Dream Warrior

Dream Warrior is a straight to DVD movie. But I liked it. I can't give it a resounding endorsement because there were a lot of flaws - script, acting, directing, continuity. What can I say in favor - I liked it. Maybe it's because I like Daniel Goddard from the TV show Beastmaster, but since he kept his clothes on it's not just because I'm attracted to his body. So... watch or don't watch. It's probably going to be a favorite for a very few people and their friends will just be asking "Why?"

Obsidian Butterfly - Anita Blake

From the book Obsidian Butterfly Laurell K Hamilton makes an observation that is so true. "She was lying to herself, and thus she could not see a lie in someone else. She didn't understand what the truth was, so she couldn't recognize that either."

Those who live a lie cannot recognize a lie. Those who are unwilling to change their perceptions of who they are become unable to see what is happening before their eyes. To live for God, to live in truth one has to be willing to give up everything, every conception, every belief to examination. One has to step forward in faith that no matter what preconceptions may fall, God is faithful still.

The truth will set us free, but that doesn't mean that the truth will make us happy. One of the things I had to do to get out of depression was to look at the truth of who I was. And it was different from what I had imagined. I did not feel guilt over my mother's death as some people tried to tell me that I did or should. I am not a man who should ever marry a woman, though I love many women I will never love a woman in the same fashion as husband and wife should. Now depression is not the same thing as telling yourself lies about who you are, but the way out is the same. And that is to be willing to accept the truth whereever it may lead. And that is to be willing to tear down all of what you believe about yourself in order to see who you really are.

Awhile back I was writing a book called "To be as God created us to be" And it was one of my preliminary efforts and it would have made a decent paper, but not a book. yet that title remains good. We are to be, not as we think ourselves to be, but as God created us to be. We are not to impose our ideas of what is natural on ourselves, but to see ourselves as we really are.

And this is where fundamentalism of any sort - right or left, liberal or conservative, fascist, communist, feminist, christian, and more - goes wrong. Fundamentalism tries to protect faith by making precepts more important than truth. Because a fundamentalist cannot question, they cannot see the truth set before them. And the frustration is not because they're wrong, but because they are so close to being right and they stop before the final step. It is not enough to say you have the truth, what must happen is a continual examination to see if you have the truth.

Without a willingness to give all that we are and all that we believe, the truth will elude us no matter how nice, no matter how many rules we follow, the truth will continue to escape us until we make it more important than any precept that we claim to be truth.

Yoda

"Try not! Do, or do not! There is no try!"

Empire Strikes Back

Smart or Stupid

Today's a day for finding quizes. Try this timed one. Smartorstoopid.

Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure

If you want to know one reason for the fourth amendment read Citizen Crain on what happens, sometimes, without it. There are many freedoms we have taken for granted in this country. But letting them go without a fight is the wrong message. Secret courts, untraceable warrents, those are the actions of a police state. When we do them as a part of our war on terror we become the very thing we say we're fighting.

Galileo's Birthday

One of the people upon whose work the greats of today stand was born today. Happy Birthday Galileo!

Bible Quiz

This claims to be the Ultimate Bible Quiz. After taking the English Bible Exam as one of the Standard Ordination Exams for men and women seeking to become ministers in the Presbyterian Church USA, I doubt that. But nonetheless it's a fun little quiz.

Should I mention pass/fail rates for the Standard Ords are similar to that of passing the Bar. The PCUSA does believe in their ministers having some education. Though, as with other professions, education isn't all there is to the practice.

And ... Oh... you want to know how I did?

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

Woody Allen

If Jesus Christ came back today and saw what was being done in his name he'd never stop throwing up.

Hannah and her sisters

Woody Allen

Obsidian Butterfly - Anita Blake

Strong women remind me of my mother and my aunts. In other words strong maternal images. And this is what I get reading Anita Blake along with a lot of gunfire, mayhem and other images of life better read than lived. Blake takes a break from her two boyfriends and fly to help another friend solve a mystery. This time Aztec mythology comes into play, a turn I appreciate. It's longer than some of the other books, but well worth the read - if all you want to do is relax and escape the world. And since I do sometimes want just to escape it is worth the few dollars for a paperback edition.

First do no harm

One of those kind people who mean well sent me a brochure about changing my sexual orientation. And while the brochure was all very medical and religious it seemed to me to have forgotten a basic tenet of medicine - First, do no harm. And while I'm sure they meant well, I have no doubts as to their sincerity it seems that when all the major medical and psychological bodies have statements about the risk of harm when trying to change sexual orientation and doubts as to whether it is possible to do so without harm and there is no independent study of success rates (though there is the Spitzer one that he has clearly said was misused that indicates some change is possible for highly committed and highly religious people - all of whom are making a living by being ex-gay), it just seems reidiculous to promote the idea that people can change their sexual orientation.

Certainly there are times when one might undergo a risky medical procedure. My dad's last heart operation was quite risky, but.... there were mitigating factors. All the risks were explained up front (didn't happen in this brochure). The quality of life was certain to be improved by the operation (without the operation he would remain in the hospital until death vs. with the operation he could return home). But while the brochure spoke of the evil in 'the' gay lifestyle, the lifestyle portrayed was not remotely similar to mine. And the peace it said would happen is something that I already have. The relationship with God that was promised is something I already live. And so I wonder what did the people who so kindly want me to change have to offer. It seems that I already have what they are promising, so why should I change? Why would I want to spend the money, the time, the effort to get what is already present in my life, just to make a change that they say is needed to get those things.

First do no harm, but also make sure that there will be some benefit.

Bebe Moore Campbell

"As I grow older, part of my emotional survival plan must be to actively seek inspiration instead of passively waiting for it to find me."

--Bebe Moore Campbell

And God has not divorced us - Isaiah 50

Isaiah 50 is one of the passages that talks about why we have faith. And we have faith because of God’s faithfulness. No matter what we do God will not divorce us. No matter what happens God will not abandon us. We may be rebuked and chastised, but that will not be forever. We are chosen; we are saved, we are children of God and will be so forever. And so the rough times will not be forever.

And we will go through times that are problematic. Whether it is the Babylonian exile or a depression; whether it is serious illness or loss of people one loves; what ever happens we will be in some turmoil during our lives. What Isaiah reminds us of is that we are never abandoned by God even in the roughest patches. We aren’t promised a life of ease. We are told that God is there with us through all that happens.

There is no bill of divorce from God. God with us is the Emmanuel promise of the Greek Testament and the hope of the Hebrew people through the matriarchs and patriarchs, the prophets and priests, through long generations of hope unseen. As Hebrews 121so eloquently puts it, by faith all these people moved to follow where God led.

And as Isaiah says, in so many words, don’t worry God has not left any of us behind.

.

