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Thursday, January 25, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I use a lot of Alcohol...120% to be exact!
"Alcohol 120%, is a powerful Windows application that makes it easy to create backups of DVDs* and CDs. In addition, the program lets you store your most used CDs as images on your computer, so you can call them up at the click of a button."
I use this program quite often and it's very good. Small, easy to use and it just works. Can't say any of that about Nero 7.
Friday, January 19, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Barack Obama joins White House race
"Barack Obama, America's fastest rising political star, on Tuesday beat Hillary Clinton to the punch when he announced he was taking the first legal step towards declaring his 2008 presidential candidacy."
Monday, January 15, 2007
Expanding Horizons
Stand to Reason equips Christian ambassadors with knowledge, wisdom, and character. An effective ambassador has three essential skills:
- Knowledge - an accurate grasp of the foundational precepts of the Kingdom
- Wisdom - skillful, tactical, fair, and diplomatic use of knowledge
- Character - a mature expression of virtue, warmth, and personal depth
Christian particularism in a pluralistic society
The essence of political correctness is this: power reigns over truth. Where there is no commitment to truth, power gains the upper hand. No wonder so many people today believe the politically correct view that at all religions worship the same “god” in different ways. Nobody is really wrong (or right) – all roads lead to Rome.
Diametrically opposed to this is the idea of Christian particularism – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The New Testament is crystal clear on this issue. Christ’s atoning death alone provides salvation – Jesus is the only way.
This particularistic doctrine was just as repugnant and scandalous in the polytheistic world of the Roman Empire; as in contemporary Western culture. Materialism and consumerism pervades our culture and shapes how many think about everything, including worldviews. Consumers want choice. Christianity’s claim to be the only way to God and salvation seems narrow and cruel. Christians are therefore branded as narrow-minded and intolerant.
To be honest, much of what is said against Christianity in this regard is unimpressive and amounts to little more than ad hominem attacks on Christians. The fact that someone believes they have the truth does not automatically mean they are arrogant or intolerant. Everyone holds the view they do because they think they are right (at least we hope so). Conviction does not equate to intolerance. Furthermore, the truth of a proposition is quite independent of the moral qualities of those who believe it. Even if all Christians were arrogant and intolerant, this is no way proves their view is false.
Now, Christ was a particularist if ever there was one. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews”, could hardly be considered as open-minded statement by popular culture. John Piper wrote, “If a worshiper of God does not see in Jesus Christ the person of his God, he does not worship God.” Why? Because Jesus makes known to man the image of the invisible God – “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” Paul puts it this way, “For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness, "made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Again, in Hebrews 1:3 we read, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being…”
No religion leads to God. Only following Christ, totally dependent on God’s grace and Spirit, leads to God. That is not religion. That is relationship. The Christian teaching that Jesus is the only way to God is no less tolerant that any other view. Every belief system has certain non-negotiables, or else they will inevitably end up dying what philosophers informally call “the death of a thousand qualifications.”
By definition, truth is narrow and exclusive. 2 + 2 = 4, not 4 or 5 or 6. It is the same with Christ – “No one comes to the Father, but through me.” He meant what he said.
The problem of evil revisited
“Epicurus’ old questions are yet unanswered. Is he willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?” This was how David Hume framed the problem of evil in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion.
But if we only tackle this problem at an intellectual level it would be of little help to most people. For most, this issue is emotional, not intellectual. People are hurting deeply and don’t care one bit about philosophical solutions. God is in the dock, charged with allowing gratuitous evil and suffering in the world (especially in people’s lives).
Reflection on the cross of Christ can bring this problem into perspective. Christ endured physical and emotional pain beyond human comprehension. None of us can even begin to imagine what he went through in bearing the punishment of sin for the entire world.
Only when we fully comprehend what Christ went through on our behalf will we realize that it is not God, but man who is in the dock. The real problem of evil is the problem of our evil. So the question is not how God can justify himself before us; but rather, how can we justify ourselves before God? The answer is the cross of Jesus Christ.
The cross is mankind’s only hope. It is where Christ redeemed us from the evil in our hearts. All we are left to do is to accept his invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me … and you will find rest for your souls.” In the midst of life’s pain and suffering, there is one who is both willing and able to help. May we accept his invitation; this very day, this very hour.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Recommended Reading from RZIM
"Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man." – Sir Francis Bacon
Blogger offering custom domain hosting
Blogger is now offering the option of using your own domain name. I might now rethink my move to TypePad. Hmm...
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thursday, December 28, 2006
The Gospel & Islam (MP3 Interview)
Pastor and author Thabiti Anyabwile describes the beliefs and history of Islam, his own experience as a Muslim, the contradictions in the Koran, as well as the way for churches to approach evangelism with Muslims, which he calls an amazing, God-given opportunity the church has today.
