For Christ, For Truth, For Liberty

Via Solomonia:

Hundreds of angry people in this small town outside Milwaukee taunted reporters and TV crews traveling with Sen. John McCain on Friday, chanting “Be fair!” and pointing fingers at a pack of journalists as they booed loudly.

…”Stop lying! You are all liars! Tell the truth!” one woman yelled from the front of the pack.

The crowd was not menacing or threatening, but was clearly angry.

“You’re telling lies! Stop the lies!” one man yelled. Asked why the crowd was so angry, Linda J. Green of Mequon, Wisc., said: “I’m thinking the press is very biased.”

The whole article. Fun stuff. Good for you, America.

Also, be sure to check out the results of this poll, from our town. Interesting, particularly for a city that’s been hit hard by hundreds upon hundreds of once-secure, well-paying jobs being lost overseas thanks to restrictive laws and high taxes.

Tonight, we learned that little Buckley likes Pecorino Romano cheese.

There is much here, but all very worthwhile, so please do read it.

First of all, this video is worth every second of the 1:55 it takes to watch. Stay ’till the end…just watch. Trust me.

Well, this is the most marvellously happy news: Lava Man is going to spend the remainder of his years at one of my favourite charities, Old Friends! I first learned of this from a Thursday night press release in my email, and there is a story by the terrific Steve Haskin at the Blood-Horse.com. The champ arrives in just a few days — September 16!

Lava Man, who was claimed for $50,000 at Fairplex Park on Sept. 13, 2004 and turned over to trainer Doug O’Neill, retired this year with 17 victories from 46 career starts for earnings of $5,268,706. He emulated Native Diver’s feat of winning the Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) three consecutive years and became the first horse in history to win the grade I Santa Anita Handicap (which he won twice), Hollywood Gold Cup, and Pacific Classic in the same year. He also captured grade I stakes on dirt, grass, and synthetic surface.

Old Friends founder & president Michael Blowen is very understandably thrilled. The son of Slew City Slew has been called (and is widely considered) to be “the greatest of all claimers”, and should attract a flood of visitors to the retirement center. Let’s hope that with such a famous, big-name horse like Lava Man being added to the family at Old Friends, it will bring more attention to the plight of retired racehorses…and donations to a worthy cause.

We’re long overdue for another visit to Old Friends, you know. You can see my set of Old Friends portraits here…though I must add that two of my very, very best shots of Creator aren’t there, though one is on my business cards. Go figure. (Also, a portion of the sale from any horse image is donated to Old Friends. *nudge*)

On a more somber note, the public is invited to a memorial ceremony for Eight Belles tomorrow, September 7. [Read more →]

Via the excellent Refugee Resettlement Watch, we’re pointed to an article at VDARE (yeah, yeah) concerning Sarah Palin and a topic several people have specifically asked me about, illegal immigration. The author, a longtime resident of Anchorage who refers to Palin as “Joan of Arc”, a “one (wo)man army”, and a woman with “a fierce love for home and hearth”, is clearly a big fan.

Although based on this image Hubby sent to me, she’d probably allow talented, defecting hockey players.

(Hey, Wings fan or not, every true hockey fan the world over knows they are always fearsome contenders and a very talented, not to mention marvellously historic, club. My suspicion is that Palin is no exception to this rule.)

From a movie review. David Kepesh, the lead character in this film, is a professor who makes the sexual conquest of one student each term his aim, having spent his life chasing after the satisfaction of his sexual lust.

The film shows the consequences of a dreadful reduction of imagination, even literary imagination, to fantasy. On this point, Berry is eloquent, “In sex, as in other things, we have liberated fantasy but killed imagination, and so have sealed ourselves in selfishness and loneliness. Fantasy is of the solitary self, and it cannot lead us away from ourselves. It is by imagination that we cross over the differences between ourselves and other beings and thus learn compassion, forbearance, mercy, forgiveness, sympathy, and love.” Having cultivated the fantasies of the solitary self, Kepesh, increasingly aware that his lust will soon turn to ashes, desperately seeks some other sort of human contact.

…One wonders whether Kepesh, or the filmmakers for that matter, see that Kepesh’s transformation would involve a repudiation of the central thesis of his original philosophy, namely, that the human animal is never superior to sex.

