DECEMBER 2005: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

Disney (*shudder*) has announced plans to make a live-action version of the C.S. Lewis classic 'The Chronicles of Narnia':

As Mel Gibson's blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" plays to millions of churchgoers nationwide, the Walt Disney Co. is planning to co-finance and distribute the C.S. Lewis children's classic "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."

Disney has struck a deal with Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz' Walden Media on the more than $100 million production, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Andrew Adamson, who directed "Shrek," will begin filming this summer.

Walt Disney Pictures expects a Christmas 2005 release and will retain the option to release future films in the series.

One hopes that they will use the standards set by The Lord of the Rings in making the movies. Never underestimate Disney's ability to blow it, however.

Slowly it begins to dawn on Hollywood that if you make good movies with a serious spiritual message (Lord of the Rings, The Passion, The Chronicles of Narnia) people will support it. Of a more secular nature I also point to the recent Master & Commander--a wonderful film! Look at the quality products that Pixar has put out.

Let's just hope Disney doesn't blow it.

And while we're talking about movies, Christianity Today has a new movie review site that might be worth keeping an eye on.

THE EVOLUTIONISTS FAITH

Fred Reed detects the evolutionary jihad:

If the faithful of evolution spent as much time examining their theory as they do defending it, they might prove to be right, or partly right, or discover all manner of interesting things heretofore unsuspected.

Among the articles of faith: Life evolved from the primeval soup (sheer conjecture; the existence of the soup is inferred from the theory); evolution occurred, as distinct from change; accounting for all characteristics of life (mere assertion); natural selection being the driving force (unestablished). Many of these points are logically separable. Since evolution serves the purposes of a religion, namely to explain human origin and destiny, they are invariably bundled.

He also raises a question that has long puzzled me:

Homosexuality in males works strongly against reproduction. Why have the genetic traits predisposing to homosexuality not been eliminated long ago?

Either there's no inherited genetic trait leading to it, homosexuality is an abnormal mutation or it's really just a behavioral choice.

Anyway, it's worth looking at.

LESS IS MORE?

McDonald's has announced the elimination of its "Supersized" fries and drinks. I'm puzzled somewhat by the reason the article gives:

The move comes as the world's largest restaurant company, and fast-food chains in general, are under growing public pressure to give consumers healthier food options in a nation that has suddenly become aware of its bulging waistline and the health dangers that come with it.

Now why is it that eliminating choices, somehow increases my options? When I go to McDonald's (rarely) I'm asked if I want to supersize. I simply say 'no'. No one forces excessive numbers of fries down my throat.

Your bad eating isn't McDonald's fault.

LOCUSTS TO HIT BIBLE LANDS

The writing of the Bible might long be over, but a plague associated with it threatens the Mideast:

With the Passover celebration just weeks away, a locust plague of biblical proportions could threaten parts of the Middle East and Africa, according to a United Nations agency.

An outbreak that potentially could darken the sky and consume everything in its path is "in progress on the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia where swarms are forming," the Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said.

Despite intensive control operations, swarms are expected to move into the country's interior where a further generation of breeding could occur in the spring. Some could reach areas in Jordan, southern Iraq and Western Iran later in the spring, the agency said, according to the JTA news service.

Time to pull out Exodus and Joel and give them a read.

CATHOLIC CHARITIES MUST PROVIDE CONTRACEPTION

The line keeps being pushed back as the California Supreme Court has ruled that a Roman Catholic charity must provide birth control although it goes against their religious beliefs:

The high court said that Catholic Charities (search) is no different from other businesses in California, where "religious employers" such as churches are exempt from the requirement. Catholic Charities argued that it, too, should be exempt.

But the Supreme Court ruled that the charity is not a religious employer because it offers such secular services as counseling, low-income housing and immigration services to people of all faiths, without directly preaching Catholic values.

In fact, Justice Kathryn Werdegar wrote that a "significant majority" of the people served by the charity are not Catholic. The court also noted that the charity employs workers of differing religions.

It won't be long before the religious exemption itself will be tossed out, thus removing any protection religious groups have against the encroaching regulations of the government.

That said, groups like the Catholic charity has itself blurred the line between a religious group and just another well-meaning counseling/charity service. The point is made that the group itself does not "directly [preach] Catholic values". If they're not willing to preach them, then how can they argue they really are core principles?

It's a dangerous precedent, to be sure. But they, like the Salvation Army and its government money, have invited the problem, and thus made it all of us easier targets.

ROMAN HISTORIANS 'STUNNED'

A rare coin find has forced historians to backpedal on the existence of a rogue Roman 'emperor', Domitianus:

[The coin] bears the face of Emperor Domitianus and is only the second coin ever found which bears the image of the self-proclaimed ruler of Britain and France in 271AD.

A similar coin was found in France 100 years ago but until now its uniqueness had meant both Emperor Domitianus and the coin were dismissed as a hoax.

Historians say the British discovery confirms the French find is genuine and Domitianus existed.

They believe he was an upstart from the Roman legion who was ousted for treason for daring to declare himself emperor and have the coins made.

And sometimes historians are wrong.

[Link via LRC]

IN THE ODDEST PLACES

Scientists have discovered dinosaur fossils in Antarctica:

Two new species of dinosaur, one a quick-moving meat-eater and the other a giant plant-eater, have been discovered in Antarctica, researchers said Thursday.

The 70 million-year-old fossils of the carnivore apparently rested for millennia at the bottom of an Antarctic sea, while remains of the 100-foot-long (30 meter) herbivore were found on the top of a mountain.

Well, one may not necessarily buy into the scientists' dating, still it gives us a vision of a very different world than we now live in.

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT THAT GOVERNMENT MONEY?

The ACLU is sniffing lawsuit because of supposed religious discrimination by the Salvation Army:

Current and former Salvation Army employees sued the organization famous for its red Christmas kettles Tuesday, alleging the government-funded group preached religious and sexual intolerance to its staff.

The workers accused the Salvation Army of creating a hostile work environment for about 600 employees who provide social services for more than 2,000 children in New York state.

The charitable organization required employees to pledge to preach the Gospel, to identify their church affiliation and to authorize their religious leaders to reveal private information to the Salvation Army, according to the lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union's New York chapter.

I can tell you right now that the church I work with exercised religious discrimination when they looked for an evangelist. They would not have hired a Catholic, a Methodist or a Muslim. But what's the difference (for now, anyway)? Government money. Where government money goes, goes the government, its ridiculous policies and an aggressively anti-religious ACLU.

Just ask the Salvation Army.

STERN ACTIONS FROM CLEAR CHANNEL

Clear Channel Communications has dropped the Howard Stern Show for indecency:

Clear Channel Communications, the biggest radio broadcaster in the nation, suspended the Howard Stern show from its stations yesterday after announcing a policy to prevent the broadcasting of indecent content.

The moves by Clear Channel came after it fired a talk-show host who broadcast sexually explicit material.

"Clear Channel drew a line in the sand today with regard to protecting our listeners from indecent content, and Howard Stern's show blew right through it," Clear Channel Radio's president, John Hogan, said in a statement. The statement did not specifically describe the content but said it "was vulgar, offensive and insulting, not just to women and African Americans but to anyone with a sense of common decency.''

I think maybe we're starting to get their attention.

WHY WON'T ANDY GO SEE 'THE PASSION'?

DRUDGE reports:

"'I'm not going to spend $9 just for a few laughs' -- CBS's Andy Rooney to Don Imus on why he won't see PASSION OF CHRIST.... "

If that doesn't tell you where Rooney is coming from, then what will?

SECULARISM STRIKES AGAIN

Marshall High School in Portland, Oregon has ordered the school's Bible Club to remove its display:

The Hispanic Club, the Chess Club and the Gay and Lesbian Alliance are just some of the clubs that have displays in the hallways of Portland schools.

But after the Bible Club at Marshall High School (search) put a Bible and some other Christian books in a display case, some teachers complained to the principal. After a call to the district's lawyer, the display was taken down.

District officials said they felt the display gave the impression that the school was endorsing Christianity.

Bible Club leader Jeff Chatterton fought back by contacting the American Center for Law and Justice, an organization that has taken on a number of similar cases. This week Chatterton filed a federal lawsuit against the school district, saying that his right to free speech was violated.

Chatterton also claimed that the school clearly violated of the Federal Equal Access Act. The Supreme Court has ruled that all student groups be given the same access to outlets such as school newspapers, bulletin boards, even the public address system.

No free speech if you're religious. Yeah, that's what the Founders had in mind.

ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS FOUND

A group of ancient manuscripts have been uncovered in Egypt:

A cache of manuscripts up to 1,500 years old has been discovered in a Coptic monastery in the Western Desert of Egypt. The find was made at Deir al-Surian, the Monastery of the Syrians, which already has one of the richest ancient libraries in Christendom. Set in the desert sands and virtually cut off from the outside world until recently, Deir al-Surian traces its roots back to the earliest period of Christian monasticism. Established in the 6th century, it was soon occupied by monks from Syria and Mesopotamia and is currently home to 200 Egyptian Copts....

