LIBERAL BLOG HIGHLIGHTS BRUCE LAWRENCE ON FUNDAMENTALIST CHRISTIANS

Author Bruce Lawrence, Defenders of God: The Fundamentalist Revolt Against the Modern Age, defines fundamentalism as " the affirmation of religious authority as holistic and absolute, admitting of neither criticism nor reduction; it is expressed through the collective demand that specific creedal and ethical dictates derived from scripture be publicly recognized and legally enforced ."

If Bruce Lawrence's expression is widely held, then indeed American democracy cannot abide such a sub-group in this nation.

1.religious idealism as basis for personal and communal identity;

True enough, I guess. We try to live by our beliefs and ideals which instruct us to be forgiving, loving, compassionate, unselfish, law-abiding, kind, honest,courageous, etc. We try to do this individually and corporately as families and churches. We believe in being good neighbors. That's not to say that all of us live up to our ideals all the time--but we know we should --and most of us try.

2. fundamentalists understand truth to be revealed and unified;

Revealed, yes. Unified? what does that mean. We certainly don't all agree on Biblical interp, roles of women --thus, many denominations and independent churches.

3. it is intentionally scandalous -- outsiders cannot understand it;

Scandalous??? what does THAT mean?
I think outsiders can understand it, they just don't share our beliefs.

4. fundamentalists envision themselves as part of a cosmic struggle;

I guess so. the battle between good and evil, people of faith and people who despise bht Bible-believing (so-called fundamentalist) Christians, don't believe in God, don't believe the claims about Christ. There is a battle between those who believe in religious liberty and those who want to shut up the Christians, seeing them as dangerous--when the real danger is the Left's desire to squelch the religious freedom and free speech rights of Christians.

5. they seize on historical moments and reinterpret them in light of this cosmic struggle;

Sort of. Some of us do. Some of us see natural disasters, enemy attacks, as possibly judgments from God --calling us to our knees.
The Bible implies this to be so --but also says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. We don't always know God's purposes in the evil He allows --when it is HIS random or purposeful allowance in a fallen world or when it is OUR doing. For sure, man's inhumanity to man is man's doing. But America's defeat at the hands of an enemy could result from our inner moral deterioration and failure to believe in God, hostility toward Christ and His followers. Hedonists fall asleep at the wheel, oblivious to the harm of immorality in a nation.

6. they demonize their opposition and are reactionary;

I think the demonization is worse on the left, frankly. We just define immorality Biblically and say so; you want us stopped, muzzled, eliminated because you claim we are dangerous. You sure aren't doing anything to bring us to your side intellectually with all the ad hominem attacks.

7. fundamentalists are selective in what parts of their tradition and heritage they stress;

Really? Some churches are hung up on the role of women, and there are Calvinists vs. Arminians in scriptural perspective --but we all know we should be busy about the Father's Business of proclaiming Christ to the world and doing compassionate deeds to "the least of these." Some are pentecostal; some are not; some are holiness churches; some emphasize more man's depravity and think he can't live a holy life even with God's help.

So what?

8. they are led by males;

Yes, but women have been very influential --through their children, and the teaching of children, missionary work, and their helpmeet roles and wise counsel and assistance to male leaders, including their husbands.
They have been influential in Bible study leadership --even Beth Moore's studies are admired and followed by men. Some TV women preachers have had effective ministries. They certainly are less run by men than the Catholic church.

9. they envy modernist cultural hegemony and try to overturn the distribution of power.

Huh? Maybe you mean they try to prevent the culture from going to Sodom, Gommorah and Hell in a handbasket? by resisting porn as "free speech," by resisting infanticide by abortion as women's right, by resisting the muzzling of the church by new laws preventing Biblical preaching and teaching if it "offends" someone, by resisting the change in marriage definition, undermining the strength of the traditional nuclear family.

I don't call our leftist critics "a clear and present danger" to the US, as UptheFlag and Mr. Rake call us, though left wing ideals ARE corrosive to decency in our culture --but when you start calling someone "dangerous," isn't the next step the denial of freedom to such a group? After all, we put dangerous people in jail or on a short leash --as they put Christians in jail in Korea and China and Muslim nations for speaking freely of Jesus Christ.

There is evil in the world --and danger --but it is not coming from the Christians.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

LOOKING FOR A CHURCH HOME ? COLLEGE AND GRAD STUDENTS WELCOME!

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JOIN US AT HOLLAND FREE METHODIST CHURCH


AN EVANGELICAL, WORSHIPING BODY OF ABOUT 200 WHO WORSHIP WITH BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, CONTEMPORARY AND TRADITIONAL.

9:30 AM ~Sunday School Dialogue Series for
college-age and grad students, et al

10:45 AM ~ Worship Service
Pastor Keith Simpson presiding

6:30 PM, Sundays –Dobson video series for parents of young children ~ a fellowship group with Pastor & Mrs. Simpson at their home

THE TRUTH PROJECT:

Sunday Nights ~ HOME AWAY FROM HOME MINISTRY for adult singles and young couples (college age, 20’s and 30’s plus) that will participate in

The Truth Project

video series of Focus on the Family,

starting on October 12, 2008, 7:00 PM

This group will be meeting in Rob's home at 7 p.m. Sundays with refreshments.

For information about these groups, call the church at 865-4640 or come to the Sunday AM church service. Or ask this website in comment below

We are an out-reaching body with opportunities for children (Wednesday night Christian Life Club, K - 6) , youth and musicians –and opportunities to minister in the community, through the Cherry Street Mission, Angel Food Ministries, short-term missions, Christian Life Club for children, Bible quizzing, bell-ringing for the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity help, Operation Christmas Child and YFC Campus Life

CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS WELCOME!

We have a Christmas Choir to join for a December 19~ 21 Concert, with pageantry, costuming, dance –optional rehearsal dates on Sundays or Thursdays. (Our 2 directors are music teacher/graduates of the Wheaton Conservatory of Music)

The church is located north of (behind) the Spring Meadows Shopping Mall, at 6605 Angola Road. Take Airport Highway west to McCord Road;

North on McCord and right on Angola, to 6605 Angola, the brick colonial church with the white steeple

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

UPDATE ON PASTOR BIKE! PRAISE GOD!

THIS JUST IN FROM VOICE OF THE MARTYRS:

Thank you for adding your name to the online petition asking the Chinese government to free Pastor Bike. Your voice was heard! Pastor Bike is FREE! On Friday, August 29, prominent Chinese house church leader Zhang Mingxuan, affectionately known as "Pastor Bike," his wife and a co-worker were released from Chinese custody. Pastor Bike was arrested along with his wife and co-worker August 6, two days before the Olympic Games began in Beijing. An outspoken evangelist, Pastor Bike has travelled on his bike to many places in China, handing out Christian literature and Bibles and preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Sarah Palin Made the Superior Choice for Women

Sarah saved two babies that liberal women would have aborted, a child with Down's --and a child of an unwed teen mother. And they are beaming with joy as a family!

And what's not to admire about this family? O, of course, they aren't perfect and who knows if Levi, the daughter's boyfriend, will prove worthy of the decision to marry the girl he impregnated? They are sure one handsome comple --and Sarah and husband as well.

And how cool to see Mr. Palin taking on the spouse's role, to make a speech, to wave and shake hands -just as political wives do. And yet, I don't get the sense that he is at all jealous of his wife or feeling sheepish about his secondary role in the political arena. What a guy!!

I see that CNN and CNBC's Olbermann and Maddow have started to mock Palin for being religious. Silly woman--praying for good things for America and Alaska and the people. Praying specifically about a pipeline Alaska wants and so on. No, no! Not a real evangelical --possibly inheriting the mantle of the presidency from an expired McCain someday! The Liberals must be beside themselves with horror and incredulity! How could this have happened! Where did this family come from!!!????

Who would have thought a Republican could have more charisma than Obama?? O, hear the weeping and gnashing of teeth as the snakes roil in their pits! See www.manwiththemuckrake.blogspot.com for an example!

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Free Pastor Bike, Chinese Christian

http://www.freepastorbike.com

Sorry, I can't make the url work.

Go here to this Voice of the Martyrs website to sign a petition to free Pastor Bike, a Christian pastor in China who was arrested before the Olympics. There is a U-tube video by the BBC on this page, which tells that the Chinese destroyed houses of their citizens to make way for the Olympics, without compensating the home owners. It also shows the arrest of Pastor Bike.

America must continue to put the pressure on this nation to give human rights if we are going to continue to enrich them with trade. Their one child policy was deplorable in its cruelty, such that the boy to girl ratio in that land bodes ill for their future. Granted, their population was out of control, but there are more humane ways to limit population than abortion --forced abortion, at that. There have been baby girls abandoned in the streets, which is why some Americans have elected to adopt Chinese girl infants.

I recall early in Geo. W. Bush's first term how he went to China and spoke about faith and freedom to a university in front of the Chinese political leaders. It was George's finest hour. He told them how we saw religion as a good thing in our country, making us strive to be better people, kinder people. We didn't see it as "an opiate of the people," he said.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible, I John 1:9

OPRAH DOES IT AGAIN! Promoting Transgendering

I tuned in to what may have been an OPRAH re-run last week. Two families were featured in which the father had become a 2nd mother. A plumber who was always self-consciously "macho" --knowing he had a secret desire to dress as a woman and secretly maintained an expensive cache of female clothing and shoes. He had finally become a woman (still walking with a manly swagger) --and so his wife now refers to him as her "spouse." Said she resented a little that people now view her as a lesbian, but she is now her husband's soul-mate --there are no longer any secrets between them. She's gained a best girlfriend. The teen-age son said his main concern was that his parents would divorce --which he perceived as an even greater pain. Divorce does add injury to injury ---as happened when the homosexual pastor left his family to be with his male lover. {The Episcopalian church elevated him to bishop thereafter, which has caused a huge split in that church.)

