Dad life

I'm sure this has been posted 80 times already, but its worth another:

New Stop Motion Abraham-the-Poor video

Cool stuff:

All (nearly) roads on Wikipedia lead to philosophy. ;)

This is awesome.

http://xefer.com/wikipedia

Obama and Miagi: Distant cousins

I feel another Karate Kid sequel coming on.

Plato's woman: The ideal icon of the moment..."most women don't like to hear this..."

Wow. Crazy. Watch this, then check out J. K. A. Smith's philosophical commentary below. (very short)



Smith:

In Desiring the Kingdom I offer an opening phenomenology of the mall as a temple--a religious, liturgical space whose labyrinthine corridors are lined by tiny chapels devoted to various saints. And those saints, I suggest, are "pictured" not in the flat renditions of stained-glass but in the 3-D icons of mannequins draped in the au courant vision of "the good life."

Well, in that vein, my former student Bryan Kibbe recently pointed me to an almost incredible short film that documents the work and vision of a mannequin factory. Titled "34 x 25 x 36" (you can guess why), the documentary unveils the unapologetic industry of female "perfection," eliciting from the owners and designers a shameless articulation of their goals. This is a must-see for those working in gender studies.

But halfway through the film (at about the 3:30 mark), one of the owner/designers begins to rhapsodize about their work as a deliberate extension of religious devotion to the saints--embodying the now secular, materialist ideal for women to emulate, yea, "worship."

http://forsclavigera.blogspot.com/2011/06/3-d-icons-short-film-on-mannequins.html

For all my road-biking friends: Riding in the NYC bike lane

HT: 22 words

More God, less crime? No tenure?

The Maverick links in:

http://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2011/06/more-god-less-crime.html

Economy: worse than we think?

Perhaps.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576363984173620692.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop#printMode

A fallen soldier's letters to his wife and daughter

Remember.

http://www.patheos.com/community/philosophicalfragments/2011/06/07/everyday-transcendence-a-deceased-soldiers-letter-to-his-daughter/

Dawkins be feelin the fear in the face of biola beauty Part II: Hitlerized

Ha. Awesome.

Ha! Hill-billy gangstas get footloose b-boy style

Old folks can still represent.

HT: Tastefully Offensive

PS, I do not endorse the bad hip-hop (can we call it that?) song used in the background.

Love: emo-strong or covenant faithfulness (Keller, Carson & Piper weigh in)

We need to hear this, loud, again and again:

Shampoo prank...awesome

Ha. Reminds me of the old days.

Surfer gets stoked

Ha. 22words:

Drew Hodge stars in his own commercial

Yes, its true, he has visited a planet fitness. And yes, he did set the "lunk alarm" off.

Universalism and the problem of Ensurance

Thoughts from Paul Manata:

Update: link fixed.

http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2011/06/universalisms-ensurance-policy.html

Biggest Ollie Ever (HT: Veinte Dos Palabras)

Except for the one Ron Paul did over the White House...SON!!!


Aaron "JAWS" Homoki - OLLIE from Birdhouse on Vimeo.

Die you heretic scum!!! Hahaha

Thanks Bryanlopez.com, not to be confused with basilmarceaux.com, for this little laugh:

Leg-less Skater blows my mind

Life, love, and passion will find a way:



HT: Aj Jackson, in his famous words, "what have you ever done?" ;)

Ron Paul is old...and that may be a great thing

For this one among many reasons: as his career voting record demonstrates he is NOT so easily swayed by special interests. He is a wise old guy, and pretty much doesn't care about being popular. He cares about people, their money, and not the "hysterical" lobbyists. This could be a real strength when changes is needed. A younger person with a career ahead of them might come under influence (based on future success and vocational advancement) more easily. RP's voting record and solidarity speaks volumes.

Dirt Devil ad is awesome...lives up to it's name

HT: 22 words

The power of Christ compels me to post this. ;)

My baby is cute

Yep.

99 Ballons, HT Justin Taylor, a powerful 6 minute reminder

I know this won't resonate with everyone, and probably offend some. But we need reminders like these. I don't care where we're at in life, its imperative to slow down and remember the fragility and blessing of our existence. The power of the message doesn't require your belief in God. But because He holds all things together, and by a common covenant grace we are imago dei, it will strike an intuitive chord.