Masters Series in Christian Thought 2007
"Stand to Reason’s focus in 2007 is “Expanding Horizons”, a goal born out of our desire to increase your understanding of what it means to be Christ’s ambassador, and to open up the riches of truth in new ways. No conference is better at doing that than our annual Master’s Series in Christian Thought."
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Search Wikia
Search is part of the fundamental infrastructure of the Internet. And, it is currently broken. Why is it broken? It is broken for the same reason that proprietary software is always broken: lack of freedom, lack of community, lack of accountability, lack of transparency. Here, we will change all that.
Friday, December 22, 2006
A Slice of Infinity
Today's Slice of Infinity by Jill Carattini (In Person) is a gem. Here is a brief quote, "Christmas is about remembering the one who came in person. It is this God who came near and reordered our world, calling us to see life and each other in a startling new way. It is this God who stepped into a soiled stable to show us our soiled hearts, who touched the unclean and claimed the untouched."
Thursday, December 21, 2006
RZIM Summer School (July 1-7th, 2007)
"The Summer School is an intense week of training in Evangelism and Apologetics. The outline below gives an idea of the programme for the week." Here is the week at a glance (opens PDF document.)
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Fight Night in the NBA
"The NBA has another ugly scene to recover from. This one involved its leading scorer and happened in its most famous arena." Read full story...
Friday, December 08, 2006
Firefox 3.0 (Alpha 1)
The Firefox 3.0 alpha is now available. You can download it now (check here for the most recent build.)
Thursday, December 07, 2006
The God Delusion Response
Professor Alister McGrath has had a long running literary debate with Richard Dawkins. Professor Dawkins has been called Darwins' Rottweiler because of his fierce attacks on Christianity in general and the belief in a Creator God in particular. Recently the two man have been involved in a BBC televsion interview together. But so far a public debate has not been possible. In this address recorded at the OPENFORUM at the city church of Sanfrancisco Professor McGrath responds to Professor Dawkins' new book "The God Delusion."
Jesus, Islam, Pharisees, and the New Perspective on Paul
"If a worshiper of God does not see in Jesus Christ the person of his God, he does not worship God. This is the resounding testimony of Jesus and the apostles as we see in the following texts." Read full article by John Piper...
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Monday, December 04, 2006
Online Courses in Philosophy @ Oxford
We are pleased to announce two new philosophy courses, an Introduction to Political Philosophy and Philosophy of Religion, to compliment our existing courses the Philosophy Gym, the Introduction to Philosophy, and the more challenging Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind.
Masters Series in Christian Thought 2007
"Stand to Reason’s focus in 2007 is “Expanding Horizons”, a goal born out of our desire to increase your understanding of what it means to be Christ’s ambassador, and to open up the riches of truth in new ways. No conference is better at doing that than our annual Master’s Series in Christian Thought."
Friday, December 01, 2006
Kobe lights up Jazz for 52
It's strange seeing Kobe in anything but the number 8 jersey, but apparently it's the same Kobe. The Lakers' #24 lit up Utah for 52 points...
Monday, November 27, 2006
Monday, November 20, 2006
The Question
"If some religious people believe they have a monopoly on truth, then are conversation and common ground possible? If so, what would be the difficulties and benefits of such a conversation?" Read the response from the panelists...
Why I Am Hostile Towards Religion
In an article on Beliefnet, Richard Dawkins writes, "I oppose fundamentalist religion because it is hell-bent on ruining the scientific education of countless eager minds." Read full article here...
Philosophical Foundations
One of the reviewers on Amazon said that this book was "Extremely Difficult and Totally Worth Your Time". Now I see why. This is one book I have to read slowly so that I can understand the concepts properly; but it is really worth it and I have gained so much from it already. What will be even more beneficial though, is putting what I have learnt from the book into writing for the cause of Christ.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Office 2007 & Messenger Live Plus!
I installed the download of Office 2007 RTM from MSDN yesterday (after uninstalling Beta 2 of course). I can only talk about Word and Excel, since those are the two programs I use almost exclusively. I find that I am more productive in the Office 2007 environment and the menu system is more intuitive and ....... it looks great!
If you use MSN Messenger, I would suggest that you install Messenger Plus! Live. It's free and the feature allowing multiple (tabbed) conversations in one window alone is worth it.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Microsoft Office 2007 Review
From ActiveWin.com: "Sometime in January 2007, Microsoft will launch the release of Microsoft Office 2007. The suite will be available in eight editions, Basic, Home & Student, Standard, Small Business, Professional, Ultimate, Professional Plus and Professional Enterprise. This new version is Microsoft’s most radical departure in years, interface wise and offers new features and familiar tools that are sure to have users mesmerized and perplexed at times." Read full review here...
Monday, November 13, 2006
Colts make history
Indianapolis made history yesterday becoming the first team to start 9-0, in consecutive seasons. They won 17-16 against the Bills.
