tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63045679505817514262011-11-27T18:27:02.951-05:00I used to believe that faith and intellect were incompatible. And so, I put complete faith in my intellect. Eventually, I realized there was an inherent problem with this approach.Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.comBlogger1681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-36983543731708433232010-01-20T09:39:00.002-05:002010-01-20T09:46:16.652-05:00

Once Obama took office with a super-majority in both houses, the Democratic motto was, “They can do it our way or we'll do it without them.” Most notably, they passed a $700 billion+ pork bill lining their own pockets but leaving the Republicans (and their constituents) out in the cold — the most monumental case of corruption this nation has ever seen.No more. Massachusetts independents decided

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-26190500231474583982009-02-05T15:47:00.002-05:002009-02-05T15:50:12.210-05:00

Letter to the editor of the Economist:Yet of all the discoveries of 19th- and early 20th-century science…only evolution has failed to find general acceptance outside the scientific world.(“Unfinished business”, Economist, 5 Feb 2009)There is an obvious explanation for this. No scientist attempts to draw from the theory of microscopic atoms the absurd conclusion that therefore there cannot be an

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-13472564211678287562009-01-16T22:05:00.004-05:002009-01-27T20:31:33.071-05:00

More Perfect Union: Atheists Want ‘God’ Stricken From Inaugural Oath

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-78825882567425764042009-01-06T09:10:00.004-05:002009-01-06T09:27:02.135-05:00

“I just can't envision a scenario where somebody posts to a message board, ‘I'm getting ready to launch an IED at this location,’ and the government will find that,” said terrorism analyst Matt Devost. A lot of postings about attacks are “fantasy, almost role-playing,” Devost said.(Thomas Frank, “Feds consider searches of terrorism blogs”, USA Today, 23 Dec 2008)As Mr. Devost is no doubt aware,

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-36773377356518191462009-01-02T15:01:00.006-05:002009-01-27T20:26:43.155-05:00

More Perfect Union: Taking religion to court

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-64373511686372120942009-01-01T09:09:00.005-05:002009-01-01T10:22:13.365-05:00

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy … In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.(Eph 5:25-28, NIV)[Wives who] you fear may be rebellious admonish, banish them to their couches, and beat them. If they then obey you, look not for any way against them.(Sura 4:34;

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-85089907533192892822008-12-29T21:25:00.002-05:002008-12-29T21:36:15.395-05:00

A follow-up question from my sister:You commented over soup, I think, that you don't think non-Christians can understand (are supposed to understand?) Revelation. Is that what you meant to say? If so, why not? (Beyond the general difficulties of understanding such a vision, of course.)Yes, that is what I meant to say. Of course, that does not mean that I was correct.It comes back to what I

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-15612676461863428832008-12-29T09:55:00.009-05:002009-02-03T20:22:56.391-05:00

Sad factIf you consider that there have been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq Theater of Operations during the last 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000.The firearms death rate in Washington D.C. is 80.6 per 100,000.That means that you are about 25% more likely to be shot and killed in our Nation's Capitol, which has some of the

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-73084078694496484482008-12-28T18:25:00.004-05:002008-12-29T21:34:09.129-05:00

A letter to my sister.You asked me about my view of Revelation, but we never got to finish that conversation.I believe the book of Revelation is John's account of a vision he experienced, in which God communicated to him in symbolic imagery about events and concepts incomprehensible to the human mind. There is a definite message that we are meant to understand, but many of the details remain a

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-31543898123947191252008-12-27T19:30:00.006-05:002009-01-27T20:37:29.334-05:00

More Perfect Union: Fixing the electoral college

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-84345668332679792352008-12-21T17:40:00.006-05:002008-12-29T10:00:43.701-05:00

History warns us, however, that it is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions; and, as matters now stand, it is hardly rash to anticipate that, in another twenty years, the new generation, educated under the influences of the present day, will be in danger of accepting the main doctrines of The Origin of Species with as little reflection, and it may be

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-88513312022934611922008-12-17T13:29:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.865-05:00

Dr. Robert North, ex-Jesuit, psychologist and scripture scholar argues in The Way of Life by Jesus of Nazareth that Jesus is the true author of a first century text recently discovered buried in Egypt. Scholars have just received the book and are examining the extensive and astounding evidence of its authorship. …(chain letter, “A Chistmas [sic] Blockbuster for your Bookstore”, Dec 2008)This book

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-62946306776498237742008-12-15T22:35:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.865-05:00

Much that is wrong with humankind can be summed up in the observation that we have divorced guilt from shame.The terms can be defined in various ways. For simplicity, I will define guilt as a fact, and shame as a feeling. I am guilty if I have done something wrong; I am ashamed if I feel as though I have done something wrong.The two should go hand in hand. If I have neither guilt nor shame, then

