoon of it into 1/3 cup or so of hot water. You should get some serious fizzing. If not, your baking powder is a dud. In a pinch you can mix your own by combining a tablespoon of baking soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar and 1-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. It's not quite a good "double acting" baking powder, but it will get some air into your pancakes (or whatever else).

What would the PC police do with this guy?

So much of our contemporary study of history is both tragic and humorous at the same time. It is indeed sad the length to which "historians" have gone to remake our national history--particularly that of the founding generation; but it is also funny to imagine the anguished contortions a PC liberal trying to cleanse the public square of religion must go through when he reads stuff like these following gems from George Washington.

To the Delaware Indian Chiefs he said in May 1779:

Brothers: I am glad you have brought three of the Children of your principal Chiefs to be educated with us. I am sure Congress will open the Arms of love to them, and will look upon them as their own Children, and will have them educated accordingly. This is a great mark of your confidence and of your desire to preserve the friendship between the Two Nations to the end of time, and to become One people with your Brethren of the United States. My ears hear with pleasure the other matters you mention. Congress will be glad to hear them too. You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are.

Whoa! Doesn't he know the superiority of good-old Native American paganism to all that Jesus stuff? A few graduate courses in multi-culturalism should set him straight. And when it comes to the military, secularists would rather not ask and have Washington not tell:

While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.

If he were around making statements like these today I'm afraid poor George would have to go to PC prison along with Imus and the rest. No wonder the secularistas try to ignore and rewrite this history stuff!

Take God out of the universe and everything is annihilated, every higher joy of the mind, every love, and only the wish for mental suicide would remain, and only the devil and the beast would still desire to exist.
~Jean Paul Richter~

Sacred Fire

I'm pleased finally to have a copy of George Washington's Sacred Fire by Dr. Peter Lillback to dig through. I may need more than a shovel though; it's over 1200 pages! The book is an answer, or should I say THE answer to the question, "Was George Washington a Christian or a Deist?" Scholarship since the bicentennial of Washington's birth in 1932 has tried to say, "Deist!," or at least that he was "not deeply religious" or "not particularly ardent in his faith."

Lillback does an apparently remarkable thing for modern scholarship. He goes to the source and discovers what Washington had to say about himself! Fifteen years of pouring over Washington's personal papers and no wonder the book is so long. One quick, but important, example is that Lillback examines what many scholars have not: the many sermons that Washington read, purchased, received, and commented upon in his life. I'll be posting here as I dig.

Wilson / Hitchens, Part 2

Hitchens is running around the ring with his hands raised as if he scored a round one knockout. His response to Wilson's opening statement reads rather like the Democrats shouting "Victory" and retreating in medias res. Not to worry; Wilson has explained to Hitchens how he might give a more cogent response. We shall see.

Four Homeschooled Nerds . . .

Atheists Crawling Out From Under Rocks

Maybe atheists are their own evidence for evolution. They strike me as closer kin of Amoeba than Homo Sapiens. Lately they've been taking their "God be damned" message to the public in louder, prouder ways. I've recently mentioned Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian Nation. Now Christopher Hitchens is trying to steal the bully pulpit with his God Is Not Great. And this morning (though it aired last night on Nightline) I began to view the debate between Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort of Way of the Master ministries and two joy-filled amoebas from the "Rational Response Squad." I don't have time to comment yet, but you can view the first installment here. I believe there are six parts.

Probably of more interest (because who cares what the "Rational Response Squad" thinks; at least someone other than amoebas do care what Christopher Hitchens thinks) is the debate in Christianity Today between Hitchens and Doug Wilson. That can be found here, and is supposed to run throughout the month of May.

Academia Gone Wild

A tenured college professor is set to be fired for simply sending out an e-mail to colleagues containing George Washington’s "Thanksgiving Day Proclamation of 1789.” And apparently the worst part is that he got it from Pat Buchanan's website !  Oh, the horror! Hey, I've cited the Thanksgiving Day proclamation before; I wonder if I'm going to the fired?

Our object should not be to have scripture on our side but to be on the side of scripture; and however dear any sentiment may have become by being long entertained, so soon as it is seen to be contrary to the Bible, we must be prepared to abandon it without hesitation.
~William Symington~

Week In Review

• Junior, our pet Garter snake, molted again. He is about 23 inches long now, and just as cute as ever!

