“When reading your blog, I’m wondering if it would not be better to move somewhere else,” writes a friend. He lives in South Africa. His motivation is in part also to protect his wife and children from the high crime rate in the country.
My suggestion to him was to consider Northern Europe: Very low crime rate; prosperous; high on freedom of speech and religion.
And then, this morning another friend sent me the link to a blogpost by someone in Iceland. And suddenly Northern Europe doesn’t seem like such a good suggestion anymore. The blogger writes: “It’s like we know the system is broken, we know it’s gone, but we can’t see it. We can’t tell what’s real, what’s still there, and what are just the ghosts of yesterday, when Iceland was one of the richest countries in the world. A pale reflection of the golden age in Icelandic economy which is now going up in flames. Where’s the smoke?”
I don’t know how to end off this post. What does one say before the brink of disaster? I cannot even say God have mercy, ‘cause that will insinuate that God is somehow to blame and that I don’t believe for a minute. We are to blame. We humans, and our greed and selfishness, are to blame.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Criticising the Bible
I don’t mind people criticizing the Bible. But when they do, let there be some research to it – not just statements thrown out there without looking up what the Bible really teaches.
Why my sudden disconcert? Well, I’m reading this book by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly called Finding Flow (1997) and on p. 59 is this statement: “The Bible’s suggestion that man was made to enjoy the bounty of creation without having to work for it does not seem to jibe with the facts. Without the goal and the challenges usually provided by a job, only a rare self-discipline can keep the mind focused enough to insure a meaningful life.”
The statement is flawed in at least two ways.
First, the Bible does not teach that man was created to be idle and merely enjoy the bounty without work.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15. Here is Adam, in the sinless, unfallen, perfect, bountiful, Garden of Eden. Does God tell him to sit back so that the angels can pluck fruit from the trees and feed him? No. God tells Adam to do gardening. He is to “work [the garden] and take care of it.”
Nor does the Bible teach idleness in Heaven. Talking about the New Heaven and New Earth, the Bible says: “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”
The idea that “man was made to enjoy the bounty of creation without having to work”, and Csikszentmihaly suggestion that the Bible is thus clearly false, is based upon his bad (or lack of reading) of the Bible.
Second, these periods in the Bible of bountiful abundance are both in times of sinlessness; when man will actually have the kind of self-discipline Csikszentmihaly speaks about.
Such (bad) scholarship on Csikszentmihaly's part suddenly makes me wonder how much of his book is based on assumptions rather than proper research.
Criticize if you must, but don’t do so on hearsay. You can get away with amateurism on the Internet, in blogs and so on, but in supposed well researched books?!
Read the texts. Read the contexts. And then enter the discourse.
Why my sudden disconcert? Well, I’m reading this book by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly called Finding Flow (1997) and on p. 59 is this statement: “The Bible’s suggestion that man was made to enjoy the bounty of creation without having to work for it does not seem to jibe with the facts. Without the goal and the challenges usually provided by a job, only a rare self-discipline can keep the mind focused enough to insure a meaningful life.”
The statement is flawed in at least two ways.
First, the Bible does not teach that man was created to be idle and merely enjoy the bounty without work.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Genesis 2:15. Here is Adam, in the sinless, unfallen, perfect, bountiful, Garden of Eden. Does God tell him to sit back so that the angels can pluck fruit from the trees and feed him? No. God tells Adam to do gardening. He is to “work [the garden] and take care of it.”
Nor does the Bible teach idleness in Heaven. Talking about the New Heaven and New Earth, the Bible says: “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.”
The idea that “man was made to enjoy the bounty of creation without having to work”, and Csikszentmihaly suggestion that the Bible is thus clearly false, is based upon his bad (or lack of reading) of the Bible.
Second, these periods in the Bible of bountiful abundance are both in times of sinlessness; when man will actually have the kind of self-discipline Csikszentmihaly speaks about.
Such (bad) scholarship on Csikszentmihaly's part suddenly makes me wonder how much of his book is based on assumptions rather than proper research.
Criticize if you must, but don’t do so on hearsay. You can get away with amateurism on the Internet, in blogs and so on, but in supposed well researched books?!
Read the texts. Read the contexts. And then enter the discourse.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Messiah Obama
My aversion with America’s Republicans is the Religious Right movement. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure many of these people are sincerely thinking that they are doing the right thing, in promulgating Christian values in politics. Unfortunately, in their ignorance they are mixing an explosive concoction: politics and religion. The past has showed us time and again that throwing these two ingredients in the same pot will awaken a beast.
