Change of Southern Baptist Climate

This week a group supposedly representing the Southern Baptist Convention (I am still unclear as to their identity) released a statement on global climate change entitled "A Southern Baptist Declaration on the Environment and Climate Change." As far as I can understand, the main author of the declaration is a seminary student. The declaration comes with 46 signatures.

Three points:

1. I've read the full text, and I have no major objections to the wording, except maybe to the degree that global warming is considered primarily caused by humans. I agree fully that Christians should be the first ones in our society to promote a biblical view of environmental concern. Reduce, reuse, recycle...and take only pictures.

2. The media seem to be picking the story up as if it is a position change for the SBC. (i.e. CNN: Southern Baptist Leaders Shift Position on Climate Change.) While I expect that this will again be an issue during the one week of the year in which Southern Baptists do have a "convention," the current document can hardly be promoted as the new view of Southern Baptists any more than if my previous blog entry suddenly had 46 affirmations from people in Southern Baptist Churches (including such "weighty" names as James Merritt.) (Yes, a resolution on Oceanic Airlines may be in the works for the next convention.)

3. The main thing: the gospel of Jesus Christ. It seems that the SBC (read: 'the dominant voices within the SBC') always wants to walk a thin line when it comes to making political statements and "world-changing" declarations on behalf of the 16 million-member-strong denomination. (There will be 6 million, maybe, in gathered worship this week - you do the math.) It completely befuddles me that any statement at all should need to be made about topics which are not central to the purpose of the SBC: to cooperate toward a unified effort in the missionary task of spreading the gospel.

LOST Direction

Wondering where the TV Show 'LOST' is going? So do the writers.

As my wife and I were doing a little comparing of a scene from this week's episode, "The Other Woman," to the first episode of Season 3, "A Tale of Two Cities," we noticed a few things the scene where the "Others" in their little neighborhood come out and see Oceanic 815 breaking in two in the air. Here are two:

First, Goodwin incredibly changes shirts in the blink of an eye (at the 22:53 point in the program.) His original light blue shirt is from the original scene. Too bad that one was probably eaten by a polar bear or the black smoke, because he then appears in some sort of checked shirt not even that similar to the first except that maybe they both have buttons. [Watch for yourself.]

Second, Harper magically appears in the newer episode in order to be able to make dramatic eye contact even though she was previously not present in the broad shot of the scene. I know, I know - the time warp and the island's powers and all - of course this can happen.

So, the biggest question we all have can be answered: Do the writers have a plan? Judge for yourself.

Personally, I have become less frustrated by the lack of any forseeable end (or consistent plot for that matter) because I have fully adapted a philosophy of just enjoying everything as it unfolds. If LOST gets all wrapped up, what am I going to watch on TV? Dancing with the Stars?

I think that the dialogue between Locke and Ben about the lack of a plan on Locke's behalf is actually some insight into the internal wrestlings of J. J. Abrams' thinking through the show's direction.

Hermeneutics Quiz

I scored a '50' on Scot McKnight's Hermeneutics Quiz. (Take the quiz yourself if you like.) I'm not usually an online quiz taker, but then, when one is right in line with one of your favorite topics, what can you do?

The quiz is challenging in the way that McKnight makes you think about why you interpret one text of Scripture absolutely literally and another with a different approach. According to McKnight, a '50' places me just under the conservative threshold of 52. McKnight comments that the difference on the "progressive" side between a score in the 60's and one in the 90's is a great difference. The same should be said on the conversative side. Considering my own position to be a conservative one, it is interesting the way that I would be inclined to view the person who would score anywhere near 20.

I clicked on the notable persons to see what Dan Kimball had scored. He scored a 62, which places him in the moderate category (just barely, though.) I'm not sure how McKnight determines what scoring ranges are to be considered conservative-moderate-progressive, but it is interesting that the moderate category is such a slim one (53-65.)

Charles at Awilum.com is serious about education, and his latest thoughts on the problems and possible solutions is quite interesting.

Christianity Light

People who prove to be faithful, available, and teachable in churches today seem to be too few. I see many who display one or two of these qualities, but very few are fully F-A-T in their Christian lives especially as they function within the body of Christ.


Looking specifically at the area of teachability, I think this quality is essential to continuing spiritual growth. Seemingly, though, many Christians are satisfied with some level of understanding to which they have attained. It seems that many are comfortable with a very light does of biblical Christianity.

In a related area of teaching and learning, it seems that within conservative circles of Christianity, personal knowledge of God has taken a backseat among those who are interested in learning as they prefer to build up their understanding of topics which would fall more into the category of apologetics. (There is nothing wrong with apologetics, of course.) In practical terms, this person is the one who desires to substantiate his or her position as a "defense of the faith." The ability to defend Christianity and certain tenets of the faith seems to have become the primary motivation of many today. Truly knowing God is of secondary worth in many minds. I am often reminded of J. I. Packer's now famous words: "A little knowledge of God is worth more than a great deal of knowledge about him."

Many Christians display an openness and desire to learn about "hot topics" which dominate the public debates like abortion, the Bible and homosexuality, or evolution/creation. However, the desire of many Christians seems to stall at having a somewhat removed, second-hand knowledge about God that provides them with the necessary answers to questions. I liken this to knowing everything about the movies without ever sitting in the theater to watch a movie. It would be shallow to know all the facts about what films Sean Connery has appeared in and to have never actually seen any of them.

There seems to be a cultural taboo against true Christian spirituality, by which I am referring to one's personal knowledge of who God is which comes through the reading and study of God's Word, the Bible. Maybe the taboo is only perceived, but I think it is real.

I was standing in a two-story bookstore the other day peering down at the aisles and shelves of books. The view was shocking because of what stood out so clearly on all those shelves: "Idiot's Guide to ______" and "_______ for Dummies" was everywhere - the orange and yellow framed covers standing out. In seemingly every section of the bookstore the sum total was there in one of these "dumbed down" versions.

In Christianity today, it seems that what many desire is merely the dumbed down version. People do not want the Bible; they want to have a summary of it. People do not want to know God; they merely want to know enough about God to get by.

Weather Channel, Where Have You Gone?

Weather Channel Founder Blasts Network; Claims It Is 'Telling Us What to Think'

My favorite part of this article is that John Coleman not only calls out the Weather Channel concerning global warming, but that he also calls them out for all their "non-weather" shows and reporting. As I like to say, "Please tell us about the weather right now, not in history or somewhere in the future."

The Rise and Fall (and Rise?) of the Coffee Giant

Starbucks is circling the wagons, and even closed all their stores this week for a few hours to "re-train" employees on making drinks...

Starbucks Promises Customers Perfection: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

As a big fan of Starbucks, I think this could be a wake-up call for them to get back to what they do best. I have not bought into the thinking that Starbucks has declined because of too many stores. Maybe their stores have lacked some in strategic placement, but for the die hard Starbucks drinker, the Starbucks logo cannot be in too many places.

Has Starbucks lost something in the coffee-espresso business? A resounding "yes." It seems that many baristas do not really know enough about the coffee and espresso beverages they are serving. (Many also do know a great deal about their product, but it seems to be hit or miss in any given store.) I have also seen a lack of concern over the product being served. Part of this is apathy on the part of the employee. Part of this, I believe, is on the corporate level of trying to make more money with fewer employees per store.


I am certainly not a Starbucks exclusive kind of person. Here in Birmingham, though, there is relatively no competition to Starbucks. There are a few privately-owned places, only a couple of which I know to serve really good coffee and espresso (Cool Beans, OHenry's). In my experience, many of the other smaller operations do not have the brewing equipment or the quality coffee to compete with Starbucks. Some of the smaller operations create a neat environment, but for the person who enjoys great coffee, many are just lacking.


Starbucks may have just tipped the scales in the law of supply and demand, but it seems that the company has recognized that it really is their first line of products which has brought them to such heights and it is their first line of products to which they must return.

The Ice Is Back

The ice is back

Global warming sceptics buoyed by record cold

Will Media Ignore Harsh Winter of 2008 to Preserve Global Warming Myth?

Number of ice scrapings performed in Birmingham, AL this winter: 2 (2 more than average.)

