Various Current Events

DNC speech Index
Speeches: Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Janet Napolitano, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Mark Warner
US to hand over security to Iraq by NY Times
Dems field liberal dream team by Wall Street Journal
Calories come off, lights come on by LA Times
On shooting taggers by Dennis Prager, Townhall.com
Plot against Obama suspected by LA Times
Obama flubs presidential test by LA Times
Transcript: Michelle Obama's "One Nation" by CNN
Archbishop rips Pelosi on abortion by TheHill.com
China's medals came at high price by LA Times
Flight attendants monitor in-flight internet by Fox News
Zipping it by Christianity Today
APA's new pamphlet on sexuality by Narth.com
Latest twin study by Narth.com
High anxiety in Denver by NY Times
Colleges' misguided plan for drinking by LA Times
The Catholic choice by LA Times
Clinton rallies support for Obama by NY Times
Obama: American enough by Christian Science Monitor
Loser pays winner's costs? by Findlaw.com
A gay president someday? by LA Times
New chronological Bible by Christian Post
Police say 3 men posed little threat by Boston Globe
Archbishop scolds Biden by Washington Times
Obama-Biden ticket by Washington Times
Affirmative-Action ban on 2 ballots by USA Today
Typo-vigilantes at Grand Canyon by AZCentral.com
Free grocery bags targeted for extinction by Sacramento Bee

Wacky Wednesday--College Is A Bad Idea

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.

~Spring break is not a departure from college. Spring Break is college without the coursework.
~College is like Temptation Island: Alcohol, Drugs, Anti-authoritarianism, Sex, Liberalism, and ~Hostility to Christianity are the norm, not the exception.
~How much money does the average 5-year degree actually cost?
~Colleges are primarily in the business of making money, not educating effectively. This is best shown by their unwillingness to offer any sort of a guarantee of earnings or employment. But it is also shown by how rarely they fail students who aren’t really performing and by how often they admit students who aren’t really ready.
~It’s entirely possible to get a college degree and learn very little.
~What you do in college is almost never even remotely a decent preparation for what you will do in your occupation.
~College is basically for people who won’t use a library card and a word processing program.
~With the Internet and blogs, why do you need a college classroom to discuss stuff?
~College is largely just an intellectual hazing exercise to see if you’re able to take orders in a job.
~It usually destroys the desire to learn and read.
~It’s too much about sports and money, anyhow.
~Did I mention sex and alcohol?
~It’s never good to rip a person out of a community context and put him with a bunch of strangers in a distant place without supervision in an environment where every form of immorality and perversion is available at the snap of his fingers.
~College rivalries are ridiculous.
~College is largely just a matter of fashion. You go to a prestigious school for pretty much the same reasons that you wear a brand name label on your clothes.
~Sleep deprivation is the condition of 80% of college students, which actually inhibits learning.
~Cramming for exams proves what, exactly?
~The more prestigious the names of the teachers at your school, the less likely that you’ll ever meet them, that they’ll actually be any good at teaching, or that they’ll have any interest in teaching rather than researching.

Links:
America's most overrated product by MartyNemko.com
Is college worth it? by Walter Williams, Townhall.com
Is college worth it? by Forbes.com
The biggest gamble of your life by REEF.com
Class Struggle (Vocational Training Discussed) by Washington Post

Wacky Wednesday--People Should Dress Up For 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.

~Sloppy or partial sacrifices are offensive to God. Look at Cain and Ananias/Sapphira.
~Does God in the Old Testament seem to be particular or loosey-goosey about how things are done, like in the Tabernacle, for instance?
~Why would you ever dress up for people, but not for God?
~How would you dress to meet the President of the United States?
~Is God not Holy?
~People perform better when they dress well because they take what they do more seriously.
~Formal attire is a way of acknowledging participation in civilization and tradition rather than just whatever feels good.
~Formal attire honors the older people among us, who still think this matters a lot.
~People treat you differently when you dress up because it means either you are important or you are doing something important.
~Do you dress up for a wedding? Isn’t church really an ongoing wedding ceremony?
~How should you prepare yourself for meeting the king and creator of the universe?
~We are the temple of the Holy Spirit. When particularly living that reality, shouldn’t we look like it?
~He who is faithful with little is faithful with much.
~Casual dress often reflects people’s leisurely or easy-going attitude toward their faith.
~Will someone who won’t bother wearing pants and a tie to church die for his faith?
~Why do you bow your head when you pray?
~Isn’t it a bit absurd to kneel but wear shorts or jeans?