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-47093631553978580752008-12-04T21:40:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.866-05:00

I can't give up a piece of territory like that to the communists, and get the American people to reelect me.(John F. Kennedy, 1961, quoted in The Cold War: A Very Short Introduction, by Robert J. McMahon, Oxford University Press, 2003, pp. 101-2)I am not old enough to remember the start of the Vietnam War, and I only dimly remember its end. My family demonized Richard Nixon for his role in the

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-79706931189529452062008-12-04T08:32:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.866-05:00

Between the 1440s, when Portuguese mariners first began to kidnap and to purchase Africans, and 1867, the year of the last recorded slaving voyage to the Americas, some 12 million men, women, and children were turned into commodities and exported from the continent. …By the end of the first millennium AD [five centuries before the advent of the Atlantic slave trade], captives were also being

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-9278484231077130482008-12-04T08:19:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.866-05:00

The 19th-century notion that humankind can be divided into discrete races has now been abandoned by geneticists and historians alike.(John Parker & Richard Bathbone, African History: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, 2007, p. 9)I can see how geneticists may have abandoned the notion, but historians? The notion of race would still seem to play a major role in American history and

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-49819069116860139972008-12-01T14:47:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.867-05:00

Exegesis is just a fancy word for efforts to interpret the intended meaning of the Scriptures. The discussion of inerrancy and redundancy suggests some important principles of exegesis. Always use Scriptures to interpret Scripture. An error in transcription, translation or interpretation of one text will be revealed in comparison with other texts.Doctrines that are repeated throughout Scripture

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-52751714617807834502008-11-30T20:23:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.867-05:00

Most reputable Christian denominations (and some not-so-reputable) include an element in their creed something to the effect of: The Holy Scriptures are inspired by God, without error in the original manuscripts, and a reliable source of knowledge and wisdom. (Mt 22:29; Mk 14:49; Lk 24:45; Jn 10:35; Ac 1:16; 17:11; 18:28; Rom 1:2; 15:4; Gal 3:8; 1Tim 4:13; 2Tim 3:14-17; 2Pet 1:20-21) What,

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-89312662049499057052008-11-29T11:06:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.868-05:00

After the federal government warned of a potential Al Qaeda attack, as the city shifted into Thanksgiving holiday mode, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have stepped up patrols in the city's subways and trains.(Harkamai Singh, “Security beefed up on NY subways after warning of possible attack”, TopNews, 29 Nov 2008)We have heard many vehement

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-69441255982869846882008-11-29T10:00:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.869-05:00

When Hillary Clinton was first mentioned as President-elect Obama's secretary of state, the two most oft-heard comments were: “team of rivals” and “keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” (H.D.S. Greenway, “Greenway: A team of rivals”, Herald Tribune, 27 Nov 2008) The tactic sounds simple and effective: defang erstwhile enemies by pulling them into your inner circle, gather the most

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-7548988644855266172008-11-29T08:28:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.869-05:00

Mr Obama’s national security appointments suggest a strong preference for pragmatism and flexibility. All three have supported positions more hawkish than his own. The American left is getting a rather different president from the war-opposing hopemonger that they voted for.(“Masters of war”, The Economist, 27 Nov 2008)[Obama's economic] team's other striking feature is its centrism. Mr Summers

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-49518004809845892392008-11-28T19:00:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.869-05:00

“They [the Georgians] had everything,” one Russian soldier says. “They had nice barracks, good furniture, and we live like tramps. But they got screwed …”(“Enigma variations”, The Economist, 25 Nov 2008)With … without … And who'll deny it's what the fighting's all about?(Pink Floyd, “Us and Them”, The Dark Side of the Moon, 17 Mar 1973)Is that really what the fighting is all about? The Russian

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-65707744292111514492008-11-28T18:03:00.003-05:002009-01-27T20:20:56.044-05:00

More Perfect Union: Tayyip Erdogan: Reluctant autocrat

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-40564682776408118612008-11-28T17:13:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.870-05:00

The way some Americans talk, they're getting five presidents in one. …(“Commentary: Which hero do we want Obama to be?”, CNNPolitics.com, 27 Nov 2008)They left out Reagan.The commentator's concluding remarks say it all:But will Obama be a great one? Even a good one?The Americans who are comparing him to those remarkable predecessors are putting a lot of faith in a man they barely know.Let's pray

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-50400417069741506772008-11-28T16:46:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.870-05:00

[T]he head of Pakistani intelligence [will visit] India for the first time to counter claims that the militants who carried out the Mumbai attackers [sic] are linked to his country. …Pakistan’s “government will cooperate with India in exposing and apprehending the culprits and the masterminds behind” the Mumbai terrorist attacks, according to a statement by the president’s office. …Pakistan’s

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-59130105855262702712008-11-27T20:50:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.870-05:00