The plumber's youngest daughter, around 12, wept in the video they presented of her--saying she missed her daddy and being Daddy's Girl. But on the show, she joined with her teen siblings to say it was just fine that Dad had become a second Mom --whom they still call "Dad" or sometimes "Denise" at home. They had been praised by Oprah and liberal community and school to think it was just fine if Dad "needed" to be a woman. No stigma. No embarrassment. Just a trip to OPRAH --celebrity status for their family.

The other couple were Asian doctors. The husband had become a very vain-looking woman. The wife did tear up and say she did miss her husband and how he looked and was as a man. Their little boy on video said, "I want my Daddy back. I don't want to have 2 mommies. I don't like being different. I want a Daddy like everybody else has." He appeared to be about 5 years old.

No comments were made about the sadness of the children or wife who expressed it. Oprah said it would sure be a "deal breaker" for her to have a husband transgender. She commended the spouses, children and neighbors and society in general for becoming more tolerant to such men changing to women.

So, why shouldn't these men be comforted in their transition, for becoming "who I really am"?

Because it is selfishness, clear and simple.

Such men are fixated on gender and wanting to be what their bodies are not. They spend huge amounts of money on their clothing and then will probably deprive the kids of a college education and other comforts while they spend a fortune on transgendering. Or their indebtedness will guarantee that we tax payers pick up the education bill. The physicians and other well-to-do couples will be able to afford the costs, but average folks will find that Daddy's transition is beyond their means.

I hope insurances and government are not covering such self-indulgent, unnecessary mutilation of healthy bodies in order to accommodate the mess between the ears of such people.

In church yesterday, we sang of loving Jesus more than anything else. We hear that His will is more important and better for us than our own. We sing of being like JEsus in self-sacrifice and service to others. We say, "Not my will, but thine be done."

These transgendering fathers, like homosexuals, are fixated on one thing --their desire to be what they are not created to be --no matter how it hurts the wives and kids and parents --no matter if it makes them childless and deprives women of marriage and children. I did not hear them say if they had more than breast surgery. We know of one transgender in Michigan who kept his equipment for his wife's sake. I got the impression these men on the tv show were having the total surgery, but it wasn't stated explicitly that I heard. Thereafter, then, the only kind of sex they have with the spouse is that of lesbians --a pitiful substitute for the real thing. The Asian doctor admitted to bi-sexual interests as a college student, but neither man claimed to want to be a woman in order to be with men.

It's no wonder we've come to celebrate such idiocy --pop culture's leaders, educators and psycho-babblers have been preaching self-esteem above all else and pleasing ourselves and being proud of ourselves for decades. And the latest message is that gender and orientation are fluid according to what one THINKS he wants to be or whom he wants to be with -- OR fixed at birth somewhere in the brain, contrary to the body.

I'm told there were some European studies showing that homosexuals' brains have some functional similarities to the opposite sex. We know that addictive activities and substances can alter brain structure and function. What is more addictive (apparently) than homosexual orgasmic living and extreme promiscuity of that lifestyle? I've no doubt that the Bible is true in saying, "AS a man thinks in his heart, so is he." And the verse is not a license for transgendering. It says we think sinfully --and thus, are sinners.

In the case of transgenders and homosexuals, if the brains are similar to those of the opposite sex, it may be that opposite sex thinking has programmed the brain. I repeat, "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." IF a mother and father fail to provide normal role modeling and the daily presence and affection of the same sex parent for their children in their developmental years, perhaps their brains conform to the opposite sex parent's brain.

I'm not thinking that parents must be to blame for such abnormalities --because the culture itself has so much to do with sinful influence. However, Dr. Dobson believes that fathers, especially, must INTENTIONALLY help their little boys feel like "one of the guys," and spend both quality and quantity time with their pre-schoolers and not leave their upbringing entirely to Mom. There is to be opposite sex affirmation from parents, and same sex identification.

We are learning so much more about the brain's change-ability. Is it possible that when one is filled with the Holy Spirit and transformed by a conversion encounter with Christ, that the brain is RENEWED? "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." My husband's grandfather easily gave up a very bad cigarette habit when he accepted Christ into his life. It was overnight. He was transformed by the renewing of his mind--a supernatural act of God. I remember a spiritual experience of my own at age 18 that really changed my personality in some ways --such that I was more outgoing, loving, less shy and self-conscious. I've seen that change in others after they believe, repent, and accept Christ into their lives. There is a new look in the eyes --a new warmth and confidence, too.

We hear of epileptic children now who have half the brain removed to stop incontrollable frequent seizures --and the other half of the brain takes over the functions of the missing half.

So our brains can be altered. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." The verse suggests we have a WILL that can choose how and what we think. Jesus suggests we are RESPONSIBLE for what we think, responsible for our sin. We also know it is inevitable that we have this sin nature --a mind inclined to sin. But we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds when we give our lives to Him.

Did we hear Olympians this year praising God for help in sport? No, we heard how proud the winners were of themselves --or how they did their best and were proud of themselves for doing that. You don't hear the losers tell how they stayed up too late partying or should've practiced harder --and maybe that's not the case. But we didn't hear winners say that they "PRESSED TOWARD THE MARK OF THE HIGH CALLING OF JESUS CHRIST" in the race of life. And maybe they were forbidden to do so. That wouldn't surprise us. Or maybe Olympics is all about victory for me --unlike the missionary star of Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, who said he felt the pleasure of God in Him when he ran --and said He ran for the glory of God. He refused to run on Sundays, as Sunday is "The Lord's Day."

I suggest that if we are fully committed to God, we will accept our bio-assignments to be male or female. There are birth defects and abnormal conditions in life from flawed genes --but so far, we have not found that sexual confusion in our culture has anything at all to do with our brains or our genes --but with "vain imaginations" and the selfishishness that is intrinsic to our sin nature.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

VACATION AT THE LAKE

Once again, vacation was possibly more work than pleasure. Hubby worked on office stuff until the last minute --such that the vacation didn't start until Wednesday --and our toilet line plugged up just before we left, and toilet water backed up into the adjoining shower. We have a newer bathroom that has always given us problems because the contractor and his plumber didn't do something right. But we put a bunch of vinegar down --and after the 2nd toilet on the line overflowed and splashed on the floor getting all over hubby's shoes --the clog finally dissolved--I called off the plumber who was coming--and we left the house!

We get to the lake, and our neighbor sends his dogs to our yard to do his business --and my daughter yelled through closed windows at the offender, "NOT IN OUR YARD!!!" And we know the 2 neighbor guys noticed --as they looked at the house. Did they come out with a pooper scooper? Of course not. But we are tolerant --because he has mowed our yard some springs before we got there --maybe once a year.

Before we arrived, our daughters who got there earlier called to say the brand new air conditioner wasn't working -- and there was a leak under the new sink. So the plumber came out --said there was an earwig in our AC. He got everything working.

I noticed in my new bathroom a flaw in the wall paper where the carpenter had a 2 inch diameter tear where he put in the towel bar. He had stuck it together. It's right where you would notice it if you were sitting on the stool! I asked my daughter if she had noticed that when we were cleaning up and finishing up with the carpenter --she said yes, but she felt sorry for him--because I had gotten him to do an extra job after I paid him. There was a PLANT growing on the roof --and since he had been up there previously to take out the chimney (to make room for the sink in the bathroom, we had taken out a chimney chase,) I thought he could have removed the plant and whatever debris was cultivating it. We were fixing the cottage as a prize for a music booster fund-raiser --a teacher's family was going to spend a few days there --and I didn't want them to see a plant growing on the roof. Plus, he helped her rehang the window valances --all of 5 minutes worth. So she didn't want to point out that he had ruined the new wallpaper already. He also put in the baseboards even though he knew he should wait for the heating guy to give him the new register cover --he didn't know exactly what size it would be --but he put the baseboards in anyway. And then he had to remove the baseboard off the new wallpaper and cut it to fit the register cover. And there was some flaw afterward in how the baseboard butts against the wall, not quite square. I think he was trying to speed up the whole process before I noticed his wallpaper damage.

I paid to have that paper airmailed quickly from England --and paid top dollar to a decorating company according to the price in the wallpaper book. Afterward I found the same paper at Lowe's for 1/3 the price --and would not have had to pay $75 shipping.

O well, when I feel gypped, I just tell myself I'm helping the economy.

Re: the bathroom --You used to be able to sit on the stool and brush your teeth at the same time, not that anybody did--but it was so close, your skirts had to swish against the toilet when you used the sink. By taking out the chimney, getting a new furnace that doesn't use a chimney, we were able to get the sink and toilet on the same wall.

Anyway, I got my young carpenter (in his late 20's) to get a ladder from the garage and the plant off the roof. And I didn't know that he had spoiled my new wallpaper. Some people I know would make him get the bathroom done over. Even to repair it and re-do a section would cause new horizontal seams and not be as nice as it was when the paper hanger did it. So, we're letting it go. It's still a beautiful little cottage bathroom--and so much more user-friendly.