Theological Tuesday

~Bible Stories 30: Cain and Abel (Genesis 4)

Bible References: Gen 4, Gen 5:1-5, 1 Sam 15:10-35, Psalm 51:16-17, Prov 21:27, Eccl 9:10, Micah 6:6-8, Matt 5:21-26, Acts 5:1-11, Rom 9:13-16, Col 3:17-25, Heb 11:1-6, Heb 12:18-24, 1 John 3:10-13, Jude 1:5-13

Links:
Cain and Abel by Wikipedia.org
Cain and Abel by Catholic Encyclopedia
Sacrifices of Cain and Abel by FreedomsRing.com
Sermon on Genesis 4:2-5 by Rev. Adrian Dieleman (Very good)
Cain and Abel by JewishMag.com

Ethics: Are We Really In A Culture War?

I must have heard a thousand times that we are in the middle of a ferocious culture war. In fact, I’ve probably been the one speaking many of those times. But recently I got to thinking, not about whether we’re in one, but whether we’re ever not in one. What I mean is that the phrase “culture war” is supposed to help us realize that we live in an ethically divided land, one that does not live by any single set of standards. But has this ever not been the case in American history? And if such a “culture war” is always the way things are, is there really any value in calling it that? Is “culture war” just another word for democracy?

Post-Show Thoughts: I think it's very important to recognize that any country that has political, ideological, and religious freedom and is governed by a democratic system is going to have real, deep, and meaningful divides over lots of issues. It's unlikely that any of these issues is going to be the end of civilization as we know it, only because the changing of similarly contested issues in the past has never been, even though so many people proclaimed it would be. People really thought abolishing slavery would be the end of the United States. They really thought that giving women the right to vote would be the destruction of the country. Well, here we are, and we all agree that those changes were really good ones. I don't mean to imply that nothing matters or that we shouldn't fight wherever we need to. Instead, I've found great comfort in realizing that the culture is always in a state of warfare historically. And God is still on His throne, accomplishing His purposes. Here are some of the examples that I came up with for social issues over time:

Always been wrong: Murder, Theft, Rape, Infanticide
Right, disputed, wrong: Racism, Heroin/opiate use
Disputed, now wrong: Slavery
Always right, now disputed: Tobacco use, Having a large family, Spanking kids, Eating meat, Gun ownership, Animals as pets without rights, Evangelism.
Wrong, now disputed: Homosexuality, Female pastors
Wrong, disputed, right: Divorce, Contraception, Gambling, Usury, Sabbath-breaking
Always wrong, trending to right: Prostitution, Polygamy, Gay marriage
Wrong, disputed, right: Female voting, Interracial marriage
Right, disputed, wrong, disputed, right (mostly): Homeschooling
Right, wrong, right: Alcohol
Always been right: Getting married, Honoring parents

What culture war? by the LA Times

What Jobs Image God The Best?

Work is Biblical, and naturally the work we do is one of the most significant components of our lives. But how many of us really contemplate the ways in which our own jobs (or the jobs of others) illustrate and demonstrate characteristics of God? So I thought it would be fun to talk about various jobs (including your own) and explain which ones do a particularly good job of showing something about the various elements of God’s character and nature.

My illustrations:
Plumber—Bringing living water. Cleansing away dirt and sin. Removing all foul things. Saving lives.
Carpenter—Joining things together the way they should be. Reshaping raw materials into a functioning product.
Attorney—Advocating for justice. Staking your own reputation on someone else’s claims.
Judge—Imaging the Day of Judgment. Imaging the Judge who sits on the throne of the universe.
Accountant—God cares about stewardship. God keeps an accurate reckoning of deeds.
Teacher—Working extra for very little temporary reward to bless those who will appreciate you later. Loving children. Exhorting and equipping people for their lives. Being an example of service and devotion.
Secretary—Showing a love of people by maximizing your ability to serve the most of them.
Bouncer/Security—Angels, protecting the environment and those within it from being disruptive.
Bus Driver—Carrying people safely through to their destination like the Holy Spirit keeping every single one of God’s chosen children safe from the storms and attacks of the world. Gathering people from the far reaches of the realm to the place they need to be together.
County Clerk—Issuing permits to build so that the end result is desirable rather than just becoming a trash heap through disorganized individual efforts. This is like the Holy Spirit guiding our ministry efforts.
Corner sign holder—Distracting you from your ordinary concerns to get you thinking about something else you might benefit from, like evangelists.