Marriage is virtually unknown in today's western world. Some religious leaders once asked Jesus, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” He replied: Haven't you read that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-31611294998370764992008-11-25T20:29:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.871-05:00

President-elect Barack Obama has decided to keep Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in a show of bipartisan continuity in a time of war, the first time a Pentagon chief has been carried over from a president of a different party, Democrats close to the transition said Tuesday.(Peter Baker, “Defense Secretary Said to Be Staying On”, The New York Times, 25 Nov 2008)Okay, I would never have predicted

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-56558608500342323682008-11-22T08:41:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.871-05:00

I feel most deeply that this whole question of Creation is too profound for human intellect. A dog might as well speculate on the mind of Newton! Let each man hope and believe what he can.(Charles Darwin, London Illustrated News, 21 April 1862)We conclude — unexpectedly — that there is little evidence for the neo-Darwinian view: its theoretical foundations and the experimental evidence supporting

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-22977251160496812762008-11-20T18:45:00.001-05:002009-01-27T20:50:40.484-05:00

By 2025, the accelerating pace of globalization and the emergence of new powers will produce a world order vastly different from the system in place for most of the post-World War II era, according to a projection by the federal government's top intelligence analysts. The projection, prepared by the National Intelligence Council of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, was made

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-81304004027747983392008-11-20T09:24:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.872-05:00

There are any number of reasons for the Republican Party’s defeat on November 4th. But high on the list is the fact that the party lost the battle for brains. … The Republicans lost the battle of ideas even more comprehensively than they lost the battle for educated votes, marching into the election armed with nothing more than slogans. … Republicanism’s anti-intellectual turn is devastating for

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-22963825473610313192008-11-17T20:12:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.872-05:00

At this defining moment in history, we believe that Americans of all parties want and need their leaders to come together and change the bad habits of Washington so that we can solve the common and urgent challenges of our time.(President-elect Obama and Senator McCain, joint statement, quoted by ABC News)When Obama beat Hillary in the primary, I believed that no matter which candidate won, we

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-8252669256404598802008-11-17T08:27:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.873-05:00

There is an exceedingly popular and influential branch of theology which teaches, among other things: (I) God has predestined a small minority of people, “the elect”, for eternal bliss. These people have no choice; they cannot reject the gift.(U) God has predestined everyone else, “the damned” (or perhaps “the lost”), for eternal torment. These people also have no choice, and no hope. They were

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-91648072713577694142008-11-16T20:53:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.873-05:00

Someone posed to me the question of how to recognize the “true” church. I answered: The true church consists simply of those who know Jesus (Mt 7:21-23), and the true church meets together any time two or more gather in his name (Mt 18:20). While that answer is true as far as it goes, I wonder if it perhaps deserves more elaboration. After all, there are plenty of groups out there, many of

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-88900044370000553742008-11-14T10:48:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.873-05:00

This post is in response to a comment posted on a previous thread. The entire comment can be read there; excerpts are included here. No one can aspire to become a priest; he must be called of God as was Aaron. -God directed Moses to choose Aaron (Hebrews 5:4). …So, the question is this: who exactly did your minister get his authority from and can he trace his power to Christ or some other person

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-31302024072921764652008-11-12T22:49:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.874-05:00

Someone wrote me with a list of “key beliefs” that he thinks can help weed out “the true church” from among all the counterfeits, and asked me to critique it. I did. Honestly, this whole endeavor sets off major warning bells. Any attempt to identify a single “true” faith by implication labels all others as “false”. This is destined to sow divisions within the body of Christ (Rom 16:17-18; 1Tim

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-11283557785454639792008-11-05T20:28:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.874-05:00

There is a popular claim, “You can't legislate morality.” That's nonsense. Every law we have is based on morality. The question is, which morality?A radical fringe of the religious right would adopt the Bible — or at least their favorite excerpts from it — as the law of the land. This would be a grave mistake. It would also contradict the teaching of the Bible, as I understand it.Jesus claimed

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-29182100804712928342008-11-05T18:50:00.001-05:002009-01-27T20:39:17.210-05:00

“I think the voters were thinking, ‘Well, if it makes them happy, why shouldn't we let gay couples get married.’ And I think we made them realize that there are broader implications to society and particularly the children when you make that fundamental change that's at the core of how society is organized, which is marriage.”(Jeff Flint, quoted in “Gay-rights advocates to challenge Proposition 8

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-39701038732226534522008-11-05T11:19:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.875-05:00

From a letter to the pastor and elders of our new church.[The pastor] made some comments at last month's communion service with which I strongly resonated. The gist of the message was that the reason we ask elders to serve communion is to demonstrate a Biblical principle, that leaders are called to humbly serve those they lead. (Mk 10:42-45; Jn 13:1-17)However, I'm afraid this message often gets