On Saturday, we took the old dusty 1987 Four Winns deck boat on the Chain of Lakes tour through canals and 7? lakes. And in the last lake --after the ice cream and bathroom stop on Marble Lake, my son was driving and the boat started to sound funny and smoke poured from the gear shift area and the motor area. First thing was to move the 2 grandmas in their 80's to the front of the boat instead of by the engine in the back --Grandma's walker was in the way, making this a tough job with too many feet and panic aboard. Though there was no screaming --but minds racing to think what we should do. I was ready to open bottles of water! We should've thought to put on our life jackets and prepared to jump over. The gas tank could've ignited and exploded. I hope we'll remember the lesson learned for any future episode --and have better presence of mind. Hindsight is always best, sad to say.

Son took fire extinguisher to the back --where there were not any flames yet --Husband turned off the ignition--finally. Many boats slowed to inquire how they could help and we didn't know. Fortunately, Jon had his cell phone and called the sheriff. We were drifting under low hanging branches when 2 sheriffs show up. Do they have ropes on their boat? Of course not. Why would the Marine Patrol have tow ropes? So they left us under the trees with daughter squealing over possible bugs in branches --and then they returned and tied us to their tow rope. We had one but not long enough. Right away, their Boy Scout knot knowledge proved deficient --and the knot untied. So they tried again --I think my husband did it finally--he was a Boy Scout and knows his knots. And they pulled us to public access --where we eventually got permission to leave the boat overnight at a neighboring private pier. The sheriffs were very cordial --and I was so relieved that I actually had current boat registration in the boat when they asked to see it--and that they didn't examine our 1980's fire extinguisher.

The next day, our boat was picked up (for a hefty fee) by our boat-shop-owning neighbor to his place of business. He called the next week to say, "Good news --only $1000 of damage --water pump went out and lots of stuff was damaged but not the motor itself." My husband never thinks $1000 is good news.

My husband hates the boat --it's hard to get the grandmas in and out of it and half the time it won't start --but it did on this day. He wants a new fancy pontoon --so he can give them 2 rides a year or so on his 7 days or so at the lake. We do have an old pontoon that works --and we did take a couple nice rides in it with the mothers --but it doesn't go fast --and we needed to make time on the chain of lakes tour --as we had promised to give some other relatives from down the road a sunset cruise on the pontoon later. Besides, our daughter-in-law had never taken the ride through the canals and the lakes and she likes the faster boat, too.

The next day, before leaving for home, I hoped to go Seadooing with my husband --and my Seadoo started to balk and stall right away --after working all week for everybody else. This time I didn't pray it into running --the inspiration was lacking! Once it started up with the help of some guy whose house I stalled in front of --after my husband got a tow rope --so I shot at top speed through the "no wake" zone, not wanting to stall again. I knew I was breaking the "no wake law" --but figured the sheriff would understand the need to get home before stalling again. But here came a pontoon with a bossy young lady telling me that I wasn't to go through that no-wake zone fast like I did. I said I knew that --but had met the sheriff yesterday and figured he'd understand an exception since I needed to keep going fast so it wouldn't stall again.

But it did stall, and while she was scolding me, Hubby was trying to tie me to his seadoo --and the way he did it, had him pulling me sidewise --and I almost tipped over when he sped up --and so there we were, yelling at each other out in public. He wonders why I can't hold the rope such that it won't pull me sideways --but of course, when the slack goes out of the rope, I can't control that rope at all; it's too tight. So he had to be content to pull me home at a snail's pace. Had he been able to reach the place on the Seadoo where the tow rope was supposed to be tied, it wouldn't have gone crooked --but that ring is practically under the boat and he couldn't reach it without getting in the water --and then he wouldn't have been able to get back on his boat.

Otherwise, we had lovely meals, all planned by and shopped for by my daughter (I'm the clean-up crew), enjoyed the new bathroom and the AC, and the new vinyl-sheeting Armstrong Oak-like flooring --also a project of the summer. That was the flooring recommended for swimmers' water. It is a great improvement --though I think I see what are 3 nail pop-ups in the walk way, and have to go back and see if the flooring installer can replace that section and have it look ok. We do have left-over material.

I had one good Seadoo run by myself. And joined in one afternoon of swimming with most of the family.

Also enjoyed visits with some cousins I had not seen for a long time.

Our mothers were both there; my mom stays in her sister's fancy house at the other end of the island --and she spent her days with us --and she is getting forgetful at 88? I've lost track. I'm forgetful, too! She was forever worrying about whether her sister would have other people needing her bed --and with whom she was to have dinner --and where she had left her purse.

Jon's mother, on the other hand, is better off mentally but more frail of body --having broken a hip and having severe osteoarthritis and porosis such that she can't stand up straight very easily. Her legs are like toothpicks and they said her bones are very brittle --but she thinks it's cute to seriously beg for a Seadoo ride and to ride the adult tricycle we have -- It's part of her charm to act like a school girl, always ready for some risky adventure --so she giggles and begs for the rides she wants. And as an only child, she is used to getting what she wants. Fortunately, nobody indulged her this time. We used to take her on most of our vacations to Florida --until she broke the hip (femur, actually) stepping out of a bathroom--and my husband spent the whole week with her in the hospital.

I'm a good wife.

The grandsons had no mishaps and lots of good times --and some fish were caught and cleaned and served by Grandpa. One large lethargic bass was caught with a net --he was just hovering near the pier --and he wasn't taking an interest in the worms. They let him go, thinking he was not in good health.

We also visited the Coldwater Free Methodist Church --and found it to be a thriving congregation with a young dynamic preacher. What was the sermon topic? RELAX! the importance of taking time away from work, and the pursuit of money, for vacation, relationships and church.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

GOOD MOVIE! SWING VOTE! --A FEEL GOOD PRELUDE TO THE FALL ELECTION

Our 39th Anniversary was Saturday, and we decided to go to a movie and buy the junk food P's: hot pretzels, popcorn, pop and a relish tray --without guilt! Plus hotdogs! That was our special dinner out! And it was my idea as we both had busy day and I liked the idea of leaning back in a theater seat over an uncomfortable dining room chair.

SWING VOTE stars Kevin Costner as a ne'er do well, working class drunk. At least, he drinks too much. His daughter is about 5th grade, I'd guess --and she's the grown-up in the house. And she REALLY wants Dad "Bud" to vote --so she registered him by mail. She also wants him to quit his chronic cussing --says "Jesus is the Savior for billions of people." This is not a laugh-line.

Due to a fluke at the polls, his vote doesn't fully register ---and the state of New Mexico's 5 electoral votes are the ones to determine the presidential election. And his one vote is the decider.

His re-vote is set for 10 days later, and Air Force one and the Republican team fly in to curry his vote --and the Democratic party throws a big party for him. All the social issues groups are camped out in the small town of Texaco, Mexico. The media is there --and the whole world is watching Bud and his daughter Molly.

The story points out that there is nothing sacred about party values when it comes to getting the vote. Campaign managers would sell the souls of their mothers. One of them denies that --and then in an after-thought, says, "Well, you don't know my mother!"

The Democrats do a pro-life ad for Bud's attention as he said about being pro-life, "Isn't everybody??" And the Republicans do a pro-gay marriage ad which gays won't like for the silly stereotypes --and it is comical --and probably too true that political campaign managers don't care about issues as much as winning.

But our candidates have pangs of conscience --and Bud concludes at the final debate, for which he asked, that both men are admirable, worthy leaders.

Bud makes a heart-felt speech about his own life of disinterest, his own lack of sacrifice for ideals and country, his own unworthiness to cast the vote --after a last minute epiphany prompted by his idealistic daughter.

The end is satisfying --and not at all politically polarizing. And the Republican president, played convincingly by Kelsey Grammar, comes across well in the end --surprising for a Hollywood movie. Both candidates are depicted as men of character, in the end.

It moves a little slowly at points, but overall is a thought-provoking, touching and humorous story on the value of every vote. The impact of bad parenting, particularly not keeping our word to our children is part of the story --the sadness and resentment it causes. We see the correlation between one's attitudes, effort and life habits with low income status --in a country that DOES provide opportunity, as Bud notes in his final speech. He had lost his job on election day --and deservedly (and humorously) so.

I like this movie. I think the performances are excellent and the message uplifting.

ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

A Most Insightful Criticism of Communism

I read this about a month ago on wikipedia and thought it was brilliant. It's from the Dali Llama:

I think the major flaw of the Marxist regimes is that they have placed too much emphasis on the need to destroy the ruling class, on class struggle, and this causes them to encourage hatred and to neglect compassion. Although their initial aim might have been to serve the cause of the majority, when they try to implement it all their energy is deflected into destructive activities. Once the revolution is over and the ruling class is destroyed, there is nor much left to offer the people; at this point the entire country is impoverished and unfortunately it is almost as if the initial aim were to become poor. I think that this is due to the lack of human solidarity and compassion. The principal disadvantage of such a regime is the insistence placed on hatred to the detriment of compassion.

original source

While most critics will cite the loss of incentive as the principle problem with communism since everyone would ideally get the same amount of goods and services, which I think is a good point, I think this criticism goes further to the heart of the problem.

The Dali Llama for this reason considers himself a half Marxist. He, like most communists doesn't believe that the governments that champion Marxism really represent the system. According to him, though the implementation of Marxism has often been a disaster, Marxism itself is founded upon moral principles of equality while capitalism is based upon personal gain.