The Power of Quoted Scripture

Recently at lunch with a friend we noticed the following words which appeared to be Scripture posted outside a business:

"Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you."

Out of curiosity we looked up the verse to find that it was the words of 2 Samuel 7.3. However, taking into consideration the actual meaning of these words in Scripture, the business certainly would not have been attempting to convey the overall meaning.

Just an ounce of investigation first of all showed that the words are those of Nathan the prophet being spoken to King David. Secondly, the words are in response to David's quest to build a house for the ark of God. Thirdly (and maybe most significantly), the affirmitve is completely reversed in the following verses when God speaks to David through Nathan stating that because of David's abundant bloodshed, he is not to be the one to build God's temple.

Religion News: Religious News and Headlines - USATODAY.com

Religion News: Religious News and Headlines - USATODAY.com - Survey shows that people are constantly migrating in their religious views with little conviction about absolute truth.

No surprises here, but the topic does bring up some interesting questions about the way we experience and use our religious freedom in this country.

Winkle

winkle, verb

I was unfamiliar with this little gem of a word until I stumbled across it this morning in D. A. Carson's For the Love of God (Vol. 2). Here is its context: "God has winkled out Job's hidden sins..."

The term is apparently an informal British term something like "to dig out." But the beauty in this word lies in the noun from which the verb seems to derive. As a noun, "winkle" refers to marine gastropods in general. Connection between noun and verb? The meat in these gastropods must be "winkled" out out the shell.

As for Job and God, you'll have to read Job 22-23 to see that it is Eliphaz's bad theology that supposes that God must be winkling out Job's hidden sin.

Tennessee's Fulmer Responds to Criticism

I do not know what actually takes place behind the scenes in Tennessee football. I do know, however, what I desire in a coach and a program, and it is a program that is honorable off the field first and that performs well on the field, second.

Also, I am usually on the side of Phil Fulmer when he faces attacks. With that said, Fulmer's written response to a call for his firing is precisely what I desire to see in a head football coach. Is he right? I do not know. In light of the lack of character that has been displayed often in Knoxville and everywhere else by current and former Tennessee players, it is difficult to give Fulmer an A+. In the end, I am again on Fulmer's side, although the evidence for Tennessee's success in character building is about as strong as Kentucky's defense.

John Adams: UT Football Needs a Change at the Top

Phil Fulmer: Coach's First Job Is as Educator, Mentor

Against Music - an interestingly helpful article on music in worship by Greg Gilbert.

[excerpt]
"I’ve been amazed since becoming an elder in a local church just how dependent many Christians are on a certain style of music, or certain level of excellence in music. How many times have you heard someone say, for example, “I just can’t worship in that church.”? Or “I just don’t feel like I’m connecting with God there.”

(HT: Evangelical Outpost)

Church Economics in Birmingham

Churches need to become forces for economic revitalization, Birmingham minister says.

Maybe churches should also be responsible for building a dome in Birmingham...I wonder if Birminghamdome.com has stumbled across that one?

How To Spend Your Tax Refund Check

Going to spend your tax refund on a big ticket item?

I've been surprised at the analysis going on by the media concerning how people will put the money to use that the government is supposedly sending to every tax payer. Reports (like this one) that people will use the money to pay bills or pay off credit cards have taken a negative spin on the way that people might use the money.

Does it matter? I say 'no' because people are going to spend money either way. The family that pays off their $1000 credit card bill is going to turn around and probably make more purchases on their credit card. The person who pays their mortgage - well, that gives them the freedom to buy something else. Putting it into savings? While the gov't doesn't want to suggest the savings approach, in the long run, if more people would save the money, the economy will be stronger as a result.

Side Note: To be honest, I would fall into the category that says the tax refund is premature and unnecessary for the current economy. What happens if things actually do get bad? However, I'm not planning to send mine back, assuming I get one. (If you work for the IRS and have time to read this, please know that I am fully appreciative.)

Lloyd-Jones and the Spiritual Life

D. Martin Lloyd-Jones writes about the tendency that some believers have to become discouraged because their Christian lives are not progressing at the pace they would like (in his book, Spiritual Depression.) Lloyd-Jones likens the need for maturity in this area to that of a child (I pictured a toddler) who takes off running out the door...but we know that the child cannot run very far.


Taking Lloyd-Jones' analogy a bit farther, compare the running of a seasoned, adult runner with the childish energy of the little toddler. If we did not know better, we might expect that the child would "outrun" the adult when we see the child's unbridled enthusiasm and effort. Yet, we all know that the average adult would surpass the child if not very quickly then at least soon in the race, even if the adult were only to walk.


The analogy is made to demonstrate that error in thinking that many Christians develop at some point in their lives, and which, if left alone, may dominate their thinking and be a constant source of discouragement. Consistency in growing in godliness is to be valued more than sudden spurts of spiritual excitement. Most people, however, can look back to some "spiritual high" that they experienced along the way and become discouraged that they have not subsequently encountered a comparable period in life. In reality, the individual's growth spiritually is better measured by his/her daily growth in God's Word and in prayer. These growths are usually immeasurable, but it is this type of growth which produces spiritual maturity.

Birmingham Churches Asked to Provide Internet

Recently as I searched for hotspots in Birmingham, my search brought up this article about the latest words of the quite wordy Birmingham mayor, Larry Langford.

As the article begins, you can probably tell where it goes from there.

"Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford wants churches to join him in making the city Internet ready. And he says it won't cost much to introduce the technology to the entire city and give school children access to the Internet."

Suprised? Not so much, but I thought it was supremely interesting especially in light of "Church City" here in Birmingham. Langford himself is probably a church attender, and I do not fault him for wanting churches to be his lengthy list of community centers.

The first part of this statement I agree with:

"The city needs to be WiFi ready," he said Wednesday. "The digital divide in this city is unacceptable."

The second, though, makes the issue seemingly a rich-poor divide, and one which the church is to tackle at that.

Life, Liberty, and an Internet Connection

Plainly, I have no problem with the city wanting to make WiFi available for every person. The article makes reference to the fact that Birmingham City Schools has purchased laptop computers for every 1st-8th grade student in the system. This purchase may be a good thing...time will tell. Also, having available internet access for everyone could be viewed positively, and there are obviously some opportunities which come with the internet. However, for most people their personal use of the internet in the home is primarily for social and recreational use - am I right? Internet is there along with cable TV and a Playstation 3, right?

Calling All Churches

The call for churches to be the agents of change is utterly off the mark. The article explains that the mayor met with area pastors to share his idea and to ask for their help. Too bad I didn't know this meeting was happening or I would have been there in a heartbeat. Talk about fun!

I would have gotten kicked out, though, for probably feeling the need to mention what the church is all about. The sad thing is that I am guessing there are numerous pastors and scores of people who think this is not only a great idea, but it's the kind of thing that more churches should be doing. Churches should exist to help create a better society - that's the apparent consensus!

The understanding of "church" has been so neutralized that providing an internet connection has become one of the best things imaginable by society. Even better, people could access the internet just by bearing near a church building and never have to enter. Perfect! Parking spaces labeled "Internet" could be set up right next to those labeled "Senior Saints."

WORDS is back.

The blog is returning to consistent action as there are a number of posts I am currently working on and will return also to posting quick links and other items as needed. The plan to continue has been in the works for about 4 weeks, but I wanted to wait and evaluate everything before I jumped in...to just make sure I would be serious about writing and posting.

The categories here will remain mostly the same, though I have a desire to focus more on the Christian life and also attempt to keep up the local happenings in Birmingham as I was attempting previously. I do not plan to delve much into national politics, but my input may be necessary at some point.

LOST will also be fair game, but I am not a big TV watcher nor do I get to watch too many new releases on the big screen (funny, "big screen" refers to most peoples' home theater systems these days.)

My Way News - Former Russian Leader Boris Yeltsin Dies

My Way News - Former Russian Leader Boris Yeltsin Dies

Evangelical Bioethics and the Web

Evangelical Bioethics and the Web - A good story at washingtonpost.com on Joe Carter whose blog is Evangelical Outpost.

WHICH WAY FORWARD, BIRMINGHAM?

The Birmingham News: WHICH WAY FORWARD?