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-45781356844020443132008-11-05T10:07:00.001-05:002009-01-27T20:40:07.952-05:00

There were scattered boos and jeers when McCain urged the Americans who supported him to offer the next president “our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together.”(John McCain: ‘We must move beyond it’, Los Angeles Times, Nov 5, 2008)It is like the Maverick to set his own disappointment aside and offer to work in cooperation with the new president. It is not surprising that some of

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-64515025133496875042008-11-05T09:03:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.875-05:00

“Conservatives tend to be happier than liberals in general,” said Dr. Martin, a psychologist at the University of Western Ontario. “A conservative outlook rationalizes social inequality, accepting the world as it is, and making it less of a threat to one’s well-being, whereas a liberal outlook leads to dissatisfaction with the world as it is, and a sense that things need to change before one can

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-15957183575749546652008-11-04T18:29:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.876-05:00

In a few hours, we will know who the next President of the United States will be.Like many other Americans, I have been exceedingly judgmental of the candidates. It is a peculiarity of a representative democracy that each citizen is, in fact, required to judge their (potential) leaders.Does that mean we should be judgmental?The Apostles wrote at a time when the Church was experiencing intense

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-72260108250737663212008-10-29T08:43:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.876-05:00

During my ill-fated year at seminary, I wrote a paper arguing from Scripture that Joshua was the redactor (compiler/editor) of the Torah (a.k.a. Pentateuch, Books of Moses). The professor called it "iconoclastic", but gave me an A.I found the label puzzling then, and I still do.The Bible commends the residents of Berea:Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-32403210798121861082008-10-27T10:12:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.877-05:00

When the imagination of a writer and the passion of a theologian cross-fertilize the result is a novel on the order of The Shack. This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress did for his. It's that good!(Eugene Peterson, translator of The Message) It is clear to me that The Shack is a mix of good and bad. Young teaches much that is of value and he

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-65985253600037551972008-10-20T20:22:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.877-05:00

He arrived on the national stage when America was down in the dumps. Our economy was in shambles. We were mocked and humiliated in the Middle East. OPEC had us begging for mercy.Suddenly, he appeared out of nowhere with a message of hope, an ideal of an America that we could be proud of. He promised change. He promised vision.He had little experience, none at all in foreign policy. But he had a

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-58442183427827596912008-10-20T18:24:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.877-05:00

Excerpts from a discussion sparked by my rebuttal:*Wince* I think the thing that bothers me most about your letter is the assumption that the opposition must be fools, an assumption I've been trying to resist from my own side.I don't think all Obama supporters are fools. I do think he's done a highly effective job of fooling everyone. I, too, believed his rhetoric until this crisis hit. But while

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-43966696052765469942008-10-20T12:39:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.878-05:00

The defection of Gen. Colin Powell (LA Times) from the GOP rings a death toll for McCain's campaign. Could it have been avoided?Rush Limbaugh would apparently have us believe Powell's decision was racially motivated. Is he right? Powell did say that the election of a black president would “electrify the world”. Is that why he did it? Much as I hate to support Limbaugh, his remark is poignant:I am

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-72520147722649040752008-10-20T12:00:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.878-05:00

I recently read the book, Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower, written in 2006 by Zbigniew Brzezinski (don't ask me to pronounce it), the former National Security Adviser to Jimmy Carter. The book analyzes the foreign policy of the past three presidents, during and following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and draws conclusions about where we need to go from

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-70626231249704163312008-10-18T15:55:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.878-05:00

Two senators in opposing political parties asked Republican presidential candidate John McCain to stop the automated phone calls that link Democratic candidate Barack Obama to a 1960s radical.("McCain draws bipartisan criticism for 'robo calls'," Associated Press, Oct 18)I want to support McCain, but this is just embarrassing. He must really think he's in desperate shape, to stoop to something as

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-78335274044716910322008-10-17T08:53:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.878-05:00

One candidate for President has a track record of crossing party lines to produce bipartisan proposals that benefit the nation as a whole. The other candidate is a typical politician.One candidate makes tough, unpopular decisions, even when it costs him politically, because he knows it's the right thing to do. The other candidate is a typical politician.One candidate, in times of crisis, works to

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-24118270563492682612008-10-16T21:47:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.879-05:00

The Obama campaign keeps trying to portray a McCain presidency as "Bush's third term". The characterization couldn't be more absurd. No one is less like ultra-partisan Bush than the Maverick. How quickly we forget right-wing Republicans criticizing him during the primaries for not being conservative enough.Take Obama, for instance. He's so ultra-political that he can't even set aside partisan

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-91144085951402456342008-10-16T21:18:00.002-04:002009-01-27T21:19:02.225-05:00