Surely the Democrats would not make this same mistake. Silly Prophet Kangnamgu. You’ve clearly not been watching closely. Not only are the Liberal Left mixing politics and religion, they are adding blasphemy to insult. Barack Obama is hailed as the Messiah. He is made to be not merely a political figure, but a spiritual figure heralding in a new era for America and the world.
He often uses religious rhetoric and his followers use religious jargon to praise his name. He is depicted as a source of light, in the style reminiscent of Great Leaders. (Isn’t that what they call Kim Jong Il too?).
“[Obama] won’t just heal our city-states and souls. He won’t just bring the Heavenly Kingdom — dreamt of in both Platonism and Christianity — to earth. He will heal the earth itself,” writes Micah Tillman, lecturer in philosophy at The Catholic University of America. Should we read her statement as academic jest, or take it seriously. She is an admitted Obama-supporter.
Unlike the Republicans that seem somewhat exclusivist Christian, the Democrats seem inclusivist towards all other religions. (This is a good thing if we want freedom of religion to prevail. However...) Obama clearly has a strong Christian following, and we all know of Obama’s reverent’s pulpit politics. But it is these other religious groups’ praising of Obama which is interesting. The Sify News reports prayers offered to Hanuman (the monkey-god) by Hindu priests for Obama. New Agers are embracing Obama as a Lightworker; i.e. someone who can raise the consciousness of other people and make the world spiritually a better place. (I know the New Age jargon – been there, done that, have New Ager friends, understand the paradigm, still do the diet and believe in telepathy.)
My concern is not with Obama the person, he seems to be a nice guy with the wits to boot (but let's not forget that he is a politician after all). My concern is with this obsession – this religious obsession with Obama. It is clear that religion and politics are mixing.
The Bible Prophecies foretell that America will become a religious-state. I just always thought it would happen under Republican rule.
When (is it still appropriate to talk of “if”?) Obama becomes the President of the United States look out for his interaction with other religious leaders. Especially, watch carefully his interaction with the Pope.
Isn't it exciting to see how the prophecies unfold?! How this puzzle will fit together is going to be a big surprise.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Democrats and Free Speech
I’m really enjoying Adam’s education of me regarding the Democrats. In a reply to a previous post of mine, Adam pointed out how the Democrats are actually working against Freedom of Speech, by trying to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine (sorry for linking to Wikipedia) policy. “Fairness is Censorship” is how the Washington Times describe the Fairness Doctrine and the Bussiness & Media Institute highlights how this policy could fetter Internet freedom and net neutrality. (Here is another interesting source about the problems with the Fairness Doctrine.)
I become more and more convinced that freedom in America is under serious assault, regardless of the political parties.
Thanks Adam.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Fascist America
Naomi Wolf’s book Fascist America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot was published in September 2007. The following article from the UK’s The Guardian is a synopsis of the book. Are Naomi Wolf’s observations truer, or less true, a year later?
Naomi states: “Because Americans like me were born in freedom, we have a hard time even considering that it is possible for us to become as unfree…”
I think part of the problem for many Americans is that they do not have a reference point to judge what is happening in America. In a sense, and this is my suspicion, people from outside of America is probably more aware of the radical changes happening than the US citizens themselves. Americans have had freedom for so long that they have forgotten what it took to get that freedom. Why did the Founding Fathers flee Europe in search of freedom in the New World? Why was the Bill of Rights created exactly as it was?
(Of course, in the end I am not an American and might just be wrong.)
Here are the 10 steps as set out by Wolf and which she claims the US government is guilty of. Read the full article at The Gaurdian.
Fascist America, in 10 easy steps
Tuesday April 24 2007, The Guardian
1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2. Create a gulag
3. Develop a thug caste
4. Set up an internal surveillance system
5. Harass citizens' groups
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7. Target key individuals
8. Control the press
9. Dissent equals treason
10. Suspend the rule of law
Right now, only a handful of patriots are trying to hold back the tide of tyranny for the rest of us - staff at the Center for Constitutional Rights, who faced death threats for representing the detainees yet persisted all the way to the Supreme Court; activists at the American Civil Liberties Union; and prominent conservatives trying to roll back the corrosive new laws, under the banner of a new group called the American Freedom Agenda. This small, disparate collection of people needs everybody's help, including that of Europeans and others internationally who are willing to put pressure on the administration because they can see what a US unrestrained by real democracy at home can mean for the rest of the world.
