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Baptist Theology: A Critical Look
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| Bush Administration Launches Plan to Save Energy! |
| 08.21.05 (5:30 am) [edit] |
From: http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c...
Bush Administration Faces a Possible Energy Crisis As oil prices rise dramatically Vice President Dick Chaney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld inform President Bush that this might be a problem: Chaney: Mr President, Rummy and I have talked it over and think that you need to show the American people that you care about rising oil prices. W.: They’re rising? Isn’t that good for business? Rumsfeld: Well, for Exxon and a few other major oil producers, but in general, most people think it’s bad. W.: Bad? Yeah, I can see that now. It’s pretty obvious. A moron can see that. Why didn’t I… Chaney (interrupts): Mr. President we have a plan. W.: Plans are good. Chaney: Our plan is to… W. (interrupts): Wait a minute Dick. I’ve been getting in a lot of trouble lately about your plans. They haven’t worked out so good. Rumsfeld: Mr. President there are good plans and bad plans, good plans that go bad, bad plans that work out to be good, and sometimes failing to plan is a plan to fail, and sometimes failing to plan works out OK. W.: Jesus, Rummy. Sometimes you’re so smart it scares me! Well anyway. I’m gonna pray about this just like I did with the Iraq thingy. My heavenly father will tell me what to do! See y’all later. I’ve got to get down to business here. Rumsfeld and Chaney roll their eyes and leave. W.: Dear Jesus, I’ve got a oil problem here. Jesus: An energy crisis? W.: Yeah, one of those. Jesus: Well, Christians are supposed to live sacrificial lives. Why don’t you do the same thing I told Jimmy Carter to do? W.: Jimmy Carter? Jesus: Yes George, he was the president a few years back. W.: Really? Oh, yeah. I knew that. Jesus: I told him that it would be a good example to turn back the thermostat at the White House to 69 degrees and suggest that Americans do the same. You know, (chuckling) Jimmy turned it back to 68! W.: I’m sort of getting to see the picture here. I gotta do something smart. Catchy! Jesus: SACRIFICIAL! W.: Pardon me here Jesus but didn’t you perform a sacrificial so I don’t have to? Jesus: Oi Vay! W.: Oh man, I got one! You know how my wife… Jesus: Laura W.: I knew that! How Laura always wants me to stay up later. What’s that thing called when we move the time around? It’s around Easter or Father’s Day or something? Jesus: Daylight savings time? W.: Yeah. I’ll talk to Chaney about it. He’ll let me know how it works. Somehow we stay up later at night, but go to bed earlier. That way we work less harder and save energy. Jesus: How about just turning the thermostat down? W.: Jesus, I mean no disrespect here, but I think I’m having another genius stroke here! I’ll get back to you later. Later, after W. has shared his “stroke of genius” with Chaney. Chaney talks with Rumsfeld. Chaney: Rummy, looks like George has had another brain fart. Rumsfeld: I don’t know Dick. Could be a good idea if we explain it right. They both laugh and say together: All our ideas are great when we explain them right! Chaney: You’re right. It means no real sacrifice for anyone and it will f8ck Canada up really bad! I love it!
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| George W. Please Don't Lie Again! |
| 07.02.05 (6:02 pm) [edit] |
"McClellan said that if anyone at the White House leaked Plame's identity, he should be fired, and pursued to the "fullest extent."
"No one was authorized to do this. That is simply not the way this White House operates and if someone leaked classified information it is a very serious matter," he said." from http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPO...
n particular, McClellan said it was "ridiculous" to suggest that Karl Rove (search), Bush's top political operative, was involved, as Wilson once charged. "He wasn't involved," McClellan said of Rove. "The president knows he wasn't involved. ... It's simply not true." http://www.foxnews.com/story/...,2933,98673,00.html
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| Marty Duren: There is Hope for Southern Baptists! |
| 06.29.05 (6:15 pm) [edit] |
As one of my professors at the Baptist seminary I attended used to say, “Many of my friends and all of my enemies are Southern Baptists.” I’ve recounted here how my family was kicked out of a Southern Baptist church and how difficult it was to teach at a Southern Baptist institution. My orthodoxy was always a matter of discussion among my students. I guess I’ll probably never get over the hurt my family has experienced and the pain caused by those who are judgmental.