With Barack Obama surging in the presidential race and his party's congressional candidates also on the rise, Democrats are facing the giddy prospect of a hold on government for the first time in 14 years — and possibly their strongest election performance in decades.("Prospects grow for a Democratic sweep from the White House to Capitol Hill," Mercury News, 10/16/2008)This sums it up, doesn't it

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-49377057675376309142008-10-16T14:45:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.879-05:00

An excerpt from my rebuttal to a letter to the editor written by an acquaintance.Your letter omitted a key point: that when McCain was trying to build a bipartisan effort to address the economic crisis, Obama couldn't find the time to help him. He was too busy making partisan accusations and (calmly) telling Americans to panic. Obviously, he and McCain had different priorities.I used to have

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-44072008739748457822008-10-03T14:23:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.879-05:00

One point the McCain campaign has stressed all along is that Barack Obama is not ready to be commander-in-chief. Then John McCain surprised the world by tapping Sarah Palin as his running mate. Governor Palin has many things going for her, but lets just say her mastery of foreign policy has been less than stellar.My conclusion, primarily from the evidence of the past two weeks: They're both right

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-2175719529278359292008-10-03T09:31:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.880-05:00

Back in junior high, we learned that the Supreme Court was established by the Founding Fathers as a check on the legislative and executive branches. Because the justices were appointed for life, they were supposed to be immune to politics. In theory, every case should be unanimous, decided on the merits of the case alone, not by party loyalty.I have been continually dismayed when Supreme Court

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-26885220610874392142008-10-03T09:26:00.001-04:002009-01-27T21:19:49.741-05:00

The significance of Mr. Obama’s huge financial advantage has become clear as he has forced Mr. McCain to fight in what should be Republican states, like Missouri, and thus make the kind of triage decisions like the one he made in Michigan.(In Debate, G.O.P. Ticket Survives a Test, NY Times, Oct 3, 2008)Is this commentator right? Is Obama's lead in the polls the direct result of his undeniable

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-70392821362047278132008-10-02T20:53:00.001-04:002009-01-27T20:42:55.612-05:00

As I mentioned elsewhere, an influential minority in my town have openly advocated against religious tolerance. Their rationale is that religion is a choice, and there is no need to tolerate individual choices. In this, they contrast religion with gender, skin color, and sexual preference.This is ironic on several levels. For one, I dare say all of these people would call themselves “pro-choice”.

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-31553586609093387862008-10-02T20:06:00.001-04:002009-01-27T20:14:36.422-05:00

More Perfect Union: Politically Correct bigotry

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-46945596265975114912008-09-29T14:40:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.881-05:00

In the Presidential debate the other night, Barack Obama ridiculed John McCain for saying that the foundations of the American economy were still firm just days before the collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (my paraphrase). Was McCain being blind? dishonest?A good leader understands the power of self-fulfilling prophecy. He will not say words that inspire panic, even when he believes those

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-87858171897739153912008-09-26T21:41:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.881-05:00

I'm watching the first McCain-Obama debate live. I find it striking that Senator Obama begins every answer with "[N] years ago, I ..."McCain talks instead about what we, as a nation, need to do in the future.McCain seems to have a passionate love of his nation. Obama seems to have a passionate love of himself.

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-2812679029038601042008-09-26T20:05:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.881-05:00

At one point, before the Democratic battle was resolved, I toyed with an odd thought. What if, if Clinton won, McCain tapped Obama to be his running mate? After all, don't they both stand for reconciliation and bipartisan cooperation?I soon realized this would never work. Obama was too anti-McCain and anti-Republican in his rhetoric.But looking back, I realize I could still picture McCain working

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-23778978984282209642008-09-26T18:58:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.882-05:00

Throughout this campaign, I have said I would be happy with either Obama or McCain in the White House. That is no longer true.A leader's true colors come out in a time of crisis. As the nation faces its worst financial crisis in eight decades, Senator McCain determined to set aside politics long enough to tend to the nation's urgent need. In contrast, Senator Obama's top priority has been making

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-11052971547171478612008-08-18T10:49:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.882-05:00

Under pressure over impending impeachment charges, President Pervez Musharraf announced that he would resign Monday, ending nearly nine years as one of the United States’ most important allies in the campaign against terrorism.("President Musharraf of Pakistan Resigns," NY Times, 18 August 2008)The immediate reaction in Pakistan’s corridors of power and streets to the resignation of President

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-28327032869431395052008-08-17T20:09:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.882-05:00

I have heard a message preached from various pulpits to the effect of, "God does everything for his own glory."This has always bothered me. If you said, "Pete does everything for his own glory," that wouldn't reflect a very high opinion of Pete. Is it somehow different for God? Is this view compatible with, say, "[I]n all things God works for the good of those who love him" (Rom 8:28 TNIV)?So I

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-14913993022324979242008-08-16T10:22:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.883-05:00