Callers’ Illustrations:
Jasper—Peoria—Lifeguard—Keeping people safe from dangers they don’t comprehend are there, seeing the terrain from above, rescuing people from destruction even when they haven’t heeded the warnings
Stacey—Peoria—Nurse—Doing for people what they cannot do for themselves, Meeting people at their level of need, ministering to the most basic needs of people.
Jason—Gilbert—911 Operator—Taking your calls and finding a solution in your moment of most desperate need.
Matt—Phoenix—Taxi driver—Taking people from wherever they are to wherever they need to be.
Peter—Glendale—Seeing-Eye Dog—Helping the blind to be aware of danger and guiding them safely even when they can’t guide themselves.

Various Current Events

Faith Forum transcript by CNN
CA doctors can't refuse to treat gays by LA Times
Ugly truths about campaign strategy by LA Times
If there is no God by Dennis Prager, Townhall.com
Russia's move into Georgia by William Rusher, Townhall.com
Who started Cold War II? by Pat Buchanan, Townhall.com
Evangelist: Don't "snipe" muslims by Christian Post
College leaders hope to debate drinking age by LA Times
College and the legal drinking age by LA Times
Doctors and the Supreme Court by LA Times
McCain unsure of houses by Findlaw.com
Gay marriage cards from Hallmark by Findlaw.com
Olympian to endorse Frosted Flakes by NY Daily News
"Re-education" in China by NY Times
More than 150 die in Madrid crash by NY Times
A contractual life by NY Times
All the oil we need by NY Times
3 qualities to look for in a leader by Christian Post
Russia never wanted war by NY Times
Russia - What did we expect? by NY Times
HHS: Doctors can refuse abortions by AP
News release by HHS.gov
Teachers worried by hidden cameras by Breibart.com
Texas district teachers can carry guns by Houston Chronicle
Rick Reilly's Chinese-approved column by ESPN.com

Wacky Wednesday--Social Skills Don’t Matter

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.

~Speaking the truth is the only thing that matters.
~Confronting people when they are wrong is the correct approach always.
~Pleasing God, not pleasing people, is what really matters.
~Obeying God’s commands is the mark of a good human, not getting along with people.
~Social skills are just manipulative tactics to get people to like you regardless of whether you deserve it.
~Character matters a lot more than personality.
~You don’t really need other people.
~Other people’s opinions don’t matter.
~Be yourself, and other people should like you for who you are.
~I don’t care what other people think of me, only what God thinks of me.
~This is the problem with modern education, they’re always justifying inferior education by claiming that it’s necessary to teach kids social skills.
~There are surely times where serving God will entail making others hate you.
~If you aren’t persecuted, you aren’t a disciple of Jesus.
~Given how many people don’t have them, it would be absurd to say that there’s something defective about people who don’t have them.
~James 4:4 Whoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
~Does God go around trying to get others to like Him?
~If people don’t like me, that’s their problem.
~Did people like Jeremiah? Jonah?
~Even Paul clearly had some major ruptures with people.
~Martin Luther apparently had quite a bombastic personality.
~Having social skills just makes people like you and then you’re obliged to pay attention to and help all these people.
~People without social skills have the luxury of knowing that anyone who actually does love them loves them for who they are, not for their people-pleasing act.
~Does the Bible speak favorably about menpleasers?