Talk about food for thought, both regarding our thoughts, our actions (one and the same, really, from a spiritual perspective), and what we consume with our flesh and our eyeballs and ears.

Note: This does not stand as an endorsement of the film due to its visual content, though the plot itself does sound fascinating. I wonder if the above quote is not an encapsulation of the film’s meaning?

Perfect Sunset

…don’t you think?

Enjoy large!

Update For some reason, there is an advertisement or something blocking the replay of the liveblogging. So, I C&P’d the entire thing into a new liveblog. It’s identical to the original, with the exception of some links being missing.

I’ll be liveblogging it here in realtime.

Also, please do read the front-page bit at least of my Palin speech remarks, the post right below this one, and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Updated with some links…

It could prove to be the defining moment of the 2008 GOP convention, and perhaps the GOP for years to come. These words are the kind true conservatives, true Americans hearken to, rally to, the sort of words that make our hearts swell with pride at being American, the kind that recall to our minds the great men in our nation’s heritage whose ideas we share. Ideas such as the one encapsulated in these words are the kind of ideas that form the platform of true conservatism.

It’s a long way from the fear and pain and squalor of a six-by-four cell in Hanoi to the Oval Office.

…A fellow prisoner of war, a man named Tom Moe of Lancaster, Ohio, recalls looking through a pin-hole in his cell door as Lieutenant Commander John McCain was led down the hallway, by the guards, day after day.

As the story is told, “When McCain shuffled back from torturous interrogations, he would turn toward Moe’s door and flash a grin and thumbs up” - as if to say, “We’re going to pull through this.”

Optimism. Confidence. A can-do spirit. Belief in America’s exceptionalism. Faith and belief, not just hope, in the fact that things will get better, that we can prevail, that there is a bright and good future waiting.

Most Americans know what it’s like to go through really tough times, periods when things look very bleak on all sides. John McCain is certainly among them, more than many of his fellow citizens, something Palin alluded to. Dark hours are familiar to all of us, in every walk of life, stretches of life where it seems we’ve no option but failure, when there’s no way out, when we’re doomed to slowly crumble into failure and misery.

But one of the hallmark traits of a true American is optimism, sanguinity, the ability and tendency to look forward while at the same time falling back on the ever-dependable pillars of faith in God, love of family, and remembering heroes past as proof that dire straits aren’t always the end, and are indeed always opportunities.

When an American sees problems, instead of whining, we back up to give ourselves even more of a running start. If we’re going down, we’ll do so in a blaze of glory, a show of supreme effort, a display of determination and grit and a refusal to be cowed, flashing that cowboy grin that irks so many of our enemies. Rightly so: how many other nations have staggered to their feet, bloodied and broken, and not only faced but overcome great enemies, great troubles, great trials?

Those words from Palin’s speech were the ones that really got me, that really struck me, though of course the whole speech was enjoyably rousing. That vignette from Senator McCain’s time of torture in captivity capture that unique spirit of America; that, more than anything else, ought to be the prevailing theme of the McCain-Palin campaign. It strikes a chord in Americans unlike any other idea, at least those of us blessed with an education that steeped us in stories of American perseverance, tenacity, and how those traits helped our ancestors overcome insurmountable odds. It seems to be in our DNA, and we never fail to respond accordingly.

Tenacious optimism in the face of all things. It’s an American thing, and this campaign really ought to latch onto it. [Read more →]

Awww yeah. Can we just vote for her? She is smart, all-American, clever, and pretty to boot. The XCEL Center was overwhelmingly and apparently in love with this woman. Who can blame them?

For her second national speech, this was terrific. Indeed, it may well have been a home run, and with her remarks about John McCain’s “thumbs up” to his fellow captives, she may have sealed the deal for a lot of conservatives who are really not happy with the Senator for various reasons. Why? Because we’re optimists at heart, and we love other optimists; that portrait of Senator John McCain as a man who sees more than the silver lining, but sees victory, was terrific.

Wonderful speech. I’m quite happy and contented with it. One could see that Newt, current don of the GOP, was happy, too.

Perhaps, as was suggested to Pink Kitty, it is time to start a “Babes With Specs for Palin” group or something.

That is all (for now). I’ll have more tomorrow, but must get ready for dreamland.

God bless America!