He really does use the weak things of the world to shame the wise; power is made perfect in
weakness. Actually, it makes me mad at times. I am in awe at how people could rejoice in this sort of suffering. It isn't natural. Exactly, and I am humbled.


99 Balloons from Igniter Media on Vimeo.

Awesome! The benefit of a philosophy degree

If you're in philosophical theology, the deep blue has a spiritual undertone. ;)

Ron Paul grows in credibility: On his Campaign, Israel, etc

RP on the Debt Ceiling...apparently not made of glass

Plantinga and Putnam on God in Philosophy

This is a great interview. I agreed with some, disagreed with some, but enjoyed all.

The Boss' office vs the Cube

I'm not naming any names, or making implications, or suggestions. I please the 5th and resort to vagary. I'm not speaking from experience, or the pain of relating, just posting a funny clip. ;)

Worship as the catalyst of ancient civilizations...and modern ones?

Interesting stuff here:

We used to think agriculture gave rise to cities and later to writing, art, and religion. Now the world’s oldest temple suggests the urge to worship sparked civilization.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/06/gobekli-tepe/mann-text/1

C.R.E.A.M, Saudi Roller makes a rap video look like food stamps

This guys rolls deep. I'm glad the Saudi's keep up their modest pretense in private. ;)

HT: 22words

Paul Helm on Early Church Universalism?

He is always worth reading:

http://paulhelmsdeep.blogspot.com/2011/05/can-this-be-true.html


1/2HT:JT...he gets a half because I already subscribe to PH, but realized it was important to post this after seeing it on his blog. ;)

N.T. Wright gets Ron Paul's back on Bin Laden: not if but how

Remember, the argument is not one of if, but how. RP and NTW both agree that OSB deserved to be brought to justice. The question is how? Read on.

I agree with most of this...RP's best comment was to mention how we brought Nazi perpetrators (who killed a lot more folks) to trial. They were tried, convicted, and hung. The process and public nature of the trial maintained national sovereignties and still gave the victims a full sense of closure/justice. In fact, a trial on US soil, drug out over days, humiliating to the perpetrator/his family/his organization, would arguably be a far worse sentence than killing him in private in front of his family. Just a thought.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/may/05/america-lone-ranger

Creepers: An appropriate scream from a tabula rasa (not really)

This is how I feel about...well...lots of stuff:

The problem with libertarian views?

More conversation on the subject:

Bin Laden's porn...a warning to us all

Insightful thoughts from RAM:

http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/05/16/the-terrorist-and-his-porn-stash/

Dawkins be feelin the fear in the face of biola beauty

Sad. If you're the most vocal, then step up, kind sir.

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2011/05/richard-dawkins-refuses-to-debate.html

Old man conquers technology

HT: 22 words

Ron Paul: a serious contender...or crazy uncle?

An interesting take.

In-N-Out brings tears, praises, and nostalgia

HT: 22 words

This laptop makes macbooks cry

Morality on God: Craig v. Harris

This is another very interesting debate. Bill Craig is really growing on me. He takes on hard opponents, argues with clarity, and is always a gentlemen. Many a would-be-apologete could learn from his example.

http://www.rfmedia.org/av/video/craig-vs-harris-foundation-of-morality/craig-vs-harris-foundation-of-morality.m4v

LE ATM: messes with people in the Paris casino

HT: Tastefully Offensive

Where are the masses worse off?

Greed and the tendency to consolidate power is ubiquitous. Utopias are naive. The question is what philosophical system can best check and balance this tendency, for the masses, not against them, with a view to the long term cost-benefit rewards.

HT: JT and some interesting thoughts on how this applies to argument and theology. Here:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/05/05/yes%E2%80%94but-what-about-the-alternative-2

Lego Inquisition fail

HT: 22 words

Craig and Kelly debate God: a pretty even battle

This is a great and helpful debate between two acute philosophers: one a Christian theist and one an atheist/naturalist. Both sides are strong, and the q&a is quite entertaining.