Give Light, O Lord!
From Christ-Centered Preaching (page 126-127):
"In one of the key debates during the formulation of the Westminster Confession of Faith, one scholar spoke with great skill and persuasiveness for a position that would have mired the church in political debates for many years. As the man spoke, George Gillespie prepared a rebuttal in the same room. As they watched him write furiously on a tablet, all in the assembly knew the pressure on the young man to organize a response while the scholar delivered one telling argument after another. Yet when Gillespie rose, his words were filled with such power and scriptural persuasion that the haste of his preparation was not discenrable. Gillespie's message so impressed those assembled as the wisdom of God that the opposing scholar conceded that a lifetime of study had just been undone by the younger man's presentation. When the matter was decided, the friends of Gillespie snatched from his desk the tabled on which he had so hastily collected his toughts. They expected to find a brilliant summary of the words so masterfully just delivered. Instead, they found only one phrase written over and over again: Da lucem, Domine (Give light, O Lord)."
"In one of the key debates during the formulation of the Westminster Confession of Faith, one scholar spoke with great skill and persuasiveness for a position that would have mired the church in political debates for many years. As the man spoke, George Gillespie prepared a rebuttal in the same room. As they watched him write furiously on a tablet, all in the assembly knew the pressure on the young man to organize a response while the scholar delivered one telling argument after another. Yet when Gillespie rose, his words were filled with such power and scriptural persuasion that the haste of his preparation was not discenrable. Gillespie's message so impressed those assembled as the wisdom of God that the opposing scholar conceded that a lifetime of study had just been undone by the younger man's presentation. When the matter was decided, the friends of Gillespie snatched from his desk the tabled on which he had so hastily collected his toughts. They expected to find a brilliant summary of the words so masterfully just delivered. Instead, they found only one phrase written over and over again: Da lucem, Domine (Give light, O Lord)."
The moral argument
Three of life’s most important questions deal with origin (how did we get here?), meaning (what is the purpose of life?) and destiny (where are we going?). Well, if you’re a Bajan, there is one more. How does one maintain their sanity (no, not on the roads), but in light of the fact that the cost of living is rising almost weekly, and one is being paid, very weakly. My main concern here though is that of origins, especially as it relates to morality.
There are roughly two views on origins. The first is that God created life and the cosmos, ex nihilo. The other view is a bit more complicated and requires more faith. It goes something like this. In the beginning there was space and matter and by a long series of chances, conditions suitable for life just occurred (nobody knows why) and living creatures developed into human beings (for no apparent reason), who have the ability to think. Again, nobody knows why.
Fair enough, but what are we to make of the moral law which people all over the world try so hard to obey? Is it an evolutionary by-product? Hardly. Adherence to a moral law only makes sense if it were given by a transcendent law giver to whom we are accountable. Many honest atheists and skeptics have observed that a godless world should entail an absence of objective moral values.
Kai Nelsen recognizes the intellectual bankruptcy of grounding objective morality from a purely naturalistic point of view. In the American Philosophical Quarterly, he writes, “ We have not been able to show that reason requires the moral point of view of that all really rational persons, unhoodwinked by myth or ideology, not be individual egoists or classical amoralists. Reason doesn’t decide here. The picture I have painted you is not a pleasant one. Reflection on it depresses me … The point is this: pure practical reason, even with a good knowledge of the facts, will not take you to morality.”
Jeffrey Dahmer’s father expressed his son’s rationale, “If it all happens naturalistically, what’s why need for a God? Can’t I set my own rules? Who owns me? I own myself (Jeffrey Dahmer: The Monster Within, A&E Biography, 1996).” Of course I am not suggesting anything so silly as – all naturalists are more prone to commit violent crimes. The point is this. Western society is experiencing a crisis concerning her ethical foundations. As John Rist correctly observed, “Without a return the God of the Jewish-Christian [Scriptures] as the “infinite and necessarily good” Source of all finite goods, the crisis will only be more pronounced.”
The danger of national repentance
Throughout history, God has always called people to repentance, even at the national level. Through the prophet Ezekiel he spoke to Israel, “Therefore O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall (Ezekiel 18:30, NIV).”
Whilst it will always be the church’s duty to preach national repentance, there is an inherent danger of which we should always be mindful. C.S. Lewis puts it this way, “The first and fatal charm of national repentance, is, therefore, the encouragement it gives us to turn from the bitter task of repenting our own sins to the congenial one of bewailing – but, first of denouncing – the conduct of others.” May God guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus from this error.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
It's (finally) time for Windows Vista
Windows Vista was released to manufacturing (RTM) today and will be available pre-installed on a new PC from January 2007. Check out these Vista links for more information:
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Francis Schaeffer feature @ Reformation21
Reformation21, has a nice feature on Francis Schaeffer. Here is an excerpt, "Francis Schaeffer never presented himself as an academic apologist, as a philosopher, as a theologian or as a scholar. Instead he spoke of himself as an evangelist and a pastor, and this truly is how he thought about the ministry that God had graciously given him. I felt it might be useful to begin with a somewhat personal account of factors that contributed to his theological development." Read full feature...
