Archive for July, 2006
Evangelical “Climate Experts”
July 31st, 2006 | 11 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues, In the News...
Gee… I compose a post about my distaste for politics, then run across another article about evangelical Christians wading into political territory… climatology.
Here’s the link to the story, titled, “Coalition of more than 100 evangelicals presents alternative on global warming”.
Yes, we’ve now got two separate evangelical groups issuing conflicting statements on climate change and the appropriate response…
In the red corner, we have the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance. In the blue corner, we have the Evangelical Climate Initiative. Gentlemen… let’s see a clean fight. No low blows! No ear biting (oh wait, that’s Tyson)… Stop swinging when the bell rings…
Nothing like a bunch of pastors and theologians, all closet climatologists, helping to educate us about the appropriate political response to this oh so crystal clear issue….
As I stated on Alan Cross’s blog a while back, it sure seems like Christians all of a sudden just feel a need to jump into this debate… the whole, “we love Jesus… and we love our planet!” thing…. It’s just seems pretty ridiculous to me.
*SIGH*
Anyway… Maybe I’m just irritable today.
Faith and Politics…
July 31st, 2006 | 3 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues
Most everyone that’s been around for long on this earth has heard it said that there are two topics you really should avoid discussing with family, friends, and co-workers… faith and politics. Most everyone has also probably heard it said that faith and politics should not be mixed.
What do you think of these tidbits of “wisdom”?
Personally? The first point (don’t discuss faith or politics with family, etc.) is kind of silly. Sure, it’s great if you want to avoid potential conflict and debate… but particularly with faith, we’ve got a little issue that can’t be ignored… the great commission. The second is equally silly to me… our faith influences who we are, so obviously it will influence our politics.
These aren’t the hard questions, though, and not the main reason I’m writing this post.
You see, quite honestly, politics disgusts me. Secular politics is a dirty game most of the time, causing such division and rhetoric that often times opposing sides have no chance at reconciling a position that is in the public interest. Name your favorite controversial topic… the war on terrorism… abortion… gay marriage… stem cell research… just about any hot-button issue. You’ll find hard-line stances by both sides… rhetoric flying about… speeches filled with near hatred for opposing views. It’s just plain sad.
What bothers me most, though, is not that I expect this kind of behavior in secular politics, but that more and more, we are seeing the same kind of politics in matters of faith.
Why? Is it simply that faith and politics naturally mix? Obviously, our views on any subject are influenced by who we are; since our faith influences who we are, it logically follows that our politics will be heavily influenced by our faith. It does not seem logical, though for the reverse to happen… politics influencing faith.
Why is it that we Christians don’t guard our hearts more strongly so as to keep the influence of faith and politics a one-way street? Why are we so eager to be drunk with power or influence so as to use the same same dirty political games with matters of faith? Why are we so often blind to the real impact of this behavior.. how it taints our faith?
Where is Christ-likeness? Where is humility? Where is love for our brothers and sisters? Where is reliance on God?
It’s all so frustrating.
Anyway, we would all do well to examine our hearts a bit more when it comes to faith and politics. I would imagine that there are many of us out there who really aren’t where God would have us to be when it comes to the mixing of the two.
But we didn’t expect this!
July 25th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in » In the News...
So… senior Hezbollah officials didn’t expect this kind of a response from Israel. That’s what this news article states, at least.
Interesting. Here’s a quote from the article:
“The truth is — let me say this clearly — we didn’t even expect (this) response…. that (Israel) would exploit this operation for this big war against us,” said Komati.
He said Hezbollah had expected “the usual, limited response” from Israel.
In the past, he said, Israeli reponses to Hezbollah actions included sending in commandos into Lebanon and kidnapping Hezbollah officials or briefly targeting specific Hezbollah strongholds in southern Lebanon.
He said his group had anticipated there would be negotiations on the exchange of the soldiers with three Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails, with Germany acting as a mediator as it did before.
Anyone find these statements as interesting as I do? Last time I checked, terrorism was NOT a diplomatic tactic.
Land weighs in… yes, on alcohol.
July 25th, 2006 | 6 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues
Guess what topic is in the news again? Yep. Southern Baptists and alcohol.
Looks like Richard Land is weighing in now. Here’s the editorial, in Baptist Press News.
Side note… I did not know J. J. Redick has been arrested for DUI, nor was I aware that he claimed Christ. I wonder if there aren’t more people that are now aware that he stumbled in his walk than before Richard’s article (well, I guess that’s a stupid question, since I didn’t know but now do, there MUST be one more that now knows)?
Anyway… agaiin, I’m so tired of this issue… it’s such a distraction!
Corbaley Calls it Quits… With Blogging.
July 25th, 2006 | 2 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues
Well, we now have one less trustee blogging about the IMB. Jerry Corbaley is calling it quits with blogging (at least about IMB issues), and plans to delete all of his posts and all of the comments about such within the next few days.