• What a line! From a NY Times article on Barack Obama's faith: "Generally, Mr. Obama emphasizes the communal aspects of religion over the supernatural ones." Hmmm. Not that the NY Times has a clue when it comes to religion, but I have to say that's a pretty good definition of a liberal.

• Throw the case out! Jane Goodall has walked out of a jungle somewhere to testify on behalf of a woman who wants to be the legal gaurdian of a chimpanzee named Matthew. The matter is over 3,400 British pounds (roughly $6,700) given to the chimp by someone concerned for his well-being after his preserve near Vienna, Austria went bust. The woman wishes to assist the chimp just as any child would have assistance from a legal guardian. The case snuck into court when lawyers did not reveal that "Matthew" was in fact a chimpanzee! This all might seem ridiculous to you, but understand that these are not your father's animal rights activists; they are going way beyond protesting fur coats. Today's activists are dead serious about bestowing human status, complete with the attendant rights, upon animals.
  

• I have written before about what I consider to be a responsible, Christian approach to environmental issues. In my opinion this group has it right. For those of you who don't click on the links I work so hard to provide you, I am talking about the Cornwall Alliance (I can hear the "cornball" jokes already). The group is essentially the old Interfaith Stewardship Alliance. They have changed their name this week to the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation (CASC). If you have never done so, I strongly suggest that you read their founding document, the Cornwall Declaration, or their response to the "Evangelical Call to Action" document signed by some notable evangelicals who are apparently about as discerning as me at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

• I've been upset before with the "Quotemeal" feature in the right column of the blog. It's a potluck quotation generator. Sometimes I'm pleased with it; sometimes I'm ready to put disclaimers all over the page and throw Quotemeal into the sea. Today (May 5) it is quoting Jimmy Carter. That could be the final straw!

• For those fascinated with things astronomical my sister site, the Daily Mail of London, has some great new pictures and video of Jupiter and its moons. Worth a look!

National Day of Prayer

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Many events are scheduled around the nation perhaps in your neck of the woods. In fact, Covington has a "Prayer in the Square" event scheduled for 7 - 9 o' clock this evening. At noon today the following prayer will be said by many groups around the USA:

2007 Prayer for Our Nation
Written by Dr. Charles R. Swindoll

Almighty God, we pause to reflect on Your character as we seek wisdom for such a time as this.

In these unsafe days,
You remain all-powerful and able to protect;

In these uncertain times,
You remain all-knowing, leading us aright;

In the unprecedented events we're facing,
You remain absolutely sovereign.
Our times are in Your hands.

Therefore, our dependence on You, is total, not partial

. . . our need for Your forgiveness is constant

. . . our gratitude for Your grace is profound

. . . our love for You is deep.


We ask that You guard and guide our President
and all who serve the people of these United States.
May uncompromising integrity mark their lives.

We also ask that You unite us as truly "one nation,
under God." May genuine humility return to our ranks.

And may that blend of integrity and humility
heal our land.

In our Lord's name we pray,

Amen.

Close Enough to Free for Me

The environment is much too important to be left to environmentalists.
~Steven Hayward

Whine-Free Wine

I delivered a bundle of Wine Report magazines yesterday to the friendly wine merchant on my route. She then gave me my own personal copy. (Sam Neill, best known from the Jurassic Park movies, is on the cover. I rather enjoyed him in Dead Calm. Check it out if you haven't seen it.)

Anyway, this is from the beginning of a story called "A Hot Debate" in the Wine News section:

"Global warming is a bunch of bunk."

That's according to Charles Brammer, owner and winemaker at Morgan Creek Vineyards in Harpersville, AL.

Way to go, Chuck! I might have to buy a bottle or two of Morgan Creek wine (to help offset all those people who just demonized you for being a climate-change denier).

Also, Ernest Gallo died March 6 at the age of 97.

Caption Contest

Election Update

Results are not yet final in Nigeria, but early returns are disappointing.

The vote on Saturday in Africa's most populous nation was marred by violence, fraud and intimidation. First results on Sunday indicated continued dominance by the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP), as was expected.

The election was a far cry from the hoped-for display of democracy to mark the first handover from one civilian president to another in a country scarred by decades of military rule.

16 had died in election related violence.

Pray

UPDATE! If you would like to financially assist the families affected by the fire talked about below, contact any branch of First Nation Bank.