We need to look at history and face the "what ifs". For if we keep going down this road, the "end of America" could come for each of us in a different way, at a different moment; each of us might have a different moment when we feel forced to look back and think: that is how it was before - and this is the way it is now.
"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands ... is the definition of tyranny," wrote James Madison. We still have the choice to stop going down this road; we can stand our ground and fight for our nation, and take up the banner the founders asked us to carry.
Naomi states: “Because Americans like me were born in freedom, we have a hard time even considering that it is possible for us to become as unfree…”
I think part of the problem for many Americans is that they do not have a reference point to judge what is happening in America. In a sense, and this is my suspicion, people from outside of America is probably more aware of the radical changes happening than the US citizens themselves. Americans have had freedom for so long that they have forgotten what it took to get that freedom. Why did the Founding Fathers flee Europe in search of freedom in the New World? Why was the Bill of Rights created exactly as it was?
(Of course, in the end I am not an American and might just be wrong.)
Here are the 10 steps as set out by Wolf and which she claims the US government is guilty of. Read the full article at The Gaurdian.
Fascist America, in 10 easy steps
Tuesday April 24 2007, The Guardian
1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2. Create a gulag
3. Develop a thug caste
4. Set up an internal surveillance system
5. Harass citizens' groups
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7. Target key individuals
8. Control the press
9. Dissent equals treason
10. Suspend the rule of law
Right now, only a handful of patriots are trying to hold back the tide of tyranny for the rest of us - staff at the Center for Constitutional Rights, who faced death threats for representing the detainees yet persisted all the way to the Supreme Court; activists at the American Civil Liberties Union; and prominent conservatives trying to roll back the corrosive new laws, under the banner of a new group called the American Freedom Agenda. This small, disparate collection of people needs everybody's help, including that of Europeans and others internationally who are willing to put pressure on the administration because they can see what a US unrestrained by real democracy at home can mean for the rest of the world.
We need to look at history and face the "what ifs". For if we keep going down this road, the "end of America" could come for each of us in a different way, at a different moment; each of us might have a different moment when we feel forced to look back and think: that is how it was before - and this is the way it is now.
"The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands ... is the definition of tyranny," wrote James Madison. We still have the choice to stop going down this road; we can stand our ground and fight for our nation, and take up the banner the founders asked us to carry.
Satirical Politics
There's nothing like the Onion News Network to put a cynical smile on your phase. They have the uncanny ability to use satire in a way that help you to look at politics in a new way. Agree or disagree, it doesn't matter. What matters is that satire forces you to reevaluate your views.
Monday, October 6, 2008
America, noticed more soldiers back home?
From one of my favourite blogs, I linked to this article, “Brigade Homeland Tours Start Oct 1” on the Army Times-website. It is not unusual for an active-army unit to be “at home” in times of crisis – such as when a natural disaster struck, e.g. Hurricane Katrina. But it is very unusual in any other circumstances.
Clearly the Bush Administration expected serious civil unrest with the recent economic collapse. There must definitely have been fear of civilian “terror” – surpassing the fear of the terror in Iraq. The news article says that this home-based active army “…may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack.”
What is really scary is the announcement that this active army on home soil is going to be a permanent feature. After this initial 12 months of the 1st Brigade Combat Team’s active duty on home soil, it is expected that “another, as yet unnamed, active-duty brigade will take over and that the mission will be a permanent one.”
America is moving towards a dictatorship regime with unprecedented speed. Everything is in place. With Bush’s signing of the “John Warner National Defense Authorization Act”, the president can declare Martial Law at a whim – he merely has to announce that there is some civil unrest and viola!, we have Dictator Mr. President.
Bible prophecy is occurring before our very eyes. The lamb is starting to speak like the dragon.
Here are two YouTube-videos to get you thinking...
Clearly the Bush Administration expected serious civil unrest with the recent economic collapse. There must definitely have been fear of civilian “terror” – surpassing the fear of the terror in Iraq. The news article says that this home-based active army “…may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control or to deal with potentially horrific scenarios such as massive poisoning and chaos in response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive, or CBRNE, attack.”
What is really scary is the announcement that this active army on home soil is going to be a permanent feature. After this initial 12 months of the 1st Brigade Combat Team’s active duty on home soil, it is expected that “another, as yet unnamed, active-duty brigade will take over and that the mission will be a permanent one.”
America is moving towards a dictatorship regime with unprecedented speed. Everything is in place. With Bush’s signing of the “John Warner National Defense Authorization Act”, the president can declare Martial Law at a whim – he merely has to announce that there is some civil unrest and viola!, we have Dictator Mr. President.
