ATLANTIS FOUND...AGAIN

Yet another claim has surfaced (haha) as to the location of lost Atlantis:

Robert Sarmast says a Mediterranean basin was flooded in a deluge around 9000 B.C., which submerged a rectangular land mass he believes was Atlantis, lying a mile (1.5 kilometers) beneath sea level between Cyprus and Syria.

“We have definitely found it,” said Sarmast, who led a team of explorers 50 miles (80 kilometers) off the southeast coast of Cyprus earlier this month.

Deep-water sonar scanning had indicated human-made structures on a submerged hill, including a 2-mile-long (3-kilometer-long) wall, a walled hill summit and deep trenches, he said. But further explorations were needed, he added.

“We cannot yet provide tangible proof in the form of bricks and mortar, as the artifacts are still buried under several meters of sediment, but the circumstantial and other evidence is irrefutable,” he claimed.

It will be interesting to see how it pans out. Of course, you can always rely on theosebes for your breaking Atlantis updates.

DAVE RAMSEY ON 60 MINUTES

Well, he was last Sunday anyway. If you missed seeing it you can read it. It's well worth it.

BUSH'S COURT

One of the big issues that most Republican types hammered leading up to the election was the necessity of re-electing Bush in order to secure a "conservative" Supreme Court that will perform such duties as overturning Roe v. Wade. Not wishing to spoil the party, but how many Supreme Court Justices currently on the court were appointed by Republican Presidents? And somehow another couple of appointments is going to fix it? At any rate, Jeffrey Rosen raises the question of whether Bush can deliver a conservative Supreme Court?:

Mr. Bush repeated the pledge he made in the presidential debates: "I would pick people who would be strict constructionists."

Liberals fear that "strict constructionists" - those who believe the Constitution should be read literally - would ban affirmative action, resurrect school prayer, dismantle the regulatory state and overturn Roe v. Wade.

Now I suppose if a "strict constructionist" reads the Constitution "literally" the liberal would read it figuratively? It raises the interesting question of exactly what the framers or modern legislators need to do in order to get courts to recognize their intent. Of course, "intent" simply is a fallacious "strict constructionist" assumption, now isn't it?

But Rosen exposes the dirty secret that has was alluded to above (and on theosebes in the past):

By promising to appoint strict constructionists, Mr. Bush has embraced the mantra of every Republican president since Richard Nixon, who first made that promise in his 1968 campaign. Yet Republican presidents have largely failed in their efforts.

In the last 36 years, four Republican presidents have appointed all but two of the current nine justices.

But on the most contested social issues - abortion, affirmative action, school prayer and gay rights - the court has sided with liberals, while only modestly advancing the deregulatory agenda of the Republicans.

"If the goal of Republican presidents was to build a court that exercised its own power with greater restraint or adhered strictly to the original constitutional text, then they have clearly failed," said Thomas Keck, a political science professor at Syracuse University and author of "The Most Activist Supreme Court in History."

I think we have a winner.

Why do we think that Bush II is going to succeed where others have failed (assuming they legitimately had the goals we ascribe to them)? I think we need to recognize the courts hold little promise for those seeking to preserve Biblical and Constitutional principles in our society.

DO HOBBITS GO TO HEAVEN?

Christopher Howse ponders the question of those troubling "hobbits" found in Flores:

But don’t these new creatures in Flores, so gratingly christened hobbits, prove that the Bible is rubbish, Darwin is right and everything can be explained by evolution? Well, for so-called fundamentalists, the difficulties of keeping to the sentence-by-sentence literal truth of the biblical account of the Creation should not be much greater than they already are, even if a delegation of Flores hobbits arrived in Downing Street demanding equal rights and bus passes.

For mainstream Christians, Darwin was never much of a problem anyway. He was only thought to be so by those who presumed he had somehow either: 1) proved the Bible wasn’t true, or 2) proved that men had no immortal souls. He had proved neither.

One might not agree with all of his conclusions, but it's an interesting discussion.

[Link via LRC]

WHY BUSH WON

Jane Smiley, author of the novel Moo, offers a veritable parody of elitist thinking that points to why Kerry lost. Oh, it's called The unteachable ignorance of the red states:

Here is how ignorance works: First, they put the fear of God into you—if you don't believe in the literal word of the Bible, you will burn in hell. Of course, the literal word of the Bible is tremendously contradictory, and so you must abdicate all critical thinking, and accept a simple but logical system of belief that is dangerous to question. A corollary to this point is that they make sure you understand that Satan resides in the toils and snares of complex thought and so it is best not try it.

I pulled out the part of most interest to theosebes readers. The greatest pleasure I have from the Bush victory is watching the squirming of those it upsets the most. Reading the story makes it clear who is the one who gave up on complex thought.

[Link via Power Line]

ELECTION & VALUES RUNDOWN

Ted Olsen at Christianity Today has a nice rundown from left:

He's not one of "us," says James Ridgeway in The Village Voice. With the deck, "Bush gets mandate for theocracy," Ridgeway gets apocalyptic. "The dream of a secular, liberal democracy is lost: Christians are stronger than ever, and whether it's true or not, the spin will be that they played a key role in building the Bush base. The visceral, cutting edge of the Bush mandate is the attack on same-sex marriage, led by the Christian Right."

and right

"Evangelicals voted in force in this year's election, securing the presidency for George W. Bush, granting parents in Florida the right to be notified before their minor daughter's abortion, and passing marriage protections laws in every state they were offered — even liberal Oregon," writes [Concerned Women for America] senior policy director Wendy Wright. "President Bush knows his strongest base, who they are and what drives them. Perhaps this is because, as many evangelicals and conservative Catholics can relate, he is one of us."

on the effect of values and evangelicals in the election. Olsen points out the problems, too.

THINGS THAT WON'T WORK

Perhaps remembering the fate of Roman Christians or the danger that Daniel faced, a man in Taiwan has tried to convert lions to Christianity:

Chen Chung-ho jumped into the lions' ensclosure at the Taipei City Zoo in Mucha, reports the China Post.

Raising his hands above his head, he shouted: "Jesus will save you!" and "Come bite me!" at the two African lions.

At first the big cats, lounging under a tree, paid no attention to the man but finally they attacked him, injuring his arms and legs.

The two lions pulled back after the 46-year old man put his hands in front of his chest to pray.

After a standoff that lasted for about 30 minutes, zoo staff used water cannons to chase the lions away and calmed the animals with tranquilizer guns.

The rescued man was rushed to the nearby Wan Fang Hospital for treatment.

Zoo officials claimed Chen would have been more seriously hurt had the lions not been fed earlier in the day.

I wonder what he had in mind had they listened...

(The link actually has pictures of the guy and the lions.)

THE ELECTION & HOMOSEXUAL 'MARRIAGE'

Finally, the post I tried to write on Wednesday morning when Blogger wouldn't let me (post-election blogging overload, one suspects). Much has now been made of the fact that eleven of eleven states passed marriage definition measures:

In a pointed vote against same-sex marriage, voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly supported amendments to their constitutions that would define marriage as between only a man and a woman.

Voters in 10 of the 11 states with such initiatives on their ballots supported the amendments by wide margins.

Gay-rights groups had expected to lose their battle at the ballot box and said the results were not surprising.

"We knew that we were underdogs in every state when we started out," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. "Putting a basic right up for a popular vote is always wrong and always extraordinarily difficult to win."

Social conservatives were expectedly pleased, though they were preparing for the possibility that gay-rights groups could pull off a lone victory here in Oregon. "I think it is a real warning shot across the bow of politicians, but also a warning shot across the bow to activist judges," said Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, a political action committee that supported the constitutional amendments.

Of course, it passed in Oregon (a solidly Kerry state), too.

One Kerry sympathizer even blamed the Massachusett's Supreme Court for Bush winning:

Since George Bush ended up winning, the "most important event" title ought to be something that helped him, not something that helped John Kerry.

With that in mind, I'll plump for the Massachusett's Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage. The result was nearly a dozen initiatives across the country to ban gay marriage and a perfect wedge issue for Republicans. (Link via Instapundit)

Amusing, but likely some truth to it.

The polls show that Bush rode the 'moral issues' issue to victory:

Moral values topped the list of issues voters were most concerned about when they went to the polls on Election Day, with Catholics, evangelicals, blacks and Hispanics joining an ad hoc coalition that re-elected President Bush by 3.5 million votes.
A national exit poll of 13,531 voters found 22 percent cited moral values as the "most important issue," with the economy and jobs second at 20 percent and terrorism at 19 percent, according to a joint survey by Edison Media Research and Mitofsky International. Iraq came in fourth at 15 percent.

This, of course, is a rude awakening for the elites on the two coasts. But for Red State America it's a very real concern. People are tired of the amorality of the dominant culture being shoved down their throat and being told they're racist, homophobic, etc. [insert condescending insult here] unless they like it.

