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August 2004 Blog Archives Tuesday, August 31 7:32 PM Don't think we'll get a nicer George in Act II. The neocons are just lying low, for now. You can bet your bottom dollar that Clinton would never have gotten away with these perversions of the Constitution. 6:03 PM I love the Greek of Matthew 28:20: "And, see! I am with you all the days, even unto the consummation of the age!" "All the days," meaning each and every day. So the Lord accompanied, day by day, my dear brother in Christ Garnett Newton, who was laid to rest today in a beautiful ceremony of worship at Nelson Baptist Church, where he was raised. Once again we are discovering how closely knit our little community is -- and I mean "community," where people love and care for one another, Christian or not. For you, Mr. Newton, "Surely the bitterness of death is past" (1 Sam. 15:32), until that day when "He will swallow up death for all time" (Isa. 25:8). My love and condolences to all the family. 1:15 PM Almost 7,000. 1:05 PM GOP Bash Update: The platform may be pro-life, but the speechmakers aren't. Perhaps they have forgotten "Thou shalt not kill" is one of God's commandments, and the current administration sanctions the murder of thousands in the name of pro-choice. Can't appear too conservative, after all.
12:59 PM Let's see, a Virginia Baptist and a great defender of the First Amendment to boot. Who am I referring to? Click here to find out! 7:40 AM We pray it all the time, but what does "Thy kingdom come" really mean? Go here to find out. 7:33 AM OK, where are them armored trucks?
7:05 AM 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "In everything give thanks." I am thankful this morning that though we lost a precious goat yesterday to illness the others are doing fine; that though our basement flooded because of the heavy rains we have a wet vac; that though we lost brother Newton this weekend he is with the Lord; that though my computer keeps freezing up on me I have friends who are smart enough to help me fix it; that though I am weak One much stronger than I said "My grace is enough." Monday, August 30 10:24 AM Being the complete computer idiot I am, I have no earthly idea why my pooter froze three times this morning while typing my sabbatical project. It's really the perfect day to be writing. The rain has been coming down in buckets and no work can be done outdoors. It already seems like years since I last taught a class at the seminary, and my sabbatical is only two weeks old. How much fun! 7:55 AM As the investigation into Neo-Con Gate gets underway, it's every man for himself. 7:50 AM From Imperial Hubris (by Anonymous):
7:38 AM OK, so the GOP won't acknowledge God and support Roy Moore and the Ten Commandments. That's no surprise. But they take this stand based on this kind of idiotic logic?
Brother Moore, it's time you woke up and smelled the coffee: The GOP has the backbone of a jellyfish when it comes to biblical morality. Why not come over to the Constitution Party? 7:30 AM Here's a great letter from a former student:
He was indeed, especially because he agreed with me on the Pauline authorship of Hebrews! Thanks for writing. 7:15 AM Yet another reason I love Stonewall Jackson. 7:14 AM Sheldon, you're making way too much sense, as usual. 7:11 AM From the WayBack Machine but still very apropos for today: Kelly McGinley on how our dumbed-down churches are destroying marriage (and you thought it was gay unions).
Go Kelly! 7:10 AM The wonderful prose of Arthur Conan Doyle is what keeps me coming back to the stories of that master sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. I still can't believe that when I was in London doing research at the British Museum I ran out of time and had to pass up a visit to 221B Baker Street (I was sooo close!). Should you desire to join me in my prelectoral addiction, the Arthur Conan Doyle collection is available online.
7:06 AM Britney Spears -- you remember, the Britney Spears who was "born again" during an altar call -- gives a whole new meaning to the expression "holy kiss." 7:05 AM Home schooling can be costly, especially when that entails living on one income. But the blessings far outweigh the stresses. I hope and pray that more and more of my students, as they consider child rearing, will consider home education as an option. Sunday, August 29 8:50 AM A beloved friend and neighbor of ours, after 86 years on this earth of sorrows, has crossed over the river and is now resting beneath the shade of the trees. I will simply say how much I loved Mr. Newton and how much I appreciated his friendship and godly example. He caused my view of the Lord to grow greater, and my view of man and his works to grow proportionately smaller. I am reminded of the words of another man of God, Francis Schaeffer:
Goodbye, brother Newton. We loved you well. 8:40 AM What is the number one killer of blacks in America? (And no, my pastor friends, the solution is not more government education programs.) 8:35 AM The "sweeter-sensitive" church. 8:20 AM The Dutchwoman does it again.
8:15 AM Bob Barr on the latest pre-emptive strike of government, this time on free speech. The money quote:
Let's stop thanking God that we live in a "free" nation that allows us to assemble on Sundays or speak our minds or whatever. Those rights do not come from government; they come from God. Saturday, August 28 6:25 PM John the Baptist baptized in caves. Who'd a thunk it!
6:20 PM Le Monde has an interesting story on Karl William McKinley Rove, the "man who invented Bush" (French only). 5:37 PM From a long time DBO reader:
I thank YOU, dear brother. I too am genuinely grieved that more and more Christian "conservatives" are putting politics over principle. The Bible makes it very plain, as you say, that unprincipled living deserves God's judgment. Regardless of what so-called conservatives say about themselves, they are far from the teaching of the Scriptures and their way of thinking can only lead to fresh tears and sorrows, not only for individuals but also for the church as such. I do pray for a great revival in the land. Do continue to let me know how you are getting on. Sincerely, Dave 5:33 PM GOP: God's Own Party? 4:54 PM Writes Debbie O'Hara:
4:43 PM The solution to the nation's political crisis is not more of the same: voting our so-called "faith-directed" values. Such values have caved into party politics, entrusting to the untrustworthy the responsibility of defending American liberty under the Constitution. Remember, friends, even if Congress is controlled by a "conservative" Republican party, even if we elect a "conservative" Republican president, none of this is sufficient to ensure the protection of our dearest rights. Isn't this obvious? 9:15 AM Before I get busy delivering hay and other farm chores I wanted to say that I do understand those of who you have written expressing your frustration over the sin of statism in America. But Romans 8 and other places in the Scripture remind us that we can be quiet and trust the Lord's work for us. After all, He loves us with an overwhelming love, and we should trust that love. I realize that apathy rules everywhere, yet in recent days I have seen many whom the Lord has touched and healed from their spiritual lukewarmness, and we can only be thankful. Remember that the greatest test of faith is not the acceptance of Jesus Christ for justification but trusting Him moment by moment throughout our lives. I am glad that so many of you feel free to write as you do, and would especially say that I will be glad if you would pray for me and my family in the midst of our work. Your friend, Dave 8:48 AM GOP dissent increases:
Read more. 8:48 AM From the mailbag:
8:36 AM Thanks, Mark, for the following links:
Friday, August 27 8:10 PM What a day! Had a tremendous time with my colleagues over lunch at the seminary, celebrating Dr. Beck's promotion to Associate Dean for Biblical Studies as well as his receiving the Teacher of the Year Award. I asked him (tongue in cheek) what he had done differently to win the award this year, and he said, "I used three of your books as required texts." And he really had! What a great guy (wink, wink). We had a fantastic time picking on each other and making utter fools of ourselves. Afterwards I mowed and edged our NC property and had another glorious ride on my Arab. Quite a workout, too. Yes, I know you're tired of me rhapsodizing about riding, but there's so much one can learn from it. In the words of Rittmeister von Oeynhausen in 1845: "Man can only be master of his horse when he is master of his own deeds and actions." Soweit meine heutige Gedanken! (Below: Fagin, the Arabian horse that lived to be 43 years old. What a beauty!)
