July 2009

“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”

–Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago (1973)

National Review magazine tells the conspiracy theorists to stop the nonsense:

“President Obama was born on August 4, 1961, at 7:24 p.m, in Honolulu County, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. The serial number on his birth certificate is 010641. Baby Barack’s birth was not heralded, as some of his partisans have suggested, by a star in the east, but it was heralded by the Honolulu Star, as well as the Honolulu Advertiser, each of which published birth announcements for young Mr. Obama.

“Much foolishness has become attached to the question of President Obama’s place of birth, and a few misguided souls among the Right have indulged it. The myth that Barack Obama is ineligible to be president represents the hunt for a magic bullet that will make all the unpleasant complications of his election and presidency disappear.”

Read the rest here.

Of all the radio talk shows out there, among my favorites is the “Bible Answer Man” broadcast. Hosted by Christian author and apologist, Hank Hannegraaff, the show touches on cutting edge issues and theological topics. For a look into what answers you might here on the show, here is his blog, as well as an excerpt:

I often get the question, “Is apologetics really necessary?” Too often people suppose the task of evangelism and apologetics is the exclusive domain of scholars and theologians but that simply isn’t true.

Happy reading and listening!

“Let everyone regulate his conduct… by the golden rule of doing to others as in similar circumstances we would have them do to us, and the path of duty will be clear before him.”

-attributed to William Wilberforce

I hate to link to a gossip article, but in a recent article in the gossip section of the NY Daily News, Brad Pitt, when asked if he believes in a “higher power” emphatically, says “no.” Here’s the quote from the article:

I’m probably 20 percent atheist and 80 percent agnostic. I don’t think anyone really knows. You’ll either find out or not when you get there, until then there’s no point thinking about it.

His last sentence strikes as a very dangerous stance to take. If he’s right, and there is no God, then he dies, his consciousness ends, and he’s OK. If he’s wrong, though, then he’s going to come face to face with a god of some sort. Or many, for the sake of argument. If this god (or gods) judges on actions, then perhaps he’ll be fine. Maybe this deity doesn’t really care, say, and sends him back in another body, then, again, perhaps he’s OK. But, if we Christians are right, that there is a God, that sin is a real problem, that God will judge and punish sin, that Jesus paid that penalty for us on the cross and that we must place our faith in Him, then Pitt is in real trouble. He won’t be able to point to all the children he and the woman that’s not his wife that he lives adopted. He won’t be able to point to any charity work he’s done. As with everyone else, The Lord will look only at how Pitt stands in relation to Jesus Christ. If there’s no relationship there, then there will be no mercy, and Brad Pitt will be held culpable for his sins.

If all of that’s true, and I’m convinced it is, then the time to worry about is now. Post-modern, wishy-washy thoughts on the existence of God are worthless when you’re standing at the judgment seat, so, Mr. Pitt, with all due respect, now is the perfect time to think about the existence of God.

“I commend President Obama for forcing the issue of health-care reform into the public debate,” says Chuck Colson in a new article. “Our present system, still the best in the world, needs to expand coverage to the uninsured.”

The question is how to do it and “who will decide who gets medical care.” The most helpless in society should not be forgotten in the President’s plan. By this I mean the pre-born and very elderly. Read the rest of Colson’s thoughts here.

Moreover, our newer system must focus more on “health” than “health care,” shifting away from predominantly curative to preventative measures. Mike Huckabee explains it better than I could. That being said, I am grateful that the President is calling for action. Just hope he remembers to “do no harm.”

“In answer to the historical query of why it was accepted, and is accepted, I answer for millions of others in my reply; because it fits the lock; because it is like life. It is one among many stories; only it happens to be a true story. It is one among many philosophies; only it happens to be the truth. We accept it; and the ground is solid under our feet and the road is open before us. It does not imprison us in a dream of destiny or a consciousness of the universal delusion. It opens to us not only incredible heavens, but what seems to some an equally incredible earth, and makes it credible. This is the sort of truth that is hard to explain because it is a fact; but it is a fact to which we can call witnesses. We are Christians and Catholics not because we worship a key, but because we have passed a door; and felt the wind that is the trumpet of liberty blow over the land of the living.”