I think both systems can fail for the same reason. They both treat the human situation as primarily economic. Capitalism only works best when you have good people who will use their resources not just for themselves but for others and for the long term good. But Marxism cannot be good thoroughly as it is a godless system.

Reflecting on the Dali Llama's comment, it seems to me that Marxism has worked out as an affront to humanity itself as it flies in the face of the most important goals for humans. It stands as an outright perversion of the second greatest commandment to love one's neighbor, where in Marxism we are called to love 9 out of 10 of our neighbors (in a materialistic way) but to hate that one in 10 who has more than the others and take his possessions by force to distribute to everyone else. Of course it is explicitly Godless as well which is an affront to the most important commandment.

Of course some people see the economics of the early church as communistic. For one, they forget that communism is an explicitly Godless system, so that identification will never work out. But scripture as a whole and even the new testament more specifically doesn't completely fit these descriptions of communism nor capitalism. There is an instance in acts where many in the early church held goods in common, but at the same time, there were other churches where Paul encouraged those who were able to support widows to do so thus the church would be able to use its resources in other ways. Clearly the implication is that people had funds that were their own.

The point here is taking care of one's neighbors, but there's no way to do that set in stone.

But what else could we say of scriptural economics. On the one hand, there is the parable of the vineyard owner who paid everyone a denarius no matter when they came to work demonstrating that the vineyard owner paid each according to their need. Of course it is emphasized that the owner and workers freely entered this relationship. On the other, the parable of the talents shows a king who rewards hard work by giving more power to the most successful servants. And there were those churches were people held goods in common. What we have here is meritocracy, rulership by the most competent and most successful and privatized socialism. No majority put it to a vote to force the wealthy to give up their wealth and there certainly was no bloody revolution. We do not see nameless faceless bureaucracies doling out checks and food stamps to people with no relationship of gratitude. People of their own free will and their own resources took care of each other.

A Cuban Writes about Change --Obama Another Fidel?

: Letter to the Editor from a Cuban . . .
> From Richmond Times-Dispatch, Monday, July 7, 2008 ~
>

>
> Dear Editor, Times-Dispatch:
>
> 'Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice.
> On June 30 I celebrate my independence day, and on July 4 I celebrate
> America's. This year is special, because it marks the 40th anniversary
> of my independence.
>
> 'On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba, and a few months later, I
> was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in
> Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.
>
> 'I've thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year
> rhetoric has made me think a lot about Cuba and what transpired there.
> In the late 1950s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, and they
> were right. So when a young leader came along, every Cuban was at
> least receptive.
>
> 'When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced
> the old system, the press fell in love with him. They never questioned
> who his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he
> would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and
> education to all, everyone followed. When he said he would bring
> justice and equality to all, everyone said, 'Praise the Lord.' And
> when the young leader said, 'I will be for change and I'll bring you
> change,' everyone yelled, 'Viva Fidel!'
>
> 'But nobody asked about the change, so by the time the executioner's
> guns went silent, the people's guns had been taken away. By the time
> everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By
> the time everyone received their free education, it was worth nothing.
> By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now
> working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented, Cuba
> had been knocked down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By
> the time the change was over, more than a million people had taken to
> boats, rafts, and inner tubes. You can call those who made it ashore
> anywhere else in the world the most fortunate Cubans. And now I'm back
> to the beginning of my story.
>
> 'Luckily, we would never fall in America for a young leader who
> promised change without asking, what change?
> How will you carry it out? What will it cost America?
>
> 'Would we?'
>
>
> Manuel Alvarez, Jr.
> Sandy Hook

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Obama in Afghanistan --a Soldier's Observation

I got this in email --indirectly from a soldier in Afghanistan.

Hello everyone,
As you know I am not a very political person. I just wanted to pass along that Senator Obama came to Bagram Afghanistan for about an hour on his visit to 'The War Zone'. I wanted to share with you what happened. He got off the plane and got into a bullet-proof vehicle, got to the area to meet with the Major General(2 Star) who is the commander here at Bagram. As the soldiers where lined up to shake his hand he blew them off and didn't say a word as he went into the conference room to meet the General. As he finished, the vehicles took him to the ClamShell (pretty much a big top tent that military personnel can play basketball or work out in with weights) so he could take his publicity pictures playing basketball.

He again shunned the opportunity to talk to Soldiers to thank them for their service. So really he was just here to make a showing for the Americans back home that he is their candidate for President. I think that if you are going to make an effort to come all the way over here you would thank those that are providing the freedom that they are providing for you. I swear we got more thanks from the NBA Basketball Players or the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than from one of the Senators, who wants to be the President of the United States. I just don't understand how anyone would want him to be our Commander-and-Chief. It was almost that he was scared to be around those that provide the freedom for him and our great country.

If this is blunt and to the point I am sorry but I wanted you all to know what kind of caliber of person he really is.
What you see in the news is all fake.

In service,
CPT Jeffrey S. Porter
Battle Captain
TF Wasatch
American Soldier

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Got This in Email --about the Terrorist Shoe-Bomber

I guess this is from 2003:

Sentence of Reid ......

Remember the guy who got on a plane with a bomb built into his shoe and tried to light it?

Did you know his trial is over?

Did you know he was sentenced?

Did you see/hear any of the judge's comments on TV or Radio?

Didn't think so
Everyone should hear what the judge had to say.

Ruling by Judge William Young, US District Court.

Prior to sentencing, the Judge asked the defendant if he had anything to say. His response: After admitting his guilt to the court for the record, Reid also admitted his 'allegiance to Osama bin Laden, to Islam, and to the religion of Allah,' defiantly stating, 'I think I will not apologize for my actions,' and told the court 'I am at war with your country.'

Judge Young then delivered the statement quoted below:

January 30, 2003, United States vs. Reid. Judge Young:

'Mr. Richard C. Reid, hearken now to the sentence the Court imposes upon you.

On counts 1, 5 and 6 the Court sentences you to life in prison in the custody of the United States Attorney General. On counts 2, 3, 4 and 7, the Court sentences you to 20 years in prison on each count, the sentence on each count to run consecutively. (That's 80 years.)

On count 8 the Court sentences you to the mandatory 30 years again, to be served consecutively to the 80 years just imposed. The Court imposes upon you for each of the eight counts a fine of $250,000 that's an aggregate fine of $2 million. The Court accepts the government's recommendation with respect to restitution and orders restitution in the amount of $298.17 to Andre Bousquet and $5,784 to American Airlines.

The Court imposes upon you an $800 special assessment.

The Court imposes upon you five years supervised release simply because the law requires it. But the life sentences are real life sentences so I need go no further.

This is the sentence that is provided for by our statutes. It is a fair and just sentence. It is a righteous sentence.

Now, let me explain this to you We are not afraid of you or any of your terrorist co-conspirators, Mr. Reid. We are Americans. We have been through the fire before. There is too much war talk here and I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court, we deal with individuals as individuals and care for individuals as individuals. As human beings, we reach out for justice.

You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier, gives you far too much stature. Whether the officers of government do it or your attorney does it, or if you think you are a soldier. You are not----- you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists We do not meet with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.

So war talk is way out of line in this court. You are a big fellow. But you are not that big. You're no warrior. I've known warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal that is guilty of multiple attempted murders. In a very real sense, State Trooper Santiago had it right when you first were taken off that plane and into custody and you wondered where the press and the TV crews were, and he said: 'You're no big deal.'

You are no big deal.

What your able counsel and what the equally able United States attorneys have grappled with and what I have as honestly as I know how tried to grapple with, is why you did something so horrific. What was it that led you here to this courtroom today?

I have listened respectfully to what you have to say. And I ask you to search your heart and ask yourself what sort of unfathomable hate led you to do what you are guilty and admit you are guilty of doing? And, I have an answer for you. It may not satisfy you, but as I search this entire record, it comes as close to understanding as I know.

It seems to me you hate the one thing that to us is most precious. You hate our freedom. Our individual freedom. Our individual freedom to live as we choose, to come and go as we choose, to believe or not believe as we individually choose. Here, in this society, the very wind carries freedom. It carries it everywhere from sea to shining sea. It is because we prize individual freedom so much that you are here in this beautiful courtroom. So that everyone can see, truly see, that justice is administered fairly, individually, and discretely. It is for freedom's sake that your lawyers are striving so vigorously on your behalf, have filed appeals, will go on in their representation of you before other judges.

We Americans are all about freedom. Because we all know that the way we treat you, Mr. Reid, is the measure of our own liberties. Make no mistake though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden; pay any price, to preserve our freedoms. Look around this courtroom. Mark it well. The world is not going to long remember what you or I say here. The day after tomorrow, it will be forgotten, but this, however, will long endure.

Here in this courtroom and courtrooms all across America , the American people will gather to see that justice, individual justice, justice, not war, individual justice is in fact being done. The very President of the United States through his officers will have to come into courtrooms and lay out evidence on which specific matters can be judged and juries of citizens will gather to sit and judge that evidence democratically, to mold and shape and refine our sense of justice.

See that flag, Mr. Reid? That's the flag of the United States of America. That flag will fly there long after this is all forgotten. That flag stands for freedom. And it always will.

Mr. Custody Officer. Stand him down.

