It seems everywhere we turn there's bad news. Discouraging stuff. Financial institutions failing. Bombs killing innocents. People out of work. Riots. Storms and flooding and fires. Politicians promsing catastrophe of OT proportions if you vote for the other guy. Uncertainty at every turn. "Can you hear the flushing sound? Ka-wooooshhh!" says my neighbor.
Yup, the world is not peaches and cream. There's trouble. People are hurting. I don't seek to diminish this, but Dad, if your kids only hear you talking about this they'll lose sight of the great things of God we experience in Christ. You need to give them perspective, balance, and the tools to think wisely.
Here's an assignment: gratitude!
Why gratitude? Because a thankful heart keeps us right with God, and with one another. "Grateful kids do not commit suicide. Grateful husbands and wives do not get divorced." -- Lee Brower
Try this yourself, right now: Write down 4 things you're thankful for, or accomplishments you're proud of. Make sure two of them are true in the last 24 hours.
Next: Decide how you will cultivate thankfulness in the next 24 hours.
Finally: Think of one good thing that nobody else is recognizing enough, and then communicate it to your family.
I'd like to credit Perry Marshall for whacking me up the head with these ideas.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Yacht Delivery
I'm not sure how many of my readers will ever have a customized yacht delivered to them, but if you do I hope your experience is better than this.
Thoughtful Views on the Emergent Church
If you're confused about all the "emergent" church conversations, and maybe a little concerned about what you're hearing, you aren't alone.
Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church, helpfully talks about four different streams of the emergent movement, based on a 2-x-2 "grid":
Don't Change Change
----------------------------------------
Doctrine
----------------------------------------
Practice
----------------------------------------
Pastor Driscoll argues for retaining orthodox doctrines (consistent with Jude 3), and being willing to change our practices to reach a changing culture. He helpfully warns about the problems that are occur when we abandon doctrines on scripture, Jesus Christ, gender, sin, salvation, the cross, hell, and authority.
Go here to get the 4 page PDF file, titled "A Pastoral Perspective on the Emergent Church." Excellent, concise, worth reading.
Mark Driscoll, pastor of Mars Hill Church, helpfully talks about four different streams of the emergent movement, based on a 2-x-2 "grid":
Don't Change Change
----------------------------------------
Doctrine
----------------------------------------
Practice
----------------------------------------
Pastor Driscoll argues for retaining orthodox doctrines (consistent with Jude 3), and being willing to change our practices to reach a changing culture. He helpfully warns about the problems that are occur when we abandon doctrines on scripture, Jesus Christ, gender, sin, salvation, the cross, hell, and authority.
Go here to get the 4 page PDF file, titled "A Pastoral Perspective on the Emergent Church." Excellent, concise, worth reading.
Friday, September 12, 2008
House Churches in Iran
We tend to forget that God has His people all over. Pray for the house churches in Iran as they come under more persecution. Imagine what God is doing to use these lights in the darkness and confusion of that country!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Rejecting Absolute Truth
From page 93 of Senator Obama's autobiography, "Audacity of Hope":
“It’s not just absolute power that the Founders sought to prevent. Implicit in its structure, in the very idea of ordered liberty, was a rejection of absolute truth, the infallibility of any idea or ideology or theology or “ism,” any tyrannical consistency that might lock future generations into a single, unalterable course, or drive both majorities and minorities into the cruelties of the Inquisition, the pogrom, the gulag, or the jihad. The Founders may have trusted in God, but true to the Enlightenment spirit, they also trusted in the minds and senses that God had given them. They were suspicious of abstraction and liked asking questions, which is why at every turn in our early history theory yielded to fact and necessity.”
Wrong.
The founders did believe in absolute truth. (Yes, some were deists.) The opening paragraph of the Declaration of Independence rings with absolute truth:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Gene Vieth goes into this in more detail here and here -- recommended.
I do not know Senator McCain's views on absolute truth. That Senator Obama's worldview dismisses absolute truth does not surprise me, but does concern me.
“It’s not just absolute power that the Founders sought to prevent. Implicit in its structure, in the very idea of ordered liberty, was a rejection of absolute truth, the infallibility of any idea or ideology or theology or “ism,” any tyrannical consistency that might lock future generations into a single, unalterable course, or drive both majorities and minorities into the cruelties of the Inquisition, the pogrom, the gulag, or the jihad. The Founders may have trusted in God, but true to the Enlightenment spirit, they also trusted in the minds and senses that God had given them. They were suspicious of abstraction and liked asking questions, which is why at every turn in our early history theory yielded to fact and necessity.”
Wrong.
The founders did believe in absolute truth. (Yes, some were deists.) The opening paragraph of the Declaration of Independence rings with absolute truth:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Gene Vieth goes into this in more detail here and here -- recommended.
I do not know Senator McCain's views on absolute truth. That Senator Obama's worldview dismisses absolute truth does not surprise me, but does concern me.
Rumors Flyin', What To Do?
There are plenty of rumors, accusations, and innuendo flying around about all four candidates for President and Vice President.
Candidly, it says a lot about the gossipy-nature of our hearts and minds that we *love* this stuff. We love reading it. We love sharing it. We reward publishers with our attention. A reasonable interpretation of our our behavior is that we like being misinformed!
So what should a godly man do? Check the facts!
What should YOU do? Check the facts!
Here's one site with a good history of reliability: FactCheck.org
You can find out whether Senator Obama's bill fostered sex ed for kindergarteners (McCain's ad is a clear distortion), Governor Palin banned books in the Wasilla library (she didn't), etc.
Candidly, it says a lot about the gossipy-nature of our hearts and minds that we *love* this stuff. We love reading it. We love sharing it. We reward publishers with our attention. A reasonable interpretation of our our behavior is that we like being misinformed!
So what should a godly man do? Check the facts!
What should YOU do? Check the facts!
Here's one site with a good history of reliability: FactCheck.org
You can find out whether Senator Obama's bill fostered sex ed for kindergarteners (McCain's ad is a clear distortion), Governor Palin banned books in the Wasilla library (she didn't), etc.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Christians Attacked in India
Our brothers and sisters in India are suffering from violent attacks, and there are curious gaps in reporting. The hurricane and political election news in the US pretty much swamps out attention for these events. Please pray for them, and for the growth of God's kingdom in India.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
How Husbands and Fathers Should Model Citizenship
One of my friends wrote and asked why I hadn't been blogging about the presidential candidates and exciting conventions. "There's loads of material!" he needlessly pointed out.
Here's the thing: part of me wants to, and I think a wiser, more mature part of me decided not to add redundant thinking and ascerbic commentary. Besides, the focus of this blog is not politics, but about encouraging husbands and fathers.
So in the hope of encouraging husbands and fathers as they model citizenship to others in their family and community, I offer some observations and predictions:
The US economy has many, many parts and interconnections. There is not a single economy, however much people may want to boil it down to a handful of numbers. The US economy is incredibly interwined with the larger global economy.
The falling value of the US dollar relative to many currencies is a symptom. We do not know the full extent of the disease(s), nor are there simple cures.
There is a desperate need for voters to be thinking carefully, and critically about the "facts" presented, their source, how they are presented, and what might be missing. Be particularly careful about statistics. (Mark Twain remarked about the man who had one arm in the icebox and the other in the oven, and on average was comfortable.).
Likewise, work forward from proposals offered, and consider possible consequences. Who benefits and who does not? By what degree? There is no free lunch. What is the timescale for results? I think a primary reason why systems thinking is not taught effectively is that this knowledge framework could undermine a lot of flimsy leadership authority. Oh, and it takes more thinking effort than swallowing sound-bites.
No matter whom is elected, he will be tested by terrorists and foreign powers (especially Iran, Russia, Syria, North Korea, and China). They will want to evaluate the words-deeds match, and how much they can cross lines and get away with it. And I think it will happen soon -- probably while many positions in the executive branch remain unfilled, and foreign power relationships are still being established.
Speaking of positions, whom the president selects as cabinet members and other principals is crucial. There is effectively no forecasting of choices during the campaign itself. There is a little more forecasting about judicial choices.
Nearly all professional politicians are sincere, and believe what they are saying. Sincerity is not a measure of truth.
Whomever is elected will have roughly 1/2 the country upset with him. All the time. That's 150 million people in the US, and more millions around the world. He should be very, very nice to the Secret Service.
Given the challenges and risks, anyone who actually wants to be President has disqualified himself or herself. I'm about half-serious on this.
The United Nations will remain the U.N., irrespective of whom is President. It is a macro-system unto itself. I think they have resolutioned themselves into irrelevancy.
Currently less than half of potential taxpayers in the US pay any federal tax at all. Irrespective of which party controls the executive and legislative branches in 2009, there will likely be increased taxes on a subset of potential taxpayers. As much as I would prefer a flat tax or national sales tax, I believe there is far too much political power invested in our current tax system to be abandoned by the same people whom benefit the most from manipulating it.
The serious breakdown of families across generations opens up an apparent need for more government action. Where husbands and fathers strive to do the right things, honoring God, serving their families and communities, you have progressively less need for government solutions. This strength can endure.
We've been fortunate in many ways that the current US House and Senate have passed very few bills or significant resolutions. It would seem that they have a greater appetite for waiting and positioning for 2009, than actually working through difficult decisions now. Expect gridlock to continue. Even with a filibuster-proof Senate (60 Democratic seats), I think the president will still be challenged to fulfill the big-ticket agendas.
By fall 2009, I predict the total number of issues and challenges and complaints about American politics will be unchanged. Emphasis may have shifted, but not the total. Americans simultaneously expect too much of government and government leaders, and love to complain about shortcomings and inadequacies. It's a near-perfect reinforcing loop. It's sport.
With all our struggles, poor trendlines, up and downs, the U.S. remains a remarkably blessed country. We deserve much judgment, but have received much, much more mercy.
We should be grateful that we serve a sovereign Lord to whom "the nations are like a drop in a bucket" (Is 40:15) We should be good citizens (which means paying attention and making careful voting decisions) and remember the perspective that no government or leader is a substitute for the lordship of Jesus Christ.
P.S. I do like Peggy Noonan's description of how the Democratic and Republican parties take different sympathies:
"Democrats in the end speak most of, and seem to hold the most sympathy for, the beset-upon single mother without medical coverage for her children, and the soldier back from the war who needs more help with post-traumatic stress disorder. They express the most sympathy for the needy, the yearning, the marginalized and unwell. For those, in short, who need more help from the government, meaning from the government's treasury, meaning the money got from taxpayers.
Who happen, also, to be a generally beset-upon group.
Democrats show little expressed sympathy for those who work to make the money the government taxes to help the beset-upon mother and the soldier and the kids. They express little sympathy for the middle-aged woman who owns a small dry cleaner and employs six people and is, actually, day to day, stressed and depressed from the burden of state, local and federal taxes, and regulations, and lawsuits, and meetings with the accountant, and complaints as to insufficient or incorrect efforts to meet guidelines regarding various employee/employer rules and regulations. At Republican conventions they express sympathy for this woman, as they do for those who are entrepreneurial, who start businesses and create jobs and build things. Republicans have, that is, sympathy for taxpayers. But they don't dwell all that much, or show much expressed sympathy for, the sick mother with the uninsured kids, and the soldier with the shot nerves.
Neither party ever gets it quite right, the balance between the taxed and the needy, the suffering of one sort and the suffering of another. You might say that in this both parties are equally cold and equally warm, only to two different classes of citizens."
That fairly sums up a lot about domestic politics, though does not address fundamental differences on foreign policy.
Here's the thing: part of me wants to, and I think a wiser, more mature part of me decided not to add redundant thinking and ascerbic commentary. Besides, the focus of this blog is not politics, but about encouraging husbands and fathers.
So in the hope of encouraging husbands and fathers as they model citizenship to others in their family and community, I offer some observations and predictions:
The US economy has many, many parts and interconnections. There is not a single economy, however much people may want to boil it down to a handful of numbers. The US economy is incredibly interwined with the larger global economy.
The falling value of the US dollar relative to many currencies is a symptom. We do not know the full extent of the disease(s), nor are there simple cures.
There is a desperate need for voters to be thinking carefully, and critically about the "facts" presented, their source, how they are presented, and what might be missing. Be particularly careful about statistics. (Mark Twain remarked about the man who had one arm in the icebox and the other in the oven, and on average was comfortable.).
Likewise, work forward from proposals offered, and consider possible consequences. Who benefits and who does not? By what degree? There is no free lunch. What is the timescale for results? I think a primary reason why systems thinking is not taught effectively is that this knowledge framework could undermine a lot of flimsy leadership authority. Oh, and it takes more thinking effort than swallowing sound-bites.
No matter whom is elected, he will be tested by terrorists and foreign powers (especially Iran, Russia, Syria, North Korea, and China). They will want to evaluate the words-deeds match, and how much they can cross lines and get away with it. And I think it will happen soon -- probably while many positions in the executive branch remain unfilled, and foreign power relationships are still being established.
Speaking of positions, whom the president selects as cabinet members and other principals is crucial. There is effectively no forecasting of choices during the campaign itself. There is a little more forecasting about judicial choices.
Nearly all professional politicians are sincere, and believe what they are saying. Sincerity is not a measure of truth.
Whomever is elected will have roughly 1/2 the country upset with him. All the time. That's 150 million people in the US, and more millions around the world. He should be very, very nice to the Secret Service.
Given the challenges and risks, anyone who actually wants to be President has disqualified himself or herself. I'm about half-serious on this.