Is God Necessary for Morality? from The Veritas Forum on Vimeo.

Chandler on "Youth" in Ecclesiastes

Good stuff:


Youth - Matt Chandler - TGC 2011 from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Rap balle: Keynes vs. Hayek Round 2

So good. Thanks for posting this Steve...here's the video link on the blog

Tim Keller on the Exodus from the recent Gospel Co. conference

Yep, this is a long video. And yes, its worth your time. Take a lunch hour and feed the soul:


Getting Out - Tim Keller - TGC 2011 from The Gospel Coalition on Vimeo.

Ron Paul may run in 2012

Info and ideology here:

Moral Poverty? Can the 'is' around us provide workable 'oughts?'

Consistency, that is, the logical consistency of the outworking of a system, is telling.

Food for thought:

http://subversivethinking.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20moral%20poverty%20of%20atheism%20and%20naturalism

The unconstrained vision is an elitist vision

Interesting.

Subsidize it

HT: Trentimus Prime

Sunday is coming

Join us at DSC tomorrow, 730, 9, and 1045. Caite is singing a sweet song, and the message will be one of hope and new life. HT: JT.

For all my longboarding peeps

HT: 22 Words

National Debt

HT: Doug Wilson

Bnonn on the Craig vs. Harris debate on the foundations of morality

Good stuff here:

http://thinkingmatters.org.nz/2011/04/how-william-lane-craig-thrashed-sam-harris-like-a-naughty-puppy/

Bill Craig's debate with Laurence Krauss on evidence for the existence of God

This is worth a watch. Here's part 1 (with the other parts attached):

Nascar is beyond ridiculous

HT: veinte dos palabras

Straight Bruce Lee mijo:

Justification vs. Explanatory force: religious a-theism

Burgess has some interesting thoughts on the subject:

http://keithburgess-jackson.typepad.com/blog/2011/04/religion.html

I've been considering this issue in a variety of contexts lately:

1. Reading Nietzsche, he offers an incredibly persuasive explanatory counter example to the state religion, platonic Christianity, of his day. Indeed, his critique has often led me to say, "it's either the worldview of Jesus' or Zarathustra...there can be no middle ground." I'm not sure that's right, but in a world without God, his thesis, explanation by psychological genealogy, is highly intuitive and seems logically conclusive. If man is alone, power dynamics seem to explain what we call good and bad.

2. Mike Butler's statement, "all men have a worldview, thus all are religious."

3. Which build's off of Godel's famous discovery that logical/mathematical systems are incomplete without axiomatic indemonstrable assumptions. That is, every system has presuppositions which it takes on faith to hold it together.

4. So, one question is: which conceptual scheme offers the most plausible explanation? Another question is, which explanation can justify, or account for the ground of, the idea of truth, plausibility, and explanation in the first place.

5. Regardless, we should admit our finitude, and that those who hold beliefs, theists and non-theists, are not only responsible to explain but also to provide warrant. This quest leads to questions of normatively and authority, which leads to the question of who's first principal (what kind of first principal) can hold all things together. This is, ultimately, what we are putting our faith in.




HT: Steve Hays

Einstein vs. Hawking: Epic Rap Battles of History (for the Doc)

HT: Tastefully Offensive

Best line from the auto-tuned S. Hawking..."there are 10 million million, etc...particles in the universe, yo mama took the ugly ones and put em into one nerd!"

Boomers 'sticking it to the man' while stuck on synchronized hogs

This is a great little afternoon snack for all my motorcycle brethren:

http://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2011/04/harley-davidson-stickin-it-to-the-man.html

Breaking news: Obama has his own computer

Watching this made me want to sit down with BO and share a beer/cigar. I may not agree with all his policies, but at least the man can spell and tell a joke.

March Madness for Beards...

My boss told me that I looked like the unibomber today. This post honors his convictions:

http://twentytwowords.com/2011/03/30/the-final-bracket-of-beard-madness/

The great soul? Ghandi was a man.

I'm not posting this to 'bash' Ghandi. In fact, reading this piece was personally disturbing. I'd never heard these things before, and even now tend to doubt the evidence. One thing is certain, we idolize people. Idolatry causes us to cover up scars and wipe warts away by self-imposed blindness. Its hard to hear that perhaps they were not so worthy of our worship.

