Various Current Events

Please, is this $1 or $100? Opinion, by NY Times
Rachel Ray and Dunkin' Donuts by Michelle Malkin, Townhall.com
Dunkin' Donuts pulls ad after complaints by AZCentral.com
How to cheat, courtesy of Youtube by Minneapolis Star Tribune
Clinton apologizes for Kennedy remark by ArgusLeader.com
Clinton: Remember Bobby Kennedy (video) by Breibart.com
Congressman: Dems misled supporters by JeffEmanuel.com
NY to back same-sex unions from elsewhere by NY Times
Opposition forms against NY gay marriage by CNS News
FL and MI say see delegates halved by NY Times
Sect mothers say separation endangered children by NY Times
Windfall profit nonsense by John Stossel, Townhall.com
Guerrilla gardener movement takes root by LA Times
Obama criticized traditional black churches by CNS News
"Expelled" boosts academic freedom bills by CNS News
Boy scouts sue over eviction by CNS News
Border governors head to Mexico by CNS News
Algeria's Christians under fire by CNS News
Schools cut classes to curb gas costs by USA Today
Who's sexist now? Opinion, by LA Times
Why TX appellate court erred by Findlaw.com
Young Christians adopt "humble orthodoxy" by Christian Post
Saying "I don't" to gay marriage Opinion, by LA Times
Surpeme Court hears Giles vs. California by Findlaw.com
CA Court rules in favor of gay marriage by Findlaw.com
As gas goes up, driving goes down by CNN
Witches come to Christ though film by Christian Post
Pope affirms right to convert non-believers by Christian Post
Study: 16% of teachers are creationists by Christian Post
What CA same-sex ruling means by Findlaw.com
Did CA court overstep? by Findlaw.com
How far should a CA ballot initiative extend? by Findlaw.com
Helping China in an hour of need by Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com
Principal to resign over gay/straight club by TheState.com
14 year-old blames "Sex and the City" by ABC News
Supreme Court upholds part of child porn law by Findlaw.com
At some schools, failure goes from 0-50 by USA Today
S.F. parking meters retooled to aid homeless by SFGate.com

Wacky Wednesday--Cosmo, Redbook, And Vogue Are Good For Girls

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~They’re popular.
~They teach girls how to have style.
~They emphasize beauty, which is an important feminine characteristic.
~They educate girls about useful products.
~Everyone is having sex, so this teaches you how to do so safely.
~The ideal of romantic love is emphasized.
~If more married women would take the advice to be sexually aggressive, their husbands would like it more.
~It helps women to understand what’s going on in guy’s heads.
~In order to have good ideas, you need to have a lot of ideas. And they sure have a lot of ideas.
~Sexual power is given to women for a reason, why not use it?
~They address all the things that are on the minds of girls.

Wacky Wednesday--We Shouldn’t Have Speed Limits

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Everyone breaks them.
~Encourages the habit of lawbreaking and cultivates the mindset that police are the enemy of normal citzens.
~They are so clearly unpopular to will of the majority (based on driving habits) that they cannot be justified.
~They cannot be enforced fairly. Every day tens of millions of people speed enough to get a ticket, but only a small fraction might actually get one.
~Even police acknowledge they are not proper since they aren’t realistic since they won’t give you one unless you’re over 10 over.
~Speed limits are really about generating revenue through tickets, not about safety.
~If people cannot judge for themselves what is a safe or an unsafe speed, should they really be driving in the first place?
~Should we really believe that people will drive recklessly simply because they can, that they care more about a ticket than they do about their own life, the lives of their families and strangers, and their cars?
~We should punish people for actually causing wrecks, not for tending to cause a wreck.
~Limits have created a whole cottage industry around avoiding getting caught, radar detectors, etc.
~It’s a whole lot safer to drive at the speed of traffic than to try to slow down to an artificially low speed amongst fast drivers. Running slower than the herd is dangerous for you and them.