Friday, November 03, 2006
Pastor takes leave amid allegations of gay sex
"New Life Church's Ted Haggard, a backer of Amendment 43 to ban gay marriage in Colorado, says he could "not continue to minister under the cloud" of accusations." Read full story...
I would recommend the following two posts on the Haggard situation:
Zune: music the way it was to be
"Zune™ is your connection to the world of media and to entertainment-loving people like yourself. Starting with 30 GB, Zune is easy to use and easy to love. Choose one of three colors−each combined with a distinctive double-shot finish." From Zune.net
Spurs win opener
The Spurs got off to a winning start to the 2006-07 NBA season by beating the Mavs 97-91. One down and 81 more games to go ;)
2006 Christmas offer @ RZIM
RZIM's product page has been updated to reflect the 2006 Christmas offer. I just finished watching Has Christianity Failed You? last night after returning home from class and I would highly recommend it as well as any apologetic resource from RZIM for that matter.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
YouTube Apologetics
The Christian Mind has a post about apologetics by Jay Smith on Youtube. Check it out.
2006-07 NBA Season Opens
Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images
the Knicks got off to a good start, despite a rocky finish. This game was the closest so far it seems. My Spurs tip off tonight against the Mavs.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
DVD205 - Has Christianity Failed You?
I'm now on the second disc of Has Christianity Failed You? from RZIM. On the product description page it says, "This set is jam-packed with content!" True that! It contains two very good messages by Michael Ramsden and Ravi Zacharias and the Q&A from the evening's session. I have to watch Disc 1 again and make mental (and paper) notes from both talks, which I will proably end up posting once I've moved the blog.
Letter on Naturalism
Today the Nation ran a letter from one of Barbados' most vocal critics of religion (all of whose objections are either, simple-minded or self-refuting...sometimes both). Three Objections from Betsy Childs is a clear reflection that naturalism is still on shaky ground. There is nothing worse than philosophy that leads to the wrong conclusions.
Friday, October 27, 2006
The Books and the Parchments
Spurgeon reminds us of the importanct of reading in, Paul—his Cloak and His Books:
How rebuked are they by the apostle! He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!
The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, "Give thyself unto reading." The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people.
You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritanic writers, and expositions of the Bible.
We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master's service. Paul cries, "Bring the books"—join in the cry.
Christ-Centered Preaching
This morning I read the first chapter (ten more to go) of Christ-Centered Preaching,: Redeeming the Expository Sermon and I was very impressed. I picked up this from Amazon to supplement my reading for Holimetics I. Even though I've only read one chapter so far, I can "sense" that this book will be a great help.
ESPN: Special Preview Edition
Yet another new NBA season is upon us! Here's ESPN's take on the Spurs' chances of taking the 2007 NBA crown.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Mother-in-law
A couple took a trip to the Holy Land and the husband decided to invite his mother-in-law. Before they even got there she was already complaining about the long flight and he knew he was in for a long trip. For two weeks they visited every major site from the bible. They walked the path that Jesus walked from where he was born in the manger to the tomb where the stone was rolled away. On one of the last days there the couple received some bad news from the hotel manager. A housekeeper had found the mother-in-law in her room dead of a heart attack. The manager informed them that they could take care of the arrangements and bury her in the holy land for only $200.00. If they decided to take her back to the U.S. the expense of preparing the body for the trip and the flight would run about $5,000.00. The husband said he would think about it and let him know the next day. The next day the hotel manager saw the husband in the lobby and asked him if he had made a decision. "I decided to take her back home for the $5,000.00" He told the manager. "That's fine" said the manager "But do you mind me asking why since we can do it here for just $200.00". "Well I've been thinking about it", said the husband, "And in the two weeks that we've been here all I've heard about was this man that they crucified and buried and then three days later he arose from the grave. For $4800.00 I'm not willing to take that chance!"
Monday, October 23, 2006
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, of things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the begotten of God the Father, the Only-begotten, that is of the essence of the Father.
God of God, Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten and not made; of the very same nature of the Father, by Whom all things came into being, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
Who for us humanity and for our salvation came down from heaven, was incarnate, was made human, was born perfectly of the holy virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit.
By whom He took body, soul, and mind, and everything that is in man, truly and not in semblance.
He suffered, was crucified, was buried, rose again on the third day, ascended into heaven with the same body, [and] sat at the right hand of the Father.
He is to come with the same body and with the glory of the Father, to judge the living and the dead; of His kingdom there is no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, in the uncreated and the perfect; Who spoke through the Law, prophets, and Gospels; Who came down upon the Jordan, preached through the apostles, and lived in the saints.