My final break with Baptists occurred when my daughter’s Wednesday night teacher, who never had a positive thing to say about any of her students, said in front of my daughter, wife, other parents, and children that she didn’t want to see my child and another child back on Wednesday night if they couldn’t behave. My wife said, “That can be arranged” and we never went back. We found a wonderful Methodist church in our neighborhood where my daughter is loved and cherished. Her Sunday School teachers have repeatedly, without knowing about our prior experience, told us how much she is maturing and how good she is! Praise God!
Well, anyway, now to Marty Duren. I don’t know Marty. I’ve never met him. Never spoken to him. Yet just over a week ago he heard about my struggles with Southern Baptists and out of the blue I get an email from him. He wrote that an email that I had written (apologizing to someone for my having done something really stupid and unchristian) to a friend of his “was a blessing to him.” He then shared that he had also had a difficult experience with Christians in the past. This was such a blessed gift from someone that I don’t even know! What a guy!
Then, he offered to send a book to me that he thought I would find helpful. The book was “Wisdom Hunter” by Randall Arthur. Here’s a guy I don’t even know that wants to send a book to me to help me deal with difficult issues I’ve had to deal with! Well, I got a copy of the book as soon as I could. I read the book in about three days. Pretty good since I’m dyslexic and read very slow. I know this sounds trite, but that book really changed the way I look at life, other people, and myself. I’m now recommending it to everyone.
Marty is one heck of a guy! And he’s a Southern Baptist. He reminds me that most of the people that impacted my life in a positive way were Baptists. They’re not all bad.
Thanks Marty! You’ve given me hope for the future of the denomination that I finally had to leave. God bless you my brother. You’ll never know what a difference you’ve made in my life. I’m no longer just a pissed off ex-Baptist. I’m now more committed than ever to helping those who have been hurt by Christians.
I love you brother!
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| Leonard Pitts Writes about Jeb Bush's Shameful Vendetta against Michael Schiavo |
| 06.28.05 (4:45 am) [edit] |
Leonard Pitts is one of my favorite columnists in this article http://www.baltimoresun.com/n...,1,3626705.story?coll=bal-oped-headl ines&ctrack=1&cset=true he urges Bush to "Pity Michael Schiavo. He's had his motives and character questioned at every step along the way, had to put up with calumnies flung by religious zealots and wild-eyed conspiracy theorists unable to believe that all he wanted to do was keep a promise to his wife.
But in some ways, the transparent emptiness, the self-evident pettiness, the very personal nature of this latest assault, especially coming when it does and from such a lofty office, makes it the lowest blow of all. It's a punch in the groin after the bell has rung.
Is Florida really such a paradise that the governor has time to indulge a vendetta against a single citizen? Did they clean up the Everglades without telling me? Fix the schools without issuing a memo?
Mr. Bush, if he has a shred of decency, should be ashamed of himself. He should apologize to Mr. Schiavo. And he should leave the poor man alone."
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| What Would Jesus Drive? |
| 06.24.05 (10:37 am) [edit] |
Found a couple of interesting sites today. http://www.whatwouldjesusdriv... What would Jesus Drive? Is a group of Evangelical Christians whose "twofold purpose of the WWJDrive educational campaign is to help Christians and others: (1) understand that our transportation choices are moral choices that for Christians fall under the Lordship of Christ; and (2) take appropriate actions to address the problems associated with our transportation choices."
According to their research: Forty-five percent of the rise in global warming pollution from personal vehicles in the 1990s was due to the increase of vehicles in the "light trucks" category (SUVs, vans, and pickups).
Great job folks! My Liberal, Walmart-hating, sandal wearing colleague drives an SUV. Maybe he will get convicted and start living for Jeus.
If not, maybe he can buy some spray-on mud http://www.sprayonmud.com/ind... for his SUV and get some street cred.
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| Westboro Baptist Church's Anti-War Demonstration |
| 06.23.05 (6:24 pm) [edit] |
Baptists need to speak out against this. If we don't everyone will think we are just like "Rev." Phelps.
http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=90258" title="http://news.bostonherald.com/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=90258" target="_blank"http://news.bostonherald.com/...
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| Baptists Condemn "Beauty Contests" |
| 06.23.05 (4:02 am) [edit] |
Thanks to Howie Luvsus http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c... for the heads up on Baptist Resoloutions! I've had a fun couple of days! Here is a Resulotion made by the Southern Baptist Convention of 1926. Man were they ahead of their time or what!?!