A single completed manuscript and hundreds of fragments were found when reconstruction work was undertaken on the ancient tower, which is probably well over a millennium old. The library had originally been established there, since it was the most protected part of the monastery, but the first floor collapsed around five centuries ago, and a new wooden floor was simply inserted above.

It should be an exciting process to discover what's in such a manuscript rich area as Egypt.

HIGH COURT: DISCRIMINATION AGAINST RELIGION OK

Theosebes posted on the case of scholarship winner denied his scholarship when it was discovered he was studying theology. The Supreme Court has now ruled that it's acceptable to deny such moneys:

The court's 7-2 ruling held that the state of Washington was within its rights to deny a taxpayer-funded scholarship to a college student who was studying to be a minister. That holding applies even when money is available to students studying anything else.

"Training someone to lead a congregation is an essentially religious endeavor," Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote for the court majority. "Indeed, majoring in devotional theology is akin to a religious calling as well as an academic pursuit."

Not everyone on the court agreed with the majority. Two of its more sensible heads dissented:

Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas dissented.

"Let there be no doubt: This case is about discrimination against a religious minority," Scalia wrote for the two.

"In an era when the court is so quick to come to the aid of other disfavored groups, its indifference in this case, which involves a form of discrimination to which the Constitution actually speaks, is exceptional."

Scalia said the court's majority was trying to play down the damage to Davey, who continued his education without the subsidy. He did not choose to enter the ministry after graduation, and is now in law school.

"The indignity of being singled out for special burdens on the basis of one's calling is so profound that the concrete harm produced can never be dismissed as insubstantial," wrote Scalia, the father of a Catholic priest.

Just another move dictated by our state religion: secularism.

TOPSY-TURVY

A seven year old Pittsburg girl has been suspended from school for warning a classmate he would go to hell:

Brandy McKenith, a pupil at Sunnyside Elementary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, reacted after hearing a boy use the phrase "I swear to God".

McKenith's classmate told the teacher that Brandy had told him "You're going to go to hell for swearing to God" and the youngster was sent to the headteacher's office.

Pittsburgh Public Schools spokeswoman Pat Crawford said the student code of conduct prohibits profanity, but does not provide a definition of what profanity is.

Hmmm, it sounds like the wrong kid is accused of being profane. Typically, any behavior is tolerated other than one that indicates consequences.

THE PASSION AND THE PROFIT MOTIVE

The latest line of attack used by critics of Mel Gibson and his movie 'The Passion of Christ' is to condemn him for making money off of it. The ever subtle Andy Rooney states that Gibson (along with Pat Robertson) is 'wacko', and asks 'How many million dollars does it look as if you're going to make off the crucifixion of Christ?' The NewsMax commentary well responds:

Rooney fails to say how much he and CBS and Viacom have made off Saddam Hussein, 9/11, the war on terrorism, the war in Iraq, the Vietnam War, the death penalty, Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan ...

Critics were gleefully predicting the movie would be a financial and box office flop just a few months ago, pleased that Gibson had poured his money down the proverbial crawdad hole.

But Gibson has simply done what Steven Spielberg did with "Schindler's List". Did Spielberg make money off the Holocaust? Was Mr. Rooney upset? I hear no outrage at Zondervan or Broadman & Holman, Bible publishers who actually charge for their products, and I assume make a profit. I've complained some about the price of Bibles before, but I figure the guy printing the Bible needs to feed and clothe his family.

I can tell you, I'd rather give millionaire Mel Gibson money for making what appears to be a Biblical film about Jesus than give millionaire Andy Rooney money for denigrating the Gospel and people who take it seriously.

Can something like 'The Passion' be exploited? Well, I think one can go too far:

Bob Siemon Designs, producer of millions of WWJD (What would Jesus do?) bracelets, is selling Passion lapel pins, key rings, and inch-long nail pendants.

Now that's getting a little close to the edge, in my opinion. But it's really more a matter of taste than anything else. I find things such as that at best bordering on tacky, but I'm not going to launch a bitter assault against Bob Siemons Designs, either.

There's a chasm between what Mel Gibson will receive for this movie and the thirty pieces of silver that Judas felt was worth Jesus' death. And I think even someone like Andy Rooney can understand that.

HOW TOLERANT IS HOLLYWOOD?

Roger Friedman at Fox gleefully quotes The Hollywood Reporter's blasting of Mel's movie:

The Hollywood Reporter didn't like it, and they like most everything. Their reviewer wrote:

"People will see what they want to see in a movie shorn of any point of view not in literal accord with the gospels. True believers will bear witness to holy writ. Others — nonbelievers or even less literal-minded Christians — will be troubled by the film's staunch adherence to a story line and characters that have been used by bigots to fuel hatred for centuries."

The Reporter also says that the movie's violence is so intense and more important than character development that audiences may have trouble with that.

Did Martin Scorcese show any view not in accord with denigration and blaspphemy in "The Last Temptation of Christ"? Was he ever criticized
by Hollywood for that? Every message is welcome in Hollywood except one brought by "the believers" who wish to adhere to the Gospel story's literal rendering of "holy writ".

And just when was the last time Hollywood was troubled by violence in any movie? Yeah, that's what I thought--never! Suddenly they're concerned that violence supplants character development?! Excuse me while I laugh at that one.

And finally, I can assure you that those who have adhered to the literal rendering of the Gospel message--"turn the other cheek"; "bless those who hate you"; "love your neighbor as yourself"--have done far more to civilize the world than Hollywood ever has.

TWO THUMBS UP!

Movie critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper have given Mel Gibson's "Passion" two thumbs up:

Sounding very much like the Pope in his widely reported reaction to the film (“It is as it was.”), Ebert said, “It's the only religious movie I've seen, with the exception of 'The Gospel According to St. Matthew' by Pasolini, that really seems to deal with what actually happened.”

Roeper echoed Ebert’s words of praise, saying, “This is the most powerful, important and by far the most graphic interpretation of Christ's final hours ever put on film.” He added that “Mel Gibson is a masterful storyteller, and this is the work of his lifetime. You have to admire not just Gibson for his vision and his directing abilities, but Jim Caviezel [who plays Christ] and the rest of the cast.”

And what about the charges of anti-semitism?

Ebert said, “I hope people will see this movie for themselves and then judge. I don't think the movie is anti-Semitic. Christ was born as a Jew, his disciples were Jewish. Yes, some Jewish priests call for his death. They're threatened by his assault on their establishment. Institutions protect their power structures. Most of the Jews in this movie are horrified by what they see.”

And Roeper pointed out that the movie “does not blame all Jews past and present for the death of Jesus and no matter what your faith, it should not be shaken or threatened by a movie, even one as intense and personal as this one.”

I must admit, I truly expected at least Ebert to torpedo the movie. It says much for the quality of the film that he does not.

BEHOLD THE MAN

David Gibson at the New York Times examines another attempt to discern what Jesus really looked like. Looking at two of their 'Jesus' pictures I think we can pretty much rule out Him looking like an Anglo-Saxon or a sub-Saharan African. Probably the first-century Semitic man option is the best:

...the average man of Jesus' day was about 5 feet 3 inches tall and a bantamlike 110 pounds. Given the harsh conditions, especially for working stiffs like the members of Jesus' family, combined with Jesus' ascetic lifestyle, which included walking everywhere, scholars agree that he was most likely a rather sinewy peasant, as tough as a root and about as appealing.

Anything that pulls the popular image away from the 'wimpy' Jesus is a good thing in my book.

WHAT THE 'EXPERTS' SAY ON CRUCIFIXION

The critics and media continue to go after Mel and his "Passion". The Mercury News healdine reads "Scholars: Crucifixion portrayal innacurate". But that's not quite exactly what the scholars say:

The dearth of information about Jesus' crucifixion makes it impossible to describe the event in accurate detail, as Mel Gibson attempts to do in his new film, "The Passion of Christ," Bible scholars and anthropologists say....

Some scholars say even the most widely recognized features of the crucifixion, such as the shape of the cross and the use of nails, are open to debate.

Yes, open to debate, but that's not the same as saying that Gibson's portrayal is wrong. Yes, he does accept the traditional scene of the cross as portrayed in art through the centuries, but these scholars don't seem to say that what he's showing is certainly wrong.

One of the "scholars", Joe Zias, argues with the portrayal of nails being used in crucifixion:

Zias said the question of whether Jesus was nailed to the cross or simply tied to it remains a mystery. "There is no evidence whatsoever he was nailed," he said. "The Gospels say he was crucified and leave it at that."

Zias criticized "The Passion of Christ" for accepting the standard version of three nails being used. He said experiments on cadavers carried out by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages have shown that people hanging with nails through their hands will fall to the ground within a relatively short time, pulled by gravity.

Others chime in in support:

John Dominic Crossan, emeritus professor of religious studies at DePaul University in Chicago, agrees with Zias that little is known about Jesus' execution.