Bible prophecy is occurring before our very eyes. The lamb is starting to speak like the dragon.
Here are two YouTube-videos to get you thinking...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Internet Security
Even after many security updates to some of the chief browsers, we are still in harms way. This according to the following article.
It is disturbing how few people take their Internet Security seriously and even more disturbing when the internet security specialists tell us:
It is disturbing how few people take their Internet Security seriously and even more disturbing when the internet security specialists tell us:
- "I wouldn't tell you not to use the internet, but I would certainly never tell you you're safe, which is a pretty horrible thing to say to someone"
- "I have very low confidence in any of the browsers' ability to keep me safe"
- "I really don't think people are in a good position from a technology perspective to defend themselves with what they're given by default in a browser."
Paranoia: Savvis
Our computers are constantly bombarded with servers trying to access our systems, where they glean some of our data. I’m not sure what they are looking for; maybe the websites we visit? Most web users are oblivious to this fact because it all happens in the background.
In any case, this morning I was showered with access attempts by Savvis-Incorporated. I have PeerGuardian2 installed which blocks access from various servers to my computer. This morning PeerGuardian2 was without stopping denying requests from Savvis to my computer from 00:59:42 until I eventually gave permission at 14:14:46, just so that the assault could stop. My system was really slow and I was desperately searching for a solution.
Now why do Savvis request access to my system? Savvis is an international communication and data corporation. Are they trying to find dirt on people in order to extort them like their co-founder was recently found guilty off?
The interesting thing is that I’m blocked (somehow) from opening their website: http://www.savvis.net
I had to use a proxy browser to access their website under a fake IP.
In my own silly little retaliation here is some of their information. I suggest you use a program to block their IP-address from getting access to your system too.
Here is the IP-address of Savvis’ server: 216.34.181.97
And some more personal information:
Of course, I’m paranoid, so don’t listen to a word I say.
In any case, this morning I was showered with access attempts by Savvis-Incorporated. I have PeerGuardian2 installed which blocks access from various servers to my computer. This morning PeerGuardian2 was without stopping denying requests from Savvis to my computer from 00:59:42 until I eventually gave permission at 14:14:46, just so that the assault could stop. My system was really slow and I was desperately searching for a solution.
Now why do Savvis request access to my system? Savvis is an international communication and data corporation. Are they trying to find dirt on people in order to extort them like their co-founder was recently found guilty off?
The interesting thing is that I’m blocked (somehow) from opening their website: http://www.savvis.net
I had to use a proxy browser to access their website under a fake IP.
In my own silly little retaliation here is some of their information. I suggest you use a program to block their IP-address from getting access to your system too.
Here is the IP-address of Savvis’ server: 216.34.181.97
And some more personal information:
OrgNOCHandle: NOC99-ARIN
OrgNOCName: SAVVIS Support Center
OrgNOCPhone: + 1-888-638-6771
OrgNOCEmail: ipnoc@savvis.net
OrgTechHandle: UIAA-ARIN
OrgTechName: US IP Address Administration
OrgTechPhone: +1-888-638-6771
OrgTechEmail: kelli.coburn@savvis.net
Of course, I’m paranoid, so don’t listen to a word I say.
An American Perspective
I requested an American blogger-friend to help me understand the financial crisis in America a little better. Below is part of his reply posted with permission:
This economic crisis is a disaster. Basically it all started in the 90's when some activist groups started lobbying the democrats to enact laws which would make it easier to obtain loans. They wanted this done because they were claiming that there was racism on the part of the lenders.... that a black man with the same or more qualifications as a white man was being turned down for a home loan. The examples they were using to back up their case actually turned out to be inaccurate and false, but, alas the legislation had already gone through and the politicians were not going to admit that they made a mistake so it stayed on the books. Then it turned into a 'one-up' game between the politicians and banks...one would say everybody should be able to get a loan who has a job...then the other guy would say, hey! we won't even check if you have a job and you can get a loan....then the other guy would say, hey! we won't even check if you're a US citizen. Both parties are guilty, but the bulk seems to land on the left.This certainly helped me in contextualizing the current issue. Thank you!
My wife used to work for a firm that payed lobbiests to lobby some of these senators who are involved in this whole debacle, so we know how the system works. She has since left that position....good thing too because I'd really hate to be associated with these guys and this mess. Our politicians are not working for the people of the country; they are working for special interest groups who fund them.
Friday, October 3, 2008
[Continued] Christians Slaughtered in India
The following email was forwarded to me. Was it not for this email I would never have heard of the atrocities currently happening against religious freedom in India.