The United Nations will remain the U.N., irrespective of whom is President. It is a macro-system unto itself. I think they have resolutioned themselves into irrelevancy.
Currently less than half of potential taxpayers in the US pay any federal tax at all. Irrespective of which party controls the executive and legislative branches in 2009, there will likely be increased taxes on a subset of potential taxpayers. As much as I would prefer a flat tax or national sales tax, I believe there is far too much political power invested in our current tax system to be abandoned by the same people whom benefit the most from manipulating it.
The serious breakdown of families across generations opens up an apparent need for more government action. Where husbands and fathers strive to do the right things, honoring God, serving their families and communities, you have progressively less need for government solutions. This strength can endure.
We've been fortunate in many ways that the current US House and Senate have passed very few bills or significant resolutions. It would seem that they have a greater appetite for waiting and positioning for 2009, than actually working through difficult decisions now. Expect gridlock to continue. Even with a filibuster-proof Senate (60 Democratic seats), I think the president will still be challenged to fulfill the big-ticket agendas.
By fall 2009, I predict the total number of issues and challenges and complaints about American politics will be unchanged. Emphasis may have shifted, but not the total. Americans simultaneously expect too much of government and government leaders, and love to complain about shortcomings and inadequacies. It's a near-perfect reinforcing loop. It's sport.
With all our struggles, poor trendlines, up and downs, the U.S. remains a remarkably blessed country. We deserve much judgment, but have received much, much more mercy.
We should be grateful that we serve a sovereign Lord to whom "the nations are like a drop in a bucket" (Is 40:15) We should be good citizens (which means paying attention and making careful voting decisions) and remember the perspective that no government or leader is a substitute for the lordship of Jesus Christ.
P.S. I do like Peggy Noonan's description of how the Democratic and Republican parties take different sympathies:
"Democrats in the end speak most of, and seem to hold the most sympathy for, the beset-upon single mother without medical coverage for her children, and the soldier back from the war who needs more help with post-traumatic stress disorder. They express the most sympathy for the needy, the yearning, the marginalized and unwell. For those, in short, who need more help from the government, meaning from the government's treasury, meaning the money got from taxpayers.
Who happen, also, to be a generally beset-upon group.
Democrats show little expressed sympathy for those who work to make the money the government taxes to help the beset-upon mother and the soldier and the kids. They express little sympathy for the middle-aged woman who owns a small dry cleaner and employs six people and is, actually, day to day, stressed and depressed from the burden of state, local and federal taxes, and regulations, and lawsuits, and meetings with the accountant, and complaints as to insufficient or incorrect efforts to meet guidelines regarding various employee/employer rules and regulations. At Republican conventions they express sympathy for this woman, as they do for those who are entrepreneurial, who start businesses and create jobs and build things. Republicans have, that is, sympathy for taxpayers. But they don't dwell all that much, or show much expressed sympathy for, the sick mother with the uninsured kids, and the soldier with the shot nerves.
Neither party ever gets it quite right, the balance between the taxed and the needy, the suffering of one sort and the suffering of another. You might say that in this both parties are equally cold and equally warm, only to two different classes of citizens."
That fairly sums up a lot about domestic politics, though does not address fundamental differences on foreign policy.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Recommended: Wild Goose Chase
Mark Batterson's new book, "Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God" is delightful, accessible, and just the thing God could use to speak to you.
If you aren't yet where you need to be, get this book.
Highly recommended!
If you aren't yet where you need to be, get this book.
Highly recommended!
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Capturing the Differences Between Men and Women
This cartoon captures a lot of the differences between men and women.
McCain and Obama at Saddleback -- Transcripts
Here are the transcripts of the Rick Warren Q&A with Senators McCain and Obama.
You weren't seriously going to be satisfied with the AP news summary, were you?
You weren't seriously going to be satisfied with the AP news summary, were you?
Harsh Language
Mark Driscoll talks (about 4-5 minutes) about harsh language in the Bible -- potent, effective, infrequent, and usually reserved for religious hypocrites.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Wild Goose -- Chase It Down!
Mark Batterson's new book, Wild Goose Chase: Reclaim the Adventure of Pursuing God, will be released tomorrow. The free "Yawning Angels" chapter from this new book has whetted my appetite!
I've been blessed by Mark's Evotional blog, his book "In the Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day," and his sermons.
I've been blessed by Mark's Evotional blog, his book "In the Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day," and his sermons.
Postmodernism, Explained
You see the word 'postmodernism' a lot. Can you define it? I'm completely serious -- can you explain it to someone else?
This J.P. Moreland explanation of postmodernism vs. modernism is excellent, and only about 2 pages. Recommended.
This J.P. Moreland explanation of postmodernism vs. modernism is excellent, and only about 2 pages. Recommended.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Dangers of Politicized Science
Michael Chrichton's novel "State of Fear" includes an appendix essay on the "Dangers of Politicized Science." I also recommend Chrichton's speech on the problems with a religous approach to environmentalism. He has posted the text from several other speeches on complexity theory, science policy, and genetic research.
Fair warning: Mr. Chrichton is not writing from an explicitly Christian perspective. He does work from a moral framework. I do not agree with all his recommendations.
The reason I recommend his material to you is because I want to encourage efforts towards clear thinking, dialogue that comes out of humility rooted in our incredibly limited understanding of complex systems, and a perspective that does not ignore our human fallibilities in working together. Chrichton has done his homework and critical thinking, and is more practiced than most writers at systematic integration of data across fields. So I believe he is worth listening to.
Keep in mind that our children and grandchildren are growing up in a technologically-sophisticated world. They need our help to learn how to assess options from a biblical framework, and how not to be snookered by sound bites and politicians who have developed an ability to smile even as they straddle a barb-wire fence.
Fair warning: Mr. Chrichton is not writing from an explicitly Christian perspective. He does work from a moral framework. I do not agree with all his recommendations.
The reason I recommend his material to you is because I want to encourage efforts towards clear thinking, dialogue that comes out of humility rooted in our incredibly limited understanding of complex systems, and a perspective that does not ignore our human fallibilities in working together. Chrichton has done his homework and critical thinking, and is more practiced than most writers at systematic integration of data across fields. So I believe he is worth listening to.
Keep in mind that our children and grandchildren are growing up in a technologically-sophisticated world. They need our help to learn how to assess options from a biblical framework, and how not to be snookered by sound bites and politicians who have developed an ability to smile even as they straddle a barb-wire fence.
Churchill on Books
"If you cannot read all your books, at any rate handle, or, as it were, fondle them--peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on their selves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that if you do not know what is in them, you will at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them at any rate be your acquaintances."
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
"And What Does Your Daddy Do?"
You don't hear much about them in the news, but we have many brothers and sisters in Christ living amidst the muslim Palestinians. Here is an amazing story of the son of a Hamas leader who rejected Islam and is following Jesus. May our Lord magnify His name through him!
It's important to reinforce to ourselves and our children, that the Lord can save anyone. No heart is too desperately wicked, no one is too angry, no one is beyond redemption. If he saved you, then He can do it again.
It's important to reinforce to ourselves and our children, that the Lord can save anyone. No heart is too desperately wicked, no one is too angry, no one is beyond redemption. If he saved you, then He can do it again.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
There's a Whole Lot of Space
We've just returned from a long driving visit to see relatives in distant states...and I'm grateful for God's traveling mercies.
One overwhelming impression: there is a whole lot of empty space in the US!
One overwhelming impression: there is a whole lot of empty space in the US!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Perspective...and Wisdom
Useful insights about perspective, from Clay Collins:
“We desperately lack perspective because we are a society of workaholics, and workaholism is like kryptonite to perspective. … There are no perspective hacks. None. You just have to suck it up, live a little, and wallow in the mud of life. You have to get your hands dirty with this beautiful business of living. You have to question, meditate, and fail often. You simply have to make space for perspective and hope that it will come eventually. You have to spend time in a manner that would seem self-indulgent to most. (Source)
Clay is railing against productivity that leads to workaholism. But he raises an important point that there are no instant shortcuts to perspective.
May I suggest another word for perspective, a biblical word?
Wisdom.
We need to live wisely – to think wisely, speak wisely, plan wisely, act wisely. Where do we go for wisdom? The Lord and His Word.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
Creating time and space to interact with our Lord and Master – through prayer, study, meditation, service to others – is what leads to wisdom development in us. We can’t force it or hurry it, this is a work of God. We can choose to be more cooperative to God’s ways.
“We desperately lack perspective because we are a society of workaholics, and workaholism is like kryptonite to perspective. … There are no perspective hacks. None. You just have to suck it up, live a little, and wallow in the mud of life. You have to get your hands dirty with this beautiful business of living. You have to question, meditate, and fail often. You simply have to make space for perspective and hope that it will come eventually. You have to spend time in a manner that would seem self-indulgent to most. (Source)
Clay is railing against productivity that leads to workaholism. But he raises an important point that there are no instant shortcuts to perspective.
May I suggest another word for perspective, a biblical word?
Wisdom.
We need to live wisely – to think wisely, speak wisely, plan wisely, act wisely. Where do we go for wisdom? The Lord and His Word.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
Creating time and space to interact with our Lord and Master – through prayer, study, meditation, service to others – is what leads to wisdom development in us. We can’t force it or hurry it, this is a work of God. We can choose to be more cooperative to God’s ways.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
How Would You Spend $10B?
The Copenhagen Consensus has looked at the economic return on investing large amounts of money into solving various problems -- reduce CO2, healthier foods for children, fight terrorists, prevent malaria, etc.
I don't think anyone argues that we should prioritize our investments of energy, people, and money strictly by projected economic return. But it is useful to go through the analysis, because it uncovers certain biases and assumptions. In short, it's humbling to our pride.
BTW, training and supporting missionaries isn't on their list.
I don't think anyone argues that we should prioritize our investments of energy, people, and money strictly by projected economic return. But it is useful to go through the analysis, because it uncovers certain biases and assumptions. In short, it's humbling to our pride.
BTW, training and supporting missionaries isn't on their list.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Leadership Checkup
Peter Mead provides great coaching to preachers, and all church leaders, by pointing us back to 1 Peter 5:1-4. Submit yourself to a checkup.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Myths Christians Believe About Wealth and Poverty
Christians need to be good thinkers and good economists -- in order to be good stewards for the Lord. Jay Richards points out eight myths that many Christians believe about economics:
The nirvana myth (contrasting capitalism with an unrealizable ideal rather than with its live alternatives)
The zero-sum game myth (believing that wealth gained in one place always means that wealth was lost someplace else)
The materialist myth (believing that intellect cannot create new wealth)
The greed myth (believing that the essence of capitalism is greed)
The usury myth (believing that charging interest on money is always exploitive)
The piety myth (focusing on our good intentions rather than the unintended consequences of our actions)
The artsy myth (confusing aesthetic judgments with economic arguments)
The freeze frame myth (believing that things always stay the same—for example, assuming population trends will continue indefinitely or treating “rich” and “poor” as static categories
The nirvana myth (contrasting capitalism with an unrealizable ideal rather than with its live alternatives)
The zero-sum game myth (believing that wealth gained in one place always means that wealth was lost someplace else)
The materialist myth (believing that intellect cannot create new wealth)
The greed myth (believing that the essence of capitalism is greed)
The usury myth (believing that charging interest on money is always exploitive)
The piety myth (focusing on our good intentions rather than the unintended consequences of our actions)
The artsy myth (confusing aesthetic judgments with economic arguments)
The freeze frame myth (believing that things always stay the same—for example, assuming population trends will continue indefinitely or treating “rich” and “poor” as static categories
Textbooks for Children in Saudi Arabia
The revised-to-be-less-strident textbooks using in schools in Saudia Arabia and around the world remain plainly hateful. Anne Applebaum writes in the Washington Post about multiple choice questions like this one:
Q. "Is belief true in the following instances:
(a) A man prays but hates those who are virtuous.
(b) A man professes that there is no deity other than God but loves the unbelievers.
(c) A man worships God alone, loves the believers, and hates the unbelievers."
The correct answer, of course, is (c): According to the Wahhabi imams who wrote this textbook, it isn't enough to simply worship God or just to love other believers; it is important to hate unbelievers, too. By the same token, (b) is wrong as well: Even a man who worships God cannot be said to have "true belief" if he also loves unbelievers.
"Unbelievers," in this context, are Christians and Jews. In fact, any child who attends Saudi schools until ninth grade will eventually be taught outright that "Jews and Christians are enemies of believers." They will also be taught that Jews conspire to "gain sole control over the world," that the Christian crusades never ended, and that on Judgment Day "the rocks or the trees" will call out to Muslims to kill Jews.
Q. "Is belief true in the following instances:
(a) A man prays but hates those who are virtuous.
(b) A man professes that there is no deity other than God but loves the unbelievers.
(c) A man worships God alone, loves the believers, and hates the unbelievers."
The correct answer, of course, is (c): According to the Wahhabi imams who wrote this textbook, it isn't enough to simply worship God or just to love other believers; it is important to hate unbelievers, too. By the same token, (b) is wrong as well: Even a man who worships God cannot be said to have "true belief" if he also loves unbelievers.
"Unbelievers," in this context, are Christians and Jews. In fact, any child who attends Saudi schools until ninth grade will eventually be taught outright that "Jews and Christians are enemies of believers." They will also be taught that Jews conspire to "gain sole control over the world," that the Christian crusades never ended, and that on Judgment Day "the rocks or the trees" will call out to Muslims to kill Jews.