What Is a Locker Room Anyway?

Michael Wilbon's column today titled "Sexuality Disclosed, Ignorance Exposed" is a prime example of the PC police pressure to think like everyone else lest you be labeled "ignorant" or "backward." I have the utmost respect for Wilbon as he is one of my favorite people in the sports media realm, but here at the crossroads of morality, politics, and sports, questions arise to which Wilbon does little or no justice.

Wilbon starts his column by making a direct relationship between the plight of race and the plight of sexual preference, two things which are completely unrelated and yet get referenced so often you would think that homosexuals are all from a continent where every person was genetically homosexual (and somehow reproduced...) This entire topic, though, should be the subject of another entry at another time.

Taking just one aspect of this whole debate into focus: I must ask the question: What is this locker room thing all about to start with? Why are there even dressing rooms?
The question especially gains some momentum as Wilbon quotes some NBA players who express their worries about a homosexual player making sexual passes at them. Wilbon identifies such statement as ignorant.

In attempting to come up with the origin of the sports locker room to begin with, may I suggest a few reasons these locations have evolved:

1. As a place to stash one's belongings securely (hence the term "locker room")
2. As a place to gather as a team before a team event
3. As a place to change clothes in private (though not complete privacy)
4. As a place to shower, use the restroom, etc.

And there may be other factors involved. In the meantime, consider #'s 3 & 4. Except for the exhibitionist (which is still illegal, I believe) most people prefer to undress and/or get dressed in a secluded spot where they will not be seen by the general public, and more important that they will not be seen by members of the opposite sex. While it seems that this is traditionally more important to women than to men, it does remain important to both sexes. So, this then brings up the very point of issue about the location referred to as a locker room. These have traditionally (and apparently ignorantly by Michael Wilbon's standards) been labeled "Men" for men and "Women" for women. Am I right?

So, in our apparently backward culture we have always divided up men and women in their locker rooms for some reason. Is it merely because they are not usually on the same teams so a women's basketball has their own locker room just like the opposing men's team would also have a separate locker room? No, because obviously there is a common standard that is applied to the arena of being undressed because of the sexual nature of wearing no clothes. If a man knowingly enters a women's locker room where women are, he will most likely face some sort of legal action. Such entry is illegal in order to protect those who have taken shelter in this very place for the purposes of their own privacy. Women are not called "heterophobes" because they desire to have privacy from those who might look upon them sexually. In the same way, men are not called "heterophobes" for desiring a similar right of privacy.

So now in our progressive day and age when all things are permissable, is the locker room to become a thing of the past? Is any man who decides to get dressed in the locker room rather than on the bench going to be labeled "some-sort-of-phobe"? I'm sure that I'll be labeled even for posing such a question, but it begs to be asked: If being homosexual is equivalent but different from being heterosexual, then what is the future of the sports locker room? Maybe there should be locker rooms for heterosexual males, heterosexual females, and then an additional one for homosexual males and one for homosexual females. But wait, wouldn't it make more sense for homosexual males and females to dress together since there is no sexual attraction involved? But wait yet again, wouldn't it be wrong for two homosexual males to dress in the same locker room? (I mean, we're talking about committed, monogamous relationships with high standards here, right?)

I imagine the only solution is for locker rooms to be more like dressing rooms with completely individual stalls for getting dressed and also individual showers. I guess it's a good idea to buy stock in bathroom tiles as there's going to be a lot of remodeling.

Desiring God Conference for Pastors 07

For several years now I have desired to attend the Desiring God Conference for Pastors in Minneapolis and finally had the opportunity this week from Feb 5-7. The overall theme of the conference was "Holiness." The following is a brief synopsis of each speaker at the conference. [Audio of all talks here.]

Keynote Speaker: R. C. Sproul
Having already read and heard most of the things that R. C. Sproul usually taught on the topic of holiness, I was slightly complacent about his talks going into the conference kind of like watching the 1995 Super Bowl on NFL Films…you already know what happens but you're still interested in seeing the event. However, being my first time to see and hear Sproul in person, I was quite surprised by his presentation and was certainly impressed by his teaching. Even being familiar with his anecdotes and the points that he makes from the passages to which he refers, Sproul's teaching on holiness was quite fresh and certainly refreshing.

Pastoral Speaker: Thabiti Anyabwile
I was familiar with Thabiti Anyabwile before I arrived because he has written a few articles for 9Marks and he also has a blog. His talk entitled "The Glory of Holiness in the Life of the Pastor" poured out of Ezekiel 8 & 9 (a text we all know by heart, right?) and was rich in application for the role of the pastor with the congregation. While a summary seems too simple for the greatness of all that Thabiti taught, he did sum up his exhortation with the call to cultivate holiness in ourselves [pastors] and in our people. His first point (out of 10) was the most stirring to me: Pastors are to help their congregations choose God over idols by presenting God's majesty. God is often (and wrongly) made to be so tame that people's eyes are not even attracted to God.

Biographical Speaker: John Piper
John Piper never ceases to amaze me with his passion and ability to bring to life things in which we struggle otherwise to find much relevance. While I felt that I had some appreciation for the person and life of Andrew Fuller, Piper presented his role in the history of the church and missions in such a way that by the finish one wonders if anything good could possibly have taken place outside of the way that God used Fuller. Piper wins the award as well for the title of this talk: "Holy Faith, Worthy Gospel, World Vision: Andrew Fuller's Broadsides Against Sandemanianism, Hyper-Calvinism, and Global Unbelief." That title has more content that my last sermon. As you can also derive from the title, such a biographical talk has little to do with the chronological events of such a man's life, but rather of the ways that he impacting not only his own era, but continues to impact us today.

Missions Speaker: William Mackenzie
Think you know and like books? William Mackenzie is a publisher whose goals include telling children the Bible through books and evangelizing the world through the printing of great books. I concluded that while pastors (in general) tend to pride themselves on the amount of reading they do, in reality the amount of reading that pastors do today is only better by comparison to our society in general. As Mackenzie named off some hugely influential books and asked how many in the room had read them, only a small percentage of hands went up. Among the books that he suggested have influenced the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the past few centuries were:
"The Life of God in the Soul of Man" by Henry Scougal
"A Call to United, Extraordinary Prayer" by Jonathan Edwards
"The Bruised Reed" by Richard Sibbes
"The Mortification of Sin" by John Owen
"Around the Wicket Gate" by Charles Spurgeon

Instead, today's society pats people on the back for reading books with titles like "The Purpose Driven Life" or "Your Best Life Now" (curiously, neither of which were for sale at the conference book store.)

Closing Thoughts

The value of such a conference by its very design is that the organizers strategically design everything for the good of their target audience: men in ministry. From the talks to the prayer room to the Q & A to the promoting of fellowship between sessions, the ministry of Desiring God hosts a superb conference for pastors. However, I am somewhat inclined to agree with Thabiti Anyabwile's assessment at his blog that the conference should be hosted in Grand Cayman next year rather than Minneapolis in February.

'Spann'ing the Weather

James Spann's name has already appeared recently here on this blog in reference to his being in the headlines lately for weather-politics. As a meteorologist, Spann has a blog associated with Birmingham's ABC 33/40 affiliate.

Spann's blog is the anti-TV forecast. Every meteorologist (and weather person, for those who aren't) is limited to giving tiny soundbites about the forecast that hardly go anywhere near a real explanation of what is happening. Even on the much-heralded Weather Channel the usual forecasts deal with very little of the computer models and the explanations behind what is actually going on. The exception on The Weather Channel is when one of their experts is brought into the picture to explain some specific weather event, such as a developing winter storm.

Spann's blog goes deep into the weather, giving explanations beyond what most of us hear, and to the degree that some of us desire. He actually explains the reasons why the high temperature in Birmingham has failed to reach the forecast high nearly every day for the past two weeks. Spann argues that too many meteorologists are depending too much on computer models that do not "think" about what is taking place, but merely suggest a forecast based on history and averages.

The Weather Channel is sort of like the Cliff's Notes version of the weather forecast and explanation. James Spann (and I'm sure there are others) is the 1200 page novel with the real details.

Can the Dog Whisperer Tame a Lab?