Isaiah 50:1-11 [1] Thus says the LORD: Where is your mother's bill of
divorce with which I put her away? Or which of my creditors is it to whom I have
sold you? No, because of your sins you were sold, and for your transgressions
your mother was put away. [2] Why was no one there when I came? Why did no one
answer when I called? Is my hand shortened, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no
power to deliver? By my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a desert;
their fish stink for lack of water, and die of thirst. [3] I clothe the heavens
with blackness, and make sackcloth their covering. [4] The Lord GOD
has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary
with a word. Morning by morning he wakens--wakens my ear to listen as those who
are taught. [5] The Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, I did
not turn backward. [6] I gave my back to those who struck me, and my cheeks to
those who pulled out the beard; I did not hide my face from insult and spitting.
[7] The Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore
I have set my face like flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame; [8]
he who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up
together. Who are my adversaries? Let them confront me. [9] It is the Lord GOD
who helps me; who will declare me guilty? All of them will wear out like a
garment; the moth will eat them up. [10] Who among you fears the LORD and
obeys the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness and has no light, yet
trusts in the name of theLORD and relies upon his God? [11] But all of you are
kindlers of fire, lighters of firebrands. Walk in the flame of your fire, and
among the brands that you have kindled! This is what you shall have from my
hand: you shall lie down in torment.

Rebukes and condemnations

Yes, some athelete said he hated gays. Yawn. If he uses physical violence I'd be more offended, but is this a surprise? And he's rebuked by the

How can we help those around us learn respect - I know a very old-fashioned attitude - for each other? That's a more important question than focusing on who said what to whom.

Dealing with customers

Am I complaining? Yes. But hopefully not in a boring manner. It's just that if you ask me to give something to someone else I'd like you to give me the name.

A guest asks me to give something to his supervisor. I asked for the name. He said 'He's in room..." And I said, "I need to do this by name." He said, "He's with this company." And I said, "Yes I realize that and so are you, but I need the name." He said, "He's F... but I don't know the last name, but it's money so I need you to give it to him." And I sighed.

Is it really to much for me to ask that you give me the name of the person rather than just telling me the room number, the company or that he's your boss?

Evidently so.

And I'm not trying to make trouble, but I've had a number of people with this company change rooms on me. I'm not trying to make problems, but we try to, for security and privacy, direct things to people by name rather than room number. I'm not trying to be difficult, but I ask the questions that I need to do my job and if you answer a different question I can't help you."

And frankly I've experienced bad customer service on the other side. I'm less tolerant of it than I used to be. Things I used to let go just bother me, since I've been on the side of giving good customer service and I know that it's not difficult to greet the customer as they come in. It's not hard to ask, "How can I help?" Telling the person on the phone that you've got so many customers ahead and asking whether they want to wait is simple.

But when I'm on the other side, I know the information I need to start looking for your lost item, or your receipt or whatever. If you don't answer the question I have, then please don't be surprised when it takes me longer to find what you need. The infromation you think I need first, may not be so. Please just answer the question that I asked - not the question you think I should have asked.

Young Earth Creationism

A young earth creationist is getting his Ph.D. and I think I was right to be disturbed. But as Uncertain Principles makes clear the degree is about completing the requirements and he has done that. Actually working as a scientist is the next step and publishing papers in peer-reviewed journals, presenting concepts and possible theories that are falsifiable and more are the next steps. I'm not sure where this case will go from here. We'll have to wait and see. But if he's done the work he should get the Ph.D. A degree, using the products of science, doesn't make one an actual scientist. A scientist does a bit more. And one of the things is looking at the facts rather than twisting them to suit some pre-conceived beliefs.

P.S. and I know all of us at times do twist the facts to suit our beliefs, but the attitude we have should be of looking for the truth no matter where it leads rather than looking at what we believe and cherry-picking only the facts that support our beliefs.

Parenting - it's not about gender

Pam's House Blend alerted me to another study, in the continuing trend of actual academic studies, that points out gay, lesbian couples make perfectly good parents. Wait for the load of something or other trying to explain away this study.

Pelosi Smear

The Pelosi smear campaign continues. A request by her security - same sort of request as previous speakers of the house - becomes a smear that she wants something more than the rest of us, like the generals and executive branch. More at Huffington Post.

Perfectionism and music

I’m a musician. I play a couple of instruments, but mostly I am a vocalist. And one of the things that happened from when I first began to learn is requests to perform. It may have been from my father saying, “Roger, you’re not doing anything this afternoon, come with me and do something at the nursing home.” And as I got older I’d start saying, “Dad you need to give me some warning so that I can prepare.” And dad would go, “But you’ll do a good job and they’ll enjoy it no matter what.” I like to perform, but I want some notice before I’m asked.

I do like to prepare. I want to do my best when I perform, whether it is in worship and I’m helping the whole congregation sing with me or as a soloist before an audience. And that takes time in prayer, study, rehearsal, thought and more. And that sense of always working on preparation whether in music or preaching or other things is something that God uses to inspire in my performance.

Yet music in worship does bring me to one of the issues with which I contend. And that is I'm not always satisfied when I bring my best to worship or to God. It's the flip side of the Calvinist work for the glory of God. It's when we begin to be perfectionists. And we're not asked to be perfect though we are asked to bring our best.

I can, acting as a musician/soloist, perform a piece that brings people to tears and go back and examine what I've done and find points to criticize. And that's what makes fundamentalism so attractive to me. In fundamentalism I find standards to meet and I can meet them. They are simple standards - do this and that and it will show that you are saved or say this and speak such and it will show what you believe. And that's not all wrong - James speaks to that show me your faith and I will show you my works. Works are not unrelated to faith.

Yet works are not the faith, but only signs. And making works more important than the one for whom they are done, as when I let my perfectionist streak run rampant, is futile. And it's less than futile for making works important is putting myself again under the law. And we've been ransomed from the slavery we to which we were condemned.

And yet the attractions of that slavery are still there. As a child, as slaves, life is easier. We don't have to make decisions; they're all made for us. But we are called to grow up. Instead of just understanding that the stove is hot - don't touch; we grow to understand how to feel if the stove is hot or cold and, perhaps, even realize that when the pot of hot water is spilling towards a child we will burn ourselves deliberately for another.

There are rules for a child or for a slave that don't work for grown-ups. Or, more accurately, they work differently. The decisions and actions aren't quite so simple as we become more mature.

Leviticus: the JPS Torah Commentary

I appreciate anything that introduces itself by quoting Micah 6:6-8 (p. xi) but the worth of this book is recognizable on every page. Don't let the Hebrew scare you away. There is an english translation alongside and the insights in the commentary are acessible to those without the Hebrew language at their command.

Leviticus is not a book that recieves much attention from Christians. But Baruch A Levine brings clarity to the commentary and allows us to see the coherence within the Levitical rules and regulations that seem less than coherent to our cultures within the U.S.A. And reading it make4s me think I'm going to have to spend more money - buying more in the JPS commentary series. If this book is any example the money will be well spent.