That’s just one line from this entirely excellent column about Sarah Palin from Peggy Noonan.Good reading as we eagerly await her speech, no?

Thus far, the speeches tonight have been pretty good, but Rudy is really bringing the house down. Well, New York is a showbiz town, y’all. I’m also glad these guys aren’t afraid to bring up the biggest threat to liberty other than leftism: that of Islamism and sharia at the gates (within them!).

This should be great fun.

Though it looks like there is some really nasty dirt being slung now…The story about her great-grandmother is particularly horrid. Still, I think the McCain propaganda machine can handle it.

Also, a note: I found it greatly amusing last night that Juan Williams told Brit Hume that, in effect, the MSM and left were upset that McCain didn’t consult them about the Palin nomination to VP. He felt that meant she was not “properly vetted”, that she didn’t have to pass media muster. !

(Released excerpts of Palin’s speech, via Drudge.)

From his Book of Prophesies, compiled sometime around 1502:

I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolations since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous presence.

…No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service. The working out of all things has been assigned to each person by our Lord, but it all happens according to His sovereign will

….the fact that the Gospel must still be preached to so many lands in such a short time — this is what convinces me.

~ Christopher Columbus

Interesting.

Really?

And…is this wise? These are the Russians, you know. The mullahs think thousands or even millions of people dying is a good thing.

Via Savage.

None of us (here, at least) want to know what the lefty blogs are saying about Sarah or Bristol Palin. The things they were and are saying about baby Trig are awful enough, though unsurprising.

Politically speaking, it’s obviously a good thing that Palin has pointed out the pregnancy of her unwed 17 year-old daughter herself, lest the left make a stink about it and accuse the campaign of a coverup and obfuscation, though it was already general knowledge back home. Though Sarah Palin is already being excoriated for her pro-life, pro-abstinence stance (anyone else see Mort Kondracke on Special Report with Brit Hume tonight, and the way Bill Kristol called him out? Ouch!), as the Time article pointed out, Governor Palin is a member of Feminists For Life, a pro-life, pro-abstinence group which doesn’t oppose birth control. Interestingly, some think that this and other issues surrounding the family highlight Sarah Palin’s normal, average-Americanness, making her seem more down-to-earth and approachable.

As it is, though it’s being made into a political football by the left, this is ultimately a personal matter, and I really don’t even feel comfortable discussing it. But since politics are discussed very frequently here, and I’m clearly thrilled about the selection of Palin…Though this family issue has been made very, very public, the press release regarding the pregnancy and upcoming wedding is probably not even slightly changed from the way the Palins have been handling this all along.

It’s the kind of response the majority of parents would have in the same situation, and it’s a response similar to the one God gives when we crawl to Him, weeping over our sinful, evil natures and deeds, asking for His forgiveness, and His help in overcoming themselves and surrendering to Him.

Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.

None of us are perfect. We can probably fairly even go so far as to say that all of us are failures. Unable to make it or be good on our own, much less be holy, we all have smears on our records we’d rather no one know about, much less a perfect and just God.

As it is, though, when we turn to and follow Christ, we’re seen as justified. [Read more →]

I have to say that while I’m pretty excited about McCain choosing Sarah Palin as VP, that still doesn’t mean I’ll vote for him. Though you couldn’t get me to vote for Barack Obama if you had a gun to my head, McCain hasn’t exactly proven his trustworthiness, particularly when it comes to conservative principles.

I may be alone soon, though, because folks are turning, and quickly; the video of her firing off an AK certainly tickled folks in this household. Tom’s remarks are my favourites thus far, though (note: positive reference toward Dr. Paul from Mrs. Palin). You’ll see why. Also, he points out that David Frum doesn’t like her, which is a great sign for actual conservatives.

Things have suddenly gone from resigned and frustrated to very interesting, haven’t they? Aside from our capital “L” Libertarian friends, for whom no ticket other than T. Jefferson-R. Paul will work…seems to me there are some fireworks about all of a sudden. [Read more →]

Well, he’s still masked, in a sense, because many still don’t know about Mr. Obama’s radical past (and present). But Charles Krauthammer has noticed something very interesting about the Barack-fest this past week.

Eerily missing at the Democratic convention this year were people of stature who were seriously involved at some point in Obama’s life standing up to say: I know Barack Obama. I’ve been with Barack Obama. We’ve toiled/endured together. You can trust him. I do.