Now, will all of those evangelicals and religiously minded Bush voters be rewarded for their loyalty? I keep being told that a Republican had to be elected so we can overturn Roe v. Wade. Well, it's been 32 years and counting and after five Republican Presidents since the ruling it still stands. How many current Justices were appointed by Republicans? How many GOP appointed Justices sat on the court in 1972? You do the math.

After that reality sets in, lets see which happens first: Roe v. Wade is overturned, or the Supreme Court finds a Constitutionally protected right for homosexual marriage and all those state initiatives passed on Tuesday suddenly become little more than wasted ink. I know which one I'd be more likely to pick.*


*Note that GOP Senator Arlen Specter already is warning Bush not to send nominees to the Senate who might overturn Roe v. Wade.

CORNETT-CORNETT 2040



The only ticket I trust.

BRITAIN'S DESIGNER BABIES

In the first step toward designing your own baby (maybe one day with a little polo pony on the chest) Britain has okayed embryo choice:

PEOPLE with inherited forms of cancer have won the right to select embryos free from genes that might trigger the disease in future generations, The Times has learnt.
Four couples affected by a genetic form of bowel cancer will start the procedure by the end of the year, after the Government’s fertility watchdog allowed a London clinic to screen IVF embryos for the disorder.



One of the patients, a 35-year-old accountant from Bristol, said: “We are overjoyed to have been given this chance, not only to do as much as possible to make sure our children don’t have this gene, but to stop them from passing it on.”

The ruling by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority deepens the controversy over designer babies. It sets a precedent that will allow doctors to “cherry-pick” embryos for a much wider range of traits than at present. Applications to extend the procedure are expected within months.

Such tests can potentially eradicate some disorders, enabling parents to be certain of having healthy children. But critics said that the decision will push Britain farther towards “designer babies” chosen for social reasons.

Of course, this is simply the next step after the widespread acceptance of abortion. I really don't see a happy end for this, certainly not for the embryos that don't measure up.

GOD FOR KERRY, SAYS HARKIN

The GOP isn't the only party to make claims of Divine endorsementIowa Sen. Tom Harkin says John Kerry has been gaining in the polls every day since Oct. 21, and George Bush has been going down every day.

"That's how God wants it to be," Harkin told a group of about 25 people at the Benton County Headquarters in Vinton on Thursday afternoon.
Harkin was touring the state to stump for Kerry and Democratic legislative candidates.
Just make sure you don't pray for it at church.

THE EVANGELICAL ANSWER TO BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

With the Boss appearing daily (it seems) with John Kerry, P. Diddy warning "Vote or Die" and MTV Rocking the Vote, evangelicals have their own answer:

This is the evangelicals' answer to Bruce Springsteen: an anguished rocker prowling the stage in a black shirt and tight faded jeans, hair matted with sweat, licking his lips and turning his bright, beckoning eyes to the teenage mob in the front row:

"Get out to the polls and affect this country," says Jason Roy, lead singer of the band Building 429.

"Can you do that?"

"Yes!" they roar back. The kids are jumping. The room is hazy with fake smoke. A boy in a ski cap sneaks a hand around his girl's waist. It's chilly outside but it's really hot in here.

The scene could be part of a Vote for Change concert tour, but as with everything else in the vast parallel world of Christian pop culture, it is hard not to notice what's different from the secular version.

The show takes place not in a concert hall in the city, but in the sanctuary of Gilead Friends Church on a rural road an hour north of Columbus. Aside from Ski Cap Guy, most of the couples showing any public display of affection are married. The brown liquid in all those bottles is iced tea or soda pop. And when a screaming girl leans over to give the guy beside her a kiss, he's likely to be her dad.

Of course, I'd probably rather listen to the Boss but not as long as I have to look at Kerry.

It's an interesting cultural phenomenon, which has some validity. At the same time it gives interesting insight into how the evangelical culture often strangely mirrors the culture at large, offering something akin to "secular light". The article is worth a look.

THE SANHEDRIN RE-ESTABLISHED?

A group of Jewish rabbis claim to have re-established the Sanhedrin Robin Juhl reports. It's an interesting step, and one that Dispensationalists like Juhl seem excited about. The post is worth reading for the premillennial perspective of it. Of course, readers of theosebes will know I am no Premillennial Dispensationalist.

The last time we saw the Sanhedrin they really weren't looking too good...

[Thanks to Robin for letting me know about the post.]

OKAY, THIS IS GOING A BIT TOO FAR

In a letter of clarification, the IRS has ruled churches can't pray for a Bush victory:

In a letter of clarification requested by a traveling minister, the Internal Revenue Service has declared people gathered in tax-exempt churches can't pray for President Bush to win the election on Tuesday.

The ruling comes in response to a request by the Christian Defense Coalition, which is in the midst of a 15-day prayer tour through Ohio and Pennsylvania....

"This is rank censorship," [Rev. Patrick J.] Mahoney [who requested the clarification] told WND. "If churches felt compelled to pray for Senator Kerry, they should be able to do that, too.

"Now we have the IRS not only limiting what can said behind a pulpit in terms of electioneering, but churches aren't even allowed to pray the dictates of their consciences."

Okay, I'm no advocate of churches openly choosing sides in an election, but I'm much less of an advocate of the government telling groups of God's people what they can and can't pray for. This one certainly qualifies as an outrage.

PORTLY VIEWS

On the new weblog, The Portly Paleo, proprietor Shane Scott detects hypocrisy:

When former Alabama state supreme court chief justice Roy Moore issued a ruling in a child custody case in which he stated that homosexuality is a sin that violated natural and revealed law, Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, objected: "It appears that Justice Moore is once again making his decisions on the basis of his personal religious beliefs, not the commands of the law...Justice Moore would make a great official of the Inquisition, but he doesn’t belong on a state supreme court.”

But it appears that the good Mr. Lynn does not consistently apply his views:

Lynn is always quick to drive a wedge between religion and public policy - except for a law signed by former Vermont governor Howard Dean. Dean was the first governor to sign a bill legitimizing "civil unions" between homosexuals. And what was Dean's motivation? According to the Washington Post: "Dean said he does not often turn to his faith when making policy decisions but cited the civil union bill as a time he did. 'My view of Christianity... is that the hallmark of being a Christian is to reach out to people who have been left behind,' he told reporters Tuesday. 'So I think there was a religious aspect to my decision to support civil unions.'"

Actually, he's very consisitent. Religion on the right=bad. Religion to justify left-wing lunacy=good.

Shane, by the way, is a personal success story. When he and I discussed politics several years ago the poor fellow was actually an admirer of Lincoln. A little education and he's come along nicely. Now we just have to have a lesson on how to do hot links...

RUSSELLO ON McDONALD ON KIRK

The always insightful Gerald Russello has a review in Crisis Magazine of Wesley McDonald's Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology. The review, and the book, are worth your time.

If you're a glutton for punishment you can read your humble servant's thoughts on the book as well. (Yes, I've linked it before, but it's been a good month or so!)

JESUS: 'BLACK ICON'

New Nation, an "ethnic paper", has named Jesus its number one 'black icon':

Jesus has been named No1 black icon of all time.

Ethnic paper New Nation asked experts to list the 100 most important figures in black history.

They put the Son of God - traditionally portrayed as white - at the top of the list.

New Nation editor Michael Eboda argued that the Bible describes Christ as "dark skinned" - and that 2,000 years ago, the people of Bethlehem were a "mix of Ethiopians, Egyptians and Babylonians, all mixed with people from central Africa."

He said: "Jesus was more likely to be black than anything else."

Church of England spokesman Lou Henderson added to the confusion, saying: "In fact Jesus was a Palestinian Jew."

Yes, calling the self-identified Palestinian Jew Jesus a "Palestinian Jew" certainly confuses things. The BBC weighs in, debating the issue:Was he white, white-ish, olive-skinned, swarthy, dark-skinned or black? There are people who believe he was any one of those shades, but there seem to be only two things about the debate that can be said with any degree of certainty.

First - if the past 2,000 years of Western art were the judge, Jesus would be white, handsome, probably with long hair and an ethereal glow.

Second - it can almost certainly be said that Jesus would not have been white. His hair was also probably cut short.
I think we have a winner. No, Jesus would not have looked like He was from Norway. Nor would he have looked like He was from Ethiopia, either. He probably would have looked (gasp!) just like he came from Galilee: dark hair, dark skin, dark eyes. Very much like the Middle-Easterner He was.

My favorite justification for the "black Jesus" was this from the New Nation:

As light-hearted evidence that Jesus was black, it adds that he "called everybody 'brother', liked Gospel, and couldn't get a fair trial".

And there you have it.

LA BLOCKS MESSIANIC JEWS' BANNER

The City of Los Angeles blocked the display of a "Jews who believe in Jesus" banner, which has led to the group suing the city:

A Virginia-based religious rights group has filed a federal lawsuit against the city for its refusal to permit the display of a banner with the phrase "Jews who believe in Jesus."