Ever notice how Caesar, "The Dog Whisperer," never has a Labrador with him in his pack? I know that he has worked with a few on his show, but it seems that Labs are not part of his personal pack, at least in the scenes I've seen.

Maybe because Labs are like the kid that gets sent to alternative school because the regular school couldn't get him to conform...

James Spann to Air Thoughts on Global Warming Controversy

Birmingham meteorologist James Spann will be defending his position on Monday night on FNN with Hannity & Colmes and on CNN with Glenn Beck.

Global Warming? Not So Fast...

James Spann is a Birmingham-area meteorologist for ABC's 33/40. He has been one meteorologist (there may be others) who has responded to Heidi Cullen. Heidi Cullen's statements at the Weather Channel have raised quite a few eyebrows as she has boldly ridiculed anyone who denies her view of global warming, even going so far as to call for the revoking of their meteorologist certification. Her actual words from December 21st:
"I'd like to take that suggestion a step further. If a meteorologist has an AMS Seal of Approval, which is used to confer legitimacy to TV meteorologists, then meteorologists have a responsibility to truly educate themselves on the science of global warming."

James Spann writes an interesting op/ed that raises issues not only with Cullen's extreme statements, but with the "foregone" conclusion that society has caused global warming. Among the interesting points that Spann makes are the record high temperatures for the month of January in the state of Alabama. In a blog reply he writes: "The warming in recent years is statistically no different from the “global warming” in the decade of the 1930s. Our warmest January temperatures on record in Alabama came in 1949 (81 degrees on January 10), as well as 1932, 1937, 1943, 1950 among others."

One Question in the Debate
What Spann brings up is something that I have wanted someone to address: namely, what about all those other "hot" years in the past? Recently quite a fuss was being made about the fact that NYC had no snow - the latest since some year they stated from the 1800's (let's say it was 1883.) So, my question is: what about 1883? There were obviously warmer winters in years prior to the impact of the industrial revolution.

Average temperatures are just that - averages. Averages are developed over all the years on record (I assume) and then we state that the average temperature for January 19th in Birmingham, AL is 53. While it will actually be fairly close to that today, there really is about a 40-50 degree range that one might expect for a high temperature on January 19th.

Global Warming
As far as the WARMING thing goes, all the facts point to a difference in temperatures now as compared to previous decades. Are we in a warming trend? Yes. James Spann and nearly every meteorologist would agree. Does the earth go through warming and cooling trends? Again, "yes" seems to be the widely accepted answer.

So, what is the cause? It seems that it is too soon to tell. Hindsight may prove or disprove many of the current theories on global warming. Stories may be told about the winters of '01-'07 the way most people talk about the winters in the last '70's being the coldest ones they've experienced.

LOST: End in Sight?

Maybe they can pull LOST together in a reasonable way...see this TV Week article. I don't think anyone has been happy about last Fall's 6 episodes that went nowhere. While I certainly don't think that viewer desires should control the direction of a show either, LOST has seemed at times like an unpredictable tornado -no one will ever be able to pick up all these pieces.

Book: John Grisham's "The Innocent Man"

You wouldn't know that The Innocent Man is non-fiction without introduction. I guess the full title gives it away since novels don't usually carry an extended title, The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town. However true the account actually is, the book reads more like fiction than fact. Grisham mixes actual facts with some fill-in-the-gaps details that appear to be in keeping with the account he records after much detailed research. As the inside cover reads, the rape and murder of Debra Sue Carter in Ada, Oklahoma, brings about the arrest of two men, both apparently innocent. One of them, Ron Williamson, receives the death penalty.

The book is more about the holes in the legal system than about the actual death penalty, and one comes away somewhat wary of the justice system as practiced in small town America. If anything, the value of a good lawyer is magnified.

True Crime genre books are not in abundance on my shelves, but there is something very intriguing and fascinating about reading something that actually did take place. My preference in fiction writing has always been stories that are real to life with characters who are real people. Hence, I've always made fun of writers like David Baldacci who seems to fill his books (at least the older ones which I have read) with characters who are all virtual superheroes - everyone is beautiful, athletic, and smart.

So, I enjoyed reading The Innocent Man, but it probably ranks pretty low on the Grisham list for me.

Grisham has never been shy about being against the death penalty, something which may have influenced his desire to publish Ron Williamson's story. With The Broker being Grisham's most recent novel and also being a deviation from his classic legal thriller genre, it will be interesting to see if he returns to the type of books that made him famous. I have a feeling that he will continue to branch out and attempt some other new things, although he insinuates in the epilogue that another such non-fiction work is probably not in his immediate interest.

The new czar of Russia

Essence of Christmas

"The real meaning of Christmas" is a phrase you notice in a lot of movies, TV shows, and other places where the "real meaning" is usually something different and up to the person saying the phrase as well as up to each individual to decide on his or her own.

There is only one real meaning of Christmas, though, and as it pertains to this one real meaning, I've long been mesmerized by something John Stott wrote somewhere (probably in The Cross of Christ)...

"The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man."

Good News for Birmingham (If you already live here)

"Birmingham Housing Market in Nation's Top 10"
...according to Fortune Magazine. Of course, while the prices may keep going up, I haven't seen any of those 'For Sale' signs coming down. It seems rather frozen (the only thing frozen in these summer-esque temps.)

Religion and Harvard

Read Charles Halton's post on the place of religious education at Harvard at awilum.com.

Relativism Personified

Time Magazine's Person of the Year: You

"If you choose an individual, you have to justify how that person affected millions of people," said Richard Stengel, who took over as Time's managing editor earlier this year. "But if you choose millions of people, you don't have to justify it to anyone."

In other words, we're all just wonderful and in our own ways, we deserve it. Doesn't this make light of everyone who has been Time's Person of the Year before?

Does that mean that they've won it again?

Can I put this on my resume?

Building a Better Birmingham

Building a Better Birmimngham: A cooperative government could save the region

This article in The Birmingham News by John Rouse communicates several of the positives that would entail a regional merger of some sort for the benefit of the entire area. As the population of Birmingham proper continues to decline, Rouse points out that the combined population of the smaller cities surrounding Birmingham is greater than most cities in the South.

As a transplant to Birmingham, I've had a hard time putting my finger on the exact problem that has created such a divided area. Is it racism? Is it economic divisions? Is it just a passivity in planning? I'm not sure, but I tend to agree with most of what Rouse writes here and consider myself a supporter of a merged government of some sort even though I outside the "less desirable" city limits of Birmingham.

Birmingham: Culture Capital of the Known World

NYTimes: Birmingham Has a Lot on Its Plates These Days

In this ultra-flattering article, lots of great places to eat mixed with a few back-handed compliments...

Taste an excerpt:

"And tucked amid the hills (mountains, the natives call them) of the South Side, there is a whimsical fountain in which a ram in shirtsleeves reads to an audience of attentive critters, presiding over Five Points South, the nucleus of the culinary revolution."

The reality of living in Birmingham is that there are a slew of fine restaurants that only the upper 1% can afford. The rest of us drop in on one occassionally when a drug rep foots the bill.

Coming Soon...Colby's Top 100 Mexican Restaurants in Birmingham

Coming Next...Colby's Top 100 BBQ Restaurants in Birmingham

Breathing

Not dead yet...

...keeping the blog alive.

Babies and Active Euthanasia

Independent Online Edition: Allow 'active euthanasia for disabled babies, doctors urge

The slippery slope just gets steeper and more slippery...

While I am not surprised to see this next "logical" step in determining who should live and who should die, the reality of what is being promoted here is shocking.

2 Nights Out

One of the views from our 3 day backpacking trip in Talladega National Forest. I've posted a few pictures at flickr.

Career Approach to Ministry

Seminarians Face Pulpit Shortage - washingtonpost.com

There are just so many things backwards and wrong about this article, I don't know where to start. It does, however provide some interesting insight into the perspective that many likely share about "religious work." Here's one excerpt:

Only about 50 to 65 percent of the approximately 8,000 new theology school
graduates with masters of divinity degrees "are finding positions in
congregational ministry," said Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the
Association of Theological Schools [ATS] in the United States and Canada.