"Early Christians believed that Jesus was nailed to the cross," he said. "But there is absolutely no proof of this. The only skeleton of a crucified person ever recovered indicated that the two arms were tied to a crossbar, and two nails were used in either shinbone. There was no standard procedure in any of this. The only common feature in the different types of crucifixion is intense sadism."

There are, of course, a number of problems with the statements made here. First, there is archaelogical evidence of nails being used in crucifixion as recorded by a scholar named Joe Zias:

In 1968 building contractors working in a suburb north of Jerusalem accidentally uncovered a Jewish tomb dated to the first century after the death of Christ.6 Lying in a Jewish ossuary bearing the Hebrew inscription 'Jehohanan the son of HGQWL' were the skeletal remains of a man in his twenties, who had been crucified. The evidence for this was based on the right calcaneum (heel bone) of the individual, pierced by an iron nail 11.5 cms. in length.

So this Joe Zias seems to be well aware of a quite famous bit of crucifixion archaelogical evidence showing a nail (see picture). It's also quite evident from the picture of Jesus on the cross from the Passion movie that accompanies the AP article that Jesus is also tied to the cross, thus negating their 3-nails-and-gravity objection.

And in contradiction to their statement that the Gospels do not speak to the use of nails, John--a witness to the crucifixion--records the doubting apostle Thomas as speaking to it:

"Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it." (John 20:25b)

To which the risen Jesus replies one week later:

"Put your finger here; see my hands."

Furthermore, Gospel writer Luke records the apostle Peter as saying on Pentecost:

This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross."

Paul who no one doubts would have been familiar with the details of Jesus' crucifixion, states of the old law that

He took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:14)

So the issue isn't quite as unsettled as these "scholars" would lead you to believe, nor as they most certainly know.

JAMES OSSUARY OWNER IN FRAUD RING?

Well, we hadn't had a James Ossuary update in awhile what with all this homosexual 'marriage' and Mel Gibson 'Passion' stuff. According to a television report the ossuary owner, Oded Golan ran a fraud ring:

Oded Golan, who is suspected of forging the inscription "James the brother of Jesus," on a first century ossuary, worked with a ring of counterfeiters who sold dozens of forged articles to antiquities dealers and collectors, Channel 2's "Fact" program reports.

"Fact" broadcast a film by Gilad Tokatly, who investigated the subject, showing a letter from Golan to his lawyer, authorizing him to sell an additional "ancient" tablet, with an inscription attributed to the Biblical King Joash.

Golan denies he ever owned the artifact....

To add bite to the charges, "[p]olice are currently preparing an indictment against Golan."

I openly admit that I want to believe in the ossuary's authenticity, and I believe a strong case can be made for it, however if it's not real, let's expose it now.

TEACHING ATHEISM?

Well, it's only fair says a British public policy group:

Children should learn about atheism in religious education lessons as part of moves to make the subject more relevant to the modern world, according to a report from a think-tank with close ties to New Labour.

Indeed, the subject's name should be changed from religious education to religious, philosophical and moral education, says the study published this week by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

Guidelines for schools on how to teach the beliefs of atheists, agnostics and humanists are being drawn up by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, which is also working on the first national framework for RE with the Department for Education and Skills.

There is an "urgent" need to address the "pro-religious" and "anti-science" (always the same thing, of course) curriculum, you see.

[Link via LRC]

JUSTICE FOR PEARL

This is generally outside the purview of theosebes, but I wanted to point you to a column by Daniel Pearl's widow. Why? Well this paragraph describing her Pakastani friend "Captain" caught my attention

During this time, Captain got to know Danny. He met me, he met Danny's friends, his bosses, his writing. He saw Danny's mandolin lying there, in the house that had become the headquarters of our search. Captain even saw Danny's unmatched socks. "Danny," Captain concluded, "is the best of America."

It might seem odd to many, but when Daniel Pearl was kidnapped it made the rounds in traditional music circles, particularly fiddle and mandolin circles, that he was one of us. Some folks on my mandolin list had even played with him at open jams.

Sadly, Danny Pearl won't be playing that mandolin any longer. Mrs. Pearl deserves better from the Wall Street Journal.

[Link via Drudge]

THOSE SAN FRANCISCO 'MARRIAGES'

The news folks are giddy with excitement for all the homosexual couples liberated from the oppressive heterosexual societal construct in San Francisco as city officials continue to break the law by issuing marriage licenses. It's all civil disobedience, we're told, a brave stand by San Fran's new mayor (not pandering to a San Francisco voting block). Hundreds of couples continue to play married as the usually very active California courts and newly elected Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger remain inactive on the issue.

One suspects that if people were involved in 'civil disobedience' (which usually involves simply exercising the Constitutional rights to free speech and to assemble) that resulted in someone having mental discomfort before they slaughter their unborn child the authorities would be much quicker to act.

WHERE PRIM IS EDGY

Having witnessed lower and lower jeans and higher and higher shirts, the inevitable backlash has hit:

ast week, American designers showing their fall collections offered a hymn to decorum. Under the Fashion Week tents of Midtown and all around Manhattan, they turned their backs on the microminis, visible thongs, low-rider jeans and skin-baring tops that have so long dominated the runways — and the malls — in favor of high-necked dresses, prim swing coats, twin sets and narrow, knee-length skirts.

In such a blasé climate, the latest American fashions — pert skirts and prim coats, Peter Pan collars and proper tweeds, some harking back to Mamie Eisenhower's day — are refreshing and even subversive. They represent fashion's way of thumbing its nose at the status quo and simply moving on. Blouses with bows have never looked so avant-garde.

"In fashion these days, to be uptight is to be edgy," said David Wolfe, the creative director of the Doneger Group, which forecasts fashion trends and whose clients include Wal-Mart and Nordstrom. Mr. Wolfe predicted that the trend would have staying power, that it would sell in stores and that it is in tune with a shift in the cultural climate.

Skin, it seems, is no longer in.

START SAVING FOR NEXT VALENTINE'S DAY

Is the diamond on that ring just not quite enough karats? Well, astronomers can help you; they've found a 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamond:

If anyone's ever promised you the sun, the moon and the stars, tell 'em you'll settle for BPM 37093.
The heart of that burned-out star with the no-nonsense name is a sparkling diamond that weighs a staggering 10 billion trillion trillion carats. That's one followed by 34 zeros.

The hunk of celestial bling is an estimated 2,500 miles across, said Travis Metcalfe, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

"You would need a jeweler's loupe the size of the sun to grade this diamond," said Metcalfe, who led the team that discovered the gem.

It's amazing what God can design.

IS THE CHRISTIAN RIGHT WRONG?

Michael Peirce thinks so:

The US government as it now exists is a government of scofflaws and Christians are required to uphold the actual law of the land – not merely nod their heads in passive acceptance of what to all intents and purposes is anarchy. The US constitution, imperfect document that it is, remains the law governing our Republic just as scripture governs our theology.

When Christians support extra-constitutional actions by government, even for what they rationalize as "good reasons," they themselves become outlaws, taking it upon themselves to write law rather than obey it.

Has not the left used the same tactics and worked around rather than with the constitution to justify their attacks on Christ and decency? When you opened that door, and got away from strict rule of law, did you not think the other side would use the same tactic?

A good column to ponder.

WISE GUYS

The Church of England has decided that the Biblical wise men who brough gifts to baby Jesus may very well have been wise women:

The three wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus could have been women, according to the Church of England's General Synod.

The scriptures describe the people who followed a star to Bethlehem as Magi, which in translation could mean either sex....

In a report, the General Synod revision committee states that "it believes that to translate the term into something more universally understood (as the Authorised Version did) is to miss the point being made.

"Further, while it seems very unlikely that these Persian court officials were female, the possibility that one or more of the magoi were female cannot be excluded completely. The committee has retained 'Magi' on the grounds that the visitors were not necessarily wise and not necessarily men."

I have no problem with the 'magi' transliteration, although it's pretty silly to think that they were women. What we need to do is get them to admit there weren't necessarily three of them.

HOMOSEXUALS AGAINST MARRIAGE?

Not all homosexuals are supportive of 'gay marriage' says the Christian Science Monitor:

"I don't want to be a part of it," [activist Tommi Avicolli] says. "In some senses, it feels like the whole gay marriage thing is like getting a little house with a white picket fence in the suburbs with a dog."...

Many gays and lesbians plan to wed. Many others will not. Some want to marry as a legal protection or as the only nondiscriminatory way to validate their love. But marriage is also seen as a flawed institution, as a conservative step backward, unwinding years of work to redefine notions of family.

"There is a difference between liberation and equality," says Joan Tronto, a professor of political science at Hunter College who was active in the women's liberation movement and has no intention of marrying her partner of 10 years. "Politically it is easier to say, 'Let us in. We're just like you.' But it takes away some of the radical edge."

It's something that often happens: the radicals get mainstreamed out of their own movement. But no assimilation for these swingers.