---

I was not at work Friday, but I got a phone call telling me that a business on my route had burned. I was sad to learn that it was T-Lex, a car repair shop specializing in Toyota and Lexus. The owner, a great guy named Gil, is one of a rare breed of honest and fair car repairmen.

As you can see from the picture, the main building was a total loss. Fortunately the high winds of the past week were gone and the fire didn't spread to his adjacent building as well. No one was hurt, but nine cars and over half a million dollars in equipment burned up. The fire started when one of Gil's men was working on a fuel leak. Gil was not present when the fire began.

Please pray for Gil and his wife, Misty, and their daughter (I don't know her name), and all the other families affected by this fire as they work to put things back together. As Gil said, "It's amazing how quickly things can change."

Additional Reactions to Partial Birth Abortion Ruling

rosie O asked:

"why only democrat's responses? I'm sure Rudy and Mitt had something to say...What say you Blogger?"

Well, Rudy and Mitt (and even McCain) were good:

Giuliani: "The Supreme Court reached the correct conclusion in upholding the congressional ban on partial birth abortion. I agree with it."

Romney: Said the decision “reaffirmed the value of life in America by upholding a ban on a practice that offends basic human decency.”

and McCain: Said the ruling “ensures that an unacceptable and unjustifiable practice will not be carried out on our innocent children.” “It also clearly speaks to the importance of nominating and confirming strict constructionist judges who interpret the law as it is written, and do not usurp the authority of Congress and state legislatures."

But the really interesting reaction is from our former Double-Talker-in-Chief on Larry King's Alive tonight. He doesn't believe it's a pro-life decsion. Hoooo-boy! You want to see some slick abortion rhetoric? Here you go! . . . From the transcript at CNN.com (warning, this will cause nausea and nightmarish flashbacks) . . .

~~~~~~~~
KING: Some of the bases we will cover tonight.

The Supreme Court has said partial-birth abortion is wrong. The woman will not be blamed, but the doctor can get up to two years.

Thoughts?

B. CLINTON: Well, you know, I vetoed that bill twice. And I think it's a great victory for the political strategy of the anti- abortion movement. But I do not believe it's a pro-life decision.

KING: No?

B. CLINTON: I do not. Not a pro-life decision, because, let me remind you, when I vetoed that bill, I had standing in the White House with me an Evangelical Christian who had had the procedure who was pro-life, an Orthodox Jew who had had the provision who was pro-life, and another Christian who had been pro-choice.

All three women and their husbands and physicians -- but two of the three who had had the provision were pro-life. They did it because their children were -- I mean, their unborn children were severely hydrocephalic. They were certain to die either before, during or immediately after childbirth. And the doctors told them that if they did not reduce the size of these babies' heads -- which were swollen very high, very large -- that delivering them, even by cesarean section, might so damage the women that they might not be able to bear other children.

And they told me that they would otherwise never want to use this procedure, that no one would want to do this unless there was some medical necessity for it.

But it sounded gruesome. You could use -- you can label it and no one ever knew the facts. It was a perfect political strategy.

Who can be for partial-birth abortion?

It's a great line.

But the truth is, the doctors who did it and the women who agreed to have it -- as I said, I talked to two of them who were pro-life, anti-abortion. They did it because they thought it was a pro-life position. They thought it was the only way they could go on and have further children.

KING: So you don't see "Roe v. Wade" in danger?

B. CLINTON: No, I do think it's in danger. But all I'm saying is I don't believe that this was a victory for the pro-life forces. I think -- you know, I think abortion is a difficult decision. I agree with the "Roe v. Wade" decision because I don't think we ought to criminalize this. I think it's somewhat hypocritical, frankly, to make the doctors criminals and leave the mothers off.

KING: It's two parts to the crime.

B. CLINTON: You can't go around saying, well, this is killing and then you have an essential accomplice here, the mother. The mother can't do this -- I mean, the doc can't do it without the mother. But we're not going to charge them, we're only going to charge the doctor.

So they know how hard this is. This is -- but as a political strategy for the anti-abortion movement, it's a great triumph. And they do -- they have put "Roe vote. Wade" at risk. I just don't agree with the decision. And I don't think it's pro-life.

I think that the -- I vetoed those bills because I thought that if they passed it would make it harder for women with problem pregnancies to have other children.
~~~~~~~~

If American Idol's Simon wants to roll his eyes about something, here would be a good place! I feel like starting a "NO MORE YEARS!" chant.