…So where are the colleagues? The buddies? The political or spiritual soul mates? His most important spiritual adviser and mentor was Jeremiah Wright. But he’s out. Then there’s William Ayers, with whom he served on a board. He’s out. Where are the others?

The oddity of this convention is that its central figure is the ultimate self-made man, a dazzling mysterious Gatsby. The palpable apprehension is that the anointed is a stranger — a deeply engaging, elegant, brilliant stranger with whom the Democrats had a torrid affair. Having slowly woken up, they see the ring and wonder who exactly they married last night.

Ohhhh. Good but painful point.

It was creepy, to tell the truth. Because even John Kerry and Al Gore had buddies and pals vouching for them. But not Barack. Still, it took Dr. Krauthammer’s pointing this out for me to realize what was so strange, so amiss; until reading this, I’d not been able to put my finger on it.

Contemplating Dr. Krauthammer’s comparison of this to an affair, it almost seems like the plot to a Hitchcock film, doesn’t it?

12:56pm This is a remarkably genius choice on McCain’s part. It really is. He may have just irrevocably turned the tide, particularly since Obama’s speech last night has gotten a pretty lukewarm reaction; well, when you spend 30 minutes putting down America and ignoring American ingenuity and independence, what do you expect?

Palin is a true conservative. We all love Bobby Jindal, but he’s too inexperienced; in a few years, he’ll be in a fine position, but it’s too soon. Palin, on the other hand, has more experience than the other party’s nominee for President. She started in the PTA, became a city council member, then mayor…now she’s the heat-packing, hockey-loving, moose-hunting, pork-slaying governor of Alaska, which is about as far as one can get from Washington and still be in America. You want a fresh face? You want a new breeze? Here it is. Sarah Palin is a heroine as she is, without the VP nod. Now? Now anything could happen.

Heck, I say move McCain to Veep and make Palin our Presidential nominee; this lady is as tough as nails (read about her, you’ll swoon, I promise) and if McCain makes a stupid move, he’ll hear about it from Sarah Palin. She might not even let him get away with it, because Palin has principles she refuses to back down from. Sarah Palin is a tigress and will fight furiously for what she believes in.

She’s an amazing woman, she really is, and I think the more people learn about her, the more they’ll like her. She’s genuine, she’s real, she is just a normal person who has somehow found herself in the spotlight through what?

Good, old-fashioned American hard-work, perseverance, faith in God, and determination to do what’s right.

Sarah Palin? She’s a real maverick.

Stay tuned, this should be fun. The media will, of course, try to tear her apart, but I think she can handle it. Let’s hope the real Governor Palin is seen by the American people, because again, they are going to adore her and absolutely fall in love with this woman. I’ve liked her since hearing about her refusal to abort her Down’s Syndrome son at the doctor’s behest back in January; that’s as fine an anecdote about her character and who she is as any you’ll hear.

12:43pm What a brilliant choice. Brilliant. Listening to Maha Rushie gipping the Dayton rally where Senator McCain has introduced Governor Palin.

Rush: “I want to see this woman age in office. Heh heh heh.” Well…she’s beautiful, there’s no two ways about it. But being a hockey mom and huntress will do that for you (not to mention being a conservative, which means being a generally happy person).

Also…you know Hillary is steamed. I’ll bet vases are being thrown all over the place, particularly since she should rightfully be the Dem nominee.

Also…Palin said “nuke-u-lar”. Ha! [Read more →]

The 2700

Old locomotive in Dennison, Ohio. It really is quite impressive.

Definitely enjoy large.

Not as big (I don’t think) as the truly fantastic and awe-inspiring Allegheny at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, but still quite amazing. The wheels alone are taller than my 6′ tall Hubby!

I may have the flu, but at least it’s Charlton Heston day on TCM (so if you’d rather not watch the Obamessiah rise from the earth to his temple tonight, you know exactly where to turn). William Wyler’s greatest film is currently playing, and this is one of my favourite parts of the movie. Are we not all dying, thirsting, imprisoned, abused by our adversary, having sold ourselves into slavery when Jesus Himself beckons, when He blesses the unworthy, the rebellious with living waters?