[Thanks to Jen for the link.]

JUST SAYING 'NO'

People continue to respond to a culture swirling downward in the toilet. A Valentine's Day display caught the ire of a woman who's had enough:

Books-A-Million on Wednesday removed a sexually explicit Valentine's Day display from its Hoover store after a visit from top Hoover police officials warning of an arrest.

The woman, Tena George, told police she saw two children, about 7 or 8 years old, looking through a book called "Wild Sex" last weekend.

The book was among about two dozen books on sexual intercourse on a display table labeled "For Your Romantic Valentine" in the center aisle.

The books had titles such as "The Wild Guide to Sex and Loving" and "Sex Toys." At least a dozen contained pictures of nude people in the act of sex, some on the cover....

The "X-rated material" was in the middle aisle of the store with easy access by children, Roper said. The table next to it had children's books on it.

State law says it is unlawful to openly and knowingly display for sale material harmful to minors at any business open to minors. Businesses are exempt if the material is in sealed wrappers or behind opaque covers so that the lower two-thirds of the cover is concealed from view and the content is unavailable for inspection by minors.

The material also must be displayed at least 5½ feet above the floor.

After first resisting police efforts to enforce the law, the store manager became more compliant when reminded he could be arrested for breaking the obscenity law.

How terrible that his 'free speech' rights were violated.

PLUGGED

The good folks at Focus Magazine have published an article of mine. You can read one paragraph of it there. For the whole thing they'll make you buy the magazine. It's worth the expense; they do good work over there.

SUTTON HOO REDUX

Straight out of Beowulf, archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of an Anglo-Saxon king:

Excavations at Southend-on-Sea revealed the intact tomb of an early seventh century Saxon monarch - almost certainly either Saeberht or Sigeberht, both kings of Dark Age Essex....

The grave goods - designed to enable the king to live well in the next world - include a 75cm diameter copper cauldron, a 35cm hanging bowl from northern England or Ireland and an exquisite 25cm diameter copper bowl, probably from Italy.

There is also a 30cm high flagon, almost certainly from the Byzantine Empire, two gold foil crosses, an iron-framed folding stool, a sort of mobile throne, a gold reliquary which would probably have contained a bone fragment from a saint, four glass vessels, two drinking horns, the king's sword and the remains of his shield, two gold coins from Merovingian France, the remains of a lyre, and several iron-clad barrels and buckets, presumably for alcoholic drink.

The king's skeleton has not survived due to the acidic nature of the soil.

Fun stuff.

[Link via LRC]

BRITNEY RESPONDS TO CALL

Fresh with regret (?) from her kiss with Madonna and 55-hour marriage with some guy, Britney Spears has responded to an altar call:

According to a report in British newspaper the Daily Record, Spears and her mom, Lynne, stopped by the service at the Faithful Central Bible Church in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, on the way to a photo-shoot.

The 22-year-old singer and her mother hugged one another and cried "as they got caught up in the highly charged ceremony," the paper reported.

My favorite has to be this, though:

According to the report, two bodyguards accompanied Spears into the church...

Although there have been times when I've thought bodyguards at church might not be a bad idea...

No word on whether Britney actually remained clothed at the subsequent photo shoot.

IS GOD PRO-WAR?

Jerry Falwell thinks so. Carl Schmahl says no:

In a recent article, God is Pro-war, the Reverend Jerry Falwell attempted to provide a Biblical justification for George W. Bush’s invasion and occupation of Iraq. Tucked away among the Bible proof texts near the end of the article, Falwell added his own rationalizations for the war: "President Bush declared war in Iraq to defend innocent people. This is a worthy pursuit," and: "One of the primary purposes of the church is to stop the spread of evil, even at the cost of human lives. If we do not stop the spread of evil, many innocent lives will be lost and the kingdom of God suffers."

These are chilling statements, especially since they were written by a well-known minister of the Gospel whose views are shared by millions of church-going Evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians. They do, however, bring to light the unholy alliance between the American State and the Christian religion as it is currently practiced in the U.S.

Words to consider.

EPISCOPAL CASH DOWN

Episcopal monies are down as a result of the Gene Robinson incident:

Bishop Henry N. Parsley said Friday the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama expects a $260,000 shortfall in its 2004 budget as churches reduce contributions because of dissatisfaction with the denomination's approving its first openly gay bishop.

Numerous churches have cut funding because they opposed V. Gene Robinson's being approved as bishop of New Hampshire. During debates over his approval last summer, Robinson openly discussed his homosexual partner and spoke out for the blessing of same-sex unions in the church.

"It has put us in an uncomfortable place of tension and disagreement," said Parsley, head of the Alabama diocese.

No tears here.

'GAY' ANIMALS?

The good folks at the New York Times have an article sure to get a lot of play on homosexuality in the animal kingdom. Scientists have observed numerous cases classifed as homosexual behavior, although the definition is quite broad. Homosexual activists have jumped on such reports with gusto. If there are homosexual animals, then it all must be 'natural', right? And if it's 'natural' then homosexuals need special rights, etc., etc. Well, some animals eat their young, but we don't advocate that, do we?

The article discusses one case I'm sure would warm every feminist heart:

For Janet Mann, a professor of biology and psychology at Georgetown University, who has studied same-sex behavior in dolphin calves, their homosexuality "is about bond formation," she said, "not about being sexual for life."

She said that studies showed that adult male dolphins formed long-term alliances, sometimes in large groups. As adults, they cooperate to entice a single female and keep other males from her. Sometimes they share the female, or they may cooperate to help one male. "Male-male cooperation is extremely important," Ms. Mann said.

So to transfer this 'natural' behavior to the human world, imagine a group of guys bonding at prep school, enticing a woman in and then sharing her around.

Sounds just great, doesn't it?

A couple of years ago I was at the local park with my daughter. We were at the swings and there were a group of park ducks around. I had been noticing them and their frenetic activity. It became pretty clear what was going on--a group of drakes were essentially gang raping a female (?) duck. Not pleasant, especially when you have to deflect a 3 year old's questions. I assume what they were doing was 'natural' in that they had not been influenced by too much MTV.

The animal kingdom can teach us many things. Morals isn't one of them.

F-I-C-T-I-O-N

Yes, that's what The Da Vinci Code is.

CIVIL UNIONS NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Massachusetts' highest court has ruled that nothing short of 'marriage' will do for homosexuals:

The high court of Massachusetts ruled Wednesday that only full, equal marriage rights for gay couples, rather than civil unions, were constitutional, erasing any doubts that the nation’s first same-sex marriages could take place in the state beginning in mid-May.

A constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between a man and a woman is in the works, but not before the court's May deadline.

FOCUS GROUP GOSPEL

Reacting to pre-screening pressure, reports are that Mel Gibson will delete a scene from his movie about the death of Jesus:

A scene in the film, in which the Jewish high priest Caiaphas calls down a kind of curse on the Jewish people by declaring of the Crucifixion, "His blood be on us and on our children," will not be in the movie's final version, said the Gibson associate, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The passage had been included in some versions of the film that were shown before select groups, mostly of priests and ministers.

"It didn't work in the focus screenings," the associate said. "Maybe it was thought to be too hurtful, or taken not in the way it was intended. It has been used terribly over the years."

Jewish leaders had warned that the passage from Matthew 27:25 was the historic source for many of the charges of deicide and Jews' collective guilt in the death of Jesus.

Well, according to Matthew 27:25 it wasn't Caiaphas who said it, but all the people, i.e., the crowd:

And all the people said, "His blood shall be on us and on our children!"

No one seems to be concerned that the Gospels tell us the words were actually said, of course.

No word on whether God will choose to delete Matthew 27:25 from future editions of Scripture so as not to offend the delicate views of Abe Foxman and the ADL.

DO YOU WANT TO SUPERSIZE THAT?

Americans like to go big with whatever they do, and that trend has hit religion with the megachurch movement:

There are currently 842 megachurches -- non-Catholic churches with at least 2,000 weekly attendants -- that host an excess of three million people on any given Sunday, according to the research group Church Growth Today.

These massive holy houses attract churchgoers by the thousands with celebratory services that tout contemporary music, television screens and sermons that aren't "churchy," according to the pastor of the nation's largest church. But critics say the sin-free pep rallies don't encourage personal transformation and reflection, keystones of religion.

I know a lot of folks who immediately equate 'big church' with 'liberal church'. We tend to forget that the church in Jerusalem was thousands strong. That church defined church.

The problem with the megachurches isn't that they're big, it's that they're not really much church. No, you don't need to have rock hard narrow pews and ninety minute sermons to be real church. But when your focus is on all of your exciting programs instead of worshiping God, and when you start having rehearsals for your services, you've moved well into the questionable realm:

"They are so large you can select the activity that you like," said Ken Woodward, Newsweek's contributing editor who covers religion. "If you want to lose weight Jesus' way, you can join the weight-loss program or join a basketball team ... These churches have so many people they don't just sponsor a team, they sponsor a league.