Big Week for Nigeria

I was reading the "Persecution News from Compass Direct" in the right-hand column of this blog and became interested in Nigeria. There a 13 year-old Christian boy was kidnapped by Muslims who intended to force him to convert to Islam, but he managed to escape after four months. He is now in hiding in another village. You can read his story here. (I know Christians have been accused of all sorts of evils by the naysayers, but have we ever tried the "kidnapping and forced conversion" thing?)

This week happens to be a big one for Nigeria, Africa's most populous country; national elections are Saturday. One Nigerian columnist begins his latest article this way: "The State election is over with its shortcomings, disqualifications, expulsions, abductions, kidnappings, arrests, killings, and assassinations, now Nigerians are ready for the big one this weekend." And guess who else is on the scene in Nigeria? An Islamist group called the Taliban! Yes, just Tuesday they are suspected to have been responsible for a gun attack that killed 21 policemen at a Kano police station. Long live the religion of peace! Not that I understand a thing about Nigerian politics (good grief, there are over 50 political parties!) but I will report here the results of the elections, which hopefully will be the first peaceful transition of presidential power in decades.

There's No Rhetoric Like Abortion Rhetoric

As you hear people discussing today's Supreme Court decision upholding the ban on partial birth abortion, you will hear things like "women's rights have been destroyed" and "this is the end of our constitution." When you hear these things, please keep in mind that they are upset about the banning of the "procedure" pictured below. They don't even like that it is called "partial birth abortion." Well, if they don't like that phrase, then why don't we just call it what it is--infanticide?!?! People need to know what this "procedure" is. Remember these images when you listen to them:

Guided by ultrasound, the abortionist grabs the baby's leg with forceps to manually force a "breach" (feet first) birth.

The baby's leg is pulled out into the birth canal.

The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.

The abortionist jams scissors into the baby's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge the hole...

The scissors are removed and a suction catheter is inserted. The child's brains are sucked out, causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed.

For the record here are some of the presidential candidates who support the legality and continuance of the above "procedure:"

John Edwards: On Wednesday, Edwards said he "could not disagree more strongly" with the high court’s decision. "The ban upheld by the Court is an ill-considered and sweeping prohibition that does not even take account for serious threats to the health of individual women. This hard right turn is a stark reminder of why Democrats cannot afford to lose the 2008 election."

Barack Obama: Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said the decision is a dramatic departure from precedents safeguarding women’s health. "I am extremely concerned that this ruling will embolden state legislatures to enact further measures to restrict a woman’s right to choose, and that the conservative Supreme Court justices will look for other opportunities to erode Roe v. Wade, which is established federal law and a matter of equal rights for women."

Mrs. Bill Clinton: Clinton said Wednesday’s ruling "blatantly defies" the high court’s decision in 2000 to strike down a state partial-birth abortion law because it failed to provide an exemption for a woman’s health. "As the Supreme Court recognized in Roe v. Wade in 1973, this issue is complex and highly personal; the rights and lives of women must be taken into account," she said. "It is precisely this erosion of our constitutional rights that I warned against when I opposed the nominations of Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito."

"Erosion of constitutional rights"? Does she mean the right to do the act in the pictures above? Don't fall for the rhetoric.

Top Website

According to a BBC story, the number one website in the world in terms of time per visit is not this blog (surprise!) but a fantasy role-playing game site called RuneScape. The average visit is 6 hours and 32 minutes! Those visitors have some serious time to waste. It does look like an interesting game that my kids would probably love in a few years. Try it out; you can play for free.

Save the Seals!

The Discovery Channel's Planet Earth is an amazing documentary (please note, Moore & Gore). Filmed over a five-year period in over 200 locations, it is absolutely stunning visually. There are the occasional attributions of divinity to evolution (aka "blind chance"), but it is well worth a look. An 11-part series with new episodes airing on Sunday evenings. Check it out!

Movin' On Up

Chip Caray, after the Marlins catcher took a foul ball to his groin:

"He'll be in a different seat in the choir on Sunday."

They don't call catcher's gear the "tools of ignorance" for nothing!