The American Center for Law and Justice maintains the city violated the constitutionally protected rights of free speech and liberty.

"The City permits a wide variety of religious and secular banners to be displayed publicly on streets. The decision to censor this banner was made strictly on the basis of the content of the banner," senior counsel Stuart J. Roth said in a statement Monday.

The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on behalf of Michael Brown, Pastor of the Messianic Jewish group Adat Y'shua Ha Adon. It calls for an injunction that would prevent the city from baring the banner.

According to the center, Brown hung similar banners for three consecutive years on city streets, but this year the city rejected his request.

Isn't freedom of religion great?

DO BUSH'S CHURCH AND POLICIES ADD UP?

The always reliable New York Times in full election mode raises questions about President Bush's choice of church on the one hand and public policies on the other:

n Sundays when President Bush goes to church in Washington, he chooses the 8 a.m. service at St. John's Episcopal Church Lafayette Square. A short stroll from the White House, St. John's has been the parish for many presidents, but it is still a surprising choice for Mr. Bush.

A president who has been typecast as the champion of Christian conservatives, who has proposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, finds fellowship in a church where the priest and many congregants openly support the blessing of same-sex unions.

When it comes to understanding the president's religious convictions and the role they have played in his presidency, there appears to be a disconnect between Mr. Bush's personal beliefs and his public policy.

The article does raise legitimate questions on the issue. Where does he stand?

Besides worshiping in an Episcopal church that welcomes gay couples (and in Texas, in a Methodist church where many congregants support abortion rights), Mr. Bush has prayed with Jews and Sikhs and volunteered that Muslims worship the same God as Christians - a comment that stunned evangelicals. Mr. Bush uses evangelical terms to convey his devotion to God and to prayer, but he is not the Bible-thumping fundamentalist that some of his opponents have made him out to be.

When it comes to policy, however, his opponents and supporters agree that he has done more than any president in recent history to advance the agenda of Christian social conservatives. On domestic issues, he has opposed same-sex marriage, favored restrictions on abortion and imposed limits on embryonic stem cell research. He has promoted vouchers for religious schools and shifted money for sex education and reproductive health programs to those that instead promote abstinence.

Without a doubt there is political posturing involved. (Does anyone think John Kerry worships at black churches regularly?) I also suspect that there is probably something of a disconnect between the people Bush feels comfortable with socially (high born Episcopalians) and agrees with socially and politically (middle class evangelicals). Keep in mind the Bushes are old line New England Episcopalians. That's where Bush would feel at home. This tells us a lot about where he's coming from:

Mr. Bush was born an Episcopalian, attended a Presbyterian church as a youngster and joined a Methodist church when he married - a denomination-hopping that is common among many Americans.

Evangelicals claim Mr. Bush is one of their own, but he has intentionally been vague about whether he actually shares their beliefs. In his last presidential run, Mr. Bush granted a brief telephone interview with this reporter on his faith. Asked whether he regarded the Bible as the literal and inerrant word of God, Mr. Bush said: "From Scripture you can gain a lot of strength and solace and learn life's lessons. That's what I believe, and I don't necessarily believe every single word is literally true."

Of course, John Kerry openly contradicts the Roman Catholic Church and its stands on such issues as abortion. Of the two, I actually do think that Bush's faith does inform his actions, whether I might agree with all of those actions or not

FINALLY, A PUBLIC SCHOOL RESPECTING RELIGION

With Halloween upon us some evangelical churches are backing away from Halloween because of its perceived ties to the occult. The Pullayup School District in Washington state is backing away, too:

The Puyallup School District in Washington State has canceled its annual Halloween parade and banned all other Halloween activities, insisting the costumes may be offensive to real witches and followers of Wicca — a form of Paganism.

A school district spokeswoman, quoted by local KOMO-TV, says, "Witches [masks] with pointy noses and things like that are not respective symbols of the Wiccan religion, and so we want to be respectful."

Well, we wouldn't want to offend any witches, now would we?

CANADIAN BANK BACKS DOWN

Canada's largest bank decided that it would be absolutely great if all its employees displayed a pro-homosexual sticker:

the Royal Bank of Canada directed its employees to "be supportive" of "gay, lesbian and bisexual issues" and to show that support by displaying the homosexual movement's rainbow triangle symbol in the workplace. The statements were made in the first edition of a new newsletter called "Rainbow Space."

Thankfully, the story doesn't end there. Faced with a boycott, the bank backed down:

But after a boycott was launched by the Canada Family Action Coalition, the bank backed down, saying the rainbow promotion had "unintentionally created divisiveness."

David Moorcroft, Royal Bank's senior vice president announced the course reversal in a letter dated Oct. 14.

"Effective today, the sticker component of the program is being eliminated," wrote Moorcroft.

Well, it's encouraging that sometimes those things actually work.

HMMM, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA...

It's probabaly happened to every church these days. Everyone's bowed in prayer or listening to announcements and suddenly an electronic version of the William Tell Overture begins. Some churches are fighting back:

It was the reporters who noticed first. Unable to call their editors while covering the weddings of the rich and famous, they asked the priest why their cell phones never worked at Sacred Heart. His reply: Israeli counterintelligence.

In four Monterrey churches, Israeli-made cell phone jammers the size of paperbacks have been tucked unobtrusively among paintings of the Madonna and statues of the saints.

The jarring polychromatic din of ringing cell phones is increasingly being thwarted — from religious sanctuaries to India's parliament to Tokyo theaters and commuter trains — by devices originally developed to help security forces avert eavesdropping and thwart phone-triggered bombings.

Well, no pictures of the Madonna (or even Madonna) or saints (although we had several dozen actual saints in attendance yesterday) but we could probably find somewhere to hide one of those. Of course, we won't be getting one any time soon:

Purchased for about $2,000 each, they can be turned on by remote control and emit low-level radio frequencies that thwart cell phone signals within a 100-foot radius.

Users get a "no service" or "signal not available" message on their cell phones.

Although Mexico has no law against the devices, the private use of cell phone blockers is illegal in the United States and most Western countries.

But the tide is turning.

Japan allows public places such as theaters and concert halls to install jammers, provided they obtain a government-issued license. And last week, France's industry minister approved a decision to let cinemas, concert halls and theaters install them — as long as provisions are in place so emergency calls can still be made.

Canada had considered allowing blocking in similar situations. But Industry Canada, which regulates the country's telecommunications, decided against it, saying the devices could infringe on personal freedom and affect public safety by crippling communication with law enforcement and security agencies.

Oh well. Maybe one of these days.

GIBSON'S GAMBLE

About a year ago there were many predictions of Mel Gibson's demise as a Hollywood icon if he went through with his silly plan to film a movie about the death of Jesus. The press and the Hollywood establishment pulled out all the stops to convince Gibson to stop the film or at the very least change into something unrecognizable. The plan then shifted to suppressing the movie. All the while the drumbeat continued: Mel Gibson will never work in this town again. Well, the movie was released, the DVD was released, who's smiling now:

Mel Gibson, the maker of the controversial “The Passion of the Christ,” dominates Entertainment Weekly’s annual power issue.

“What once seemed like a zealous bit of risky business (Gibson even said God was directing the movie through him) has proved to be one of the most successful power plays in Hollywood history,” the magazine says, “with $610 million in global sales.”

Sometimes there is earthly reward in sticking by your guns. Regardless of the quality of Gibson's movie (which was excellent, in my opinion) seeing its success is gratifying in the face of his anti-religious Hollywood naysayers.

WHY APPRENTICES CAN'T TALK

I admit to being a big fan of Donald Trump's "The Apprentice". But Sarah Bunting has an amusing article surveying this well educated gang's constant stream of malapropisms. In the end, Ms. Bunting stumbles into the reason:

It's amusing in its way, watching overeducated MBAs trip over themselves to prove their expertise in the high-powered corporate sphere when they can barely get subjects and verbs to agree. But in another way, it's pretty bleak. Why on earth would Trump hire a right-hand man or woman who can't express a cogent thought without clichés like "the weakest link" and "on the same page"?

The key is they are well-educated, but most of them have a strong business education. Finally! Proof you do need all those humanities classes (or maybe some time in Toastmasters).

I still like Raj's bow ties...

KERRY'S REVIVAL

John Kerry's recent appearances at black churches has drawn the ire of liberal religious groups:

Two liberal religious groups are asking Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry to "stop politicizing religion," even going so far as to call a partisan church service on behalf of the senator "over the top."

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is asking the Internal Revenue Service to investigate whether the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Miami violated federal tax law during an Oct. 10 service featuring speeches by Mr. Kerry, former presidential candidate the Rev. Al Sharpton and other prominent Democrats.

As everyone knows, appearances by Democrats particularly at black churches is always overlooked with a wink and a nod. One doubts that George Bush could hold a religious tinged political rally at an evangelical megachurch and get away with it. Quite frankly, churches aren't the place for religious rallies by either party, and really it is high time that they stop on both sides.