7:31 AM Anyone with the least desire to understand the problems facing Christian voters today and those with strong pro-Republican Party leanings should read and study these essays on the GOP compiled by Chuck Baldwin.
7:20 AM Thought for the day (Sir William
Blackstone, author of Commentaries on the Laws of England):
7:16 AM It's been described as "personal, on the web, published, and part of communities." Welcome to the zany world of blogging. 7:14 AM Reagan got us out of UNESCO, and Bush got us back in again. What a fine testimony to progress! 7:03 AM The latest on the coming draft. They're coming for our daughters, too. This would be an egregious national sin. If it happens, guess who is to blame? Doug Phillips has carefully studied the issue and offers this excellent advice:
6:47 AM Iraq War: "Incalculable human and political costs." Thus George H. W. Bush. And now the son is admitting some "miscalculations." One wonders how many U.S. soldiers would be alive today if the government had shown any self-restraint in its profitable manipulation of events leading up the war. Thursday, August 26 8:58 PM Partial Birth Abortion ban: classic case of empty legislation. Who cares? After all, we have a pro-life president in office! 8:21 PM This essay is one of the best I have read on fasting.
I disagree, however, with the writer's view that "fasting" is a scribal addition. It is much more likely, in my opinion, that the word was omitted as superfluous than added. 2:09 PM From the mailbag comes this kind letter:
And then there's this email from my friend Jonathan Grubbs:
7:40 AM In case you didn't know:
7:10 AM As we discussed the temple tax last night at Bible study, I thought of how costly it was to maintain that structure in Jerusalem. Today, we are the temple of God. We don't "go to church"; we are the church. Then why must we spend so much of the Lord's money (it's all His, not just a tenth) on building and then maintaining our elaborate "temples"? I think we can learn an important lesson from this church:
Really, it's a matter of priorities: ministries over buildings. For more, please see Unleashing the Church. 7:05 AM I love Psalm 121 -- a song "for the road" (literally, "of descent"). It is sometimes said that Christianity is for losers, people who can't make it on their own. I absolutely agree! I couldn't make it one single day without the help of "the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (v. 2). He is my "keeper" and my "shade" at my right hand. And He is never "off duty" (He neither slumbers nor sleeps). It is toward this God I lift up my eyes today. He will protect and lead His people during our brief sojourn through life. Selah! Wednesday, August 25
4:33 PM
"Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott." Now that
is a comforting truth! My favorite verse from Luther's famous hymn:
4:31 PM Jim Rudd on one of the nation's greatest deceptions.
4:05 PM
300 percent, at least. I'm referring to the increased efficiency since we
replaced the blades on our auger. We sailed through digging about 30 holes
today, setting cedar
9:56 AM They're singing the praises of Pat Buchanan's latest book. I ask, Why? After showing how Bush has betrayed the principles of conservatism, Pat says we ought to stick with the president and the GOP. Someone much smarter than I explain this to me, please. 9:40 AM Here's a sampling from my sabbatical project -- a defense of the historicity and complete trustworthiness of our Gospels:
8:25 AM We Americans know the price of everything, and the value of nothing. According to the BBC, "what can I get out of government?" -- i.e., undisguised selfishness -- is the key to the 2004 election. Never you mind that 90 percent of what our federal government spends is blatantly unconstitutional. 8:23 AM No, Jesus is not pro-abortion. Then why support a president who backs Planned Parenthood? There is an alternative -- an abortion-free America by 2005. 8:15 AM Boy, do I enjoy LRC. The American people -- some of us at least -- are tired of government gridlock. We are not robots. We can think for ourselves. Read this essay for example. It's much better than a quick novocaine answer that tries to tranquilize the voter until he gets out of the voting booth! 7:10 AM My wonderful bride has been buying cream -- genuine cream -- for me to enjoy with my morning cup of coffee. I love it! I told her it reminds me of the days in Basel when we would stop at Cafe Spitz on the Rhine to enjoy a cup of good, strong, Swiss coffee, which was always served with real cream (no half and half in the land of William Tell!). Each cup cost about $3.00 (and that was back in the early '80s!), and there were no free refills, but at least you could luxuriate over your morning coffee while watching the boats and barges on the river. Is nostalgia a sign of aging or what? At any rate, thanks again, honey, for your thoughtfulness.
6:56 AM I support neither Bush nor Kerry simply because I am opposed to statism, whether from the right or the left. You say, Statism from the right? Yes sirree! 6:38 AM Yesterday in chapel at Southeastern my New Testament faculty colleague Dr. David Beck received the Excellence in Teaching Award, a much deserved honor. Dr. Beck and I co-edited a book on the Gospels and share a love for New Testament exegesis. Heartiest congratulations, brother Dave! 6:10 AM If there's one thing I remember about London - "that great cesspool into which all loungers and idlers of the Empire are irresistibly drained" (A Study in Scarlet, p. 4) - is its legendary fog. This morning it is very foggy here at Bradford Hall. Job knew that life was but a misty fog. Thus "he feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). He knew that it was only by a right relationship to God that he would be motivated to turn away from evil. This is why my heart resonates so closely with recent calls to national repentance, for God can do little among us until we are rightly related with Him. Job also undertook to "sanctify" his children (1:5) through burnt offerings, performing an intercessory role that corresponds to the prayers for his friends mentioned later in the book. There may be correct opinions about God without a heart drawn toward Him in love and prayer. These are some of the lessons God is seeking to drive home to my heart this morning as I sit and stare at the London-like fog. Tuesday, August 24 8:06 PM My friend Mark Dankof sent the following letter to the editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer. It underscores the importance of Pennsylvania in the upcoming race for president.