So, how much of this Judge's comments did we hear on our TV sets? We need more judges like Judge Young, but that's another subject. Pass this around. Everyone should and needs to hear what this fine judge had to say. Powerful words that strike home. God bless America

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Atheist Soldier Sues Army

Yes, this is my second blog today in reaction to something from CNN.com. One good blog deserves another.

Apparently, there is an atheist soldier suing the army for religious discrimination, harassment, and proselytization by the army towards evangelicalism. Now all this criticism may be fair, though it should be noted that the military is having religious issues all over on different sides. For example in that many military chaplains have felt pressure by senior officers to pray in a certain way (without mentioning Jesus). It is important to respect the religious freedom of anyone of any faith, and that includes respecting the necessarily public nature of Christian faith as well as the atheists right to abstain from religiosity at an individual level (meaning, it's not his place to demand for example that chaplains can't pray at formal events... he doesn't have to pray along).

There was a dead end suggested in the article by Michael Weinstein who is the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation towards the end of military freedom.

According to Weinstein "...when you put the uniform on, there's only one religious faith: patriotism,"

If this understanding ever prevails (and that's a big if), then it's time for every God fearing Christian to put off the uniform or avoid it all together. It's one of the big 10, that we are to have no gods before Yahweh, and that restriction isn't restricted to Zeus or Baal but can include democracy, liberty, patriotism, free market and so many other values and ideals that our nation supports with force which very well could become gods if we are not careful and critical of their limits and pitfalls. Many of us American Christians no doubt give more thought to our status as American citizens than we do as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Perhaps this is a major reason why our salt isn't so salty.

There was another item of interest in the article regarding the atheist soldier himself. After two tours of duty in Iraq, he says he lost his faith after he was challenged on his faith in scripture by atheists. He had too many questions without answers and thus became an atheist with nor reservations for the supernatural.

Is this really the thinking man's journey? It seems to me, if you have questions, you go and seek the answers. Perhaps he did, but between two tours of duty, how much time does one have to give these issues serious thought and seek the the help of the learned scholars upon on them.

Here's the original article

Abuse High in Teen Romance

CNN reported on a study today that demonstrates a high level of abuse amongst teens who've had sex. According to a poll by loveisrespect.org, "Sixty-nine percent of teens who had sex by age 14 reported some type of abuse in a relationship, with slightly more than one-third saying they had been physically abused,"

Original article here.

The study describes the finding as surprising, and I admit, I didn't give much thought to the idea that sexually active teen relationships would involve abuse. But it makes sense that people who engage in one foolish activity, acting on destructive passions such as that in sex outside of marriage are likely to involve themselves in other foolish activities, such as abuse.

The report went on to discuss what legislators in Rhode Island have done to address the problem which primarily involves educating teens on abuse.

That's all well and good, to treat the symptoms. The root of the problem is that we don't view persons as sacred, and we've failed to teach younger generations of the sacredness of sexuality and the importance of entering that sort of relationship under the most sober agreement and with intentions to preserve that relationship and the dignity of the other unconditionally before God and society (and that is what marriage is about).

What Causes Homosexual Orientation -- Words of Julie Harren, PhD

This lady has come to the same conclusions as I. That there ARE things that parents and society do to influence sexual orientation--and that there is hope for any who want to change. If bonds with parents are often influential on orientation, then gay marriage and parenting should be discouraged (like divorce should be discouraged) --because boys, especially, will not have that male role model they need. It is my view that states ought not make legitimate an institution that handicaps children who optimally fare best with both a mother and a father in a happy, loving, functional home. Of course, I believe that Christian faith and principles are the greatest aid to family life, in combination with common sense. (We all know of some Christian homes that do not apply scripture or common sense --and we also know that carnal nature with free will can mess up the best of homes--it's that Satan factor, tempting since the Garden of Eden.)

Julie Harren, Ph.D., LMFT wrote about origin of homosexuality, published at NARTH website :

....While environmental factors may include experiences of sexual abuse or other traumatic events, a common contributor to same-sex attractions is a disruption in the development of gender identity. Gender identity refers to a person's view of his or her own gender; that is, his or her sense of masculinity or femininity. Gender identity is formed through the relationships that a child has with the same-sex parent and same-sex peers.

The process of gender identification begins approximately between age two and a half and four. For boys, it is during this phase that they begin to move from their primary attachment with the mother to seeking out a deeper attachment with the father. For males, the relationship between a boy and his father is the initial source of developing a secure gender identity. It is through the father-son relationship that a boy discovers what he needs to know about being male, including who he is as a boy, how boys walk, how they talk, how they act, and so forth. As the father spends time with the son, shows interest in the son, and gives the son affirmation and affection, the father imparts to the son a sense of masculinity. The boy begins to develop a sense of his own gender by understanding himself in relation to his father.

When the child reaches the age of five, he begins to face another task, that is, to begin to attach to same-sex peers. At this age, he starts school and begins to look to the other boys to answer the same questions that his dad has been answering. He looks to the other boys to discover how they walk, how they talk, how they play, and how he measures up in relation to them. He seeks to be included, accepted, and acknowledged. Through the relationships he forms with other boys, he continues to gain a sense of masculinity, discovering more about others boys and therefore more about himself as a boy.

During the early years of elementary school, children are not usually very interested in playing with members of the opposite sex. They desire to spend time with members of the same sex. This is a very necessary stage of development, because a person cannot be interested in the opposite sex or in others, until he or she first understands himself or herself.

Eventually, after many years of bonding with members of the same sex, the boy enters puberty. At this time he begins to turn his attention to the opposite sex. He becomes curious about the gender which is different from his own, the female gender. With the simultaneous emergence of puberty, this curiosity becomes a sexual interest and a desire for romantic connection with the opposite sex.

Conversely, for the child who will develop a homosexual orientation, this process does not happen. So, what happens in the development of gender identity that would lead a child to have same-sex attractions? Typically, for this child, there is something that prevents him from attaching to the father. Either he doesn't have a father or a father figure, or he doesn't have a father who he perceives as safe and/or welcoming. Of course, there are many children who grow up without fathers and yet do not develop a homosexual orientation. In addition, there are many children who have loving fathers, yet still become homosexually oriented. This is due to the fact that there are various factors that contribute to a homosexual orientation. Human development is very complex and includes events, as well as perceptions about the events.

Perceptions are very important. Perceptions are more powerful than what actually happens, because perceptions become that person's reality. Perceptions are influenced by temperament. For example, a child with a more sensitive temperament might perceive rejection even when rejection is not intended. Temperament is the biological contributor; however, temperament alone is not enough to create a homosexual orientation. The temperament type must be met with the right environmental factors in order to produce same-sex attractions. Typically the child who will later develop same-sex attractions is naturally sensitive, observant, intelligent, and is sometimes more artistic than athletic. This child often tends to personalize and internalize experiences and observations.
So, if a child perceives that his father does not want a relationship with him, that child might try a few times to connect with his father, but will eventually retract in self-protection. This is called defensive detachment. Upon sensing rejection, the boy chooses to reject the father in return. He detaches from the father and even what the father represents, which is masculinity (Nicolosi & Nicolosi, 2001). Typically at this point, he will stay connected to the mother and will instead soak in femininity. Usually he is also surrounded by other female figures, such as, a sister, an aunt, or a grandmother. So at a time when he is craving masculine input and seeking to understand himself in terms of his male identity, he instead receives feminine input and begins to develop a sense of the feminine.
By the time this child enters school, he often has a difficult time relating with other boys. Either he is just more comfortable with the girls, who are more familiar to him, or he is intimidated by the boys. Often this child sees himself as different from the other boys. So he may hold back from bonding with them. If he has developed any feminine mannerisms, he might also be rejected by the other boys and quite possibly even ridiculed. He is craving acceptance from the other boys and continues to need this acceptance, though the need goes unmet. The boy watches the other boys from afar, he longs to be noticed by them, and included by them, yet he remains with the girls, further gaining a sense of the feminine while deeply craving the masculine.

This child typically spends his elementary school years learning about femininity while craving to understand masculinity. Specifically, he desires to understand himself in terms of his own masculine identity. Yet, he does not assimilate with the same-sex parent or same-sex peers, so he does not acquire a masculine identity. He associates with the feminine, which is his primary source of input. He does not develop a secure gender identity. So by the time this child reaches puberty, the craving for male input has grown and intensified. At this time in his life he is not curious about or interested in the opposite sex. He already knows all about the opposite sex-- they are quite familiar to him. What he is craving to know about is his own gender. He still deeply longs to know about boys. He longs to experience connections with males. This emotional need, the need for same-sex love, which has gone unmet, now begins to take on a sexual form. His unsatisfied cravings for male love become romantic cravings with the emergence of puberty. (Satinover, 1996).

To this child, it feels very natural that he longs for male love. In fact, he typically thinks that he was born that way, having craved male love for as long as he can remember. Indeed, he has craved this love most of his life. However, initially it was not a sexual craving. Instead, it was an emotional craving, a legitimate need for non-sexual love, an emotional need that has become sexualized.

The female development of homosexuality is a bit more complex. As with the male development, there are a number of factors that can contribute. For some women who end up with same-sex attractions, the development is similar to the male development previously described. For others, negative perceptions regarding femininity may lead to an internal detachment from their own femininity. For example, if a girl watches her father abuse her mother, the girl might conclude that to be feminine is to be weak. At an early age she might make an unconscious decision to detach from her female identity. She might detach from her own gender in an effort to protect herself from the perceived harmful effects of being female.