By the way, you like to see this sort of measured introduction:

During the service, the Rev. Gaston E. Smith introduced Mr. Kerry as "the next president of the United States" and told the crowd, "For every Goliath, God has a David. For every Calvary's cross, God has a Christ Jesus. ... To bring our country out of despair, discouragement, despondency and disgust, God has a John Kerry."

The Kerry campaign said neither it nor the pastor did anything wrong.

Or possibly Nebuchadnezzar, but who's to say?

DIVORCE & HOMOSEXUAL 'MARRIAGE'

Jennifer Morse well points out that the degradation of marriage through rampant divorce has opened the door for homosexual 'marriage':

Divorce is in the background of the gay marriage debate in at least three ways. First, gay marriage is the end of the trend that no-fault divorce began. The legal innovation of unilateral divorce began to reduce marriage to nothing but a temporary association of individuals. If marriage is merely a free association of individuals, there is no principled reason to exclude gay couples, or even larger groupings of sexual partners. The permanence of marriage was one of the key features that distinguished it from an ordinary contract.

Second, the high divorce rate and the resulting non-permanence of marriage made the institution of marriage more attractive to same-sex couples than it otherwise would be. If marriage still meant one to a customer for life, I seriously doubt that we’d be hearing about same-sex marriage today. Gay couples evidently have a more relaxed concept of both permanence and fidelity than do heterosexual couples. Gay activists would be much less likely to invest time and energy working for the right to marry, if divorce were available only for adultery or cruelty.

Most importantly, the high divorce rate has made it difficult to articulate opposition to gay marriage. People who have been divorced may feel hypocritical if they voice opposition to a system they felt they had to use. People who secretly fear they may need a divorce someday are reluctant to bad-mouth the easy availability of divorce. People who are not confident in their own ability to keep their marriage together for a lifetime, won’t speak out against the culture of divorce. A significant subset of such people will be reluctant to voice their opposition to gay marriage. People who have lost confidence in marriage as an institution of exclusivity and permanence are simply not going to have the heart for a fight over gay marriage.

She's right, and it's time we put the institution of marriage in order; from the beginning this type of divorce was not so (Matthew 19). Our standing to oppose the nonsense of homosexual 'marriage' will improve dramatically when we shore up our own.

WISE WORDS FROM AFRICA

Reacting to the American Episcopal Church's advocacy for homosexuality, Nigeria's Archbishop Peter Akinola expresses his displeasure:

Akinola insisted he did not hate gays, despite his fiery comments in the past protesting against the growing acceptance of homosexuality.

He once called the trend a "satanic attack" on the church. But he said he could not accept attempts to "superimpose your modern culture on Scripture" by ignoring what he said were Biblical injunctions against gay sex.

"I didn't write the Bible. It's part of our Christian heritage. It tells us what to do," Akinola said.

"If the word of God says homosexuality is an abomination, then so be it."

Those who support ordaining gays contend Scripture does not ban same-sex relationships, and that there was no understanding in biblical times that homosexuality was a natural orientation, not a choice.

Akinola said this reasoning sent an offensive message that the Bible "is only for the prim-itive people".

Akinola is exactly correct. Many Americans have become far too sophisticated for the "primitivism" of the Bible. They cannot accept the "foolishness" of God.

CHRISTIANS & THE MILITARY

A frequently raised question is whether or not Christians should serve in the military. Laurence Vance is leaning "no". I think the case can be made, but others have done it better. Vance tends to mix in too much politics (not surprising for LRC), and falls back on the Ten Commandments per se, a new covenant no-no. Still, he raises some good points that ought to be considered.

In case you're wondering, I do believe Christians can serve in the military. However, I certainly understand some having conscience problems with it, which must be respected. And, no, I didn't serve, either.

ROBERTSON REVISITED

Yesterday we looked at Pat Robertson's comments on the status of Islam and Jerusalem:

"I see the rise of Islam to destroy Israel and take the land from the Jews and give East Jerusalem to [Palestinian Authority Chairman] Yasser Arafat. I see that as Satan's plan to prevent the return of Jesus Christ the Lord," said Robertson, a Christian broadcaster.

This is where the fundamental weakness of the premillennial position is made manifest. Satan can do nothing to prevent the return of Jesus. Of course, this is a natural extension of the dispensational notion that Satan did in fact prevent God from establishing His kingdom in the first century, and instead was forced to go to Plan B and establish the church instead. Now, according to Robertson, Satan is scheming to keep the Creator of the universe from returning to it. The God that Robertson imagines is a weak God that cannot be relied upon to bring about His plans in the face of Satanic opposition. He is certainly a God who seems far too weak to offer the salvation that the Bible promises.

Robertson and his kind would do well to read Revelation and see the true message there. Despite what may seem like earthly evidence to the contrary, Satan has already been defeated. And while he is allowed certain powers in this world they are not unlimited, but rather he is operating on borrowed time. His defeat has occurred. The only question that remains is whether we will decide to join the losing side (the path of least resistance) or the side of the already victorious Christ. When He returns at the time of the Father's choosing those who have chosen correctly, and endured to the end, will share in His victory as Satan is finally cast away with his followers for eternity.

THE LAW ON DANISH NAMES

It's like an old Monty Python skit--The Ministry of Silly Names. But Denmark has essentially that; you can't name your child anything you want:

People expecting children can choose a pre-approved name from a government list of 7,000 mostly Western European and English names - 3,000 for boys, 4,000 for girls. A few ethnic names, like Ali and Hassan, have recently been added. But those wishing to deviate from the official list must seek permission at their local parish church, where all newborns' names are registered. A request for an unapproved name triggers a review at Copenhagen University's Names Investigation Department and at the Ministry of Ecclesiastical Affairs, which has the ultimate authority. The law only applies if one of the parents is Danish.

Many parents do not realize how difficult it can be to get a name approved by the government. About 1,100 names are reviewed every year, and 15 percent to 20 percent are rejected, mostly for odd spellings. Compound surnames, like Tan-Farnsden, also pose a problem.

And apparently so does "Molli":

Greg Nagan, 39, and Trine Kammer, 32, thought it would be cute to name their daughter Molli Malou. To their surprise, Malou was not a problem, but Molli with an I, which they thought sounded Danish, had to be reviewed by the government. The church told Ms. Kammer she needed to state in a letter the reason for choosing Molli. She did so, and said she told the clerk, "Here's your stupid letter: The reason for naming her Molli is because we like it."

"Isn't this silly?" Ms. Kammer said. "We love to make everything a rule here. They love to bureaucratize."

As the father of a "Molly" we would have been approved. Of course, my wife's name is "Traci". Good thing she's not Danish...

WHEN BAD ACADEMICS MEETS BAD THEOLOGY

The worst thing that can happen to any subject (great historical figure, moving poem, profound novel) is when the academicians get ahold of it. As someone who has been to academic conferences, I can attest that it all quickly deteriorates into self-parody. It appears there's nothing different at religious academic conferences:

An annual convention of American religion scholars from prominent institutions will feature sessions favorable toward sadomasochism, transvestism, transsexualism and polyamory – participation in multiple sexual relationships.

One paper scheduled to be presented interprets a passage in the book of Jeremiah "through the lens" of a sadomasochistic encounter between God and a man.

The presentations offered at the American Academy of Religion's 2004 Annual Meeting in San Antonio next month demonstrates that "bringing male homosexual behavior into the mainstream produces a slippery slope" that serves only to destroy basic societal norms rather than tame risky behavior, says Robert A. J. Gagnon, associate professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Two workshops on the sexual themes are being offered by the Gay Men's Issues in Religion Group at the meeting, scheduled for Nov. 20-23.

"One wonders what is next for the Gay Men's group at AAR – the promotion of incest, 'pedosexuality' and bestiality?" Gagnon asked in a written critique. "There is certainly little or nothing in the presenters' theology that would lead away from such ultimate absurdities."

Of course, the primary reason to even mention this is to make fun of it. But the reality is that in a nation where many of our most prestigious universities and colleges were founded with a conservative religious mission, it is a testament to how far our nation has come when we see how 'scholars' from some of those same institutions of higher learning view scripture.

[Thanks to Mitch for the tip.]

MANION ON ROBERTSON

Christopher Manion is right on the money here:

I don’t care how many "evangelical" votes he thinks he controls, no sane, serious Christian can possibly believe that Satan can foil Salvation History -- and then pretend that his own political activism can stop Satan!

Robertson then threatens to take millions of voters into a pro-Israel third party if Bush doesn't behave (I don't think we'll hear about this from Karl Rove any time soon).

Excerpt (I’m not making this up):

"I see the rise of Islam to destroy Israel and take the land from the Jews and give East Jerusalem to [Palestinian Authority Chairman] Yasser Arafat. I see that as Satan's plan to prevent the return of Jesus Christ the Lord," said Robertson, a Christian broadcaster.