B'ham Crime Fighters

Kincaid crime plan costs $733,000

Misquoting Ehrman

Charles Halton: Misquoting Ehrman (the author of Misquoting Jesus)

The Pope and Jihad

I'm quoting straight from the Qur'an: "Therefore let those fight in the way of Allah, who sell this world's life for the hereafter; and whoever fights in the way of Allah, then be he slain or be he victorious, We shall grant him a mighty reward." (Surah IV. 74)

I certainly do not claim to have a well-developed knowledge of the Qur'an and if a scholar were to demonstrate the context of these words as meaning something besides what they would appear to be out of their context, I would be open to listening. However, a simple concordance search of the Qur'an for a few key terms such as "fighting" or "war" or "jihad" produces several verses that address the topics such as this one, and such research is pretty easy for anyone to do.

The Pope Speaking Truth
In reference to the Pope's remarks which occurred nearly a week ago now, an article today in the NY Times seems to reflect a popular position on the Pope's remarks. Ian Fisher writes an article titled Many Muslims Say Pope's Apology Is Inadequate. Curiously, the premise of the article seems to be that the Pope should not have stated the things he said last Tuesday since the Pope offended people by his statement. Did the Pope speak accurately or did he make false accusations?

The main statement that the Pope made was a quotation of Manuel II Paleologus from the 14th Century which apparently reads, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The reaction in the Muslim world has been an uproar of protests and violent acts, interestingly, that are supposed to disagree with (and discredit?) the Pope's reference. Furthermore, as the article goes on to explain, the Pope has issued some sort of apology for the remark as others associated with the Vatican have been working to control the damage. From the vantage point of Fisher's article, the Pope needs to make sure that he has not offended the world of Islam - if "many Muslims" still feel offended by what the Pope said, then he needs to further apologize.

Mad, Mad World
Has the entire world gone mad? What Qur'an believing Muslim even believes the Pope has a right to live? Isn't the Pope an infidel like the rest of the non-Muslim world? Furthermore, if he had quoted from the Qur'an a passage similar to the one quoted above rather than a historical figure, would the rage about his statements be greater or lesser?

Upside Down
Recently Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda's deputy leader, issued a new warning to the West essentially calling for conversion to Islam. Reaction of the West? Yawwwwnnnnn.

It's not that the West, or the U.S. specifically, does not take seriously the threat posed by al-Qaeda - in fact, the threat is very real and most people realize that there will be future attacks - it's the rhetoric of war that the world has been hearing from Islam ever since the Qur'an came into being.

Now, the view of al-Qaeda is not the view of every Muslim in the world, although I would argue that it seems to be that al-Qaeda's view is the most consistent in keeping with the actual words of the Qur'an. But the view today among Muslims that embraces jihad certainly has a very large following worldwide. Isn't part of the reaction to the Pope's words an ironic confirmation of the truth? If I tell another man that he is violent and he proceeds to beat me up for saying it (whether he denies it or not,) which of us is proven correct?

Church, Politics, and the IRS

al.com: NewsFlash - IRS investigating liberal Calif. church

New Islands

Apparently, global warming is causing new islands to appear. What about the rising oceans?

ESPN: "No Tennessee-Florida Game"

ESPN's $$ people have now officially taken over. With the Tennessee-Florida game being played Saturday night on CBS (not to mention the highest ranking game of the week being Auburn-LSU on CBS earlier on Saturday) all that ESPN can talk about and promote is their own games on their main channels and their bedfellow ABC. With shameless self-promotion, the "all-sports" network cannot even promote all of football. These two highly ranked match-ups have been an asterisk at the bottom of ESPN's promotions all week as if they were Akron playing Wichita State.

For anyone who loves football, Justin Harrell's decision to play for Tennessee against the Gators on Saturday (unbeknownst to ESPN, of course) is an adrenaline rush. Harrell had a "season ending" injury in his last game and must have surgery. However, he asked if he could suit up one last time for his college career against Florida, even though he will basically be playing with one arm. May the one-armed man have a career final game!

UPDATE: Everyday Should Be Saturday, an excellent Gators blog, has this post about Chris Fowler and the Gameday decisions of ESPN.

`It shows you how God can do things'

`It shows you how God can do things'

CNN Poll Lacking

Headline: "Poll: More Americans blame Bush for 9/11"

According to CNN, 45 % of Americans now blame the Bush administration for 9/11. These results come as part of a poll that is really asking the wrong question. Unless one buys into the bologna conspiracy theories of 9/11, the question itself is completely leading in nature. The actual question reads:

"Overall, how much do you blame each of the following for the September 11th terrorist
attacks -- a great deal, a moderate amount, only a little, or not at all?"

Okay, that's a fair question. Then one would expect "the following" list of possibilities to include maybe Al Qaeda, Bin Laden, the Taliban, Saddam Hussein, Saudi Arabia, or Florida.

But no.

The two possible answers: the Bush administration or the Clinton administration.

Clearly one of the two must be at fault!? What about the Bush 41 administration? What about Kennedy? Eisenhower? FDR?

Out of the possible answers, the most popular answer with reference to both the Bush administration and the Clinton administration was actually "Not at all" (the correct answer.) "Not at all" scored a respectable 35% for Bush and 36% for Clinton.

Also worth noting is that in the "complete results" that are posted here, the only two questions we are allowed to see are questions #21 and #27. A person's response to poll questions is often affected by the other questions that are being asked. If question #20 reads: "If President Bush had made a phone call to Mohammed Atta the day before the attacks, do you think that would constitute a government conspiracy?" then the next question is going to be a little harder to answer with any objectivity.

Come on, CNN, do you really think that nearly half of Americans blame our government?

Washington Post on Brian McLaren

Evangelical Author Puts Progressive Spin On Traditional Faith -- A Washington Post look at Brian McLaren.

Book: Through Painted Deserts

Through Painted Deserts is apparently the first book written by Donald Miller, but was only subsequently published after Blue Like Jazz made such a splash. He refers to having rewritten the book for its present form, so I would assume there was a small scale printing previously.

Of Miller's books, this one reads most like a novel as it gives his account of his travels with his friend Paul from Houston to Portland with a pilgrimage to the Grand Canyon in the middle. Absent from this edition are the kind of challenging and insightful statements that I had come to expect from Donald Miller. His goal here is obviously different. All in all, Through Painted Deserts is an interesting read, but not one that you cannot live without.

Truth in Advertising

What the world thinks is going on is evidently more important that what is really going on. With the kind of instant media we have in 2006, wars are evidently fought as much in TV images as in the trenches.

Read Michelle Malkin's The Great Ambulance Hoax

or

one of those responsible for uncovering the hoax.

Juan Williams: Banish the Bling

Juan Williams writes a strong op-ed, Banish the Bling: A Culture of Failure Taints Black America, in yesterday's Washington Post. Williams discusses Bill Cosby's message and the fact that so few seem to be taking Cosby's side. Williams contends,

"Not one mainstream civil rights group picked up on [Cosby's] call for marches and protests against bad parenting, drug dealers, hate-filled rap music and failing schools."

Bill Cosby will be in Birmingham, AL on September 21 to promote his message. [Details here.]

College Football or the NFL?

Ivan Maisel argues: Passion, tradition elevate college football over NFL

While I do not agree with Maisel at every turn, he does whet the appetite for the college season that begins in 11 days.

280 Progress?

A step toward a solution for Birmingham's miserable Hwy 280. If it works for Tampa, then surely this 10-mile bridge would work for Birmingham.

In the meantime, Mr. Langford, turn on these lights.

I-65 in Nashville (as pictured) is well-lit the entire stretch of the metro area. In Birmingham, there must be an ongoing air raid precaution so that all of those street lights that stand along I-65 are turned off. (The picture of Birmingham would just be black.)

(Larry Langford is the Jefferson County Commissioner, and the light switch for all the interstate lights is located in his garage.)

Rick Warren, FOX Celebrity

"Positive" is certainly a word that should be associated with Rick Warren, with his personality, his ministry, and his books. In a 6 minutes 43 second interview on FOX News (video home page) Warren exudes warmth and confidence while explaining why bad things sometimes happen to good people. As FOX builds up Warren's already celebrity status in light of their upcoming special on Rick Warren: "Can Rick Warren Change the World?", Warren is apparently appearing on several different shows as a spiritual commentator.