Resolution On Beauty Contests
May 1926
WHEREAS, The purity and sanctity of the home depends upon a proper respect for and safeguarding of our girls; and
WHEREAS, "Beauty contests" and so-called "bathing revues" are evil and evil only, and tend to lower true and genuine respect for womanhood, emphasizing and displaying only purely physical charm above spiritual and intellectual attainments,
THEREFORE, We, the Southern Baptist Convention do deplore and condemn all such contests and revues.
Good Job Baptists! In our current society where beauty and sexuality are so emphasized, it is good to be reminded that women should be valued for their character! When we see women (or men--Don't think I see don't see you ladies undressing me with your eyes all the time) as mere sexual objects, we fail to honor them as humans.
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| Roy Moore, Baptist Beliefs, and Howie |
| 06.22.05 (4:58 pm) [edit] |
Howie Luvzus' post about Southern Baptist Resolutions http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c... was shocking and encouraged me to do my own research.
I noticed that the notorious Roy Moore, the 10 commandments judge was welcomed and applauded at a Pastor's Conference at the Southern Baptist Convention this weekhttp://www.sbcannualmeeting.n... I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed. Here is a Resolution on Church and State passed in 1981 by Southern Baptists:
Resolution On Affirming Religious Liberty And Separation Of Church And State: June 1981
WHEREAS, The United States Constitutional principle of religious liberty has given freedom for expression of the separation of the church and state; and
WHEREAS, This precious principle is under constant attack by those who would serve sectarian purposes; and
WHEREAS, The growth of government poses a constant threat of intrusion upon this indispensible principle; and
WHEREAS, The Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, the Christian Life Commission, and other agencies are deeply committed to the principles of religious liberty and separation of church and state; and
WHEREAS, These agencies have repeatedly given leadership and assistance to Southern Baptists involved in problems regarding religious liberty and the separation of church and state; and
WHEREAS, The need is evident for continued vigilance and determination to preserve religious liberty;
Be it therefore RESOLVED, That we express our gratitude to the Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs, the Christian Life Commission, and other agencies for their efforts in defending Christian morality and ethics; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we affirm our belief that religion flourishes best without government's interference or tax support; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we caution schools directly or indirectly connected with this Convention to give serious study to the high price which government usually exacts for its favors; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we call on our people to support the institutions which serve our religious objectives; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we voice our earnest protest against tax proposals which would finance educational and other activities of churches or religious gorups; and
Be it further RESOLVED, That the Southern Baptist Convention, in accordance with and in commitment to the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and to the historic Baptist principle of church and state separation, deplore and reject the arrogation of the right of any group to define and pronounce for all people what is the Christian faith, and to seek through political means to impose this faith upon the American people under a government which is mandated to safeguard and respect the people of all religious and no religion.
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we express our thanks to God for courts which uphold the First Amendment against the enormous pressures of our time.
Guess Southern Baptists no longer oppose those who "seek political means to impose faith" on others. I was so proud to be a Baptist back then. We cared about the religious minorities and wanted to protect them. My how Baptists have changed.
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| Flippin’ Fundamentalists Have Ruined My Baptist Denomination! |
| 06.22.05 (11:57 am) [edit] |
The following has been cut and pasted from the following Blog: http://howieluvzus.blogspot.c...
It's funny, sad, and pretty scathing...
I’ve read a lot lately about how proud Baptists are about the success of the “conservative resurgence.” They talk about the “liberals” that needed to be run out of the convention. I’ve had enough. You knuckleheads that weren’t there before 1979 (the year the take-over started) quit reading books by the conservatives and listen to me for a bit. After all, you wouldn’t trust Michael Moore to give you a fair and balanced view of George W. would you?
In 2005, the Southern Baptist Convention is a buzz over the Resolution on Public Schools. Don’t know if it will pass or not, but Al Mohler suggests that Baptist should prepare an “exit strategy” for removing their kids from the atrocities of public schools. Here’s a brief excerpt of the resolution:
“WHEREAS, Jesus taught that any individual who teaches children contrary to faith in Christ, it would have been better to let them drown with a millstone around their neck (Matthew 18:6); and
WHEREAS, the public school system in America is against Christ in that it seeks to offer a thoroughly secular education; and”—How dare public schools offer a secular education!