Post-Show Thoughts: First, it's so great to see people starting to post their thoughts on the various blogs. Welcome, Jeremy. =)

Jeremy's point is exactly right. Social skills are really just another name for the practical aspect of showing love to people. Applied love is a combination of having the right motives for an act, selecting an act that serve's God's purposes, and then performing that act in a way that actually blesses the other person. The same goes for speech, of course. So whether by deed or by speech, social skills are really just the third leg of that set. There are times when the savvy thing to do from a social skills perspective is not the right thing to do according to God's particular purposes. This explains the sometimes abrasiveness of Paul and Jesus. But it also allows room for the Holy Spirit to guide us when to refrain from using the social skills we are supposed to have and use in most ordinary situations. A ministry or a project can succeed without them, but I have yet to even imagine a Godly commission that would not be better served by a person who has social skills than by the same person if he didn't have them. Given what a tremendous part of our lives are made up of interactions with others and the essentiality of getting along with other people, especially other believers, social skills aren't just an optional element of humanity. They are a key ingredient of a healthy life, below holiness and righteousness in importance but surely above financial concerns and even health in the hierarchy of values. As such, these are things that must be taught, and especially to Christians since our specific call by God is to love.

Thus, there are three errors (perhaps sins).
1. Negligence. Not having learned social skills.
2. Men-pleasing. Having social skills and refusing to turn them off when necessary.
3. Hatred/Pride. Having social skills and refusing to use them to bless other people.

Wacky Wednesday--Home Ownership Is A Bad Idea

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.

~The value of such a substantial investment is entirely subject to the vagaries of fluctuating markets.
~They cost a ton of money: To Buy, To Sell, Property taxes, Maintenance supplies, Maintenance service, Insurance, etc.
~They aren’t a good investment vehicle. Why do banks buy mortgages rather than houses.
~They cost a lot of time in upkeep and repairs.
~Theft, vandalism, and other issues cause concern and attachment issues.
~Liability
~You have to deal with HOAs much of the time.
~They’re such an extravagant thing compared to most of the world over history.
~You feel entitled to live as a king two hundred years ago wouldn’t have even imagined.
~What kind of a house did Jesus own?

Theological Tuesday

~Bible Stories 29: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3)
~Should Christians study heresy?
~Is it ever okay to be angry with God?
~Should we ever test God?
~What does it mean to have a circumcised heart?
~Is tradition a good or a bad thing, Biblically?
~Is prayer only about words?

Links on Anger at God:
Is it a sin to be angry with God? by DougBrittonBooks.com
Is it ever right to be angry with God? by DesiringGod.org
Is it a sin? (Message board) by Baptistboard.com
It is never right by DesiringGod.org
Being angry with God by BackToTheBible.org
Never be angry at God by Whosoever.org
Genesis 4: 6-7 by CommandTheRaven.com

Ethics: Are Christians Relativists?

Relativism is the idea that the truth changes depending on the person or the culture doing the evaluating, and it’s the most extreme version of and also the perfectly logical extension of rejecting the idea that God determines right or wrong in a way that is binding on everyone. In response, Christians generally espouse something called objectivism, realism, or absolutism. But have we gone too far in our reaction to an error and created another error of our own? Does the situation ever matter? Does the person in the situation ever matter? Or are the rules the same for everybody in all situations?

What's The Worst Movie You've Ever Seen?

We’ve all suffered through bad movies. Perhaps the wisest among us have suffered through only the beginnings of bad movies. But in any case, we all have movies we wish we could unsee or just wish we could get back the time we wasted watching. There are several categories to consider here: least entertaining, most awful superficial content, most awful themes and messages, worst acting, lowest production value, etc. But my own personally preferred category is movies that you hated but everyone else seemed to love. So, what are yours?

Callers' Nominations:
Charlie--The Thin Red Line
Stephanie--Fun with Dick and Jane
Brian--AI:Artificial Intelligence, The Happening
Bob--Running with Scissors
Doug--Very Bad Things
David--8mm
Bron--The Big Bounce
Glen--Hostel
Claude--Zoolander
Keith--Judge Dredd
Dave--The Exorcist

My Examples--Movies Many People Dislike
Rambo--Most evil movie I think I've ever seen, and that's stiff company!
Harold and Kumar 2, 8 mm, Doogal, Crank, Doomsday, Walk Hard, Wendel Baker Story, Starsky and Hutch, Idiocracy, The Heartbreak Kid, Dodgeball, Click, Domino, Jumanji, Scary Movie and all sequels, Snakes on a plane, Aliens Versus Predator: Requiem, Dukes of Hazzard, Wild Wild West, Onion Movie, Untraceable, Good Luck Chuck, Shoot ‘Em Up, Superbad