Blue Moon - Anita Blake

I continue to enjoy the series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Some of the plot threads start to resolve as in which man is she going to end with? And more continue to unfold. Anita Blake becomes responsible for more than herself and while there's murder and mayhem to keep the story moving there are also touching moments. It's not likely to get on a list of the 100 greatest books in world history, but has no pretensions to that. The book is a good read and relaxation and pretends to nothing more and certainly is nothing less that a welcome read after a long day.

Gods of Olympia

After watching Travelling to Olympia I had to watch Gods of Olympia just to see if the second was the same train wreck. It had the same appeal as watching a film by Ed Woods. One wonders why any money would be spent on such wooden acting, ponderous dialogue and preachy script. Certainly I agree that people should get more schooling, but a herd of rampaging elephants would be more subtle than the way this was inserted into an uninteresting plot. I like good diction but the actors came across as sounding out each word from cue cards rather than clearly pronouncing the words. Line such as 'He didn't like the politics, one of the partners was Baptist" show that the author doesn't know the difference between religion and politics or that there are a number of varieties of Baptist denominations. I could go on, but I won't consider watching this film as one of those by Ed Woods - an experiment in finding the ways perfectly good ideas can be ruined.

The Heart of the Desert and passion

Heart of the Desert is a book I'm returning to. The latest chapter that has me thinking is about the early Christian idea of the passions. Most of us look at passions as separating us as in the seven deadly sins, but the early fathers and mothers talked about all passions as gifts. Certainly those gifts can misused. And in our fallen nature passions like anger are likely to be misused, but instead of denying them we should be looking at how to use them correctly.

Can anger fuel our passion for doing the right thing? Instead of using anger to get into a fistfight or war, perhaps we should be using that same anger to drive a reconciliation or to bring a creative act of protest or for working on correcting the problems that led to the nager. The passions can be destructive or constructive - the difference is in how we use those passions. Instead of denying that they're present let's work on using them correctly

Darwin and Lincoln

Two people of note were born today. Both changed the world for the better. Need I say more?

Gay Straight Alliance - one more

Congratulations - this time a Gay Straight Alliance seems to have been established without any of the brouhaha and false allegations that can happen. Gay-Straight Alliances aren't about hooking up or having sex, but providing a safe place to talk about sexual orientation.

Gender blind rooms

When I was in college there was a little scandel when some friends of mine switched room. The non-platonic male and female were tired of being chased out of their room for the other couple. When the college found out the rules were such that the only thing that happened was a fine for an unauthorized room change (at least as I remember). It seems that we were ahead of our time. And frankly the time has come for us to stop assuming that every man, even every straight man, is after every woman or vice versa. By the time people reach college they should be able to make up their own minds as to who is or isn't a good roommate. So I was pleased with this story from the Portland Press Herald. Welcome to the real world.

Death and our reaction

I've posted links to several news articles in the last days. In part it's to avoid the overabundance of articles on the death of someone who was famous for being famous. And yes a death is a tragedy, but making the life and death of someone into a side-show attraction is even more of a tragedy. Sure I have somewhat of a prurient interest in finding out what happened when and who is the baby's father and how will this affect the case from her rich husband's death and more. But I just don't think it is news. It's entertainment and let's leave it at that.

And if you hadn't yet guessed I'm talking about Anna Nicole Smith and the fact that I suspect everyone knew this before I mentioned her name is a sad reflection on public and private discourse.

C.E. Montague

"A lie will easily get you out of a scrape, and yet, strangely andbeautifully, rapture possesses you when you have taken the scrape and leftout the lie."

-- C.E. Montague.

Quoted by PHIL HARRIS Dec. 9, 1996, inEcunet meeting QUOTATIONS, note #36.

Even the dogs

The story of Mark 7:24-37 is one of my favorites. Jesus learns more of his mission from a Syro-phoenican woman. And that willingness to be corrected by one that Jesus first denies is one of the reasons, I believe, that he is called, among other things, one who always walked in righteousness.

Jesus, the one who is the Christ, was fully human and fully divine. Too many times we want to make the Savior of the world only one or only the other. Yet to be fully human means to learn and grow in knowledge and in strength. Yet to be fully human means that we need to correct ourselves on occasion. And the fully divine is linked with the emptying of self so that the 2nd person of the Trinity would be as the ones whom the 2nd person saves.

When we are talking about Jesus we are talking about the divine immanence and we are talking about humanity and that is a concept that no one, save God alone, can completely grasp. And that is a concept that allows us to recognize that God would want to save us as we are and has the power to actually save us.

Today we sometimes have preachers who concentrate on the healing power of Jesus, on the miracles of grace and similar wishes. And they shouldn’t be forgotten, but they are not the whole of the story. One of my Christology professors made that very clear when he said that the reason the church lost in Northern Africa with the rise of Islam was that with a God that wasn’t fully human the people had no way to relate to God. The gift of Jesus as fully human and fully divine is what was needed to reconcile us to God.

We humans can relate to one who learns and makes mistakes – even while remaining completely righteous – as we can not relate to one who is perfect in every way or only God. The reconciling work is that Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. When we, as did the church in North Africa, leave out the fully human dimension of what God has done in Jesus Christ, then we ignore the reconciliation. We are reconciled in God’s own self.

The divine is not less important, but it is not of sole importance. The work of reconciliation is in the life and death of the one who saves us. The work and reconciliation is in knowing that God emptied self, as the 2nd person, to come to us as fully human. The work of reconciliation puts together the power of God with one who is one of us.

Now this isn’t all there is to God and Jesus Christ. It is only a small portion of what I could spend my days in praise. But it is a part that seems to me to be forgotten today in our talk of how God is all-powerful. And that part is the person who heard a woman debate him, listened, responded, changed and taught us all how we are to be as humans.

Mark 7:24-37 [24] From there he set out and went away to the region of
Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he
could not escape notice, [25] but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean
spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet.
[26] Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syro-phoenican origin. She begged him to
cast the demon out of her daughter. [27] He said to her, "Let the children be
fed first, for it is not fair to take the children=92s food and throw it to the
dogs." [28] But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the
children’s crumbs." [29] Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go—the
demon has left your daughter." [30] So she went home, found the child lying on
the bed, and the demon gone.

[31] Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. [32] They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. [33] He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. [34] Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." [35] And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. [36] Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. [37] They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."

The Stranger

There are many reasons to love reading theStranger. And this skewering of Mary Cheney - who seems to want to be left alone, or not as she chooses is one. And this blasting of one of their columnists is another. You've gotta love people who are as tough on themselves as someone else.

Secure?

So where are the funds going for Homeland Security? A town requests a fire truck and gets more than there annual budget in funds that can't be used to buy a fire truck. I feel so much safer and secure.... Not! Perhaps this should be one of the places our legislature investigates.