We believe also in only One, Universal, Apostolic, and [Holy] Church; in one baptism in repentance, for the remission, and forgiveness of sins; and in the resurrection of the dead, in the everlasting judgement of souls and bodies, and the Kingdom of Heaven and in the everlasting life.
Friday, October 20, 2006
The world is not running out of oil
"If you think the world is on the verge of running out of oil or other mineral resources, you've been taken in by the foremost of seven myths about resource geology, according to a University of Washington economic geologist." Read full story...
M'Cheyne Bible Reading Plan
CALENDAR FOR READING THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD IN A YEAR By the late Rev. R. M. M'CHEYNE, M. A.
A Slice of Infinity (October 20th, 2006)
Today's Slice of Infinity (A Reasonable Belief) by Jill Carattini is exceptionally good!
Here is an excerpt - "If belief is the readiness to act as if something is true, it follows that unbelief, whether chosen consciously or unconsciously, still affects our behavior. There are consequences to our non-answers in the same way that there are consequences to our answers. And yet, in our society where skepticism is almost encouraged, belief and unbelief are treated quite differently. We do not feel compelled to justify our disbelief in the same way we feel compelled to justify our belief. We expect a certain reasonableness about belief that we don't expect of disbelief, in part because we've been conditioned to see skepticism and disbelief as logical, and belief as emotional or irrational."
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Internet Explorer 7 is out
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 is finally out. I have been using it since the early beta and release candidate stages. It's great. Outside of Visual Studio and Windows Media Player, IE is one of the best products Microsoft offers. Download it for Windows XP here.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
United too strong!
Manchester United FC have one foot in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds after a comfortable 3-0 victory over FC København
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Legislating morality and the "fight" against AIDS
On page 24A of the Sunday Sun (October 15th 2006) Dr. Wayne Greaves said he would back decriminalizing Barbados’ laws so that those people fighting the spread of the deadly disease (HIV/AIDS) could reach more prostitutes and homosexuals, or bi-sexual men. “Controlling the spread of the disease and the public health problem caused by the disease while saving lives is more important than any individual’s prejudice about morality or otherwise.”
These dubious comments raise two important issues, namely, legislating morality and the idea that decriminalizing high-risk sexual, immoral behaviour will somehow aid in the fight against HIV/AIDS. It was G. K. Chesterton who alluded to the fact that before tearing down a fence, one should always pause long enough to ask themselves why it was put there in the first place.
One of the more disturbing trends early in the 21st century is the deliberate departure from traditional values. We are enduring what Gertrude Himmelfarb called the de-moralization of society. Asinine fatuity is therefore the kindest description we could give to the idea that legalizing any immoral, high-risk sexual behaviour will aid in the “fight” against HIV/AIDS. The morality in the law, whether moral or immoral, tends to become the morality of the people. Take the following example from the United States. Before the Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, about 100,000 abortions were performed in the US annually. After Row v. Wade, the number rose to between 1.2 and 1.5 million a year. There are countless other examples one could list, but the fact is, law is always a tutor to morals and a shaper of national character – whether good or evil, moral or immoral.
If a million people believe a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing. Similarly, errors are errors regardless of either their prevalence or the persistence of those who advance them. Therefore, no matter how often one hears that you cannot legislate morality, the truth is that you cannot legislate anything else but morality. All laws, whether permissive or prohibitive, legislate morality. All laws, regardless of their content or their intent, arise from a system of values, from a belief that some things are right and others wrong. When it comes to the question of legislation and morality, the question is never whether or not morality will be legislated but which one – for better or worse – will become the law of the land.
One of the functions of law is moral education. Only a well-formed, morally responsible law can help to develop right thinking and right choosing people in a society. Good and decent people do not simply happen, they are nurtured. And whether we admit it or not, the law plays a part in teaching. Ideas have consequences and bad ideas have bad consequences. Decriminalizing prostitution, homosexuality (or any other immoral behaviour for that matter) is a very bad idea. The idea simply smacks of intellectual laziness.
As Michael Bauman, Professor of Theology and Culture, put it: “We must not forget that law is an expression of and a shaper of the conscience of a nation. Consequently, the nearsighted and misguided movement to separate law from morality is as dangerous as it is impossible. Both for nations and for us as individuals, our character is our future. Morality is destiny.”
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Google Docs & Spreadsheets
With Google Docs & Spreadsheets, you can:
- Use our online editor to format documents, spell-check and more.
- Upload Word documents, OpenOffice, RTF, HTML or text.
- Download documents to your desktop as Word, PDF and more.
- View your documents' revision history and roll back to any version.
This looks like a very interesting (and promising) service from Google. Check out Google's Tour.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Mixed sports bag
In what has to be considered the shock of the MLB century, the Yanks were booted from the postseason by....(deep breath)....the Detriot Tigers. And for the third straight week Peyton Manning had to rescue the Colts from the jaws of defeat!