Before God we are equally wise -- and equally foolish.
-Albert Einstein

Golf, Atheism, and the Invention of Glue

I chuckled this past Easter Sunday as the Masters golf tournament concluded and the champion, Zach Johnson, sat in Butler Cabin being interviewed by Jim Nantz. He made sure to thank his "Lord and Jesus." So, he botched his line a bit; it was only his second tour victory. I'm sure he meant to say "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" or simply "Lord Jesus," but that's not why I chuckled. My chuckle was because I thought of poor Sam Harris, the atheist author of The End of Faith and more recently of Letter to a Christian Nation. I pictured Harris somewhere enjoying the Masters as a perfectly pagan diversion on a religious holiday of such significance. And just when Harris was pondering the question on everyone's mind, "Who is Zach Johnson?," here comes Zach's truncated profession of faith like fingernails on a chalkboard announcing that he is just another of those idiots Harris likes to write about. He had to think, "Is there no respite from these Christian whackos?" That's what I thought, and so I chuckled.

The reason Sam Harris was on my mind is that I had just read last week's "God Debate" in Newsweak between him and Pastor Rick Warren. The thing that struck me about the debate was that, for an atheist who says "the basic point is that evolution by natural selection is random genetic mutation over millions of years in the context of environmental pressure that selects for fitness," Harris sure does make an awful lot of value judgments.

This point is wonderfully expanded upon in Douglas Wilson's brand new book Letter from a Christian Citizen, which is a direct answer to Harris' Letter. I strongly recommend that you click here to read the fantastic introduction by Gary DeMar and the first ten pages of chapter one. The book is in a big font, so it reads quickly. If that's not enough, you can listen to a radio interview of Wilson by DeMar here. And lastly, if you haven't figured out why this post's title mentions the invention of glue, start clicking!

Technorati Tags: sam harris, atheism, christianity, douglas wilson

Another Bible Version?

I'm convinced riding around town this week that there must be a new Bible version out there that contains a verse something like, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have a car flag with your church's name on it."

U-u-u-u-u-h-h-h-h-h-h!!!

The title of this post is supposed to be that low, rumbling sound Lurch made on the Addams Family. Why? Because that's my reaction to John Kerry's idiocy on the Senate floor yesterday in regard to stem cells. (Plus, Kerry looks a bit Lurchy, don't you think?)


Kerry was overstating the results of embryonic stem cell (ESC) research in mice, but the statement that bugs me is this one, because even those one the right side of this debate make this same error sometimes. He said:

"Now we can all hope that alternatives to embryonic research hold similar promise [to ESCs], but we can't wish away what our scientists are telling us: research on embryonic stem cells is incredibly promising, pivotal to this new field and not easily sidestepped."

Why speak of "alternatives" to embryonic stem cell research?!?! ESC HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING! The wishing is all on the side of ESC; the results are on the side of adult and cord blood therapies.

In further Senate action, the President should be able to successfully veto the bill overturning his stem cell funding policy. But the more interesting vote was on bill S. 30. Anyone voting against this bill can rightly be characterized as "anti-science." The short form of the bill states:

It is the purpose of this Act to--

(1) intensify research that may result in improved understanding of or treatments for diseases and other adverse health conditions; and

(2) promote the derivation of pluripotent stem cell lines without the creation of human embryos for research purposes and without the destruction or discarding of, or risk of injury to, a human embryo or embryos other than those that are naturally dead.

Which simply means "we support ethical stem cell research." Well, some senators, including two presidential hopefuls, do not support such research:

NAYs ---28
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Clinton (D-NY)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Wyden (D-OR)

NOT VOTING - 2
Dodd (D-CT)
Johnson (D-SD)

At least Kerry voted for "alternative" research; he must have some sense.

Also here's a link to an earlier post re: adult stem cell successes.

Much of the alarm over climate change is based on ignorance of what is normal for weather and climate. There is no evidence, for instance, that extreme weather events are increasing in any systematic way. . . . The current alarm rests on the false assumption not only that we live in a perfect world, temperaturewise, but also that our warming forecasts for the year 2040 are somehow more reliable than the weatherman's forecast for next week.
(Read the entire article here)
-Richard Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology, MIT

Shoot, Newt!

Newt Gingrich has had a disappointing week. First there was the revelation of his new book due later this year about his brand of market-driven environmentalism called Contract with the Earth. It might be a good book, but what a pathetic title. Then there was his letter yesterday urging Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez to consider stepping down over the U.S. Attorneys fiasco. I know Newt has been disgusted that the whole thing was so poorly handled, but nothing illegal or immoral occurred! You can't give scalps to political enemies (and make no mistake, that's an accurate description of the scenario we have here) for reason of administrative incompetence. That is only to chum the water!