Jesus? Not Here
Notably absent from Rick Warren's video clip above is any mention of Jesus. While I do not think that Christians have to squeeze Jesus into every other sentence when in front of the cameras, the topic of the show that included Warren with a live studio audience had to do with the bad things that happen and how people can cope with them biblically. Interestingly, one of the family members of JonBenet Ramsey mentioned her faith in Jesus in her taped interview; meanwhile, Rick Warren didn't mention Jesus' name once (no, there was no editing.)

Among the statements that Warren did make:

"God loves to turn crucifixions into resurrections."

"God specializes in bringing good out of bad."

"The bottom line is this...freedom to choose...[is the] greatest blessing we have...[and] is also our greatest curse."

Rick Warren is one of (if not "the") the most visible evangelicals in the world now, and his fame is on the verge of multiplying greatly. On this particular show, when they asked the question "Can Rick Warren Change the World?" he just smiled and laughed a giddy laugh. I pray that he presents a much stronger truth of God's glory in Jesus Christ in the feature on FOX. The ministries that he is working toward are all extremely great and highly commendable, including ministries aimed at poverty, disease, illiteracy, spiritual emptiness and egocentric leadership. Maybe "spiritual emptiness" is Warren's inoffensive way of talking about man's need for a Savior, but if he is not going to mention the Savior when asked about the ultimate solutions to life's problems on FOX, is Jesus really the reason that Rick Warren is crusading for a changed world?

Birmingham City Schools...Not Good

This article looks at the poor condition of Birmingham's city schools and the exodus that the system has seen in favor of schools in the burbs. Some interesting quotes from the article:

...the migrating students take more than $30 million of state education funding with them.

In 1999, public schools in the metro Birmingham area were the eighth-most segregated among America's 50 largest metro regions...

Blacks now make up about 99 percent of the students in Birmingham city schools.

"It is my perception that only about 5 percent of the students that go...are really interested in school and are really doing the best they can do."

The article is interesting in that it is a mixture of factual numbers and personal interviews with people who have chosen either to move for better education or stay and push for improvement. It is difficult to ask people to stay in support of the city when their children's education is so important. Also, the article really does not address whether the formation of the surrounding school districts played a key role in bringing the city schools to the current place, or whether the new schools was merely a reaction to the steady decline. The cause-effect relationship between the two is likely difficult to discern.

I expect that some of the renovation and resurgence in the downtown of Birmingham will eventually begin to affect the school system as people who care strongly about the city's vitality are likely to play an increasing role in the city's politics. The political situation will change slowly. The school situation will only change with intentional and drastic measures.

The Bigger Picture
Taking another viewpoint of the entire story, the emphasis placed on education by the people in an area certainly affects the quality of that education. The reason that other school districts are doing better than the city schools is in part due to the community within which they find themselves. For the most part, the communities in which schools are thriving are also areas in which everything else appears to be thriving too. The areas where schools are struggling are those same areas where businesses are closing, crime is increasing, and houses are left empty rather than remodeled. Looking at the bigger picture, this is not merely a school problem to be addressed by the school board.

Poor Customer Service at Enterprise

One of the questions that I've wondered about over the past several years is whether or not one is better off using discount websites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and the lot. Somewhere in the back of my mind I have reasoned that making a reservation for a flight, hotel, or rental car through one of these discount sites somehow promotes inferior customer service in one's actual relationship with the company. HOWEVER, I COULD BE WRONG.

Taking my actual experiences in travel into account over the past several years, the argument could possibly go the other way: it is better to use a discount travel website.

In the past three years, my wife and I have flown several times, stayed in too many hotels, and rented a handful of cars. We've made reservations for "low prices" through the likes of Expedia and we've also made reservations through the company's own websites. While I haven't found in difference in the experience of customer service in dealing with the check-in counters, the billing is just too fuzzy - and I'm talking about direct reservations, not the discount places.

Hidden Fees
I guess it is the hidden fees that I truly despise. For just once, I would like to book something for a quoted price and actually see that price on my credit card bill. Just once...is that asking too much?

Enterprise - "We'll Pick You Up"
My recent experience with Enterprise Leasing Company serves as a prime example. I decided to make the reservation on the actual Enterprise site, finding no real price advantage to using the other sites. For a short trip to Kentucky from Birmingham, the rental was going to be $125.00. The actual bill on my Visa statement (no actual bill was issued by Enterprise) was $175.00. After a deep breath and counting to 10, I decided to leave a message at their website. It was easy enough. In fact, I received a call the next day from someone with the company to follow up. He had left a message with a number - a number I called several times but only got his voice mail. It wasn't worth my trouble to worry about calling him everyday, and obviously, it wasn't worth Enterprise's trouble to make sure we use them again. (I certainly won't.) And, no, they didn't pick me up, nor did I violate any of the known pitfalls that could have added a charge. The car was clean. It had enough gas. Etc. etc.

If the industry just works this way, then I can just quit renting cars. However, the vehicle that I rented earlier this same year through Expedia (and it was not an Enterprise car) did not result in the same charges/hidden fees. Is Expedia the way to go?

Interesting Book
The Ultimate Question: Driving Good Profits and True Growth looks to be an interesting book that dives into some of the things that business do. This blog describes what the book refers to as a "bad profit" - money made at the expense of customer relationships.

In the future, I will ask for a price quote, and I will ask them if that is the price that I will see on my credit card bill. I'm not looking for a price somewhere between $100-$200 when I rent a car. I'm looking to know whether it will cost $100 or $101.

Birmingham Blogs

Wade on Birmingham is a blog that obviously focuses on local events and news. I can't remember how I first stumbled upon it a few days ago, but I think it will be a regular read.

EchoBooming in Birmingham is also a B'ham-based blog, and I remember now that I found Wade on Birmingham as a link from EchoBooming, but I don't know how I first connected to EchoBooming.

Part of my recent desire to look up more Birmingham blogs and sites has been in part a reaction to the lack of quality local news as I blogged about here.

Book: Searching for God Knows What

Searching for God Knows What rose to the top of my reading list after I finished reading Donald Miller's popular book Blue Like Jazz. Searching is not as catchy or entertaining as Blue, but the book is a continuation of Miller's ability to think outside the box and make excellent points about Christianity in terms that stretch many in the mainstream of evangelical Christianity. To some extent, I would call Searching a book-length presentation of the message of salvation in Christ that challenges a believer in Christ to think about things they may have taken for granted or taken to be normal (or even biblical.) However, the book is not limited to a Christian audience. In the same vein as I would recommend Mere Christianity to a person who was not a believer, I would also think that a non-Christian could read and identify with much of Searching for God Knows What.

One of the more interesting themes that Miller develops throughout the book is his "lifeboat theory" concerning how we all live our lives as if we are in a lifeboat and fighting to keep other people out of it - people we deem as inferior to ourselves. We judge ourselves superior based on a number of things. For a Christian, such a view of themselves is utlimately one of pride that is contradictory to the grace of God.

AL.com, as in "Alabama"

Birmingham, AL, New Orleans, LA, Cleveland, OH, and many other places -
I recently filled out an online survey for the local newspaper and the online company that publishes news for Birmingham, Huntsville, and Mobile, Alabama. The survey was basically asking for my input as a reader of al.com, the online edition of the newspapers for three of Alabama's biggest cities. While a bit too lenghty, the questions in the survey were actually good. By contrast, the online news is presented very poorly.

The Advance Internet News
There are several news outlets that I had noticed online that use pretty much the same template so I looked into the matter a little more, discovering that Advance Internet is the company that produces all of these very sub-par publications. Cities included in this list are New Orleans, Cleveland, apparently the whole state of New Jersey, some of Michigan, some of Pennsylvania, some of Oregon, and others including the three cities in Alabama mentioned above. A quick look at these web sites (all listed at advance.net) shows that they are the same layout, different words and pictures.

(Okay, I obviously do blog with a free-blogging host and a commonly used template. But for my level of involvement, I don't see any comparison.)