Sexual abuse is another factor that can contribute to a homosexual orientation. In these cases men are seen as unsafe, and lesbianism becomes a way of protecting against further hurt from a male. For some there might be a disconnection from the mother, and lesbianism becomes a search for motherly love. For others, same-sex attractions may not initially be present, but may later develop as a result of entering into a non-sexual friendship which becomes emotionally dependant. An emotionally dependent relationship is one in which two people seek to have their needs met by one another. It is a relationship in which healthy boundaries are not in place. The absence of appropriate emotional boundaries can then lead to a violation of physical boundaries.

For any of these reasons listed above, and in combination with other factors, same-sex attractions may develop. To the one who has these feelings, they are very real and very strong. There are many people who find themselves attracted to members of the same sex and yet do not want those attractions. For those who are dissatisfied with their sexual orientation, it should be noted that change is indeed possible. Research studies have revealed that change of sexual orientation does take place (see Spitzer, 2003; Byrd & Nicolosi, 2002). It is not a quick or easy process, but as with any other therapeutic issue, varying degrees of change are achievable through therapy and other means.

The inaccurate concept that homosexuality is solely biological is extremely misleading. Many therapists tell their clients that homosexuality is biological and therefore unchangeable. These therapists encourage their clients to embrace a gay identity, even when such clients are seeking change for their orientation. In doing so, therapists negate clients' rights to self-determination. Clients have the right to choose their own goals for therapy and should be allowed to pursue the path they desire. Clients should not be discouraged from pursuing change when change is what they seek. In order for clients to have the options made available to them, it is vital that therapists as well as clients become better educated on this issue.

References

Anastasia, T. (1995). New evidence of a gay gene. Time 146, 43.

Byrd, A. D., & Nicolosi, J (2002). A meta-analytic review of the treatment of homosexuality. Psychological Reports, 90, 1139-1152.

LeVay, S. (1996). Queer Science, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Nicolosi, J. & Nicolosi, L. A. (2001). Preventing homosexuality in today's youth. InterVarsity Press.

Satinover, J. (1996). The gay gene? The Journal of Human Sexuality.
Spitzer, R. L. (2003). Can some gay men and lesbians change their sexual orientation? 200 participants reporting a change from homosexual to heterosexual orientation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32:5, 403-417.

Whitehead, N. & Whitehead, B. (1999). My genes made me do it: A scientific look at sexual orientation. Lafayette, LA: Huntington House Publishers.

Archives of Sexual Behavior, Vol. 32, No. 5, October 2003, pp. 403-417

Updated: 9 April 2008

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"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Obama, Beware of Hillary as Veep!

Obama definitely should not have Hillary as his running mate. It could be hazardous to his health. There are so many mysteriously dead people surrounding Bill Clinton and his presidency. He has underworld connections through the drug kingpin of Arkansas and his little brother's drug problems. "Things happened" in the Clinton years --too many things to seem coincidental.

How badly does Hillary want to be president? VERY badly. Enough to have hubby arrange something? Who can say with authority that it couldn't be possible?

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

"Thomas," His Child's Father and Birth Mother

I saw "Thomas," the transgendered male, on Oprah again and caught more of the show, a re-run.

It was interesting that she was a striking beauty and model in her youth --but her boyfriend of 3 1/2 years dumped her because he didn't think she was feminine enough for him when he coached her to her black belt in martial arts and said she could fight like a man. What I didn't know before --that her mother had died when she was quite young? I missed the part about her death --and she only had brothers and father.

So what happened to her is the same thing that NARTH says happens to the gender identity disordered males raised in female households without close fathers. They know the world of whatever sex they are raised in --the other is an alluring mystery to them. They identify with the sex of the people surrounding them. If the guy peers don't make a niche for them, their need for a father's love and approval, for a man they can admire who will mentor them, is such that their interest in the same sex may become sexual/eroticized at some point. They crave what they are denied--or perceive that they are denied --same-sex love of parents and peers. They are more comfortable around the opposite sex socially during the years when they should have preferred the same sex for friends --during childhood and adolescence.

For "Thomas" her homosexual interest didn't occur until she was in her 20's. So "born that way" doesn't seem to apply to "him."

Now "his" child will have the distinction of saying "my father is my mother."

"Thomas" is a likeable personality --who always knew how to walk and talk male --for the absence of a close woman in her life. He is legally a male by transgendering --but never had all the surgery --only the hormones and breast removal.

We need to acknowledge that children need both a father and mother for the sake of their own sexuality--and she is evidence. At least, "Thomas" is evidence that girls need a mom --and we see plenty of real life evidence that boys need a dad. And we already know that children in single parent households don't fare as well (on average, in various ways) as those with a Mom and Dad. Children of the divorced, e.g., are over 90 per cent likely to get divorced themselves.

I predict that objective study will ultimately show that children with gay parents will have more "issues" to deal with and overcome in life than those in functional, happy families with both a mom and a dad --as Jesus recommended:

Matthew 19:4-6 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'[a] 5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'[b]? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 19:4 Gen. 1:27
2. Matthew 19:5 Gen. 2:24

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Transgendering --It's Mutilation, Dysfunction, Experimentation!

Something surely happens in the life of a child who concludes he's in the wrong body and really IS a girl in "his" essential nature. Or a girl who's really a man. Defending this is nonsensical. Don't we know that there are people who ARE mentally ill? deluded? devoting their whole mental preoccupation to being and acting as people they are not? You talk to someone in the asylum who thinks he's Jesus Christ and try to reason with him and you may conclude he's hopeless. But with boys who think they are girls, etc., many today conclude --"O I guess he really IS a girl. HE thinks so! we'll have to give him risky hormones and surgery to conform his body with his delusion!" and thus guarantee that he/she will NEVER have a really normal or happy life.

It is too likely that others will not fully accept that he is a she entitled to share dorm rooms, bathrooms, dates and marriage to a man--since "her" genes are male. And function will probably be less than normal --and procreation the normal way will be out of the question. YEars of surgery, hormone treatments, and thousands of dollars asked for from employers and insurance companies to help this once normal body, approximate the body of the opposite sex --through surgical mutilation and risky hormone treatments.

If I were the parent of a confused child, I certainly would say, "No thanks!" to that kind of life for him.

I see kids today who are very stubborn about getting their way --and I wonder if for some this gender switch isn't an example of that. And if they had any idea of the pain they were signing up for --would it not be better to reorient one's thinking!?

Why don't we tell kids that God made them male or female for His purposes and that following His way is always the most fulfilling choice to make? I believe we are making a huge mistake to give kids the idea that they have a choice to be male or female and to marry a male or female. It's not their right to choose. And yet it is a choice when they decide to TRY (futilely) to be something they really are not --and to be with people in abnormal ways.

Genesis 1:27 ~
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Fate or Free Will?? A Good Question

Yankee Doodle wrote:

I have a question, and it's not related to this article.

Recently my teacher asked us whether we believe in fate or free will. Honestly, I didn't know how to answer that question. Could you please tell me what does the Bible say about that?

Thank you.

June 5, 2008 5:34 PM
Blogger Rob R said...

Though you've asked ma, This is an issue I've studied a great deal.
The church has taken several positions on this issue. One side has taken the view that God has determined everything that has and will ever happen and the other side has taken the position that God created creatures with significant free will. There are a variety of positions regarding these issues with different nuances and in combination with a variety of doctrines, but over all, there are still two basic sides. Either God has determined absolutely everything, or he hasn't and has granted his creatures a degree of self determinism. (The closest thing to a middle ground is a position called molinism which I may or may not go into in this post)

Both sides use scripture to back up their claims. The determinists (often called "Calvinists" after theologian John Calvin) like to use Romans 9 and Isaiah 45:7 (see the king james version on that second verse)

The indeterminist (often called Arminians after theologian Jacob Arminius, or just free will theists) will often cite 2nd Peter 3:9 or John 3:16.

So both sides use scripture and both sides deal with the "problem passages" for their own perspectives. That is, they attempt to explain away the other position's passages.

There is far more scripture to consider than just these and it's been a while since I've gone into all the different texts. But I'll give you my position and a few important reasons including biblical reasons as to why I hold that position.

I am a free will theist as I find free will is behind some of our most basic intuitions in human thought and behavior, and I find the notion that God completely determined everything including every wicked act from the mildest to the most unspeakable to be repugnant beyond belief. Furthermore, these issues relate to the question of predestination and free will, and the implication of determinism, that God has determined (even by something some Calvinists refer to as "second causes") that some specific people will be damned to an eternal hell (or even just oblivion as some hold to in a position called "annhiliationism" which is a theory about damnation and not necessarily about predestination) is even more grievious.

One of the first passages that I found that I felt could not be explained away by calvinists was 1st corinthians 10:13. This passage explains that if a Christian is tempted, God will provide a way for the Christian to escape that temptation and not sin. If theological determinism is correct, then it really isn't true that a christian who was tempted and sinned could have avoided that sin since in determinism, there is no way to do other than what God has determined.

A calvinist could get around this by insisting that Christians never sin, but this is observably false and a biblical case can be made to the effect that Christians do indeed sin.

So if Christians sin, then free will is necessary as far as 1st Corinthians 10:13 is concerned.