In the end the persecution lasted longer than the expected fourteen days. In my previous post I complained about the media of the West not mentioning these events, but I think my criticism was overzealous. It would seem that India's own government was lax in responding to these reports. An example of the Indian government's nonchalant attitude is the case of the nun that was raped.
"More than one month after she filed a complaint, the Orissa government on Friday ordered a probe into a nun's allegation that she was raped and paraded naked in a village in Kandhamal district while a dozen policemen watched", reports one newspaper. It took them a month!
We have never seen anything like this. We knew that Orissa was the most resistant and hostile State in India as far as the Gospel is concerned. And we brushed off the continuous threats and harassment we faced as we went about His work. But none of our staff imagined that they would see this kind of carnage....And it seems to be totally under the radar of the Western Media ....Let me explain.... A militant Hindu priest and 4 of his attendants, who were zealously going around the villages of Orissa and 'reconverting' people back to Hinduism, were gunned down by unknown assailants in Central Orissa last weekend. Immediately the Christians were blamed. The cry rose up...'Kill the Christians!' And the horror began.... In the past 4 days, we have first hand witness to hundreds of churches being blown up or burned and many, many dozens of Christian tribes have been slaughtered. For no other reason than they bear the name of Christ.
Night and day I have been in touch with our Good News India Directors spread across 14 Dream Centers in Orissa... they are right in the middle of all this chaos. In Tihidi, just after the police came to offer protection, a group of 70 blood-thirsty militants came to kill our staff and destroy the home. They were not allowed to get in, but they did a lot of damage to our Dream Center by throwing rocks and bricks and smashing our gate, etc. They have promised to come back and 'finish the job.' Our kids and staff are locked inside and have stayed that way with doors and windows shut for the past 3 days. It has been a time of desperately calling on the Lord in prayer.
More police have come to offer protection. In Kalahandi, the police and some local sympathizers got to our dream center and gave our staff and kids about 3 minute s notice to vacate. No one had time to even grab a change of clothes or any personal belonging. As they fled, the blood thirsty mob came to kill everyone in the building. We would have had a mass funeral there, but for His grace. In Phulbani, the mob came looking for Christian homes and missions. The local Hindu people, our neighbors turned them away by saying that there were no Christians in this area. So they left.
We had favor. The same thing happened in Balasore.
All our dream centers are under lock down with the kids and staff huddled inside and police outside. The fanatics are circling outside waiting for a chance to kill. Others were not so fortunate. In a nearby Catholic orphanage, the mob allowed the kids to leave and locked up a Priest and a computer teacher in house and burned them to death. Many believers have been killed and hacked into pieces and left on the road.... even women and children. At another orphanage run by another organization, when this began, the Director and his wife jumped on their motorbike and simply fled, leaving all the children and staff behind. Every one of our GNI directors that I have spoken to said: 'We stay with our kids.... we live together or die together, but we will never abandon what God has called us to do.' More than 5000 Christian families have had their homes burned or destroyed. They have fled into the jungles and are living in great fear waiting for the authorities to bring about peace. But so far, no peace is foreseen. This will continue for another 10 days.... supposedly the 14 day mourning period for the slain Hindu priest. Many more Christians will die and their houses destroyed. Many more churches will be smashed down. The Federal government is trying to restore order and perhaps things will calm down. We ask for your prayers. Only the Hand of God can calm this storm. None of us know the meaning of persecution. But now our kids and staff know what that means. So many of our kids coming from Hindu backgrounds are confused and totally bewildered at what is happening around them. So many of their guardians have fled into the jungles and are unable to come and get them during these trying times.
Through all this, I am more determined than ever to continue with our goal: the transformation of a community by transforming its children. Orissa will be saved... that is our heart's cry. If we can take these thousands of throw-away children and help them to become disciples of Jesus, they will transform an entire region. It is a long term goal, but it is strategic thinking in terms of the Great Commission. What can you do? First, please uphold all this in fervent prayer. Second, pass this e-mail on to as many friends as you can. We must get the word out and increase our prayer base for this is spiritual warfare at its most basic meaning. We are literally fighting the devil in order to live for His Kingdom. The next 10 days are crucial. We pray for peace and calm to pervade across Orissa. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please pass it on and help us to get as many people to partner with us on this cutting edge effort to fulfill His mandate: Go and make disciples of all nations....Prayer works!