American Torture

Torture is abhorrent. And yet it goes on. For a website that keeps current info on what we ourselves are doing try looking at American Torture. It may be true that there will always be those who cross the boundary, but there should always be willing to step up and protest against torture or the threat of torture. The site is a first step and together perhaps we can take more.

Who has time for this?

I guess I have time for it since I'm blogging about it. But is it really worth spending time to find the worst college courses in America and give them dishonorable status? Really spend time with family and friends, talk about your faith, go take a walk, but leave poring over course descriptions and catalogs to the students who want to take the course.

Burnt Offering - Anita Blake

One of the things I appreciated in this novel about Anita Blake was the interweaving of gun safety in the story. And while this is a minor matter, it is important. I don't remember a particular lecture on gun safety as I was growing up. It was always a given. Guns were a tool on the farm. They were used to hunt for food, to kill stray dogs that might run the cattle, but were not toys. Guns were around as tools to help and like all the other tools cared for appropriately. Just as keys weren't kept in a vehicle; just as gates were left as they were; so too guns were locked up until they were used. And when they were in use they weren't pointed at anything that wasn't going to be shot.

The character's development is more important than the gun safety. Blake takes on resposibility for more people (or creatures) and deals with having more than one man, works to get governing bodies to act responsibly and causes a lot of shoot them, duke it out mayhem along with having a sex life. Enjoyable as always.

Intelligent Design - deceptions o.k.

At Stranger Fruit there are some pertinent comments about someone who lied his way through graduate school to get credentials. I guess I just don't get the idea that anything is more important than being true to self. I spent a number of years denying my sexual orientation, but I was lying to myself at the same time as others. Knowingly going in and lying about your beliefs. Well that just seems to be the game of scammers. Pharyngula has some information and there's also an article in the New York Times. The thing that puzzles me is why would you claim to follow the One who is the Truth and say something different from what you believe to be the truth? I don't get it.

Valentine's Day and memories

I do like some things about Valentine's Day, including this photo of my mother and her twin sister. But most of the time my twin and I weren't dressed alike and could choose or not whether we were dressed the same. I think it may have had something to do with the number of times my mother and her sister were. Including dresses with hearts for a birthday (I think) photo.

The Killing Dance - Anita Blake

I do enjoy the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. In the Killing Dance we see Anita Blake dating two men while coping with an assasin. The assasin is after her. how she copes with the stresses of shifting relationships, healing and killing makes for a fun read.

The Case for Faith

I recently read a book called ‘The Case for Faith’ but there really is no case for faith. Making a case for faith misconstrues the whole nature of faith. Faith is a gift from God. Some people have faith and some people do not. No case made to help a Christian who is struggling with his or her faith will convince someone who doesn’t have faith in the first place.

That’s not to say that we shouldn’t talk about our faith with those who don’t believe. And certainly doesn’t mean that we should avoid talking about our faith with those who are struggling to understand. It does mean that we should identify what we actually can do. We can’t prove God, we can’t prove faith, we can’t prove God doesn’t exist though we can certainly prove that some faith is misguided and in the wrong. We can talk about our beliefs. We can talk about our sense of call from God. We can talk about how our faith helps us personally get through the tough times.

There are times when religion is an opiate of the masses. That’s a statement that Marx made that is true, but on the other hand I find much of Marx faulty and Marxist-Leninist thought even more so. Marx ignored much of the society in which he lived even as he critiqued some of the worst aspects. Yet the tools we’ve been given by Marx are helpful at times in figuring out what is happening in our societies, especially in regard to the plight of the poor.

The faith of people can be seen over time and place. Lee Strobel’s ‘The Case for Faith’, that I mentioned earlier, begins with talking about someone who has displayed his faith for all to see. Those displays, and those of others, are convincing cases of displaying faith, but they don’t make a case that faith is necessary or something that one should have.

That faith that has been seen to start Crusades, to run airplanes into buildings, drive people to heal the sick in remote places, that has divided a continent among two super-powers in order to convert the heathens, and more has been shown to be good in some instances and evil in others. Faith that there was a way out is one of the few reasons I didn’t commit suicide while I was in depression. Faith has driven people, including myself, into both good and bad. But neither the good or bad aspects of faith make a case for or against faith.

Faith exists. Faith can be refined into beliefs. Faith can be in that there is no God or that there is a God. Most people who say that they’re making a case for faith are wrong. They’re not making a case for faith, but for a particular belief or set of beliefs. History clearly shows that people can have faith in many varieties of God. From the dualism to the polytheism to strict monotheism of Jews to the three-persons-in-one monotheism of the Christians there is a wide variety of God(s) in which to believe, in which people claim faith. The case for people having faith needs not be made. The case for the existence God cannot be made, but, then, neither can the case for having no God.

Faith is a challenge. It is to walk in trust that something exists that we cannot see or touch. Proof and disproof is for philosophy and science. But faith is in the realm of things unseen and voices not heard. And faith can be costly. One of the classic cases to believe is -


If we believe
If we don’t believe
If there is a God
We gain
We lose
If there is no God
We don’t lose or gain
We don’t lose or gain

Thus we should believe because we don’t gain or lose anything if there is no God, but we can lose or gain everything if there is a God. The problem with this is that if there is no God we lose the time we spend in worship, in tithing, or in both time and money. The problem with this is that we gain in certainty in facing tough situations; in acting decisively because we believe what we are doing is worth something and more. Faith is costly and may or may not be worth something.

I suspect by this point some people are thinking that I must be an atheist. Far from it. I actually think atheism is another belief system. It is a faith that God does not exist. My faith is in a God that loves and cares for me. I’m not an agnostic. I consider that the more intellectually honest alternative to belief in God. But I do believe in God, I understand myself to have experienced the presence of God. And though don’t use the terminology of being born again – I believe that I need be born again daily as I take up my cross – I have had an experience (or more than one) that corresponds with what most people who use the term ‘born again’ describe as being born again. Yet none of that proves God. The case for faith is about something different.

The case for faith is not about proof, but about trust. We experience God in ways that cannot be proved. We experience God in ways that change our lives. We experience God and change to do what we understand God to desire for our lives. But what we experience is unrepeatable no matter how many people have similar happenings. What we experience cannot be shown to another though the effects linger for the whole of our lives. What we experience is simply an experience that brings us in touch with what cannot be fully known.

The case for faith is not about proof. The case for faith is about accepting what God has offered. And that offering is salvation instead of easy answers or simple proofs. When we want easy answers whether a simplistic reading of scripture or proof that God exists we display our lack of trust in God and our lack of faith.

Bernard M.Baruch

"During my eighty-seven years I have witnessed a whole succession of technological revolutions. But none of them has done away with the need for character in the individual or the ability to think."