But while the megachurches tend to get the press, they're still a (very) small slice of religious life in the US:

While the number of megachurches has doubled since 1998, they still only represent 1 percent of all churches in America, said John Vaughan, founder of Church Growth Today and author of "Megachurches & America's Cities."

There's always an element who want to say they go to church when what they really want is Chuck-E-Cheeze. But despite who's biggest, the life of churches interested in actually worshiping God is still strong.

DEAD SEA EXHIBIT

I went on a field trip with some folks from church to the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit in Huntsville, Alabama this past Saturday. The exhibit has fragments from the Dead Sea Scrolls, although they are just that: fragments. There's no real substantive content. That's not surprising as Israel keeps pretty close tabs on that sort of thing. The exhibit is basically a 'History of the Bible' type thing, with early manuscripts and early printed Bibles.

If you're in the Huntsville area it's worth going to see, I think. This is the last week before the exhibit travels to Ohio. I must admit quite a bit of skepticism with some of the 'scholarship' offered in the bookshop and promoted by various of the curators/lecturers, but seeing that sort of thing is a rare treat and worth your time.

FURTHER TALES OF THE SPLIT

'Conservative' Episcopalians aren't going to take it anymore--and they're clearly the future for Episcopalians, but that can't be comforting to the existing power structure. They're finding success as independents:

St. John's Episcopal Church is 157 years old, wealthy, loyal to the diocese of Lexington and nearly empty. St. Andrew's Anglican Church is 3 weeks old, practically homeless, free of all ties to the Episcopal Church U.S.A. and growing exponentially.

About 180 people attended St. Andrew's yesterday, gathering at the Falling Springs Arts and Recreation Center in Versailles to sing and pray. Downtown, at historic St. John's, three services drew a total of 60 people.

Most of St. Andrews' parishioners had been members of the older congregation but left after diocesan leaders fired the entire governing board at St. John's.

The conservative board had clashed repeatedly with the diocese's more liberal bishop, Stacy Sauls, because of Sauls' support for the ordination of openly gay bishop V. Gene Robinson. But the leaders were removed by the diocese's executive council on Jan. 7, after they allegedly failed to follow proper procedures for hiring a new minister.

Days after the firings, unhappy St. John's members voted to form a new church and contributed $40,000 to get it started. The group, which met informally in a supporter's living room for three weeks, had its first formal worship service yesterday and welcomed its new pastor, the Rev. David Brannen, to Versailles.

Independent of denominational structures and adhering to Biblical mores is the key to religious success. Just watch the tired, liberal mainline denominations continue to endorse every sin under heaven, pat themselves on the back then discover no one else is around.

Perhaps this will open a door of opportunity for them to examine all of their practices in the light of Scripture.

AT THE HALF

Since the Super Bowl is on Sunday evening I always miss at least a good chunk of it because of church. Last night I was blessed (?) to attend a business meeting after services so I only watched the fourth quarter of what seemed like a great game. I've heard the half-time show was as bad as the game was good. I'm glad I missed it.

CBS is shocked--shocked!--that an MTV produced halftime show would degrade to an R-rated striptease. MTV claims it was an accident. Yeah, right. CBS has vowed never to have MTV produce the show again. I suspect CBS honestly didn't know what was going to happen. That doesn't excuse them. If you hire Hugh Hefner don't be surprised if a bunny shows up. If you hire MTV don't be surprised when the sewer lid comes off.

I wish I'd seen the game, but I think missing the halftime show was even worth sitting through a business meeting.

UPDATE: According to Drudge CBS did, in fact, approve the 'revealing' moment with Jackson, only later to deny it. I guess I should have known better than to give them any credit.

HOMOSEXUAL ADOPTION BAN UPHELD

In the even-a-stopped-clock-is-right-twice-a-day catagory, a federal appeals court has upheld Florida's same-sex adoption ban:

A federal appeals court yesterday upheld Florida's ban on same-sex adoptions, ruling the landmark Texas sodomy case does not establish a right for homosexuals to parent displaced children.

The Florida legislature properly judged it is not in the best interests of its displaced children to be adopted by individuals who engage in voluntary homosexual activity, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said.

The court said it "found nothing in the Constitution that forbids this policy judgment. Thus, any argument that the Florida legislature was misguided in its decision is one of legislative policy, not constitutional law."

Encouraging news, especially when taken with the court's slam against judicial activist:

"The legislature is the proper forum for this debate, and we do not sit as a superlegislature to award by judicial decree what was not achievable by political consensus," it said.

How did these guys ever get on an appeal's court? I say promote the lot of them to the Supreme Court immediately!

CREATIVE OUTREACH

A Texas minister who doubles as a florist has developed a creative outreach program:

A Texas minister is compiling a list of all the porn shop customers in his town, before contacting them and asking them to attend church.

Pastor Jim Norwood of the Oakcrest Family Church says he photographs the customers' cars outside the XXX-store in Kennedale, and sends them the picture with a note.

The notes, which include a timetable of church services and classes on sex addictions, read: "Observed you in the neighbourhood. Didn't know if you were aware there is a church in the area. Please stop by next time. We'd love to have you visit."

It's the sick who need a physician.

MEL MADE ME DO IT

The Jewish Anti-Defamation League's Abe Foxman lied to gain entrance to an advance screening of Mel Gibson's movie 'The Passion'. But it wasn't his fault. You see, Mel made him do it:

Foxman said he had no choice but to lie. "I am sorry we had to engage in stealth tactics, but only because he (Gibson) forced us to," he told the Orlando Sentinel. Foxman told The New York Times he initially felt bad about sneaking in, but then changed his mind.

"I decided yesterday, `Why am I uncomfortable? Let him (Gibson) be uncomfortable.' For him to say, `You can only see it if you love it'? I felt it was my moral duty to see it," he said.

Other Jewish leaders who saw the film last week said they went in openly. David Elcott, interfaith director for the American Jewish Committee, saw the film in Chicago and said he was "completely upfront" about his affiliation and was welcomed warmly.

Foxman, who registered as a Christian pastor in order to see the fillm, found its portrayal of Jews "painful to watch."

No word on whether the crucifixion of the Son of God was painful to watch.

CHECKMATE

In a groundbreaking decision, the Russian Orthodox Church has declined to label chess a 'work of the devil':

Archbishop Wikenti from Yekaterinburg told the Itar-Tass news agency: "Chess is a quiet, intelligent game that encourages people to think. It's not a sin."

A young churchgoer led a campaign and organised a petition claiming chess was the work of the devil.

Archbishop Wikenti rejected the request, but added that "passionate games and arousing games that cause confusion, anger and irritation" are banned by the Church, including computer games.

He failed to say if this included chess played on a computer.

I guess we can cancel that scheduled chess board bonfire...

Sabine Barnhart finds that "It Takes More Than a Village". Society--people--needs the stabilizing influence of God and religion.

Captain Kangaroo, RIP

OH, IT WAS POSSIBLE!

Russian mathematicians have allowed us all to breathe a sigh of relief--the Israelite crossing of the Red Sea actually was possible:

Russian mathematicians have determined the legendary parting of the Red Sea that let the Jews flee Egypt was possible, the Moscow Times reported.

The study, published in the Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences, focused on a reef that runs from the documented spot where the Jews escaped Egypt, which in Biblical times, was much closer to the surface, according to Naum Volzinger, a senior researcher at St. Petersburg's Institute of Oceanology, and a colleague based in Hamburg, Alexei Androsov.

The mathematicians calculated the "strong east wind that blew all that night" mentioned in the Bible needed to blow at a speed of 67 miles per hour to make the reef, said Volzinger, who specializes in ocean phenomena, flooding and tidal waves.

Amazingly, God was able to perform the parting even prior to having Russian confirmation it was possible.

[Link via Drudge]

MORMONS TELLING THEIR STORY

It's no surprise they're telling their story. The surprise is where they're telling it: on federally owned land:

Tens of thousands of people come here each year to a granite-walled nook in the hills just off the old pioneer trail to hear the tale of the lost Martin Handcart Company of 1856 and how a party of poor Mormon converts faced down death in a howling blizzard.

The place, called Martin's Cove — an uninhabited hollow of sand and sage surrounded by sheer cliffs that block the wind — sits on federal land 50 miles southwest of Casper, part of the vast Western domain of the Bureau of Land Management. But the story is not told by bureau employees. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, dispatched on six-month assignments and brimming with faith, are the trail and museum guides.

Now "a brief provision tucked into an energy appropriations bill" will hand the land into Mormon control for the next 25-years, with plans for automatic renewals after that. The Mormon Church has already purchased the land surrounding the federal site.

The Mormons claim they're "very careful" to tell the dramatic Martin's Cove story honestly:

"We're very, very careful," Mr. Christensen said. "This is not a proselytizing mission, but if people have questions, we're very interested in helping."