My Examples--Movies Other People Like
Neverending Story, American Psycho, There Will Be Blood, Titanic (a beatiful movie that advertises premarital sex for 3 1/2 hours), Napoleon Dynamite, Zoolander (which has Ferrell, Stiller, and Wilson), There’s Something About Mary, The Incredibles, Wild Hogs

Links:
Films considered the worst ever by Wikipedia
IMDB's Bottom 100 movies by IMDB.com
Bottom 200 rankings by EveryonesACritic.net
100 worst-reviewed films by LiveJournal.com
100 worst movies by DigitalDreamDoor.com

Various Current Events

Leadership needed in Georgia by Fred Thompson, Townhall.com
Russia's caucusus win by Christian Science Monitor
Mexicans asked to fight crime by Christian Science Monitor
Digital TV cliffhanger by Christian Science Monitor
Russia goes back into Georgia by ABC News
Get serious with Russia by Charles Krauthammer, Townhall.com
Chinese gymnast age questions remain by Time.com
Church rejects lottery winner's donation by FirstCoastNews.com
Airline relents on troop baggage fee by Washington Times
Georgian exit leaves vacuum by Boston.com
Prop 8 backers drop wording challenge by SFGate.com
Empty seats, lack of buzz at Olympics by Houston Chronicle
Christian schools' discrimination suit rejected by Christian Post
Christian students locked up for protest by Christian Post
Bush demands Moscow withdrawal by NY Times
Peace plan offers Russia rationale by NY Times
Georgian President cites U.S. ties by NY Times
Conflict narrows oil options for West by NY Times
Gunman kills democratic official in Arkansas by NY Times
Obama senate vote analysis by Findlaw.com
2008 South Ossetia War by Wikipedia
Refresh Georgia's revolution by Christian Science Monitor
Outrage in credit card's fine print by Christian Science Monitor
Exploit credit cards by Christian Science Monitor
What to know before buying kids cell phones by CNN

Wacky Wednesday--Christians Should Be Celibate

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.

~Aren’t we supposed to be like Jesus?
~Isn’t the Apostle Paul a good enough example to follow?
~Sex is granted in the New Testament by way of concession to avoid sinful lust rather than by way of endorsement.
~If you couldn’t birth disciples, you’d feel more need to go make them yourselves.
~What is more needful, the evangelizing and pastoring of the already born of the birthing of more needy?
~This would put you in a better position to adopt an already existing unwanted child.
~No sex, no sexual deviance.
~No sex, no defilement.
~No sex, no objectification in sex.
~No sex, no unwanted children.
~No sex, no sexually transmitted diseases.
~No sex, no emotional devastation from being left after giving yourself sexually.
~When you’re not squandering your energies in sexual expression, you can channel those impulses into work and creativity.
~You can have pure and undistracted relationships.
~How can you ever know who you really are as a single individual if you don’t give up your sexual needs for another person?
~Mahatma Gandhi, Isaac Newton, Immanuel Kant, and Mother Theresa. Apparently celibacy has some benefits to impacting the world.
~Isn’t God alone supposed to be our source of full satisfaction?

Wacky Wednesday--Men Should Not Cook Or Clean

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.

~You know why women flock to men like John Wayne or Harrison Ford? Because they’re not wussies.
~Men are defined by what they do, and to have them do womanly things is to redefine them as women. That’s why men need the boundaries of knowing what behaviors in life are masculine and feminine.
~Show me men in the Bible cooking and cleaning.
~If men do women’s work, what will women do?
~Women have daintier, more nimble fingers for doing the fine detail work involved in traditionally feminine activities like sewing, cooking, and cleaning.
~If women don’t scrub and clean, how will they get their exercise?
~If men know how to cook and clean, what do they need women for?
~If men take on women’s jobs, who will do men’s jobs?
~When you totally depend on someone else this way, you have more incentive to stay married because divorce would be practically disastrous.
~How many kings cook their own meals and clean the castle?
~Is providing a home, paying the bills, and protecting you not enough?
~Men never clean to a woman’s standards or as often as she likes for the simple reason that we don’t care the way they do.
~Feminism is one of the greatest threats to Christianity and our American way of life. Where do you think feminism starts?
~Proverbs 31 is not about men.