Stay focused on Jesus, and teach your children the contrasting messages from Scripture: Love your neighbor as yourself. Pray for those who persecute you. Do not return evil for evil.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Using Movies as Conversation-Launchers With Boys
Men, you can use movies as great conversation-launchers with your boys. I enjoyed the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight. It's a big action film, too dark for younger kids, and does not have a specific religious aspect to the plot. But the characters wrestle with great questions:
These are great themes to explore with your boys, as you coach them about being a man. With older boys, movies like The Patriot and Saving Private Ryan are helpful for conversation-launching.
- How much will you sacrifice to protect and save the innocent?
- How do you combat evil (yes, evil!) without becoming evil? Where do you draw lines that you won't cross?
- Would you kill others to save yourself, even if you perceived they were "worse" people than you are?
- What is a man's civic responsibility and how is this related to protecting his family?
These are great themes to explore with your boys, as you coach them about being a man. With older boys, movies like The Patriot and Saving Private Ryan are helpful for conversation-launching.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Three Interactions to Develop Your Leadership
Perry Noble writes about three levels of interactions to develop our leadership:
Spend time with 'Those Who Are Where We Have Been'
Spend time with 'Those Who Are Currently Where I Am Currently'
Spend time with 'Those Who Are Where I Want To Go'
Good insights into the value of each environment, if we're willing to learn.
Spend time with 'Those Who Are Where We Have Been'
Spend time with 'Those Who Are Currently Where I Am Currently'
Spend time with 'Those Who Are Where I Want To Go'
Good insights into the value of each environment, if we're willing to learn.
There Are Things Far Worse Than Illness
"The art of being sick is not the same as the art of getting well. Some cancer patients recover; some don't. But the ordeal of facing your mortality and feeling your frailty sharpens your perspective about life. You appreciate little things more ferociously. You grasp the mystical power of love. You feel the gravitational pull of faith. And you realize you have received a unique gift – a field of vision others don't have about the power of hope and the limits of fear; a firm set of convictions about what really matters and what does not. You also feel obliged to share these insights – the most important of which is this: There are things far worse than illness – for instance, soullessness."
-- Tony Snow, 2005
-- Tony Snow, 2005
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
New EFCA Statement of Faith
Christianity Today has a nice article about the recently approved updates to the EFCA statement of faith. I agree, it's better to adjust doctrinal statements before there is a crisis.
Friday, July 11, 2008
No, We're Not Post-Modern!
William Lane Craig gives us some great thoughts about our modern thinking, which is NOT post-modern. (This is from his great article, "God is Not Dead Yet" in CT. )
"The idea that we live in a postmodern culture is a myth. In fact, a postmodern culture is an impossibility; it would be utterly unlivable. People are not relativistic when it comes to matters of science, engineering, and technology; rather, they are relativistic and pluralistic in matters of religion and ethics. But, of course, that’s not postmodernism; that’s modernism! That’s just old-line verificationism, which held that anything you can’t prove with your five senses is a matter of personal taste. We live in a culture that remains deeply modernist.
Otherwise, how do we make sense of the popularity of the New Atheism? Dawkins and his ilk are indelibly modernist and even scientistic in their approach. On the postmodernist reading of contemporary culture, their books should have fallen like water on a stone. Instead, people lap them up eagerly, convinced that religious belief is folly.
Seen in this light, tailoring our gospel to a postmodern culture is self-defeating. By laying aside our best apologetic weapons of logic and evidence, we ensure modernism’s triumph over us. If the church adopts this course of action, the consequences in the next generation will be catastrophic. Christianity will be reduced to but another voice in a cacophony of competing voices, each sharing its own narrative and none commending itself as the objective truth about reality. Meanwhile, scientific naturalism will continue to shape our culture’s view of how the world really is.
Christians who depreciate natural theology because “no one comes to faith through intellectual arguments” are therefore tragically shortsighted. For the value of natural theology extends far beyond one’s immediate evangelistic contacts. It is the broader task of Christian apologetics, including natural theology, to help create and sustain a cultural milieu in which the gospel can be heard as an intellectually viable option for thinking men and women. It thereby gives people the intellectual permission to believe when their hearts are moved."
HT: Kevin Nelstead at GeoChristian
"The idea that we live in a postmodern culture is a myth. In fact, a postmodern culture is an impossibility; it would be utterly unlivable. People are not relativistic when it comes to matters of science, engineering, and technology; rather, they are relativistic and pluralistic in matters of religion and ethics. But, of course, that’s not postmodernism; that’s modernism! That’s just old-line verificationism, which held that anything you can’t prove with your five senses is a matter of personal taste. We live in a culture that remains deeply modernist.
Otherwise, how do we make sense of the popularity of the New Atheism? Dawkins and his ilk are indelibly modernist and even scientistic in their approach. On the postmodernist reading of contemporary culture, their books should have fallen like water on a stone. Instead, people lap them up eagerly, convinced that religious belief is folly.
Seen in this light, tailoring our gospel to a postmodern culture is self-defeating. By laying aside our best apologetic weapons of logic and evidence, we ensure modernism’s triumph over us. If the church adopts this course of action, the consequences in the next generation will be catastrophic. Christianity will be reduced to but another voice in a cacophony of competing voices, each sharing its own narrative and none commending itself as the objective truth about reality. Meanwhile, scientific naturalism will continue to shape our culture’s view of how the world really is.
Christians who depreciate natural theology because “no one comes to faith through intellectual arguments” are therefore tragically shortsighted. For the value of natural theology extends far beyond one’s immediate evangelistic contacts. It is the broader task of Christian apologetics, including natural theology, to help create and sustain a cultural milieu in which the gospel can be heard as an intellectually viable option for thinking men and women. It thereby gives people the intellectual permission to believe when their hearts are moved."
HT: Kevin Nelstead at GeoChristian
It's Not Either/Or...
$4 gasoline in the US will drive a lot of change, even in the US Congress. Amidst all the political hem-hawing of this election year, it does look like representatives are more open to drilling and to alternative power. Joseph Petrowkski gives advice to both the Republicans and the Democrats on a both/and strategy, rather than squabbling about an either/or direction.
The demand for electricity isn't going down, either. So we need creative ideas on alternatives.
T.Boone Pickens has some big ideas about building up wind power to replace the use of natural gas-powered electric plants, and then converting cars to run on natural gas. This would, in my opinion, be a nice complement to electric cars, even if batteries can be made more efficient.
I'd like to see more nuclear plants for electricity, but we'll need something else to be operating sooner; it takes 15-20 years or more to build a nuclear power plant and make it operational.
Update: my friend B.R. sent me this article advocating using mass production techniques (and likely employing many laid-off auto workers and others with these skills) to build modularized nuclear power plants in just 40 months.
The demand for electricity isn't going down, either. So we need creative ideas on alternatives.
T.Boone Pickens has some big ideas about building up wind power to replace the use of natural gas-powered electric plants, and then converting cars to run on natural gas. This would, in my opinion, be a nice complement to electric cars, even if batteries can be made more efficient.
I'd like to see more nuclear plants for electricity, but we'll need something else to be operating sooner; it takes 15-20 years or more to build a nuclear power plant and make it operational.
Update: my friend B.R. sent me this article advocating using mass production techniques (and likely employing many laid-off auto workers and others with these skills) to build modularized nuclear power plants in just 40 months.
The Vastness of the Power of the Shed Blood
"Do you see more worth and merit in one drop of Christ's blood to save you, than in all the sins of the world to condemn you?" -- John Bunyan
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
1776 Christians
Mark Batterson cites a list of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and their strong Christian faith:
John Witherspoon was an ordained minister and authored several books of sermons, as well as editing America's first family Bible published in 1791.
Charles Thomson served as Secretary of Congress and was a Biblical scholar. He helped edit the first American translation of the Greek Septuagint into English.
Charles Carroll, the last of the fifty-six signers to pass away at the age of 95 in 1832, wrote out his declaration of faith at the age of eighty-nine. "On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for my salvation, and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts."
Another Founding Father, Benjamin Rush, is considered the "Father of American Medicine." He personally trained three thousand medical students. Dr. Rush also founded "The First Day Society" which was the precursor to the Sunday School movement, as well as founding America's first Bible society. It was Benjamin Rush who said the Constitution was "as much the work of Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament were the effects of divine power."
Francis Hopkinson was a church music director and edited one of the first hymnals printed in America in 1767. He also set 150 psalms to music.
Roger Sherman is the only Founding Father to sign all four of America's Founding documents: the Articles of Association in 1774, the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Articles of Confederation in 1778, and the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Roger Sherman was also a theologian. He wrote a personal creed that was adopted by his church: "I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God, and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him."
John Witherspoon was an ordained minister and authored several books of sermons, as well as editing America's first family Bible published in 1791.
Charles Thomson served as Secretary of Congress and was a Biblical scholar. He helped edit the first American translation of the Greek Septuagint into English.
Charles Carroll, the last of the fifty-six signers to pass away at the age of 95 in 1832, wrote out his declaration of faith at the age of eighty-nine. "On the mercy of my Redeemer I rely for my salvation, and on His merits; not on the works I have done in obedience to His precepts."
Another Founding Father, Benjamin Rush, is considered the "Father of American Medicine." He personally trained three thousand medical students. Dr. Rush also founded "The First Day Society" which was the precursor to the Sunday School movement, as well as founding America's first Bible society. It was Benjamin Rush who said the Constitution was "as much the work of Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament were the effects of divine power."
Francis Hopkinson was a church music director and edited one of the first hymnals printed in America in 1767. He also set 150 psalms to music.
Roger Sherman is the only Founding Father to sign all four of America's Founding documents: the Articles of Association in 1774, the Declaration of Independence in 1776, the Articles of Confederation in 1778, and the U.S. Constitution in 1787. Roger Sherman was also a theologian. He wrote a personal creed that was adopted by his church: "I believe that there is one only living and true God, existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the same in substance, equal in power and glory. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are a revelation from God, and a complete rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy Him."
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Training Your Kids About Media Bias
I believe it's important to train your kids about media bias -- the simple truth is that most journalistic media accounts and other presentations they'll see have some bias. Learning to work through the bias is a key aspect of thinking critically and wisely.
One issue is that it's very difficult to present a complete story. On the evening news, a feature story might take 3-4 minutes. How much of a complex issue can you cover in 3-4 minutes? So the format itself creates bias by imposing limitations. Even in very long newspaper articles, you usually find incomplete representation of all perspectives on a story. So training your children to ask the questions "What didn't they include?" and "Is there another perspective?" is helpful.
Journalism is better at presenting the sensational and the different, than the ordinary and the steady. Frankly, most journalism in free countries is really driven by advertisers looking for audience size and attention. Therefore, help your children understand that the news is not representative of the whole. For example, if there is a plane crash, you can remind everyone in your family that tens of thousands of flights didn't crash today. That's ordinary, and therefore not newsworthy. I bring this up because reading the newspaper or watching the evening news can leave people with the feeling that everything is out of control and spinning badly -- which simply is not true.
The people writing or producing a news story have biases and filters (just like you and me -- they're human). Train your children to consider the point of view in a news story. Gene Veith says this well: "Notice the POINT OF VIEW of a story; that is, not just the ideas as such, but, as in literature, the character through whose mind everything is presented. Who is the “us” and who is the “them”?"
And I think you need to be candid about our own biases and filters. It says something that I have to force myself to read NY Times articles and consider the perspectives presented there, but do not have the same difficulty with the WSJ opinion page.
Our kids are going to have a lot of information thrown at them, and demand quick decisions and allegiance. Therefore give them guidance on evaluating information, and you immediately help them make better decisions.
What tips do you have about helping your kids with media bias?
One issue is that it's very difficult to present a complete story. On the evening news, a feature story might take 3-4 minutes. How much of a complex issue can you cover in 3-4 minutes? So the format itself creates bias by imposing limitations. Even in very long newspaper articles, you usually find incomplete representation of all perspectives on a story. So training your children to ask the questions "What didn't they include?" and "Is there another perspective?" is helpful.
Journalism is better at presenting the sensational and the different, than the ordinary and the steady. Frankly, most journalism in free countries is really driven by advertisers looking for audience size and attention. Therefore, help your children understand that the news is not representative of the whole. For example, if there is a plane crash, you can remind everyone in your family that tens of thousands of flights didn't crash today. That's ordinary, and therefore not newsworthy. I bring this up because reading the newspaper or watching the evening news can leave people with the feeling that everything is out of control and spinning badly -- which simply is not true.
The people writing or producing a news story have biases and filters (just like you and me -- they're human). Train your children to consider the point of view in a news story. Gene Veith says this well: "Notice the POINT OF VIEW of a story; that is, not just the ideas as such, but, as in literature, the character through whose mind everything is presented. Who is the “us” and who is the “them”?"
And I think you need to be candid about our own biases and filters. It says something that I have to force myself to read NY Times articles and consider the perspectives presented there, but do not have the same difficulty with the WSJ opinion page.
Our kids are going to have a lot of information thrown at them, and demand quick decisions and allegiance. Therefore give them guidance on evaluating information, and you immediately help them make better decisions.
What tips do you have about helping your kids with media bias?
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Arab and Muslim Are Not the Same Thing
Be responsible for speaking accurately about peoples and religious groups.
Here is a good starter education on Middle East peoples and religious groups.
Here is a good starter education on Middle East peoples and religious groups.
We Could Use a Few More Studds
Mark Batterson points us to a daring twentieth-century missionary, C.T. Studd, who said
"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
"Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell."