And that's just an example of how convoluted premillennial dispensationalism is.

And see the related post, too.

GENGHIS KHAN'S PALACE FOUND

The long sought palace of Genghis Khan has been found, and his tomb may not be far away:

Archaeologists have unearthed the site of Genghis Khan's palace and believe the long-sought grave of the 13th century Mongolian warrior is somewhere nearby, the head of the excavation team said Wednesday.

A Japanese and Mongolian research team found the complex on a grassy steppe 150 miles east of the Mongolian capital of Ulan Bator, said Shinpei Kato, professor emeritus at Tokyo's Kokugakuin University.

Genghis Khan (c. 1162-1227) united warring tribes to become leader of the Mongols in 1206. After his death, his descendants expanded his empire until it stretched from China to Hungary.

Genghis Khan built the palace in the simple shape of a square tent attached to wooden columns on the site at around 1200, Kato said.

The researchers found porcelain buried among the ruins dated to the warrior's era, helping identify the grounds, Kato said. A description of the scenery around the palace by a messenger from China's Southern Tang Dynasty in 1232 also matched the area, he added.

Genghis Khan's tomb is believed to be nearby because ancient texts say court officials commuted from the mausoleum later built on the grounds to the burial site daily to conduct rituals for the dead.

Why don't we know where the tomb is?

Genghis Khan's grave site is one of archaeology's enduring mysteries. According to legend, in order to keep it secret, his huge burial party killed anyone who saw them en route to it; then servants and soldiers who attended the funeral were massacred.

That'll do it. Here's hoping that mystery will be solved as well.

THE DRUMBEAT CONTINUES

The agenda to extend special rights to homosexuals and silence those who are opposed to it continues in a new House bill:

The House of Representatives has voted to urge a conference committee to add "sexual orientation, gender and disability" to federal hate-crimes law, a development some observers say would muzzle Christians who speak out against homosexuality.

On Sept. 28, the House voted 213-186 to pass a procedural motion encouraging a conference committee to include the hate-crimes legislation in the final version of the Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 4200)....

Christian activists believe that if passed and signed into law, the legislation could be used to target Americans who voice their opposition to the homosexual lifestyle – including pastors preaching and reading the Bible.

I have little doubt that is the long term goal here. It's already the case in Canada where broadcasting criticism of homosexuality is considered a hate-crime. This goes beyond a group seeking special rights for itself. There is the systematic attempt by that same group and its allies to silence and criminalize any criticism of itself and its immoral behavior.

NO SAME-SEX 'MARRIAGE' BAN IN LOUISIANA

Below we discussed Rep. Ron Paul's opposition to a federal amendment to ban same-sex 'marriage'. While I have great sympathy with his states rights approach, each day I become more convinced that we are past that point. As if on cue, Judge William Morvant has disenfranchised Louisiana votes by throwing out that state's same-sex marriage ban:

A district court judge today threw out an amendment to the Louisiana Constitution banning same-sex marriage that was passed by 78% percent of the state's voters.

I think it is clear that the courts and powers that be have decided that like abortion, it doesn't really matter what the people think or long standing law has held. We must march to the drum of "progress", which means recognizing "choice", whether that's the choice to slaughter infants or play house with a same-sex "partner".

As our nation continues down its path of decline and decay the Old Republic is becomes an increasingly small dot on the horizon behind us.

This interesting information is apended to the story:

a homosexual lawyer arguing against the amendment in August lost his temper in a Louisiana courtroom when a fellow attorney called him a "homosexual." John Rawls' face turned red and he lunged at the attorney defending traditional heterosexual marriage.

"No one calls me the H-word," Rawls said in defense of his outburst.

The lawyer insisted he was not a homosexual, but, rather, a "gay" man.

Theosebes site policy is not to use the term "gay" to refer to homosexuals, but rather to use the proper term, "homosexual". Of course, if I'm in a bad mood we might use "sodomite". The point that needs to be maintained is that homosexuality, like any other sin, is an action, not a state of being.

'OLDEST' BIBLE PASSAGE CONFIRMED

Scientists have confirmed the antiquity of the 'oldest bit of Bible' predating even the Dead Sea Scrolls:

The words are among the most familiar and ecumenical in the liturgies of Judaism and Christianity. At the close of a worship service, the rabbi, priest, or pastor delivers, with only slight variations, the comforting and fortifying benediction:

"May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace."

An archaeological discovery in 1979 revealed that the Priestly Benediction, as the verse from Numbers 6:24-26 is called, appeared to be the earliest biblical passage ever found in ancient artifacts. Two tiny strips of silver, each wound tightly like a miniature scroll and bearing the inscribed words, were uncovered in a tomb outside Jerusalem and initially dated from the late seventh or early sixth century B.C. -- about 400 years before the famous Dead Sea Scrolls....

So researchers at the University of Southern California have now re-examined the inscriptions using photographic and computer imaging techniques. The words still do not exactly leap off the silver. But the researchers said they could finally be "read fully and analyzed with far greater precision," and that they were indeed the earliest.

In a scholarly report published last month, the research team concluded that the improved reading of the inscriptions confirmed their greater antiquity. The script, the team wrote, is indeed from the period just before the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar and the subsequent exile of Israelites in Babylonia.

The researchers further reaffirmed that the scrolls "preserve the earliest known citations of texts also found in the Hebrew Bible and that they provide us with the earliest examples of confessional statements concerning Yahweh."

It's a striking confirmation, again confirming Scripture in the face of skeptics.

GERMANS PREFER GANDALF TO GOD

The Bible has been edged out by Tolkien followed closely by Ken Follett in a survey of Germans:

HAMBURG - J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" is the favourite work of literature among Germans, beating out the Holy Bible in second place, according to a national survey.

The survey by ZDF television of a quarter of a million viewers nationwide showed the Tolkien novels topped the list by an overwhelming majority.

In second place as the finest published work of all time was the Bible, followed in third place by Ken Follett's "The Pillars of the Earth".

A German work of fiction ranked fourth, Patrick Suskind's "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer".

Ken Follett? At least The Lord of the Rings is a classic.

WHO CODED DA VINCI?

Two, um, scholars are charging Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown with plagiarism:

It is the biggest-selling adult fiction book of all time and has earned its author a reputed £140 million with its plot about a global conspiracy to suppress Christ's marriage.

The Da Vinci Code has sold more than 12 million copies and has been translated into 42 languages. But now two writers are suing its publishers, claiming that it was copied from their bestseller that first appeared more than 20 years ago.

Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh claim that Dan Brown, the 39-year-old former English teacher from New Hampshire, has "lifted the whole architecture" of the research that they carried out for their non-fiction work The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail, which they co-wrote with Henry Lincoln.

They claim that the similarities between the two books are such that they have no choice but to sue Random House, whose imprint Doubleday is the publisher of Brown's novel.

It must be part of the gigantic plot to suppress the truth.

DON'T SWEAR IN RUSSIA

If you've got a foul mouth, avoid Belgorod:

Police in Russia's western Belgorod region are imposing fines on people who swear in public - and local officials say the campaign is very popular.
The officials say young people have been minding their language since the ban was introduced in July.

Any person caught uttering profanities in public can face fines of up to $50.

The authorities have launched anti-swearing poster competitions, TV ads and comics in their campaign to clean up the Russian language.

"We want Russian to remain as pure as in the great classics," said Valentina Trunova, deputy head of Belgorod's department of youth affairs....

"We're mainly targeting young people," she said. "We will continue the campaign for a long time - we've had a very positive response."...

Almost 2,500 people - mostly under 30 - have been fined and about $50,000 has been collected, Belgorod officials say.

But according to Russia's Gazeta newspaper, some youths object to the crackdown.

"The cops have gone crazy," said one young man. "They are listening to our every word. We must constantly restrain ourselves."

Okay, I'm not real big on the police listening to one's every word, but I'd say it's not a bad thing that a bunch of ne'er do well youth learned to restrain themselves every now and then.

RON PAUL ON THE MARRIAGE AMENDMENT

The always insightful Texas Congressman Ron Paul spoke from the House floor against the Federal marriage amendment:

Mr. Speaker, while I oppose federal efforts to redefine marriage as something other than a union between one man and one woman, I do not believe a constitutional amendment is either a necessary or proper way to defend marriage.

While marriage is licensed and otherwise regulated by the states, government did not create the institution of marriage. In fact, the institution of marriage most likely pre-dates the institution of government! Government regulation of marriage is based on state recognition of the practices and customs formulated by private individuals interacting in civil society. Many people associate their wedding day with completing the rituals and other requirements of their faith, thus being joined in the eyes of their church and their creator, not with receiving their marriage license, thus being joined in the eyes of the state.