Now today I see the report from the Newt and John Kerry environment debate. Pathetic again! Here is some of the limp-wristed action:

Gingrich began first with a concession to his opponent. Holding the new book by Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Gingrich said, "This is a very good book. As a clearly right-wing reader, I would commend the book" as one that shows examples of local leadership on environmental issues.

"I would agree with about 60 percent of this book," he added.

~~~

Gingrich raised some discrepancies among the science that has led to the current data on climate change, but when asked pointedly about science doubters, like Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., Gingrich strongly held the case that climate change is a problem.

"What would you say to Sen. Inhofe and others in the Senate who are resisting even science? What's your message to them here today?" Kerry asked.

"My message, I think is that the evidence is sufficient that we should move towards the most effective possible steps to reduce carbon loading in the atmosphere —"

"And do it urgently, now?" Kerry interrupted.

"Urgently, yes," Gingrich said.

It sounds to me that Newt concedes the premise of this nonsense--that global warming is caused by man--and if he does that he loses not only the debate, but my support as well. It also makes me much more nervous about that book title. Wake up, Newt!

You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you. -John Wooden

ESV

I am a fan of the English Standard Version of the Bible. My reasons are pretty much the same as those of George Grant, who says:

The English Standard Version is the translation of the Bible I have been waiting for my entire Christian life. I trust you will find the same to be true for you. It is as precise and accurate as the New American Standard, but is far more literary. It is as readable and accessible as the New International Version, but is far more scholarly. The NAS has always fallen short because of its clunky, ungrammatical prose. The NIV has always fallen short because of its blatant inaccuracies.

There are many examples, but here is one from this past week. You may be familiar with the convention used in English translations to specially denote the covenant name for God, Yahweh, with the all caps LORD. Similarly, hesed is a significant Hebrew word for God's covenant love. Some English translations indicate hesed with the word "loving-kindness." Though it is good they have a word to alert us to hesed, "loving-kindness" is a little mushy for that purpose. The ESV's "steadfast love" better captures the "foreverness" of the covenant God of Israel's love, don't you think?

I say all of that to complain about how the NIV uses no such convention for hesed. It just says "love." Psalm 119 (which we studied in SS on Easter) is packed with references to hesed, but if you use the NIV you will never know it. Aren't translations supposed to help illuminate the Bible text, not obscure it? I think the ESV is the best choice for individual or group study and for the public reading of God's Word.

And one more thing. I hope we are reaching the end of the explosion of translations we've had for the last couple of decades. We have enough already. The last thing we need is for every group to have its own translation. (In case you missed it, that's a dig at the Southern Baptists who now have their own official translation, the Holman Christian Standard Bible.)

So, what translation do you use?

Gone Ape

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- The eight bonobos at the Great Ape Trust of Iowa howled Tuesday as they watched two trumpeter swans dip into a lake for the first time. Who can blame them? Not only will the apes get new neighbors, they'll get a chance to name the rare birds. "They were very excited," said scientist Karyl Swartz. Read the rest here.

I don't mean to disparage our "most humanlike" friends, but I never had to help my children name an animal by holding up signs or providing them a list from which to choose. These are grown apes with "sophisticated language skills?" If they are so sophisticated why not ask them to post names for the swans on their blog or at least to write down their own list!

These animal intelligence reports are always so overblown. Don't people realize that Lassie, Flipper, Mr. Ed, etc. couldn't really do all that stuff themselves? It was all the stupid humans standing around who wrote, directed, and filmed them who made them look so smart. It reminds me of the absurd statement on the PETA website (find it yourself, I refuse to link to it) that pigs are smarter than 3-year-old children. Now, I've had a few 3-year-old children and they are pretty darn smart. (And these are boys I'm talking about; we all know girls are much smarter.) Here is the statement of Dr. Donald Broom on the PETA site: "[P]igs have the cognitive ability to be sophisticated. Even more so than dogs, and certainly 3-year-olds." Also, fish are "so good-natured," and cows "are all individuals."

This might sound good to some people (maybe you) but it is exactly this minimizing of the uniqueness and exceptionalism of humans that leads to caring for animals and killing people. The same types who decry the horrors of meat-packing think that an unborn child's survival depends on nothing but the "choice" of the mother. This is a little crass, but Jesus came to us as a man, not a lamb. He ate fish and other meat. He stood up for little children (against his own disciples), and drowned a large herd of pigs. Let's keep our warm fuzzies about animals in perspective, please.