Links:
Q&A: Speed limits by Insurance Institute For Highway Safety
Law enforcement by Insurance Institute For Highway Safety
Speed limits by IBiblio.org
Effects of raising and lowering by IBiblio.org
Speed limit by Wikipedia
Speed limit in the U.S. by Wikipedia
Posted speed limits by Insurance Institute For Highway Safety

Various Current Events

An Evangelical Manifesto
Op-Ed: An Evangelical Manifesto by USAReligousNews.com
An Evangelical response by Albert Mohler
A gentle plea for civility by Christianity Today
Evangelicals lament politicized faith by Christianity Today
Why some leaders won't sign manifesto by Christian Post
How one group attempts to redefine term by Findlaw.com
Sendler, 98, member of resistance saved lives by LA Times
Handwriting of candidates may speak volumes by LA Times
The myth of voter fraud Opinion, by NY Times
CA court affirms right to gay marriage by NY Times
CA court says yes to gay marriage by Christian Post
McCain on hopes for 1st term by NY Times
Bush appeasement remark sets off fray by LA Times
Bush addresses members of Knesset by WhiteHouse.gov
Berkeley staff face lawsuit over evolution bias by Christian Post
How to commit marriage by CampusReportOnline.net
Remember go outside and play? Opinion, by LA Times
Bob Barr enters race by Townhall.com
Vatican: OK to believe in aliens by Time.com

Wacky Wednesday--Books Are Bad

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~Ask yourself why they so frequently get banned.
~The only way to know an author’s agenda is to read the book, but by the time you do that, you’ve been exposed to it.
~Fiction causes us to be dissatisfied with real life.
~Even non-fiction creates a far more orderly world than this real one.
~How many people do you know who fill their minds with books while real people are daily starving?
~Introverts love it too much, and non-readers feel guilt for not reading enough.
~Which is better, reading a new book or rereading the Bible?
~Books fill your head with unrealistic nonsense about politics, romance, history, business, science, and everything in between.
~Only 100 years ago, reading novels was considered inappropriate and even potentially dangerous behavior.
~Reading books teaches fatalism and determinism rather than free will, unless you’re reading the now-defunct Choose Your Own Adventure style books.
~Books can influence kids to have really disturbed ideas and even do awful things such as was the case with Sorrows of a Young Werther
~We seek in books a comforting alternative to our reality instead of fixing that reality.
~There’s a perfectly good reason socially speaking that avid readers are misfits in their youth and still a little bit that way as adults.
~Books render people unnecessary as experts to help us solve our problems.
~If there weren’t so many books, we would read our Bibles more.
~Books just cultivate pride and being puffed up with knowledge.

Wacky Wednesday--Children Shouldn’t Play Sports

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~It only encourages competition, and competition is bad.
~How is sport compatible with loving my neighbor and compassion?
~Kids get injured a lot, and those injuries linger all through adulthood.
~Coaches are often petty tyrants.
~Parents can’t handle themselves in the stands.
~Kids are often pushed into sports against their will.
~Sports foists a premature seriousness onto life.
~Organized sports displace random play and pick-up games.
~There’s too much emphasis on winning.
~It discourages kids from inventing their own games.
~It’s expensive.
~It’s time-consuming for the parents, especially of multiple children.
~What happens when a kid isn’t very good?
~Doesn’t the Bible seem to take a fairly dim view of putting numbers on people?
~Show me where kids play soccer, football, or tee-ball in the Bible?

Theological Tuesday

~Bible Stories 17: The Conversion of Saul/Paul (Acts 9)
~Amitai Etzioni on “Religion and the Social Order.”
~Richard Ross on Paradise ‘08
~Is Jesus manly?
~Should Wheaton College have fired a teacher for getting a divorce?
~What can we learn from reserveaspotinheaven.com?

Bible References on the Conversion of Saul/Paul: Acts 7:57-60, Acts 8:1-3, Acts 9:1-31, Acts 22:1-22, Acts 26:1-23, Gal 1
The conversion of Saul by Bible.org

Links on Amitai Etzioni:
AmitaiEtzioni.org
Religion and Social Order - Amitai Eztioni by Hoover.org

Links on Richard Ross:
Paradise '08 event by Paradise08.com
Paradisethoughts.com

Ethics: Should We Invade Myanmar?