Now, let me show you a resolution at the 1979 Southern Baptist Convention:
Resolution On The Crisis In Education: June 1979
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists historically have been strong supporters of public education, and
WHEREAS, Southern Baptists have been deeply committed to the right of all children to achieve their God-given potential, and
WHEREAS, The American public school system is now facing its most serious crisis in history, due to the complex issues of communicating moral values, financing, family breakdown, discipline, the "back to basics movement," racial desegregation, and church-state problems, and
WHEREAS, Many Baptists occupy administrative and teaching positions in the public school system,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That Southern Baptists be urged to pray regularly for those teachers and administrators who work faithfully in the public school system, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That while recognizing the validity of the ministry of church-related private schools, Southern Baptists be urged to become more involved in shaping and supporting public schools, participating responsibly wherever possible in the local school and in the decision-making bodies which determine the course of public education, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we hereby commit ourselves to help achieve quality education for every child in this nation.
Wow! Those damn liberals in 1979 wanted quality education for every child. How horrible! I’m so ashamed! If only they knew that Jesus wants Christians to be self-centered, self-righteous, holier-than-thou isolationists. Jesus wouldn’t want us to be involved in the lives of others, or provide religious instruction for our children in our homes or churches. Surely, Jesus would want us to say to hell with them, I don’t want to be around sinners!
Furthermore, look at this awful liberal resolution proposed the same year:
Resolution On Inflation: June 1979
WHEREAS, A new wave of inflation has gripped the world, stealing from everyone with especially tragic consequences for the poor, and
WHEREAS, Inflation is robbing Bold Mission Thrust in particular and our missionary enterprise in general of greatly needed funds, and
WHEREAS, Among the underlying causes of inflation are human greed and irresponsible spending, and
WHEREAS, The Bible commends responsible stewardship of all human resources,
Therefore be it RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptist churches to give renewed emphasis to Christian stewardship as a powerful anti-inflationary force in the world, and
Be it further RESOLVED, That we plead with both business and labor to lower their demands for unreasonable price and wage increases and that we plead with churches, governments, and charitable organizations to increase their efforts to help the poor who suffer most acutely from inflation, and
Be it finally RESOLVED, That we pledge our personal commitment to shun a life style of conspicuous consumption and to pursue a life style of responsible Christian stewardship and self-sacrifice.
Holy Crap! They cared about the poor! They didn’t want us to be so concerned about buying stuff that we forgot about the needs of others! Bet that Hummer-driving Christian at the Baptist Church in my neighborhood would be appalled at such Godlessness! Didn’t George W. encourage Americans to go shopping after 9/11 so that we could maintain the American way of life? Sounds like the poor liberal bastards in the convention in 1979 couldn’t have been good Christians…I mean Americans…I mean Christians.
Let’s not stop there! The Resolution concerning migrant farm workers stated, “That we commit ourselves as individuals, to enhance these efforts by seeking and providing additional creative ministries that meet the total human needs of migrant farm workers.” PLEASE! Bleeding-heart Liberals! Thank God they are gone!
Oh! A couple more for you young Bible-Thumping…Uh, Believing proud conservative Baptists out there: Therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our belief that every human being has a right to freedom from hunger, and…Be it further RESOLVED, That we express to the United States Congress our strong support for an overseas development assistance program which will help those who are hungry and not merely line the coffers of the already privileged elite, and Be it finally RESOLVED, That we encourage Southern Baptists to engage in strong and active Christian citizenship efforts to alleviate hunger.” Glad that liberal crap’s over with so we can “spread freedom”!
OK, OK, OK… One more, because this one KILLS ME! “THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That we call on all Southern Baptists to practice stringent conservation efforts as an important part of Christian stewardship and witness, and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That we pledge our cooperation with both government and industry as they seek to devise major new initiatives in the development of safe, clean, and renewable energy forms.” These wackos sound like Green Party morons don’t they! PRAISE GOD AND PASS THE AMMO! You new guys ought to be so glad that you didn’t have to listen to that ignorant crap that goes against all that Jesus taught!
Since 1979 Baptists have really got it right! Since that time, Baptists have passed 11 resolutions about homosexuality. You’d think they would know you hate them by now! Last year’s resolution says it all: On Twenty-Five Years Of The Conservative Resurgence: June 2004 “WHEREAS, Many faithful men and women made sacrifices to lead the conservative resurgence; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That we express our appreciation to those who have courageously led us back to our historic biblical moorings and extend our appreciation to those elected and employed leaders who now effectively maintain a Christ-centered emphasis in life and work within the Southern Baptist Convention.”
