RAUNCH CULTURE & OUR DAUGHTERS

As the father of three girls, I'm particularly aware of the raunch culture exposed by Colleen Carroll Campbell:

Girls as young as five moan Britney’s racy lyrics, while their sisters in elementary and middle school copy Nicole’s compulsive dieting, Lindsay’s brazen flashing, and Paris’ sultry stare. Young women are now groomed from girlhood to arouse sexual attention by posting suggestive messages on their personal web pages and wearing the same risqué fashions as their Bratz dolls. Newsweek recently chronicled the rise of these “prosti-tots” – girls as young as seven “who dress like tarts” and dream of breast implants as high-school graduation gift.

Aspiring young exhibitionists can find role models everywhere these days, from the coeds who disrobe for “Girls Gone Wild” camera crews and publish pornographic pictures of themselves in student-run magazines, to mothers who take pole-dancing classes and wear the same see-through blouses and skin-tight jeans as their teenage daughters....

You can see them in the mall, tugging nervously at their skimpy shorts and halter tops, straining to see how men react to their little bellies flouncing out of low-slung jeans. They look more exploited than empowered as they fuss and cringe, adjust and squirm. How odd that in an age when girls have more athletic and academic opportunities than ever, girlhood has become a high-pressure dress-rehearsal for adult mating games.

How any father can let their daughters prance around like that is beyond me. Moms may not fully understand, but every dad knows what goes through the mind of boys and men when they see more than they need to see. It's time to put the kibosh on 'Bratz' dolls, et al, and actually try something normal and wholesome with little girls. They're little girls, and they don't need to own make-up (until their teen years, and then with great restraint), wear bustiers or generally dress like they're aspiring Hooters waitresses.

[Thanks to theosebes reader Mitch for the link]

HEROD TOMB PICTURES...are posted over at Yahoo.

'LIFE'S SHORT...'

...Get a Divorce' is the new ad campaign for a Chicago law firm:

The ad is sponsored by Fetman, Garland & Associates, Ltd., a law firm specializing in divorce. The billboard is complete with two scantily clad bodies — one male and one female — telling people that "Life's short, get a Divorce." It's located near the intersection of State and Bellevue streets.

...the law firm calls the ad "cutting edge" and is making no apologies for it. Lawyers there say the ad isn't for everyone, but instead targets couples looking for a way out of a bad marital situation.

You like to see that. The firm plans more of the ads in Chicago's glitzy, deep-pocketed areas.

HEROD'S TOMB FOUND

The tomb of King Herod, renovator of the Temple and attempted murderer of the infant Jesus, has been found:

The tomb is at a site called Herodium, a flattened hilltop in the Judean Desert, clearly visible from southern Jerusalem. Herod built a palace on the hill, and researchers discovered his burial site there, the university said....

Herod became the ruler of the Holy Land under the Romans around 74 B.C. The wall he built around the Old City of Jerusalem still stands, and he also ordered big construction projects in Caesaria, Jericho, the hilltop fortress of Massada and other sites.

It has long been assumed Herod was buried at Herodium, but decades of excavations had failed to turn up the site. The 1st century historian Josephus Flavius described the tomb and Herod's funeral procession.

Haaretz said the tomb was found by archaeologist Ehud Netzer, a Hebrew University professor who has been working at Herodium since 1972. The paper said the tomb was in a previously unexplored area between the two palaces Herod built on the site. Herod died in 4 B.C. in Jericho.

This is a fantastic find. Of course, there was no question that Herod existed, but he was not only an important Biblical figure, but also one of the most important rulers in the century leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem.

PREACHING THIS MORNING...'Homosexuality: What Does the Bible Say?' Had the Bible said nothing else on the issue, God's intention 'from the beginning' that man and woman should come together in marriage would be all that we would need to understand that homosexual activity goes against God's plan.

MORMONISM MAINSTREAM?

Newsweek & the Washington Post have a joint blog 'On Faith', which explores the Mormonism as mainstream question in light of the PBS Frontline documentary. How does one define mainstream?

I recall Dr. Ed Harrell lecturing on Pentecostalism, his academic specialty, and discussing the reaction he received in grad school decades ago when he began studying it. His fellow students wondered why he would go to a Pentecostal tent revival rather than a 'mainstream' Episcopal service. Even then the handwriting was on the wall about the Episcopal Church.

Count the number of Mormons in the USA and the world, and compare it other religions. Of course, from a historical perspective, Mormonism is not 'mainstream' but rather created from whole cloth by Joseph Smith's imaginings. Still, can we say that when our Senate majority leader and a major Republican Presidential candidate are both Mormon that it is outside the mainstream of American life?

FRONTLINE ON THE MORMON CHURCH

PBS will be airing episodes on American Experience: The Mormons. They air tonight and tomorrow. The New York Times also has a review of the episodes. They appear to be well worth watching.

CONFESSION: ISN'T THAT WHAT THE INTERNET IS FOR?

Need to unburden your sins? Then you need the right website:

A woman kept her secret for nearly two decades.

Finally ready to confess, she turned not to a minister, but to her computer.

''I am sorry God for not keeping that baby,'' her anonymous confession reads. ``I had an abortion and had kept that secret for over 18 years. I feel so ashamed. Please forgive me!''

The confession appears at ivescrewedup.com, a website launched by the Flamingo Road Church in Cooper City. It's one of a growing number of such sites across the country -- some secular and others church-sponsored -- that offer a place to spill out ugly secrets or just make peccadilloes public.

The move is not without its critics:

The church has received some criticism, Gruenewald said, from people who think that ``we're trying to encourage people to confess to a computer instead of God. We just believe it is a catalyst to have people open up to family and friends and God. I think sometimes it can be misunderstood.''

A recent redesign gave readers the option to post prayers or responses to the confessions.

The Catholic Church is among those who reject the idea of confessing online.

Confession is ''the opportunity to confess sins to someone ordained as a priest who is a representative of Christ,'' said Mary Ross Agosta, a spokeswoman for the Miami Archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church.

The websites, with their voyeuristic appeal, may fulfill people's need to feel better about their own behavior or moral values.

'What makes it so popular is not so much the people confessing but people going to read all these things, saying, `My life's not so bad,' '' said Greg Fox, who runs the site dailyconfession.com.

``It's kind of the car wreck you're driving by. You can't help but watch. It's kind of the car wreck of life.''

'Car wreck' sounds just about right.

PREACHING THIS MORNING...'Lust & Adultery' (Mat 5:27-32) from my series on the Sermon on the Mount. The heart to the matter is commitment, both to God's kingdom, and to our relationships.

Our song leader called me last night to get the sermon topic so he could pick songs to go with it. When I told him 'Lust & Adultery' he decided he might go in a different direction...

ANOTHER REASON TO TEND TO YOUR BIBLE STUDIES

An Ohio judge frees a man after a Bible quiz:

When Eric Hine appeared in court this morning, his attorney described him as a church-goer, hoping the judge would set a low bond.

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge John Burlew was skeptical and asked Hine to recite the 23rd Psalm.

He did: all six verses. Some in the courtroom applauded.

Burlew was satisfied and released Hine on a $10,0000 appearance bond, meaning he'll have to pay that amount if he doesn't show up for his next court date.

I understand if he's convicted he'll need to recite all the judges and kings of Israel and Judah.

(Thanks to Theosebes reader S.B. for the link.)

ARRESTS MADE IN TURKEY following the murders of Bible publishers:

A court jailed five suspects Sunday on murder charges linked to the killings of three Christians who were tied up and had their throats slit at a publishing house which had drawn protests by nationalists for distributing Bibles.

Six others were released pending trial, the court said. It was unclear what charges the six faced and a trial date has not yet been set. A 12th suspect, who tried to escape from police by jumping from a fourth-floor balcony at the scene of the killings, remains hospitalized in stable condition and was expected to be charged later.

The three victims — a German man and two Turks who converted to Christianity — were killed Wednesday at a Christian publishing house in Malatya.

As the article points out, this incident will not help Turkey's bid for EU membership.

MARY WINKLER HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY of voluntary manslaughter:

The jury of 10 women and two men deliberated for almost eight hours before returning the verdict.

Voluntary manslaughter is a Class C felony that carries a standard penalty of three to six years and a maximum penalty of 15 years.

She could be eligible for parole after serving 30 percent of the time.

She is scheduled for sentencing on May 18, and will remain free on bond until that time.

THE WINKLER TRIAL goes to the jury today. One of the best sources of coverage I've found has been The Jackson Sun, well worth keeping an eye on. You can read about Mary Winkler's testimony--some of which struck me as believable, some...less so--and an overall round-up of the case here.

