Computer failure at Citibank yesterday. See link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081217/ap_on_bi_ge/citibank_outage_2
Computer failure at Toronto Stock Exchange today. See link:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081217184540.xwyr1ayl&show_article=1
I'm sure these are totally unrelated, but it is a disturbing coincidence, no?
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
We Must Protect the Children
I think there are many things from which our children must be protected. Apparently, the editors of the Junior Dictionary of the Oxford University Press think so, too. These folks have decided that many words need to be removed from the dictionary because they are no longer relevant to the lived experience of the world. Here are some of the irrelevant words that are to be removed:
Abbey
aisle
altar
bishop
chapel
christen
disciple
minister
monastery
monk
nun
nunnery
parish
pew
psalm
pulpit
saint
sin
devil
vicar
Don't want our children exposed to irrelevance like this, do we? Sooner or later, they might think that this Jesus person was more than a myth.
Maranatha!
Abbey
aisle
altar
bishop
chapel
christen
disciple
minister
monastery
monk
nun
nunnery
parish
pew
psalm
pulpit
saint
sin
devil
vicar
Don't want our children exposed to irrelevance like this, do we? Sooner or later, they might think that this Jesus person was more than a myth.
Maranatha!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thoughts about the Future
Since the Obama election in November, I have sat amused as conservatives have talked about how to reconstitute the conservative movement. "We need to propose legislation that reflects conservative values," they say. "We need to try to block legislation that goes against our notion of limited government," they say.
They all seem to be blind to a sad reality: Our culture is now firmly liberal and post-Christian and will probably remain so for our lifetime. Why do I say this? It's simple: All one has to do is look at our education system. For more than three decades we have sat by and watched as hard leftists created the curriculum that has taught our children. We have sat by as teachers have usurped the role of parents in the education of their children on matters such as sexual behavior and family structure. We have sat by as our universities have dismantled any semblance of traditional liberal arts education. Most importantly, three decades worth of students have been exposed to all of this and many have been indoctrinated. These people are young and they now vote.
From a religious point of view, these people are all post-modernists and, if they claim to be Christian, most of them believe in a faith that would be unrecognizable to previous generations. Most of these young Christians, in fact, view faith and its ethics as a smorgasbord where you can pick those parts of faith that you like and disregard the rest. Most importantly, most of these folks deep down have rejected the fundamental tenet of Christian faith that faith in Christ is absolutely essential to salvation. According to them, even pagans who have knowingly rejected the Gospel of Christ can go to heaven.
Many would like to say that this will be Obama's fault. Deep down, though, we know that's not true. Barack Obama simply reflects the beliefs that mark this post-Christian generation.
Also, don't blame Barack Obama for the spiritual and cultural mess that we're in. When the universities and schools were being overrun with leftist ideology, Barack Obama wasn't in charge. When the conservative movement was being dismantled by profligate spending and compromise with people who sought to undermine it, Barack Obama wasn't in charge. When the country sat by and allowed almost 50,000,000 babies to be sacrificed at the altar of free choice, Barack Obama wasn't in charge.
No, we are the ones who were at fault because we saw all of this happening and did nothing about it but bitch.
So, conservatives, when the left proposes a massive expansion of government, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything that you can do about it. You can't. That ship sailed long ago.
When your health care is mandated by the government and rationed, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything you can do about it. You can't.
When you sit appalled at all the children that are killed in the abortion mills that will turn children into medical waste with the same efficiency that Hitler showed in turning Jews into smoke, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything that you can do about it. You can't. That ship sailed long ago.
And, Christians, when your lives become more constricted and you are even less able to express your faith in public and you no longer are able to work in certain professions because of your faith, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything that you can do about it. You can't. That ship sailed long ago.
Barack Obama did not create the mess that we are in now, but he will bring the mess that we are in now to its logical post-modern, pro-death, anti-Christian conclusion.