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Christian Meditation
Christian meditation is the practice of focusing our thoughts on the revealed Word of God -- not trying to empty our minds, which is the Eastern meditation strategy.
I recommend this article on meditation by Henry Blackaby. He has a wonderful definition:
"Meditation is that moment when God confronts you with the truth about Himself. It is that moment when you go into the presence of God and let God discuss it with you until you know exactly how to respond to Him, however long it takes."
I recommend this article on meditation by Henry Blackaby. He has a wonderful definition:
"Meditation is that moment when God confronts you with the truth about Himself. It is that moment when you go into the presence of God and let God discuss it with you until you know exactly how to respond to Him, however long it takes."
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Capacity for Inconsistency
Human beings have an amazing capacity for inconsistent thinking. We are capable of enormous outrage over something wrong, but not its equivalent in another setting.
Here's a nice example, by Tony Woodlief:
"In an emotion-laden account, NPR's Terry Gross exposed the brutality of partial-birth abortion today. She interviewed photojournalist Brent Stirton, who "took a photograph that shocked the world," as NPR explains, the victims "murdered, execution-style...simply slaughtered."
Just kidding. They're up in arms about some gorillas that got killed in the Congo. Not to belittle the atrocity. I mean, they're sentient beings, and in many ways they resemble humans. The gorillas, I mean. Not those fetus thingys."
You can find the same kind of problem among any group of people, on many subjects. (Everyone except me, of course, since I'm perfectly consistent in every way :-)
Because it is common, it's an excellent debating tool, and a constructive tool for dialogue. For example, I was recently challenged to think consistently about my views on government support for an in-prison program by Christians. We can help one another think more clearly, more carefully, more humbly. No worries, I got the guy back on his demands for windfall profit taxes on Big Oil profits but not on his relatives' corn and soybean profits.
At the core we overestimate our wisdom and maturity. We ooze pride and hubris. Let us marvel at our Lord Jesus, looking to His examples for perfectly balancing grace and truth, toughness and tenderness.
Here's a nice example, by Tony Woodlief:
"In an emotion-laden account, NPR's Terry Gross exposed the brutality of partial-birth abortion today. She interviewed photojournalist Brent Stirton, who "took a photograph that shocked the world," as NPR explains, the victims "murdered, execution-style...simply slaughtered."
Just kidding. They're up in arms about some gorillas that got killed in the Congo. Not to belittle the atrocity. I mean, they're sentient beings, and in many ways they resemble humans. The gorillas, I mean. Not those fetus thingys."
You can find the same kind of problem among any group of people, on many subjects. (Everyone except me, of course, since I'm perfectly consistent in every way :-)
Because it is common, it's an excellent debating tool, and a constructive tool for dialogue. For example, I was recently challenged to think consistently about my views on government support for an in-prison program by Christians. We can help one another think more clearly, more carefully, more humbly. No worries, I got the guy back on his demands for windfall profit taxes on Big Oil profits but not on his relatives' corn and soybean profits.
At the core we overestimate our wisdom and maturity. We ooze pride and hubris. Let us marvel at our Lord Jesus, looking to His examples for perfectly balancing grace and truth, toughness and tenderness.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Spiritual Directors
Eugene Peterson writes about the importance of spiritual directors.
This is not something I hear about commonly pursued today. I wonder if that is a reflection of our general shallow maturity -- there simply aren't many people qualified!
This is not something I hear about commonly pursued today. I wonder if that is a reflection of our general shallow maturity -- there simply aren't many people qualified!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Pew Forum Results Don't Surprise Me -- Here's Why
The Pew Forum recently released a study of religious views in the United States -- and it's getting a fair amount of media exposure. Don't depend on this blog post or sound bites in the media if you're really interested. Check out the actual report for yourself.
The analysis is based on a survey of 35,000 people. This sounds like a big number, but given the breadth of religious groups identified, some of the groups might have 50-200 people, and are those numbers representative? Maybe. I'm not a statistician, but it's likely they've done some reasonable analysis.
Survey results are often skewed by the way questions are asked. When 21% of self-categorized athiests say they believe in God (yes, it's in the report), you have to wonder if it's the questions, or is that genuinely true for the group? Also, respondents are grouped as politically liberal, moderate, or conservative -- how was that determined?
Having written a few surveys over the years, and looked at the results, I know how difficult it is to do them well. And this makes me very suspicious, by experience, of political polls and politicians who would steer by them!
Let's assume that all the results are accurate, all the labels are legitimate, and large numbers of Christians believe there is more than one way to heaven, that God is an impersonal force, or that the Bible is not the authoritative Word of God.
I'm not surprised by this. It shows up in the way American Christians live. The biblical knowledge of many -- including those who have been in church services regularly for many years -- is shallow, and they have a weak doctrinal foundation. There is an incredible syncretism between secular and non-Christian religious ideas and orthodox Christian teaching. These things are evident to Bible teachers and pastors everywhere.
But rather than being discouraged, I am encouraged. Our Lord has granted us a wonderul ministry opportunity, a MASSIVE opportunity! Let us keep teaching the Bible to change lives!
The analysis is based on a survey of 35,000 people. This sounds like a big number, but given the breadth of religious groups identified, some of the groups might have 50-200 people, and are those numbers representative? Maybe. I'm not a statistician, but it's likely they've done some reasonable analysis.
Survey results are often skewed by the way questions are asked. When 21% of self-categorized athiests say they believe in God (yes, it's in the report), you have to wonder if it's the questions, or is that genuinely true for the group? Also, respondents are grouped as politically liberal, moderate, or conservative -- how was that determined?
Having written a few surveys over the years, and looked at the results, I know how difficult it is to do them well. And this makes me very suspicious, by experience, of political polls and politicians who would steer by them!
Let's assume that all the results are accurate, all the labels are legitimate, and large numbers of Christians believe there is more than one way to heaven, that God is an impersonal force, or that the Bible is not the authoritative Word of God.
I'm not surprised by this. It shows up in the way American Christians live. The biblical knowledge of many -- including those who have been in church services regularly for many years -- is shallow, and they have a weak doctrinal foundation. There is an incredible syncretism between secular and non-Christian religious ideas and orthodox Christian teaching. These things are evident to Bible teachers and pastors everywhere.
But rather than being discouraged, I am encouraged. Our Lord has granted us a wonderul ministry opportunity, a MASSIVE opportunity! Let us keep teaching the Bible to change lives!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Observations on Feedback Response and Legislative Perspectives
Brian Wesbury, an economist, gives some useful perspective on the speed of feedback responses today (much, much faster than in the past) and the fix-it-through legislation perspective of both Obama and McCain:
Americans have had it so good, for so long, that they seem to have
forgotten what government's heavy hand does to living standards and economic
growth. But the same technological innovation that is causing all this
dislocation and anxiety has also created an information network that is as near
to real-time as the world has ever experienced.
For example, President Bush
put steel tariffs in place in March 2002. Less than two years later, in December
2003, he rescinded them. This is something most politicians don't do. But
because the tariffs caused such a sharp rise in the price of steel, small and
mid-size businesses complained loudly. The unintended consequences became
visible to most Americans very quickly.
Decades ago the feedback mechanism was slow. The unintended consequences of the New Deal took too long to show up in the economy. As a result, by the time the pain was publicized, the connection to misguided government policy could not be made. Today, in the midst of Internet Time, this is no longer a problem. So, despite protestations from staff at the White House, most people understand that food riots in foreign lands and higher prices at U.S. grocery stores are linked to ethanol subsidies in the U.S., which have sent shock waves through the global system.
This is the good news. Policy mistakes will be ferreted out very quickly. As a result, any politician who attempts to change things will be blamed for the unintended
consequences right away.
Both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama view the world from a legislative
perspective. Like the populists before them, they seem to believe that
government can fix problems in the economy. They seem to believe that what the
world needs is a change in the way government attacks problems and fixes the
anxiety of voters. This command-and-control approach, however, forces a
misallocation of resources. And in Internet Time this will become visible in
almost real-time, creating real political pain for the new president.
In contrast to what some people seem to believe, having the government take over
the health-care system is not change. It's just a culmination of previous moves
by government. And the areas with the worst problems today are areas that have
the most government interference – education, health care and energy.
John Adams
I received a delightful Father's Day gift -- the DVD set of the HBO film series, John Adams, based on the David McCullough book.
The film series is excellent. I would think it would be appropriate for older teens through adults. There are some scenes that I would not recommend for younger children, and frankly the pacing and plot are not likely to hold the attention of a younger child.
The texture, detail, and difficulty of living in colonial America is brought to your eyes and ears. That generation would rightly call us soft.
The film is even better than the book at bringing out the decadence of Paris as an assault on John Adams' sensibilities.
The special features show how many special effects were used, but they're transparent and so good that you don't realize you're watching a post-processing effect at all. So there is no distraction from the plot.
I have a few wishes, though. The film focuses more on some of the darker elements of Adams' life, and makes him seem much more douer than other accounts. (It's difficult to imagine such a uniformly grumpy man being successful if public life.) Also, there is very little religious aspect brought out in the film, though it's clear that the Adams were deeply religious.
Still, I hope the film series piques more interest in our history, and more appreciation for the hand of Providence in the lives of men and women. On this last point, if you'll also read McCullough's excellent 1776, it will be hard to believe that God was not protecting people and steering events.
My advice would be to watch the film series, then read the book for the fuller story.
The film series is excellent. I would think it would be appropriate for older teens through adults. There are some scenes that I would not recommend for younger children, and frankly the pacing and plot are not likely to hold the attention of a younger child.
The texture, detail, and difficulty of living in colonial America is brought to your eyes and ears. That generation would rightly call us soft.
The film is even better than the book at bringing out the decadence of Paris as an assault on John Adams' sensibilities.
The special features show how many special effects were used, but they're transparent and so good that you don't realize you're watching a post-processing effect at all. So there is no distraction from the plot.
I have a few wishes, though. The film focuses more on some of the darker elements of Adams' life, and makes him seem much more douer than other accounts. (It's difficult to imagine such a uniformly grumpy man being successful if public life.) Also, there is very little religious aspect brought out in the film, though it's clear that the Adams were deeply religious.
Still, I hope the film series piques more interest in our history, and more appreciation for the hand of Providence in the lives of men and women. On this last point, if you'll also read McCullough's excellent 1776, it will be hard to believe that God was not protecting people and steering events.
My advice would be to watch the film series, then read the book for the fuller story.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Gay Rights vs. Religious Rights
Gene Veith writes about the legal battles between gay rights and religious rights.
"In a remarkable cultural and moral inversion, homosexuals now occupy the moral high ground, and religious people who oppose homosexuality are now perceived as the bad guys."
I realize that not all religious people believe homosexual behavior is wrong. Many do. The legal issue is how to reconcile freedoms of religious belief and practice (1st Amendment) with changing cultural norms.
"In a remarkable cultural and moral inversion, homosexuals now occupy the moral high ground, and religious people who oppose homosexuality are now perceived as the bad guys."
I realize that not all religious people believe homosexual behavior is wrong. Many do. The legal issue is how to reconcile freedoms of religious belief and practice (1st Amendment) with changing cultural norms.
Granting Constitutional Rights to Non-Citizens
The US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Boumediene v. Bush to grant non-citizens the right to petition citizen courts challenging the legality of their detentions.
Personally I'm with Justice Scalia on this decision: it's a bad decision that does not square with the U.S. Constitution or consistent legal precedence from the Civil War forward. While there can be innocent people imprisoned by the military as enemy combatants, this "solution" creates serious problems in the future.
Several people I've spoken with have swallowed the sound bite that this will force the closure of Guantanamo Bay and the immediate release of all the prisoners. Not so. It says that the prisoners have the right to a hearing in a civil court of law. (In practice, I would speculate some prisoners might be released more quickly than others.)
John Piper points out something important to remember: I'm blessed to live in a country where the president follows the rule of law, even if he doesn't agree with it. There are restraints on power.
And I am grateful for our sovereign Lord.
Personally I'm with Justice Scalia on this decision: it's a bad decision that does not square with the U.S. Constitution or consistent legal precedence from the Civil War forward. While there can be innocent people imprisoned by the military as enemy combatants, this "solution" creates serious problems in the future.
Several people I've spoken with have swallowed the sound bite that this will force the closure of Guantanamo Bay and the immediate release of all the prisoners. Not so. It says that the prisoners have the right to a hearing in a civil court of law. (In practice, I would speculate some prisoners might be released more quickly than others.)
John Piper points out something important to remember: I'm blessed to live in a country where the president follows the rule of law, even if he doesn't agree with it. There are restraints on power.
And I am grateful for our sovereign Lord.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Dad's -- Stay the Course!
I'm always glad to see Father's Day come around, if only because it's the one time of year in the U.S. when the dominant cultural themes are not working to portray dad as a dweeb. (For example, how many strong father figures show up in television shows vs. an idiot or cruel father figure?)
And it's also a time when journalists publish numbers like these:
What about you, Dad? Not feeling appreciated? Not getting much support for being the spiritual leader of your family? Weary of the drill?
Stay the course. No matter how you feel, fathering is more important than we realize in the moment.
And it's also a time when journalists publish numbers like these:
The extent of the problem is clear. The nation's out-of-wedlock birth rate is 38%. Among white children, 28% are now born to a single mother; among Hispanic children it is 50% and reaches a chilling, disorienting peak of 71% for black children. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, nearly a quarter of America's white children (22%) do not have any male in their homes; nearly a third (31%) of Hispanic children and over half of black children (56%) are fatherless.