Taken away by his captors, Judah cannot take his eyes off this Stranger, this Man who singled him out and revived him, restored him with a gentle touch, and an expression of compassion we can only imagine. For the rest of his life, Judah recalls that Man with wonder, until the film reaches its rending, glorious ending.

Even after we submit to Him, even after coming to salvation, we are still subject to the adversary, satan, to sickness, pain, death, want, loneliness… [Read more →]

(Title taken from a witty caller to El Rushbo)

I’m not so ill this, the evidently official Temple of the ObaMessiah, can possibly be ignored and not laughed at. Oh my gosh. More from Hot Air, with enjoyable Star Trek references and footage to boot (including one great Greek-ette costume and hairdo).

Not sure what this is supposed to look like or recall to mind, other than classicism. Not the White House, not Monticello (can you imagine?), not the Lincoln Memorial…it’s an inward curving line, as we can see. Not sure what, if any, specific temple it’s meant to resemble.

But then…this is Obama. Is he not a singular being? Is he not truly unique, truly amazing, especially with his power to stop the seas from rising, the temperature from changing…Perhaps he can bring back the Carolina Parakeet? The dinosaurs? Imagine! Truly this man would be worthy of a temple designed expressly for himself…! [Read more →]

I appear to be succumbing to the flu, so…not much will be happening here today. (Famous last words. By the way, did anyone else think that Hillary’s video intro last night was a great new campaign spot?)

A superb Paul Washer sermon, fitting in nicely with some of the stuff written about this week. Don’t let the title fool you, though; a lot of good stuff for the dames here as well. Paul Washer is one of the best preachers we have; a former missionary, he now preaches at a church in Muscle Shoals.

Definitely very good stuff.

First of all, only on Fox News do we get to see the network’s top anchors and reporters eating Rocky Mountain Oysters, then their expressions after hearing what, exactly, these “oysters” really are. (Brit and Juan, however, ate with full knowledge. Must have been a bet.)

Secondly, relating to my earlier post, we have a pretty good sermon from Pastor Beau Hughes of The Village Church in Texas (this does not constitute an endorsement of said church, of course). The title of this post is taken from the title of his sermon, so don’t yell at me; click here to listen, or look for “Growing Up - Waiting For Redemption” in the 2008 sermon archive. You want to hear this message; I applaud Pastor Hughes for saying what needs to be said a lot more often in the church these days (he even brings up the missions thing, bless him). He nails the problem on the head, then offers some suggestions that apply not just to single men or single women, but to married couples as well.

Wink & a smile to PKs.

From the (wonderful!)blog of the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood:

The US Census data as of 2006 shows that in the last 30 years mothers are having one-third fewer children (1.9 versus 2.9 in 1976). Also, twice as many women forego ever having children as compared with 1976.

…What’s behind this trend?

The USA Today article speculates that the reason for the decrease has to do with the time women are choosing to bear children. Women are opting for marriage and motherhood later in life. Noteworthy, the educational level of women who reported the most births in 2006 was that of graduate or professional degree. And women in the work force accounted for the majority, 57 percent of recent births. To put it bluntly, significant numbers of women are choosing careers over children.

The whole story is not appearing here. Many women, believing ones in particular, are not at all “opting” for marriage later in life; it’s more or less forced upon them because the so-called men don’t want to get married, nor, with “free love” and all, is there any reason for most of them to do so. It’s not just the milk anymore — even the cow is free.

Nor can this be seen more clearly in any other place than the church itself, where marriage should be esteemed, where wives should be “so prized like jewels at home”, as CBMW’s Mr. Nelson recommends. Unfortunately, reality shows dozens of godly, single women sitting in the pews wondering if they’ve offended God and thus ruined their chances of marrying, or if they just smell badly and no one has had the guts to tell them, while the boys who are at least chronologically old enough be men spend their time gallivanting about town, playing video games and golf, and living with their parents while pulling down $60,000 a year and displaying no interest or desire whatsoever in marrying…At least, not until they’re 35 or 40 and they begin hitting on the 22 and 24 year olds (that’s biology, too, of course, but not the point).

Instead of gently poking at women with a sharp stick, shall we take a few other things into consideration? Because from what I see, leaders in the church who don’t encourage marriage are as much to blame for the dearth of squishy little infants in the church as the women are…if not more so.