We’re all still reeling from the news that a cyclone hit Burma last week and has killed over 31,000 people so far, with estimates running as high as 100,000, and displacing over a million and a half people. If you want to give, Food for the Hungry has already partnered with KPXQ, and you can call them at 1-888-356-7700 or click here to donate online. But some people have been suggesting something far more drastic. With the military leaders of the country dragging their feet on allowing aid (Food for the Hungry is already there), calls have come for an invasion of Myanmar as a humanitarian cause. Given that there is no strategic importance to this country for the U.S. but a tremendous crisis to be averted in human terms, should we persuade the U.N. to invade? Should the U.S. do so on its own if the world won’t?

Links:
Myanmar by Wikipedia
Cyclone Nargis by Wikipedia
Time to invade Burma? by Time.com
Should Myanmar be invaded? by Aerospace & Defense News
Should the U.N. invade Myanmar? by Gather.com
U.N. frustration grows at aid problems by Reuters
Supplies getting through but logistics difficult by Alertnet.com
The case for invading Myanmar by Asia Times
Problem with dictators and disasters by Asia Times
1/3 of Burmese get needed relief by Bangkok Post
Aid reaches 300,000; Appeal seeks more funding by ReliefWeb
Myanmar cyclone updates by ReliefWeb

What’s Your Favorite Pie?

Since Mother’s Day was yesterday, I thought it would be fun to talk about the pies we love and, especially, the pies our moms made for us when we were growing up.

Various Current Events

Vacations with kids: "Stay-cation" by Christian Science Monitor
Myanmar allows pressure to allow aid by NY Times
Philadelphia police beating of suspects taped by NY Times
The 18-cent solution Opinion, by NY Times
Dealer says spike in gun sales due to presidency by WNCT.com
Was it easier being a mom in 1908? by Christian Science Monitor
Israel at 60 by Christian Science Monitor
Maybe dems, not reps, put more behind bars by Law.UPenn.edu
Blessed be the name of the Lord by Christianity Today
Congress looking at steel pennies and nickels by AP
Jeremiah Wright, brother in Christ by Christianity Today
Body parts for sale by ABC News
Animals: Smarter isn't always better by NY Times
No results? No research money Opinion, by NY Times
Global food riots by National Review
You Walk Wrong by NY Magazine

Wacky Wednesday--It’s Never Right To Leave Your Church

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~When is it right to leave your family?
~How are you going to fix something you leave? And what about all the people who are still in it who need the unique influences that you bring to the mixture of your own group?
~Where is your best mission field: in a group who thinks like you or in a group who really needs your influence?
~The vast majority of people who leave churches do so for illegitimate reasons.
~The ability to leave a church and find another one makes church discipline impossible.
~When divorce is made so easy and appealing, what happens to the willingness to make a marriage work that is having trouble?
~Church, like marriage, is designed to make you holy, not happy.
~It seems weird that Paul would encourage a slave to stay with his master but wouldn’t be bothered by a person simply leaving a church he disagreed with.
~When you have to stay, you are forced to find a way to make it work by confrontation and discussion.
~If everyone who wanted to leave the church did so, then only those people who were all so similar that there was never any disagreement would be left, which would be sad.
~How can you abandon those whom Jesus died for?
~Were they ever your family, or is it just recently that they’ve lost you?
~What level of sin doesn’t the blood of Jesus cover in your church family?

Wacky Wednesday--You Should Only Listen To Your Pastor’s Preaching

Note: Before reading the following arguments, please understand that they are not what I believe. On Wednesdays, I deliberately argue for wrong ideas, challenging my listeners to call and defend the obvious right answer, which is usually far harder than one would expect. This is a summary of what Wacky Andrew will be arguing, not a representation of what real Andrew believes.