This represents a dramatic shift in American life. In the early 1960s, only 2.3% of white children and 24% of black children were born to a single mom. Having a dad, in short, is now a privilege, a ticket to middle-class status on par with getting into a good college.
The odds increase for a child's success with the psychological and financial stability rooted in having two parents. Having two parents means there is a greater likelihood that someone will read to a child as a preschooler, support him through school, and prevent him from dropping out, as well as teaching him how to compete, win and lose and get up to try again, in academics, athletics and the arts. Maybe most important of all is that having a dad at home is almost a certain ticket out of poverty; because about 40% of single-mother families are in poverty.
"If you are concerned about reducing child poverty then you have to focus on missing fathers," says Roland Warren, president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, based in Gaithersburg, Md. This organization works to encourage more men to be involved fathers.
The odds are higher that a child without a dad will have more contact with the drug culture, the police and jail. Even in kindergarten, children living with single parents are more likely to trail children with two parents when it comes to health, cognitive skills and their emotional maturity. They are in the back of the bus before the bus – their life – even gets going.
What about you, Dad? Not feeling appreciated? Not getting much support for being the spiritual leader of your family? Weary of the drill?
Stay the course. No matter how you feel, fathering is more important than we realize in the moment.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Who Can You Encourage Today?
Men, who can you encourage today?
Please note I didn't ask "Who will you encourage today?" That's the second question :-)
Who CAN you encourage? Start there. Who comes to mind? And who comes to mind next? And after that?
The truth is that there are dozens if not hundreds of people around you that you can encourage. It requires only a small amount of others-first thinking to see them.
What can you do to encourage them? A brief word is all that's needed. Email, instant message, phone call, note left for them. You'd be surprised how much encouaragement an appropriate hug or handgrip will deliver. Point them back to the Lord. Remind them that they are not alone, or forgotten.
Now for that second question: Who will you encourage today? That's your follow-through.
Be bold, be gentle.
Please note I didn't ask "Who will you encourage today?" That's the second question :-)
Who CAN you encourage? Start there. Who comes to mind? And who comes to mind next? And after that?
The truth is that there are dozens if not hundreds of people around you that you can encourage. It requires only a small amount of others-first thinking to see them.
What can you do to encourage them? A brief word is all that's needed. Email, instant message, phone call, note left for them. You'd be surprised how much encouaragement an appropriate hug or handgrip will deliver. Point them back to the Lord. Remind them that they are not alone, or forgotten.
Now for that second question: Who will you encourage today? That's your follow-through.
Be bold, be gentle.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Flooding in Iowa
Several of you have written notes of concern, asking if we're ok. (Thank you!)
The flooding across Iowa is severe, and may surpass the 1993 flooding. Watering is pouring over the emergency spillway dam at Saylorville Lake -- doubling the Des Moines river flow heading into the city of Des Moines. Our family is fine, and our home is dry. There's more rain coming today and tomorrow.
The flooding across Iowa is severe, and may surpass the 1993 flooding. Watering is pouring over the emergency spillway dam at Saylorville Lake -- doubling the Des Moines river flow heading into the city of Des Moines. Our family is fine, and our home is dry. There's more rain coming today and tomorrow.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Naming Names
Lawrence Solomon draws attention to the many scientists who are concerned about the problems with the models and data analysis used to support global warming, and also claims that Wikipedia is censoring articles related to global warming.
From the book jacket of The Deniers:
It is curious that many of the same people who demand scientific critical analysis for the theory of evolution, appreciating that the data is complex and requires interpretation, and are concerned about "agenda-driven" evolution education, do not have the same standards for analysis of climate change. The proposed political solutions to reduce CO2 emissions are not economically neutral, nor will the increased regulatory power of government be inconsequential. Let us therefore be clear thinkers.
From the book jacket of The Deniers:
Al Gore says any scientist who disagrees with him on Global Warming is a kook,
or a crook. Guess he never met these guys:
Dr. Edward Wegman--former chairman of the Committee on Applied and Theoretical Statistics of the National Academy of Sciences--demolishes the famous "hockey stick" graph that launched the global warming panic.
Dr. David Bromwich--president of the International Commission on Polar Meteorology--says "it's hard to see a global warming signal from the mainland of Antarctica right now."
Prof. Paul Reiter--Chief of Insects and Infectious Diseases at the famed Pasteur
Institute--says "no major scientist with any long record in this field" accepts
Al Gore's claim that global warming spreads mosquito-borne diseases.
Prof. Hendrik Tennekes--director of research, Royal Netherlands
Meteorological Institute--states "there exists no sound theoretical framework
for climate predictability studies" used for global warming forecasts.
Dr. Christopher Landsea--past chairman of the American Meteorological
Society's Committee on Tropical Meteorology and Tropical Cyclones--says "there
are no known scientific studies that show a conclusive physical link between
global warming and observed hurricane frequency and intensity."
Dr. Antonino Zichichi--one of the world's foremost physicists, former president of
the European Physical Society, who discovered nuclear antimatter--calls global
warming models "incoherent and invalid."
Dr. Zbigniew Jaworowski--world-renowned expert on the ancient ice cores used in climate research--says the U.N. "based its global-warming hypothesis on arbitrary
assumptions and these assumptions, it is now clear, are false."
Prof. Tom V. Segalstad--head of the Geological Museum, University of Oslo--says "most leading geologists" know the U.N.'s views "of Earth processes are implausible."
Dr. Syun-Ichi Akasofu--founding director of the International Arctic
Research Center, twice named one of the "1,000 Most Cited Scientists," says much
"Arctic warming during the last half of the last century is due to natural
change."
Dr. Claude Allegre--member, U.S. National Academy of Sciences and French Academy of Science, he was among the first to sound the alarm on the dangers of global warming. His view now: "The cause of this climate change is unknown."
Dr. Richard Lindzen--Professor of Meteorology at M.I.T., member, the National Research Council Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, says global warming alarmists "are trumpeting catastrophes that couldn't happen even if the models were right."
Dr. Habibullo Abdussamatov--head of the
space research laboratory of the Russian Academy of Science's Pulkovo
Observatory and of the International Space Station's Astrometria project says
"the common view that man's industrial activity is a deciding factor in global
warming has emerged from a misinterpretation of cause and effect relations."
Dr. Richard Tol--Principal researcher at the Institute for Environmental
Studies at Vrije Universiteit, and Adjunct Professor at the Center for
Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change, at Carnegie Mellon
University, calls the most influential global warming report of all time
"preposterous . . . alarmist and incompetent."
Dr. Sami Solanki--director and scientific member at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany, who argues that changes in the Sun's state, not
human activity, may be the principal cause of global warming: "The sun has been
at its strongest over the past 60 years and may now be affecting global temperatures."
Prof. Freeman Dyson--one of the world's most eminent physicists says the models used to justify global warming alarmism are "full of fudge factors" and "do not begin to describe the real world."
Dr. Eigils Friis-Christensen--director of the Danish National Space Centre, vice-president of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, who argues that changes in the Sun's behavior could account for most of the warming attributed by the UN to man-made CO2.
It is curious that many of the same people who demand scientific critical analysis for the theory of evolution, appreciating that the data is complex and requires interpretation, and are concerned about "agenda-driven" evolution education, do not have the same standards for analysis of climate change. The proposed political solutions to reduce CO2 emissions are not economically neutral, nor will the increased regulatory power of government be inconsequential. Let us therefore be clear thinkers.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Books for Guys
Relatively few adult men read books for pleasure. Albert Mohler suggests this may be because no one has steered them to fascinating books that trip their trigger! Here are some of his recommendations.
Of course we need to read the Book of books, the Bible, for life.
Of course we need to read the Book of books, the Bible, for life.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Uniqueness of God's Grace
Most Christians fail to understand the uniqueness of God's grace as portrayed through the Bible (not just the NT, mind you, the whole Bible).
Robert M. Horn wrote:
"It is not found in any of the world's cults or religions, nor in much of what poses for Christianity. From the Pharisee's stress on deeds to the mystic's focus on meditation, all religions emphasize human achievement. They are all bilateral agreements: God does part, we do part.... But the God of Christianity is a God of unilateral action....God acted on his own, making a unilateral declaration of grace."
Robert M. Horn wrote:
"It is not found in any of the world's cults or religions, nor in much of what poses for Christianity. From the Pharisee's stress on deeds to the mystic's focus on meditation, all religions emphasize human achievement. They are all bilateral agreements: God does part, we do part.... But the God of Christianity is a God of unilateral action....God acted on his own, making a unilateral declaration of grace."
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Pray for Our Brothers and Sisters in Iran
Recent news indicates that persecutions against Christian converts in Iran is increasing (see this story, and this one), even as extraordinary numbers of Muslims are converting to Christianity in many predominantly Muslim countries.
There is actually a long and rich heritage of Christianity in Iran.
Let's pray for our brothers and sisters in Iran, interceding for them, and asking our Lord to show His Wonder and Power there.
There is actually a long and rich heritage of Christianity in Iran.
Let's pray for our brothers and sisters in Iran, interceding for them, and asking our Lord to show His Wonder and Power there.
One Thought on Polygamy
There are many dimensions to the story of the Texas actions to remove the children from the polygamist's compound. I keep thinking about a statement Gary Rosberg made years ago to the men of CrossTrainers: "Guys, you can't handle more than one woman." He was referring to adultery, but it would apply to polygamy as well.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Church Leadership Lessons from the Church at Corinth
It's not easy to lead churches. Or any organization of sin-encrusted flesh-and-blood people with a finite range of spiritual maturity.
1 Corinthians is a fascinating letter in many ways. The church at Corinth obviously had a lot of problems, and Paul must have been hearing about things from a distance (e.g., "...some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 1:11) This must have been hard to endure as a leader. I'm sure Paul was distressed, possibly even angry.
But notice two things:
First, look at how Paul opens his letter:
"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." (1 Cor 1:4-9)
Paul is looking not at the demonstrated weakness of the church at Corinth, but at the greatness of the Lord. He's more amazed that anyone is saved in Christ than he is that church communities have problems.
That's a great leadership lesson for people leading churches.
Second, Paul's letter to this sick, struggling church has some marvelous instruction and beautiful theology -- on marriage in chapter 7, on love in chapter 13, and more. God was able to bless many in that generation and in many since, all because they had problems.
1 Corinthians is a fascinating letter in many ways. The church at Corinth obviously had a lot of problems, and Paul must have been hearing about things from a distance (e.g., "...some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 1:11) This must have been hard to endure as a leader. I'm sure Paul was distressed, possibly even angry.
But notice two things:
First, look at how Paul opens his letter:
"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful." (1 Cor 1:4-9)
Paul is looking not at the demonstrated weakness of the church at Corinth, but at the greatness of the Lord. He's more amazed that anyone is saved in Christ than he is that church communities have problems.
That's a great leadership lesson for people leading churches.
Second, Paul's letter to this sick, struggling church has some marvelous instruction and beautiful theology -- on marriage in chapter 7, on love in chapter 13, and more. God was able to bless many in that generation and in many since, all because they had problems.
Anti-Calvin?
I get a fair amount of (mostly nice) flak from friends because I lean Calvinist. I'm generally amazed at how many "experts" condemn Calvin without having read him, or tried to think through the Biblical texts. TULIP was not his invention, but shorthand that came later. Calvin is incorrectly labeled as a cold, heartless theologian, but anyone who has read Calvin's writings will experience his passion for pastors, evangelism, and missionaries.
My general proposition is that I encourage people to develop convictions about theological points, but not let these convictions divide the greater Body of Christ. For example, I have studied baptism and have strong convictions -- but I refuse to break fellowship with other Christians over disputes on when or how water is used. It's taken me over twenty years to reach some of my convictions, so I need to be careful about my assessments of others who haven't come to the same point of understanding, especially in the same timeframe. Plus, I have shifted positions after more study, so I'm humble about our ability to comprehend the depths of God's work.
John Piper has a curious column recommending G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy book.
Chesterton was solidly anti-Calvin, but a great writer and brilliant thinker. Piper points out that reading Chesterton actually opened his eyes to wonder and mystery:
Love our great God, and love one another.
My general proposition is that I encourage people to develop convictions about theological points, but not let these convictions divide the greater Body of Christ. For example, I have studied baptism and have strong convictions -- but I refuse to break fellowship with other Christians over disputes on when or how water is used. It's taken me over twenty years to reach some of my convictions, so I need to be careful about my assessments of others who haven't come to the same point of understanding, especially in the same timeframe. Plus, I have shifted positions after more study, so I'm humble about our ability to comprehend the depths of God's work.
John Piper has a curious column recommending G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy book.
Chesterton was solidly anti-Calvin, but a great writer and brilliant thinker. Piper points out that reading Chesterton actually opened his eyes to wonder and mystery:
Nothing in this Calvinism-abominating book came close to keeping me from
embracing the glorious sovereignty of God. On the contrary, the poetic
brightness of the book, along with the works of C. S. Lewis, awakened in me an
exuberance about the strangeness of all things—which in the end made me able to
embrace the imponderable paradoxes of God’s decisive control of all things and
the total justice of his holding us accountable.
One of the reasons that Calvinism is stirring today is that it takes both truth and mystery seriously. It’s a singing, poetry-writing, run-through-the-fields Calvinism.
It’s the Arminians that are the rationalists. Arminianism trumps biblical sentences with metaphysics: God can’t control all things and hold us responsible. God can’t choose some and love all.” Why? Metaphysics. Out with mystery! It just can’t be!