My own personal view from what I've seen and read is that I would have a hard time convicting her of first-degree, premeditated murder, but would vote to convict of a lesser murder charge. Of course, the jury has heard more testimony and seen more evidence than I have; it is their decision that counts here. We need to pray for everyone involved in this, particularly the Winkler children who are already the big losers here.

BIBLE PUBLISHERS killed in Turkey:

Attackers killed three people Wednesday at a publishing house that had been the subject of protests for distributing Bibles in Turkey, the government-run Anatolia news agency reported.

One person who had his throat cut inside the publishing house and another who jumped from the third floor to escape were taken to local hospitals for treatment, the private Dogan news agency said. Anatolia said one of those taken to the hospital later died.

Nationalists previously had protested outside the Zirve publishing house in the city of Malatya, accusing it of proselytizing, Dogan reported.

Video footage broadcast on private NTV news channel showed one man being tackled by police outside of the building, and another in a neck brace being loaded into a stretcher.

Malatya is known as a hotbed of nationalists and is the hometown of Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish man who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981.

You've got to appreciate such openness and tolerance.

WHEN TO FORGIVE

Reader 'Anonymous' posted the following in the comments to my post just below regarding Dan Winkler's court comments indicating he has not forgiven his daughter-in-law for shooting his son:

I might suggest that it is impossible to forgive someone who has not genuingely sought such. "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him" (Lk. 17:3). What if he does not seek forgiveness?

I think it is comparable to the fact that while God knows the things we need before we ask, he still expects us to ask. As James told some, "You have not, because you ask not" (Jas. 4:2).

While we should certainly not hold a vengeful disposition, being always ready to forgive any offense, it simply is impossible to forgive those who do not want it.

Does God forgive us without our asking? If not, are we more generous than God?

This is sort of a pet peeve of mine, so I wanted to address it more fully where it would be more widely seen by both of my readers.

Let me start out by saying that I am not addressing the issue of whether it would be easy for Dan Winkler to forgive Mary. I think it would be horrendously difficult in a way I cannot imagine. However, I would like to step back and look at the issue of personal forgiveness as objectively as possible.

I quoted the following verses in my post below; I believe it wise to refresh ourselves on them:

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6:14-15)

"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2)

As we discuss the issue of forgiveness, we must remember there are two separate issues here. One is God's forgiveness of a sinner and the other is my forgiveness of another. They are not the same thing, but I believe that confusing the two is what often leads people down the wrong road in their understanding of personal forgiveness.

One problem is the idea that in order for God ever to forgive there must be a specific confession and repentance for each individual sin that I commit. If there is such a requirement then each of us is hopelessly lost. Such a position demands several things, first being a complete understanding of God's will followed by an objective understanding of my own actions and their motives. After I have all of that, I then must perfectly execute this law of specific confession and repentance for every sin. That's not grace, that's perfect lawkeeping, something the Old Law demonstrated we were not capable of (see Galatians). Jesus explained a way that is acceptable to God in Luke 18:13-14 using the tax collector: "But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, the sinner!'

"I tell you, this man went to his house justified...."

What led to this justification? Confession of sinfulness? Yes. Repentance? Yes, I believe that certainly is implied here. A complete and detailed listing of every sin ever or recently committed by this publican? There's certainly no record of it, and Jesus pronounces him justified without it.

Does that mean that I do not need ever to pray to God for forgiveness of specific sins? I'm not saying that at all. I think David certainly prayed to God for forgiveness for his sin with Bathsheba and the sordid situation that developed. Do you think Peter prayed for specific forgiveness for denying His Lord? I sure do! Peter informed Simon the Sorcerer that he needed to pray for specific forgiveness when confronting him with his sin (Acts 8:21-22) I'm not talking about an excuse for obstinacy in the face of sin. That's not a penitent spirit at all. What I am saying is that I cannot possibly comprehend every way in which I fall short of God's expectations and disappoint Him. I am aware that I do fall short, I ask forgiveness for those failures, and ask for God's strength that I can lead a life more pleasing to Him.

Anonymous states that "it simply is impossible to forgive those who do not want it." My response is, that is most certainly not the case. Without question it is easier to forgive someone who wants forgiveness, but my personal forgiveness of another has nothing to do with him and everything to do with me. Forgiveness is a personal decision on my part. I have control over my own decision making and attitude. We could ask, is it impossible not to forgive someone who does want it? We all recognize that it is possible to refuse forgiveness. Someone could be embittered to the point of refusing forgiveness in the face of all pleading. We immediately think of the ungrateful slave who refused to forgive his fellow slave in Matthew 18:28-30: "But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.' "So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.' "But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed."

I believe one of the reasons people resist the idea of forgiving one who has not specifically asked them for forgiveness is the imagined idea that the offending person has somehow gotten away with it. But in this case we confuse our own position with that of God's. I need to remember that God's forgiveness of someone and my own forgiveness are two very distinct things. I am a fellow servant, a fellow sinner with this person. Do I dare claim the moral high ground with a fellow sinful servant? Isn't that exactly what the slave did whom Jesus condemned? When Jesus states "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you," He is reminding me that my own gratitude for the grace that I have received (remember, grace is unmerited) is something that should overflow in me. I forgive others for my own spiritual benefit, not necessarily theirs.

My forgiveness of someone's actions has no bearing whatsoever on that person's relationship with God or his standing with God regarding that particular sin. But Jesus makes it clear that my forgiveness of someone else can have a great deal to do with my own standing before God, and that God will use my own standard of forgiveness on me. Therefore, for my own spiritual well-being it is incumbent upon me that I be as forgiving as possible with my fellow sinful slaves. I will allow God to take care of His business as it relates to His slaves. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

Finally, 'Anonymous' asks "are we more generous than God?" I will end by saying most certainly not! I could never be more generous than God, and would not presume to think so of myself. If anyone imagines that he is, then he is not aware at all of the spiritual blessings that flow by grace from our Heavenly Father.

I'M NOT SURE about this one:

Dan Winkler also said that despite what previously had been reported by a family friend, he did not forgive Mary for the shooting because she did not tell him she was sorry.

Jesus had some thoughts on this sort of thing:

"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Matthew 6:14-15)

"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:2)

My general approach to these passages (and those like them) is that I want God to be as absolutely forgiving with me as He can be, because I need all the forgiveness I can get!

WINKLER TRIAL UNDERWAY

Both sides presented their theories of the crime in day one of the Mary Winkler trial:

A prosecutor said Winkler killed her husband not because of any mistreatment, but because she had been depositing bad checks and feared that he would find out.

The defense told jurors that she killed her husband accidentally while trying to protect their child from him.

Mary Winkler, 33, only intended to hold her husband at gunpoint to force him to talk about his personal problems after a situation involving their 1-year-old daughter, Breanna, defense attorney Steve Farese said. The defense did not describe the situation.

"The morning he did what he did to Breanna, she was going to get his attention — with the very things he had always threatened her with," Farese said. He said Matthew Winkler had threatened his wife with a gun many times.

The defense is pushing the Nigerian scam angle. The abuse card is an easy card to play as Matthew Winkler cannot deny the charges, nor can a one year old daughter testify to any sort of "situation", as of yet undescribed. One thing the defense argues I have no problem believing: Mary Winkler was a woman under intense pressure, pressure she was not dealing with adequately.

Meanwhile, the parents of Matthew Winkler have filed a wrongful death suit against their daughter-in-law. I'm not sure what they hope to accomplish with it, other than perhaps better their position regarding custody of the children. They're certainly not going to collect the $2 million in damages unless the Nigerians finally come through with that deposit or, as the article suggests, they anticipate her benefitting from book or movie deals.. As the criminal process is (properly) underway against Mary Winkler, I'm not sure about the scripturalness of their suit, either.

THE ALABAMA CHURCH ARSONISTS have been sentenced:

U.S. District Judge David Proctor sentenced Matthew Cloyd, 21, and Benjamin Moseley, 20, to eight-year prison terms for setting fire to nine churches in West Alabama. Russell DeBusk, 20, who confessed to setting five fires, received a seven-year sentence.

In addition, the judge ordered combined restitution of $3.1 million, with Cloyd and Moseley bearing a greater share of responsibility for those payments than DeBusk.

I'm sure everyone involved is glad to have some resolution.

MARTIN COTHRAN AT VERE LOQUI discovers what the well-read atheist is reading.

THE TIMES ON JESUS & THE EYEWITNESSES. Richard Bauckham has stumbled onto a brilliant approach: common sense.

[Link via LRC and suggested by reader Sean]

THE WINKLER TRIAL is about to being with jury selection. I admit to a curiosity about the entire affair. Past revelations indicate a Nigerian email scam was involved.

PREACHING THIS MORNING..."'Some Women Amazed Us': The Women at the Tomb" on the first witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus.