8:03 PM Just completed an eight hour trip with my son to pick up some parts for our tractor auger and to do hospital visitation. My wife greeted us with home-made potato soup along with home-made cheese bread. I got about two hours of writing done this morning - when my computer wasn't crashing on me (7 times!). Hope to have the bugs worked out tomorrow. By the way, thanks, Ms. Layne, for gently correcting me about today's date in my blog. Am I really the absent-minded professor I appear to be? You bet I is! 9:20 AM This morning I begin my sabbatical writing project, which I hope to complete by the end of November. I must balance this work with the chores and projects of the farm as well as a possible trip to Africa. But again, as I saw in my devotions this morning from Psalm 68: "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits" (v. 19). His daily mercies are more than adequate for our daily burdens and responsibilities, and it is with this confidence that I launch out on my "seventh-year" respite from teaching. 8:46 AM Bennett's latest is a howl:
8:34 AM Challenge to all youth pastors: Reject a peer-centered approach to youth ministry. Here's an example of how age-integrated ministry can be done! 7:23 AM One of the reasons I chose to get my doctorate at the University of Basel in Switzerland was because it was a liberal institution. I'm using the term liberal in its original meaning: open-minded. Yes, I did consider universities stateside - Harvard, Princeton, Yale - but quickly concluded that these "liberal" schools were anything but. They were open-minded until you espoused a theologically conservative conclusion - at which point their bigotry was exposed for all to see. To this day I cannot understand why any parent would send his child to an Ivy League school for an education. For a degree, perhaps, but for an education? Universities, as Larry Pratt reminds us today, are the nation's breeding grounds for tyranny and group think. 7:05 AM Doug Phillips of Vision Forum is doing more for the family than almost anyone else I know of today. I had the privilege of speaking at his recent Uniting Church and Family Conference in Saint Louis, and it was phenomenal to meet so many families who have had it with size-driven experiments in mass marketing based on age-segregated "ministries." For the latest report on the conference, including some neat pictures, go to Doug's Blog. (NB: I may be goofy, brother Doug, but I'm not a goofy-footer.) 7:04 AM Carmon Friedrich has been spammed! 6:58 AM Last night my wife and I listened to a tape that Pastor Chuck Baldwin sent us entitled "My Brother, My Enemy" (based on Matthew 10:36). I strongly urge you to get this tape. It is a powerful exposition of one of the strangest predictions in the Bible, that our own households will be our enemies simply because, like Jesus, we refuse to befriend Caesar. What a truth that needs to proclaimed from every pulpit today! Several of Chuck's messages are available at his excellent website. And please remember to pray for Chuck and Michael Peroutka daily. 6:55 AM "Ethiopia will quickly stretch out her hands to God" - this from my morning reading in Psalm 68, which anticipates the worship of God by the peoples of the earth. Just yesterday we corresponded with missionaries in Ethiopia about our helping them this fall with teaching and medical work while I am on sabbatical. The place where my wife was raised, Ethiopia owns a very special corner of our hearts, as (per this Psalm) it does God's. Our hope is to work down-country among the tribal people, where the needs are the greatest. Monday, August 23 3:29 PM As a family, we are becoming more and more convinced of the importance and blessing of showing hospitality. Many churches actually incorporate hospitality ministry into their statement of principles. Here's one, for example, near Raleigh. I highly recommend it to you, especially the sections on "ministry to widows and fatherless" and "outreach." You will be blessed and challenged by reading it, as I was. 2:36 PM Paul Craig Roberts on why you should vote Republican. 2:30 PM Michael Hill, president of the League of the South, will be Joseph Farah's guest on his nationally syndicated radio show today. 2:15 PM I remain very ignorant of the situation in the Sudan. SIM's country profile has a good overview of the needs there.
1:45 PM False promises of the Olympics exposed. Way to go, Berit! 1:04 PM The Great Compromise has survived seven presidents, according to Jim Rudd of Covenant News. There will be an eighth unless this man is elected. Remember, "choice" means death, and "pluralism" means truth does not exist. Why will you compromise any longer, my friend? 11:20 AM This is it! It don't get any better, folks! I just walked into the house from working outside to the smell of freshly baked apple/cinnamon rolls and honey wheat bread. My wonderful wife has been at it again (Prov. 31:27). 8:55 AM My good friend John Leone does an excellent job of editing the Silverback Standard. Issue 57 is now online. 8:45 AM Three cheers for pro-republic, pro-Constitution, pro-states rights Bob Barr (source: Icky's blog):
The FMA is a band-aid, not a cure-all. 7:04 AM Sitting on the front porch it is easy to luxuriate both in the beauty of nature and the wonder of God's Word. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows His handiwork." The fog drifts lazily across the pond, and the clouds seem a cauldron of fire on the far horizon. Even now the sun as a bridegroom is coming out of his chamber, rejoicing "like a strong man to run his race." (According to today's weather report, it is also certain that there will be "nothing hidden from its heat.") But God's glory and majesty are not limited to the firmament. The value of His "law" (instruction, direction) cannot be compared to any possessions - this entire farm included. "More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold." Little wonder, then, that when the Psalmist looks at the glory of nature and of God's Word he sees only his own "errors" and "secret faults." He asks to be delivered from both, trusting God, who is his "strength" and his "Redeemer." As I begin my sabbatical this week, aware of my own limitations and weaknesses, I entrust myself anew to this Redeemer God, this Good Shepherd (to cite another Psalm of David) who can lead me through the dark and difficult valleys of life to eternal life with Him. Fellow sheep: May each of you have a blessed week, remembering that the Shepherd stands over us and protects us and guides us day by day. Sunday, August 22 5:38 PM What happens when a church accepts 501c3 status? The answer may surprise you. Go here to find out. 5:34 PM Could this New Testament scholar be the next pope? 12:47 PM If Dubya is reelected, here's what you can look forward to. It's what we deserve by failing to subject our leaders to tough scrutiny and by belittling the testimony of expert dissidents. Will North Korea be next, or will they strike us first? 7:43 AM Kyle Williams misses the point. We live in a day when Christians should be outraged by liberal intolerance, "government assistance," pluralism, and a plethora of other social scourges. And the problem isn't in the church; the problem is the church. In the 1960s and 70s evangelicals decided to enter the world to change it - a world that had rejected the lifestyle and message of "fundamentalism" (now, sadly, a term of opprobrium). In a word, Christians sought to become acceptable and respectable by the world's standards. But in its attempt to reach the world the evangelical church has become so much like the world one can no longer tell any difference between the two. I'll go with Chuck Baldwin any day:
7:30 AM Little Geneva is up and running again, on all 12 cylinders. Welcome back, Harry. Saturday, August 21 3:53 PM I ran into a friend the other day who said he really enjoyed body surfing. I remember body surfing Ashkelon in Israel one day. It was a red flag day, meaning no one was allowed in the water. I strolled up to the lifeguard and told him I was a fellow lifeguard from California (which I was) and asked him if he would look the other way while I did some body surfing. He did, and I did. What a day! The picture below is of perhaps the most famous (and dangerous) body surfing beach in the world, Sandy Beach, Oahu (which breaks in about two feet of water):
3:47 PM Some excellent essays for your weekend reading. (I know you're too smart to watch TV!) 3:43 PM 107,966 hits so far this month, thanks to all of you. I appreciate your faithful readership, dear friends. 3:04 PM "Know thyself," said Plato. I would add, "Know thy horse." The walk, the trot, the halt and half-halt, lateral work, and, at the more advanced levels, collected gaits --all these are achieved only by working toward a perfect partnership with your horse. Xenophon (400 B.C.) put it this way: "Anything forced and misunderstood can never be beautiful." One of the reasons I love equestrian science is because it is so closely related to the wisdom of living. The horse teaches us self-control, constancy, and the ability (to a degree, at least) to understand what goes on in the mind of another creature so unlike ourselves. Even when practicing the walk I am constantly teaching (and learning) something from my friend the horse. Thus, when I read of a Belgian horse being put down at the Olympics I can easily understand what the rider must be feeling. 2:45 PM "Behold, I make all things old," might be our motto here at Bradford Hall. We spent the morning taking apart an old barn on a neighboring farm, getting up over a hundred planks of weathered siding in the process. I'd say the wood is at least 100 years old, possibly 150. Cut nails were used in most places. We'll use this lumber on our new "old" woodshed. Should match the new "old" garden house perfectly. Then, of course, comes the new "old" horse barn, for which we must still find old wood. The weather has been cooler these days (in the low 80s) but still very humid. I tell my son that working outdoors everyday is either going to get me into great shape or kill me. I still can't believe a kid from Kailua Beach is living his dream of farming in Southern Virginia. Isn't the Lord good? 7:53 AM European powerhouse does it again. What makes them so strong, anyway? (Note: Freestyle competition still to come. Ballet on horseback!)
7:47 AM This may be the best commentary you read all weekend. 7:30 AM "Culture Christianity" describes evangelicalism, while "Secular Christianity" describes liberalism. The one is a pietistic copout, the other an idolatrous tendency to absolutize revolution. Culture is not inherently evil, but the values of culture must always be secondary to the values of Jesus as expressed in the written Word of God. 7:01 AM Good morning. Glad you could join me for a cup of coffee. Still praying for you folks in central Florida. I hope you get your power back quickly. During one ice storm we were without electricity for 2 weeks, so at least I can commiserate. Friday, August 20 7:15 PM Went all out this afternoon - my gray Arabian gelding and I, that is. From flat out gallop to collected canter to side passing to passage-like trot. Aids with Cody can be very light as he and I know what to do and when to do it with barely a thought. We enjoy riding together. I work him very hard but he knows one thing: as soon as we head for the barn his work is done and he can stretch his neck and relax. The most difficult thing I ask of him is to halt on the way home - I don't want him jigging and jogging like so many horses do in their anticipation of their oats. What an amazing creature - the Arabian horse! How I love my Cody!
12:17 PM This just in from our "pro-life" first lady: "Yes, I think abortion should be rare." So does the president and most "pro-life" Republicans. Where, I ask, is the Christian counter-attack on these modern "do your own thing" ethicists? We are nothing more than a generation of ethically neutered neobarbarians if we believe such pitiful nonsense. To obey the social trends and whims of our humanistic culture is to forsake obedience to the Creator of ALL LIFE! 12:15 PM From today's mailbag:
12:13 PM Forget WWJD. We've now got HWJV. 12:11 PM You won't believe this. You won't! 11:55 AM Michael Peroutka's proposals are visionary but not impossible, my friends. The obstacles are in the strength of vested interests, not in the feasibility of administering the proposals. The twin ideas of human freedom and biblical law are still very much with us, though we have strayed far from them. With only 73 days until the election, we must awaken to the dangers of an overgoverned society and come to the understanding that good objectives can and have been perverted by bad means. Will we continue along the road we are following to even bigger government, or will will call a halt and change direction? It's our choice. 11:49 AM Please bear with me if my website seems a bit discombobulated. I'm learning how to transfer data between my home computer and my office hard-drive. Being your typical cybernetic dyslexic, it's taking me longer than normal to learn the ropes. My special thanks to Jerry Lassetter of our seminary for coming to my rescue many a time. 8:54 AM Izzy Lyman's book wish list:
Izzy, would the masculine of Ola Latina by Olo Latino? 8:50 AM Our real enemy.
8:36 AM One scandal too many. 8:25 AM An obituary praised singer Ray Charles for turning his vocal weaknesses into strengths. This Olympian has a similar mindset.