Blessings, Chip & Sandy Wanner Col 2:2 MBI
Team Facilitators to YWAM frontlines
In the end the persecution lasted longer than the expected fourteen days. In my previous post I complained about the media of the West not mentioning these events, but I think my criticism was overzealous. It would seem that India's own government was lax in responding to these reports. An example of the Indian government's nonchalant attitude is the case of the nun that was raped.
"More than one month after she filed a complaint, the Orissa government on Friday ordered a probe into a nun's allegation that she was raped and paraded naked in a village in Kandhamal district while a dozen policemen watched", reports one newspaper. It took them a month!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Christians Slaugtered in India
The last couple of days have seen carnage in Orissa, a state in India. Apparently it all started when a militant Hindu priest and four of his assistance were killed. The Hindu priest was known for his fierce proselytistic “reconversion” of people back to Hinduism. His murder was blamed on Christians and since then Hindus have been on a Christian killing spree in Orissa. It is said that it will continue for fourteen days – the mourning period for the priest’s death. Many Christian facilities such as churches, schools and clinics have been destroyed. Some were burned down with people inside. The killings are not denomination specific; both Catholics and Protestants face the same danger. According to a news report “…thousands of people have been rendered homeless, many churches attacked and at least 33 people killed in [Orissa].” There has been at least one case of a nun being raped. This in full view of police officers that just stood idly by -- they are most likely Hindus. How sad that people can only get police protection from violence, rape and murder if they share the religion of the police.
Probably the most distressing part about this whole thing is how uneventful it seems in the eyes of the media – especially the media of the West. It appears that a couple of religious murders somewhere in the obscurities of India is of little importance to the rest of the world.
Browsing the “World News” sections of some of the leading news agencies it is clear that news that doesn’t somehow affect the U.S. is not worth mentioning.
I find this troubling.
Probably the most distressing part about this whole thing is how uneventful it seems in the eyes of the media – especially the media of the West. It appears that a couple of religious murders somewhere in the obscurities of India is of little importance to the rest of the world.
Browsing the “World News” sections of some of the leading news agencies it is clear that news that doesn’t somehow affect the U.S. is not worth mentioning.
I find this troubling.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Postmodern Factuality
Paging through a textbook in preparation for a class I’m teaching my eye caught a reference. I froze. Can this really be true? Is this really allowed in a textbook? The source is Wikipedia! Now don’t get me wrong, Wikipedia is a great quick reference and I use it often, but it is certainly not trustworthy source. No self-respecting scholar would be caught dead quoting Wikipedia.
Or have trustworthiness and factuality and truth so deteriorated in our postmodern zeitgeist that any source would do. Have facts just become opinions, and all opinions equal? Is the professor speaking about his field of expertise and the freshman speaking about the same field equally quotable sources?
Don’t get me wrong, I am a child of postmodernity, a Generation Xer par excellence; I feel strangely at home in this fragmented zeitgeist, but I also value the knowledgeable over the laity. All narratives are not equal.
Or have trustworthiness and factuality and truth so deteriorated in our postmodern zeitgeist that any source would do. Have facts just become opinions, and all opinions equal? Is the professor speaking about his field of expertise and the freshman speaking about the same field equally quotable sources?
Don’t get me wrong, I am a child of postmodernity, a Generation Xer par excellence; I feel strangely at home in this fragmented zeitgeist, but I also value the knowledgeable over the laity. All narratives are not equal.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Conservatives and Liberals
So Adam is slowly convincing me that I am not as liberal as I thought. Of course my blogging-friend is being selective of what he reveals about the general darftness of the Democrats, but that is okay. We are all selective about how we present information. Even supposed objective journalist do their profession from an inevitable paradigm. That is why it is so important to get as many different perspectives on important news as possible.
But back to American politics… Here’s my cop-out: I am not a U.S. citizen, so I don’t have to cast my vote to either the Conservatives or the Liberals. However, I believe I ought to have an opinion and although it will not make any difference to America, it will make a difference within me. Since I’m not American I’m allowing myself the courtesy to keep it general.
Conservatives:
Many of the conservative values I value. I believe in the sanctity of the family and similar sentiments. But I fear the Religious Right that is trying to use politics to enforce their religious agenda. This movement towards bridging the gap between State and Church is disturbing.
Christ showed a deliberate avoidance of political involvement. He shied away from attempts to get himself involved in any of the governmental politics of the day. He showed no interest in over throwing the Roman Empire. Even though a rebellion under His command would have been invincible, with him feeding them, healing them, raising them from the dead.
The serious privacy infringements under the Bush-administration are also a cause for solemn concern. It is my opinion that Americans have lost their freedom. Such atrocities as the “Spy Bill” of which I posted before, all under the cloak of anti-terrorism, are awful manipulations of the public’s fear, towards an Orwellian Big-Brother State.