One a related note, people who see Ghandi, Jesus, and any other nice religious teacher in a cathcall category have a bit more investigation to do. There are profound differences.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703529004576160371482469358.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h

Thai vendor represents the art of tea pouring & Forgotten Foundation props

HT: 22 words on the vid. But I want to use this post to drive traffic to the new and improved Forgotten Foundation website (www.forgottenfoundation.com). They have some new videos up, courtesy of Josh Montoya, and tons of info, links, and opps to buy some new shirts. We all need some new shirts.

The Forgotten guys are doing great missionary work among the Karen people of Thailand. First off, they're not over there bible thumping a bunch of people they don't know or love. They are bring God's word in a way that meets ALL the needs of the people. They have initiatives as wide ranging as an organic farm, a school, medical care, and pastoral training. The best part is that they are working with the Karen, learning from them, in a humble posture. These guys aren't 'trained' 'missionaries.' They're some entrepreneurial crazy heads from ABQ, all with day jobs, who have a heart to put hands and feet to their feelings of concern and compassion. They saw a need and decided to do something about it. The church has a LOT to learn from these guys. I can't say enough good things about the cool stuff that the Word&Spirit are accomplishing in Forgottenland. Check them out, buy a shirt or sticker to suppor the work, and go affect your own change in your own world today.

Dogboard

Dogboarding from DANIELS on Vimeo.

Facebook and CIA agent Mark Zuckerberg

Awesome.

Angry Birds Movie Trailer

Is this just some sorta game to you...No..Yes.

Rand Paul the conservationist throws hammers...

Ha. Thanks for the smile indeed, Joe Torres.

What sort of fishermen were fishers of men?

Great post from the always provocative James K. A. Smith:

http://forsclavigera.blogspot.com/2011/03/fishers-of-men.html

RP on unintended consequences in Libya

Thoughts from the sage:

How to write a manifesto: Awesome

HT: Tastefully Offensive

http://www.tastefullyoffensive.com/2011/03/how-to-write-manifesto.html

Song from Sunday: Christ is Risen

Drew taught us this new one on Sunday in prep for Easter. What a blessing it was to sing this with my sweet little girl in my arms! I needed this powerful reminder of faith, hope, and love. If you believe this sort of crazy stuff then theologically deep songs like this have a real power.

Funny: new Ben Crane work out vid...lets get sweaty

HT: Drew Hodge

Libya: an opinion from the other side, Just war?

It's not my MO on political posts to 'have to' include opinions from both sides. However, I think this write up is helpful. Its at least food for thought for those of us who are generally non-interventionist. 

http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2011/03/bombing-libya.html

Libya: A designer boutique war?

Doug Wilson weighs in on the two-headed monster that is bi-partisan foreign policy:

http://www.dougwils.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8515:obams-away&catid=87:politics

And a word from the most loyal anti-welfare anti-warfare politician I'm aware of:

Philosophy and the study of history

Helpful thoughts here (don't fret, it's short):

http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2011/03/pasnau-on-history-of-philosophy.html

Fake Christian (or any) Religion vs. the gospel

Its easy to be critical in retrospect, right? I loved taco Tuesday in middle school. I loved the pizza and pony rides of youth group. I liked stealing a free coke from the adult bible study with Bo & Jared and being a hypocrite with the other h-town skaters as we kept our eyes off the cross and on younger girls before, during, and after the service. Its easy to be critical, but there was a lot of good in those days too.

However, suffice it to say that I got a lot of american-middle-class-cultural-religion and not so much of the gospel, the good news. I think this short video really sums up the true message of Jesus' love in some deep ways for me. Perhaps not for you, but for me. I've been angry, and hated loss, and wallowed in a very sophisticated sort of self-pity. My sadness tends to hide behind big words and jokes. Yours may find another form.

All religion is idolatry, whether it carries a bible or parties till 5am nightly. Every religion is a cruel master. This is just a small reminder that the gospel is not simply a happy-go-lucky feel good way of life. Neither is it a way for me to express my natural inclinations to melancholy. I don't have time to maintain these regrets...