8:23 AM Recently I was asked by a church to preach on the Christian and voting. I was happy to accept the invitation and asked if I might also deal with specific election issues (such as the unconstitutional preemptive war in Iraq or our immoral welfare system). I was quickly disinvited. Friends, sermonettes only produce Christianettes. Why not preach some meat this pre-election season? Here's a link that will help you do that. Thursday, August 19 5:18 PM Elmer Bernstein, composer of the score to my favorite WW II movie, died today at the age of 82. Click here if you want to know what really happened in the Great Escape (no, I don't mean what the bin Laden family did after 9/11). 5:10 PM DC's errors are too palpable to deceive anybody. Read Lewis Goldberg on why you should reject the two-party monopoly and vote for Michael Peroutka and Chuck Baldwin. 12:11 PM Walter Williams is back. His thoughts on socialism are spot on! (Thanks, Rachel, for the link.) 12:10 PM Time for a quick water break from putting up fencing. Got stung again. That bee must have had GPS: he got me dead center in the back. We have almost completed a large pasture. Won't the goats love it! 8:57 AM Churches continue to "assess their human potential" all the while basing their interpretations of Scripture on, of all things, the Message. I don't know about you, but I think I'll pass on the new paradigm for church growth. 8:55 AM Doug Bandow is absolutely right in calling for the return of our sons and daughters now –not in ten years – and keeping them home, not sending them on yet another foreign expedition. One of the worst mistakes we have made is personalizing this war in Iraq. Yes, Hussein was a murderous tyrant. But there are other ways to handle such situations than sending 140,000 troops roaring across the desert. You don’t need half a million men to get rid of nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons, just precision bombing. The Big H could have and should have been marginalized, which is exactly what we had done since the end of Gulf War I. President Bush has been in a big snit because his daddy goofed in dealing with Saddam Hussein. As a result, we have created yet another third-world bad boy (Iraq) that we will use for our own purposes. After all, we were the ones who created Saddam Hussein. Then he got out of line and we took him out. It makes no sense to create bad boys and then send your own sons and daughters to snuff them out on the field. The man who is addicted to tough talk tends to personalize everything. “[T]his is a guy who tried to kill my dad,” complained Mr. Bush. And it was this president who led us to believe that Saddam Hussein was the reincarnation of Hitler. So next time, if we are going to have a first person fight, let’s get Don King to arrange it and have it in Atlantic City instead of wasting the lives of our servicemen. Should be easy. Last month Don King took Bush’s corner in Cleveland at a re-election rally for Bush. We can send our warrior president to represent our cause. The man who calls himself “the war president” ought to be eager to assume such a role, don’t you think? 7:46 AM The Constitution Party presidential ticket of Peroutka/Baldwin is now on 28 State ballots, making it able to achieve 297 electoral votes, which is more than a mathematical possibility for victory. I myself have the privilege of being an elector in Virginia for Michael Peroutka. If for no other reason, financial and economic concerns ought to make us vote for the CP ticket. The CFOs of public-owned corporations would be sent to prison if they kept books like our government. Wednesday, August 18 3:13 PM While trying to set up my computer at home I've had no end of helpful advice. Sort of reminds me of a saying of Groucho:
I love Marx, don't you? 2:54 PM No, Mr. Callahan, we are being offered a significant choice this election. His name is Michael Peroutka, and he will stand for freedom and limited constitutional government. I hope you will take a good look at his candidacy. 2:49 PM Years ago I was trying to rent an apartment in Basel, Switzerland. I called one number listed in an advertisement and asked for Mrs. so-and-so, and the answer came back "Sie ist am Apparat." Well, this sounded to me like "she's on the apparatus (of some sort)," so I asked to speak with the lady, at which point howls of laughter began piercing my ears. I quickly learned that "Sie ist am Apparat" is the equivalent of our "Speaking," and the lady had been on the phone with me the entire time. Sadly, some translational faux pas can be tragic. 2:45 PM Yet another GOP Congressman sees the light.
2:34 PM The rain is falling as I type. My son and I were able to cut all our cedar posts and pine rafters and get them unloaded at the woodshed site before the weather turned inclement. As I sit here at home looking out my office window upon our beautiful pond and pastures, with the cows and goats grazing lazily, I am full of gratitude to our "serendipitous" God (C. S. Lewis) who delights in surprising us with the underserved joys of life. As long as "things" do not replace His presence in the shrine of our hearts, we may delight in a thousand gifts that He has showered on us. I am also reminded that all things must operate on His timing, not ours, and that it will take longer to build the woodshed than we had planned. General Lee would often say, "It's all in God's hands." It most certainly and happily is. 12:50 PM This just in:
Thanks, Ben. You pose a very good question. You are correct that our rights do not come from the Constitution or any other human source. Some people, therefore, would avoid speaking of "rights" at all, arguing (correctly, in my view) that God alone is absolutely entitled to anything. In that sense we don't even have a "right to life" apart from Him and His sovereign will. I would argue that this view of "rights" is implicit in the founding documents of our nation (though we would have preferred this to have been explicitly stated). Only Jesus Christ can provide a consistent theological basis for whatever "rights" and "freedoms" we can ever enjoy. Perhaps I should have stated this more clearly in my book. At any rate, thanks again for reading the book and for writing, and my very best wishes to you. 10:47 AM Mr. Bush is a huge supporter of welfare. Only one problem: We don't have a "right" to economic equality. No one does. The "right" to welfare violates the eighth commandment. The state is far more limited than Bush imagines. 10:45 AM Did the U.S. spare bin Laden? 10:32 AM Just a question: If we are all "brothers," and if Jesus confers lordship upon no man, and if He calls us to reject exalted titles ("It shall not be so among you"), then why must we encourage churchism and elitism in the Body of Christ by using such titles as "Esq." or "Dr." or "Rev."? (I noted this at several conferences I spoke at recently. Some speakers were listed with titles, others were not. Some were "Doctors," but who knew whether these were earned doctorates or diploma mill acquisitions or whatever. I believe it is more than simply a matter of nomenclature to be called Brother Black.) For more on the use of honorific titles in the church, please see my page Unleashing the Church. 10:14 AM Our empire is revolving, and the rational for it will be just as scrupulously "documented" as Saddam Hussein's complicity in 9/11, his collaboration with al Qaeda, his WMD, and the "rescue" of Private Lynch. The real problem, of course, is not the hype but our willingness to see black as white and white as black. Meanwhile, the core of al Qaeda has metastasized, growing new heads like a Hydra. And just how many of them are sneaking though our porous borders as we speak? 9:12 AM It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Looks like we'll be starting the woodshed today. Hope you Floridians are doing OK! Tuesday, August 17 3:09 PM DBO writer Jonathan Grubbs survived hurricane Charley, though his power is still out. I am, however, concerned about Little Geneva, which has not posted since last Thursday. Praying for you, brothers! 12:20 PM I'll admit I'm enchanted with the art and science of dressage riding. My dressage instructor in California was a German. Since 1960, Germany has been the top dressage nation in the world. In Athens, Germany will be looking to extend its gold-medal streak in team dressage events and reclaim the individual gold from Anky van Grunsven of the Netherlands, who became the first non-German to win the individual gold since 1980 at the Sydney Games in 2000. Should be an interesting competition. (Below: Victorious Anky on her Dutch warmblood.)
12:15 PM My friend Lee Shelton of Ever Vigilant has just published part two of his series on the "lesser of two evils myth." Read Federal Court Appointments. 9:10 AM Gov. Bush is appealing it, but I agree with this verdict on school vouchers in Florida. As I have said elsewhere:
(From Why I Stopped Listening to Rush.) 9:08 AM One reviewer called this book "my favorite book on the Psalms since C. S. Lewis's Reflections on the Psalms." Kudos and congratulations to my colleague and suitemate, Dr. Michael Travers. 9:05 AM This just in: Dave- I’m taking a few minutes before I begin my work day to say your article hit the mark with me and I want to encourage you to keep “preaching from the rooftops”. I find it interesting and not a coincidence that I am currently reading “Hitler’s Cross” by Erwin Lutzer of the Moody Bible Church in which he shows how the church in Germany fell into the same trap and the bent cross of the Nazis was substituted for the cross of Christ through nationalism. Lutzer is also warning the church in America. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest you do so. Our home email is listed as Cc. In His Service, Bob 8:32 AM Carmon Friedrich of Buried Treasure Books gets back home from Saint Louis (read her report of the Uniting Church and Family Conference here). My only question is theological and concerns dominion: Steve, as the patriarchal head of your family, which direction should the TP go? 8:10 AM People cannot not watch TV.