-- Bernard M.Baruch,

American businessman and statesman (1870-1965).
Quoted in"...thought" from the Midland (MI) Daily News, 6-17-96.

Valentine's Day

It’s getting close to Valentine’s Day – it’s always a mixed day for me – at least for the last few years. It’s my mother’s birthday and she’s been gone for a number of years. I see all these ads for happy heterosexual couples and I’m not dating anyone at the moment, though I’ve always envisaged myself married with kids and a happy family. And so it is a day of mixtures.

I’m happily gay, much happier than when I spent years denying my orientation and dating women some of whom I came close to marrying. I’m happily single and it would take someone with a great deal of courage to take on my quirks and foibles. I’m well over my mother’s death though I still miss her. But the messages of Valentine’s Day are just not conducive to my remaining settled.

I don’t begrudge couples a happy day of celebration, but I guess I’m both more and less romantic than the popular culture. One of the gifts my mother loved was her own tool kit. Dad and she could keep things the way they wanted them and find them when they needed them. And when some people went for a flower arrangement for my mother’s funeral the florist could tell them exactly which flowers my mother loved since they’d been given so many times, on no particular occasion, from my dad. The romantic gift is giving someone what they need and would never buy for themselves. Flowers are romantic on days that they’re unexpected.

I believe that some day I’ll meet my Prince Charming. I believe I’m doing a much better job of finding him now that I’m looking at men rather than women. I do think it helps to look at the people with whom one can actually have a sexual relationship. And yet in the back of my head is the dream of marrying and settling down to have children – lot’s of children – more children than my mother had – as many children as mom had with her foster children included.

Valentine’s Day will come and go, but some of the sappy ads will remain. And I will remember the real love that my parents shared. That was a love that caused me to describe their morning kiss as watching an X-rated film when I was five years old. It was a love that kept them together through some years of dissension and heartbreak. It was a love that kept me from marrying a woman, because I could not settle for friendship – deep and profound though it may be.

My mother’s birthday will pass. She was a valentine’s day baby – twin girls – named after another set of twin girls. The loss of her presence will fade again along with the sting of the way she died. Her death was in a car accident and resulted in more than one lawsuit in which I was the defendant. So her birthday is mixed with some of the joys of her life and the pain of her death.
And so it comes down to the fact that Valentine’s Day is one of those days I spend with mixed emotions. And that’s just life.

Pittacus

"The measure of a man is what he does with power."

-- Pittacus.

Quoted in"Bridge," Midland (MI) Daily News, 1-12-96.

Haggard when he's an ex-ex-gay

We will welcome Haggard, as we have so many.

Balaam's Ass

A satire.

Vietnam Victory?

The comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam become more clear. Unfortunately we did not learn from history.

George W. Bush's Queue

As Andrew Sullivan says: "Heh"

M.L. King, Jr.

"The end of life is not to achieve pleasure or avoid pain, but to do thewill of God, come what may."

-- M.L. King, Jr.

Karl Rove and Howard Dean

Let's see - Howard Dean made a joke about whether the Republicans could get so many people of color into a room to the Congressional Black Caucus, but Karl Rove said about the immigration debate “I don’t want my 17-year-old son to have to pick tomatoes or make beds in Las Vegas.” Which one doesn't appeal to the Republican National Caucus? Who's Republican and who's Democrat? I guess that answers the question of whether a joke or statement is funny or too true.

Gitmo

The detention at Gitmo is a continuing embarassment to this country. If they are actually terrorists then give them an open trial, if they are not then release them. But changing the rules and making rules which don't allow for the defendant or lawyer to see the evidence is just wrong. We need to close the prisons now.

The Watada Case

I've been reading about the Watada case for several months now without commenting. Having had men and women in my family who have fought in every war since the Revolution (sometimes I've had people on both sides) I have trouble with the thought of refusing orders. But this war (and it is a war by whatever name it's called) is equally problematic. But having the case end in a mistrial is even more of a problem. The case should be heard on its merits and there's some doubt that another trial may happen as most of the case was finished. If as Wataba claims - he refused an illegal order - then that truth needs to be proclaimed. If as the prosecution claims - he refused a legal order - then that truth needs to be proclaimed. A mistrial is not in the interest of justice nor of this country.

I'm not sure what I want to have happen with a decision, but this lack of decision is bad for all sides.

The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion

Peter l. Berger's book is one of those to which I return for sustenance. His analysis of religion is often spot on, and if not still worth thinking about. My first degree was in Religious Studies so his method of looking from the outside in is not a foreign concept. And that same degree means I'm one of those liberals that are often derided in the fundamentalist/evangelical presses. Yet that background is what makes the exercise that Berger does in this book fascinating for me. I look at his analysis in light of my faith journey as a Christian and find much that helps me correct the mistakes in my beliefs. This book isn't for everyone. It is meat rather than milk. But hoepfully everyone will want to grow up and start eating adult fare rather than remaining on the food of infants. This is that solid fare for which Paul encourages us to strive.

ADA and righteous/self-righteous

Ed Brayton at Dispatches from the Culture Wars skewers the American Decency Association and their little bit of problem with Wal-Mart.

A. Sachs

Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives.

A. Sachs

Virginity pledges

I believe in chastity until marriage and fidelity in marriage and committed relationships. But it always strickes me as somewhat incestuous when I read about dad's dating their daughters. It doesn't matter that it's a purity ball where girls are pledging their virginity. Actually that increases the 'ick' factor. I could go into a long list of reasons. But I won't. And I'll not go to any protest against these things. I just tend to think that they're irrelevant. A good class in sex ed which includes birth control methods and how to practice safe sex is more important for the physical and mental health of children turning into adults than any pledge, which if one read statistics on the number of people in the USA who have had premarital sex, is likely to be broken.

I thought I had a link to a study on premarital sexual activity that came out this year. I can't find it right now, but if I do I'll post it.

Homeopathy and quackery.

Respectful Insolence pointed towards another scientific review of homeopathy. While there's a certain case that can be made for homeopathy being better for people than medical cures at the time of origin, that has long since changed. Double blind studies, revew of patient files rather than anecdotal evidence and more shows the homeopathy just doesn't work. It's popular, but as more than one mother has said, "Would you jump over a cliff because your friends are doing so?" Evidently more than one person would. But that doesn't change the fact that homeopathy just doesn't work. This isn't the only study showing that, just one of the latest.

Holocaust denial

Who in their right mind thinks that approaching someone in an elevator and trying to drag them down the hallway is the way to get them to cooperate? Someone who is denying that the holocaust happened did that. But wait that sort of person is in some sort of mental state that doesn't let the evidence speak for itself. I guess they weren't in their right mind after all.

Property rights

Good news from around the world. Advances for equal rights are still happening. The BBC reports that gay couples are starting to get the same property rights as heterosexuals.