Liberals:
What I like about the Liberals are their inclination away from Church and State and appreciation of freedom of speech.
Apart from the many inconsistencies Adam has made me aware of, I have another fear. In their offensiveness against the Religious Right, the Democrats are leaning themselves towards an equally fearsome extreme. A kind of Communist downplay (and sometimes even uprooting) of anything religious or traditionally sanctimonious. This has the potential to lead to a type of witch-hunt, or forced transformation of traditions and culture. My question is then, where does that leave those inalienable freedoms that made the United States the great nation it became? Such freedoms as the Freedom of Speech, Religion, Conscience. Freedoms that the Liberals are supposed to value.
Indeed, the religious right scares me, the liberal left frightens me. It is as one evangelist described: You have a choice between voting for the Devil in Pink or the Devil in Blue.
O, and by the way, the world is coming to an end!
But back to American politics… Here’s my cop-out: I am not a U.S. citizen, so I don’t have to cast my vote to either the Conservatives or the Liberals. However, I believe I ought to have an opinion and although it will not make any difference to America, it will make a difference within me. Since I’m not American I’m allowing myself the courtesy to keep it general.
Conservatives:
Many of the conservative values I value. I believe in the sanctity of the family and similar sentiments. But I fear the Religious Right that is trying to use politics to enforce their religious agenda. This movement towards bridging the gap between State and Church is disturbing.
Christ showed a deliberate avoidance of political involvement. He shied away from attempts to get himself involved in any of the governmental politics of the day. He showed no interest in over throwing the Roman Empire. Even though a rebellion under His command would have been invincible, with him feeding them, healing them, raising them from the dead.
The serious privacy infringements under the Bush-administration are also a cause for solemn concern. It is my opinion that Americans have lost their freedom. Such atrocities as the “Spy Bill” of which I posted before, all under the cloak of anti-terrorism, are awful manipulations of the public’s fear, towards an Orwellian Big-Brother State.
Liberals:
What I like about the Liberals are their inclination away from Church and State and appreciation of freedom of speech.
Apart from the many inconsistencies Adam has made me aware of, I have another fear. In their offensiveness against the Religious Right, the Democrats are leaning themselves towards an equally fearsome extreme. A kind of Communist downplay (and sometimes even uprooting) of anything religious or traditionally sanctimonious. This has the potential to lead to a type of witch-hunt, or forced transformation of traditions and culture. My question is then, where does that leave those inalienable freedoms that made the United States the great nation it became? Such freedoms as the Freedom of Speech, Religion, Conscience. Freedoms that the Liberals are supposed to value.
Indeed, the religious right scares me, the liberal left frightens me. It is as one evangelist described: You have a choice between voting for the Devil in Pink or the Devil in Blue.
O, and by the way, the world is coming to an end!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Hell of Heaven
"The sinner could not be happy in God's presence; he would shrink from the companionship of holy beings. Could he be permitted to enter heaven, it would have no joy for him. The spirit of unselfish love that reigns there--every heart responding to the heart of Infinite Love--would touch no answering chord in his soul. His thoughts, his interests, his motives, would be alien to those that actuate sinless dwellers there. He would be a discordant note in the melody of heaven. Heaven would be to him a place of torture; he would long to be hidden from Him who is its light, and the center of its joy. It is no arbitrary decree on the part of God that excludes the wicked from heaven; they are shut out by their own unfitness for its companionship. The glory of God would be to them a consuming fire. They would welcome destruction..."
An insightful and interesting quote.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
The Christian God
“Christians,” writes my friend recently, “can never grasp how great God really is.”
And for a moment I wanted to take offence at his blanket statement. If not Christians, who? Buddhists? They are historically atheists and therefore teaches nothing about God. Pantheists? They limit God to this creation; I can learn more from mathematicians and physicists about God’s greatness than I can from pantheism. Where should I turn if I want learn about God’s greatness? Honestly, there is no greater God than the one that created everything out of nothing - ex nihilo. And which other religion can teach me about true unselfishness - true love - if not Christianity as demonstrated in the life and teachings of Christ?
But then I remembered again where my friend is coming from. His idea of “Christians” is the same one I feel distanced from. That nominal mainstream Christianity of today, founded more on cultural preference and political disposition than on divine inspiration. It is because of them that I feel uncomfortable calling myself a Christian.