In my studies, I cam across what I believe to be what is absolutely the most important argument against theological determinism (given that the theological determinist believes that God damns people to hell... we'll call this belief "reprobation," that is the combined belief of damnation and theological determinism). If you believe in reprobation, then it is impossible for you to perfectly follow the two greatest commandments as Jesus described them. Jesus said those two greatest commandments were to love God with all of your being and to love your neighbor as yourself.

So if God reprobates people, then most likely, some of the neighbors of any given Christian are reprobated even though the Christian doesn't know specifically who. Now what is the Christian called to do with regard to his neighbor? He is to love his neighbor as he loves himelf. What does that mean. One thing that this entails is that the Christian identifies the needs of his neighbor as if they were his own. What does his neighbor need more than anything? It is the love and salvific grace of God. But according to the doctrine of reprobation, it is God himself who refuses to extend his this grace. Now if God is refusing your most important basic need, can you love him with all your heart? Not at all. According to the apostle John, we love because God first loved us. So without that need met for our neighbor, in consistence with a love for them as if their needs were our own, we cannot be at peace with the idea that they are reprobate. If you really are identifying your neihbor's need as if it were your own, the idea that God himself refuses to satisfy this need that you are now identifying as your own should shake you to the core. You should not be at peace with it. This is so fundamental that it will interfere with one's ability to love God with all of one's being.

Hence if God reprobates, then we cannot satisfy the two greatest commands.

You could still be a determinist and get around this argument by denying that God damns anyone. These people are universalists as they believe that either everyone goes to heaven, or that hell is more like the catholic idea of purgatory so that one day everyone will repent and leave hell.

I hope these ideas and reasonings are clear to you but understand that this is a huge issue and what I've written here is just an introduction which leaves a lot of important information out.

June 5, 2008 7:07 PM

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN! WOW!

This Disney film may be too scary and violent and dark for small children. Focus on the Family said as much, concluding it wasn’t a “family film,” NOT a “G”-rated film. It starts out with a woman screaming in labor (of course we’ve seen that on TV) –she is giving birth to a rival for Prince Caspian’s throne.

It helps to have read the Narnia series, and I admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve done that, so I can’t say how faithful the film is to the book, but that is supposedly a goal of the assistant producer, Douglas Gresham, the step-son of C.S. Lewis and heir to the Lewis copyrights.

Our family really liked this movie and thought it even better than the first one. The little girl, Lucy, is such a charmer and will remind you of our own Marta Bersinger in appearance and age. (We thought that in the first film, too.)

Again, the story is about Aslan’s kingdom, Narnia, a metaphor for an earthly kingdom where evil opposes good as on earth. Aslan is the Lion who gave His life for Narnia as Jesus did for the world, but He died and rose again in the first movie –and left the children to rule as kings and queens of Narnia, with this special status because they are the Daughters of Eve and Sons of Adam. The Children know He is their king, but at some point in the stories, they were sent back to London from whence they started, during WW II, until Prince Caspian sounded the horn that would summon all the King’s subjects to Narnia. They find that they, kings and queens that they really are in Aslan’s Kingdom, have a war to win, to help Prince Caspian defeat the evil that would take over the kingdom of men and wage war on Narnia as well.

Like people’s skepticism about Christ’s Kingdom, the people of both Caspian’s kingdom and Narnia don’t believe in the old stories of Narnia and Aslan so much anymore -- –but they find out that it really exists –and the evil unbelievers try to overcome it –as do evil people today. Like Lucifer, the Angel of Light, the devilish white queen (formerly queen in Narnia when evil ruled it) tries to tempt and lure the young men into her spell; it is significant that the boy who was once under her spell in the first movie, is now the strongest against her wiles.

Evil rises and rises in this story, in the form of evil soldiers and corrupt leaders who want to usurp Caspian’s rightful throne of his kingdom of men and defeat Narnia for opposing their plan –and it takes 5 very young people to stand against it –and so this is a film where youth are heroes and heroines –even more so than in the previous film –and it is moving and inspiring to see their courage BECAUSE THIS TIME THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE! And they are not afraid to make the ultimate sacrifice if need be –as they are already hundreds of years old –having stayed and ruled in Narnia a long time before their return to England as ordinary school boys and girls.

I love the scene near the start where they are in a train station in their school uniforms –when the magic occurs –the trump is sounded by a Prince Caspian in trouble, and the kids find themselves back in Narnia and are not surprised but delighted.

There is lots of war, lots of fighting with swords, and a most amazing array of creatures and adorable talking animals –all brave because, after all, they are Narnians! And they know that Aslan lives –and so shall they!

It is little Lucy who has the greatest faith of them all – “a little child shall lead them.” Because of her faith, she summons Aslan when all hope appears to be gone.

If the scary issues are dealt with as “make believe,” I think children of school age will find this film thrilling. It will make them want to be brave against evil as daughters of Eve and sons of Adam, as queens and kings in God’s Kingdom. I think I’d show them the first movie first, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Of course, it would be great to read the books also.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Make a Joyful Noise S.S. Class to ‘RAP up in June

Well, no, they aren’t rapping. But my Sunday School class for adults has learned how to navigate through choral music and even follow directions for a calypso rhythm section called the “engine room.” (My daughter taught this one.) They’ve learned about the scales, the pattern of the major scale in half-steps and whole steps, names of keys on piano and names of lines and spaces in music. We learned about musical symbols (sharps, flats, etc.) and note values and counting. We have two performances in June. The course will be offered again in the future. It was great fellowship and a time of learning which will enrich our appreciation and participation in musical worship.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

BOTTLE BAND a BIG BLOW-OUT! ~ CLC Honor Council

At least 65 kids, nursery through 6th grade, attended the annual Honor Council of the Christian Life Club of the Holland Free Methodist Church, last night. And the adults came out, too, whether or not they had children in the program, so we had a nearly full house. The biggest attendance in years.

Most delightful were the songs--"In My Father's House" and the one we got from the Wototo Children's Choir, "Put Jesus Higher/What a Friend we Have in Jesus." All with hand and body motions throughout! The melody of the African song ran through my head all night. I'd wake up and the song would be running!

Another musical highlight was Barb's Bottle Band --I had pre-tuned the bottles, adding and subtracting water in them --and my 15 students played a scale up and back--and then had two chords to accompany the "Books of the Old Testament Song," sung by Chrissy Rohrs. Some of our other children should know this song from Junior Church but we didn't ask them to sing it as they might've been off pitch and drowned out the bottles or made it hard for the 3rd and 4th grade to keep their beat and accompany the song. It sounded really cool as it was, with one singer. Very cute, kids!

Then the students performed pledges and each group recited a memory verse together. Then they were honored for their accomplishments --memorizing one Bible verse per month and attending squad meetings on a theme for each badge and verse. As usual, the kids whose moms work in the program know what's expected and their kids earn their badges. But almost everyone earned at least one badge and got bright blue banners with their names stitched on. Some got their Performing Arts award just for preparing for our bottle band performance. All received gifts from their teachers.

New skills. I think we'll do a rhythm band next year! or learn to whistle a happy tune in a 2-part partner song or a round. I will retain most of my students who will be 4th graders next year.

Other events at CLC include Missions Taste of the Nations Night with tastes of foods from the countries we study during our Missions Month, and also the first annual Talent Show, the annual Harvest Party with games and candy galore, (like an Indoor carnival, actually) and Fun Nights which are physical games (the favorite), and Craft Nights.

The April Talent Show was great with impromptu skits --with Paula the dog in a starring role --a Lego demonstration, a brass and sax quartet (excellent --5th graders), an African song by the bus kids, a Love Round by them and the Trail Blazers, two electric guitar solos, 3 piano solos, one ballet dancer, one recorder solo, two hula hoopers and a skip roper and whatever it was that Lucy did --some kind of thing attached to her ankle--a dazzling physical feat. O, the minister's wife played two flutophones/recorders? --one on each nostril! (She has her clarinet degree from BGSU, after all!)

Our squad, The Trail Blazers, will still have a summer swim party to look forward to. The whole church will be invited to the CLC roller skating party and in June we have the all church potluck dinner to honor the graduates. One family is opening their home for an all church swim party, and we have a week of evening VBS coming up in July. The Teen group is going to a Beach Week Ministry in New Jersey and the Bible Quiz team will go to Spring Arbor College to compete at "nationals."

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

THE LAB RESULTS THAT FOLLOWED ME TO CHURCH ONE DAY

Is it a sign? What is God trying to tell me? I was standing in the center aisle of the church yesterday and a friend came up to me with a damp-ish envelope --addressed to me from my gynecologist. She said she found it under the wheel of her car. I had ordered this report last Thursday afternoon and watched the mail for it on Friday and Saturday. I picked up the mail and put it in my car Friday morning after a hair appointment. My son Rob brought in the mail on Saturday. Both times, I had looked through the mail for my lab results and concluded it had not come.

They had told me via phone that because of the results, I probably should have a hysterectomy --though the results weren't cancer or even pre-cancer, necessarily --just atypical in a couple of respects.

The envelope had no glue to seal it shut, so dampened it had become at some point. So it was essentially open. Somehow it had traveled all the way to church, a considerable distance (10 minutes drive at least) --either under my son's or my car --although I didn't park anywhere near this lady if it had been in or stuck to my car and fallen to the pavement when I parked. I parked on the west side and she was on the south. And the wind probably was not blowing from north to south as it would have to to blow something from my car to hers.

So it's really a weird thing.