Love our great God, and love one another.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Too Dynamic To Be Safe!
Mark Batterson talks about Jesus as a rebel:
Makes me think of Aslan: "not a tame lion," and we find Him bigger as grow up.
One of the things I love about Jesus is that He remained the rebel his
entire life. He didn't bow to the Pharisees. He didn't bow to Pilate. Truth is,
He didn't bow to anyone except His Heavenly Father. That is what it means to be
a spiritual rebel.
In the words of Dorothy Sayers: "To do them justice, the people who
crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was
too dynamic to be safe. It is has been left for later generations to muffle up
that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We
have declawed the Lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and
pious old ladies."
Makes me think of Aslan: "not a tame lion," and we find Him bigger as grow up.
Climate Change on Jupiter
I'm not exactly sure how human activity is responsible for climate change on Jupiter, but I'm sure someone will call on the government to do something about it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Will Rogers on Committees
“Well, the conference met today and appointed a commission to meet tomorrow and appoint a delegation which will eventually appoint a subcommittee to draw up ways and means of finding out what to start with first.” —Will Rogers
It's clear that bureaucracy and ineffectiveness are still with us, all these years later!
Ornithologists refer to a group of buzzards feeding on a carcass as a committee. Isn't that apropros?
Monday, May 26, 2008
And On Day 8, There Was Grass!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Holding All Things Together
Here's a diagram of the structure of the laminin protein, which is a cell adhesion molecule -- literally holding things together.
Isn't that cool?
Louie Giglio has a fun story about how he learned about laminin, in this short video:
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Thinking About Armor Bearers
Traits of Armor Bearers, from 1 Sam 1:1-14:
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." (v7)
· Follows the leader, very loyal, ready to lay down his life. (From what we know of Jonathan, he was a great friend and inspired loyalty.)
· He’s young (v1)
· Finishes up what the leader starts
· Watches the back of the leader
· Closeness, and shares the confidence of the leader in the Lord – “nothing can hinder the Lord”
· Active and participatory, not ceremonial – shows himself to the Philistines, climbs up, fights and kills.
· Armor bearers carry extra stuff – even when climbing
· Armor bearers don’t get the limelight and credit later
"Do all that you have in mind," his armor-bearer said. "Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul." (v7)
· Follows the leader, very loyal, ready to lay down his life. (From what we know of Jonathan, he was a great friend and inspired loyalty.)
· He’s young (v1)
· Finishes up what the leader starts
· Watches the back of the leader
· Closeness, and shares the confidence of the leader in the Lord – “nothing can hinder the Lord”
· Active and participatory, not ceremonial – shows himself to the Philistines, climbs up, fights and kills.
· Armor bearers carry extra stuff – even when climbing
· Armor bearers don’t get the limelight and credit later
Thursday, May 22, 2008
US Federal Entitlement Programs
The US Federal government has systematically created entitlement programs since WWII that continue to grow and guzzle. Today entitlement programs consume about 62% of the total budget. Defense and every other discretionary item, including all the earmarks, make up 38%.
Their is a lot of criticism about the Farm Bill (which President Bush just vetoed, but congress is likely to override) giving "rich farmers" unnecessary subsidies. We can and should talk about this. There's almost no media attention on the food stamps component of the Bill, which is a modest % increase over the current food stamps program, but just this increase completely dwarfs the crop subsidies payments.
The growth of the entitlements is on autopilot right now. The projected costs are staggering, and frankly, unsupportable.
The Urban Institute and the Progressive Policy Institute are introducing stopgap recommendations to would put the key entitlement programs on a fixed budget, rather than automatic increases. Then congress would need to reassess this programs each year, so those programs would need to compete in the political discussion with other national priorities.
U.S. Representative Paul Ryan has introduced legislation to take a more comprehensive look at reining in entitlements and simplifying the tax code. While unlikely to pass in current form, and certainly not in this election period, I applaud the effort to get real dialogue going in Congress.
I've taken criticism about my "insensitivity" to the needs of the poor that these programs are designed to help. Jesus absolutely cares about the poor, and so should we. But I'm concerned that when we create entitlement programs to help people, we create unsustainable monsters which consume so much in taxes and have unintended consequences on our economy, that we need to go back to the basic questions of the purpose of government vs. our individual and church body expectations. We've been running this experiment since the 1940's, and so have many other countries, and I fear the experiment will run us into the ground.
Their is a lot of criticism about the Farm Bill (which President Bush just vetoed, but congress is likely to override) giving "rich farmers" unnecessary subsidies. We can and should talk about this. There's almost no media attention on the food stamps component of the Bill, which is a modest % increase over the current food stamps program, but just this increase completely dwarfs the crop subsidies payments.
The growth of the entitlements is on autopilot right now. The projected costs are staggering, and frankly, unsupportable.
The Urban Institute and the Progressive Policy Institute are introducing stopgap recommendations to would put the key entitlement programs on a fixed budget, rather than automatic increases. Then congress would need to reassess this programs each year, so those programs would need to compete in the political discussion with other national priorities.
U.S. Representative Paul Ryan has introduced legislation to take a more comprehensive look at reining in entitlements and simplifying the tax code. While unlikely to pass in current form, and certainly not in this election period, I applaud the effort to get real dialogue going in Congress.
I've taken criticism about my "insensitivity" to the needs of the poor that these programs are designed to help. Jesus absolutely cares about the poor, and so should we. But I'm concerned that when we create entitlement programs to help people, we create unsustainable monsters which consume so much in taxes and have unintended consequences on our economy, that we need to go back to the basic questions of the purpose of government vs. our individual and church body expectations. We've been running this experiment since the 1940's, and so have many other countries, and I fear the experiment will run us into the ground.
My Home Golf Course
About 9 days ago we had 18 trees removed from our yard, and I've been diligently seeding and watering to grow grass where the holes were. A friend pointed out that I could make a golf course with 18 holes! Well, that's NOT my plan.
Here's the story so far.
We contracted with a company to remove 18 trees from our yard. Some were too originally planted too close to the house, some were dying. It was an amazing process over 6 hours -- 10 guys, chain saws, chipper, two trucks to haul away the chips, stump grinder -- and a lot of hustle.
So now I need to fill in 18 holes and plant grass. First step is to pull out more of the roots. The stump grinder does a great job, but there are still loads of roots around the edges, and I needed to pull them out. I worked over two holes in the front yard with a mattock and yanked out a nice pile of roots.
Next I needed to fill in the holes with dirt.
I picked up ten 40lb bags of dirt at our local Ace hardware (because I like to support the local hardware store) and brought them home in the back of our 1987 Saab. I expected I'd get 3 or holes filled, then repeat the process a few times.
Wrong.
I emptied all ten on 1 hole in the front yard. One. 400 lbs of dirt for that hole! I'm sure there is a Sunday School teaching illustration in here somewhere :-) It takes a LOT of dirt!
New tactic needed -- my wife arranged for 6000 lbs of topsoil to be delivered to our driveway. Made a nice big pile! My son moved half and filled in the main holes. I used the rest to spread in the areas around the holes where the grass was thin or non-existent. [It is amazing how grass and even weeds don't grow in areas where the pines drop their needles.]
Then I raked and cleaned up the surface, scattered starter fertilizer and grass seed. I only underestimated how much grass seed I needed three times. (Four more opportunities to support the local Ace hardware store :-)
And now I've been watering. And watering. And...more watering. I drag a long hose around the front and back yard 3 or 4 times a day to keep the soil moist. No green growth yet. It's amazing how much faithful watering this process requires. (Another Sunday School lesson!)
It is a good time to pray. I'm doing everything I know to do -- prep the soil, plant good seed the right way, and water like crazy. But God causes the growth (see 1 Cor 3:6)
Here's the story so far.
We contracted with a company to remove 18 trees from our yard. Some were too originally planted too close to the house, some were dying. It was an amazing process over 6 hours -- 10 guys, chain saws, chipper, two trucks to haul away the chips, stump grinder -- and a lot of hustle.
So now I need to fill in 18 holes and plant grass. First step is to pull out more of the roots. The stump grinder does a great job, but there are still loads of roots around the edges, and I needed to pull them out. I worked over two holes in the front yard with a mattock and yanked out a nice pile of roots.
Next I needed to fill in the holes with dirt.
I picked up ten 40lb bags of dirt at our local Ace hardware (because I like to support the local hardware store) and brought them home in the back of our 1987 Saab. I expected I'd get 3 or holes filled, then repeat the process a few times.
Wrong.
I emptied all ten on 1 hole in the front yard. One. 400 lbs of dirt for that hole! I'm sure there is a Sunday School teaching illustration in here somewhere :-) It takes a LOT of dirt!
New tactic needed -- my wife arranged for 6000 lbs of topsoil to be delivered to our driveway. Made a nice big pile! My son moved half and filled in the main holes. I used the rest to spread in the areas around the holes where the grass was thin or non-existent. [It is amazing how grass and even weeds don't grow in areas where the pines drop their needles.]
Then I raked and cleaned up the surface, scattered starter fertilizer and grass seed. I only underestimated how much grass seed I needed three times. (Four more opportunities to support the local Ace hardware store :-)
And now I've been watering. And watering. And...more watering. I drag a long hose around the front and back yard 3 or 4 times a day to keep the soil moist. No green growth yet. It's amazing how much faithful watering this process requires. (Another Sunday School lesson!)
It is a good time to pray. I'm doing everything I know to do -- prep the soil, plant good seed the right way, and water like crazy. But God causes the growth (see 1 Cor 3:6)
I'm hopeful that we'll see some green sprouts soon, which will encourage my faith.
We're still getting used to the different view, without the trees. I just want to see continuous grass out to the edges of the yard!
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Insight into Delaying the Decision About the Important
“Well, the conference met today and appointed a commission to meet tomorrow and appoint a delegation which will eventually appoint a subcommittee to draw up ways and means of finding out what to start with first.” —Will Rogers
It's clear that bureaucracy and ineffectiveness are still with us, all these years later!
It's clear that bureaucracy and ineffectiveness are still with us, all these years later!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Portrait of American Spending
The New York Times published an interesting graphic of American spending patterns.
What's curiously missing is "giving." I suppose it's buried somewhere in the miscellaneous (3%).
What's curiously missing is "giving." I suppose it's buried somewhere in the miscellaneous (3%).
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Elements of Critical Thinking
The poor analysis and critical thinking skills of the general population, especially of Christians, has pained me for some time. I've even sketched out ideas about how to set up a training seminar on thinking wisely (meaning, solid reasoning coupled with a biblical worldview).
So I was delighted to see that the great folks at Stand to Reason have just published a free newsletter outlining key critical thinking skills (note: PDF format). Their focus in this issue is taking on the "new athiests" arguments about the evils of religion. But you can, and should, apply these same critical thought patterns of reasoning to other areas.
Quick summary:
The task of critical thinking is to weed out irrelevant details so you can see the core argument and assess its strength. Work through these four questions:
1. What is the claim?
2. What are the reasons given to support the claim?
3. Which appeals are irrelevant?
4. Does the conclusion follow from the evidence?
I highly recommend the entire newsletter. Build these skills yourself, and practice them with your families.
So I was delighted to see that the great folks at Stand to Reason have just published a free newsletter outlining key critical thinking skills (note: PDF format). Their focus in this issue is taking on the "new athiests" arguments about the evils of religion. But you can, and should, apply these same critical thought patterns of reasoning to other areas.
Quick summary:
The task of critical thinking is to weed out irrelevant details so you can see the core argument and assess its strength. Work through these four questions:
1. What is the claim?
2. What are the reasons given to support the claim?
3. Which appeals are irrelevant?
4. Does the conclusion follow from the evidence?
I highly recommend the entire newsletter. Build these skills yourself, and practice them with your families.
Wheat "Holocaust"
Albert Mohler comments about a new effort to adopt rights for plants similar to what we've established for animals.
This is absurd. "The failure to distinguish between human beings and the larger animal world is a hallmark of a post-Christian culture." Bad trendline!
HT: B. Roth
This is absurd. "The failure to distinguish between human beings and the larger animal world is a hallmark of a post-Christian culture." Bad trendline!
HT: B. Roth
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Noise-cancelling Headphones
I started using a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones occasionally at work. Amazing!
They’re especially effective at eliminating low-frequency, steady sounds, like the rumble of the airflow vent. People can still get my attention with a sharp knock. I can barely hear the keys click as I type. Most neighboring conversation is filtered out and no longer a distraction.
I’ve tried them 2 ways while I’m focusing on a project at the computer or my reading desk:
1. Listen to instrumental music (Mozart!) I can’t focus with vocal music in the background.
2. Listen to nothing
The music really “pops” and sounds even more alive without the competition from other sounds. And I don’t need to worry about distracting others around me.
The 2nd option is really striking at first. When you cut off all the noises, at first my brain just screams into warp drive, almost as if I have to think faster to fill the void. Then I realize (again) how noisy my thoughts are most of the time. And it becomes fun to bring up a thought and convert it into prayer. If it’s an anxious thought, I surrender it to God and remind myself that HE is in charge. If it’s a concern, then I convert that into intercession, or a request.
I received these headphones as a gift. If I was going to buy a pair, I’d check out the Sony models that are comparable to the Bose, but less expensive.
They’re especially effective at eliminating low-frequency, steady sounds, like the rumble of the airflow vent. People can still get my attention with a sharp knock. I can barely hear the keys click as I type. Most neighboring conversation is filtered out and no longer a distraction.