7:56 AM Even before 9/11, Mr. Bush began to limit free speech rights through the establishment of "free speech zones" where the public is "allowed" to assemble whenever Bush or Cheney is in town. (These zones were used for the first time, ironically, in Philadelphia in 2000.) They are now a common feature in the American landscape (witness the "cage" in Boston), and don't expect peaceful protestors to get any different treatment in New York City next week. 7:45 AM I pray daily that God would cause the American holocaust of abortion to cease, and that those who are involved in it would toss and turn at night until they repent and find peace with the Creator of Life. According to the Life Dynamics website (http://www.ldi.org/), there used to be over 2000 abortion clinics in America. Today, LDI is reporting there are 749. At the Life Dynamics homepage, click on "Find an Abortion Clinic" to locate, by state, the total number of abortion mills in every state; on the same page you can also find the specific name and address of every child-murder center, also listed by state. Please join me in praying that God will convict those who operate these abortuaries. And remember: a true pro-life voter believes that abortion is the litmus test for all candidates and then votes accordingly. Every day 3,805 babies are killed in the U.S. by abortion because they have no voice. It is our responsibility to speak on behalf of those that cannot speak for themselves. Thus John Piper:
Monday, August 16 5:01 PM DBO contributor John Leone is one tough dude. 4:16 PM I'll never forget the first baklava I had. It was in Athens in 1981 and it accompanied the best arnion I have ever tasted. My wife also convinced me to try a dish I absolutely detested: okra. The Greeks made it so tasty that I have since repented and can't wait for my wife to serve it up again. L'Express wonders if diplomacy based on cuisine night be more effective than traditional dickering - especially if Baklava is served. Good question.
4:01 PM Peter Jennings & Co. will never get Jesus right as long as they get the Bible wrong. It's the Greatest Story Never Told. 3:50 PM If we ever were to learn the truth about 9/11, resignations would abound. The 9/11 Report provides an excellent negative example of how government works.
3:46 PM I am totally responsible for everything that happens in my home. Including my failures. 3:29 PM Okay, at the Uniting Church and Family Conference Doug and Scott issued a challenge: Is Dave Black a goofy footer or not? I think it's time I came clean. The answer is in this photo of the Banzai Pipeline: 2:45 PM Heartfelt thanks to my friend Mr. Jim Rudd at Covenant News for linking some of my essays at his excellent website, which is dedicated to those courageous Christians of strong principle and faith who refuse to be manipulated by the secular elite. May God richly bless your efforts, brother Jim. 2:40 PM Troop recall may signal nothing more than preparations for the next war. 2:38 PM It is an appalling testimony to the effectiveness of Christian PR groups over the last ten years that the dangers of the seeker-sensitive movement are so readily overlooked or ignored by the evangelical mainstream. Gladly, a new generation of Christian warriors is dedicated to showing that the emperor has no clothes. 2:22 PM The preemptive war against Iraq is nothing less than a blunt betrayal of the Jeffersonian ideal of "peace, commerce, and honest friendship will all nations." As the scene in Najaf shows, the Ba'athist strategy has been to draw our soldiers into an impossible guerilla war. Writes Andrew Young in today's LRC:
Read War Party Myths About Lincoln, Terrorism, and Saddam. 11:10 AM American Airlines may have gotten us back to RDU over 2 hours late yesterday and then we had to wait an hour (!) for our luggage, but their in-flight magazine does have some pretty good crossword puzzles. I especially enjoyed the following clues (answers written backwards):
9:30 AM I continue to feel that I am the most blessed person on the planet. You would too if you received emails like this one:
You are absolutely correct, dear brother. The answer to our woes in America is deceptively simple - and life-changing: when family, church, and civil government come closest to being what God intended them to be. With these priorities fixed steadfastly before our eyes will come obedience to what He says. Let's get back to the business of being what God intended for us to be! 9:25 AM Mr. Specter: Put up or shut up on sodomite unions (from Jim Clymer's new website). 9:20 AM Just received a wonderful email from a pastor who listed his credentials as follows: BA, BS, MBA, PHD ( = Born Again/Baptized & Sanctified/My Beliefs Affirmed/Praising Him Daily!). Love it! 9:03
AM The trip to the
Uniting Church and Family Conference in Saint Louis was a marvelous
experience. The Lord blessed us with gorgeous weather, great attendance,
wonderful Christian fellowship, and a spirit of renewal among the families
present. My heartfelt thanks, once again, to Doug Phillips and Scott Brown
for inviting me to attend,
Many thanks to all of you who attended my session, who took the time to talk with me, and who acquired a copy of The Myth of Adolescence. Several of you asked for my prayers for struggles you are encountering. I am honored to take your requests to the Father. Let's keep in touch. Thursday, August 12 3:14 PM Matthew Gamel, author of numerous DBO articles including this and this, just sent me a very nice email:
Thanks, Matt. My own thinking has evolved over the years through trial and error, and I feel like I still have so much to learn. Young people like yourself are the hope for the future of the church, and I wish you Godspeed as you develop your own biblical philosophy of family and church life. 2:05 PM A lesson in eating humble pie.
2:03 PM Retreating to Rome: The battle over justification. A good critique of the "New Perspective." 11:55 AM Several months ago I wrote an essay in Baptist Press defending Roy Moore, and in my latest book I devoted an entire chapter to the subject. Moore continues to deny (rightly, in my view) that his action was an act of civil disobedience. Read Moore Defends His Stand. (Hat tip: Covenant News.) 10:58 AM Want to know why your child's teacher can't teach?
Read Izzy Lyman's latest. Izzy is a perceptive social critic and an incurable proselytizer for The Homeschooling Revolution. 10:56 AM Here's one invitation I'm not waiting for. That goes for this invitation, too. 10:25 AM Slender, narrow, lean, underweight, lanky, scrawny, gaunt, drawn - anything but "thin." 10:23 AM A gripping number. 8:13 AM From Yahoo Finance: Peroutka-Baldwin ticket added to Washington and Pennsylvania ballots. 8:11 AM From the mailbag:
8:05 AM "Because a great America deserves great art." This, the new theme for the National Endowment for the Arts. There is only one approach to the NEA, friends.
Read It's Time to Abolish Art Welfare. Wednesday, August 11 10:30 AM More on the canter depart:
10:20 AM Here's a good modesty check list (pdf) I stumbled across at Austin's Parenting with Purpose. 9:47 AM This speaks for itself:
9:50 AM The Hack is absolutely right: our troops are at the end of a 10,000-mile supply line requiring both megabucks and megaguts to maintain. Once supplies are shipped to ports in Kuwait or Turkey, they still have to be trucked forward on “Highways of Death” treks, which daily take their nerve-shattering toll in U.S. casualties and destroyed vehicles and supplies.