What happened at Martin's Cove, named for the group's leader, Edward Martin, was unquestionably harrowing. The 600 converts were poorly equipped with handcarts made of green wood that split in the desert air. And the company of travelers was fatally late, reaching what became Wyoming as the first snows fell, in October 1856, three months later than trail wisdom dictated. About one in four died from starvation and exposure.

One survivor later wrote in anguish about her prized possession: a fine pair of scissors she had carried from England. As hardship deepened into disaster, she used the scissors to amputate the frostbitten fingers and toes of her children. The cove became a place of death, the bodies left in the snow for wolves. The company was finally saved by a rescue party from Salt Lake City.

It does indeed sound like a dramatic, powerful tale. And perhaps the arrangement with the Latter-Day Saints church allows a historically interesting site (the actual location of which is in dispute) to be seen by a public who otherwise would not have access. This historian is unsure whether I want to hear the Mormon account of events, however.

[For an alternative view of the Mormons, try Jerald & Sandra Tanner's site]

NOONAN: VATICAN DENIAL CURIOUS

Peggy Noonan finds Vatican denials of the Pope's endorsement of Mel's 'Passion' movie odd, to say the least.

[Link via Drudge]

MEL SCREENS TO EVANGELICALS

Mel Gibson continues to screen his film 'The Passion' to select audiences, most recently to 5,000 ministers:

Famed film actor and producer Mel Gibson told 5,000 pastors yesterday that "there will always be opposition" to films on the Gospel, "but you have to stand your ground and slug it out."
Mr. Gibson also told the gathering of evangelical and charismatic Christian clergy at Calvary Assembly of God Church that he was grateful for their "spiritual support." The pastors had assembled for a showing of his soon-to-be-released film "The Passion of the Christ."
"I think this work can change things," Mr. Gibson said. The film officially opens in 2,000 movie theaters nationwide on Feb. 25, Ash Wednesday.

The movie will be rated 'R', which will serve as a barrier to much of Gibson's natural audience, many of whom do not attend 'R' movies on principal. I think his guerilla, underground strategy is a good one. He's by-passing the critics and Hollywood establishment and taking it directly to those who can positively influence those who might see it.

I think you're going to see the movie be something of a surprise hit. Don't hold your breath for Oscar recognition.

[Link via WorldNetDaily]

OHIO LAWMAKERS BAN HOMOSEXUAL 'MARRIAGE'

Ohio's legislature has passed one of the most far reaching bills banning 'marriage' for homosexuals:

The bill is considered among the most far-reaching in the nation because of the benefits ban, which applies to unmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples.

The Senate passed the legislation on an 18-15 vote Wednesday. The House has already approved the bill and Gov. Bob Taft has said he will sign it, pending a legal review....

Ohio's measure is particularly restrictive because it would prohibit benefits for state employees' unmarried partners, said Seth Kilbourn, national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington-based gay and lesbian lobbying group. Nebraska has a similar ban.

Thirty-seven states have passed legislation defining marriage as the union between a man and a woman. The backlash against the homosexual 'marriage' movement continues, including the President's remarks in the State of the Union where he hinted at a possible push for a marriage amendment. As I've said before, there is a window of opportunity here to act. The cultural elites have long decided the other way on this one (just ask Druid Hills!--see below!). A Constitutional Amendment is the only way to go, it seems to me. Of course, we know how closely American judges like to follow the Constitution.

HOMOSEXUALS TARGET COUNTRY CLUB

Atlanta's swanky Druid Hills Golf Club has been sued by two homosexual members demanding the club extend benefits to 'domestic partners':

The private club's bylaws allow members' spouses to play without guest fees and inherit membership when their husbands or wives die. And while it welcomes openly gay members, it doesn't extend spousal benefits to unmarried partners, gay or straight.

The club stands by its rules, and though Georgia doesn't recognize same-sex unions, Atlanta's Human Relations Commission (search) issued a unanimous ruling that Druid Hills is in violation of the city's non-discrimination ordinance.

So a private club that is following state law in not recognizing homosexual (or heterosexual) 'domestic partnerships' is nonetheless still guilty of discrimination?

They wax worse and worse.

POPE PULLS 'PASSION' ENDORSEMENT

After widespread coverage of the Pope's endorsement of Mel Gibson's movie on the death of Jesus, "The Passion", the Vatican now denies the Pope said anything of the kind:

Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, secretary to John Paul throughout his 25-year papacy, confirmed the pope had seen the film.

"But I told the producers the Holy Father did not make any judgment, because he does not make judgments of that kind," Dziwisz told The Associated Press. "He said nothing of the kind."

Dziwisz's denial was first reported by the Catholic News Service (search), which is affiliated with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It said he had met with co-producer Steve McEveety and with assistant director Jan Michelini after the screening, but had not passed on the pope's judgment.

The papal secretary rarely speaks to the press; his remarks were an apparent indication of concern over alleged papal endorsement of a film that has stirred controversy for months before it has been viewed by the general public.

No word if the Pope saw "Master & Commander".

CHURCH WITHIN A CHURCH

Conservative Episcopalians, upset over the appointment of homosexual bishop Gene Robinson, are starting a new network:

Conservative Episcopalians opposed to a gay bishop's consecration and other liberal trends were on track to establish a nationwide protest organization by the close of a two-day meeting today.

Planners insist the budding Network of Anglican Communion Dioceses and Parishes is not a schism or denominational split but a "church within a church" whose backers will remain Episcopalians.

Just watching as it all self-destructs.

DIGGING ATHENS

The impending Olympics have sparked frenetic archaeological digs throughout host city Athens:

The 2004 Games have been a boon for archaeologists, bringing the biggest single antiquities treasure hunt in Athens and surrounding areas. Experts rushed in trying to beat the bulldozers at dozens of Olympic-related sites ? from sports venues to highways.

The finds so far range from prehistoric settlements to 2,500-year-old cemeteries to ruins from the Roman period, when Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympics in A.D. 394. Christianity had taken root, and he deemed the games to be pagan.

''I don't believe there was ever such a large-scale archaeological excavation in Athens,'' said Dina Kaza, who heads the dig at the old seaside airport.

Sounds like it's about time for a large scale dig in one of the world's richest sites.

ISRAEL'S WAREHOUSE

Steve Weizman has an interesting article on the home of Israel's National Antiquities Collection:

Some of the most breathtaking items are in smaller, climate-controlled upstairs rooms.

A bronze lion's face, one of a set of Byzantine coffin-handles and exquisite pieces of gold jewelry from various historical periods are stored near delicate Phoenician glassware, molds used to shape early Christian communion wafers and delicate flakes of gold, some of which Litani said may have decorated the diadems of noblewomen.

Other gold pieces, however, had a very different purpose in the myth-filled Hellenistic culture of 323-30 B.C.

"They were put in the mouths of the dead," she said, "to pay the ferryman of the underworld to take the deceased person across the river Styx to the afterlife."

As they point out, the building is a warehouse, not a museum. In other words you and I can't just drop by. Why isn't all this stuff on display?

New excavations in archaeologically rich Israel take place all the time, and there is enough material in the Israeli Antiquities Authority labs still undergoing testing and classification to fill another warehouse, said storerooms director Michael Sebanne.

"It's a bottomless pit," Litani said. "It just keeps coming."

What a wonderful embarrassment of riches!

CHINESE NOT 'FRIENDS'-LY

The Communist Chinese have refused to air 'Friends on Chinese state TV:

"I had thought the play focused on friendship, but after a careful preview I found each episode had something to do with sex," said Qin Mingxin.

The characters' attitudes would not be accepted by Chinese audiences, he said.

You're in pretty bad shape when atheistic Communists think you're too smutty.

SHAMEFUL CELEBRITIES

Shmuley Boteach reacts with understandable disgust at Michael, Britney and the rest:

Michael Jackson's contemptuous display outside the Santa Barbara district court on Friday is indicative of all that is wrong with the celebrity culture. While you and I were raised to respect the law, the idols of the celebrity age believe they are above any kind of law. As are all gods.

You and I may have been raised to have a modicum of respect for the institution of marriage. But for a celebrity like Britney Spears, it's just something to do when you get drunk.

And why do celebrities act this way? It's our fault:

There is a greater chance that the Mars Rover will find life on the red planet than we here on Earth will find a wholesome celebrity. There are many reasons why our famous people are so damaged, but here's an uncomfortable truth that most of us refuse to acknowledge: Celebrities behave without restraint because we allow them to.

We, the public, not only tolerate, but are entertained by these disgusting displays. Rather than finding their virtual wife-swapping – as they marry and divorce each other within days or weeks – disgusting and outrageous, we pay to read about it in Us Weekly.

He's right, of course. If we stop celebrating the celebrities and instead hold them accountable, their pocketbooks will demand they stop their behavior. At least they'd be discreet when they act this way.

CHURCH ATTENDANCE DOWN IN UK

Continuing a long standing trend, fewer people are going to church in Britain:

The number of people going to church on a Sunday fell by nearly 40,000 in 2002, according to provisional figures released by the Church of England.