PAST ABORTIONS & ANY OTHER SIN

I get a lot of amusing hits to Theosebes from various search strings. Today I got one of the saddest I've ever had, this from a search from someone in Singapore: "past abortion cannot be baptised?" via Google. I don't know if the searcher has in mind infant baptism or baptism for the formerly expectant mother, but regardless it opens a window of insight into the baggage that accompanies what is popularly protrayed as just another visit to the doctor. The innocent victim is just that, innocent and sinless, without the need for the forgiveness effected at baptism. The troubled mother can seek the same forgiveness that the rest of us sinners need through the blood of Christ. (Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-7)

IS THE 'IS GOD DEAD?' ARTICLE DEAD?

Not according to Newsweek, which asks the variant 'Is God Real?'

In the NEWSWEEK Poll, 91 percent report they believe in God, with 82 percent identifying themselves as Christians. Yet half those surveyed say they "personally know" an atheist, and 47 percent believe the country is more accepting of atheism than it has been in the past—which suggests there may be closet atheists who do not believe but do not wish to say so to a pollster. Other cultural indicators are unmistakable: books making the case against religious belief are selling briskly, evidence that many Americans are entertaining arguments against God and what these authors see as the destructive effects of faith.

That such questions—they date back to at least Homer and Plato—are gaining fresh force suggests there is growing worry that religion has too much influence on the world around us, from inspiring terrorists to shaping federal policy on embryonic-stem-cell research.

Perhaps they should name the next one, 'Is God Real? We Sure Hope Not'. Meanwhile CNN has allowed a genuine scientist who actually does believe that God is real say so. None other than Director of the Human Genome Project Dr. Francis Collins reflects on his spiritual journey from atheism to belief:

I had always assumed that faith was based on purely emotional and irrational arguments, and was astounded to discover, initially in the writings of the Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis and subsequently from many other sources, that one could build a very strong case for the plausibility of the existence of God on purely rational grounds. My earlier atheist's assertion that "I know there is no God" emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, "Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative."

But reason alone cannot prove the existence of God. Faith is reason plus revelation, and the revelation part requires one to think with the spirit as well as with the mind. You have to hear the music, not just read the notes on the page. Ultimately, a leap of faith is required.

For me, that leap came in my 27th year, after a search to learn more about God's character led me to the person of Jesus Christ. Here was a person with remarkably strong historical evidence of his life, who made astounding statements about loving your neighbor, and whose claims about being God's son seemed to demand a decision about whether he was deluded or the real thing. After resisting for nearly two years, I found it impossible to go on living in such a state of uncertainty, and I became a follower of Jesus.

Yeah, well, wait until he reads Newsweek...

TEXAS: THE BIBLE AS TEXTBOOK

The great state of Texas may make the Bible a textbook:

The bill's author, Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, said learning about the Bible is necessary to understanding America and Western culture.

"We need for people to know why we are the sort of country we are," said Chisum, who teaches Sunday school at a Baptist church. "We ought to know where we come from and why we do what we do."

The bill instructs teachers to teach the Bible from a secular point of view, Chisum said. No text other than the Bible would be required, according to the bill. School districts and students could chose which version to use, and teachers would not need special training, Chisum said.

Bible classes would be offered in the next school year if the bill becomes law.

Bills like this are worth it just for the fun of watching the secularists go ballistic.

THE MYSTERY OF FRED THOMPSON'S RELIGION

Having been taken to task in an email by Truth in Love blogger Jeff Barnes for dropping the ball in Theosebes coverage of the recent Fred Thompson-James Dobson dustup, I wanted to make things right. While Theosebes slept, The Christian Chronicle was on the case of whether or not Fred Thompson really is a "member of the Church of Christ", which his spokesman assures us he was "baptized into".

I was amused at this little bit of assurance reported by TCC:

David Pinckley, treasurer of the Pulaski Street Church of Christ in Thompson’s hometown of Lawrenceburg, Tenn., said the two grew up together.

“We went to school together, played football, went to church for many years here in Lawrenceburg,” Pinckley told the Chronicle on Friday.

“I don’t know his religious status right now, but we were both baptized around 1951-1952 maybe,” Pinckley added. “We were either 10 or 11 years old. He was baptized at the First Street church in Lawrenceburg. It’s a non-institutional church now, but it wasn’t then.”

However, his mother apparently attends the Brentwood Church of Christ, a known non-institutional group.

So the question is still open: Is Fred Thompson a lapsed institutionalist or a lapsed 'anti'? Perhaps the good folks at The Christian Chronicle will stay on the case.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JANE VANCE
Named Poet Laureate of Kentucky

My friend and former professor Jane Gentry Vance has been named Poet Laureate of Kentucky in one of the best decisions in a long time. She is author most recently of the poetry collection Portrait of the Artist as a White Pig from LSU Press. As it so happens, the title poem of the collection some ten years ago was the first project of a now on-hiatus private letterpress called Adela Press based out of Versailles, Kentucky. It was run by a younger and with-more-hair Alan Cornett, who also commissioned the linotype of the pigs that are now on the cover of the book. Traci and I were then living in a downstairs apartment recommended to us by the very same Jane Vance. Hey, I wonder if those broadsides are worth something...

Congratulations to Jane Vance! It really could not have been given to a nicer and more talented person.

THE WARNING SIGNS for Ted Haggard were there; they were enabled or ignored. If you're thinking about it, you're eventually going to talk about it.

THE FAITH VACUUM

An historical old church in the country town of Clitheroe, England is now slated to become a mosque:

On a chilly night this winter, this pristine town in some of Britain’s most untouched countryside voted to allow a former Christian church to become a mosque.

The narrow vote by the municipal authorities marked the end of a bitter struggle by the tiny Muslim population to establish a place of worship, one that will put a mosque in an imposing stone Methodist church that had been used as a factory since its congregation dwindled away 40 years ago.

The battle underscored Britain’s unease with its Muslim minority, and particularly the infiltration of terrorist cells among the faithful, whose devotion has challenged an increasingly secular Britain’s sense of itself.

Britain may continue to regard itself as a Christian nation. But practicing Muslims are likely to outnumber church-attending Christians in several decades, according to a recent survey by Christian Research, a group that specializes in documenting the status of Christianity in Britain.

Britain, along with the rest of Europe, has shown it does not have the political will to stand up to Muslim immigration, but their lack of faith for the past several generations has made impotent their ability to combat Islam,secularism not having the strength to stand before it. The progression from church to factory to mosque is not a coincidental one. A secular industrialized West that has abandoned the Christian roots from which it sprang is no match for the vibrant faith of Islam. In our own generation we are witnessing the transformation of western Europe as we know it.

PREACHING THIS MORNING...'Has the Tomb of Jesus Been Found: Is It True? Does It Matter?' Obviously, it's a look at the claims of the recent James Cameron Discovery Channel documentary. Well, the tomb of a guy named Jesus was found, but it's most certainly not Jesus of Nazareth. This is also the first of a possible series of 'Invitation Sundays' in which particular emphasis will be made on inviting others to services, with--we hope--a sermon with that in mind.

SHOULD APES BE JAILED FOR STEALING BANANAS?

Unsurprisingly, there is a movement afoot to grant apes 'human' rights:

They need greater protection in the eyes of the law, says Ian Redmond of the UN's Great Apes Survival Project, who believes welfare groups could use guardianship as a way to rescue ill-treated apes.

Some rights are conferred on apes but only because they are endangered. And the international trade ban is flouted in Africa and South-East Asia, where mothers are shot and their infants shipped off as pets, circus performers or lab animals. Vivisection on apes is banned in much of Europe but still goes on in the US and Japan.

"Apes are special because they are so closely related to us," says Mr Redmond. "Chimpanzees and bonobos are our joint closest living relatives, differing by only one per cent of DNA - so close we could accept a blood transfusion or a kidney. Gorillas are next, then orang-utans."

But there is a stronger cognitive argument, he says, because the apes' intelligence and ability to reason demands our respect.

The move is a result of evolutionary theory, of cours, but such things have always puzzled me as evolution is by definition the survival of the fittest. In such a world on what basis can any being have 'rights'?

Professor Steve Jones argues for a little perspective:

But Steve Jones, professor of genetics at University of London, says human rights are a construct which can't be imposed on animals.

"Where do you stop? It seems to be that being human is unique and nothing to do with biology. Say that apes share 98% of human DNA and therefore should have 98% of human rights. Well mice share 90% of human DNA. Should they get 90% of human rights? And plants have more DNA than humans."

Chimps can't speak but parrots can. Defining creatures and allowing them rights based on criteria invented by one group is itself an enormous breach of human rights, he says, and one need look no further than Austria in 1939 to see why.