And fighting the
guerrillas in Iraq has worn out our regular ground force to the point that units
committed there need a minimum of a year Stateside to recover from their
tours in hell. Ditto the Guard and Reserve troops –
We’re also suddenly on high alert in Washington, D.C., Newark, N.J., and New York City, which have all morphed into Checkpoint Charlies, just as Boston was a maxi-fortress last month. Meanwhile, our southern border is being breached by hundreds of Muslim fanatics passing as Mexicans, and our northern border has more holes in it than the White House sprinkler system.
Sully, let’s face it: The USA is only in Round One of what promises to be at least a 15-rounder, yet we’re already performing like Mike Tyson in his last fight. For sure, our country’s first priority should be defending this great land – which should certainly include securing our borders and rebuilding our exhausted, overextended Army and Marine Corps. Read more.9:45 AM L'Express: Mary, mother of Jesus, the first modern woman.
9:35 AM Is all of southern Iraq about to be set aflame? 9:27 AM First snowboarding, now surfing in the Olympics? So are surfing pools the wave of the future? What would the Duke think? 9:25 AM Thought for today:
9:23 AM This just in from Athens. Note the rare archeological find: ancient radio tower.
8:55 AM Empowering everyone with a voice. 8:20 AM Check out these phenomenal ultrasound pictures. And remember: there is only one candidate for president who is 100 percent pro-life. 8:18 AM Chuck Baldwin's latest ably defends the U.S. Constitution against the New World Order thinking of the current Republican administration.
8:16 AM Does Porter Goss have the track record to be the nation's top spy? 8:14 AM More regime change and nation building in the offing. This from a man who in 1999 said, “Let us not dominate others with our power. ... Let us have an American foreign policy that reflects American character. The modesty of true strength. The humility of real greatness. This is the strong heart of America. And this will be the spirit of my administration.” 8:12 AM Freedom lies at the heart of Jesus' teaching, but never at the expense of accountability. No wonder the 9/11 survivors are furious. I would be too. 7:34 AM You never know where evil lurks. 6:15 AM Constitution Party ballet access achieved in key battleground states. This is a great victory for hardworking state chairpersons. A tip of the kepi to you, ladies and gentlemen. 6:14 AM From Debbie Hopper, co-director of the National Coalition to Restore the Constitution:
6:12 AM Edged our NC property yesterday...worked on canter departs with Cody (going from a standstill to a canter without any intervening steps)...got up 99 bales of hay with my son...worked on installing Front Page on my farm computer with the help of Jerry Lassiter of our IT Department...went to bed feeling good but sore. Monday, August 9 4:15 PM Come, come now, Mr. Dougherty. Make our Olympic athletes wear flag-studded clothing? There's a distinction between patriotism and the kind of blind nationalism you seek to defend. 3:58 PM I know the feeling.
3:56 PM Swiss slap duties on goods made in occupied territories in Israel. 3:23 PM Bush's support for illegal aliens is costing him votes in Arizona, as well it should. Remember, the border patrol catches only one alien in five. Here's what Michael Peroutka will do to solve the problem. (Below: A woman hidden behind the dashboard of a car.)
2:47 PM Some say this man will be Billy Graham's successor. Others think he's the Velcro Bishop with another Gospel. President Bush likes him, and Max Lucado - yes Max Lucado! - wrote the forward to his latest book. Stay tuned....
2:45 PM Does this mean I'll have beach front property soon? 2:36 PM "The truth shall set you free" - with a perverted twist. Yet another sad victim of our screaming war frenzy. 1:23 PM Speaking of ancient Greece, check out this fantastic site of the Apostle Paul's travels, replete with photos. 1:15 PM Virtuosity Online presents We Three Dupes (as the Anglican community continues to unravel):
12:58 PM Only 59.9 percent of Americans feel Athens is a safe place, according to this report from Greece. Among Europeans the average is even lower: 40 percent. 12:34
PM In 1981 my wife and
I visited Olympia on the Peloponnesus in Greece - the site of the original
Olympics. The winners received crowns of olive leaves - and promises of immortality.
The 293rd Olympiad in 393 A.D., a total of 1,169 years
after the first Olympic competition, was the last until modern times.
If you're heading for Greece it's well
worth a detour to this interesting site. It's a four-hour drive west of
12:03 PM Read Larry Pratt's election day 2002 sermon delivered at Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. A superb piece of analytical preaching tackling what is just about the toughest problem faced by Christians. 11:59 AM This just in: The program for the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. (Tip: NT Gateway.) I will probably be teaching in Africa at conference time and so will not attend. 11:40 AM I'm not surprised that Jay Sekulow fails to mention the Constitution Party in this essay. Like most Neocons he could use a little prodding from Chuck Baldwin about taking a real stand on the issues of the day. 11:37 AM My friend Lee Shelton has started a two-part series on the lesser-of-two-evils myth. This is a must read, especially if you voted for the Republican ticket in 2000. 11:35 AM Wanna join the club?
11:28 AM I just received a wonderful newsletter from G. V. Mathai of the India Evangelical Mission, with whom I had the privilege of ministering in the state of Kerala several years ago. His report included the following statement: "Eleven persons were recently baptized, including five from the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu, who are in fellowship with a local body of believers." Note he didn't say "such and such a number of people prayed to receive Christ." The Great Omission in the Great Commission is the making disciples part - "teaching them to observe all things." I will be the first to admit to my shame that I have "led people to Christ" without seeing that they were placed in a healthy incubator where they could grow spiritually. Our responsibility does not end with sharing the Good News, my friends. 9:56 AM Compromise is compromise is compromise. Are you listening, Mr. Santorum? 9:45 AM Disney in Baghdad? Bad idea. Iraq has become a haven for terrorists - something it wasn't before it was invaded. What a gift for Bin Laden. 9:32 AM The Peroutka Prayer Brigade keeps growing. Will you join us? 8:25 AM Quote of the day:
8:23 AM Pennsylvania Republicans are frantic as Constitution Party candidate Jim Clymer opposes pro-abortion, pro-sodomy Arlen Specter:
Friends, if you still think a vote for the Republican ticket is a vote for conservatism, please read this. 8:20 AM Here's a great link to foreign newspapers worldwide. My daily habit is to read at least one paper in German, French, and Spanish. With the Olympics coming up, the Greek papers are also interesting sources of information. 7:52 AM America's final crisis: a poem by Patrick Johnston. 7:47 AM From a former missionary:
Thank you, Glenn. As the Lord enables, we will strive to do just that. 7:45
AM Had a rather
harrowing experience over the weekend. I was in the stall about to put the
halter on my Arabian gelding when I backed into a wasp's nest. I was stung
nine or
Wednesday, August 5 4:35 PM Sorry, friends - couldn't resist posting this shot of the beautiful beach where I grew up and was baptized (Kailua, Oahu): 4:30 PM More and more people have stopped listening to the "experts" sitting behind their mahogany desks and have gone back to common-sense parenting. Homeschooling is up 29 percent since 1999, despite its "cloistered environment," and it will only increase as more parents take their Christian responsibilities seriously. Even Cambridge, England has an active homeschooling community. 4:20 PM From the mailbag:
2:35 PM The seminary bookstore has just informed me that copies of Why I Stopped Listening to Rush have been ordered and should be available within a week. The book is also available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders. The publisher offers the book at a discount. 2:15 PM Discovering participatory church meetings. 12:29 PM The blessing and bane of the hurricane season: high surf with dangerous rip currents. 12:09 PM I spent a lot of time yesterday with our chickens, just watching them - and enjoying them. I've already trained a couple of "teenagers" to jump up in my hands like Little Feather used to do, and, of course, we still feed Blackie and Brownie by hand (their beaks had been cut by Southern States before we got them). We now have eight mamas sitting (setting?) and who knows how many chicks that have hatched out. These mother hens are nature's object lesson in loving parenthood, that's for sure!