-G.K. Chesterton on the Christian faith in The Everlasting Man

You may recall the Quote of the Day from earlier this month in which John Piper made an argument against social media like Facebook and Twitter which he then refutes, saying “These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed the fires of narcissism, cater to the craving for attention, fill the world with drivel, shrink the soul’s capacity for greatness, and make us second-handers who comment on life when we ought to be living it.”

A new article from American Conservative magazine, “Brevity Is the Soul of Twit,” presents a nice counter to Piper’s straw man argument.

It’s trendy to lament Twitter’s vacuity. But might 140 characters be just the right space for “the clear, the brief, the bold”? With the Internet awash in too many syllables, Twitter could cut through the clutter, if only its authors brought sufficient wit.”

Who’s right? Is Twitter a destructive force or constructive? Probably a little bit of both.

Read the rest here.

“Now personally, I don’t recommend the Potter books. I’d rather Christian kids not read them. But with some 325 million of them in print, your kids will probably see them and hear others talk about them, and they’re probably going to read them anyway. So use this occasion to teach them to be discerning—like Daniel. Dare them to have Daniel as their role model, not Harry Potter.

“And if your kids do enjoy Harry’s magical world, you should give them copies of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books and Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy.

“These books also feature wizards and witches and magic, but in addition, they inspire the imagination within a Christian framework—and prepare the hearts of readers for the real-life story of Jesus Christ.”

–Chuck Colson in his July 2007 Breakpoint commentary

What do you all think? Is Colson right?

Sometimes you need a little history to put our modern social problems into perspective. It’s helpful to know that no-fault divorce was pioneered by the Bolsheviks right after the Russian revolution of 1917. Generally not people we want to emulate.

At the very least, we should follow the nuclear submarine method of divorce in New York, in which both parties must turn their keys (i.e. agree) before a no-fault divorce can be granted. After all, shouldn’t it take as many people to get out as it took to get in?

President Obama has oft discussed finding common ground on the pro-life issue. His remarks at Notre Dame, in fact, hinged on that. Taking him at his word, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission explores whether common ground can be found on the life issue and comes up with some satisfying answers, championed largely by Democrats for Life of whom I largely approve:

Can pro-life and pro-choice people find agreement on how to reduce the number of abortions in a way that honors the sanctity of all human life? The answer lies in the Pregnant Women Support Act. The bill addresses the sad reality of widespread abortion by encouraging pregnant women and girls to bring their babies to term. It was crafted with a specific goal in mind: reducing the number of abortions by 95 percent in 10 years.

The Pregnant Women Support Act would make grants available to adoption centers and establish a toll-free telephone number to direct women to organizations that provide support during pregnancy, including information on adoption centers. It would also make adoption information available to women whose babies are prenatally diagnosed with conditions such as Down syndrome. Additionally, it would increase and make permanent the adoption tax credit. Women and girls who intend to keep their babies would be helped in many similar ways, such as assisting pregnant students with child care through colleges and universities.

Read more here about this attempt to make immediate progress for life.

The February issue of Journal of Family Psychology is claiming couples who live together prior to marriage are making an unwise decision. 

“Cohabiting to test a relationship turns out to be associated with the most problems in relationships,” said lead researcher Galena Rhoades of the University of Denver. “Perhaps if a person is feeling a need to test the relationship, he or she already knows some important information about how a relationship may go over time.”

The study does not give a direct support toward waiting until marriage to cohabitate, but its results do give couples some encouragement to wait. For this, the study is applauded.

“To argue for abortion on demand from the hard cases of rape and incest is like trying to argue for the elimination of traffic laws from the fact that one might have to violate some of them in rare instances, such as when one’s spouse or child needs to be rushed to the hospital.”