"Rights and responsibilities go together and I've yet to see a chimp imprisoned for stealing a banana because they don't have a moral sense of what's right and wrong. To give them rights is to give them something without asking for anything in return."

There is a moral case to make about animal welfare, he says, but it has nothing to do with science.

Yes, care for an animal has to do with man's responsibilities rather than the animal's rights. Proverbs 12:10 tells us: "A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal, But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel."

CURRENTLY READING...Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony by Richard Bauckham. I'm just starting, but this appears to be a wonderful book, which addresses a very important topic, the reliability of the Gospel accounts. Under attack for over a century, there is renewed scholarly vigor in affirming the eyewitness testimony behind the four Gospels. I'll likely have more to say about this one.

DOES HELL EXIST? IS THE POPE CATHOLIC?

Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed the literal existence of hell while his aids aren't so sure:

Pope Benedict XVI said that in the modern world many people, including some believers, had forgotten that if they failed to "admit blame and promise to sin no more," they risked "eternal damnation — the Inferno."

Hell "really exists and is eternal, even if nobody talks about it much any more," he said....

Vatican officials said that the Pope — who is also the Bishop of Rome — had been speaking in "straightforward" language "like a parish priest." He had wanted to reinforce the new Catholic catechism, which holds that hell is a "state of eternal separation from God," to be understood "symbolically rather than physically."

Well, is hell symbolic or isn't it?

Now I think we can distinguish between the idea of hell itself being symbolic and the language used to describe it being so. When we read of heaven having streets of gold I would think few would insist that this spiritual 'place' actually has physical streets made of the actual element gold. I believe it to be language used to convey the wonderful spiritual reality that is heaven in physical terms we can grasp. As material beings we are limited in what we can understand about spiritual 'places', but heaven has been described in language that makes it clear to me that I want to be there. Likewise, hell is described in physical terms that make it clear to me that I do not want to be in such a place or condition. Is there literal fire that burns in the same way we understand fire? Well, there is certainly some difference as the fire of hell is neverending. The Holy Spirit reveals it in terms of eternal fire, which means that is the best way for us to understand it. Just as I believe a material description of heaven can never truly capture the full glory of that spiritual place, I think it also the case that a material description of hell cannot capture the full impact of the eternal misery, pain and hopelessness that accompanies condemnation.

In other news, it appears the pope isn't so sure about limbo:

In October the Pope indicated that limbo, supposed since medieval times to be a "halfway house" between heaven and hell, inhabited by unbaptized infants and holy men and women who lived before Christ, was "only a theological hypothesis" and not a "definitive truth of the faith."

It looks like he and I are on the same page, because I missed the reference to limbo in my Bible, too.

BLACK FLOCKS ABANDONING LIBERAL LEADERS

As preachers in predominantly black churches 'evolve' and 'grow' in their understanding of Scripture, particularly as it applies to homosexuality, they are finding their flocks are moving on:

When the Rev. Dennis Meredith of Tabernacle Baptist Church here began preaching acceptance of gay men and lesbians a few years ago, he attracted some gay people who were on the brink of suicide and some who had left the Baptist faith of their childhoods but wanted badly to return.

At the same time, Tabernacle Baptist, an African-American congregation, lost many of its most loyal, generous parishioners, who could not accept a message that contradicted what they saw as the Bible’s condemnation of same-sex relations. Over the last three years, Tabernacle’s Sunday attendance shrank to 800, from 1,100.

The debate about homosexuality that has roiled predominantly white mainline churches for years has gradually seeped into African-American congregations, threatening their unity, finances and, in some cases, their existence.

Historically black churches have been quite conservative morally, but the hangover from the civil rights movement was an alliance with the Democratic Party by many black 'leaders' (eg, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton). As the Democrats moved left, many black leaders knew they had to move left to if they wanted to keep their power. But many in the pews weren't there for a political handout, they actually wanted to worship God. Many of these historically black churches are going the way of the American mainline denominations. And considering their continual rewriting of Scripture to fit the the prevailing cultural milieu, I won't shed a single tear for them.

[Thanks to Wild Bill for the link.]

'BAMA KNOWS ITS BIBLE

Unlike much of the rest of America, a survey finds that Alabama rates well in biblical literacy:

For example, nearly 70 percent of respondents to last week's Press-Register/University of South Alabama survey correctly named all four canonical Gospels. "They don't call it the Bible Belt for nothing," said Keith Nicholls, a political scientist and director of the USA Polling Group, which conducted the poll.

Most Americans, however, can't identify even one of the four Gospels, according to polls cited by Boston University professor Stephen Prothero, who has received national acclaim for his recent book titled "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know -- and Doesn't."

The Press-Register/USA poll of 404 adults statewide has a margin of error of 5 percentage points. The survey included some questions that were similar to ones that Prothero has asked his Boston University students.

More than 70 percent of the Alabama respondents knew the location that the Bible identifies as Jesus' birthplace (Bethlehem) and nearly 90 percent correctly stated that a famous phrase from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount -- "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God" -- comes from the Bible.

It's nice to be in Alabama!

PREACHING THIS MORNING...'Appointing Elders In Every Church', a look at the need and qualifications for elders in the local church as our congregation begins to revisit the appointment process. The church here has tried and failed twice to appoint Scriptural leadership, once since I have been here. We must keep trying until we are in full compliance with God's expectations of local church organization.

MORONI AS BARISTA, OR, CAN YOU TRADEMARK AN ANGEL?

Just Add Coffee, a coffee shop in Taylorsville, Utah, has run afoul of the Mormon church because of an ad showing the angel Moroni with coffee pouring into his horn:

T-shirts being sold at the coffee shop feature an image of the angel Moroni, the golden statue of a male figure in a robe blowing a trumpet that sits atop many LDS temples. In the Just Add Coffee version, Moroni's trumpet is angled upward as coffee from a pot is poured into it.
"It was a spoof," Beazer said. "It was meant to be fun."
It apparently didn't amuse the LDS Church, whose members are discouraged from drinking coffee.
In a letter sent to Beazer's home last week, the shop owner was informed that the image of Moroni is a registered trademark of the LDS Church. The letter also requested that Just Add Coffee discontinue use of the image in advertising campaigns.

Ah, well. I guess you can trademark an angel. Apparently the shop is discontinuing the shirts. It sounds like someone missed his morning cup.

AND WHO WOULDN'T WANT THIS ON HIS SHELF?

The Bible study tool everyone has been waiting for is finally out: Jimmy Carter's Bible-Study Teachings:

Jimmy Carter has been a Sunday-school teacher his entire life, and this week, Simon & Schuster releases “Sunday Mornings in Plains,” audio recordings of the President’s Bible-study classes at his church, Maranatha Baptist Church, in Plains, Ga....It is also a jolt, for those of us who remember hearing his voice in our homes three decades ago, to hear it again, both folksy and a little bit prissy, full of humor and some sanctimony. Carter knows his Bible...

I'm sure. It's just too bad that I just made a CBD order. I guess I'll have to wait for the President's instructive words for next time. I'm also eagerly anticipating Bill Clinton's book on building healthy marriages.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

The Anglican-Episcopalian rift has been complicated by that root of all kinds of evil, the love of money:

The truth is, the Episcopal Church bankrolls much of the Communion’s operations. And a cutoff of that money, while unlikely at this time, could deal the Communion a devastating blow.

The Episcopal Church’s 2.3 million members make up a small fraction of the 77 million members in the Anglican Communion, the world’s third-largest affiliation of Christian churches. Nevertheless, the Episcopal Church finances at least a third of the Communion’s annual operations.

Episcopalians give tens of millions more each year to support aid and development programs in the Communion’s poorer provinces in Africa, Asia and Latin America. At least $18 million annually flows from Episcopal Church headquarters in New York, and millions more are sent directly from American dioceses and parishes that support Anglican churches, schools, clinics and missionaries abroad.

Bishops in some foreign provinces that benefit from Episcopal money are now leading the charge to punish the Episcopal Church or even evict it from the Communion. Some have declared that they will reject money from the Episcopal Church because of its stand on homosexuality.

The Americans insist they have no plans to shut down the money pipeline, but one doubts funds would keep flowing if the Anglicans worldwide severed the communion. The Mainline Meltdown continues.

[Thanks to theosebes reader Wild Bill for the link.]

PROCTOR & GAMBLE AND THOSE SATANISM RUMORS

P&G apparently had taken all it intended to about the satanism rumors that had circulated for years. A jury has awarded $19.25 million in a suit against four Amway distributors for spreading the rumors:

The company alleged that Amway Corp. distributors revived those rumors in 1995, using a voice mail system to tell thousands of customers that part of Procter & Gamble profits went to satanic cults.

The company’s claim was based on the Lanham Act, which prohibits unfair competition and false advertising.