12:09 PM As a follow-up to my essay Rejecting the Feasts of Ahab allow me to quote the words of my friend Chuck Baldwin (from his VP-acceptance speech in Valley Forge):
Pastor friend, will you join the Black Regiment? 12:05 PM Today we said goodbye to Ben and Leah Wall, a wonderful couple who spent a few days with us at Bradford Hall celebrating their second wedding anniversary. Last night my wife cooked the most delicious Cordon Bleu I have ever tasted, capped off with mint cheesecake. Ben and Leah are a team dedicated to following and serving God with their whole heart, and we wish both of them all the joys of Christian hedonism. 9:58
AM I heard Franklin
Saunders give this
speech on the coming draft at the
9:45 AM I'll be speaking at the Uniting Church and Family Conference in St. Louis this month. Here are the details. 9:40 AM The apostolic church, and departures therefrom. 9:33 AM What the 9/11 Commission didn't tell you. 9:25 AM With or without "under God," the Pledge is still a bad idea.
Read more. 9:25 AM Jim Lobe evaluates America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order (Cambridge University Press). Read his review here. 9:23 AM How much longer can the terrorist alert be in effect and still be "effective," especially when no attack is imminent? Read Tom Engelhardt on our old and limited thinking on fighting terrorism. 8:45 AM Mr. Bush is about as liberal as they come. Pat Buchanan (pdf) knew this as far back as 2000. (Link: Charles Porter.) 7:53 AM This morning's front page features an essay on (among other things) modest dress. It was written by the daughter of one of my good friends. Mary Mohler, wife of seminary president Al Mohler, has some good advice on dressing modestly, and one of the best pages on the internet that deals with femininity and modest apparel is this one. Tuesday, August 3 10:45 AM They'll be waxing down their surfboards on the coast about now.
10:30 AM God speed to Dee Coker, pastor of Amis Chapel Baptist Church in Oxford, who is off to India to spend a few days with Finney Matthews and the Alpha Ministries team. Alpha Ministries, whose board I have the privilege of serving on, is committed to reaching the largely Islamic states of Northern India with the Gospel. I will be filling the pulpit for Dee this Sunday. 10:23 AM Is NORAD telling the truth about 9/11? One senator doubts it. 10:12 AM The communist system has broken down; it is only ruthless power that keeps it going. And the capitalist system is going bust. There is coming the twenty-first century equivalent of the dark ages unless we overturn this mad imperialistic system we have adopted. 10:05 AM Our government continues warehousing people on welfare, generation after generation, destroying their self-esteem and their skills to provide for themselves. As Thomas Johnson writes: Christian ethicists ought to be in the forefront of opposing the federal welfare state. My question: Why are they silent? 9:56 AM Thanks to Linda Craft and her team at ReMax Realty for use of their moving van yesterday. Thanks also to Brett Honeycutt, a Southeastern student, for driving all the way up from Charlotte to help us move boxes to Bradford Hall. 8:35 AM Nobody says it better or clearer than Ron Paul:
8:30 AM George W. Bush: World class polarizer. 8:28 AM It backfired. War usually does. 6:48 AM Michael Peroutka, the nominee of the Constitution Party for president, will be the guest on Joseph Farah's WorldNetDaily Radioactive show today. Monday, August 2 8:04 AM Today's surf report for coastal North Carolina:
7:48 AM A sampling from Good As New:
7:28 AM The APA finally comes out of the closet. 7:17 AM From the New England Journal of Medicine comes the latest medical euphemism: "atrocity-producing situation." Evangelical ethicists ought to jump all over this outrage but they won't. 7:14 AM "War on abortion" versus "War on terror." Which is more critical? 7:10 AM On the history of the invitation system:
See http://www.thebaptistpage.com/history/Stearns.pdf. 6:57
AM The so-called terror alert in New York is grossly
irresponsible. All it does is allow terrorists to test our security
measures while raising oil
prices. The only way to bullet 6:55 AM Don't blame our elected officials for failing to address the problems of the warfare/welfare state and making smooth statements while the fires are burning. Blame the sheeple. We, not they, are the true wimps. 6:50 AM Charley Reese on The Bush Bash:
6:45 AM Moore's Meanderings passes the million dollar mark. 6:43 AM Kerry's solution to the manpower shortfall in Iraq: Send other nations' troops to die instead of Americans. 6:17 AM Kudos for Karl Hofmann's Republican Group Think:
The key issue here is that the people of America are growing more and more distrustful of their own government and, as a consequence, are seeking biblical solutions to political problems. This is much to be desired, and I am thankful for writers like Karl for getting the message out. 6:10 AM From the mailbag: Dear Brother Dave Black: Thank you, Oscar. I am happy to add you to the list. As you well know, without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). 6:07 AM Just received this email from Pastor Matt Trewhella of Missionaries to the Preborn, a mission I strongly endorse. Please join me in praying for their Great Lakes Tour.
6:05 AM All of our goats got their injections and worming medications this weekend, and we purchased our billy (a full-blooded Boer) from a neighbor. The fencing in of our pastures continues, though it remains extremely wet, hot, and humid in southern Virginia. Tropical Storm Alex is 100 miles off the coast of S. Carolina and may be headed our way, so it looks like more heavy rain for the next few days. Our hay pastures are definitely the beneficiaries of such a wet summer!
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