HT Los and his buddy Adam. I hope this one makes the rounds.

Nietzsche would love this: Slave morality meets the food chain ;)

Sometimes the weak...

Life After Death? Is there corroboratory evidence from the data?

Evidence, explanations, or conjecture? Take a look at this video, which is NOT some strange attempt to proselytize...at least not directly. ;) I'm as skeptical as anyone about some of this stuff, but its interesting to hear two brilliant chaps discuss it. As the one bloke says, empirically, its 'not a slam dunk,' but empirically, nothing is. ;)

James Anderson on the Transcendental Argument for God

I'm a huge fan of James. It is a great thing to see him interacting with the wider philosophy of religion community in regard to this specific argument form. I'm hopeful for more work to come in the future.

http://www.proginosko.com/docs/NoDilemmaForTAG.pdf

Kids these days: Snoopy Snoopy Poop Dog

Classic. I love old doodes.



HT to Alex G...ooops, actually Joel Treick.

NPR: uneducated white middle class gun toting scary people and 5$million

What a day and age! You've got to love the HD cam on your phone.

First off, its no surprise that NPR, or ANY OTHER media group, is filled with bias...even groups that receive, gasp, tax dollars. Neutrality is a myth ma peeps, every medium conveys a message and every message makes a point based on its fundamental presuppositions. The problem is not bias but pretended neutrality...a severe lack of honesty.

Second, I'm not posting this because I hate NPR, or Islam, or because I want to defend the right to bare arms. Its just an interesting video that relates, in my mind, to the underlying issues of $ and power that cause seemingly opposed groups to join hands. This happens all the time, among both liberal-cans and republicrats. Ron Paul along is pure. Joking. I've been reading enough Nietzsche lately that this stuff is just intriguing.

For Bill Jacobson's opinion go here: http://legalinsurrection.blogspot.com/2011/03/npr-rip.html

Ski Jet Pack: We dreamed of this as kids

HT: 22 words

New Paradox Logos & Good and Necessary Consequence

Thanks Memo:

Also, here's neat exchange on the use of logic in theology: 

http://philofreligion.homestead.com/files/RBlogicheresy.htm

HT: Paul Manata

Scientism, New Atheism, and Naturalism "Round UP"

I realize the title is a bit provocative, but the following isn't merely polemical. Ed Fesser collects some resources for us to consider. If you have the time, give a few of these a read.

http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2011/03/scientism-roundup.html

Oh, why not. Perhaps a few more polemical thoughts from the blokes at Triablogue. I'm not sure I agree with everything in this piece but it gets to the heart of the matter: Facts are not brute, nor are they interpreted neutrally. SON!

http://triablogue.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-scientism-destroys-science.html

D. A. Carson Raps, "Voice" does the Catechisms

This is awesome:

The Heidelberg:

http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/cj-mahaney/post/2010/10/25/The-First-Ever-Rap-Song-About-the-Heidelberg-Catechism.aspx

The Westminster (featuring Donny C):

http://www.sovereigngraceministries.org/blogs/cj-mahaney/post/2011/post/2011/03/03/Westminster-Catechism-Rap.aspx

The "2 Kingdom" discussion continues

Interesting thoughts from philosophical-theologian James Anderson:

http://proginosko.wordpress.com/2011/03/02/2k-or-not-2k/#comments

Hahahah: Slimy Monkey with a Ping Pong

Single tear for this one.

Whack a mole...the human version

This was too good not to repost:



HT: 22 Words

Neutrality? On being liberal, progressive, or religious

Ed Fesser has some interesting thoughts:

http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2011/03/liberal-neutrality-update.html

Awesome: Dance Assassin

Reminds me of Daniel Kim, Louie, and Luke L from the day. Where's my camouflage tommy hill jumpsuit when I need it?

Drew Hodge on Parade (Epic Protein)

HT: John Ball

Paul Helm on Effectual Calling

Great thoughts here:

http://paulhelmsdeep.blogspot.com/2011/03/effectual-calling.html

Christian Hosoi speaks about his addictions and his faith

Good stuff here. Lots of backwards Christianity out there. This makes the grace and mercy of the gospel pretty clear. Skate or die or believe and be healed.