If I were in Congress in 1996, I would have voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which used Congress’s constitutional authority to define what official state documents other states have to recognize under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, to ensure that no state would be forced to recognize a “same sex” marriage license issued in another state. This Congress, I was an original cosponsor of the Marriage Protection Act, HR 3313, that removes challenges to the Defense of Marriage Act from federal courts’ jurisdiction. If I were a member of the Texas legislature, I would do all I could to oppose any attempt by rogue judges to impose a new definition of marriage on the people of my state....

Because of the dangers to liberty and traditional values posed by the unexpected consequences of amending the Constitution to strip power from the states and the people and further empower Washington, I cannot in good conscience support the marriage amendment to the United States Constitution. Instead, I plan to continue working to enact the Marriage Protection Act and protect each state’s right not to be forced to recognize a same sex marriage.

There is much to sympathize with here. Paul wishes to deny our octopus like Federal government from grasping yet more with its tentacles. It is hard to argue with that, although at this point I will remain a somewhat reluctant supporter of the amendment.

TRANSLATING FOR AFRICA

As conversions slow in America and are far and few between in Western Europe, Africa has opened up as a fertile field for the Lord's word. Attempting to facilitate the spreading of that word in Africa and elsewhere is a Jerusalem home for translators:

Tucked in the hillsides of the Jerusalem suburb of Mevaseret Zion is what could be your average dormitory. The spacious villa includes 10 rooms — a common dining area, several bedrooms and a large library with three computers hooked up to the Internet. And there are also students, though of a slightly unusual kind.

Welcome to the Home for Bible Translators.

The home was established in 1995 by a Christian couple, Mirja and Halvor Ronning, who wanted to enable Bible translators to truly understand their sources by offering them Hebrew classes as well as tours of the land of the Bible. The couple affiliated their project with the Rothberg International School at the Hebrew University, and thus they were able to offer students an academic program tailor-made for their needs, as well as an opportunity to become part of a worldwide family of scholars with whom they can exchange ideas.

The course is given in English or French, and this year's graduates are nine French-speaking Christian scholars from the Congo, Benin, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. The majority of the scholars originate from African countries, where there are hundreds of different dialects and languages.

"Christianity is spreading throughout Africa, and the existence of 200 translation projects is the evidence of that," Ronning said.

Nothing can be more valuable to the spreading of the pure gospel message than for clear, accurate translations of the Bible to be available in what many of us might view as obscure languages. In many ways, Africans can relate more directly to Biblical passages:

On a recent afternoon, three of the students — Genelosse Awankra from Togo, Issifou Korogo from Benin and Thomas Kore from Ivory Coast — sat around discussing their experience, which began when they all met on the same flight to Israel. Since then, the men — aged between 30 and 40 — have become good friends.

"You can't understand the New Testament without reading the old one" said Kore, who is not a translator himself but intends to set up a Hebrew course for those scholars who wish to register for this program. And despite being Christians, all scholars emphasized the importance of the Old Testament.

"Our culture in Africa is closer to the culture of the Old Testament, and people have a better image of God," said Korogo, who is engaged in translating the Old Testament into Yom, a language spoken by 200,000 people. "They can relate to the Bible's themes — the sacrifice, for example."

"In my language, Lama, a tribal dialect spoken by 200,000 people, there are some expressions similar to Hebrew," added Awankra, a former teacher and Bible translator. He intends to translate the Old Testament along with a team that includes his brother, who participated in the program last year.

Whether the language is obscure to us or not, we must remember that the promise of Acts 2 is still open to you, your children and all who are far off. We ought always to offer a great hand of support to those laying the groundwork of making the spreading of that message possible.

A RABBI, A PRIEST AND TWO WOMEN PREACHERS WALK INTO A CAMPAIGN RALLY...

An AP article unwittingly tells us why John Kerry has a hard time going religious:

For the Rev. David Keyes, it was a moment of grass-roots poetry.

Keyes is the Kerry-Edwards election campaign's new (and first) religious outreach coordinator for Missouri, and on Monday afternoon he sat at a table at the campaign's St. Louis storefront headquarters in a Shrewsbury strip mall with six religious leaders, lay and ordained.

Keyes walked them through the sequence of speakers for an interfaith "prayer potluck" rally that night in Brentwood.

But in his zeal to include speakers of varying calibrations of faiths, denominations, genders, races and ages, Keyes had overlooked one of the most visible: Protestant women.*

"Give me a minute," said Rabbi Jeffrey Stiffman, recently retired from Congregation Shaare Emeth, as he whipped out his cell phone and began dialing. The Rev. Bill Hutchison, a retired Roman Catholic priest, borrowed a cell phone and did the same. In no time, the group had two Protestant women lined up to speak.

And that's how liberals approach religion.

*One always wishes to remember the great Samuel Johnson's words regarding this:"Sir, a woman's preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprised to find it done at all."

MORMONS 'CAN'T'

The Daily Universe (get your own planet, now!), student paper at Brigham Young University, has pulled the plug for a 'racy' t-shirt:

Ads for Chad Ramos' T-shirts have worn out their welcome at Brigham Young University.
The Daily Universe, the newspaper at the LDS Church-owned campus, yanked the quarter-page ads this week after scads of complaints from faculty, students and administrators.
NewsNet general manager Jim Kelly, who oversees the paper, said readers were especially offended by a woman in the ad wearing a shirt with the slogan: "I Can't . . . I'm Mormon."
"At BYU, our standards are unapologetically higher than in many areas and in many publications," Kelly said Friday. "At the end of the day, we need to ensure we maintain our standards - and that's what we've done in this case."
Ramos, a practicing Mormon who served an LDS mission in Brazil, countered that the "I Can't" slogan reflects church members' desires to live those standards. Many Latter-day Saints living outside Utah, he noted, utter the phrase every day when asked to partake of activities - such as drink coffee or watch racy movies - that violate church standards.
BYU senior Danielle Harmon acknowledged using the "I Can't" phrase herself several times at her home in Klamath Falls, Ore. Even so, she dislikes the shirts.
"I choose not to [violate LDS standards]," she said. "The T-shirts make it look like the religion forces us to do things instead of it being personal choice."

When one sees the young lady sporting the tee, one does doubt that coffee springs to mind, although this cartoon seems to capture the problem pretty well.

BUSH'S CONVERSION

Bush has the reputation as a born-again evangelical, but Alex Johnson finds it's something Bush has implied rather than openly stated:

Any discussion of President Bush’s presumed evangelicalism is complicated. Evangelicalism is a style of worship, not a set of beliefs, and to a large extent evangelical Protestants are defined by their personal stories of faith and by whom they choose as their pastor. But core to many evangelicals’ identity is the “born-again” experience described in John 3:3, when a sinner undergoes an intense conversion during a personal interaction with the Holy Spirit, often Jesus Himself.

George Bush has not said directly that he was ever born again. He has often said he was pointed on the path to God after a discussion with evangelist Billy Graham in 1985.

But as the article points out, there is another conversion account floating around as well. Of course, as someone who does not self-identify as an "evangelical" (and who would quibble with the article's definition) I don't really have a dog in that hunt. Bush is someone with an Episcopalian background and currently identifies as a Methodist, one suspects on the more Episcopalian end of Methodism rather than the Pentecostal.

I do believe Bush is a man with a strong faith in God. I have no doubt that his belief and practices differ a great deal from my own. I also have no doubt that there is a great deal of political calculation by Bush and his staff on how to use his religion to his political advantage.

PRIEST BALKS AT PLUNGING NECKLINE

A bride and wedding party were stunned when the officiating priest refused to perform the ceremony:

One Saturday morning last year, a crowd gathered at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland, Lagos, for a wedding ceremony. Delighted by the day's event, the bride strutted to the altar in a daring wedding gown with a plunging neckline, offering an ample view of her cleavage.

But her joy soon evaporated. The officiating priest, Reverend Father Raphael Uzokwu, ordered her to go back home and change into a less daring dress or risk the cancellation of the ceremony. The minister's threat turned her freshly made-up face into a teary mess.

The bridal train and the guests were also thrown into confusion. They pleaded with the priest to rescind his decision, but he ignored them. He later did when a bride's maid offered a shawl to keep the heaving cleavage out of sight.

As necklines get lower and dresses skimpier, the Catholic Church is fighting back:

Last week, Reverend Father Gabriel Osu, Director of Social Communications of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, confirmed this to TheNEWS. "I have had cause to personally question people and to tell one or two brides to go back or please cover up. This is not proper," Osu said. He expressed concern that the 'offending' dresses are worn with the consent of the grooms. On a few occasions, Osu said, he saw grooms say: " We can't marry twice. It is only once. Please grant her request. I'm okay, anything goes." Osu explained that intending couples are taught to know what a proper wedding gown is as part of the Catholic Church's six-month marriage programme. "Your wedding gown which ordinarily should not even be an issue, always comes up," Osu said.

Prospects don't look good for the marriage when they can't even get the wedding dress right.