The average number of people attending a Sunday service dropped by 4% to just over 1 million - 39,000 fewer than the previous year.

The UK and the Continent, once a bulwark of church goers, has slipped into a totally secular society. The established churches are old and tired, floating along with secularism--teaching the same thing with a veneer of religion. Perhaps they are ready for a Biblical revival.

IS THE VATICAN HIDING TEMPLE ARTIFACTS?

"Chief rabbis" from Israel want to search Vatican storerooms for long lost Temple artifacts:

When Israel's chief rabbis meet Pope John Paul II today, they will seek permission to search Vatican storerooms for artifacts such as the huge golden menorah that stood in the Temple in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago....

When the Romans sacked Jerusalem in AD 70, they took Temple treasures with them. Legend has it that religious articles from the Temple, including the menorah, were among them. Amar said the Vatican has already denied the menorah is there....

An aide to the rabbi said the Vatican was not likely to permit a search. The Vatican will allow the rabbis to view rare Jewish manuscripts in its possession, Amar said. He said if the rabbis were to come across "other objects," they would be happy to bring them home.

While I'd love to go poking around the Vatican storerooms, too, I'd say that menorah was destroyed long, long ago. They might as well search for the Ark (in either Ethiopia or that big, big warehouse in Washington, DC).

Of course the ultimate motive for the search is clear:

Some Orthodox Jews believe the restoration of the menorah and other holy vessels to Jerusalem would be the first step in rebuilding the Temple, whose site is now occupied by the Al Aqsa Mosque, a Muslim shrine.

American evangelicals would be happy for that, of course. Such a scenario plays into their premillenial fancies. And I think you'd have several thousand Muslims raising, um, objections to the Temple's rebuilding.

WHERE 'L' ISN'T JUST FOR LOSERS

Cashing in on the homosexual trend, Showtime is preparing to launch 'The L Word', a show featuring glam lesbians:

Comparing itself to "Sex and the City (search)," with the ad campaign "Same sex, different city," "The L Word" stars Jennifer Beals of "Flashdance" fame, whose character is trying to have a child with her partner. Their circle of beautiful, stylish lesbian friends often meets at the coffee shop to dish about career, family, friends, and of course, sex.

The show doesn't shy away from steamy scenes, one of which takes place between Marina, who is a lesbian, and a "bi-curious" Midwestern woman who moves to Los Angeles to live with her boyfriend.

Shockingly, viewers aren't going to see lesbians who look like, say, Rosie O'Donnell, but lesbians who look like, well, Jennifer Beals:

[Robert] Peters [of Morality in Media], however, said the look of the cast, who could give the “Sex and the City” gals a run for their money, sends a message to teenage girls that sexual experimentation is cool. He said the show is part of a "propaganda campaign" to change public opinion about homosexuality.

"These women are all knockouts," Peters said. "This is for heterosexual men who want to watch women having sex."

But Taylor [, a lesbian,] is unfazed by the "lipstick lesbian" look of the cast.

"Sex sells and I think it was a smart marketing strategy that they use that," she said. "Perhaps after they get people hooked they'll integrate some more realistic-looking lesbians."

And while homosexual groups are beside themselves with joy over the new show, perhaps the fundamental disagreement between lesbians and male homosexuals will be exposed. Lesbians argue that their homosexuality is a choice while male homosexuals insist that they're just genetically programmed to be that way. But the bottom line is, the show is just another effort to show homosexuality is "cool and sexy".

NOW WE KNOW WHY YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM ON An AIRPLANE

A Zambian man attacked by a snake killed it with nail-clippers:

A 24-year-old Zambian man saved himself from being crushed to death by a python by killing it with a pair of nail-clippers.

Morgan Mulenga, from Mkushi, was attacked by the snake as he relieved himself behind a bush on his way home from selling fish in local villages.

The python coiled itself around his waist but Mr Mulenga's left arm was free and he managed to get his nail-clippers out of his pocket.

He stabbed the snake with the clippers until it was dead and then ran to the nearest village for help.

Yikes.

BLAME IT ON RIO, ER, VEGAS

Despite her recent 55 hour marriage ending in annulment, Britney Spears really is a supporter of marriage:

I do believe in the sanctity of marriage, I totally do," Spears told MTV's "Total Request Live" in a telephone interview Wednesday. "[But] I was in Vegas, and it took over me."...

The pop superstar says she can't understand the fuss.

"We landed on Mars that day -- why aren't they talking about that?" she asked, referring to the Mars Rover (search) launched by NASA.

Yeah, "what goes on here stays here".

IT WASN'T PAUL BUNYAN DRAGGING HIS GIANT AX?

The folks at the National Park Service have become the objects of controversy (and thousands of emails) on how the Grand Canyon was created:

Causing the flow of e-mail is the controversy over a book for sale at the Grand Canyon that claims the famous area was formed by the Old Testament flood Noah survived and can be no older than a few thousand years. That contention has some scientists calling for the book to be pulled from store shelves. Traditional secular science contends the canyon is millions of years old.

Depending on who you ask, the book is either shining the light of truth on the subject or dragging American into the Dark Ages:

"The Grand Canyon was formed millions of years ago," said William Ausich, president of the Paleontological Society, according to Religion News Service. "It is the job of the National Park Service to present the best scientific information possible to the public, and the book is complete pseudoscience."

Mark Looy disagrees, saying the canyon is much younger. Looy is vice president of Answers in Genesis, a creationist organization that contributed essays to the book.

"The canyon was formed as a result of the aftereffects of Noah's flood, a worldwide global flood," he said. "Most of the canyon was formed by a lot of water over a relatively short period of time."

You like to see scientists supporting the free exchange of ideas.

BETWEEN 'SCREENWRITER' AND 'FREE RIDER'...

is 'Meglomaniac', er, 'Evangelist' on the top ten dream jobs:

9. Evangelist. Apparently we're a spiritually needy people. Witness America's several "great awakenings" and the role religion plays in politics even today, and wherever there's a need there's an exploitable market. Enter the evangelist, who enjoys all the power and prestige of a captain of industry or big-time politician but without having to answer to a pesky board of directors or the electorate. Choose your role model from among Cotton Mather, the Billys (Sunday and Graham), Reverend Ike and Jim and Tammy Faye.
Downside: The sense of megalomania you develop may lead to embarrassing if not fatal consequences (see Jim Jones and David Koresh), and don't forget the Internal Revenue Service.

Yes, my power and prestige are practically unlimited.

[Thanks to Susanna of cotb for the link]

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Tom Cruise connects the spiritual dots by explaining the roots of scientology:

Tom Cruise, who stars in Edward Zwick's "The Last Samurai", praised eastern religion saying "Buddhism is the grandfather of scientology" and climbed up on a chair to show off his new-found strength and flexibility in the making of the film.

The 41-year-old star, sporting short hair and a grey suit, waxed lyrical on Buddhism during a Paris news conference at the Ritz hotel held to promote the release in France of the movie next week.

"I was struck by the code of Bushido (the way of the Samurai). It's powerful, it talks about compassion, helping others, responsibility, integrity ... timeless values, ways I identify with," said Cruise, who has practised scientology for 20 years.

I think Cruise is dead on on this one. And while he sees it as a compliment, I think that it condemns both. Both Buddhism and Scientology are rejections of God and an unholy elevation of 'self'.

"Professing to be wise, they became fools."

TOLERATE THIS!

An Argentine artist has decided to test religious tolerance by displaying himself in the all-together in front of houses of worship (WARNING: link will take you to a picture of said artist):

Luizo Vega told Las Ultimas Noticias: "I want to test all religions and see their level of tolerance. I will go to each and every place of worship."

His first stop in his Faith Project was the Catholic church of Guadalupe, in Buenos Aires.

Mr Vega said: "I was born on December 24 and when I turned 24 I realised I had a special kind of bond with the spiritual world."

Yes, he needs more to do.

WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

Biblical expert and reinvigorated Christian Howard Dean somehow missed the point of the parable of the Good Samaritan; he's now picking and choosing his neighbors:

Dale Ungerer, a retiree from Hawkeye, Iowa, lectured Dean for nearly three minutes near the end of a forum....

''Please tone down the garbage, the mean-mouthing, the tearing down of your neighbor and being so pompous,'' Ungerer told Dean. ''You should help your neighbor and not tear him down.''

''George Bush is not my neighbor,'' Dean replied.

''Yes, he is,'' Ungerer said, to which Dean responded: ''You sit down. You've had your say, and now I'm going to have my say.''

I suppose Dean would have passed by on the other side, too.

AUSSIE ANGLICAN PRIMATE OUT

We learn how Australia wasn't really worthy of top Anglican Peter Carnley from Midwest Conservative Journal:

Australian evangelical Anglicans are fundamentalist homophobic fools who hate women. No wonder Pete bailed. Let's all pray(assuming you actually believe this stuff), says Jim, downing the last of his Foster's, that they don't give the primacy to...shudder...Peter Jensen....