Good News Websites
If all newspapers online were like these, there would be no problem with the paper subscriptions seeing any drop in subscribers for the paper delivery. A comparison of these generic websites with other newspaper websites with which you are familiar demonstrates the obvious difference in quality, presentation, and in most cases, the ease of use. The expectation does not have to be a website as polished as The New York Times or The Washington Post, but something of quality should be the goal with a unique design. Is that asking too much?

Higher Education and Christianity

Can religion and education go together?

Can genuine confessional Christianity thrive within a context that values serious scholarship and authentic intellectual inquiry?

David Dockery works toward an answer in this article complete with Latin phrases.

Birmingham Making Noise

An interesting article on Birmingham's music in the Washington Post...

How To Conduct a Counter-Terrorism Press Conference

In light of the news today concerning this terrorist plot headline and the subsequent press conference on TV, I have concluded that there exists an un-publicized memo in the hands of all authorities that outlines the proper way to conduct these press briefings. Though my reconstruction may be in slightly different words, I think I have formulated the majority of the original document birthed with 9/11.

1. As many levels of governing authority and law enforcement as possible should be present and included in a speaking role in the announcement.

2. All of the speakers who step to the podium (more is better) should repeat the news of what has just taken place.

3. Language should be stern. Faces must be grim.

4. The American flag must be visible (otherwise you may be accused of lacking patriotism.) You cannot have too many American flags (see also the aftermath of the 2000 Presidential Election.)
5. Terrorists are not "alleged." They are guilty until proven innocent.

6. All cities should conduct press conferences with strong rhetoric on terrorism. Even if terrorists could not find your town using Google, this rhetoric will help your re-election.

7. No matter how delighted you are to be on national TV, you must act perturbed to be taking questions from the press.

8. If there are not many details you can reveal, just be repetitive. Remember that the longer you speak the more times the television network can replay the loop of footage they have of likely unrelated "terrorist" events or the ever-important terrorist training camp.

9. "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer. "I can't comment on that," however, makes you look supremely in control.

10. No news is too small. Any plans classified as terrorism are newsworthy.

Why I Am Still a Southern Baptist

Every year in the month of June (for some strange reason) I find myself questioning whether or not being a part of the Southern Baptist Convention is best. I get caught up in the negatives and forget the positives. That's why I appreciate the timeliness of these words by Mark Dever. We all need to be reminded often of the main purpose of the SBC.

Treasure Map Approach to the Bible

Evidently there is a treasure map in the Bible that humankind is supposed to solve. Treasure Map Hermeneutics views Scripture as some amazing compilation of information that is somehow given in code that we must decipher in order to truly understand things. While this approach seems especially true when it comes to end times, many people approach the Bible as if everything contained in it is written in some sort of secret code - if we can just piece the right verses together and get our charts right, then we'll understand this strangely complex book.

This lesser view of Scripture that has flooded the church borders on the "research" reported in The Bible Code, where computerized analysis "uncovered" hidden words in Scripture. (The same approach also found similarly hidden words in Moby Dick (a.k.a. "The Whale") and could be applied to any sizable text - it is simply a study in mathematics and probability.)

Such an approach seems to be in conflict with an 'authorial intent' approach to the Bible. Interestingly, though, it seems that those who place the most emphasis on Scripture and profess to hold a "high view of Scripture" are often (not always) the ones who also communicate such a system of finding answers "hidden" somewhere in these 66 books of the Bible. The Bible becomes a big treasure map with little clues hidden here and there that, when pieced together, provide answers.

However, for this Treasure Map approach to work then one must also conclude that the inidividual writers of the books of the Bible were very cunning in the way that they presented their material. Matthew must have been joking when he wrote "let the reader understand" in Mt 24.15. Similarly, in Mt 24.42-51 Jesus tells the disciples that they will neither know what day their Lord is coming nor will he come at the time of their prediction.

The disciples prompted the whole discussion in Mt 24 by asking Jesus some questions about the coming of the end. Similarly, it is not wrong for us to seek to rightly interpret Scripture and come to grasp the meaning of the text, and it is not wrong to want to understand the end times.

The doctrine of Scripture is weak in the church today, and I believe this is in large part due to the inconsistent hermeneutical approaches of our trained pastors and teachers. I often say that I believe that the most important class taught in seminary is Hermeneutics. Modeling hermeneutics for those we teach in any arena is as important as the content of what we teach. Without realizing it, we can turn the Bible back into Latin that only the elite few are able to interpret. Let us be careful.

The Death of Death?

Birmingham fights back against crime! Well, sort of...

In a procession of church leaders that included Birmingham's mayor Kincaid, several hearses were being borrowed for an event that intended to raise awareness of the problem. From the news blurb:

“We must bury murder,” said Bishop Calvin Woods, Birmingham chapter president of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which organized the march. “We must
bury drugs. We must bury disrespect. We must turn from death in this city to
celebrating life."

Meanwhile, the city's 54th murder of 2006 occurred near the route to be taken by the procession. The victim, who died later of gunshot wounds, was found in broad daylight.

Friendship Evangelism

John H. Armstrong makes some interesting points about evangelism and the trend of our culture. He writes

I highly doubt that any form other than friendship evangelism will work well in
our culture in the years ahead. The luxury of “hit and run” evangelism is dead and only the Christian and church that is willing to place friendship at the top of its agenda will succeed in making new disciples for Christ.

It is harder work to be intentional about building relationships and proclaiming the gospel within these contexts. Neighbors and coworkers are our most obvious harvest fields and yet we easily overlook them and think of evangelizing somewhere far away where there is little risk. So-called "hit and run" evangelism seems to produce many once and done "Christians."

New Orleans, the National Guard, and Birmingham

New Orleans has returned to the headlines, sounding the alarm this week for the National Guard to come help as the city's murder totals for 2006 have jumped to 54. While it seems to be common knowledge that New Orleans was riddled with crime before Katrina, there has apparently been an idea floating about (no pun intended) that this "new" city would be much safer. This article reads, The bloodshed has raised fears that violence is back on the rise in a city that was plagued by crime before Katrina drove out half its population of 465,000. Community leaders are afraid the violence will discourage people from returning.

As a resident of Birmingham, AL, I am always checking the crime statistics here and mapping out where violent crimes take place (none near our home, for those who care.) As I blogged some last year, the city has seen a drastic increase in murders, and as of today the city is 15 ahead of last year's frightening pace...and there is still a search in progress for two grandparents and their 19-year old grandson who have been missing the past few days. If 54 is an emergency number for New Orleans, then what is 50 for Birmingham? (53 unless this missing family is actually alive somewhere.)

Considering the problem in New Orleans, this article presents the idea that these "thugs" are coming back to New Orleans from places like Houston. Nagin said Monday that he believes some thugs are coming home from places like Houston because the judicial system is in such disarray here that they're in less danger of spending long stretches in prison.

Apparently, Nagin only wanted his upstanding residents to return after the storm. Of course, he (and everyone else except Houston) would have been fine with the criminals staying away.

As for Birmingham, the reaction to its own problems is basically no reaction thus far, just the calming rhetoric from the police spokesman:

"It's more homicides than what we would like to see. As I always say, one homicide is one too many," said Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Henry Irby. "We encourage people to not settle their differences through violence and to step away from confrontation when possible."

It seems that of these two cities, the one that should be more concerned is the one that wasn't devasted by a hurricane and has not lost its ability to fight crime. Hopefully Birmingham will wake up before it's too late.

Snoozing. Spiritual Warfare?

Is the snooze button from the devil?

The never-ending list of problems that Christians face and attribute to spiritual warfare seems to always include the problem of not getting up early enough, especially for those who consider getting up earlier a virtue related to the practice of the study of Scripture and prayer in the wee, or not-so-wee hours of the morning. Some interesting questions arise, though, when one considers that people who are not Christians also struggle with getting up when their alarm goes off. This article even refers to a practice that would lead one to get up right when the alarm goes off in the morning - and none of it has to do with anything spiritual (HT: Truepravda.)

So what makes hitting the snooze button a spiritual problem for Christians and just a personal dilemma for everyone else?