HOW NOT TO TURN THE OTHER CHEEK

Clerics and monks got into a round of fisticuffs at the traditional site of the tomb of Jesus:

Fistfights broke out yesterday between Christians gathered on the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ.
"There was lots of hitting going on. Police were hit, monks were hit ... there were people with bloodied faces," said a witness in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, reputed to be Golgotha where Christ was crucified, and the site of the tomb where he was buried.

The punch-up erupted during a procession to mark the discovery in 327 by Helena, mother of Constantine, of the True Cross.

A Greek Orthodox cleric said Franciscans had left open their chapel door in what was taken as disrespect. Priests and worshippers hit one another at the doorway dividing Orthodox and Franciscans, said a police spokesman.

Arrests were made but nobody was seriously hurt.

And this wasn't the first time:

Two years ago, Ethiopian and Copt monks threw stones at each other over rights to the church roof.

I'm glad the spirit of the site is sinking in.

THROWING THE GOOD BOOK AT 'EM

Police are getting tough with criminals in Romania--they're sending the bad guys to church:

Police in a rural area of Romania are sending criminals to church in an attempt to drive down crime figures.

Officers in the Satu Mare region also use the bible to "put the fear of God" into suspects.

This, they say, makes people own up in questioning, and also deters others from committing crimes, said the daily National.

People in the region are deeply religious but also very poor, and while some locals resort to theft to solve their problems or use drinking to forget about them, lying while under oath on the bible is unthinkable.

Feher Vasile, head of police in Livada, said: "We thought this was a good idea. And it works, I can tell you.

"Sometimes, when we deal with something we send people involved to go to see the local priest. And we ask them to swear in front of God to mend their ways. If they are drunk and disorderly for example, it's amazing how quickly it sobers them up."

Now that's a policing strategy that I can endorse!

ANTI-SEMITIC HURRICANE

The press has hit upon a seldom seen angle in the Hurricane Jeanne story: the hurricane is anti-semitic:

With Hurricane Jeanne approaching Florida this weekend, residents will hammer plywood over windows, rush out to buy batteries and water, and go to ATMs for extra cash. But Jews preparing for Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, face a dilemma.

From sundown Friday until sundown Saturday, observant Jews are prohibited from carrying money or doing physical tasks that may be required for hurricane preparations.

So what will they do? Some said preparing for the hurricane takes precedence over religious norms. Others said they would finish their preparations before sundown Friday, while still others said they didn't think the storm would be that serious.

With about 750,000 Jews, Florida has one of the nation's largest Jewish populations.

I think it's time for strong action on this.

EGYPT'S BRILLIANT IDEA

Egypt has struck upon a wonderful idea:

Egypt has issued an order barring pop star Madonna from entering the country because she visited Israel.

Members of Egypt's parliament have demanded Madonna, who has not requested entry into Egypt or announced any plans to visit the country, be barred from entering Egyptian soil. The parliament directed Egyptian embassies abroad to deny any visa requests from Madonna.

They're geniuses, geniuses, I say!

LOOTING OF MESOPOTAMIAN SITES INCREASES

One of the seldom discussed issued related to the Iraq war has been its effect on the cultural heritage of Mesopotamia, the home of Abraham and the location of Judah's exile as recorded by Daniel and Ezekiel. Sadly, things aren't going well:

NASIRIYA, Iraq: In the southern Iraq desert, the standing structures of ancient archaeological cities dot the horizon - majestic monuments to times long gone. Untouched for thousands of years, historic temples, palaces, tombs and entire dead cities are the sole witness of the passing of time.

Properly excavated, these cities could reveal valuable knowledge on the development of the human race and resolve the big mysteries of history. Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen. The Sumerian cities have been destroyed, ravaged by the incessant looting that started with the American invasion of Iraq. Once considered historical treasures, today crater-filled landscapes compete for space with hills of shredded pottery and broken bricks.

Looters - mainly farmers or jobless Iraqis of all ages - have destroyed the monuments of their own ancestors, erasing their own history in their tireless search for artifacts....

"More than 100 Sumerian cities have been destroyed by the looters since the beginning of the war," says Hamadani, who was appointed at the war's end by the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage in Iraq. "It's a disaster that all we are keeping watch on but about which we can do little. We are incapable of stopping the looting. We are five archaeologists, some hundred guards and, occasionally, a couple of policemen - and they are a million armed looters, backed by their tribes and the dealers.

"We are in danger every time we go on a tour to an archaeological site. A couple of weeks ago, while on site, six vehicles surrounded our cars and we were shot at. After that, we were assured that the next time, we would be killed."

So not only are the looters destroying it, they are actively keeping away legitimate archaeologists seeking to rescue it. It is troubling that sites that stood untouched for thousands of years are suddenly destroyed before our very eyes.

RC's SAY SCOTTISH SEX ED 'PORNOGRAPHIC'

The Roman Catholic Church has charged that recent primary school sex teaching is pornographic:

The Roman Catholic Church called yesterday for an immediate review of all sex education in Scottish schools after studying "pornographic" teaching material.

The Roman Catholic Church called yesterday for an immediate review of all sex education in Scottish schools after studying "pornographic" teaching material.

John Deighan, the Church's parliamentary officer, said the content and context of a large majority of the material was unsuitable for the age group for which it was intended, and was lacking in any social or moral context.

"I fail to see what educational benefit can be derived from discussing the clitoris with five-year-olds or showing children of that age detailed biological drawings of sexual organs," he said.

"Material dealing with same-sex couples and bisexuals is also inappropriate, as I think most parents would agree, for children of that age.

"It will do nothing except confuse them about sex and about what normal standards of sexual practice are."

He was particularly concerned about videos produced by Channel 4 and available for use in primary schools. It included diagrams of male and female sexual organs, a live birth, and "pornographic" cartoon images of different sexual positions.

Here's a question for you--how different is the above from what your kids are taught/shown in American public schools? Doesn't homeschooling look better every day?

SWAGGART APOLOGIZES

After making remarks that he would "kill" a homosexual man who looked at him "like that" discredited televevangelist Jimmy Swaggart has apologized:

On Wednesday, Swaggart said he has jokingly used the expression "killing someone and telling God he died" thousands of times, about all sorts of people. He said the expression is figurative and not meant to harm.

"It's a humorous statement that doesn't mean anything. You can't lie to God -- it's ridiculous," Swaggart told The Associated Press. "If it's an insult, I certainly didn't think it was, but if they are offended, then I certainly offer an apology."

One hopes that Volokh is satisfied with my denunciations. I'd hate to lose sleep if he's not.

Meanwhile, Christianity Today's weblog offers this insight:

One might think that someone who has publicly experienced brokenness in his sexuality might be a bit more careful in his words. In this line of thinking, wouldn't the prostitute that Swaggart hired have been justified in killing him?

Just so.

GOP MAILER REVISITED

Theosebes earlier discussed the GOP mailing in West Virginia. At the time I had not seen the mailing, but apparently they're sending out a similar mailing in Arkansas. My biggest complaint is the heavy handedness of it. My comments earlier still stand, but one would just hope for a bit more, well, sophistication on something like that. I suppose it tells you what they think of the sophistication level of voters in West Virginia and Arkansas.

[Thanks to Susanna at cotb for the link]

HOLLYWOOD SPIRITUALITY

Lest theosebes be accused of only focusing on the nutty spirituality of Kabbalists Madonna...er Esther and Britney, we want to be perceived as equal opportunity. Hollywood top gun Tom Cruise has given a great gift to the Spanish people: their very own Scientology church:

Hollywood hunk Tom Cruise opened a new Spanish headquarters for the Church of Scientology in Madrid on Saturday.

The Jerry Maguire star managed a few words of the local dialect during the ceremony and took time out afterwards to meet and greet waiting fans.

Cruise's split with his girlfriend of three years, Penelope Cruz, in March was clearly amicable - her mother Encarna and actress sister Monica attended the opening of the HQ near Madrid's international parliament.

It has previously been reported the couple's break-up was down to Cruz being fed-up with Cruise's obsession with Scientology.

I think his time would be better spent filming Days of Thunder II.

DENOUNCING SWAGGART

Jimmy "I have sinned" Swaggart reportedly said this recently:

I'm trying to find the correct name for it . . . this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. . . . I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died.

Eugene Volokh is outraged--outraged, I say!--and demands Christians everywhere denounce Swaggart.

Susanna Cornett, while freely denouncing Swaggart, takes exception with Volokh's demand that she do so. It's certainly great that Christians have folks like Volokh looking out for us demanding we do certain things.

For the record, I'll denounce Swaggart in general, so if he says anything kooky in the future just assume I don't approve. Thanks. (Oh yeah, men marrying men is pretty asinine.)

CORNETT ON McDONALD ON KIRK AT HOLTSBERRY

A little while back Kevin Holtsberry at Collected Miscellany asked me to write a review of Wesley McDonald's new book, Russell Kirk and the Age of Ideology. Somewhat belatedly, I have responded with this review.