HT: Chris Davis

Beer and Food: So much easier than wine.

Wine snobs...take that!

http://twentytwowords.com/2011/02/25/beer-and-food-pairing-chart-easy-reference-guide-to-keep-with-your-recipes/

Sasquatch: For Ryan Kelly

It's real.

"I believe in Science" and the Narrow Inductivist View

Helpful considerations via Steve N:

http://snemes.blogspot.com/2011/02/narrow-inductivist-view-of-science.html

"Man is homo religiosus, by 'nature' religious: as much as he needs food to eat or air to breathe, he needs a faith for living." -Herberg

Shame: The new tool for healthy youth development ;)

Two Jewels: "Its the job he wants, might as well let him start now," and "In the long run..."

Hog wash, there is no long run. Only the existential experience of the now has any meaning. Duh.



PS, I see a fun game to play at the next youth shindig in this. Hmmmmm...

Via: Tastefully Offensive

Angry Birds Fans? This is awesome.

This dad is for the win. Plus, nifty British accents.



HT: Tastefully Offensive

Fast Lane Shopping: Skate & Shop

We did this long before it was legal.

Russians, the Sun, and Dinosaurs

Tee-hee. Volkov.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/11/science-us-russia-poll-education-science-idUKTRE71A5B920110211


Ooops, Hat Tip to Steve Hays

Bill O'Reilly's Non-miscommunicative Teleological Argument: Ha!

So good. Paley be one jealous hunk o'dust.



HT: Tastefully Offensive.

Consider the Soul: Chase is not a vegetable, leaving doctors bewildered and experts rethinking what they thought they knew about the human brain.

No detailed argument here, just an inductive suggestion that what we know about 'de anima' is NOT reducible to purely natural-material explanations.

http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/12/chase-britton-boy-without-a-cerebellum-baffles-doctors/?ncid=webmail

Ha! 'thesaurus fallacy' (for Theo nerds only)

Paul Manata make me laugh. The last line is priceless.

I'm reposting his entire post here:

D.G. Hart says,

"I understand and have commented before on the scare word, neutral. The followers of Abraham Kuyper regard nothing as neutral; everything is either for or against Christ and so no secular or neutral realm exists. This has obvious appeal in Sunday school or at a political rally. But someone going to court, even to protest a parking ticket, is hoping that some realm of neutrality exists. If everything is partisan, then so much for impartial judgment by police, justices, reporters, or even plumbers (“Fox opines, you report”)."

Of course, I don’t hope the judge is neutral; rather, I hope he is objective. Like, I rather hope he’s partial to my video tape evidence that me and my car were 25 hours away at the exact time my car was supposedly downtown getting ticketed!

He then quotes Vos saying that there are some things that are not sinful in themselves, they are morally indifferent. Hart engages in th unfortunate thesaurus fallacy and claims that since “indifferent” has been used as a synonym for “neutral,” then neutrality is a viable category. But note well, Vos’ position isn’t a morally neutral one, it takes a moral stance. Vos brings up the category of intrinsic goods and evils and claims that the proper moral stance on piano playing is that it is not, in the abstract, intrinsically good or evil. It is morally permissible, then, to play, or to refrain from playing, the piano. This isn’t a neutral position, it is to place piano playing in the moral category of moral permissibility and not in the categories of morally impermissible or morally obligatory. Ethicists don’t consider moral permissibility a neutral category. Rather, it’s the right position to take on the matter. Some ethicists have placed things like suicide, euthanasia, and abortion in the categories of moral permissibility. I’d say Hart is against all three, and hence he should be able to see that calling something morally permissible isn’t to take a morally neutral stand on the topic.

More philosophy, less history, less conceptual muddle-headedness.

Speed: Texting or Morse Code?

I know it's an old video. I don't care. Apparently 'old' still has some fight left.


Old guys use Morse code vs. kids with text messaging from MPG on Vimeo.