“This is about protecting our reputation,” Jim Johnson, P&G’s chief legal officer, said in a statement Monday. “We will take appropriate legal measures when competitors unfairly undermine the reputation of our brands or our company.”

The former Amway distributors thought they’d be exonerated and were shocked by the jury’s verdict late Friday, said Randy L. Haugen, one of the defendants.

Yes, as the defendants lawyers point out, P&G is a big corporation using their vast resources against four regular joes. But I can understand why P&G would get tired of the false rumors. See Snopes.com for a refutation of a variation satanism charges against P&G

NO SURPRISE that General Peter Pace is trying to calm things after his downright shocking statement that homosexual sex is immoral. Both Democrats and Republicans were distressed at Pace's moral judgment:

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was "disappointed in the moral judgment" voiced by Pace and the military should consider changing policy on allowing gays to serve in its ranks.

"We need patriotic Americans who exist across the board in our population," the California Democrat said. "We don't need a moral judgment from the Chairman of Joint Chiefs."

Republican Sen. John Warner, a veteran member of the Senate's Armed Services Committee, said through a spokesman: "I respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman's view that homosexuality is immoral."

We are now on Day 2 of the official Pace Resignation Countdown Watch.

HISTORY MEETS '300'

Historian Ephraim Lytle examines the movie '300', and, well, at least there really was a Battle of Thermopylae.

COUNTDOWN TO RESIGNATION

Following Marine General Peter Pace's comments about homosexuality...

“I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts,” Pace said in the audio recording of the interview posted on the Tribune’s Web site. “I do not believe that the armed forces of the United States are well served by a saying through our policies that it’s OK to be immoral in any way.”

...Theosebes is now on official countdown to his forced resignation or reassignment.

NEWSWEEK explores 'The New Science of Human Evolution' in the current issue.

THE SINNER'S PRAYER VS. THE BIBLE
watching the mental bell 'ding'

It has occured to David Gushee that there's a problem with the 'Sinner's Prayer'. It isn't in the Bible:

In reading through Luke, I had discovered that twice (10:25, 18:18) Jesus is asked, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

In the first passage, Jesus turns the question back on the lawyer who asks it. The lawyer replies with the Old Testament commands to love God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself (cf. Mt. 22:34-40). Jesus affirms his answer: "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live." The lawyer then tries to narrow the meaning of neighbor. So Jesus tells the unforgettable parable of the compassionate Samaritan, who proved to be a neighbor to a bleeding roadside victim.

In Luke 18, Jesus responds to the same question, this time from the man we know as the rich young ruler, by quoting the second table of the Decalogue, forbidding adultery, murder, theft, and false witness, and mandating honor towards parents. His questioner says that he has kept these commandments, and Jesus proceeds to call on him to "sell all … and distribute to the poor." Jesus assures him, "You will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." The "extremely rich" ruler won't do this, and Jesus goes on to teach his disciples about how hard it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God.

Trying to be an honest expositor of the texts in front of me, I told the chapel students that morning that on the two occasions in Luke when Jesus was asked about the criteria for admission to eternity, he offered a fourfold answer: love God with all that you are, love your neighbor (like the Samaritan loved his neighbor), do God's will by obeying his moral commands, and be willing, if he asks, to drop everything and leave it behind in order to follow him.

I concluded by suggesting that the contrast between how Jesus answers this question and how we usually do is stark and awfully inconvenient.

Yes, Mr. Gushee is not far from the kingdom of God. If he discovers the book of Acts in his Bible who knows what conclusions he might reach.

THE DARWINIAN SEARCH FOR GOD

Darwinian Scott Atran is desperately trying to find out how belief in God evolved:

Religion seemed to use up physical and mental resources without an obvious benefit for survival. Why, he wondered, was religion so pervasive, when it was something that seemed so costly from an evolutionary point of view?

Or maybe, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." (Ecclesiastes 3:11, NIV)

'ARCHAEO-PORN'

Ben Witherington has the Discovery 'Jesus tomb' documentary post-mortem. His blog is the best I've seen for detailed (and I do mean detailed) refutations of the Jesus tomb nonsense. Witherington writes:

You can tell things are coming unraveled when every Biblical archaeologist, save possibly one, interviewed either in the Discovery Channel special or in the hour long debate thereafter repudiates or is unpersuaded by the findings of the show. Both William Dever and Jonathan Reed were not merely dubious about the findings of the show. Reed actually called it archaeo-porn, the worst sort of misuse of archaeological evidence to support a tendentious theory that is so speculative it requires linking one weak hypothesis to another to another to reach a conclusion.

In addition, both Amos Kloner and Joe Zias, two of the original archaeologists involved in the project, have openly on television and in the public forum repudiated the findings of the show in strong terms. I have had a strongly worded email from Joe Zias in the last 24 hours saying that the data was deliberately manipulated at various points.

Take some time and read this latest post, as well as scroll back for some of the earlier ones (The Smoking Gun and Problems Multiply).

PREACHING THIS MORNING...'Surpassing Righteousness', a look at Matthew 5:20-26 from my series on The Sermon on the Mount. To enter God's kingdom we must surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees. This is only possible with a religion of the heart that moves beyond a 'sacramental' understanding of religion.

AN ATHENIAN AGORA

Archaeologists have uncovered ruins in Athens:

Archaeologists have discovered extensive remains of what is believed to be an ancient marketplace with shops and a religious center at the southern edge of Athens, the Culture Ministry said Friday. The finds, in the coastal neighborhood of Voula, date from the 4th or 5th century B.C.

"It is a very large complex," the ministry said. "It was a site of rich financial and religious activity, which was most probably a marketplace."

Marketplaces - or agoras - teemed with shops, open-air stalls and administrative buildings, and were the financial, political and social center of ancient Greek life.

Archaeologists believe the complex belonged to the municipality of Aexonides Halai, among the largest settlements surrounding ancient Athens.

Earlier, an ancient theater was uncovered as well:

Officials say an ancient theater has been discovered during construction of an apartment building in northwest Athens.

Culture Minister George Voulgarakis called the find a "a major discovery" and announced immediate expropriation of the site, the Athens News Service reported.

Fifteen marble stands were discovered during excavation at the site in Menidi last week. Officials say it appears the theater dates back to the fourth century B.C.

While antiquities experts say it is too soon to tell if it is the renowned ancient theater of Acharnes, there are "significant indications that it could be," the news service said.

I know I've said this before, but it's remarkable that things like these could remain uncovered in such a heavily settled area until now. One thing it means is that there is always more to find.

REMEMBERING SCHLESINGER

One of America's most famous historians, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. died Wednesday. I can't say that I agreed with much of what he wrote as court historian for the Kennedys or his perspective on American history, however I did have the opportunity to spend some time with him some 15 years ago. I was working on my Gaines thesis at the University of Kentucky during my senior year when Schlesinger visited. Dr. Raymond Betts, director of the Gaines Center, pulled a few strings, and was able to arrange a few minutes for me to sit down to interview the visiting historian. Although I was an undergraduate of no consequence, Schlesinger was gracious to me, patiently answering my questions. He even complimented my bow tie, a sartorial indulgence both of us shared. Schlesinger certainly demonstrated the good manners so often lost in discourse today.

JONATHAN MORRIS ASKS what if James Cameron were honest about his Jesus 'discovery'?

Meanwhile, TIME does a rundown of what the critics are saying.

THEOLOGY FROM A FOUR YEAR-OLD

In the face of today's storms and tornadoes that passed through Alabama words of wisdom from Molly Katherine, age 4: "Of course it is more importanter to go to church than to be safe because if you die you will surely go to heaven if you obey God."

For the record, we did go to church and we were safe.

MADONNA THE MOM, PART II

Her Kabbalah name might be 'Esther', but her mom-name quickly is becoming 'June Cleaver'. Madonna has told her daughter Lourdes to dress less provocatively:

These days, the rules of Madonna's household are more along the lines of "like a virgin" than "express yourself." The pop icon is getting a taste of her own medicine — from her 10-year-old daughter Lourdes — and finding that with motherhood comes prudishness.

In a grand twist of irony, Madonna — who posed nude for her "Sex" book, simulated a sex act on a water bottle in her "Truth and Dare" movie, passionately embraced an African-American Jesus in her "Like a Prayer" video and kissed Britney Spears at the MTV Video Music Awards — is having to tell Lourdes not to dress so provocatively, The New York Post's Page Six reports.

"My daughter is going through a phase of wearing jeans so tight she can't bend her knees in them," Madonna told British Elle, according to Page Six. "I have a go at her and say, 'Can't you wear something else? You have a closet full of clothes and you wear the same pants every day. ...

"'And please wear a belt because I don't want to see your butt crack when you bend over.'"

Momma don't preach?