-Dr. Francis J. Beckwith

“These media tend to shorten attention spans, weaken discursive reasoning, lure people away from Scripture and prayer, disembody relationships, feed the fires of narcissism, cater to the craving for attention, fill the world with drivel, shrink the soul’s capacity for greatness, and make us second-handers who comment on life when we ought to be living it.”

-John Piper making an argument against social media like Facebook and Twitter which he then refutes, explaining why he tweets

From WORLD magazine:

Planned Parenthood researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine that a revised method of conducting drug-induced abortions has allegedly reduced the risk of serious complications by 93 percent. Previously Planned Parenthood diverged from the FDA’s recommended guidelines for RU-486 by administering an oral dose of mifepristone followed by a vaginal dose of misoprostol. But the 2005 deaths of four American women and one Canadian woman from bacterial infections spurred Planned Parenthood to conform to FDA standards and instead have women dissolve the misoprostol pill in their mouths, followed by a precautionary course of antibiotics.

As a result, Planned Parenthood said the number of serious infections resulting from drug-induced abortions has declined to one-16th of the original rate. Experts say the latest research will likely spark a future increase in chemical abortions, although Family Research Council spokesman Chris Gacek said, “It’s hard to know whether this increases the (total) number of abortions.” Last year, approximately a quarter of all U.S. abortions were performed with drugs rather than surgery.

Me: As we celebrate the closing of abortion clinics and the sunset of surgical abortions, let us stay aware that the Brave New World of abortion in a bottle is only dawning.

“The truest lengthening of life is to live while we live, wasting no time but using every hour for the highest ends. So be it this day.”

• Charles Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook entry for June 22.

“I still think, although I was much too optimistic in the early days, that the possibility of stopping a pregnancy very early is significant. The morning-after pill will become more accessible and easier to take. So I think the side that wants to take the choice away from women and give it to the state, they’re fighting a losing battle. Time is on the side of change.”

-Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in a recent interview with the New York Times

Me: The so-called morning-after pill can likely act as an abortifacient and threatens the life of a conceptus. So, contrary to her thought, it can end a life and end a pregnancy after it begins. Justice Ginsburg is right, however, that the next wave of abortions won’t be done in a clinic but in the privacy of people’s home through prescription and over-the-counter drugs. May God help us.

Less than a year ago, I wrote this review of the best-selling book, The Shack. In the meanwhile, I have spoken to countless others who either loved it or hated it.

The other day I came across a review by author and preacher, Dr. Michael Youssef. He says, “The book is like a deep ditch covered with beautiful flowers — and sadly, many Christians are falling into this ditch.” Read the rest here.

His is not the most thorough treatment of the work, but neither is the best comment I’ve heard to date about it. Controversial Pastor Mark Driscoll said, “If you haven’t read The Shack, don’t.”

What do you all think of The Shack?

HT: Jerry M.

According to the Associated Press:

“WASHINGTON (AP) — Evangelical megachurch pastor Rick Warren says the country’s largest Islamic organization showed courage when it invited him to speak at its annual convention.

Warren is the founder of Saddleback Community Church in Orange County, Calif., and one of the most prominent religious leaders in the U.S. He addressed the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America on Saturday night.

He says the two largest faiths on the planet — Muslims and Christians — must work together to combat stereotypes, promote peace and freedom and solve global problems.

Warren’s willingness to show support for U.S. Muslims is a huge gain for the community, which has endured intense scrutiny since 9/11. The pastor’s appearance at the convention was criticized ahead of time by some fellow conservative Christians.”

What do you all think of this?

“The only thing new in this world is the history that you don’t know”

-Harry S Truman

“And so two more American families discover a truth as old as marriage: a lasting covenant between a man and a woman can be a vehicle for the nurture and protection of each other, the one reliable shelter in an uncaring world — or it can be a matchless tool for the infliction of suffering on the people you supposedly love above all others, most of all on your children.”

-A recent TIME magazine article on marriage, Gov. Sanford and Congressman Ensign

Hat tip: JR

Mark Joseph gives a good perspective about Sarah Palin. I find it interesting, since many have compared the Alaska governor to Ronald Reagan, the comparison Joseph gives.