Links:
When Dads clean up, it pays off bigtime by Newsroom.UCR.edu

Theological Tuesday

~Bible Stories 28: Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18).
~What, exactly, does it mean to not cause a weaker brother to stumble?

Bible References on causing a brother to stumble: Lev 19:14, Psalm 56:13, Psalm 119:164-165, Proverbs 3:1, 23, Proverbs 4:11-19, Isaiah 8:13-15, Jeremiah 6:20-21, Jeremiah 18:15, Ezekiel 14:1-5, Ezekiel 18:30-32, Ezekiel 44:10-14, Malachi 2:1-9, Matt 5:29-30, Matt 7:1-6, Matt 12:33-67, Matt 13:24-30, 36-43, Matt 15:1-20, Matt 16:21-23, Matt 16:27, Matt 18:1-11, Mark 7:14-23, Mark 9:38-50, Luke 17:1-10, Luke 18:9-17, Acts 10:9-23, Acts 15:1-35, Romans 9:30-33, Romans 13:14, Romans 14, Romans 15:1-7, 1 Cor 1:21-25, 1 Cor 8, 1 Cor 10:24-33, 2 Cor 5:10, Gal 5, 1 Tim 4:1-5, Titus 1:13-16, James 4:12, 1 Peter 2:13-20, 1 John 2:8-12, Jude 1:24-25, Rev 2:12-17

Ethics: What Ethical Obligations Do We Have Toward God?

What does it mean to be a good person? The vast majority of people will give answers that talk about interpersonal behavior, so-called horizontal ethics. Being a good person entails being good to other people. But we Christians have learned that something else comes first: being good to God. At the same time, even though we know the Great Commandment is to Love God Fully, we still may find ourselves a bit befuddled at the idea of trying to specify just what this requires from us. After all, obeying God is clearly a big part of it, but isn’t obeying God largely about how we treat other people? Surely so. Yet this seems to fundamentally ignore the more basic question: if we are supposed to love God, what does that look like? What, precisely, does it mean to be ethical toward God and to be unethical toward Him?

Who Would You Want To Have Dinner With?

Other than Jesus, name one person alive and one person dead with whom you’d love to have dinner. Now feel free to give any answer you like, but here are some suggestions for how to think about the question. You’ll have perhaps 2-3 hours with this person over a meal. Do you want someone who will teach you? Entertain you? Challenge you? Scare you? Explain some mystery to you? There are all kinds of categories of people: religion, philosophy, art, movies, history, politics, literature, sports, or even crime.

Various Current Events

State Senate race takes an ugly turn by AZCentral.com
Gun incident may spur family split by AZCentral.com
Fraud aimed at renters, police warn by AZCentral.com
Authorities: Anthrax scientist lone culprit by AZCentral.com
Gas prices down 21 days in a row by CNN
Oil falls 20% since July record by Bloomberg News
Bird's nest soup by NY Observer
Does Oprah need makeover? by Kansas City Star
Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Harvard Address by Columbia.edu
Calorie counts could appear on L.A. menus by LA Times
Obama pledges equality for same-sex families by CNS News
Drill meets don't drill on Capitol Hill by CNS News
Christian pro-lifers arrested in China by CNS News
FL woman arrested - drove with toddler on roof by CNS News
Speed cameras put on highways by Chicago Sun Times
Governor: Chicago "Out of control" by Chicago Sun Times
Border patrol agent held at gunpoint by Washington Times
Thieves skim credit data at pumps by USA Today
Obama reverses position on energy by Boston.com
Texas defies world court by Washington Post
Fees for traffic accidents by Florida Sun Sentinel
More women becoming egg donors by Chicago Sun Times
Many preteens watching R movies by USA Today

Wacky Wednesday--Television Is Good For Young Children

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’s educational.
~Having a healthy relationship with screens is essential in this day and age, and it’s never too early to start.
~Parents often don’t know how best to educate their children, so why not let experts guide you with their television programming?
~Children want it, parents want it, television makers want it, and advertisers want it. So what’s the problem?
~Children behave well when they are watching television.