Yep, you’re a lot more Biblical now. Condemning homosexuals, withdrawing from schools rather than caring for the children in them that are not related to you, commending George W. on—“RESOLVED, That we commend President George W. Bush for his statements in support of a Federal Marriage Amendment; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we challenge pastors and leaders within the Body of Christ to support and faithfully promote a Federal Marriage Amendment.” Oh, yeah, he forgot about that once he had your vote!
Do I sound bitter? I am. But, I think Jesus got pissed too when those he loved were being abused by self-righteous Pharisees. You brood of vipers! You hypocrites!
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| You've got to read this. It could happen to you! |
| 06.22.05 (8:35 am) [edit] |
Below is THE MOST hilarious story I've read in a while. Beware, it includes nudity, humiliation, shart, and intrigue.
http://badchristian.com/index.php/2005/03/16/airing_my_ dirty_laundry" title="http://badchristian.com/index.php/2005/03/16/airing_my_ dirty_laundry" target="_blank"http://badchristian.com/index...
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| Wow. Didn't know I was a heretic! |
| 06.18.05 (5:36 pm) [edit] |
 | You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don't think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.
Emergent/Postmodern | | 82% | Neo orthodox | | 71% | Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan | | 64% | Classical Liberal | | 54% | Reformed Evangelical | | 43% | Modern Liberal | | 39% | Roman Catholic | | 36% | Charismatic/Pentecostal | | 25% | Fundamentalist | | 4% |
What's your theological worldview?
created with QuizFarm.com |
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| Hilarious! A Change of Pace |
| 06.16.05 (4:31 am) [edit] |
Please go to this website (I promise this isn't a trick to get you to look at porn!) and read about John Hargrave's prank phone call to Kelloggs. It is one of the funniest stories I've read in a while!
http://www.zug.com/gab/index.cgi?func=view_thread&sort =funnymtd&head=1&thread_i d=54816" title="http://www.zug.com/gab/index.cgi?func=view_thread&sort =funnymtd&head=1&thread_i d=54816" target="_blank"http://www.zug.com/gab/index....
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| Damn! Who am I supposed to hate now? Oh, Kraft |
| 06.10.05 (11:31 am) [edit] |
The American Family Association has suspended its boycott of Ford. Guess I shouldn't have bought that Honda. I looked at their website (link not provided because I think they suck) and there was no mention of it. They have alerted all of us good family folks that Kraft Foods is supporting the Gay Games.
Say CHEESE!
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| Would Jesus Buy a Ford? Is Toby Keith Gay? |
| 06.02.05 (11:19 am) [edit] |
And I always thought VW bugs were gay!
From BoycottFord.Com http://boycottford.com/
"If one looks for the company which has done the most to affirm and promote the homosexual lifestyle, he would be hard-pressed to find a company which has done more than Ford Motor Company. While this is hardly known to the general population, it is well known by numerous homosexual organizations. In fact, the Human Rights Campaign (a national homosexual organization whose goal is homosexual marriage) gave Ford a 100% corporate rating.
Ford makes not only Ford, but also Lincoln, Mercury, Mazda, Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover."
Wow! Thanks American Family Association for providing me with someone else to condemn!
Glad I drive a Honda!
I can't get the picture of Toby Keith singing "I'm a Ford truck man!" out of my mind!
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| Creighton Lovelace is a Liar or a Moron |
| 05.30.05 (12:29 pm) [edit] |
I’m tired of people lying their way out of trouble especially politicians and religious folk. A few days ago I read about a Baptist minister http://www.herald-sun.com/sta... that posted a sign http://www.thedigitalcourier.... saying the Quran “should be flushed.”
When confronted about the sign, Lovelace pointed out that “This is America and we have the freedom of the press, so I have the right to put up this sign."
OK. You have the right, but why did you do it? "My creed is the Bible, which tells me I am supposed to stand up and defend my faith," said the Rev. Creighton Lovelace, pastor of the 55-member Danieltown Baptist Church in Forest City. "I don't hate Muslims, I just hate their false doctrines."
Defend the Bible by trashing the Scripture of others? Oh, I see!
“When Lovelace was asked whether he considered before he put the sign up that there may be some consequences or that some people may be angered, he said he was aware of the likelihood of angering some people.
"Well, I thought about it and I said there may be people who are offended by it but the way I look at it, Jesus told his followers that if the world hates you, don't feel bad because they hated me first," said Lovelace. "If we stand for what is right and for God's word and for Christianity then the world is going to condemn us and so right away when I got a complaint I said 'well somebody's mad, somebody's offended, so we must be doing something right.'"”