Vladimir Putin has made it clear from the outset that he intends to restore the Russian Empire to its former glory. ("Peace in our time", Dec 18, 2007.) Now he has established a permanent military presence in Georgia, and threatened to attack Poland with nuclear weapons. According to a breaking Associated Press story, conquered Georgians are being subjected to forced labor.America's response:

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-10534981618162318152008-08-04T11:14:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.884-05:00

One of the major problems [in evaluating public sector services] may be that those aspects of performance which are most easily quantified are not necessarily the most significant parts of the public sector organisation or individuals' work. …[One] example of the problems inherent in the use of such performance indicators can be seen in the publication of school league tables of examination and

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-48657829841438522092008-08-04T10:43:00.004-04:002008-12-22T16:45:17.165-05:00

Apparently, I am a “moderate neoconservative”, in that I believe government functions best when it exploits free-market principles, rather than fighting against them (Stephen Tansey, Politics: The Basics, 3rd ed., 2004). As cited by Tansey, neoconservatives Osborne and Gaebler (1992) suggest that public organizations should:“steer" more than they “row”empower communities rather than simply

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-86975911238836319332008-08-01T10:28:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.884-05:00

According to a June 2008 Gallup poll, independents are less satisfied with both Obama and McCain than they were in February. I'd guess this reflects disappointment with both candidates' failure to stand firm in their principles while repositioning for the general election. Perhaps I'm projecting, but I'm guessing most independents place a high value on personal integrity, and are therefore less

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-77100097436229030462008-08-01T00:11:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.885-05:00

[A] Gallup poll shows Barack Obama leading John McCain by a 47% to 44% margin among all registered voters but McCain leading Obama among likely voters by a 49% to 45% margin.(Frank Newport, "Who Are Likely Voters and When Do They Matter?" Gallup, 28 July 2007)I find this intriguing. Several possible explanations come to mind: Obama supporters are more likely to be young and politically unengaged,

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-37392270963080911582008-07-31T23:31:00.001-04:002009-01-27T21:21:42.991-05:00

“It's as though [California] residents are looking for somebody to do something about gas prices.”(Sonja Petek, Public Policy Institute of California, in “Slim majority supports offshore drilling,” San Jose Mercury News, 31 July 2008)You know, I think Ms. Petek might be onto something.

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-18313849081954393582008-07-31T16:40:00.002-04:002009-01-27T20:15:13.187-05:00

More Perfect Union: “Freedom from religion” preserved in Turkey

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-41275955234440940692008-07-31T16:17:00.002-04:002009-01-27T21:23:28.171-05:00

There is also continued grousing within Mrs. Clinton’s circle that Mr. Obama is not doing more to help her pay off her debt …("Chance of an Obama-Clinton Ticket Is Seen as Increasingly Unlikely", NY Times, 29 July 2008)That's a joke, right?

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-29352097422911719202008-07-31T15:43:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.886-05:00

Both Barack Obama and John McCain seem to believe there are rules in politics, that there are lines that must not be crossed – not even by their own supporters.Obama will not tolerate criticism of McCain's war record. McCain will not tolerate slurs against Obama's ethnicity.A cynic might argue that the politicians are simply covering themselves against the popular backlash that would ensue from

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-59634177153265078732008-07-29T22:58:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.886-05:00

I am forced to confess that over the past year or so, I have reversed my position on the death penalty, and must now advocate for its complete abolishment.I still maintain that a lawfully created state has the right to lawfully execute offenders for whom the punishment fits the crime. That is, in the clearest case:The offender has killed, raped, tortured, or performed comparably cruel acts with

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-59588391561192417172008-07-28T22:52:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.886-05:00

My church has a strict policy against communication. Particularly in regard to the search for a new pastor, it is strictly forbidden to discuss any related matters with members of the congregation, not even the top leaders.On the other hand, the congregation is full of gossips — people who rejoice in hearing evil and passing it along to others.If communication is forbidden, then only gossips

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-47023680916620573972008-07-26T15:26:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.887-05:00

House Democrats have adopted special rules that raise the vote necessary for energy reform from a simple majority to 60%. They did this allegedly to block Republicans from passing a bill to allow off-shore drilling. Because of these special rules, the Republicans are able to block Democrats from passing a bill to tap oil reserves.("Effort to Address Gasoline Prices Stalls in the House", NY Times,

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-47725358444423433822008-07-24T20:51:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.887-05:00

It seems intuitively obvious that there exists a lower limit of granularity below which electoral districts make no sense. That is, it makes no sense to establish a separate electoral district for each person, nor each household, nor (for most purposes) each city block.Likewise, there would seem to be a maximum practical district size. The U.S. Senate notwithstanding, an entire state is too large