That god - the one proclaimed by nominal mainstream Christianity - the one that tortures people throughout eternity, that arbitrary deity, that is not my god. Thank God (literally), that there are more views of God.
And for a moment I wanted to take offence at his blanket statement. If not Christians, who? Buddhists? They are historically atheists and therefore teaches nothing about God. Pantheists? They limit God to this creation; I can learn more from mathematicians and physicists about God’s greatness than I can from pantheism. Where should I turn if I want learn about God’s greatness? Honestly, there is no greater God than the one that created everything out of nothing - ex nihilo. And which other religion can teach me about true unselfishness - true love - if not Christianity as demonstrated in the life and teachings of Christ?
But then I remembered again where my friend is coming from. His idea of “Christians” is the same one I feel distanced from. That nominal mainstream Christianity of today, founded more on cultural preference and political disposition than on divine inspiration. It is because of them that I feel uncomfortable calling myself a Christian.
That god - the one proclaimed by nominal mainstream Christianity - the one that tortures people throughout eternity, that arbitrary deity, that is not my god. Thank God (literally), that there are more views of God.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
9/11
I was reading MorbidNeko's blog and was shocked when she mentioned it being the 7th anniversary of 9/11 today. The date didn't register at all with me.
So was 9/11 a conspiracy by the US-government? More and more experts (or are they just loony conspiracy theorists?) are suggesting that the WTC-towers collapsed onto themselves exactly like buildings in controlled demolitions. See for instance this YouTube-video.
A new movie that reconsiders the events in the light of American architecture, controlled demolitions, etc. can be watched at this website: http://www.911revisited.com/video.html . And did any of you see the documentary film Loose Change? (Loose Change blog, Online Google Video.) And there is of course many websites such as Conspiracy Planet and 911Truth that feels strongly about the US government's involvement in these sinister events.
On the other hand are the 9/11 conspiracy debunkers, such as this Special Report by Popular Mechanics or this website.
So who do we believe?
Being the Paranoid Prophet that I am, I'm inclined to lean towards the conspiracy theorists. To the total dismay of this terrorist interviewed on the Onion News Network:
So was 9/11 a conspiracy by the US-government? More and more experts (or are they just loony conspiracy theorists?) are suggesting that the WTC-towers collapsed onto themselves exactly like buildings in controlled demolitions. See for instance this YouTube-video.
A new movie that reconsiders the events in the light of American architecture, controlled demolitions, etc. can be watched at this website: http://www.911revisited.com/video.html . And did any of you see the documentary film Loose Change? (Loose Change blog, Online Google Video.) And there is of course many websites such as Conspiracy Planet and 911Truth that feels strongly about the US government's involvement in these sinister events.
On the other hand are the 9/11 conspiracy debunkers, such as this Special Report by Popular Mechanics or this website.
So who do we believe?
Being the Paranoid Prophet that I am, I'm inclined to lean towards the conspiracy theorists. To the total dismay of this terrorist interviewed on the Onion News Network:
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
What's the world coming too?
You know the world is wacky when:
- the Pope embraces Martin Luther;
- Catholics take over from the Protestants to identify the current (RC) Church as the “Whore of Babylon” (This "traditional" Catholic website just blew my socks off: http://www.mostholyfamilymonastery.com/);
- Churches woo for members by opening up wine bars;
- and the latest fad is religious candy!
Assumptions
A fellow blogger (Adam) recently pointed out how skewed scientific observations can be. For instance he pointed to two news articles. The first blames the serious melting of the arctic icecaps to global warming. And then the other report recounts the recent underwater volcanic activity in the arctic. (And although the latter article does not say it, it is obvious - and inferred to by Adam - that the arctic might be heating, not because of global warming, but because of localized volcanic activity.) What this tells us is that the scientific data on which the first article is based is making assumptions as to the reasons for the melting of the ice.
While I believe in the value of scientific study, I think that the scientific community is often ignorant of the many assumptions their findings are built on.
And not only the scientific community, but us all have assumptions from which we interpret the world. I doubt such assumptions are inescapably – we need a paradigm to work from. But our assumptions often prevent us from seeing other possibilities, solutions, alternatives.
Thus my challenge: Identify assumptions and evaluate alternatives.
While I believe in the value of scientific study, I think that the scientific community is often ignorant of the many assumptions their findings are built on.
And not only the scientific community, but us all have assumptions from which we interpret the world. I doubt such assumptions are inescapably – we need a paradigm to work from. But our assumptions often prevent us from seeing other possibilities, solutions, alternatives.
Thus my challenge: Identify assumptions and evaluate alternatives.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
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