Preparation and more

In my previous post I told a story about how my dad learned new things. But there were also things to which he was oblivious. My mother and I had the same habit when getting ready to go out with the family. Once we were prepared we sat and waited. My dad was a putterer. He would go around and do this and the other thing and finally would ask, "Aren't you ready yet?" To which I would reply, "I'm waiting for you." Dad never made the connection that my mother or I sitting meant that we were ready to go. Not even though both mom and I mentioned that directly to him as in "Dad, when I'm ready to go I sit down and wait for everyone else to arrive."

Oh well, he had many things which he did better. One of which is that we knew he loved us. I guess for that we both put up with some little irritations. And I know he put up with some things in us that irritated him, so....

Preparation

My dad was wonderful in many ways - warm, loving, always ready to lend a hand or the shirt off his back - but he never got how seriously I wanted to prepare for doing a solo or helping with the music in worship. He'd go, "You've got the afternoon free, come do a piece for the nursing home." and wonder why I said, "Dad, you've got to give me some notice." I don't think he really started to understand until a car trip - the last trip I took with both my parents.

Then he watched through the trip as I took a familiar piece and broke it down. I worked on my breathing. I worked on the phrasing. I worked on the sounds of the vowels. You name it, I worked on it. I spent most of the eight-hour drive on a piece which he had heard me do more than a few times. And dad started to realize that, as a musician, I took a great deal of care and worked each piece over before any performance.

He didn't have that many opportunities to warn me before asking me to perform as he was retired by that point, but at least he learned - when I was in my mid-thirties - that while I could performe without much notice, I really wanted to work on preparing for anything I did.

I guess old dogs can learn new tricks.

Brett Mouron

The present moment is the work place and playground of the future.

Brett Mouron

Vision America and knowing about the other hand.

I seem to remember something about not letting the one hand knowing about the other hand's deeds when doing good. But claiming that one doesn't know about a documentary when it is publicized by the organization that one heads seems a bit too much. Yet that's what's happening with Scarborough and Vision America.

And more real news

I seem to be irritated today every time I see something about Anna Nichol Smith. Her death may be a tragedy, but it pales beside the tragedy of manipulating intelligence information to fit the plans. Changing the data so that your desires will be promoted and sending men and women to war on the basis of those manipulations is morally indefensible. That report seems to me to be something that should be headlined rather than 'we're waiting for the autopsy report of some individual.

What's some real news

Searching other sources than the TV networks I found what I consider real news. Things like the decision of the Senate chaplain not to address a religious group because he might be percieved as partison. News like Lebron Johnson stating the dilemna of gay atheletes come out and face discrimination, stay in and be found untrustworthy. Items like the discussion among evangelicals and fundamentalists over whether someone can really become completely heterosexual in the short period that Haggard claims. Those are news stories. And, yes, while most of the ones I just mentioned are about issues relating to sexual orientation I could go on about other people

Anna Nicole Smith

Yawn - I sorrow when anyone dies before their time, but repeated notices on the bottom of the TV screen that we are anxiously awaiting the report from the coroner.... some of us just aren't that interested. I spent more time irritated at this death and coroner's report being treated as news than wondering what happened.

Breaking down the walls

At Thus spake Zuska there's a great post about what diversity is about. Breaking down the walls that separate us. I have a dream of a day when we will not be judged by the color of our skin. Until those walls are broken down, until we have equal opportunity, until we are not judged by our gender, our color, our sexual orientation or any irrelevant matter we will have programs to make sure that those of differing backgrounds are included. Diversity isn't so much about giving people a helping hand, but breaking down the barriers that prevent equal opportunity.

Thanks for the article

Karl Rahner

The number one cause of atheism is Christians. Those who proclaim God with their mouth and deny Him with their lifestyles is what an unbelieving world finds simply unbelievable.

Karl Rahner, quoted in _The Wittenburg Door_, June/July, 1988

And who is welcome?

We are a people in a strange land, that is, if we are Christians. At least that is one of the ways in which Christians have used this passage. We may love the country in which we are born and have our legal citizenship. Yet, Christians are longing for another home and working to make where they are more like that other home.

We sing aloud and rejoice because we have been redeemed (allusion to Zephaniah 3:14). The penalty for our sins has been paid. It was not our doing, not our own effort, but nonetheless the salvation has happened. We were trapped in bondage and there was no way we could earn our way free. Our works were insufficient and by the time we have paid for one sin we’ve accumulated more debt from other sins. The debt we owe is great and increasing faster than we can pay it off. The slavery to sin I s such that we cannot be redeemed by our own efforts and then someone else redeems us. We sing and rejoice. We dance and praise the one who paid the price.

Now here’s the question – do we really recognize that we were not saved by our own efforts? There are some who claim that but in their talk and actions show that they believe it was due to their merit that they were saved. It is the Christianists who require a specific wording or action such as “I have a personal experience with Christ” or “I believe in the inerrancy of Scripture” or have they been slain in the Spirit or do they speak in tongues or …. Putting the burden of a particular turn phrase or a certain doctrine on someone else shows that we do not believe that Jesus – the one who is our Christ – came to save us.

And yes, there are some beliefs that I do not consider Christian. There are some denominations and cults that I believe have strayed from Christianity. Yet the question of who is saved is best left up to God. Talking of particular doctrines as more or less Christian and talking of particular actions as more or less aligned with Christian beliefs is different than pinning salvation on particular actions or beliefs.

Yet what we live by is not statements of belief or actions. We, who are Christian, live by faith in Christ. (Galatians 2:16) And living by faith in a person or a being is very different than living by faith in the law or a doctrine or a set of actions or a set of beliefs. The one you can count whether you’ve been faithful and someone else is faithless. The other is more difficult.

And who is welcome? In God’s realm it is everyone. And we should attempt to do the same.



Zephaniah 3:14-20 [14] Sing aloud, O daughter Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem! [15] The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more. [16] On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands grow weak. [17] The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing [18] as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. [19] I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. [20] At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the LORD.

Galatians 2:11-21 [11] But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to
his face, because he stood self-condemned; [12] for until certain people came
from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But after they came, he drew back
and kept himself separate for fear of the circumcision faction. [13] And the
other Jews joined him in this hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was led astray by
their hypocrisy. [14] But when I saw that they were not acting consistently with
the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a
Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to
live like Jews?" [15] We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile
sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is justified not by the works of the law
but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus,
so that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of
the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law. [17] But if,
in our effort to be justified in Christ,we ourselves have been found to be
sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! [18] But if I build up
again the very things that I once tore down, then I demonstrate that I am a
transgressor. [19] For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live
to God. I have been crucified with Christ; [20] and it is no longer I who live,
but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by
faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. [21] I do not
nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then
Christ died for nothing.