I’ve tried them 2 ways while I’m focusing on a project at the computer or my reading desk:
1. Listen to instrumental music (Mozart!) I can’t focus with vocal music in the background.
2. Listen to nothing
The music really “pops” and sounds even more alive without the competition from other sounds. And I don’t need to worry about distracting others around me.
The 2nd option is really striking at first. When you cut off all the noises, at first my brain just screams into warp drive, almost as if I have to think faster to fill the void. Then I realize (again) how noisy my thoughts are most of the time. And it becomes fun to bring up a thought and convert it into prayer. If it’s an anxious thought, I surrender it to God and remind myself that HE is in charge. If it’s a concern, then I convert that into intercession, or a request.
I received these headphones as a gift. If I was going to buy a pair, I’d check out the Sony models that are comparable to the Bose, but less expensive.
Can You Combine Religion and Politics?
John Ortberg writes on "Religion AND Politics." Good insights here, worth reading. My two favorite parts:
T.S. Eliot's insight: “We want a [policitcal] system of order so perfect that we do not have to be good.”
And John Ortberg's succinct commentary on which group prevailed, the few thousand Christians or the leades of the Roman Empire (65 million members): "But here we are, two thousand years later, and we give our children names like Peter, Paul, and Mary; and we call our dogs Caesar and Nero."
T.S. Eliot's insight: “We want a [policitcal] system of order so perfect that we do not have to be good.”
And John Ortberg's succinct commentary on which group prevailed, the few thousand Christians or the leades of the Roman Empire (65 million members): "But here we are, two thousand years later, and we give our children names like Peter, Paul, and Mary; and we call our dogs Caesar and Nero."
Lawn Mower Prayer Guide
It’s finally the season for lawn mowing to begin here in Iowa! Let me a wonderful prayer habit that you can begin (and you’ll actually enjoy lawn mowing more).
1. Divide up your lawn into a few sections. I usually have 4 in mind.
2. Identify a person whom you will pray for with each section. (For example, I might select three family members and one of our pastors.)
3. While you’re mowing that section, pray for that person.
Simple!
Now if you’re like me, your thoughts will go all over the place after you begin praying. No problem. Just catch yourself, and begin praying again. Don’t beat yourself up, just begin praying again. Don't give up, simply begin again.
It’s good training, great intercession, beautiful work for the Lord – and somehow I think the lawn looks better if I’ve been praying rather than cursing.
You can use this same prayer practice with all kinds of activities that don't require your full attention.
1. Divide up your lawn into a few sections. I usually have 4 in mind.
2. Identify a person whom you will pray for with each section. (For example, I might select three family members and one of our pastors.)
3. While you’re mowing that section, pray for that person.
Simple!
Now if you’re like me, your thoughts will go all over the place after you begin praying. No problem. Just catch yourself, and begin praying again. Don’t beat yourself up, just begin praying again. Don't give up, simply begin again.
It’s good training, great intercession, beautiful work for the Lord – and somehow I think the lawn looks better if I’ve been praying rather than cursing.
You can use this same prayer practice with all kinds of activities that don't require your full attention.
Friday, May 02, 2008
What if Wright Had Said This?
There has been plenty of commentary about Pastor Jeremiah Wright's comments and now Senator Obama's denunciation.
If this topic interests you, then you should check out this article. Thabiti Anyabwile looks at this situation, identifies 5 lessons for young pastors:
1. Feed the sheep, feed the sheep, feed the sheep.
2. Be willing to suffer reproach for doing good.
3. Think carefully about a separation of church and state principle in my own ministry and public comments on public issues.
4. Seek counsel before speaking.
5. Pray and war against pride.
He also thinks through what Pastor Wright could have said.
Now this last part is sure to be controversial, but I recommend it because it will prompt you to think about the story in a way that you'll actually learn from it -- not just invest a lot of energy to finger-point and pound away.
If this topic interests you, then you should check out this article. Thabiti Anyabwile looks at this situation, identifies 5 lessons for young pastors:
1. Feed the sheep, feed the sheep, feed the sheep.
2. Be willing to suffer reproach for doing good.
3. Think carefully about a separation of church and state principle in my own ministry and public comments on public issues.
4. Seek counsel before speaking.
5. Pray and war against pride.
He also thinks through what Pastor Wright could have said.
Now this last part is sure to be controversial, but I recommend it because it will prompt you to think about the story in a way that you'll actually learn from it -- not just invest a lot of energy to finger-point and pound away.
Herd of Unicorns
Joe Carter provides some analysis of the supposed political "power" of the Evangelical Right.
He provides some supporting evidence for the low actual involvement of evangelicals in the political process. (Nice description: "...politically engaged evangelicals are like a herd of unicorns: powerful and abundant in the imagination while not actually existing in the real world.")
There is also some useful commentary in this article about John McCain's positions on abortion and marriage.
He provides some supporting evidence for the low actual involvement of evangelicals in the political process. (Nice description: "...politically engaged evangelicals are like a herd of unicorns: powerful and abundant in the imagination while not actually existing in the real world.")
There is also some useful commentary in this article about John McCain's positions on abortion and marriage.
What if Solar Power Was 100X Cheaper?
Here's an interesting breakthrough report: an Israeli group claims to have developed a new solar power technology that would make electricity 100X cheaper than it is with current best efficiencies. They say they plan to commercialize this in 2009.
If true, and scalable in production quantities, this could be allow solar to be a major contributor in the overall energy scheme. (Today there are a few large commercial operations, but mostly it is residential or localized.)
We're going to need major technological breakthroughs like this to make any significant changes in energy production patterns.
Also, there is a very nice report about a proposed new energy plan on the same blog. This guy has done some serious homework! I appreciate how well cited the numbers are.
As Christian men and leaders, we need to be thinking clearly about these issues.
If true, and scalable in production quantities, this could be allow solar to be a major contributor in the overall energy scheme. (Today there are a few large commercial operations, but mostly it is residential or localized.)
We're going to need major technological breakthroughs like this to make any significant changes in energy production patterns.
Also, there is a very nice report about a proposed new energy plan on the same blog. This guy has done some serious homework! I appreciate how well cited the numbers are.
As Christian men and leaders, we need to be thinking clearly about these issues.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Leadership Issue: Dealing with Change
If you're a leader, you're going to be in a position to be leading others through a change. It's tough. In any change situation, there's going to be someone who perceives they lose out.
There are cats out there -- and you can't be sure if they're pussycats, alleycats, or lions and tigers. So we focus on Christ and his direction for us, and not our fears from cats (of whatever size).
I encourage you to review Nehemiah 4 for some guidance on how we as leaders can handle these situations. We rely on God (v4-5), respect the opposition (v9), reinforce the weak points (v13), move our resources around to match needs, without stopping the work (v16), reassure God's people (v14) and refuse to quit (v15).
There are cats out there -- and you can't be sure if they're pussycats, alleycats, or lions and tigers. So we focus on Christ and his direction for us, and not our fears from cats (of whatever size).
I encourage you to review Nehemiah 4 for some guidance on how we as leaders can handle these situations. We rely on God (v4-5), respect the opposition (v9), reinforce the weak points (v13), move our resources around to match needs, without stopping the work (v16), reassure God's people (v14) and refuse to quit (v15).
How Big a Lever is the Fed Interest Rate?
Brian Wesbury's article in the WSJ has me wondering about the size of the lever of fed's interest rate -- which affects a number of economic elements directly (e.g., bank loan rates to consumers), and many, many more indirectly (e.g., capital available to businesses for expansion).
In terms of dynamic systems, we know that small effects in one part of a system have potentially large and sustained effects in other parts. And we frequently see that chasing down one factor in an economic system or health system (e.g., cholesterol level) can have unintended consequences -- or no apparent effect at all -- in other parts. Humbling stuff!
In terms of dynamic systems, we know that small effects in one part of a system have potentially large and sustained effects in other parts. And we frequently see that chasing down one factor in an economic system or health system (e.g., cholesterol level) can have unintended consequences -- or no apparent effect at all -- in other parts. Humbling stuff!
Staying Humble
John Piper gives some excellent advice about staying humble. An excerpt (emphasis mine):
"I said to our staff yesterday morning, when we were talking about reputations of the church, etc., to pray that we as a staff would daily be stunned by grace in our lives. Because if we aren't amazed by grace towards us, we will be a finger-pointing church mainly.
That was the issue. Bethlehem takes a lot of stands, and therefore we are unhappy with a lot of people's views and can be very negative. I said that the only solution there—since Paul had a lot of things he disagreed with and got upset with a lot of people—the only answer is to be more amazed that you're saved than that they're lost."
How much better could our families, our communities, and our nations be if every Christian was stunned by grace daily, and more amazed at our own salvation than running around pointing out the sins of others? Imagine the amount of legalistic, soul-squishing crud that would evaporate!
"I said to our staff yesterday morning, when we were talking about reputations of the church, etc., to pray that we as a staff would daily be stunned by grace in our lives. Because if we aren't amazed by grace towards us, we will be a finger-pointing church mainly.
That was the issue. Bethlehem takes a lot of stands, and therefore we are unhappy with a lot of people's views and can be very negative. I said that the only solution there—since Paul had a lot of things he disagreed with and got upset with a lot of people—the only answer is to be more amazed that you're saved than that they're lost."
How much better could our families, our communities, and our nations be if every Christian was stunned by grace daily, and more amazed at our own salvation than running around pointing out the sins of others? Imagine the amount of legalistic, soul-squishing crud that would evaporate!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Children Learning About God Through Parents
John Piper writes beautifully and passionately about how children learn about the Universe before they know there is one -- through their parents. Let us take these things to heart, men!
Countering the "Church of Oprah"
There's an increasing amount of news about the "Church of Oprah" -- the popular talk-show host has been pushing a spiritual perspective for years now, but it seems to be snowballing into a much larger part of her message.
Here's the deal: it's not new stuff, just new presentation.
The "Church of Oprah" pushes "New Age" ideas about the "law of attraction," the concept that the Universe is set up to give you what you want. You just need to "attract" it to yourself with the right kind of intentions. (This idea was pushed hard recently in the movie, The Secret.) There is no sin, only bad intentionality. And there is no personal God, just a vast, amorphous consciousness.
Sometimes this message is wrapped up in a guise that this is what Jesus taught, really, his true message. I have to believe this is a marketing effort to wrap tripe in a velvet box by association with a famous religious person, while hoping their audience never actually reads the New Testament.
It's important that you and your family are prepared to speak to these teachings. Here's a good starting point for your education.
Here's the deal: it's not new stuff, just new presentation.
The "Church of Oprah" pushes "New Age" ideas about the "law of attraction," the concept that the Universe is set up to give you what you want. You just need to "attract" it to yourself with the right kind of intentions. (This idea was pushed hard recently in the movie, The Secret.) There is no sin, only bad intentionality. And there is no personal God, just a vast, amorphous consciousness.
Sometimes this message is wrapped up in a guise that this is what Jesus taught, really, his true message. I have to believe this is a marketing effort to wrap tripe in a velvet box by association with a famous religious person, while hoping their audience never actually reads the New Testament.
It's important that you and your family are prepared to speak to these teachings. Here's a good starting point for your education.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Good Counsel From The FamilyMan!
I encourage all you men to sign up for "Familyman Weekly", at www.familymanweb.com Great stuff, and frankly, it's usually hilarious. (Few things are as helpful as humor to get your message across -- get their chest heaving, and you slip it in between their ribs.)
I received this message yesterday:
"Hey Dad, You know one of the great things about traveling around in an RV is that it is good for my marriage---eventually. Unfortunately, it takes about three weeks out on the road before it gets to that point. During the first couple of weeks there is a lot of stress, tears, and frustration. I'm totally focused on the RV, leaving little room for talking, sharing, or close time with my wife. I get snappy and feel exhausted. As the early weeks pass, I get LESS sensitive---and my wife gets MORE sensitive. In fact, at the start of this past week, my wife didn't like me too much. She said I didn't care about how she felt. Truth was, I didn't. I just wanted her to buck up and take it like a trooper so that's how I was treating her. After a couple of weeks of insensitivity, I said I was sorry---but that didn't solve anything. "I need you to resolve this," she said one night in tears. "I thought I did. I said I was sorry, what more is there to resolve? I was insensitive and so I'm sorry. There, I said it again. So lets move on." She was unmoved by my logic and began to tell me how she just needed to talk about it. "Oh no," I thought, "not the---I just need to talk about it some more comment." I just don't get it. I should by now, but I don't. I like the quickly ask forgiveness and move on approach. Pretending it's resolved is so much easier than 'talking about it.' But since my approach wasn't working, I thought I'd give it a try and said, "So what are you feeling?"
You know what? It worked. We talked about how she felt, how I had been an insensitive clod (what's new), and then---we held each other and all was right with the world---almost. I'd like to say everything is back to normal, but my wife still needs me to keep talking (go figure). Now I know some husbands would ask, "Why does it always have to be us who resolve it?" I know what they mean, but instead of lamenting the fact that it's hard being married to a woman, I say, "Bring it on!" because I'm 'da husband. So, Dad, if your wife is acting a little "non-manish" and needs something resolved, then grab the bull by the horns and ask, "So what are you feeling?"After all, you 'da husband!