Rev. Loveless was adamant that he had done nothing wrong and refused to apologize.
Then---He did apologize. http://www.biblicalrecorder.o... "Now I realize how offensive this is to them, and after praying about it, I have chosen to remove the sign," he said. "I apologize for posting that message and deeply regret that it has offended so many in the Muslim community."
Although Lovelace stood his ground early in the week, saying he knew the sign would be offensive, Lovelace's statement on Wednesday said his intentions were to "exalt the Bible and its teaching."
"It was certainly not my intent to insult any people of faith, but instead to remind the people in this community of the preeminence of God's Word," he said.
It WAS his intent to offend, it WAS his intent to get attention. It WAS his intent to be “persecuted.” If he is so ignorant that he can’t tell the difference between “standing up for God’s Word” and trashing someone’s beliefs ( a common problem with Southern Baptists these days), he needs to step down as pastor. Why didn’t he “pray about this” before he put such an asinine sign in front of his church?
Now is the time for all Baptists to call their fellow Baptists to stop hindering the good news!
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| Judge: Parents can't teach pagan beliefs |
| 05.28.05 (10:42 am) [edit] |
It is an historical fact which is currently being ignored by Baptists in America that their forefathers (sorry…not to many women involved in the struggle at that time) fought for the seperation of church and state in this country during its inception. It might be a leap to say Baptists were solely responsible for the idea http://www.usconstitution.net..., but they were very important.
Now is the time for Indiana Baptists to take a stand for religious liberty! http://www.indystar.com/apps/... "An Indianapolis father is appealing a Marion County judge's unusual order that prohibits him and his ex-wife from exposing their child to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals."
The parents practice Wicca, a contemporary pagan religion that emphasizes a balance in nature and reverence for the earth.
Cale J. Bradford, chief judge of the Marion Superior Court, kept the unusual provision in the couple's divorce decree last year over their fierce objections, court records show. The order does not define a mainstream religion."
This is an incredible opportunity for Indiana Baptist to demonstrate their love for their neighbor. I only wish that I could stand with Thomas Jones as he fights the judge’s decision. I will be praying for him though.
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| Lost My Best? Friend? |
| 05.20.05 (4:28 am) [edit] |
I know I’ll probably end up looking like the jerk in this situation, but here I go…
I have a friend that I met at work about four years ago. We really seemed to hit it off well. He was fascinated by my religious upbringing and we went to lunch together almost every day and he would come over to my house almost every Thursday night. This closeness continued even after he no longer worked with me. We’d fix elaborate meals and drink wine and have a great time. My wife and kids really love him as much as I do. My daughter is crazy about him and my oldest son loves to sit and listen as we talk together. He’s always so much fun and has a wonderful outlook on life.
About a year ago, my wife was diagnosed with cancer and we’ve had a pretty traumatic year. It’s been very difficult for my wife, my kids and me. In fact, even though she’s finished all the treatments and has been given a clean bill of health, we’re all kind of suffering from post traumatic stress. The grace of God and our love for each other has been a real source of strength for us. My colleagues at work have been great, our friends have been wonderful and members of our church have been unbelievably creative in ways that have helped us.
My old friend hasn’t been so helpful. He only came by once (after being invited) and has only sent a few emails. No, he’s not freaked out by the illness. He has a divinity degree and is very compassionate and caring toward everyone. In fact, I once told him that he was the closest person to Jesus that I’ve ever seen. He’s still hanging out with my other friends so I know he has time for them. I’m a bit angry, but I mostly feel sad.
Was he really my friend? Did he really once care for my wife, my kids, and me? I don’t know. And surely those of you in Blogland have no idea either. I’m not looking for advice, or for you to trash my friend. I just needed to get this off my chest. I will not call him and say, “Man, you’ve really let me down this year. I needed so many times to cry on your shoulder.”
I don’t want to guilt him or force him to care about me. Maybe I’ve let him down in some way. I’ll just move on, but I know that my life will be poorer because I no longer will be able to laugh with him and share good times with him and learn from him.
I’ll work very hard at making a new friend now. I know this past year would have been more bearable with my friend’s laughter and listening ears.
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| Write a Program to Randomly Pick a PowerPoint Slide |
| 04.25.05 (11:22 am) [edit] |
Can anyone help me? I’m trying to have someone write a program that can pick either random jpeg files or random PowerPoint slides.