Friday, October 06, 2006
French police union: Muslims are waging civil war against us
"You'll note that I began that second article, "Has an intifada begun in France — an all-out jihad?" It's interesting that in this piece the police union uses the same word -- intifada. Now the truth is beginning to come out in the mainstream media, almost a year after you could have read it at Jihad Watch."
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Yankees are losing :( ... but...
...my books just arrived! I don't know how I'm going to manage with my coursework from WIST and these new books, but we shall see. Although two of the books are specifically for additional reading for Homiletics I. The full list is:
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
How about those Yankees?
The New York Yankees got off to a winning start in this year's playoffs (special thanks to Jeter!). Here's hoping they go all the way this time and take the World Series. That disaster against the Red Sox still irks me til this day!
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
2006 Young Innovators Under 35
Since 1999, the editors of Technology Review have honored the young innovators whose inventions and research we find most exciting; today that collection is the TR35, a list of technologists and scientists, all under the age of 35. Their work--spanning medicine, computing, communications, electronics, nanotechnology, and more--is changing our world.
Monday, October 02, 2006
DVD: Ravi @ the Roxy
Description from RZIM: "Ravi @ the Roxy was captured at an inaugural ministry event in April. The hip and historic Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre in Atlanta was rented, and an evangelistic event open to the public and with free admission was hosted by RZIM. Within weeks of publicizing the event, tickets were “sold-out,” the venue was packed, and Ravi delivered a persuasive message titled “Questionable Answers.” Now, experience the flavor of the evening, feel the energy of the crowd, hear a compelling presentation of Christianity. We are confident you will find this DVD to be an excellent tool for skeptics and those searching for answers."
I watched this DVD last night and it was quite good. Ravi looked at evil, justice, love and forgiveness and how they all coverge in the cross of Jesus Christ and ultimately point to Him alone as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Highly recommended.
Solskjaer double strike!
Inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo and armed with two goals from Ole Gunner Solskjaer, the Reds returned to winning ways in the Premiership with a comfortable 2-0 victory over a Newcastle side that rarely threatened to deny United all three points. Read full match report on Manutd.com...
Friday, September 29, 2006
Boy slave 'crucified' by Sudanese Muslim
A Sudanese slave who was assigned to watch his Muslim master's camels was "crucified" when he was caught sneaking out to attend a Christian church, according to reports from Voice of the Martyrs.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Microsoft releases more Zune info
You can now get more information about Zune @ Microsoft's Zune Virtual Press Room. You can also check out the Zune Insider Blog. It seems that Zune is definetely "coming Zune".
What Jesus demands from the world
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Success in Europe
After a shock defeat at the hands of Arsenal and only mustering a draw against Reading, Manchester United returned to their winning ways in Europe, beating Benfica 1-0. Read full match report...
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Why save for a rainy day, when it's pouring outside?
Donate now to The Global Fund. No amount is too small.
Gotta read to succeed
Below are some books I'm mulling ordering soon (from Amazon of course). All come highly recommended from various sources:
- Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview
- An Essential Guide to Public Speaking: Serving Your Audience with Faith, Skill, and Virtue
- To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview
- Christ-Centered Preaching,: Redeeming the Expository Sermon
And these magazine subscriptions (from Magazine City of course):
"Poor" Islam?
If we collectively take the reaction in the liberal media vis-à-vis “9/11”, the cartoon controversy and more recently Pope Benedict’s comments, we can only conclude that Islam is the innocent victim of Western imperialism and chauvinism and the great evil to be feared is not terrorism but discrimination against Muslims.
The fact is, dedicated Muslims are not pragmatists, which is hard to swallow for most liberals. The characteristic delusion of liberals is to believe, even against all evidence, that other people, including totalitarians are at heart very much like themselves. Franklin Delano Roosevelt seems to have thought that he could charm Stalin into a reasonable frame of mind and Lyndon Johnson thought he could make a deal with Ho Chi Minh. And as they say, the rest is history.
The public is therefore at the mercy of commentators who are constantly reassuring us that Islam is a religion of peace, and these extreme reactions and forms of violence are inconsistent with Islam. Fair enough, believe what you wish. But it is no secret that Islam vigorously opposes freedom of religion. Although we are quoted “there is no compulsion in religion”, when the rubber hits the road, this is not what is practiced.
Even within Islam itself, the Shiite and Sunni factions appear to hate each other as much as they do the West. “Conflict between Shiites and Sunnis has existed since the 7th century. Because Mohammed didn’t appoint a successor, or caliph, there was disagreement as to who should succeed him. Sunnis believe the caliph should be appointed. Shiites believe he should come from Mohammed’s bloodline” (See, A Kingdom Divided Against Itself).