Todd "
As I said, good stuff. Sign up at www.familymanweb.com
I received this message yesterday:
"Hey Dad, You know one of the great things about traveling around in an RV is that it is good for my marriage---eventually. Unfortunately, it takes about three weeks out on the road before it gets to that point. During the first couple of weeks there is a lot of stress, tears, and frustration. I'm totally focused on the RV, leaving little room for talking, sharing, or close time with my wife. I get snappy and feel exhausted. As the early weeks pass, I get LESS sensitive---and my wife gets MORE sensitive. In fact, at the start of this past week, my wife didn't like me too much. She said I didn't care about how she felt. Truth was, I didn't. I just wanted her to buck up and take it like a trooper so that's how I was treating her. After a couple of weeks of insensitivity, I said I was sorry---but that didn't solve anything. "I need you to resolve this," she said one night in tears. "I thought I did. I said I was sorry, what more is there to resolve? I was insensitive and so I'm sorry. There, I said it again. So lets move on." She was unmoved by my logic and began to tell me how she just needed to talk about it. "Oh no," I thought, "not the---I just need to talk about it some more comment." I just don't get it. I should by now, but I don't. I like the quickly ask forgiveness and move on approach. Pretending it's resolved is so much easier than 'talking about it.' But since my approach wasn't working, I thought I'd give it a try and said, "So what are you feeling?"
You know what? It worked. We talked about how she felt, how I had been an insensitive clod (what's new), and then---we held each other and all was right with the world---almost. I'd like to say everything is back to normal, but my wife still needs me to keep talking (go figure). Now I know some husbands would ask, "Why does it always have to be us who resolve it?" I know what they mean, but instead of lamenting the fact that it's hard being married to a woman, I say, "Bring it on!" because I'm 'da husband. So, Dad, if your wife is acting a little "non-manish" and needs something resolved, then grab the bull by the horns and ask, "So what are you feeling?"After all, you 'da husband!
Todd "
As I said, good stuff. Sign up at www.familymanweb.com
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Getting Unstuck
I run another blog for Bible Teachers, called Teach to Change Lives, and posted advice about getting unstuck there. My two counterintuitive strategies will help you in many difficult situations, not just preparing lessons.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
More on Greenland Ice and Climate Data
Patrick Michaels, Professor of Environmental Studies at the U. of Virginia, provides some background data about the problems with the typical presentation of Greenland ice sheet melting, and the way temperate data is collected and calibrated.
I'm all for stewardship of the Lord's creation. There is little doubt that human impact changes the planet. (See the excellent book 1491 for an amazing account of how much native American people's changed the landscape in North America through burning, and even transformed the soil of the Amazon and created large orchards of fruit trees.)
The reason I highlight climate change stories on this blog are because we are expected to be good stewards, and it is a complex subject. There are plenty of scare stories available today, but relatively few people promoting data analysis. The political and economic consequences of legislation around climate change are ENORMOUS. And the reality of our relatively poor ability to connect cause and effect (as a species, I mean, we're just bad interpreters) should keep us humble. Therefore, let us proceed rationally, with careful thought and balancing many points of data.
By the way, if any read can point me to some reasonable model or data that suggests lowering carbon emissions ("greenhouse gas") will cause climate cooling, or even slow temperature increases, I'd be genuinely interested to see it. So far all I have found is correlation arguments about temperate and "greenhouse gas" emissions.
I'm all for stewardship of the Lord's creation. There is little doubt that human impact changes the planet. (See the excellent book 1491 for an amazing account of how much native American people's changed the landscape in North America through burning, and even transformed the soil of the Amazon and created large orchards of fruit trees.)
The reason I highlight climate change stories on this blog are because we are expected to be good stewards, and it is a complex subject. There are plenty of scare stories available today, but relatively few people promoting data analysis. The political and economic consequences of legislation around climate change are ENORMOUS. And the reality of our relatively poor ability to connect cause and effect (as a species, I mean, we're just bad interpreters) should keep us humble. Therefore, let us proceed rationally, with careful thought and balancing many points of data.
By the way, if any read can point me to some reasonable model or data that suggests lowering carbon emissions ("greenhouse gas") will cause climate cooling, or even slow temperature increases, I'd be genuinely interested to see it. So far all I have found is correlation arguments about temperate and "greenhouse gas" emissions.
US Federal Budget Realities
Excellent excerpts from Where Does the Money Go? available at SmartChristian's blog:
Explaining the difference between deficit and debt
US government's primary source of revenue (43.4% individual income taxes, 34.8% Social Security taxes)
The six primary areas the US Federal government spends money -- 46% for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; 8.5% for interest on debt; 19.7% on defense; 31.9% on non-defense discretionary
How the Social Security tax money is handled (hint: they're not building up an account)
The scale of the federal debt ($9 trillion, 25% held by foreign groups)
Recommended reading for every citizen.
Explaining the difference between deficit and debt
US government's primary source of revenue (43.4% individual income taxes, 34.8% Social Security taxes)
The six primary areas the US Federal government spends money -- 46% for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; 8.5% for interest on debt; 19.7% on defense; 31.9% on non-defense discretionary
How the Social Security tax money is handled (hint: they're not building up an account)
The scale of the federal debt ($9 trillion, 25% held by foreign groups)
Recommended reading for every citizen.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
One Man At A Time
Tony Woodlief spotlights the weakness of the "we need more jobs and more education" answer to the crumbling social blights seen across America today:
'Nuff said.
Does anyone really think that the hundreds of thousands of children born in the worst urban areas without fathers in their lives are deprived of this
necessity because these men can't find work? Is it the presence of a job that
makes a man live up to his responsibilities? Is it a college degree?
No, it's moral backbone, and there's no program that will implant one
where it is absent. And so the cycle is now in a self-fueling frenzy — boys grow
up without men to guide them, and girls grow up desperate for male attention,
and when they meet, a new crop of neglected children is produced.
Better jobs wouldn't hurt, nor better schools, nor perhaps even
programs designed to promote responsible parenting. But this madness will end
one life at a time, one man at a time, each willing to set aside his excuses and
enter the daily grind that is parenting.
I'm still sorting out, in my own life, what it means to be a man. But
I'm certain that you can't be one if you're not willing to care for your
children. You can kill the enemy in war, score forty points a game, become CEO
of your company — but none of it will make you a man. There are a great many
fathers in our country, but significantly fewer men. And given an illegitimacy
rate nationwide that is approaching 40 percent, and one closer to 90 percent in
the inner cities, this ought to be a topic every pastor covers on a regular
basis.
'Nuff said.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Responding to Advocates of "Gay Biblical Interpretation"
Michael Spenser provides some helpful, thoughtful, and non-angry responses to a person who interprets Scripture to support loving homosexual behavior.
He gently points out some problems in interpretation, and that at least part of the strength of the gay argument is arguing from reason and life experience, rather than biblical hermeneutics.
To go along with the scriptural intrepretation, Mr. Spencer writes, would require evangelicals to endorse:
I appreciate Mr. Spencer pointing out a fundamental issue that I believe is central: sexuality is a reflection of God's nature and is mapped into creation before culture becomes a factor.
I recommend the whole article, and check out the comments. I hope this article (and the related posts) will help move good dialogue forward.
He gently points out some problems in interpretation, and that at least part of the strength of the gay argument is arguing from reason and life experience, rather than biblical hermeneutics.
To go along with the scriptural intrepretation, Mr. Spencer writes, would require evangelicals to endorse:
1) That God creates homosexuality as “good.”2) That Old Testament prohibitions
on homosexual sexual acts be rejected on the basis of the interpretation of
texts on slavery, etc. The controlling hermeneutic of the topics is so different
that this methodology can’t be sustained.3) That homosexual behavior is not
included in the Biblical descriptions of sexual sin.4) That Jesus was silent on
the specific subject of homosexuality, etc. and therefore, the Bible gives tacit
approval to homosexual relationships.5) That the supposed pagan cultural norm of
“consenting adult homosexuality” is to be preferred over against the obvious
Jewish prohibition of all same sex sexual behavior.6) Same sex
relationships among Biblical characters.
I appreciate Mr. Spencer pointing out a fundamental issue that I believe is central: sexuality is a reflection of God's nature and is mapped into creation before culture becomes a factor.
I recommend the whole article, and check out the comments. I hope this article (and the related posts) will help move good dialogue forward.
Spiritual Toddlers
If you have to deal with people much in church settings -- and this is ministry -- then you know that we're all on a growth curve.
Amy points out that we're all spiritual toddlers:
"I often equate Christians with two-year-olds, not because I’m hypercritical or can’t think up another example but because it is true. We want what we want and we want it now. And if we do a good deed, we want an M & M. I know this because I know me. "
Growing up in the Lord is about obedience.
Amy points out that we're all spiritual toddlers:
"I often equate Christians with two-year-olds, not because I’m hypercritical or can’t think up another example but because it is true. We want what we want and we want it now. And if we do a good deed, we want an M & M. I know this because I know me. "
Growing up in the Lord is about obedience.
More Surge, Not Less
Michael Yon is a reporter who has been embedded in military units in Iraq and Afghanistan since December 2004. Check out his observations of how much has changed in Iraq in the past 14 months.
"Over the past 15 months, we have proved that we can win this war. We stand now at the moment of truth. Victory – and a democracy in the Arab world – is within our grasp. But it could yet slip away if our leaders remain transfixed by the war we almost lost, rather than focusing on the war we are winning today."
"Over the past 15 months, we have proved that we can win this war. We stand now at the moment of truth. Victory – and a democracy in the Arab world – is within our grasp. But it could yet slip away if our leaders remain transfixed by the war we almost lost, rather than focusing on the war we are winning today."
Snow in April
Snowing again here in Iowa today. The robins are looking confused! They're forecasting warmer temperatures next week.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Muslims Converting to Christianity in Record Numbers
Our Lord is working! See this about muslims converting to Christianity in record numbers in the middle east, Africa, Pakistan, and Russia.
Just as in China, these growing communities of faith in Jesus can change the direction of an entire nation! Jesus-transforms lives, and this will be seen in a culture.
Just as in China, these growing communities of faith in Jesus can change the direction of an entire nation! Jesus-transforms lives, and this will be seen in a culture.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Darwinism Inadequate - and an Insight for Dialogue
Amy Hall at STR helps make the case that Darwinism is an inadequate explanation, and has some comments about Ben Stein's new movie Expelled. (More properly said, this is a response to naturalism.)
Tossed in here is a critical insight for effective dialogue on issues like evolution vs. creation, or race, or economics: "On contentious issues you never want to distract people from the main point because they will follow the distraction every time."
So don't throw distractions up, even if you think they're buttressing your primary statements. Get through the primary point first. If they toss up a distraction, simply say, "Yes, and that is a separate point. Let's come back to that next, after we talk through this one." [Meeting facilitators will recognize this as the "parking lot" technique.]
My big struggle is that I love to win arguments and zing people -- and sometimes that ends dialogue before it can lead to changed perspectives.
Tossed in here is a critical insight for effective dialogue on issues like evolution vs. creation, or race, or economics: "On contentious issues you never want to distract people from the main point because they will follow the distraction every time."
So don't throw distractions up, even if you think they're buttressing your primary statements. Get through the primary point first. If they toss up a distraction, simply say, "Yes, and that is a separate point. Let's come back to that next, after we talk through this one." [Meeting facilitators will recognize this as the "parking lot" technique.]
My big struggle is that I love to win arguments and zing people -- and sometimes that ends dialogue before it can lead to changed perspectives.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
What Do Homosexuals Hear From Evangelicals?
Michael Spenser (aka "the internet monk") has posted very helpful comments about what gays and lesbians hear from evangelicals and others in the Church. I think he handles this complex situation with godly tenderness without violating the clear teaching from Scripture about sexual sin.
It's a Loud Time, Not a Quiet Time!
I was delighted to see this guest post by David Powlison: "Should We Really Call It a 'Quiet Time'?"
Key idea: "prayer is verbal because it is relational," so pray out loud most of the time!
Try this, it can change your prayer life enormously. This also fits well with what psychological research has shown: we remember much more about what we say. Our brain is more engaged when we're talking.
Recommended.
Key idea: "prayer is verbal because it is relational," so pray out loud most of the time!
Try this, it can change your prayer life enormously. This also fits well with what psychological research has shown: we remember much more about what we say. Our brain is more engaged when we're talking.
Recommended.
Engage in Politics and Honor Christ
Dr. Andrew Jackson gives 10 excellent guidelines for engaging in politics without losing your soul. (I would prefer say, "and honor Christ.")
Good discussion material with friends and family!
Good discussion material with friends and family!
Pregnancy as a Consequence, Not Punishment
Senator Obama made these comments in response to a townmeeting question in Pennsylvania:
"Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old," he said. "I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information."
[Note: I haven't located a full transcript to get the broader context, but here's a left-favoring blog post that fills in some more details. ]
Melinda at STR addresses the mindset that pregnancy would be punishment (rather than an expected consequence of intercourse).
US voters should have some very clear distinctions between candidates in the presidential election this fall: abortion, foreign policy, taxes, role of the federal government in "helping" people.
"Look, I got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old," he said. "I am going to teach them first about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don't want them punished with a baby. I don't want them punished with an STD at age 16, so it doesn't make sense to not give them information."
[Note: I haven't located a full transcript to get the broader context, but here's a left-favoring blog post that fills in some more details. ]
Melinda at STR addresses the mindset that pregnancy would be punishment (rather than an expected consequence of intercourse).
US voters should have some very clear distinctions between candidates in the presidential election this fall: abortion, foreign policy, taxes, role of the federal government in "helping" people.
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