I create PowerPoint slides with pictures of each of my students on them. I’d like a program that could randomly pick and display these slides (or simply jpegs) so that I can use the program to call on my students at random to answer questions in class.
If you have any suggestions let me know!
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| God, Please Don't Let Me Become A Damned Yankee |
| 03.31.05 (6:16 am) [edit] |
I have a friend who is a damned Yankee. (The difference between a Yankee and a damned Yankee is that the damned Yankee comes south and stays). He often complains to me about how much time is wasted in the south with having to greet everyone and acknowledge they exist. Once, we were talking to a student and the conversation took a turn that my friend wasn’t interested in. He promptly told the student “You know, I’m really not interested in talking about this. I’m going to leave now.” He said this right in the middle of the student’s conversation. I thought this was terribly rude.
Last night I went with my wife to buy glasses for her. The ladies at the eyewear place were extremely talkative. My wife was having to get bifocals for the first time so one of the ladies told as a long story (well, it seemed long to me) about her father and how he knew when he was old. It was a cute story and the lady smiled as she spoke and really got into the story. I was trying to be polite and smile while she talked, but I really wished my damned Yankee friend would have been there to shut down the conversation so we could have ordered the glasses and gotten the hell out of there. I had to pick up my daughter and the “extra” conversation was making me late. In fact, I had to leave my wife there and leave to pick up my daughter. Guess what? My daughter wasn’t ready to leave when I got there! So. I had to wait on her and then make the 15 minute trip back to get my wife at the eyeglass place. I was ticked. Not kick the dog when I get home ticked, but I was bothered.
As I thought about this incident this morning I wondered why the woman took the time to tell that long-*ss story. Did she just enjoy the exchange between my wife and I? Did she think it would make my wife feel better about having to get bifocals? Was she just trying to bring a little joy into her boring day? I really don’t know. But having read http://conyerscraft.tblog.com... this blog over the last several weeks I have become aware that I have become too much like my damned Yankee friend and have failed to enjoy my life and see the work of God around me. Of course, if I were a monk with no familial responsibilities, I’d have time to reflect more too! Ok, bad excuse.':D'
Disclaimer: I did recently go on a trip with my damned Yankee friend. We spent about 18 hours in my van. It went better than last year’s trip. I didn’t hate him when we got home this time! Anyway, he made us stop and eat at locally owned non-fast food type restaurants. He hates big businesses, especially Walmart and large corporations. I must say that we enjoyed ourselves more. I took my wife and kids on a Vacation last week and we did the same thing. It’s surprising how much more fun it was to stop at these mom and pop type places. The waitresses were usually very friendly and we had time to make fun of each other and enjoy each others company. My kids even learned how to shoot each other with the wrappers from their straws at the prompting of one waitress! How did they not know how to do that?
****Note to self-try to enjoy those around me more. Life will be much more fulfilling.':lol:'
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| Seeing God's Yes |
| 03.18.05 (4:44 am) [edit] |
Much of what passes for Christianity repulses me. James 1:27-“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” How can Christians not be outraged by Bush’s attempt to cut Medicaid by $40? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7... Isn't Medicaid a way of taking care of "the least of these"?
The problem with so much hypocrisy is that it distracts me from authentic Christianity. I feel that I’ve been so absorbed by critiquing others that I’ve failed to see the grace of God that surrounds me. My non-Christian friend seems to be more aware of the important issues in life than me. http://b.rox.com/archives/200... Read the whole entry. It's really very interesting.
Theologian Sally McFague speaks of God's Yes and God's No. Wherever there is love and grace--God's Yes is present. Whenever there is pain and oppression--God's No is present. I think I've been focusing on God's "No" too much and it's really weighed me down. Observing God's No and failing to witness God's Yes is unacceptable.
When I used to go to the chemotherapy room at the hospital I witnessed a lot of God's No. But as I saw the nurses' care and the patients' conversations and words of encouragement, I saw God's Yes. I guess that's why going there wasn't totally awfull.
Thanks to a trappist monk from Georgia http://conyerscraft.tblog.com... whose writings have inspired me to open my eyes to the presence of God’s grace, I experienced God’s love in a powerful way this morning. As I dropped my daughter off at the bus stop this morning I asked for a kiss. She blew me a kiss as she exited the car. Then she stopped, smiled the most beautiful smile, leaned in and gave me a wonderful kiss on the cheek. As she left, she turned and said, “I love you daddy!” and I saw the face of God.