The Ron Paul Story: A heartfelt documentary

Hat Tip to Cody Garret



Also, some thoughts on the AMA and Capital Punishment via Brian Leiter's favorite philosopher, the Maverick: http://keithburgess-jackson.typepad.com/blog/2011/02/medical-perversity.html

New Forgotten Foundation Promo Video...Serving the Karen people of Thailand

These guys are doing great work. Just think, a bunch of random 505 boys with nothing more than their own resources, God's grace, and heart to serve the persecuted Karen people. I like to talk a lot about love, service, and justice but here it is action. These guys inspire me.



Props to Josh M and James G on their video editing and production skills.

What a 7 year old Utah boy will do to NOT go to church. ;)

Reminds me of myself as a boy. Ha.

A message to the Church (and myself), first and foremost, concerning the recently released Planned Parenthood videos

Have you seen (or heard about) the 2 recent undercover videos of PP employees agreeing to help a pimp get STD testing and abortions for underage (14-15 year old) prostitutes? Probably.

There's a lot of chatter on this subject from the right and the left. Let me surprise you.

First off, the videos are produced as persuasion pieces, no denying that. However, you can access the full recordings of both videos from liveaction.org and the videos themselves. IF the videos smack of 'Loose-Change' or 'Zeitgeist' to you, by all means watch the originals.

Second, what is offered by PP on these videos is inscrutable. Whether its a set up or not, and whether that sort of deception is ethical in football or polemics or war, does not change the rules under which PP self-consciously submits from being wantonly discarded.

Third, that taxpayer $ goes to fund these clinics escalates the issue to a point of concern for the general populace. This is not simply a 'shut up and don't buy it if you don't like it' situation. We're all buying it.

Now on to my surprise.

First, I am glad that groups are working to expose injustices at PP clinics and elsewhere. However, most of what PP does is lawful according to the jurisprudence of state and federal law. Should it be? That's a different question than the one I'm asking here.

Second, I really do believe that most underpaid employees at PP (and elsewhere) are trying to help curtail a societal problem of mass proportion. Are they doing it the 'right' way? Perhaps not, but any critique of their actions should be carful to not impune motives of explicit malevolence.

This leads me to my third and final point: the Church, and its members, watch videos such as these with appall. We cry for the unborn, break for the men and women driven to such desperate measures, and project our justified anger on to the likes of PP and others. Then, we pick up our coffee and go back to FB or blogging or conjecturing about the superbowl. We pick up our stones, throw them, and drop a few extra boulders into our pockets for the next time around. On the contrary, we SHOULD be finding creative ways, at the sacrifice of our own time, money, and talent, to mercifully minister to these people. Instead, we stand over 'sinners' with indignant condemnation. I am not being self righteous here. I fail at this worse than you...and I even work at a church. My point is simply this, to paraphrase Zach Nielsen, Planned Parenthoods exist because the church has failed to love, care for, adopt, minister to, and meet the needs of the people represented in these videos. The darkness swallows where the light is too weak. Whenever a pro-choice friend rallies the cry of 'what would you do, then, with all this poverty, with all the kids born into such abject circumstances, etc?' I feel the sting. Indeed, what do I do? I don't often do what Jesus did. He walked up to the PPs of his day and invited himself over for dinner. The religious people were pissed. Would he not decry the slaughter of the unborn? Sure, but no less would he put his feet and hands to action loving the weak, the needy, the ones in the hardest-lowest-poorest places. God help me to get to that business today. I dream of a day where the Church's strongest argument against abortion and for hurting men/women is that we're actually doing something constructive about it. Raising awareness and exposure-videos have their place. Yet is strong words/images fall on eager ears only to be greeted by limp legs and apathetic hands little has been accomplished.


Ps: here's the video if you're interested. For those of us who consider the sanctity of all life as a core value in our worldviews, may it drive us to mercy, love, and action.

For all my book nerds..."don't you eva eva interrupt me while I'm reading a book."

I've seen and been the 'nasty me' a few times...today.

Disfruta lo mijos:



HT: 22 Words

The most illegal thing I've seen in the history of wrestling: Thank you James Burt

Hypnosis. So good. So stinking good.

Facebook can make me sad...Church too.

Honest thoughts from Russ Moore.

http://www.russellmoore.com/2011/01/27/why-facebook-and-your-church-might-be-making-you-sad/

Drew & I go to the Gym.