What a shame! Blogging provides all of us with such insight into the lives and thoughts of others… even if you didn’t agree with Jerry, at least, through his blog, you could get some understanding of where he came from on IMB matters.
Jerry… if by chance you read this… please don’t delete the IMB-related posts from your blog. It was nice to have your thoughts and opinions on IMB issues available for reading by the Baptist community. Deleting these, regardless of your stated motives, will leave many who have not found the ability to trust you at your word (for whatever reasons) questioning your motives that much further, leading to an even greater distrust and questioning of the IMB BOT as a whole. I can’t state it any more clearly… this is a bad idea!
I realize that you’ve taken a lot of heat for your thoughts, words, and actions. I realize that you have become a polarizing figure. I realize that many have written or spoken things about you that were quite harsh and unwarranted. To that, I simply must state: you have a LOT in common with Wade Burleson in that regard. Maybe that can be a bond of commonality you two can use to reconcile!
You see, Wade’s candor about these matters through blogging, while reviled by some, is appreciated by a wide Baptist audience. Your candor is appreciated by that same audience as well… even if a portion of that audience does not agree with what you have to say. Yes, the dialogue arising from blogging makes us vulnerable to criticism, even to personal attacks… but dialogue is one of the main things that promotes understanding, trust, and reconciliation. Please don’t slam the door shut on that possibility!
Speechless
July 25th, 2006 | 2 Comments | Posted in » Song of the Day
God touched my heart through music again this morning. As such, it wasn’t hard to pick my song of the day.
So… here’s the lyrics to “Speechless”, by Steven Curtis Chapman. An audio preview can be found here (it’s track 2).
My words fall like drops of rain.
My lips are like clouds.
I’ve said so many things, trying to figure you out.
But as mercy opens my eyes, and my words are stolen away
With this breathtaking view of your grace…I am Speechless
I’m astonished and amazed
I am silenced by your wondrous grace.
You have saved me.
You have raised me from the grave.
And I am Speechless
In your presence now.
I’m astounded as I consider how
You have shown us the love that leaves us speechless.So what kind of love could this be
That would trade heaven’s throne for a cross?
And to think you still celebrate
over finding just one who was lost.
And to know you rejoice over us
The God of this whole universe.
It’s a story that’s too great for words…We are speechless.
Oh how great is the love
The Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called the sons and daughters of God?We are speechless.
You have saved us from the grave.
We are speechless.
Gone Fishin’…
July 22nd, 2006 | 4 Comments | Posted in » Pictures
As you all know, I REALLY enjoy fishing. Here’s yet another couple of reasons why…
I landed these today, the first on a silver and blue crankbait, the second on a white and red buzzbait.
Wish I would have had a scale handy for these! I’m estimating the first was 5 1/2 or 6 pounds. The second was slightly larger.
Rhetoric and Righteousness
July 20th, 2006 | 5 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues
My pastor and close friend, Micah Fries, has an editorial entitled “What has rhetoric to do with righteousness?” published in this week’s edition of the Florida Baptist Witness.
Be sure to check it out… when writing it, Micah definitely brought his A-game! Good stuff!
(Oh, and don’t miss the picture! Who is that guy in the suit and tie?)
UPDATE…
While I’m plugging editorials in the Florida Baptist Witness, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that another friend of mine, Kevin Bussey, was also published. Check out the letters to the editor.
Bush Vetoes Stem Cell Bill
July 19th, 2006 | 2 Comments | Posted in » In the News...
This just in… President Bush has issued the first veto of his presidency, dropping the hammer on a bill that would relax limitations on embryonic stem cell research. Here’s the story from MSNBC.com.
I think I can summarize my thoughts in two words… “PRAISE GOD!”
You knew I couldn’t stop at that, though… 
Personally, I’m most impressed at a few of the things President Bush had to say when discussing his veto. Note that he was surrounded by eighteen “snowflake families” (ones who have had children through embryo adoption) when he made these remarks:
“Each of these children was still adopted while still an embryo and has been blessed with a chance to grow, to grow up in a loving family. These boys and girls are not spare parts.”
“They remind us of what is lost when embryos are destroyed in the name of research. The remind us that we all begin our lives as a small collection of cells. And they remind us that in our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals.”
“As science brings us ever closer to unlocking the secrets of human biology, it also offers temptations to manipulate human life and violate human dignity. Our conscience in history as a nation demand that we resist this temptation.”
“America was founded on the principle that we are all created equal and endowed by our creator with the right to life.”
As a father who has seen my children through ultrasound when they were not a whole lot more than a small clump of cells, I cannot help but be elated at the decision of our president to uphold the sanctity of life. We need to encourage stem cell research (without a doubt!)… just not embryonic stem cell research, which necessitates the destruction of innocent human life. Adult stem cell research holds much promise… why not focus our efforts there?
Cool videos… for the 80’s gamer
July 19th, 2006 | No Comments | Posted in » Just For Fun...
These have got to be two of the coolest videos I’ve seen online recently… stop-motion human space invaders and human pong.
VERY cool stuff… (it must have been very time consuming to make these!)