Bait and switch

So Michigan's law that was only supposed to prevent same-sex marriages is now different. GLBT activists were saying it would have unintended consequences. Those consequences are now evident. The law affects heterosexuals, homosexuals or everyone. What is that statement about where one person lives under persecution all live under persecution?

Haggard - Queen of Denial

From Ex-gay watch comes a link to The Onion's satire on Haggard's three week cure. Just acting out? Three weeks to get over crystal? I do want to give people a break when they've messed up. But three weeks? Even the psychologists who cling to the idea that homosexuality can be cured don't promise that quick a turnaround. And if there's any addiction recovery organization that promises a three-week cure I sure can't find them.

I can understand wanting to be cured of what one considers a disease. I was the queen of denial about my sexual orientation. But for so many people to believe what is just not in evidence about Haggard's recovery is a little more denial than I can manage to live with. I guess I'm no longer the queen of denial. The evangelicals and fundamentalists (by no means everyone who claims that title) who believe homosexualitycan or needs to be cured the the ones in denial.

Bloody Bones Anita Blake

I keep reading the Anita Blake novels in part because of the fantasy world, in part because of the smash and burn plots and mostly because of the character development. We keep finding more about the past and how it affects the present, we see the character grow and learn. And my interest continues to be held.

I've got the series up to date and am skimming through to see what happens.

P.S. - later addition - I do love the use of a child's european mythic character as one of the main elements of the plot.

Cynicism coming forth

If I didn't already think that we have too many people concentrating on too many small matters then the last few days would prove it. Instead of concentrating on the news from Iraq and debating what we're doing over there many are slamming Pelosi for requesting a plane. Never mind that the last few Speakers have all made the same request and had it granted for security reasons. And then there's the infamous Snicker commercial, but what about actual instances of being beaten because of one's perceived sexual orientation.

Let's look at where contracts are being given because of bribes. Let's look at corruption where it actually exists. Let's look at children who have been beaten up because they're percieved to be gay, lesbian or different. Let's look at bullying and homophobia where people are physically hurt.

Let's look for some solid food.

Snickers

I haven't seen the Snickers ad where two men kiss (or something like that) while eating a candy bar. I don't intend to search it out. But I'm with Citizen Crain on the over-reaction. I'd agree from what I've heard that it is homophobic and that the makers of the ad and everyone involved in approving it just didn't have a clue and yet... why make a fuss over that. I'd rather spend my time on sex education that is more than just about abstinence, since every child who has sex is at risk for STD's and heterosexuals risk pregnancy. I'd rather spend my time preventing hate crimes. I'd rather spend my time promoting gay/straight alliances. The commercial is wrong, but there are many things that are wrong that I just don't have time to deal with.

Let's start by making sure our children aren't bullied because of differences.

Let's start by working for respect for all people.

Let's start by looking at medical care for those who are uninsured.

Let's start by figuring out how to get people out of the traps of poverty.

Let's start with the major problems first.

So what's next

I wrote about some problematic guests in "Please, please take responsibility" and am finding that they've probably done more. They were using our guest computer. After they left we found a checkbook. That checkbook was stolen along with a car by several kids similar to our guests. I ended up talking to police officers from three different jurisdictions.

So what's next in their lives? I suspect nothing that I want to experience.

Haggard and the ilk

Haggard seems to believe he's cured after three weeks of counseling. I suspect that he's in denial. If one is paying for sex and using crystal meth, then there is addictive behavior. No one in their right mind thinks that solving those problems happens in a couple of months. I certainly respect the sincerity of Haggard and the people who claim he's cured. I just think they're deluding themselves. Have they done any physical tests - e.g. brain wave activity or blood flow during arousal? - they're are a number of ways to test whether or not change has happened. But I suspect none of the tests have been used.

I sorrow for Haggard and his delusions, but even more for his wife and family. The problems he's experiencing won't go away until he figures out that he's either homosexual or bisexual. Someone who pays for sex with a person of the same gender just isn't straight.

Science Week

A number of science related blogs are trying to spend this week only posting about science. Some of them are at scienceblogs.com. While I do appreciate the work of many science blogs in exposing charlatans and fakes, it is also interesting to read about what they are working on and what is being discovered.

Please, please take responsibility.

"It's not my fault." isn't really a good defense. Especially when you come to my property with several people and end up in a screaming match. But that's what happened yesterday at my motel. The evening with these guests didn't start out in all that promisingly a fashion. They had to use more than one credit card to pay for the room. And then there were the couple of cars full of kids and the questions about how old one had to be to rent a room. The comments about knowing a desk clerk didn't improve things much - I wondered if they really knew the desk clerk - and problems kept piling up.

But I was most frustrated with the idea 'that it's not my fault.' Yes I went into the pool area, but the door opened and just because the lights were off didn't mean anything so you shouldn't be yelling at me. And yes I was just yelling at those girls, but they followed me over from the McDonald's parking lot so they're the ones causing the problems.

It's still your responsibility. Please stop acting as if you don't have anything to do with the problem.

And, by the way, the desk clerk did know you and thought that you caused a lot of your own problems. You're over twenty-one. It's time to grow up and take responsibility. If you don't you'll find yourself with more problems than hearing my parental tone of voice.

Family Worship

Our family has produced ministers, elders, deacons and lots of people who are active in their congregations. After he'd left the area where my mother was raised one of the pastors told me, "I'd been warned about the 'family name' when I came to 'community' - they ran the church. But I never had a problem. They were good about telling me how they felt and if they opposed something everyone knew it, but once the decision was made they supported it." Currently there are two Ministers of Word and Sacrament in the PCUSA, but I have no idea how many there are other places. This photo is of the family worship we have at every reunion.

Who am I

I'm one of the two in this photo. But not the one using the computer. We had almost verbatim notes from our family meeting at the reunion. The main topic was putting people in charge of the next reunion - to be three years down the line. There's thirty-some direct descendants in my generation, some of my generation are grandparents. There's more than a little work involved.

Machines and advances

At one point I was really into computers. I started with eighty hole punch cards and magnetic tapes. I learned Basic and worked with one of the original search engines for library books called OCLC. No longer. I looked at the code today and sighed. Computers do so much more than they used to and I certainly don't want to learn how, but I am grateful for them.

I've cleaned out sorting machines that jammed with the punch cards. I've had my hands blackened after ribbons tangled. I've worked with typewriters, stencils and copy machines where you sent things through twice - first your original with a special piece of paper and then that special paper with another piece to form the copy.

Mostly I'm grateful for the improvements. Every time I want to throw the computer in the trash I remember what I can do that I used to be unable to do and give thanks - right after I bang my head against the wall in frustration.

P.S. I'm not going to define any of the terms. If you know them you'll understand and if you don't you'll understand the confusions we went through.

Another elk photo

I wasn't able to get this sized larger, but it's still a great shot of the elk that was at my family reunion

Elizabeth Janeway

"If every nation gets the government it deserves, every generation writes the history which corresponds with its view of the world."