I’m sick of seeing the women blamed for this problem, when it’s not entirely their fault, and absolutely not their desire. Too many Christian women spend hours crying and praying and wondering what they’ve done, what sin is in their life, why they’re still unmarried, but still trusting God, while the young “men” in our churches are pretty much told to sow their wild oats. Oh? Well, sorry, but if you’re not encouraging them to marry, not upholding marriage as a mysterious and wonderful gift from God that is supposed to exhibit Him, then yes, you’re culpable here. Especially when you then turn around and cast cruel aspersions on married women who don’t (or, hm, can’t?) have kidlets. [Read more →]

Most of us know about Barack Obama’s close connections with Weather Underground bomber William Ayers, a man with quite a resume, who bombed the US Capitol in 1971, but not everyone does.

In an odd coincidence, an interview with the New York Times on September 11, 2001, of all days, Ayers said he and his group “didn’t do enough” the day they bombed the Capitol.

Sen. Barack Obama has launched an all-out effort to block a Republican billionaire’s efforts to tie him to domestic and foreign terrorists in a wave of negative television ads.

Obama’s campaign has written the Department of Justice demanding a criminal investigation of the “American Issues Project,” the vehicle through which Dallas investor Harold Simmons is financing the advertisements. The Obama campaign — and tens of thousands of supporters — also is pressuring television networks and affiliates to reject the ads. The effort has met with some success: CNN and Fox News are not airing the attacks.

Free speech? First Amendment? What do you mean?

Learn more about the WU (in an odd coincidence, the sound a terrorist makes when you smack them upside the head before drop-kicking them over a deep pit filled with piranha) in this 2004 FrontPage article.

If you want to know what someone is like, look at their friends. And for the Obama fans who say that these friends of BHO (and nearly all of his friends hold views like this), remember: Bad company corrupts good morals.

Wink & a smile to Simon.

Via PRCalDude, this hilarious (though often sobering, when we think about it) post about how to make sure your church really is cool and doesn’t stink to…well, you know. I was laughing my way through the post, by my favourite part?

Stop preaching crappy sermons. If you’re like most Christian pastors, your sermons are horrible. But this is actually a good thing–since the average sermon is so awful, it’s really easy for you to stand out from the crowd. So the first thing to do is stop preaching such inane crap every Sunday morning. How do you quit writing crappy sermons? It’s easy! Just preach the Bible! Quit wasting people’s time with your retarded stories, personal anecdotes, and theological hobby-horses. Unlike your typical sermon illustration book, pastor, or systematic theology textbook, the Bible is really cool and exciting. I suggest you preach it instead of that other crap.

Not sure what a prayer announcer (#2) was ’till I read the comments…doesn’t sound pleasant. Or useful, really…

Many spend a great deal of time decrying the entertainment focus in churches today, and many have rightly noted that pastors are more concerned with bringing in and entertaining the goats than they are feeding the sheep God has placed in their charge. Spurgeon would no doubt agree. From the time of Ezekiel and Jeremiah, God has used people to warn the shepherds that they are not to neglect the care of the flock, and that severe consequences would result if they did so. Clearly, though, most pastors either don’t care or don’t believe God will be that angry at them for frittering their Sundays away on entertainment and frolic instead of exploration of the Word of God.

Really, is any message greater than that of salvation through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ? Is anything more amazing, more fantastic, more stunning? Have we run out of food for thought on that topic or something? Is the Gospel really so passe, so bland, so uninspiring (!) that we must “spice it up” by putting the focus on something other than Jesus and the Word of God (one and the same, I know, but surely you get my drift)?

Don’t answer. I already know the answer most pastors would give.

Also, it’s clear that no one considered the implications of allowing goats to come into the pasture and butt the gentler, weaker sheep away from the trough and the food. Jeremiah did; Ezekiel did; Jesus did…but today’s pastors appear to have forgotten their primary calling and duty.

Sad.

First, how we can stop the Islamists. Not sure why we haven’t thought of this before. The free market always works, you know?

And also, posted over at Atlas Shrugs, from Fjordman, a very good article about so-called “moderate” Islam. I tend to agree with Fjordman: there is no such thing as “moderate” Islam, and probably not even “peaceful” Islam. He discusses a book by Mahmud Muhammud Taha, who supposedly supported a more moderate view of Islam which abrogated the early Meccan verses of the Koran, holding up Taha as “the ultimate, definitive, and final proof that there is no moderate Islam.”