This is how we...er...I roll.

Ayn Rand on Abortion: existence as potential, or not?

The Maverick strikes again. I love this guy.

http://maverickphilosopher.typepad.com/maverick_philosopher/2011/01/ayn-rand-on-abortion.html

Haha lol jeje Vid: kids these days

So good. So sad. So true.

I really did laugh out loud in my lonely cube while watching this. Really. Thanks Abraham Piper.

Sanctity of Life Sunday: A call for justice and mercy

Today is Sanctity of Life Sunday.

Warning, this video is very graphic. Yet I would encourage you to watch. It is one thing to tell a story about the horrors of the holocaust, and quite another to see pictures of the mass graves at Auschwitz. I am not intending to 'shock' anyone for shock's sake. The rhetoric surrounding this debate can be over inflammatory on both sides. I would warn us all of sound-bytes and bumper stickers. That said, and in light of current events, we must have our eyes opened to what is happening here.

We discuss abortion far too often on the level of abstraction and theory, offering up statistics and oratorical flourish. When the particulars confront us, the issue takes on a new face.

To the church (and myself): if this information does not drive us to the action of love and mercy for all who are involved then we are Pharisees. God help us if we pick up stones, if we judge, if we allow religion to keep us from inviting hurting/broken/needy folks to the table. On a societal level we must speak up. Yet I pray that God gives my voice the power of hands, a readiness to act. It is easy to picket and debate. May God give Caite and I the strength to serve, to love hurting women, and to care for the least of these.

If anyone out there needs help. Hit me up. Further information can be found at abort73.com.

HT to JT.

The limits of empirical neuro-science in regards to reducibility and normativity

Jewels from Ed Fesser:

http://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2011/01/against-neurobabble.html

His book, "Philosophy of Mind" is a great intro for slower chaps like me...and you?

Roe V. Wade turns 38: Beckwith on the legal details, entails, and entrails

A quick summary by JT:

 http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/01/21/the-supreme-court-roe-v-wade-and-abortion-la

Fully Text of Beckwith's article here:

http://homepage.mac.com/francis.beckwith/RoeLiberty.pdf

Resources for youth here:

abort73.com

Every day we stay is 3: a dead body, domestic damage done, and a diplomatic China deployed

RP on "Morning Joe" with some other heeds and a lady with a neat accent:

DSC (my church) live music CD: Cause for Praise

My buddy Drew, the lead singer-guy & iron partner, did a great job with this project.

Details here, at the DSC blog:

http://www.desertspringschurch.org/blog/?p=1344

Lego Vader Needs A Guinness

Now this is putting your minions to use. ;)


Hattippage: 22 Words (a blog I highly recommend subscribing to)

On the moral question of right, rights, and life

Al Mohler has some interesting follow-up thoughts here:

http://www.albertmohler.com/2011/01/20/what-about-the-twins-the-deadly-logic-of-abortion/

This quote stood out to me: Once you accept abortion as a moral option, it is virtually impossible to preclude any abortion for any reason. 


To that I say amen. Our foundational assumptions about right/wrong, and the standards to which we appeal in the process of accounting our actions, have clear logical trajectories. 

"The superpower will have advanced from a nation of aircraft carriers to a nation of debt carriers."

Interesting political and economic projections here:

http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/Dependence-Day-6753


HT: Maverick Philosopher

5 simple arguments (or critiques) of the New Atheism with a British accent

A helpful short video to get you started by Peter S. Williams:




By way of caveat: I do agree with *most* of his analysis. However, I would be remiss to not mention that the rabbit hole goes much deeper than these 5 flaws let on. Intelligent atheists have responded to each of these claims and intelligent Christians have rebutted again. The cycle continues; an eternal recurrence of battling presuppositions and worldviews. I believe that Christian theism is true, reasonable, and, in fact, nothing can be *ultimately* intelligible apart from it. However, that doesn't mean that this video is some sort of silver bullet. Hopefully, it can serve to promote more discussion.

The story of my life as a text messager

Toilet Seat Tip: Pastor Zachary Nielsen, A29 white throne of porcelain grace LLC.