Links:
Book: The Plug-In Drug by Marie Winn by Amazon.com

Wacky Wednesday--Adultery Should Not Be Illegal

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’s unenforceable as a law.
~It’s not enforced.
~False prosecutions are more likely than real ones.
~Most states have decided this isn’t worthy of being illegal.
~Aren’t there enough serious crimes clogging up our justice system?
~What you do in someone else’s bedroom is not the state’s business.
~Everyone would have to be put behind bars.
~Jesus taught that lust is adultery, will we prosecute that next, too?
~Who is harmed by voluntary adultery?
~Haven’t you heard of the 18th and 21st Amendments?

Links:
Adultery by Wikipedia
Adultery (definition) by TheFreeDictionary.com
Is adultery illegal? by Slate.com
Punishing adultery in Virginia by Findlaw.com
Should the law punish adultery? by Findlaw.com
Of lust and the law by Washington Post
Sexual contact definitions by Arizona State Legislature

Theological Tuesday

~Bible Stories 27: Abraham, Sarah, Ishmael, and Isaac (Genesis 15-18, 21)

~Who is responsible for us not loving God as we should?

~Should we encourage people to seek salvation or to love God?

~Is tradition a good or a bad thing, Biblically?

~If you couldn’t mention hell, how would you evangelize?

~How important is morality in Christianity?

~Should Christians wear Christian clothing?

~Is prayer only about words?

Ethics: Thinking Christianly About Entertainment

For some Christians, the way they think about entertainment is a vital element of their faith and even a source of judgment of the faith of others. For other Christians, they think deeply about what they consume but do not come to the same sort of conclusions as the first group about what is healthy and what is not. For still other Christians, very little thought is given at all to the entertainment they consume. So is there a Biblical or Christian way to think about entertainment? And if so, what does this mean for those who disagree?

Bible references: Deut 15:7-11, Psalm 1, Psalm 101, Matt 15:1-20, Mark 4, Mark 7:1-23, John 3:14-21, John 12:24-26, 2 Cor 7:1, Col 2:8-23, Titus 1:13-16 , James 1:19-27, James 4:4-9, 1 Peter 1:10-19, 2 Peter 2, 1 John 3:16-18

Post-show thoughts: I have a million or so, and to not post them all would mean to give a limited and skewed picture of what we discussed on the show. For now (until I can pull it all together into a much longer form), here are three things I can share:

1. The two sides of the issue (and four parts of the process).
Production side issues
A. The talent: Who is making it? Is the person a Christian? Why are they making it? Is the intent to glorify God? How do you evaluate this stuff for non-individual sources?
B. The item itself: What’s the superficial content? What’s the substantial content?
Consumption side issues
C. The culture: How widely embraced and known is this thing? Would you be marginalized by not knowing it?
D. The Christian: Is it sinful content? Will it defile me? How strong is my faith? Is there content here which I’m vulnerable to? Am I vulnerable right now? How much of a duty do I have to the people who embrace this culture?

2. Paradigms
Conservative/Restrictive: Only what the kids would watch. Holiness restrictions. Rejecting the world and the things of the world.
Moderate: If it's made by Christians, or if other Christians think that it's okay. Participating in the culture. Redeeming the lost
Liberal/Permissive: Appreciating God’s granted gifts even when not used for His Glory. Personal relativism. Watch yourself to be sure you are still bearing fruit.

3. Key principle as recommended by Dave: The Great Commandments. We are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and our neigbhors as ourselves. Anything that contributes to this must be good, and anything which inhibits this must be bad.

What’s Your Irrational Fear?

Whether it’s poisoned Halloween candy, highway murderers, car bombs, or just insects, we all have things we’re irrationally afraid of. Sometimes they come from media, sometimes from our own imagination, and sometimes, well, who knows? But if there is truth in the idea that saying irrational things out loud takes away their power, then we’re going to try to do that today.

Links:
Phobia by Wikipedia
Psychological conditions by Wikipedia
Irrational fears by SchmoozeLetter.com