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-15861901747256459502008-07-24T14:59:00.002-04:002009-01-27T20:55:41.156-05:00

We used to call them “mercenaries”. Now we call them “private security contractors”.[T]he United States and our coalition partners may be unknowingly providing the basis for a future military insurgency, after we depart Iraq, by allowing private military firms (PMF), or private security contractors (PSC), or private security providers (PSP) to provide security in Iraq.After our departure, the

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-16577582377577688202008-07-24T09:51:00.001-04:002009-01-27T20:59:58.547-05:00

[O]ne of the objectives of the September 11th attacks was to provoke the Americans into invading Muslim lands…(“Winning or losing?”, Economist, 17 Jul 2008)I guess it worked.Al-Qaeda hoped to create a base in the heart of the Islamist world [Iraq] from where it could extend the war to neighbouring countries and, ultimately, take on Israel itself. An intercepted letter to Zarqawi in October 2005

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-4253207748040402132008-07-23T21:03:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.888-05:00

A number of falsehoods are being propagated by well-meaning people at my church. Most of these teachings directly contradict the Scripture, although some are merely unsupported by it.God wants us to dress our best when we come to him. (Jam 2:3-4; 1Pet 3:3; Mt 11:28, 19:14, 23:27; Jn 6:37; Lk 5:32; Jam 5:1-2)Sunday (the first day of the week) is the Sabbath. (Ex 20:11; Lev 23:3)God commands

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-20498950262245003882008-07-20T15:04:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.888-05:00

My church goes out of its way to alienate teenagers (and others).First we instituted a dress code. The Pastor emphasized repeatedly from the pulpit that God doesn't want to see you unless you are wearing your best clothes. Teenagers who showed up in jeans were given a stern lecture by one of the Deacons. (Two of the youth raised the subject with me, saying it made them feel like the church didn't

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-38149780018435779032008-07-12T18:27:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.888-05:00

I'm just a soul whose intentions are good.Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood.- The AnimalsI glanced down at the status bar on the lower right corner of the screen. 6:02 PM. I'd been at work since 9:37 AM. Good enough.While my computer powered down, I stood up and looked over the tops of the gray cubicle dividers. In the next cubicle over, Chuck was hunched over his mouse and staring at

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-88596290780116904182008-07-10T20:44:00.001-04:002009-01-27T21:25:08.455-05:00

My mother likes to say, “There are three kinds of people in this world: those who can count, and those who can't.”Someone else has said, “There are two kinds of people in this world: those who think there are two kinds of people in this world, and those who don't.”I've noticed that there are three kinds of people in this world.Some people are timid. They see conflict as something to be feared,

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-53482727931680906712008-04-12T15:20:00.000-04:002008-12-19T17:34:37.889-05:00

The interim pastor at our church has made it a priority to get people to dress their best for the Sunday morning church service. “If you would dress up to meet the President of the United States,” goes the argument, “shouldn't you put at least as much effort into your appearance when coming into the presence of the King of the Universe?”I believe this teaching contradicts the Scriptures, and

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-11080316506463998652008-02-12T14:26:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.889-05:00

My prediction:Barack Obama will win the Democratic popular vote, but superdelegates will give the nomination to Hillary Clinton. Clinton will take John Edwards as her VP. McCain will win the Presidency.If I'm wrong, and Obama wins the nomination, it will be a close battle between him and McCain. However, Obama will ultimately win.The outcome depends on two major groups (not counting

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-78003753768299124542008-02-12T12:00:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.889-05:00

When I characterized an acquaintance as “pro-abortion”, she denied it, saying she was “pro-choice”. Why didn't she say she was “anti-life”?Neither “pro-choice” nor “pro-life” makes any sense as a label, in that only a sociopath could be characterized as “anti-choice” or “anti-life”. The terms are mere rhetoric. (The same person later admitted that she talks of me as “anti-choice”.)One could

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-41930266793938524972008-02-09T10:49:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.890-05:00

An acquaintance of mine is a Unitarian feminist, pro-abortion, anti-war, pro-gay marriage, anti-pollution; the paragon liberal. She says Republicans need to become more conservative. She's right.Her statement is in reference to fiscal responsibility. An old-style fiscal conservative believed, among other things, that the government should not spend more than it takes in. Duh!Prior to 1980, the

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-10218194566253057752008-02-08T22:43:00.001-05:002009-01-27T20:22:47.893-05:00

Last month I feared the death of evangelicalism, wondering if the Religious Right had so warped American evangelicals that they had lost sight of their first calling, to love Jesus and demonstrate his love to others.I was heartened, then, to read this week (in an article I failed to bookmark, alas) that evangelical Republicans were evenly split between the three major candidates on Super Tuesday.