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| Early Christian Communism |
| 03.01.05 (10:29 am) [edit] |
Acts 2:44-47 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
As you can see from the above text, early Christians believed in sharing their goods and lived more like communists than capitalists. Unfortunately, American Christians have capitulated to the rampant consumerism in our capitalistic society. Maybe that's why the church has lost its power?
Throughout the history of the church, Christians have seen the lifestyle of the church outlined in Acts as the ideal. I heard an incredible sermon this past Sunday about stewardship and giving. I intend to seek ways to be more giving and less selfish in the future.
Aquinas-If you possess superfluities while your brethren lack necessities, you are possessing the goods of others and are therefore stealing.
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| My Birthday |
| 02.23.05 (4:54 am) [edit] |
Happy Birthday to me!
On this day in history:
1685 - Georg Friederich Händel was born
1868 - W.E.B. DuBois, civil rights leader was born
1939 - Peter Fonda, actor was born
1943 - Fred Biletnikoff, Oakland Raider WR was born
1951 - Patricia Richardson, actress Home Improvement was born
1994 - Dakota Fanning, actress was born
1965 - Stan Laurel, actor, comedian died
1848 - John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States (b. 1767) died
1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type.
1903 - Cuba leases Guantanamo Bay to the United States "in perpetuity".
1919 - Benito Mussolini forms the Fascist Party in Italy.
1940 - The animated movie Pinocchio is released.
1945 - Following the American victory at the Battle of Iwo Jima, a group of United States Marines reach the top of Mount Surabachi on the island and are photographed raising the American flag. The photo would later win a Pulitzer Prize.
1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demands $4 million more to release kidnap victim Patty Hearst.
1993 - Gary Coleman wins a $1,280,000 lawsuit against his parents.
1998 - Netscape Communications Corporation announces the foundation of mozilla.org, to co-ordinate the development of the open source Mozilla web browser.
Feast day of St Polycarp!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_23" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_23" target="_blank"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
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| Hey Bush! If It's Not Broke Don't Fix It! |
| 02.18.05 (5:50 am) [edit] |
The Bush administration will soon have its bill limiting lawsuits signed and sealed. Bush argued that too many “junk lawsuits” have damaged our economy. Greedy lawyers have exploited the justice system and are ruining our country! Far be it for me to defend lawyers, but I do think that many lawyers perform a valuable service in securing justice. http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPO...
My main concern however is the inconsistency that conservatives and Bush are displaying here. They are saying that our justice system can’t be trusted. They are saying that Congress is a better judge of what’s right and what’s wrong and so is the president. After the debacle in Iraq, I don’t trust the president to make wise decisions. After seeing all kinds of crap Congress has done in my lifetime, I’m not so sure I trust them either.
But what really bothers me is that the President and conservatives are saying that our justice system is broken and doesn’t work…then they allow and even encourage this broken system that can’t be trusted to make the right decision to determine life or death issues! If the system isn’t trustworthy, why should you allow courts to determine if one should be killed, oops, put to death? Why is the system able to make proper decisions in this area? Seems pretty darn important to me! The death penalty judgments are sure to be correct, but the fact that tobacco companies might be engaged in something that could be hazardous is of course very uncertain. But even if they are doing something wrong let’s not hurt the economy over a few thousand folks that are impacted by industry and medical “problems”!
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| Help with Country Music Song and Buddhism |
| 02.16.05 (8:35 am) [edit] |
I really hate to admit this but I was watching CMT (country music channel) today and saw a video by someone who was singing about his pentecostal experience. He briefly slammed (I think) Buddhists. I'd like to know if anyone has heard the song and knows who the artist is. I'd like to see the lyrics.
I feel so bad that you know about my watching CMT!
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| Bush Administration Supports Torture Again: But This Time It's Our Guys! |
| 02.15.05 (7:10 am) [edit] |
The LA Times reports that the Bush administration is fighting former American prisoners of war in court. After having received a judgment of almost $1 billion from Iraq because of their being tortured by Saddam Hussein's men, the former prisoners are now being told that they should not collect on this judgment.
At least Bush is consistent on his position regarding torture. Hey, It's not really so bad!
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq /la-na-pow15feb15" title="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/iraq /la-na-pow15feb15" target="_blank"http://www.latimes.com/news/n...,0,3155150.story?coll=la-home-headli nes
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A Blog About Baptists and Their Theology
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