Category Archives: Uncategorized

Heat Makes Things More Complicated – That’s One Reason Global Warming is Dangerous

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How many times this winter did you witness something like this: you’re watching the snow fall straight east instead of to the ground and someone says, “Wow, that’s a hot batch of global warming isn’t it?” The intention is to mock the idea that the global climate system is actually warming up – because look how COLD it is right now! But think a minute. If there has been heat added to the incredibly complex global weather system, what should we expect? Certainly not more uniformly balmy sunny days. Add heat into a complex and volatile system like earth’s weather system and you will get MORE volatility and unpredictability.

This Health Care Reform Will Reduce the Budget Deficit

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Some things cost money; we MUST put out some shekels one way or another for some of what we want or need. That’s part of living in human society. So to say we should not have health care reform because it will cost some money is not really facing the question. The question is more like, “Do we NEED this or not?” Lots and lots of Americans think we do. And so do millions watching this battle from other nations – where they settled the issue long ago to the great benefit and relief of their populations. But what if we find out that this reform package will actually REDUCE the budget deficit?

Abortion and Social Justice – Douglas W Kmiec

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Douglas W. Kmiec is a prominent Republican and committed Roman Catholic. He was head of the Office of Legal Counsel for Presidents Reagan and the first Bush. He became notorious for coming out in support of then-Senator Obama’s campaign for the Presidency, and for publishing things like the following. He speaks of “the Catholic tradition” as not just condemnation of the evil of abortion, but also as the building up of a society where those at risk of falling or disregarding this boundary will be far less like to do so because of the tangible help of their neighbor, inspired by the witness of Christ rendered both personally and through government. [p45]

Our Patriotic Songs Have Some Serious Messages (sermon)

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Listen to this sermon by clicking here: (Download)   ISSUES in “Our Patriotic Songs Have Some Serious Messages”:   • God is looking for fruit (goodness, love) from every individual, every group, every nation, even the entire human race.   • ”My Country” – It’s good in principle to love your country. It’s very normal. But it is sometimes done in very destructive, evil ways.   • Some of these stirring songs have serious prayers in them, or frightening teachings about God’s action in America.

Should We Promote a Biblical Worldview or Holy Hearts? Is There a Difference?

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This is my response to a comment about a certain church’s Christian – or Biblical – Worldview training. The original post was at “SlopeSitter’s” new blog. Hey, nice to find this blog! Yes. VERY important concerns here, SlopeSitter. You say the “worldview” approach 1) can easily be subverted to the support of one political position (quite consistently “conservative” Republican, as it turns out). 2) And it can produce an aggressive, intellectual “evangelism” that often seems and perhaps is devoid of love. Yup! Have to agree. After studying Dobson’s Christian Worldview series a bit, and the Barna Group’s 8 worldview questions, it really distressed me to realize that, according to a remark in the book of James, the demons have a “Biblical worldview”. Well, THAT’s not very helpful!

The Stimulus: Stimulating Lies, Irresponsibility, and Cynicism

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With his usual delicacy of style Ed Howard at Nebraska State Paper points out an obvious and important fact concerning discussions about the stimulus (in an email newsletter). “Sen. John McCain exhibiting cynicism” What we find approximately unbearable, however, is a fellow like Sen. John McCain exhibiting the ultimate in cynicism and the disingenuousness. He’s referring to one of McCain’s specific complaints about Obama’s economic stimulus package.

Do We Not Want to Know?

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Our highly reputable (not) Bush Administration wants $700 BILLION (take my word for it – that’s a lot of bucks) to hand out when and if it pleases to whomever it pleases without accountability either now or in the future. Are you kidding me? Nope. Not kidding. Just like with massive tax cuts early in Bush’s tenure, “No Child Left Behind” (very inappropriately named), weapons of mass destruction that didn’t exist, the invasion of Iraq, FISA overhaul… One after another astronomical and unjustified commitment of American resources and prestige has been sold to Congress, Republicans AND Democrats, with the only rationale being FEAR. And we are stuck holding the bag. Bush says, in effect, “Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.” Last time around,

The Twilight of the Gods of Greed and Money

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I saw somewhere the other day, for the first time, the acronymn FWO’s – for “Formerly Well Off” persons. The economic state of the USA is changing and people know it, and already there are increasing numbers of FWO’s. And maybe we – “we” as a nation that is, as a culture – deserve it, or at least asked for it. The Bible has warned us for millenia of the deadliness of greed and the transitoriness of wealth. But we have made it the one inescapable determiner of what a person, a corporation, or national policy should do. It seems we are moving into a time

Zimbabwe – We Can At Least Be Aware – and Pray for Peace (“Runyararo”).

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There’s a lot of hunger in Zimbabwe – a lot of economic distress – a lot of political violence – and enormous corruption. As an American woman walks to work she carries bread in her pack, and hands it out to the begging children she passes. Hold your hand out, child, hold your hand out and I’ll fill it I know it’s not much, but will it do?