In an analysis of what has gone wrong with Islam, Bernard Lewis had this to say: “To a Western observer, schooled in the theory and practice of Western freedom, it is precisely the lack of freedom – freedom of the mind from constraint and indoctrination, to question and inquire and speak; freedom of the economy from corrupt and pervasive mismanagement; freedom of women from male oppression; that underlies so many of the troubles of the Muslim world” (Atlantic Monthly, January 2002).
The Islamic mindset seems to be convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that the majority (if not all) of her problems stem from “crusades against Islam” led by evil Western governments, the chief culprit being America (the great Satan). She needs to realize that the majority of her problems are the logical outworking of her worldview, and can be only be addressed by radical reform and moderation.
Obligated to both wise and foolish
“I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish (Romans 1:14).”
In the rant titled, “Where the hell is it?”, the writer makes a very simple mistake. They are equating the limits of their understanding with the limits of reality. Immanuel Kant made the same mistake, poor fellow (apologies to any neo-Kantian philosophers amongst us).
Now I don’t know what constitutes “right knowledge” (perhaps a lecture on the 360 degrees of knowledge?) Who knows? But here is a nugget of right knowledge from the Apostle Paul: “But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger” (Romans 2:5-8, NIV).
Monday, September 25, 2006
Dr. Ikael Tafari stikes again
In his latest offering, The Concept of God, Dr. Tafari writes, "the sociology of religion can help us to stress a discontinuous line – the missing links as it were – between religions, rather than a hard, continuous, dividing wall. Such a dotted line between faiths means that one would not invest in dogmatic notions of superiority/inferiority among different creeds."
Of course, this is promptly after "dismissing" (in his own confused mind of course) one of the most central doctrines of Christendom - the Trinity. SMH. Reason #165, the Nation is fast becoming a comic book publication.
Letter to the Editor: September 25, 2006
THE RELIGIONISTS don't know where hell is, or if such a place really exists. They can't even decide what hell is. Which one is it? It is the lake of fire (Rev: 20:10) or the pit (Rev 11:7)? Or is it a place where you will be given oozing puss to drink like the Qur'aan describes (Ch 14:16)? Or a place where you'll be roasted (Qur'aan 17:18)? Or a prison (Qur'aan 17:8)? Also, how did the pit get there?
How did a big place of fire get beneath us? Did God create it down there? Why is it that scientists haven't discovered it yet, being that they have dug holes straight down to the centre of the earth?
Why is it you can't find hell if it really is a place that exists? Scientists have listened to the ground; they have all kinds of advanced technical equipment with computers.
Have they heard crackling fires? No!!! Because hell is a state of mind. It is what you make it. It exists within you, for each one will pattern his or her hell according to what he/she believes it is. They don't hear anyone down there screaming or hollering from any torture. So what makes you believe that there is someplace "down there" where you will go if you are a sinner?
The Bible? Let's be real! There's nothing in the Bible has been proven to be fact yet. You can't even prove that the characters in it ever existed, let alone a place called hell! The hell that your preachers, teachers, pastors, rabbis, imams and sheikhs preach to you about is another trick to keep you trapped under religion. We need right knowledge.
– KHUNSU SOBEK
I wouldn't even waste time responding to that nonsnense. It is quite funny though. Especially the part that reads, "The Bible? Let's be real! There's nothing in the Bible has been proven to be fact yet. You can't even prove that the characters in it ever existed, let alone a place called hell!" There are some objections that are so asinine, that I think you discredit Christendom by even responding. This is one of them. I'm even surprised it was published. But I'm not completely surprised, the Nation is not exactly a newspaper for serious readers.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Muslim furore 2.0
Iranian Leader Urges More Papal Protests
Al-Qaida in Iraq warned Pope Benedict XVI on Monday that its war against Christianity and the West will go on until Islam takes over the world, and Iran's supreme leader called for more protests over the pontiff's remarks on Islam. Read full story...
Two types of sinners
No doubt you have heard countless “profound” utterances that start something like this, “There are only two types of people in the world…” My personal favourite is, “There are three kinds of people in this world; those who can count and those who can’t. But some folk prefer to lump us all into one category. You have probably heard it said, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, NIV).
It’s true that we are all sinners but there is a crucial difference. There is a category of sinner, let’s call them group A, who, “are justified freely by his grace through redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24, NIV). Group B on the other hand, “rejects the Son (of God)” and “will not see life; for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36, NIV). There is really no middle ground here; in the words of our Lord – “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son” (John 3:18, NIV).
Those who choose to accept Christ’s provision of the cross do not habitually (or continually) sin because, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6, NIV). “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray,” by misquoting Romans 3:23.
So, which category of “The Sinner-hood” do you belong to?