GETTING DIVORCE WRONG

Daniel A. Crane takes a look at divorce, comparing civil and Christian marriage. He highlights the debate between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis on the issue:

Let's take for example the law of divorce. In the 1950s, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien debated Britain's divorce laws, articulating starkly different views on marriage. Tolkien believed that Christian teachings should shape Britain's legal definition of marriage, while Lewis held that secular marriage and Christian marriage are two very different things.

For Tolkien, "no item of compulsory Christian morals is valid only for Christians. The foundation is that this is the correct way of 'running the human machine.'" Tolkien believed that Lewis's arguments for separation between the secular and religious institutions reduced marriage "merely to a way of (perhaps?) getting an extra mileage out of a few selected machines." For Tolkien, "toleration of divorce—if a Christian does tolerate it—is a toleration of human abuse."

Since Lewis married a divorcée, first in a civil ceremony for one set of reasons (compassion) and some time later in an ecclesiastical one and for another set of reasons (love), it is not surprising that his views were different. Lewis believed in "two distinct kinds of marriage; one governed by the state with rules enforced on all citizens, the other governed by the church with rules enforced by it on its own members." Thus, for Lewis, Christians should be willing to tolerate civil rules about marriage that didn't meet biblical standards, since secular marriage was to be governed by an entirely different set of rules.

Crane sides with Lewis (usually a safe bet), but Tolkien had the right in this. By calling divorce "abuse", Tolkien echoes the words of God as recorded by Malachi as He condemned Israel for mistreating the wives of their youth by divorcing them. "I hate divorce," God said.

Crane then turns to Matthew 19 where he claims Jesus backs the separation of civil and spiritual views on divorce:

Matthew 19 records that some Pharisees put a tricky marriage question to Jesus: Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason, good or bad? The Pharisees saw a good chance to trip up Jesus, since he had already spoken out against divorce in the Sermon on the Mount, yet the law of Moses permitted divorce without enumerating a list of permissible reasons. Indeed, the only condition specified in Deuteronomy 24:1 was that the wife had become "displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her."

In avoiding the trap, Jesus differentiated between God's original plan for marriage, set forth in Genesis, and the human institution of marriage. Moses, Jesus explained, granted the Israelites a right to divorce because their hearts were hard, not because divorce was part of God's plan for marriage.

This is, of course, exactly wrong. Jesus was in fact reinstituting what God intended marriage to be "from the beginning". He agreed that Moses had allowed divorce due to Israel's "hardness of heart". In one of His "but I say to you" passages, Jesus returns to a pure understanding of marriage and divorce. His disciples got the point: "If the relationship of the man with his wife is like this, it is better not to marry."

Crane warns that we cannot let our standards of marriage be dictated by the state, which is what he sees as happening:

The example of divorce suggests that Christians have already lost much ground on marriage and the family by failing to distinguish secular family law clearly from God's perfect plan for man and woman. This is why it is alarming to see many Christians insist that defeating legal recognition of same-sex marriage is necessary to preserving the institution of marriage. If that is true, it must be because marriage owes its definition and legitimacy to the state—a proposition that Jesus squarely denied and that should frighten anyone who takes seriously the Genesis prescription.

Certainly if homosexual "marriage" is legalized by the state it does not mean that they are recognized by God. Yes, God defines marriage, not the state. Just as a Christian can seek to make abortion illegal because it is an affront to God, so can he seek to keep the civil definition of marriage consistent with God's plan. No we cannot fall into the trap of assuming what is legal is right, but neither should we fall into the trap of assuming that what is legal does not matter. In this sphere, I believe the Bible clearly teaches God does judge nations. Ask Babylon. Ask Rome.

I understand where Crane is coming from. As Christians we must not rely on the state when it comes to matters of morals and service to God. But while we must never be reliant on the state, neither should we ignore it.

ESTHER'S PILGRIMAGE

Pop bimbo Mad...er, Esther continued her deeply spiritual tour of Israel:

The singer made a midnight pilgrimage to a Jerusalem cemetery early yesterday morning, holding a mystical candlelit ceremony at the grave of Jewish Kabbalistic sage Rabbi Yehuda Ashlag. Polish-born Ashlag, who died in 1954, is the renowned author of the Sulam, a commentary on the core kabbalistic text, the Zohar....

Later, Madonna, wearing a low-cut dress with a black and white leopard pattern, called for world peace at a $500-a-plate dinner conference on Kabbalah and children in Tel Aviv.

Didn't the Biblical Esther wear leopard patterns?

I HOPE THOSE KIDS MAKE IT WORK...

Pop bimbo Britney Spears has tied the knot...again. I must say, I was so sure that her Las Vegas marriage of nine months ago was the real thing. If Britney can't make marriage work, then who can?

UPDATE: Another good thing coming out of all of this is the fine example that Britney can now be for her two new stepchildren.

LIBERALS & BIBLE BANNING

The Republican National Committee, playing on the 'gay' 'marriage' issue seems to indicate that liberals will ban Bibles:

Campaign mail with a return address of the Republican National Committee warns West Virginia voters that the Bible will be prohibited and men will marry men if liberals win in November.

The literature shows a Bible with the word "BANNED" across it and a photo of a man, on his knees, placing a ring on the hand of another man with the word "ALLOWED." The mailing tells West Virginians to "vote Republican to protect our families" and defeat the "liberal agenda."

Now, are liberals going to 'ban' the Bible? On the grand scheme of things, no I don't think so. If we mean by 'ban' that you can't have one, buy one or use one. However, there's little question that in the public arena there is a de facto ban on the Bible. Try taking one to school or a court of law. At the same time homosexual 'marriage' is the cause celebre of the Left. So while I'm not endorsing the election of Republicans as the cure to societal ills, the mailer seems to have it about right.

ATHEISM DISCREDITED?

Alister McGrath thinks so:

Like many back in the late 1960s, I was quite unaware of the darker side of atheism, as practised in the Soviet Union. I had assumed that religion would die away naturally, in the face of the compelling intellectual arguments and moral vision offered by atheism. I failed to ask what might happen if people did not want to have their faith eliminated. A desire to eliminate belief in God at the intellectual or cultural level has the most unfortunate tendency to encourage others to do this at the physical level. Lenin, frustrated by the Russian people’s obstinate refusal to espouse atheism voluntarily and naturally after the Russian Revolution, enforced it, arguing in a famous letter of March 1922 that the ‘protracted use of brutality’ was the necessary means of achieving this goal.

Some of the greatest atrocities of the 20th century were committed by regimes which espoused atheism, often with a fanaticism that some naive Western atheists seem to think is reserved only for religious people. As Martin Amis stressed in Koba the Dread, we now know what really happened under Stalin, even if it was unfashionable to talk about this in progressive circles in the West until the 1990s. The firing squads that Stalin sent to liquidate the Buddhist monks of Mongolia gained at least something of their fanaticism and hatred of religion from those who told them that religion generated fanaticism and hatred.

May socialism and atheism both end up in the dustbin of history.

ESTHER'S RETURN

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone...er, Esther has returned the Promised Land, the home of her Ciccone forebears, but for some reason Orthodox Jews in this tv report are not embracing her:

Rabbi Yzchak Bazri.

(Sound of Yzchak Bazri speaking)

"It's forbidden for a Goy to learn Kabbalah. He has to learn and known the Jewish bible first. Kabbalah is the highest form of Judaism, and those who practice it need to be extremely spiritual, modest and wise, surrounding themselves with holiness and purity.

(sound of Madonna's "Material Girl")

In the eyes of Rabbi Bazri, whose father was one of Jerusalem's most renowned Kabbalists, the material girl can't be in the club. But the real Kabbalah appears to have little to do with the new age phenomenon packaged and sold, often at a hefty price, by the Los Angeles-based Kabbalah Centre.

The rabbi does have some advice:

"I don't think her school knows about Kabbalah. But if she comes here she'll find pure, honest people. They will not accept her with her clothes, she must come with different ones."

Hey, be glad she's actually got some!

[Link via Drudge]

HURRICANE REVISITED

Well, Hurricane Ivan has been weathered and power has just been restored. We lost power on Thursday morning about 10:40 AM just as things were ramping up with the storm. Just as the local weather guy, Jerry Tracy, predicted it was like a sustained severe thunderstorm (without much thunder). The brunt of the storm was from about noon to around 4:00 or 5:00 PM. Birmingham was hit somewhat harder than we were, especially with rain.

I drove down to the church house to see how it was (it's only .3 mile away), and lo and behold--electricity! In fact all of "downtown" had electricity, but not me! As the calls came in from various members seemingly everyone had never lost power at all. Of course, in reality over a half million Alabama power customers are still without power, but that didn't make it any easier when you look out the window and see lights.

Anyway, no feeling sorry for me (I'm sure you weren't). If you'd like to read a somewhat lengthier account and see some pictures, my sister at cut on the bias will keep you satisfied.