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-50594725538882592652008-02-08T20:38:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.890-05:00

Like many others, I was angered when CNN suggested a couple of weeks ago that black women don't know whether to vote for Obama because he's black, or Clinton because she's female. Surely, black women can find more substantive criteria on which to base their vote.I was therefore doubly disturbed when the New York Times indicated this week that Democratic votes are, in fact, splitting largely along

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-60050965945939640172008-02-08T17:21:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.891-05:00

The President of the United States is arguably the most powerful person in the world, at least for 4 to 8 years. What is the purpose of that power?Arguably, the biggest difference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is their answer to this question. The New Yorker sums it up well:Obama offers himself as a catalyst by which disenchanted Americans can overcome two decades of vicious

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-38145157390074267082008-02-08T16:50:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.891-05:00

Listening to the irrational and hysterical response of conservatives to the presidential candidacy of Sen. John McCain would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.("Commentary: Conservatives' hatred of McCain makes no sense", CNN, 6 February 2008)The question is absurd. Say what you really mean.Do you disagree with McCain's positions on particular issues? Then address those.Are you upset that he

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-64248978947382346232008-01-01T22:36:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.891-05:00

For over 20 years now, I have called myself an evangelical Christian. I'm wondering if it's time to recant.My beliefs have not changed, at least not in any relevant way. I am still a Christian, and, by the grace of God, always will be. But the evangelical label no longer seems to mean what I once thought it did.I still believe:In the beginning was the Word.Jesus Christ came to earth, died, and

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-56587637427665130602008-01-01T15:22:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.892-05:00

Why don't you care [whether the literal six-day creation is true]? Would God waste lines in his 'perfect word' for falsehoods?You have to understand the purpose of the text. Genesis 1 is poetry, in form and function. It describes the awesome power and beauty of creation, couched in terms that mortal minds can understand and appreciate. It is not a scientific or historical text. To interpret it or

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-11384672202956083182007-12-30T14:59:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.892-05:00

Some people use the word “ignorant” as an insult, as in, “You're so ignorant!” This should not be. Ignorance is the human condition. We are born utterly ignorant. As we accumulate knowledge and experience to counteract that ignorance, we invariably discover more and more layers of ignorance. The more you know, the more you realize how ignorant you truly are.Ignorance is a blessing. It is the

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-5203626618560357912007-12-29T19:15:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.892-05:00

I logged onto Economist.com last night for an unrelated purpose (Persecution of Turkish Christians), and saw the headline: "An assassin strikes: Benazir Bhutto is killed" (Dec 27). It filled me with the dread of history in the making. My wife and I can't decide if this is more on a par with the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, or of Archduke Ferdinand.Just as Pakistan is key to the potential

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-8544029915349529412007-12-28T20:16:00.001-05:002009-01-27T20:02:51.473-05:00

More Perfect Union: Persecution of Turkish Christians

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-89573277501590833532007-12-27T23:26:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.893-05:00

People here could shoot down my arguments any day.I've been thinking a lot about this statement of yours. I notice you very poignantly did not say, “People here could come up with theories that are better than mine any day.” You only said they can shoot yours down.Has it occurred to you that perhaps the reason for this is that you are trying to do something difficult — build a theory — while they

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-276951339305506282007-12-27T12:37:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.893-05:00

Prove to me that Christianity is right and all other religions that people are willing to die for are wrong.To fully answer this question would require the equivalent of several doctoral dissertations. You'd need to evaluate each of the world's religions, and see how they compare according to a variety of factors, including:Physical evidenceHistorical evidenceEmpirical claimsMessageSocial

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-51486009211549483372007-12-26T12:03:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.893-05:00

Originally posted to a discussion board. This thread (on “respect”) is challenging my self-perception. A priori, I lean toward Kourtney and Tamara's original point: It never hurts to respect one another, and it generally makes the world a better place. When it comes down to it, many (most?) of the opinions people express are pretty ignorant. Does that mean they shouldn't be respected? “Let him

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-38428837288690828872007-12-26T10:46:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.893-05:00

Someone in an atheist discussion group asked me why I bother to debate with atheists.As a freshman in college, I was strongly agnostic, but not militant, to use then-current terminology. In today's jargon, I think I would have been considered a soft atheist, or perhaps soft agnostic, if there is such as thing. I also accepted (and still accept) the label skeptic.I believed:Science/observation is,

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6304567950581751426.post-74573949421666643752007-12-25T21:43:00.000-05:002008-12-19T17:34:37.894-05:00

The haughty tone of this post was deliberate, because I thought it was the only way to get the attention of those who respect only arrogance. That was a mistake. I should have answered with "gentleness and respect" (1Pet 3:15-16). Be that as it may, I have not attempted to alter the original tone here.Challenge from an atheist: Name the historians [who wrote about Jesus] and tell us if any of

Recovering Intellectualhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01809220388146266198noreply@blogger.com0