DOES THE BIBLE SAY EVOLUTION IS TRUE?

Maybe your copy doesn't, but this one does:

If you believe that we evolved from apes, that Genesis is great poetry, and that the Universe is billions of years old, can you still enjoy reading the Bible?

Bronx school teacher and book artist Ruth Rimm thinks she has an answer. Her latest book series, the "Lost Spiritual World," is a lavishly illustrated, "postmodern" edition of the Bible for skeptics, seekers, and people of different faiths.

"There may be a profound message behind the miracle stories, but the big bang and evolution implore us not to read things literally," Rimm says. "Most Americans would rather discover the spiritual truths behind the religious metaphors, especially given how fundamentalism is impacting public life with a narrow view of religion."

Rimm's edition of the Bible is anything but conventional, starting with an unusual design style. "The rectangular format of most books just doesn't capture the majesty of the text," says Rimm. Instead, she developed a wavy shape format, with exotic inks and computer generated artwork, to give readers "a more intimate experience of the mystical."

The moral is, if you don't like what the Bible says you can always write a new one.

IN MY MAILBOX:
CHRISTIAN PRIMITIVISM IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Sometimes things show up in my mailbox, and sometimes they're worth mentioning. One such item appeared yesterday, Christian Primitivism in the Twenty-First Century: Thinking "Inside the Box" About Restoring New Testament Christianity, by David Edwin Harrell, Jr. Ed Harrell is, of course, retired professor of History at Auburn University, and a recognized authority on not only Restoration History, but also on 20th Century Pentecostalism. I've been privileged to travel to India with him three times, and I will honestly say that he's one of the few men who impresses you more every time you're with him.

Dr. Harrell has been refining the arguments he utilizes in this book over the past few years. I've heard pieces of it in lessons both in the US and in India. The book is built around three propositions.

Proposition 1: Regarding Apostolic Authority
Restorationist, primitivist religious thinking assumes that the Apostles were given specific authority to define doctrine and set in order churches. This authority was perpetuated

Proposition 2: Regarding Common Sense Hermeneutics
Restorationist, primitivist religious thinking assumes that human beings, through the use of a common sense possessed by all, have the ability to read texts and reach common conclusions about meanings. This empirical, logical type of thinking is the basis for all pulbic (as opposed to private and subjective) human understanding.

Proposition 3: Regarding Local Churches (Congregationalism)
Restorationist, primitivist religious thinking assumes that the practices of local churches in New Testament days rested on apostolic authority and that the ordering of churches was intentionally designed by God to promote uniformity (catholicity) among Christians.

Obviously, he expands on these propositions, and demonstrates the validity of these underlying assumptions in restorationist thinking. It's a small book, a booklet or pamphlet, really, but I think it's one of those things that ought to be in anyone's library who desires to think seriously about how we ought to serve God and approach Scripture.

To order (retail, $4.95) contact Harwell/Lewis Publishing Company at (863) 688-2665 or the Florida College bookstore.

MADONNA THE MOM

The Material Girl cracks down on Lourdes:

The woman who brought the world the book “Sex” has become a prudish mom. Madonna has banned her 10-year-old from dating until she’s 18.

“No boys for [Lourdes] until she turns 18,” the “Papa Don’t Preach” crooner says, according to WENN. “She’s a good girl, though. She doesn’t have it easy. Late-night TV, junk food and mess are not tolerated in my house.”

Madonna once confessed that she’s the disciplinarian in the family, forbidding her children from watching TV at all, which she called “trash.”

But would she let Lourdes go to a Madonna concert?

I'M NOT THE ONLY SKEPTIC

Not everyone is buying into the Jesus tomb discovery:

Archaeologists and clergymen in the Holy Land derided claims in a new documentary produced by the Oscar-winning director James Cameron that contradict major Christian tenets.

In 1996, when the BBC aired a short documentary on the same subject, archaeologists challenged the claims. Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television.

"They just want to get money for it," Kloner said.

I think we have a winner.

MORE on the Jesus & family tomb at the TIME blog. Documentary producer James Cameron of 'Titanic' movie fame will be holding a press conference revealing the coffins of Jesus, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene, with whom He (and you've never heard this before) had a child. The child's coffin was also in the tomb.

Yes, the assault continues. This is going to get a lot of mainstream media play as we build to Easter.

HAVE YOU TAKEN 'THE BLASPHEMY CHALLENGE'?

I hope not. Drew Kizer explains what it is and has a good explanation of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. It's worth reading.

JESUS & FAMILY BURIAL SITE FOUND?

According to a new documentary the family burial site of Jesus has been discovered:

The cave in which Jesus was buried has been found in Jerusalem, claim the makers of a new documentary film.

If it proves true, the discovery, which will be revealed at a press conference in New York Monday, could shake up the Christian world as one of the most significant archeological finds in history.

The coffins which, according to the filmmakers held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother Mary and Mary Magdalene will be displayed for the first time on Monday in New York.

Jointly produced by Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici and Oscar winning director James Cameron, the film tells the exciting and tortuous story of the archeological discovery.

The story starts in 1980 in Jerusalem?s Talpiyot neighborhood, with the discovery of a 2,000 year old cave containing ten coffins. Six of the ten coffins were carved with inscriptions reading the names: Jesua son of Joseph, Mary, Mary, Matthew, Jofa (Joseph, identified as Jesus? brother), Judah son of Jesua (Jesus? son - the filmmakers claim).

Color Theosebes skeptical.

NO SENIOR PASTOR?

So-called 'missional' churches are rejecting the senior pastor model of church leadership in favor of multiple pastors. Perhaps it may even occur to them to try the Biblical leadership approach of qualified pastors (elders, overseers), but I suppose they don't want to get carried away.

FORCED ABORTION IN ITALY

An Italian judge has ordered an abortion for a 13 year-old girl who wants to keep her baby:

An Italian judge has ordered a thirteen year-old girl to have an abortion because her parents are opposed to their daughter giving birth. The decision relies on laws in Italy that allow parents to make the pregnancy decisions for their teenage children.
The girl, from Torino, did not want to have an abortion but the ruling will compel her to do so.

The Italian newspaper La Stampa reports the decision has caused the teenager so much stress she has contemplated suicide and needed to receive psychological help as a result.

The unnamed girl became pregnant after have sexual relations with her 15 year-old boyfriend but she decided the best course of action was keeping the baby.

Obviously the choice to have premarital sex was a bad one, and no one thinks that a 13 year-old should have a baby, but that bridge has already been crossed. The baby is unaware of and not responsible for any of this. For the state to compound a poor choice with forced murder is unconscionable.

IS HENRY VIII TURNING OVER IN HIS GRAVE?

A movement is afoot for an Anglican-Catholic reunification under the rule of the pope:

Radical proposals to reunite Anglicans with the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope are to be published this year, The Times has learnt.

The proposals have been agreed by senior bishops of both churches.

In a 42-page statement prepared by an international commission of both churches, Anglicans and Roman Catholics are urged to explore how they might reunite under the Pope.

The statement, leaked to The Times, is being considered by the Vatican, where Catholic bishops are preparing a formal response.

This is a reactionary move by the conservative Anglicans who have rejected female and homosexual ordination, and thus looking for a break with the radical Anglican who have been pushing such moves (and getting them).

Color me shocked if we see genuine institutional reversals of the Anglican Reformation, but I've been shocked before.

PREACHING THIS MORNING...Jesus & the Law, from Matthew 5:17-20, part of a series from The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus was not opposed to the Law, but rather He was its fulfillment.

BRUCE METZGER, RIP

One of the great Biblical Greek scholars of the Twentieth Century (and probably any century since the first), Bruce Metzger, is dead at age 93. Instrumental in the translation of the New Revised Standard Version, he was also the author of numerous books. His Text of the New Testament and The Canon of the New Testament are invaluable, and his little book on Revelation, Breaking the Code, is one of the most useful guides I have on that most difficult of Biblical books.

SAGAN SETS US STRAIGHT

Clearly moved by Carl Sagan's voice from the grave in a previously unpublished set of Gifford lectures, Dennis Overbye finds that it's atheists that have true spirituality:

“I would suggest that science is, at least in part, informed worship,” [Sagan] writes...

From Sagan's widow, Ann Druyan:

Some of the books that resulted, such as Richard Dawkins’s “The God Delusion,” have been criticized as shrill, but Ms. Druyan said: “People like Carl and Dawkins are more serious about God than people who just go through the motions. They are real seekers.”

And from Richard Dawkins:

In a blurb for the new book, Dr. Dawkins said that the astronomer was more than religious, having left behind the priests and mullahs.

“He left them behind, because he had so much more to be religious about,” Dr. Dawkins wrote. “They have their Bronze Age myths, medieval superstitions and childish wishful thinking. He had the universe.”