But on the plus side, a Jensen primacy would give the Australian left someone to scare their kids to sleep. "Settle down and go to bed," they'll say, "or Peter Jensen will get you in the night."

Our generation can watch while the once mighty Anglicans are hoisted upon their own liberal petard throughout the world.

I KNOW A SECRET...I KNOW A SECRET!

Sarah Hinlicky Wilson tells of an encounter with a man desperate to know a secret:

Why do some people chase after heresy, seek out cults, accept bizarre religious dogmas, experiment with wacky rituals? Nine times out of ten it isn't because of a profound and intellectual departure from the traditional doctrine of the church. It's because the heretical thing fills some need, and the orthodox thing touches some weakness or pain.

This poor man got tripped up by the lust for gnosis, the spawning ground for heresies old and new. Gnosis, the secret knowledge hidden from the ordinary folk, sets the bearer apart and above. It's an infatuation with mystery taken to a prideful extreme. I remember well even at the age of five the extreme satisfaction I felt in knowing for certain of three people in hell: Judas, Pilate, and Hitler. Gnosis flatters human vanity and polishes it with the luster of spiritual authority.

Once while teaching a class on Revelation I saw a hand from the back pew way back in the far corner of the auditorium.

"Do you think there's a lost code book to Revelation?"

Somewhat stunned, I managed to answer, "Well if there was God apparently intended that we not have it or He would have protected it for our use."

Ever since then I've wished that my response had been: "Yes, I do, and I have a copy in my office!"

Ah, the lure of inside information.

MOORE APPEALS

Alabama's Chief Justice Roy Moore, removed last year by an ethics panel, has appealed the decision, desiring reinstatement:

"I've been removed from public office — the highest judicial office in this state — by an unelected, politically appointed body, and they did not question why I did not obey an unlawful order of the federal court," Moore said at a news conference. "Basically, I was given the choice to fail to acknowledge God or keep my job."

I wouldn't hold my breath for him to be reinstated, but I think he knows that.

JOE CAMEL CONDOMS

Following the path of McDonald's, Frosted Flakes and Camel cigarettes, condom manufacturers are hipping up their wrappers to sell condoms to kids:

"Basically, what we've tried to do here is make it the cool thing to do, the 'in' thing to do, to protect yourself," said Harry Terrell, CEO of Common Ground USA (search), which produces the condoms.

Maybe they can package them with some Joe Camels for afterward. Just sick.

BRITNEY'S STARTER MARRIAGE

Kim Hone-McMahan sees a distrubing trend with Britney's nuptials:

Akron Family Institute therapist Etta Brooks has witnessed a disturbing view among some young folks.

"One of the things I see happening is older adolescents, or individuals in their early 20s, moving into first marriages with the mentality that there's a possibility that they're not going to work,'' she said. "And they are calling them 'starter marriages.' ''

That's terrible.

"Yeah, it really is,'' Brooks said ``And this (Spears' short-lived marriage) just kind of reinforces that mentality.''

You can have your starter marriage in your starter home together with a starter car and maybe even a starter kid or two. If it doesn't work out, well, all that stuff can be upgraded can't it?

[Thanks to David P. for the link.]

DEAN AS THEOLOGIAN

From the man whose favorite New Testament book is Job and left the Episcopal Church over a bike path comes this pronouncement:

"From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people."

Or maybe since in His revealed word it says homosexuality is a sin, we could infer the opposite: that homosexuality is a behavioral choice. Just a thought, doctor.

PROPER ENGLISH, WE HARDLY KNEW YE

Fred Reed bemoans our loss of proper English standards:

The unworthy like to argue, almost as if they had some slight idea what they were talking about, that any language is acceptable provided that it communicates. The problem with unschooled and degraded English is precisely that it doesn’t communicate well. In an America that has embraced the tastes and standards of the black ghetto, I occasionally see it written that Ebonics is a language to be respected as much as English. Oh? It is an unwritten language, which might seem to put it at some slight disadvantage to a language that has had a rich literature since at least the fourteenth century. (I’m not sure that pre-Chaucerian English is quite what I think of as English.)

And I think we must recognize that the Internet, instant messaging and blogging have all contributed more than their share to the decline.

LET MARRIAGE BE HELD IN HONOR AMONG ALL

That non-stop jokester Britney Spears and a childhood friend tied the knot in a 'joke' wedding, but have since, of course, had it annulled:

“It was just crazy, man,” the 22-year-old [groom] told “Access Hollywood” in an interview at his home Monday morning. “And we were just looking at each other and said, 'Let’s do something wild, crazy. Let’s go get married, just for the h*ll of it.”’

The two made the "wise decision" (according to attorney David Chesnoff) and ended the marriage. With an annulment, it never even happened:

“Plaintiff Spears lacked understanding of her actions to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage,” the annulment petition said.

I think "lacked understanding" is the understatement of this young year. And we wonder why the divorce rate is so high.

TERMINATING ANGLICANS

The Anglicans are playing hardball in their quest to normalize homosexuality. An Anglican church in Canada refused to accede to the demands of its bishop to accept same-sex unions and promptly was shut down:

An Anglican church in Canada has been closed for refusing to support same-sex unions in defiance of its bishop.

But the Rev James Wagner said he would celebrate Mass on Christmas as planned despite the decision by Bishop Michael Ingham to "terminate" the Holy Cross church in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

"As far as the diocese is concerned, we do not exist. We are a non-entity," Wagner said, "but I will not abandon these people. I will continue to pastor and pray for them in the midst of this crisis."

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of York thinks those opposed need to stop fussing about it:

The intense row over sexuality in the Anglican Church has risked it losing sight of its world priorities, the Archbishop of York has warned.

Dr David Hope, in his annual Christmas sermon at York Minster, called on the Church to live "together with and in difference" with one another....

Dr Hope said: "Many quite outside and beyond the Church have looked on in disbelief wondering quite what all the fuss is about and asking whether in so focusing on this one issue (human sexuality) almost to the exclusion of all others we have not lost sight of more pressing and vital priorities for our world and its peoples."

That's right you people who dare believe in Biblical morality--just stop fussing!

The Anglican and Episcopal split is well under way.

NOT AN EXPERT, BUT PLAYS ONE IN THE CAMPAIGN

Everyone's favorite angry candidate Howard Dean has stuck his foot in his mouth again. Dean has gotten Jesus lately, and was asked what his favorite New Testament book is:

Asked his favorite New Testament book, Dr. Dean named Job, adding: "But I don't like the way it ends." "Some would argue, you know, in some of the books of the New Testament, the ending of the Book of Job is different," he said. "I think, if I'm not mistaken, there's one book where there's a more optimistic ending, which we believe was tacked on later."...

An hour after his comments, Dr. Dean returned to the clutch of reporters, saying he realized he had misspoken because Job is not in the New Testament.

"Many people believe that the original version of Job is the version where there is not a change, Job ends up completely destitute and ruined," he said. "It's been a long time since I looked at this, but it's believed that was added much, much later. Many people believe that the original ending was about the power of God and the power of God was almighty and all knowing and it wasn't necessary that everybody was going to be redeemed."

Asked again about his favorite part of the New Testament, Dr. Dean said, "Anything in the Gospels."

A much safer answer.

Dean's press secretary assures us that Dean is not really an expert on these things (no kidding!):

His press secretary, Doug Thornell, telephoned late Friday night to say that Dr. Dean did not mean to imply he was some kind of expert.

"He obviously has read the Bible and knows the passages fairly well," Mr. Thornell said, "but just in terms of having a theologian's knowledge of the Bible, he doesn't want to pass on the impression that he does."

That's not the way the good doctor had portrayed it earlier, of course:

Touring with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, Dr. Dean also visited Galilee, where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. "If you know much about the Bible — which I do — to see and be in a place where Christ was and understand the intimate history of what was going on 2,000 years ago is an exceptional experience," he said.

But it all shows the dangers of becoming religious because of tracking polls. Dean's religious past is certainly less than stellar:

Dr. Dean grew up spending Sundays in an Episcopal church, and attended religious boarding school, but became a Congregationalist after the Episcopal church he belonged to in Burlington, Vt., refused to yield land for a bike path around Lake Champlain that he championed. His wife is Jewish and their children observe both traditions, though the family stopped attending services years ago after scolding sermons about once-a-year attendees.

The campaign has brought Dr. Dean back to the pews, clapping along with hymns in African-American churches from Harlem to San Francisco. At a Hanukkah party for his staff last month in Manchester, N.H., Dr. Dean proudly chanted the blessing over the candles in well-accented Hebrew and then repeated it for an Israeli television crew.

The best part of the whole thing is to know there's some good preaching going on at the synagogue!

I read this to a good round of chuckles at my Bible class on the Captivity and Return last night. At least Dean's good for something.

[Scrappleface sees Dean's gaffe as a golden opportunity.]

[Original link via Drudge]