When I returned from my daughter's spring arts fest --where I was official videographer for her --she takes attendance by the videos and likes a record of their performances to show the students --I found another piece of mail lying on the driveway. So I assume my son (or I) dropped some mail on his (or my) way into the house Saturday and that one piece rode all the way to church stuck to his (or my) car somewhere.

Is that even possible???? All I know is that my lab results followed me to church one day--just like Mary's little lamb.

So is there a message from the Lord here? Of course, I should take the problem to Him and leave it in His hands. But does that mean I have the surgery? or not?

I wish the whole message were clear to me. I admit I haven't wanted to lose the uterus in case they take the ovaries, too, and make me not feel like myself. I was clinically depressed once in my life when pregnant --and I don't like messing with my hormones.

My daughter in law, the surg. tech, however, says, they would look at the ovaries in a hysterectomy and they CAN leave one or both if they have nothing noticeably wrong with them and if they are still viable and doing something for me.

All I know for now is that the gyn. thinks I should have the hysterectomy.

My husband says he wants to talk to him and the pathologist.

Meanwhile, did God make sure my lab results made it to church??? And why??? A matter for prayer and waiting on the Lord for peace and clarity.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP ADMONISHES GOVERNOR OF KANSAS

Here follows the subject of an interesting discussion from www.religionclause.blogspot.com

Last Friday's Kansas City Star reports that Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City has told Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius that she should stop taking communion until she repudiates her support for abortion rights. In a column in The Leaven, the official newspaper of the Kansas City Diocese, Naumann indicated that his latest concern was the governor's April 21 veto of the Comprehensive Abortion Reform Act passed by the Kansas legislature. He wrote:

Since becoming archbishop, I have met with Governor Sebelius several times over many months to discuss with her the grave spiritual and moral consequences of her public actions by which she has cooperated in the procurement of abortions performed in Kansas.... I wrote the governor last August requesting that she refrain from presenting herself for reception of the Eucharist until she had acknowledged the error of her past positions, made a worthy sacramental confession and taken the necessary steps for amendment of her life which would include a public repudiation of her previous efforts and actions in support of laws and policies sanctioning abortion.

Recently, it came to my attention that the governor had received holy Communion at one of our parishes. I have written to her again, asking her to respect my previous request and not require from me any additional pastoral actions.

____________________________________
Many writers condemned the Church for bothering the Governor, trying to impose church on state.

MY REPLY:

The archbishop is saying abortion is homicide. He's saying the governor is a disgrace to her church and disobeying God by trying to be on both sides of the fence, expecting the Catholic vote. In fact, the church may not allow her to be on both sides of the fence. They could excommunicate, I suppose. He's at least really scolding her publically for all the church to hear the message.

Indeed, he is telling all the Catholics to vote and live their faith and quit being liberal about the moral issues. He's suggesting to all the church that they not support such candidates just because they have the label, "Catholic."

Granted, so many of the priests are charlatans and I would hope their pro-life support is sincere and not a cloak for, or distraction away from, the closeted homosexuals and pedophiles among their clergy.

The archbishop is trying to get Catholics to consider that their choices and beliefs have consequences --because that's what he believes, what THEY believe, and what the CHURCH teaches. And I agree with them.

Consequences: she should not have the Catholic vote for her pro-abortion stand. She can go to Hell for her unconfessed sin --for disagreeing with God about what is right and what is wrong. The church says the babies are fully human and therefore have a 'right to life' --which right the constitution also recognizes for all human beings.

The issue is the civil law as much as the church law. Do we want our nation's laws to protect life and stand for right against wrong or not?

The church stands for right --we are to be salt and light in the society. That's why the church RIGHTLY seeks to influence legislation and law. If we, the salt, lose our taste, our "saltiness," we lose our "preservative" quality --we fail to save humanity.

The Governor is part of the church --and she has lost her salt! The church rightly rails against such members --and probably ought to kick them out to bring them back to repentance--before God bars their entrance to Heaven. This IS serious. It's no mere threat of dire consequences (as some commentators have said.)

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Michigan State Research on Hyenas --Evolution Speculation Again!

Kay E. Holekamp is studying spotted hyenas in southern Kenya. She sees "profound similarities" with our own human species and concludes --in the words of Zimmer, the New York Times reporter, that "a complex social world has driven the evolution of a big, complex brain." It seems that "primates with a big frontal cortex tend to live in large groups." [Whoopdedo! so this makes animals our ancestors?]

Then notice the speculative verbs in the article: "Primates may be pushed into larger groups thanks to predators or to patchy sources of food like fruit trees. As their numbers grow, natural selection may favor social intelligence. The primates form long-term alliances with each other and compete with rivals. They begin to keep track of a larger and larger social network."

And then, "A boost in social intelligence can lead to an evolutionary edge for primates...." and so on and on.

The good scientist is speculating with an evolutionary bias that STILL doesn't sound like PROOF of anything --except what she can describe --their brains and their activities. Neither of which prove anything about how and when the hyenas came to be the way they are --and no evidence as to which creature was which creatures' genetic grandpa--if any. Most of what they find today is that the lines of the evolutionary "tree" (that is the bio-similarities used as evidence of evolution) aren't proving to be quite what Darwin thought --i.e. the evidence for his genetic lines aren't necessarily there. Of course primates and mammals are similar --they have design features in common because someone designed them to be that way. We have no evidence they were ever anything but socially adept hyenas bearing resemblance to humans in that feature.

Show me the evolution, boys!

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible

Doctor's letter to Blade on Expelled - No Intelligence Allowed, the Ben Stein Film

April 28, 2008

Dear Sirs:

What Expelled tells us about Darwinists is not new. In the 1980’s, a Newsweek article quoted an evolutionist saying he wished he were in something “more intellectually honest –like used car sales.”

In Yonke’s article, Prof. Carroll displays the typical attitude of evolutionists, saying scientists who don’t agree with the establishment can’t be considered “literate.” He refers to great earth age and descent from primates as “facts.” Yet, so much said about origins of life is conjecture with “evidence” interpreted to prop up a theory that life has no designing hand. Yet, many of us marvel at the “irreducible complexity” of DNA –and were doing so even before ID theorists used the phrase.

Debate confusion: those who oppose ID in the classroom wrongly believe the goal is to teach religion. Even atheist Dawkins speculated that aliens could have designed earth-life. Some ID scientists believe in common descent from lower life forms. All acknowledge natural selection within species. All Creationists are ID theorists, believing in an intelligence behind the origin of life–but not all ID theorists are 6-day creationists, Religious Right, or Bible believers. Some believe Darwin describes the Creator’s plan.

Some of us believe that God “spoke” things into being from His “Mind” with knowledge and power that exceed our own–-the way Christ performed miracles-–the way we can activate knowledge with a computer.

The biblical writer John says Jesus is the Logos through whom all things were created. I didn’t find evidence to contradict that in my science studies. One scientist in the film suffered for saying medical doctors did not have to believe or use Darwin’s theory of common descent to practice medicine. Yet, this is true. It’s also true that the theory lends itself to justify atheism, abortion, euthanasia, and eugenics –as Stein points out.

Sincerely,

Jonathan E. Rohrs, M.D.
_______________________________________

To this, the infamous liberal blogger, expired Catholic, Mud-rake, commented:

Odd that, although I went to a Catholic university and took many biology, chemistry and physics classes, I never found evidence that John was wrong either, Of course, Religious Studies was not located in the Science Building.

Posted by mud_rake at 9:38 AM

To which I replied:

Exactly, Mud-rake. You don't find any EVIDENCE to contradict a designer in your science classes.

--and in fact, the point the medical doctor was making is that the irreducible complexity of the cell is a good reason to conclude there was some kind of designer. Some intelligence had to put that cell together --it couldn't evolve from non-living matter in all its complexity and engineering genius without some intelligent agent.

So we aren't talking about "god" per se, but the scientific evidence for intelligent design behind DNA, the universe, etc.

Now that they've unraveled DNA, objective observers see more SCIENTIFIC evidence to interpret as support for design theory than for pure unguided Darwinistic naturalism. That's why there is a controversy.

The atheistic Darwinists are the hostile ones, fueling the rest of society's anger at those who would dare to question Darwin. Most people have just unquestioningly accepted that science proves Darwin --when, in fact, it does not. They are digging their heels in to suppress dissent and deny that those who question any part of Darwin can be scientists and they call the opposition "know nothings"--in part because so many of the true Darwinian scientists are atheists defending their religion of atheism.

It's not the ID scientists who are hostile to science; they are using it and drawing the only sensible conclusion --that some intelligent agent initiated life. I'm told that many of these ID scientists DO accept common descent of humans from primates as Darwin speculated would be proven by fossils (which speculation has not been proven by the fossil record to date.) They just disagree with Darwin' theory that the process was unguided,unplanned happenstance.

All fossils show is that some extinct creatures shared common design features with creatures living today. Fossils can't really show parentage. And shared DNA of primates and humans cannot account for the vast differences between the two--the fact that primates still beget primates and humans still beget humans--and the fact that nothing seems to be transitioning today --not even slowly. A common designer, however, could explain the shared features of DNA. AFter all, just because you and your pets have eyes and lungs and hearts, etc. doesn't prove you are "related" genetically by intergenerational descent from a common ancestor.

The Bible says each creature was designed to procreate after its own kind. That's what the present-day, observed evidence supports, incidentally.

"God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and have eternal life."--the Bible