Clearly the atheist brigade is eager to deny God, yet still is left with the God implanted yearning for something greater than themselves, so they begin to worship the 'creature rather than the Creator'. They are the 'true seekers', they are spiritual, 'informed worshipers', 'more than religious'. They thus become more insufferable and less tolerant than any fundamentalist straw man they create (see yesterday's post on the war on Creationist graduate students). They have created their own god, which ultimately turns out to be themselves, and are left with nothing but their own childish wishful thinking and overweening self-importance.

BRANDED WITH A 'C'

Once imagined to be a discipline dedicated to open inquiry, scientists are now wrestling with the idea of granting creationists advanced degrees even when they play by science's rules. Using Marcus R. Ross as a case study, the New York Times finds that many scientists are quite prepared to blacklist creationists simply on the basis of their religious beliefs:

Dr. [Eugenie C.] Scott, a former professor of physical anthropology at the University of Colorado, said in an interview that graduate admissions committees were entitled to consider the difficulties that would arise from admitting a doctoral candidate with views “so at variance with what we consider standard science.” She said such students “would require so much remedial instruction it would not be worth my time.”

That is not religious discrimination, she added, it is discrimination “on the basis of science.”

Dr. [Michael L.] Dini, of Texas Tech, agreed. Scientists “ought to make certain the people they are conferring advanced degrees on understand the philosophy of science and are indeed philosophers of science,” he said. “That’s what Ph.D. stands for.”

The problem they have, however, is not with the actual science being produced by these students as they earn their graduate degrees. Dr. Ross's dissertation adviser calls his science 'impeccable'. But yet Dr. Ross believes 'wrong' things while still doing 'good' science. This infuriates the anti-religious crowd because these well accredited scientists, in the secularists' view, are then using their credentials to argue against the evolutionary paradigm, a paradigm that has become the secular religion of science. Not only may you not openly question it, you can't even intellectually doubt it.

One of the real problems the Darwinian Establishment faces, however, is that a rise of well-educated creationists threatens the caricature the Establishment has painted. Creationists can only be foolish fundamentalists who don't really know science in the first place in their view. But what if these Creationists turn out to have credentials literally signed by the Establishment itself? Such people would be a real threat to the rigid intellectual orthodoxy imposed by the Darwinists. This they cannot abide.

Forget open inquiry--brand them with the 'C'!

[Thanks to theosebes reader Wild Bill for the link.]

TEMPLE MOUNT RESTORATIONS have been haltedby the mayor of Jerusalem near the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.

SPEND YOUR MONEY HERE

I think one qualifies officially as being a parent when your child has to do fundraising for some organization she's in. Well, if so, I've just qualified. My lovely eldest daughter Haydon is a member of the Birmingham Children's Choir (the younger 'Training' choir). They are raising money by selling through a company called Virginia Diner. Skeptic I was, I was impressed by the sort of unhealthy goodies they offer. Soooo, if you want to support a cute little 6 year old with two missing front teeth and her choir you can...

Go to Virginia Diner

Choose 'Alabama' in the first drop down menu

Choose 'Birmingham Children's Choir' in the second (for some reason there are two listings for it, choose the first, I guess)

Type 'Haydon Cornett' in Step 3

Click 'Submit' and buy lots of things.

Your Birmingham Children's Choir thanks you.

HAGGARD THE HETEROSEXUAL

Much hay has been made of disgraced pastor Ted Haggard's annoucement that he is 'completely heterosexual’ following a three weeks of intensive counseling. Of course, the dominant media likes nothing better than the opportunity to poke conservative Christianity in the eye when hypocrisy or weakness is exposed. They find particular glee when it involves their pet topic homosexuality.

Homosexuality, according to the accepted definitions of those who are allowed to define such things, is something one 'is' rather than something one does. Ultimately they wish to define it as a genetic predisposition over which one has no control. This has been discussed at length at theosebes in the past so I will not rehash all of it again. I will point to a relatively fair presentation of the difference in perspective from the scientific point of view, this quoted from the above linked NYT article:

Dr. Jack Drescher, a New York psychiatrist who is an expert on issues of gender and sexuality, said that while it was people’s prerogative to identify their sexual orientation as they wanted, the notion of being able to change that orientation was “not consistent with clinical presentations, but totally consistent with theological belief.”

“Some people in the community that Mr. Haggard comes from believe homosexuality is a form of behavior, a sinful form of behavior based on certain things in the Bible, and they don’t believe you can create a healthy identity based on sinful behavior,” Dr. Drescher said. “So they define it as a behavior that can be changed, and there is this thinking that if you control those behaviors enough, heterosexual attractions will follow.”

Now, it is interesting to me that someone such as Haggard can be married for years and have children in what appears to be a somewhat successful heterosexual relationship, but all of that is immediately discounted due to his dalliances with this male prostitute he hired. That activity is not a deviation in behavior (perhaps it was not in the case of Mr. Haggard), but rather it is always the homosexual behavior that defines the norm. If someone who is a homosexual has a heterosexual relationship then he is seeking to deny himself. Homosexuality always has the trump in this scenario.

When it comes to Haggard and his three weeks of intensive counseling one seems forced to choose between two options. Either he is very naive or else very arrogant. As he is a man who served churches for many years one is left with only the latter as a possible explanation. If we accept homosexual behavior as a sin--which I do--clearly this is an area of weakness for Mr. Haggard. One does not simply go to counseling for three weeks for any area of sin in one's life and pronounce it over and done with. If that was all it took to defeat sin then Jesus had no need to die on the cross, He only need have founded counseling clinics. I do think counseling is something Mr. Haggard needs. But I'm afraid temptation doesn't disappear with three weeks and wishful thinking, either.

RAYMOND F. BETTS, RIP

Of all the professors I had as an undergraduate three really stand out to me fifteen years removed. Dr. Raymond Betts is one of those. I met him twenty years ago now while still in high school at a program at Berea College. My friend David Abner was with me, and I recall Dr. Betts correcting our pronunciation of Proust. I was to discover that Raymond Betts was a historian of nineteenth century French colonialism, so had far more knowledge of Proust than a sixteen year old. I certainly hadn’t read Proust. I still haven’t.

Dr. Betts was a man with a far ranging intellect, but also depth of mind. I remember long conversations with him in his Honors Program office, meeting him on campus and walking with him. He always seemed to have time for me, although he was an incredibly busy man. He always had new questions, new thoughts running through his head. Who else would think to offer an entire semester’s course on the Eiffel Tower in its centennial year?

He was a liberal of the old school, not a liberal of the modern academy. When I became a conservative columnist for the school newspaper Dr. Betts always read my columns, and frequently complimented me, with the occasional chide for some over the top comment I might have made. Looking back, I know he was justified in each criticism, and certainly overly generous in his praise. He, as much as anyone, helped push me into my own study of intellectual conservatism. He actually knew who Russell Kirk was, and he respected a vigorous intellectual conservatism. When I became a Gaines Fellow in the humanities program Dr. Betts founded and directed, the program paid for me to fly to interview both William F. Buckley and Russell Kirk. Had it not been for Raymond Betts I never would have not only met Russell Kirk, I never would have worked for him.

Once Dr. Betts gave his lower arena basketball tickets to my friend David Abner and me. He served as a faculty member of the University Board of Trustees, a position that came with top flight basketball seats. To have such seats was quite a treat for two boys from eastern Kentucky. Kentucky beat Florida that game, and Dave and I were accosted by the old gentleman seated behind us because we kept standing and cheering during the game, blocking his view.

Perhaps my favorite memory of Dr. Betts is the time Dave and I invited him to our dorm room for pizza. He accepted our invitation, and when the day came it was absolutely pouring rain. Our dorm was on the other side of campus from the giant office tower, but Dr. Betts gladly came. He was so soaked by the time he arrived we had to give him clothes to change into. And there sat Raymond Betts, Ph.D.—French colonialist, member of the University Board of Directors, Director of the Honors Program and Director of the Gaines Center for the Humanities—on a dorm bed in borrowed sweat pants and t-shirt eating pizza with two undergraduates. The invitation itself meant something to him, as I heard him comment to others more than once that it was the only time he had been so invited by students.

As is often the case with such things, I had not spoken with Dr. Betts in several years. As is almost always the case, I regret that. On Friday Dr. Betts passed away at the age of 81. Today was his funeral. He will be missed by a host of his students, and also by me.

[Read the Lexington Herald-Leader obituary]

JUDAS & HIS SUPPORTERS

Just released from prison on perjury charges and looking for a good project? Well, why not try to rehabilitate Judas Iscariot:

Author Jeffrey Archer, who was cast out of Britain’s Conservative Party after being jailed on perjury charges, is coming to the defense of another noted black sheep — Judas Iscariot.