Regeneration - mankind's only hope
Some people hold a Walt Disney theology where Christ and their need for him is concerned – everyone seems to think you are a “good person” (and just between you and me, you quite agree). So why drag Christ into all of this. The humanists are therefore content to preach “mere morality” – be a “good” person (whatever that means) – and hope that things will get better.
Well they won’t. “Mere morality” misses the mark. The command which the LORD gave the to Israelites, also applies to us: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Lev. 19:2, NIV). This is what the Old Testament prophets and Christ aimed at. Holiness is infinitely greater than “mere morality.” For where there is true holiness, what we call “good, decent” behaviour will almost become second nature. The thing is, there can be no holiness without repentance. And I can think of no better definition of repentance than this old children’s hymn: Repentance is to leave the sins we loved before; And show that we in earnest grieve, By doing so no more.
No doubt the secular humanists will continue with their futile attempts to moralize society. But if we are truly serious about changing our society, we will have to work from the inside out. We have to admit and deal with the fact that the heart of mankind is desperately wicked. No economic, political or social theory will suffice. Man (no matter how highly he thinks of himself) is utterly lost without Christ. So, “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’” (John 3:7, NIV).
Monday, September 18, 2006
Colts 2-0: Manning goes for 400 yards!
Manning threw three touchdown passes, broke John Unitas' franchise record for completions and led the Colts to scores on six of their first seven possessions in a 43-24 rout over Houston that wasn't that close. Read full game report...
Friday, September 15, 2006
Two fat cats!
The two cats in the picture belong to my friend Dan from Canada! They are HUGE! ROTFLOL!
The battle within
We are so busy fighting crime, drugs, AIDS, terrorism and poverty that we are in danger of forgetting the real battle. The battle of sin. The battle within. The exchange goes something like this:
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (Romans 7:15-20”). Admittedly a wretched state (and a mouthful). But thanks be to God, victory can be had through Christ!
It only makes sense to continue with the other “battles” if we obey Jesus’ command: “repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Although, if everyone focused squarely on dealing with the battle within, all other battles (noble as they are) become moot.
When philosophy leads to the wrong conclusion
"If naturalism were true then all thoughts whatever would be wholly the result of irrational causes...it cuts its own throat." – C. S. Lewis [A Christian Reply to Professor Price]
Naturalism is a classic example of philosophical presuppositions leading to the wrong conclusions. The naturalist denies any power higher than his reason and therefore has a distorted picture of reality. For the naturalist, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. As Paul Copan points out, the naturalist is guilty of what is known in logic as the "self-excepting fallacy." Simply put, he does not hold his own beliefs to the same standard he expects of others. He explains away the religious beliefs of others as the product of their DNA and experience, suggesting that they are invalid. Yet, perhaps by a miraculous stroke of genius, he does not consider his own reasoning abilities untrustworthy, even though, according to his own worldview, they themselves are also the product of his DNA and experience. The naturalist will refuse to defend his faulty presupposition although this is precisely what he expects of others.
Even more embarrassing for the naturalist is that his worldview is self-refuting. The naturalist claims to reject the metaphysical while at the same time ignoring the fact that naturalism is itself a metaphysical framework. As many people have repeatedly shows – naturalism cannot be scientifically proven. Naturalism masquerades as science, when in fact “it is really an un-provable philosophical assumption that guides experimentation. Naturalism itself is not the result of experimentation”.
The next time you look at the starry hosts, fool yourself that this is all time plus matter plus chance. Or do the sensible thing and echo the words of the Psalmist: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world (Psalm 19:1-4, NIV).”
The Greek and the Gospel
Allow me to introduce you to “the Greek” (1 Corinthians 1:23); manufactured in schools, universities and colleges all over this world. The Greek is very well-read and has an intense aversion to anything religious. Ask him almost anything and he knows it. Ask for a quotation from any of the old poets, philosophers or anyone else and he can give it you. He is always ready to save the whale, the rain forest or Internet (www.savetheinternet.com). He is prepared to save everything – but his soul. Raise the subject of “Christ and Him crucified” and he is bound to say, “Stop your cant! I wish to hear nothing of the sort!”
The sate of the Grecian is a sad one indeed. He believes all philosophy except the true one. He studies all wisdom except the true wisdom of God. He pursues all learning except spiritual learning. He likes everything which man makes and nothing which comes from God. The old, old Gospel is foolishness to him. Address just one doctrine in the Bible, he shuts his ears and no longer wishes to keep your company. Declare God’s Truth to him – “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12, NIV)” – but he will have none of it. He will declare you a narrow-minded bigot and wish you a good morning.
The basic problem with the Grecian is that he is so full of himself, there is no room for Christ. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit wish to come and make “all things new”, but alas, “there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:7, NIV).” We should hold no enmity towards the Grecian, for he is to be pitied. Until he accepts the free gift of salvation found only in Christ Jesus, he will be forever wrapped up in himself. A very small bundle indeed.
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