…Taha suggests that the reason why Muhammad and the early Muslims “had to” murder so many people was because these individuals didn’t accept Islam peacefully. Not only does Taha not indicate that he thinks this was wrong, he describes armed Jihad as a “surgical tool” which can be used to implement true Islam. He hints that this hopefully won’t be needed now because people are “mature” enough to know that Islam is good for them and will submit without coercion.

…Taha supports the idea of slavery on a moral basis, not just as an historical fact. “Freedom” is identical with sharia and being a slave of Allah. Those who don’t want to accept Islam or Islamic rule should face armed Jihad, and the sword should be used as a “surgical tool” to cut them off from the body of society. And this is moderate…..how, exactly?

If Taha is the great hope for a moderate Islam, we can conclude that a moderate Islam supports slavery, stoning people to death for adultery, whipping those who enjoy a glass of wine or beer and massacring those who disagree with the above mentioned policies. Taha openly supported many of the most appalling aspects of sharia, yet was still considered so controversial that he was executed as an apostate.

[Read more →]

Via Jared Wilson, we find this. It’s a good, short detailing of four reasons the church must return to being centered on the Gospel.

We all want to grow the kingdom, right? We all want to seek and save the lost, right? We all want to lead as many people as possible to salvation, right?

Then, why, for the love of God, do we preach all manner of behavior modification, none of which could save a single one of us, when only the gospel saves?

Paul writes in Romans 1:16, ” I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”

Yet if we could label our churches with the Nutrition Facts found on your can of soup, I reckon many would say in the fine print, “Not a significant source of gospel.”

That’s just one. Go check out the other three!

(Number Four is probably my favourite, I have to say…It is finished, indeed! That is something to get excited about.)

Lilac and White

Tappan Lake. (There was a pulloff. We couldn’t figure out how to get to the other side and were headed somewhere anyhow…)

Enjoy large.

My entire gallery is here.

As someone who regularly remarks upon the culinary unadventurousness and illiteracy in the country, it has occurred to me that I should make a more regular point of offering recipes and cooking advice here to you all. Honest to goodness, I think many people simply don’t know how to create well-rounded, healthy meals. It’s not like we offer home ec classes anymore, right? It’s too sexist…

Anyhow, since I do love cooking but also ridicule the culinarily unaware, it’s only fair for me to try and point the lost in the right direction.

Fortunately, eating well (meaning “healthily”, not necessarily caviar and champagne) isn’t that difficult, and once one gets the hang of it, can be quite fun.

But for our first (intermittent) lesson is about the beauty of butter, courtesy of Blog and Mablog.

There is almost no sauce that will not be improved by having a lump of butter whisked into it the moment before it is served. In addition to what it does for the flavor, it provides the sauce itself with a patina, a sheen which delights the eye even before the palate begins to judge. It is an embellishment not lightly to be foregone.

~ Robert Farrar Copon, The Supper of the Lamb, p. 107

Truer words are rarely spoken, my friends. Butter is not the enemy, unless of course one sits down to eat an entire stick of it. [Read more →]

Via PRCalDude, we read about manly church at Calvin On Tap (which appears to be a blog I’ll have to watch for a bit, good stuff there). Sigh.

Of all people, I have no problem with men being men and doing things men just happen to be suited for and enjoy, like hunting, messing with cars, football, et cetera. I love truly masculine men, who are also strong in their faith and good leaders of and providers for their family (that really being a loose but primary definition). Honestly, if more “men” were willing to muss their hair or break a limb (or maybe worse, that newly manicured nail) in this world, this world would be a little better off.

Still…what we read about here is just…ugh. For the second time in as many days, we learn why so many are spurning the “evangelical” label as flighty and doctrinally disastrous. The church is being laughed at and scorned all right, but not because of Jesus.

Honestly, do we NEED all the extras in church? Yes, they can be fun and all, but do we? And does it really help us become more and more like Christ? Well? Does it? Really?

On point in response is commentor JMS:

Jesus did reference common, everyday things like fig trees, wineskins as well as current affairs in his teachings. But that is a far cry from using carnival like attractions to draw the crowds. [Read more →]