~A single leader creates community among those who all believe the same things.
~Different people learning different things creates chaos.
~Unity and strength come from similarity, not from diversity.
~You should be loyal to a leader for all he’s done for you.
~Other pastors might be better teachers, funnier, more charismatic, or anything else, and this makes you less appreciative of your own and wish he were more like them.
~Listening to other pastors is no different than a married man going to a strip club once in a while, at least in terms of the effect it has on your ability to be fully satisfied with your own wife.
~A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
~A teacher shouldn’t build on another man’s foundation, nor want to, and a student shouldn’t allow another man to build on the foundation laid by his teacher.
~Listening to other pastors gives you the idea that there are plenty of options available for you at other churches if you become unhappy here, which makes it that much harder to convince yourself to do what’s necessary to bless this church.
~The only reason to listen to other people is because you aren’t getting what you need at home or in your own Bible devotions. If that’s the case, it’s probably because you’ve grown used to being spoon fed but you need to learn to feed yourself, not be spoon fed by someone else.
~Does your pastor get excited at the idea of you listening to other people? Would you discuss your choice to listen to other people with your him? Why not?
~What you need is to work on your own spiritual maturity rather than getting given more freebies from someone else’s daddy.
~Most people seek other pastors because they aren’t actually living what even their own pastor preaches.
~Multiple inputs often leads to confusion and relativism.
~When you hear others challenge what your pastor preaches, you become disillusioned both with him and with truth in general.
~It’s easy to get exposed to heresy through other people.
~We don’t generally ask children what sort of food they think would be best for them to eat. And some people are clearly children, according to Hebrews 5.
~How can a pastor keep track of what his congregation knows so he can know what to teach them if they’re out listening to anyone else?
~Do you want your kids listening to other random adults without your supervision or at least consent?

Theological Tuesday

~Bible Stories 16: Noah’s Flood (Genesis 6-9)
~Is Jesus manly?
~Should we listen to other people’s pastors?
~Should Wheaton College have fired a teacher for getting a divorce?
~What can we learn from reserveaspotinheaven.com?

Ethics: Op-Ed Ethics

In America, we have a specific piece of our Constitution devoted to protecting political speech. This is a core freedom we all believe in. But we also know that freedoms carry with them certain responsibilities. So what are the responsibilities of people who write opinion-editorial pieces? And, specifically, what sort of principles should guide the conduct of those of us who write columns and are Christians? Is it fair to judge editorials by whether the spirit they are written in is likely to bring us closer to Christ? Or is that just asking too much from things that are often satirical and designed for entertainment? Have you ever read a column that you thought was immoral, not because it advocated something you disagreed with, but because of the way it did it?

Did You Have A Security Blanket or Wubby?

After recently discussed the propriety of children having dolls, I thought it would be fun to find out how many of you grew up with special toys, animals, or blankets that were your “Wubbies.” My suspicion is that almost everyone had one, but do you remember it’s name? Do you still have it in your possession? And what condition is it in after years of drool and sleep companionship?

Various Current Events

What Muslims Really Think by Dinesh D'Souza
Evangelical to split with Anglican Church by The Vancouver Sun
The Real Cost of Tackling Climate Change by WSJ.com
Young Gay Rites by Nytimes
The New Face of Gay Marriage by Albert Mohler
Justices Uphold a Voter ID Law by Nytimes
The Court Fumbles on Voting Rights by Nytimes
Read the Case by Findlaw.com
Exploiting Real Fears With ‘Virtual Kidnappings’ by Nytimes
Study links smoking bans, DUI fatalities by Usatoday
Keeping Pets in Their Place by Christianitytoday.com
Ministry Fined In Gay Discrimination Case by Christianpost
Soldier Sues Army, Discrimination for Atheist Views by Christianpost
Why We're Losing Our Right to Speak Out by Chuck Colson
The Gas-Guzzler Gambit by Nytimes
Horizons: What's new in sci-tech by Csmonitor.com
Grand Theft Auto IV records 609,000 first-day sales by Timesonline
GTA 4 poised to dominate Xbox Live by Reuters
$100 million GTA IV is most expensive game ever by idg.no
Grand Theft Auto IV by Wikipedia
House to approve anti-genetic discrimination bill by Findlaw
The Rescue of Children from Compound in Texas by Findlaw
Dockworkers take May Day off by Latimes.com
Confusing God and Government by Vinepublication.com
Kennedy Links World Food Shortages to Ethanol Policy by CNSnews
Hamas Adds 'Sinister Twist' to Holocaust Denial by CNSnews
Clinton Gas-Tax Proposal Criticized by Washingtonpost
Scarborough on Obama's bowling performance by MediaMatters
Energy Independence Isn't Very Green by Hoover.org