Anyone Speak Carpenter Bee?

If so, I'd like to tell the bees digging in the fascia board on my front porch that the University of Kentucky Entomology Department doesn't think they should be doing that. The entomologists say:

Carpenter bees prefer to attack wood which is bare, weathered and unpainted. Therefore, the best way to deter the bees is to paint all exposed wood surfaces, especially those which have a history of being attacked.

Hmmmm. I haven't noticed the carpenter bees I've seen to have much regard for such entomological assertions. I wonder if entomologists actually study insects anymore, or do they just read books written by other entomologists who may or may not have studied insects? So far this year I have eliminated 11 bees that apparently shouldn't even be there with my trusty Dunlop tennis racket. But every time I get one, two more seem to show up. I wouldn't care, but they're right at the front door! Oh well. If anyone could talk to them for me, please let me know.

Ideas Have Consequences

I just listened to the extended interview with Brian Godawa at St. Annes Pub (you'll have to scroll down to 23 - 26 in the list on the right side to hear the interview, otherwise you can listen to 1 - 22 first; it's all good stuff). Brian is a writer and producer in Hollywood. His writing credits include To End All Wars and The Visitation.

Brian is a bright spot in Hollywood and I am very excited about a couple of his upcoming works: Monkey Trial and Cruel Logic. He is the writer on Monkey Trial, which is about the infamous 1925 Scopes case in Dayton, TN. We all know of it from that embarassment of a production, Inherit the Wind, which in typical Hollywood fashion is a "true" story decidedly lacking in truth. Monkey Trial hopes to tell a more accurate version of the trial (I believe it is adapted from Larson's excellent book Summer for the Gods) and hopefully future generations will know of the Scopes case from this film instead. Believe me; the truth is far more interesting than the made up Inherit the Wind version. Look for it later this year or early next.

I am also very intrigued by Cruel Logic. It has already been produced as a (very) short film, which you can see here. The tag line is "No absolutes. No guilt. No remorse." It is the story of an escaped serial killer who kidnaps college professors and engages them in high stakes debates over whether he should kill them or not. He uses their own academic arguments (that there are no absolutes, no God, only chance) against them to prove he is perfectly free to kill them. Now this is great! You can also take a look at a chapter of the graphic novel (that's a fancy word for "comic book") by clicking here. (Another neat touch is that the detective in Cruel Logic is named Cornelius Van Til; if you don't get it, I can't explain it here.) CL should also be out later this year or early next.

The point of much of Brian's work is that, as his serial killer character says, ideas have consequences. Hopefully his movies will have a consequential impact on our culture.

Technorati Tags: godawa, film, cruel logic

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means, at the point of highest reality. A chastity or honesty or mercy, which yields to danger, will be chaste or honest or merciful only on conditions. Pilate was merciful until it became risky.-C.S. Lewis

technorati tags:quotes, c.s.lewis, courage

We'll sing the first, third, and fifth

Marian and I were discussing the phenomenon of skipping verses when singing hymns. I realize that if your church has a big screen in front of the "sanctuary" (gym) then the notion of a hymnal is probably alien to you, but it's a book that contains a bunch of old songs that have been sung by the church for (if its a good hymnal) centuries. It includes all of these funny little marks, called musical notation, which tell the musicians what notes to play and the congregation what notes to sing. (There are even different lines of notes for different kinds of voices--usually soprano, alto, tenor and bass. All these different parts combine to produce one glorious sound. There's something trinitarian about it. Weird, huh?)

Well, most of these hymns have maybe 3-5 verses, but there are many times that only the "first and last" or "first and second" or "first, third, and fifth" verses are sung. This is what Marian and I were discussing. Why does this happen? We thought of two reasons: theology and time. "Theology" would be if there is a genuine disagreement with a verse's meaning or teaching. Now, I have to say, as one who has led a fair share of hymns in my day, that I have never known this to be the reason for verse-skipping. In my experience it has always been the "time" reason.

The problem is that the time reason is pretty pathetic if you examine it. Most verses of most hymns take about 30 seconds to sing. The quicker common meter hymns (like "How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds") are about 15 seconds per verse. So, most hymns are no more than 2.5 to 3 minutes. WOW!!!!! No wonder everyone is skipping all those verses! Who's got three more minutes to sing a song to God when the line's getting crowded at Golden Corral?!?!?!

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”
- Ambrose Redmoon