First of all, it seems that many times anything less than Enoch-like devotion to God is labeled as some sort of spiritual warfare that must be dealt with by various means as if demons were the immediate and direct cause of any lack of concentration or highest "achievement." The flesh is rarely considered to be the culprit, since even most Christians believe that they are basically good, just needing a little 'boost' to be saved.

Second, there are lessons to be learned by the discipline that people demonstrate in the way that they live their lives, even if they are actually seeking to glorify themselves rather than to glorify God. If a man can train himself to wake up much earlier than his body would desire simply so he can gain some exercise time or reading time or something else toward personal improvement and achievement, then what about the follower of Christ?

Finally, it does seem right for a Christian to take a different perspective on things in life. Believers in Christ are at war with the flesh and there certainly is a spiritual, unseen battle raging. However, a man I know once started to ask a group for prayer that he would be able to devote more time to prayer but then he recanted and said, "I just need to do it." For most people, I don't think that a messenger of the devil has to whisper in our ear suggesting that we hit the snooze button. For most of us, we voluntarily do it because the flesh is king at 5 am.

Interestingly, in his article Steve Pavlina actually writes: "Your 5am coach is no good, so you need to fire him." From a completely secular piece on getting up early, he essentially refers to the flesh and its battle against the mind. He, too, lives in a fallen world. He, too, recognizes the struggle between better and worse.

Basically Good...

Since we're all basically good and there's no such thing as a sin nature...

"Anger Syndrome Not Just Bouts of Bad Behaviour"

Immigration From USA To Mexico

This is a revealing account:
Immigration From USA To Mexico

Re-do

As you may have seen on Google News, the 'Words' blog has gone to a new look. A new 'template' actually...for those of us who are html-challenged (assuming that it is html that one needs to understand to create their own blog website - I could be mistaken.)

In case you've been looking for vast quantities of content here lately but haven't found it, there seems to have been a content leak somewhere in the old blog formatting. Hopefully this newfangled sort will be a little tighter and better able to retain all the amazing content that I'll be posting daily, even hourly on some days.

A Boy and His Dog

On a recent hike in Talledega National Forest (The Pinhoti Trail.) Celia loves to hike with us. Funny thing is, she can't heel to save her life when we're in the neighborhood, but in the middle of nowhere, she's stays glued to your leg.

We could seriously use a few sessions with 'The Dog Whisperer.' I noticed that Cesar has his own website, too. I used to tell people I was getting my degree in 'pet psychology.' That could have been me...

Blue Like Jazz

In a word, captivating.

I finally sat down with Blue Like Jazz, the Donald Miller book that has been recommended by several people around me. The other half dozen or so books I'm working through faded into the background while I found myself seeking reading time to get back to Miller's Jazz. I didn't actually gasp or fall out of my rocking chair at any of his theology (we don't agree, but he is gracious and I can be too.) Overall, I found the book a breath of fresh air, very inspiring, and a springboard for some reflection and introspection.

Barking at the Neighbors

In the same way that my dog barks at the neighbors as if they might be terrorists, people in our society appear to be perfectly confused about what is worthy of protest and what is worthy of respect. The protest over John McCain's speaking at commencement at this institution in Manhattan is only this hour's example of what has been going on with seemingly increasing frequency for several years (the years seemingly following the 2000 election.) Political position has become a variable by which the right to speak on a campus is judged - even when the officials of the campus have formally invited the one to speak, such as at commencement.

Argument by Noise

Is the demonstration format the proper one to voice the opinions of either a vocal minority or a true vocal majority? Certainly there is a time, place, and certain reasons that offer themselves as protest worthy, but the question concerning whether one agrees with the speaker on his/her main political stances should not be reason to attempt to interrupt their speech. Is there no such thing as respect anymore?

While I would argue that such a tactic is wrong no matter if the situation is conservative protesting liberal or vice versa, the argument by noise and attempt to frustrate and heckle appears to be one that is gaining ground in our society when it comes to opposing those with conservative views politically and even religious. According to the article one of the main issues that was prompting this protest of McCain is his stance on homosexuality. Because he is opposed to homosexuality and was also speaking at Liberty University in the days prior to his appearance at New School.

Un-Civil Debate

Even when the TV news spin-off programs air, so much of the rhetoric among the guests on the programs concerning their differing views becomes a contest of who can yell the loudest or speak most quickly. On the format that "fair and balanced" news shows are offering us there is no interaction whatsoever among most of those who are beamed in by satellite, rather there is merely a steady flow of strongly stated arguments for their own positions. The only one who does any interacting with these guests is the host of the show. No one seems responsible anymore for truly answering anyone else's questions.

While I do not believe that it is the news programs that are feeding the protests in question, the common element in each is the lack of any kind of respect for hearing a person's presentation. No one has to answer any questions about whether or not homosexuality is right - they can just show up in noisy masses to shout down the one man who takes a position against homosexuality (even though it is probably not a topic he was going to mention at their commencement!) The battle cry of the left on such issues seems to increasingly be similar to "Might makes right!"

Flickr

Procrastination has met its fiery doom, and thus I've uploaded some photos. I don't know if I like Flickr yet or not, but I'll give it a chance.

Look Out, Iowa and New Hampshire

Yes, look out, Iowa and New Hampshire - there's a new sheriff in town!

Yes, Alabama is moving its presidential primary to February 5th. (Oooh, I forgot to tell you, the reader, to sit down...but then you are at your computer.)

I can see it now...live town hall debates coming from Clanton, AL.

So, can just any state move its primary to whatever date decided upon?

Someone is bound to have theirs a couple of years early just for the attention it will receive if that's the case. Maybe there should be a system in place where the state with the highest average IQ should get to go first...maybe that would be Alabama.

Another New Alabama Law:
A sales tax holiday on the first weekend in August for back-to-school purchases. Honest! As if Wal-Mart wasn't crowded enough the week before school. I wonder if this applies to Best Buy???

Your Favorite Scriptures--

Your Favorite Scriptures--

Hurry and Vote now!

FBC Orlando is looking for the favorite Scripture verses of the congregation to serve as a sermon series for the summer.

Hmmm... I'm certainly not present to make an accurate evaluation of whether or not this is being done in a biblical manner, but 2 Timothy 4.3 does come to mind: "...they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires..."

The Gospel According to, um, Judas

Never mind that there is little evidence that gives any rational credibility to the document being titled 'The Gospel of Judas.' There is much irony in the presentation of the document and the weight that the media gives to it. Statements are flying everywhere like this one from National Geographic itself: The newfound account challenges one of the most firmly rooted beliefs in Christian tradition.

The greatest irony that can be found in the attention given to this document is the fact that it exists as only one written document and is estimated to have been originally written in the late 2nd Century. (If you want to read about the reliability of the real New Testament documents, go here. ) The attention given to anything that seems to detract from orthodox Christianity is nothing short of breath-taking. Every discovery that might challenge something in the Bible is front page material. When was the last time CNN did a piece on the weight of evidence in favor of the New Testament? If there is so much excitement about one single document that was supposedly written in the 2nd Century, where is the fanfare about those than can be reasonably traced to the middle of the 1st Century?

Similar to other popular writings, this discovery also provides opportunity for people to be off the hook. If the Bible must be taken seriously, then there are serious implications for every person who must deal with the claims of the Bible and the specific claims of the Bible concerning the deity and purpose of Jesus. The world will grasp at any straw and ignore the weight of evidence.

Sin

As the coverage of The Masters tournament went off on Friday, the next program that came on was "Law and Order." As usual, the show began with a crime. I was only half paying attention, but as the scene caught my eye, the horrid crime that took place caught my full attention. I will not describe it. Suffice it to say that it left a sour impression on my mind, one that I wish was not there. (I, like most of the present generation, have seen too many crimes on TV and in movies, and unfortunately, feel rather hardened to such. This one, however, has really pierced my mind.)

One image. One "acted out" sin. On TV.

Part of the sermon that our pastor preached on Sunday was asking the question about the cup that Jesus faced in the Garden at Gethsemene. In that cup, Jesus saw all the horrid sins that we was about to bear on the cross. My mind was being affected by just one that I had seen. He saw them all, and still chose to take them upon himself.

"But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him." - Isaiah 53.6