Palin is 45. When Reagan was 45, it was 1956, and he was miles away from being the “Great Communicator.”

“Reagan spent those intervening two decades writing, listening, reading, talking and developing a philosophy of governance that he simply didn’t have at the age of 45, when he was a shadow of the politician he would become,” Joseph said. ”If Palin is to be a serious political force in American politics, she too will need to take time to hone her craft and both deepen her understanding of the issues as well as sharpen her communication skills.”

Last week I heard Charles Krauthammer project Mitt Romney to be the Republican candidate for 2012 and Palin for 2016. I guess you can do the math on how he thinks the results will turn out for the 2012 election.

I have yet to hear anybody give a positive nod on Palin’s decision to step down as governor. I have heard many give constructive advice about her taking some time for refinement. Maybe she doesn’t need to run for president in 2012, and maybe she doesn’t plan to run.

Considering the fact she was basically thrown into the ring less than four months before last year’s election and the fact this time last year the majority of the country never even heard of Sarah Palin (present company included), she may need to allow more time for herself as well as for American voters to develop understanding and appreciation, respectively.

I have watched almost two hours of coverage on Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stepping down from her position. Needless to say, she is going to have a major challenge ahead of her. Many are going to criticize her on all sides. I do like her, and I want her to do well because right now there are few in politics who hold the views I have on the issues. So though I have some concerns about this decision, Sarah Palin is somebody I would support if she does run for president in 2012.

Jenny Sanford released a statement to the media today, regarding her husband South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s public admittance to an affair.

There are some great words and phrases used in her remarks — forgiveness, reconciliation, repentance, institutions of marriage and family. I don’t know Mrs. Sanford, but I admire what she had to say.

“Forgiveness opens the door for Mark to begin to work privately, humbly and respectfully toward reconciliation with me. However, to achieve true reconciliation will take time, involve repentance, and will not be easy,” she said.

There is great truth and wisdom in her statement. She is correct that his actions were a violation of trust and a disgrace to the sanctity of marriage. She also is gracious and wise to recognize that saving their marriage is a process that will take time, but it is not beyond restoration.

I also appreciate Mrs. Sanford’s awareness of the need to privately restore their marriage. I only wish a certain reality TV couple would have been aware of this need.

“As God can protect his people under the greatest despotism, so the utmost civil liberty is no safety to them without the immediate protection of His Almighty arm. I fear that Christians in this country have too great a confidence in political institutions … [rather] than of the government of God,” from Confidence in God in Times of Danger by Alexander Carson.

For better and worse, I’m always trying to read the subtle messages movies send, especially to children. Here’s a great line from a movie I’ve never seen called The Last Days of Disco, criticizing Lady and the Tramp:

“[Tramp's] he’s a self-confessed chicken thief, and all-around sleazeball. What’s the function of a film of this kind? Essentially as a primer on love and marriage directed at very young people, imprinting on their little psyches the idea that smooth-talking delinquents recently escaped from the local pound are a good match for nice girls from sheltered homes. When in ten years the icky human version of Tramp shows up around the house, their hormones will be racing and no one will understand why. Films like this program women to adore jerks.”

Over the top commentary? Yes. But think about it: “Lady” really should have accepted “Jock’s” [pictured left] marriage proposal. He would have made a way better husband and father.

Hat tip: JR

“From the Brody File today — 19 pro-life Democrats have sent a letter to Nancy Pelosi saying they will not support a public option if the government covers abortion or abortion-related services,” reports WORLD magazine.

To Speaker Pelosi they wrote:

“We believe in a culture that supports and respects the right to life and is dedicated to the protection and preservation of families.  Therefore, we cannot support any health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan.  We believe that a government-defined or subsidized health insurance plan, should not be used to fund abortion.”

Or happy Canada Day, whichever you prefer to say. You know how the saying goes, that government is best which governs closest to home. Or something like that.