--Elizabeth Janeway, American author (1913- ).

Top of the mountain

A group of us who made it to the top of the mountain. And since none of the younger than eighteen crowd had to be carried I was pleased. And since the storm didn't come until after we got down I was especially pleased.

Trek to three crosses

At the top of the mountain, with a storm that didn't quite get to us until we were back down and one of the three corsses.

Martin Luther.

"The Christian man is the most free man of all and subject to none. But the Christian man is the most bound man and subject to all."

--Martin Luther.

Trek to three crosses.

The person who took this wanted me in it so as to give the proportions of the tree. But it's still a great photo. We were trekking to the top of a mountain where there were three crosses, but enjoyed the wildlife along the way. The little red flag is one of the markers of the way to the top. And I'm the middle aged, balding, heavy-set animal.

How many revisted

I posted this last week (or before) but kept thinking and so have a couple more paragraphs added.

I’ve been asked the question of “How many people have you brought to the Lord?” And my answer is none. That confuses the Christians (and some of them are Christianist) who ask the question. But the answer relates to my understanding of the task and purpose of each Christian. I cannot save anyone or bring him or her to Christ. That was done about 2000 years ago by the only human without sin. That is the human who is fully human and fully divine.

When I read passages such as John 3:16 my understanding is that salvation and redemption were done for the world. My task, my purpose is about spreading the good news of that salvation, but bringing someone to the Lord is what God does. I serve and enjoy the one who saves me. But since I cannot and could not save myself, it is the height of arrogance to believe that I can bring another to salvation.

And the numbers game, however played, is not what faith in Jesus – the one who is fully human and fully divine – is about. The Jesus I worship came to save the world. And that salvation was God’s gracious gift rather than anything I could do by myself for myself or for anyone else.

John 3:16 is often quoted as the verse about how God saves us. It is important to note that individual salvation is not mentioned here. The Son of God came to save the whole world and I’m included in that, but I’m not the one who does the saving. Paul talks of creation groaning as the change happens in the travails that are birth pangs. To limit salvation to one person at a time is to ignore what is happening all around us and in scripture. We are all part of the process.

That some people are saved and some are damned is a part of my belief. That I am being saved or damned is part of what is happening. Yet to suggest that I am saving someone or my lack of telling the good news is damning another is arrogance. It arrogates for myself power that belongs to God. I am not so bold as to do that.

God has given me gifts to use in service. My song and preaching have moved people to experience a closer relationship with God. Yet that song, that prayer, that sermon, that caring moment with a cup of cold water cannot and does not save another or bring them to belief. God has given me many gifts, but not the gift of salvation. Salvation is from God alone.
How many people have I saved? None. How many people have I told about the Savior? I don’t know. Do I tell the good news? Yes and I will continue to do so in this life and beyond.

Both ways?

Citizen Crain has a point. Mary Cheney wants to have it both ways. Write a book about her life, but don't let people ask about anything not in the book. Support your father's political ambitions, but not answer questions about how it affects your own life. But real life isn't like that. If you talk and write about your personal life, your personal life is fair game for journalists. If you support your father's viewpoints by campaigning for him, then your life and contradictions are up for review. You can't have it both ways - that's why Mary Cheney, as admirable as she is in many ways, is a hypocrite.

Biological Exuberance by Bruce Bagemihl

Biological Exuberance is not a book I just pick up and read straight through. It is too dense for something like that. And it is a collection of evidence rather than a novel. However it clearly shows that homosexuality or same sex sexual activities is not just a cross-cultural happening but crosses species. Saying homosexuality can be cured is going against the evidence. Homosexuality is clearly a part of the natural world.

The Lunatic Cafe - Anita Blake

One of the things I emjoy most abut this series bt Laurell K. Hamilton is that the characters are changing and growing. Yes, in many ways this book and the others that I've read are standard genre, but..., for me, character development transforms it from standard to good.

Circus of the Damned - Anita Blake

Third in the Anita Blake series, Circus of the Damned is another mystery supernatural thriller. Lots of action and adventure. The character development continues with some pithy quips about the nature of prejudice.

Eleanor Roosevelt

When all is said and done, more is said than done.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Gay pets....

Courtesy of Ex-gay watch comes a satire. Cure your gay pets....

Bible Quiz

Well, I guess I do read the Bible a little bit.

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
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Good riddance

A Defense official resigned. And it's high time. Someone, Charles 'Cully' Stimson, who does not understand the right to a fair trial, the ideal of having good representation for defendants should not be in a position of authority in this country. To criticize lawyers for representing detainees at Guantanamo is a less than stellar attitude.

What kind of reader are you?

A quiz to my taste. Well almost. What Kind of Reader was I? Does it count when I couldn't answer one of the questions because I sort my books at home by the Library of Congress number?

Gay animals

One of the less than accurate misrepresentations about homosexuality is that it is against nature. Since many animals have been observed in same-sex sexual activity - armers and ranchers have known for years to put the bull in with the cows when then start mounting each other - it seems a bit ridiculous to call so prevalent an activity as unnatural. Well, for those who want to know more, here's a web site about gay animals.

Science, Magic and Psychics

James Randi and a psychic together - lots of room for talking past each other. Dispatches from the Culture Wars has the transcript and an analysis. Frankly I don't want to know the future. I don't want to anticipate the bad things and want to be surprised by the good. Yet even more than that I have a distaste for those who prey on people worrying about and missing those who have died. It really is strange (or more than that pointed) that this psychic can't find out where the million dollars is that Randi has set aside for anyone who can meet his challenge.

War on Science

From Crooks and Liars comes an article about an evangelical war on science. While I might quibble that not evangelicals have an antipathy to actual science or make what they believe the Bible says as being more accurate on science than actual science, still the point is valid. Checkout the artile

Child and Elk

Last summer I posted a picture of child and elk from my family reunion. I sent to to David Mixner's site where it is now the picture of the week. I've seen lots of elk. I've seen lots of elk with velvet, but this is about the best view of velvet that I've seen. And the child, one of my first cousins once removed, makes it one of the best photos I've seen - of both child and elk.

Molly Ivins

One of the tributes to her that a friend of mine mentioned (but without a link) was that 'Good writing is good writing." The one at her web site is fitting.

Johnetta Cole

"Show me someone content with mediocrity and I'll show you someone destined for failure."


--Johnetta Cole

Snow

When I moved back from California one of the things I really enjoyed was the drama of changing seasons. There was/is a change of seasons in the Bay Area where I spent most of my years, but... the drama of a real winter and spring and summer and autumn just isn't there. I even said I missed shoveling snow.

Still we are in the middle of our seventh snow storm in as many weeks. I'm watching the cars on the interstate crawl pass and I'm ready for the change to spring. Yes I enjoy the snow, but in moderation.