Archer announced Sunday that his new novel chronicling the life of the man who betrayed Jesus, “The Gospel According to Judas, by Benjamin Iscariot,” will be published in March.

Archer’s publisher, Macmillan, said the book imagines Judas as a politician who betrays Jesus not for money, but because of the belief he is an ineffective leader unable to challenge the authority of the Romans. Unlike the Gospels, Judas does not kill himself but instead survives and recounts his story to a son — the narrator of Archer’s book.

Oddly, Desmond Tutu did a reading for the audio book.

Sometimes one is best identified by his friends.

SLIDING DOWN THE SLOPE

Switzerland may be poised to expandits assisted suicide law to include the mentally ill:

Switzerland already allows physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients under certain circumstances. The Federal Tribunal's decision puts mental illnesses on the same level as physical ones.

"It must be recognized that an incurable, permanent, serious mental disorder can cause similar suffering as a physical (disorder), making life appear unbearable to the patient in the long term," the ruling said.

"If the death wish is based on an autonomous decision which takes all circumstances into account, then a mentally ill person can be prescribed sodium-pentobarbital and thereby assisted in suicide," it added.

Various organizations exist in Switzerland to help people who want to commit suicide, and assisting someone to die is not punishable under Swiss law as long as there is no "selfish motivation" for doing so.

The answer to 'compassion' continues to be death, but like abortion it looks a lot more like convenience than compassion.

GOOGLE MAPS GETS RELIGION

The folks at BibleMap.org have integrated Google Maps with scripture in an ongoing process of identifying Bible places. It looks like a fun and useful tool.

Thanks to Mark Copeland for the link on his fine blog, Executable Preacher.

BACK FROM INDIA as of Monday at around 1:30 PM (CST) following about 36 straight hours in either airports and on airplanes, including a 16 hour non-stop from Mumbai to New York City. I'm trying to readjust to the 11:30 time difference, which ought to be sorted out in about a week.

There are exciting things going on in India from the Northeast to Mumbai to Hyderabad and Bangalore. I'll try to post a few pictures from the trip over the next few days.

It's good to be home.

SEARCHING FOR A HISTORICAL JESUS...AGAIN

Of course no one has ever looked into this, but now that the Jesus Seminar has faded from view, a new project is underway to to determine if Jesus existed:

Members of the Committee for the Scientific Examination of Religion, which is based at the secularist Center for Inquiry, near the University at Buffalo North Campus, want to reignite the debate with a different emphasis.

Many of the scholars involved with the "Jesus Seminar" examined the question primarily from a theological perspective, said R. Joseph Hoffman, who heads the committee and will organize regular meetings of historians, classicists and other scholars for the "Jesus Project."

Others involved at this point include Robert M. Price, a former "Jesus Seminar" participant, and Gerd Ludemann, a history professor in Germany, Hoffman said.

The new investigation will differ from the "Jesus Seminar" because it won't be hamstrung by theology, he said.

The committee regards the belief that Jesus was a historical person as a "testable hypothesis," just like any other historical question.

Hoffman announced the "Jesus Project" on Sunday at the conclusion of a conference on "Scripture and Skepticism" at the University of California at Davis.

Next up will be the enquiry into the existence of Julius Ceasar (Rogue General or Strawman of the Republic?).

STONEHENGE VILLAGE FOUND

Archaeologists have discovered remains of a villagenear Stonehenge:

A village of small houses that may have sheltered the builders of the mysterious Stonehenge — or people attending festivals there — has been found by archaeologists studying the stone circle in England.

Eight of the houses, with central hearths, have been excavated, and there may be as many as 25 of them, Mike Parker Pearson said Tuesday at a briefing organized by the National Geographic Society.

The ancient houses are at a site known as Durrington Walls, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from Stonehenge. It is also the location of a wooden version of the stone circle.

The village was carbon dated to about 2600 B.C., about the same time Stonehenge was built. The Great Pyramid in Egypt was built at about the same time, said Parker Pearson of Sheffield University.

Julian Thomas of Manchester University noted that both Stonehenge and Durrington Walls have avenues connecting them to the Avon River, indicating a pattern of movement between the sites.

Stonehenge always lures me in.

IN PRAISE OF JALEBI

Jalebi, or perhaps here in southern India, jangiri, makes a Krispy Kreme seem like a savory. They are made like a funnel cake, but smaller, then dipped in a syrup. Best hot, they're not at all bad cooled off. I was first made aware of them when watching Jeremy Piven's narcissistic Discovery program 'Journey of a Lifetime', when he ate them from a street vendor with Padma Lakshmi in Delhi. I thought at the time that I needed to try them. Thankfully, our hotel in Hyderabad makes them every evening, safer and handier (perhaps not as exotic, but you pick your spots) than a street vendor. Highly recommended.

HANUMAN & THE MONKEYS

VIJAYWADA--We have arrived at Vijaywada after a six hour drive from Hyderabad this morning. We are essentially having a mini-weekend meeting at the neighboring city of Guntur, with Berry Kercheville speaking tonight (Saturday) and me speaking on Sunday. Then we'll drive back to Hyderabad on Sunday afternoon. No one from our group has visited the church in Guntur since Bill Robinson did in 2004. We want to make sure to stay in contact with the bretheren there.

The picture at the left is not captioned 'Who is uglier?'. This is me in front of a giant statue of the monkey god Hanuman at a temple just outside Vijaywada. I also saw my first monkeys (live normal sized ones) in India along the way. The area we drove through is heavily agricultural with lots of rice being grown, but also cotton and other crops. It was the first time I had ever seen tobacco ready to be topped in January.

TWO GIRLS IN SHILLONG















That's the picture I couldn't upload at Alfie's. They were reluctant subjects at first, but warmed up to the idea.

LADIES NIGHT AT 'CLOUD 9'

That's what the handbill stuck in my hotel room door said, but I didn't think anything of it. Not being a lady I didn't figure it was really my concern. Until I realized 'Cloud 9' was an establishment right above my room. And 'Ladies Night' lasted until 2 AM. I can tell you, they partied like it was 1989 (not a typo). 'We Will Rock You' can really pound through the walls.

Tonight until 2:30 AM at Cloud 9 is 'Jammin'' with some act that I'm sure is destined for Indian Idol fame. I can hardly wait.

Today after teaching classes Bill Robinson and I had the world's worst taxi ride. The guy apparently is gearing up for a career as a New York City cab driver. He was a skinny young Muslim, and busily puffing away on a cigarrette when we got in. It wasn't long before he had the techno pop cranked up LOUD. Maybe he was the disc jockey from Ladies Night, I'm not sure. The drivers here love to cut their engine and coast downhill on the hilly roads. He loved it, too. He also seemed to revel in finding the most congested routes possible, the ones with lots of truck exhaust. Techno pop still pumping. All the while I was suffering through, shall we say, gastro-intestinal challenges, which added to my eagerness to arrive at the hotel. Apparently our cab driving friend was pleased with his job, though, as the promised fare of 60 rupees became 70 upon our arrival.

Signing off from Alfie's Internet Express. Next stop should be Bangalore on Monday.

THEOSEBES GOES TO SCOTLAND

Well, the 'Scotland of the East' at least: Shillong, India. After a three and a half hour corkscrew drive from Guwahati up a mountain with a constant stream of trucks heading straight at us we made it to Shillong. The road was so curvy I'm pretty sure we met ourselves going the opposite direction at least three times.

Here's a question: Why can several people be talking on their cells phones at a roadside mart halfway up the mountain to Shillong and I can't get a signal at Sammy's Grocery Store in Alabama?

This morning I discovered my stall-less shower had no hot water. Later I learned the hot water is turned on at 6 AM. Ah. Good thing I waited.

I have a fantastic picture that I've tried to upload, but no go. When I'm somewhere other than Alfie's Internet Cafe it may work.

More soon.

NEWSWEEK FINDS that creationists are people, too. Stay tuned for the Lifetime movie.

YOU HAVE NO CHOICE

Are you able freely to decide on the most basic of choices, say, what to have for dessert? Many evolutionists say no. If we are simply randomly produced beings (I almost slipped and wrote 'creatures') then choice itself must also be an illusion as 'choices' are simply the result of chemical reactions in our brains. True choice must be a product of what the article calls 'magic', or a human soul. If we are randomly produced beings in the universe we can have no such thing. Of course, the scientific debate over choice itself has its own moral result as does the larger issue of evolution:

Einstein, among others, found that a comforting idea. “This knowledge of the non-freedom of the will protects me from losing my good humor and taking much too seriously myself and my fellow humans as acting and judging individuals,” he said.

No, we wouldn't want to take ourselves seriously as acting and judging individuals. That would be...wrong...now wouldn't it?