All that we can do as Christians is to recall that God is in charge and that, somehow and in some way, the destruction of our nation as it has existed is part of His inscrutable design.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
-----
John Derbyshire wrote a great piece on nationalreview.com that carries this theme forward and ties it to the birthday of John Milton. Here's the link:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmNhMTQ3NzkyZjdhZTUxMGI0ZWU4YmQwMzJlYjY3MDI=
They all seem to be blind to a sad reality: Our culture is now firmly liberal and post-Christian and will probably remain so for our lifetime. Why do I say this? It's simple: All one has to do is look at our education system. For more than three decades we have sat by and watched as hard leftists created the curriculum that has taught our children. We have sat by as teachers have usurped the role of parents in the education of their children on matters such as sexual behavior and family structure. We have sat by as our universities have dismantled any semblance of traditional liberal arts education. Most importantly, three decades worth of students have been exposed to all of this and many have been indoctrinated. These people are young and they now vote.
From a religious point of view, these people are all post-modernists and, if they claim to be Christian, most of them believe in a faith that would be unrecognizable to previous generations. Most of these young Christians, in fact, view faith and its ethics as a smorgasbord where you can pick those parts of faith that you like and disregard the rest. Most importantly, most of these folks deep down have rejected the fundamental tenet of Christian faith that faith in Christ is absolutely essential to salvation. According to them, even pagans who have knowingly rejected the Gospel of Christ can go to heaven.
Many would like to say that this will be Obama's fault. Deep down, though, we know that's not true. Barack Obama simply reflects the beliefs that mark this post-Christian generation.
Also, don't blame Barack Obama for the spiritual and cultural mess that we're in. When the universities and schools were being overrun with leftist ideology, Barack Obama wasn't in charge. When the conservative movement was being dismantled by profligate spending and compromise with people who sought to undermine it, Barack Obama wasn't in charge. When the country sat by and allowed almost 50,000,000 babies to be sacrificed at the altar of free choice, Barack Obama wasn't in charge.
No, we are the ones who were at fault because we saw all of this happening and did nothing about it but bitch.
So, conservatives, when the left proposes a massive expansion of government, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything that you can do about it. You can't. That ship sailed long ago.
When your health care is mandated by the government and rationed, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything you can do about it. You can't.
When you sit appalled at all the children that are killed in the abortion mills that will turn children into medical waste with the same efficiency that Hitler showed in turning Jews into smoke, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything that you can do about it. You can't. That ship sailed long ago.
And, Christians, when your lives become more constricted and you are even less able to express your faith in public and you no longer are able to work in certain professions because of your faith, don't be surprised and don't think there is anything that you can do about it. You can't. That ship sailed long ago.
Barack Obama did not create the mess that we are in now, but he will bring the mess that we are in now to its logical post-modern, pro-death, anti-Christian conclusion.
All that we can do as Christians is to recall that God is in charge and that, somehow and in some way, the destruction of our nation as it has existed is part of His inscrutable design.
Even so, come Lord Jesus!
-----
John Derbyshire wrote a great piece on nationalreview.com that carries this theme forward and ties it to the birthday of John Milton. Here's the link:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NmNhMTQ3NzkyZjdhZTUxMGI0ZWU4YmQwMzJlYjY3MDI=
What On Earth Is He Talking About?
I don't know about you, but I've always enjoyed Bob Dylan. I always thought I've understood his lyrics, but then I realized that I really have no idea what he's talking about. Not long ago I bought his album, Modern Times, and heard the song "Thunder on the Mountain." Finally I realized that I must not understand the lyrics, so I downloaded them. Let's take a look at them and see if we can make sense out of them.
Thunder on the Mountain
Thunder on the mountain, and there's fires on the moon
A ruckus in the alley and the sun will be here soon
Today's the day, gonna grab my trombone and blow
Well, there's hot stuff here and it's everywhere I go
I was thinkin' 'bout Alicia Keys, couldn't keep from crying
When she was born in Hell's Kitchen, I was living down the line
I'm wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be
I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee
Feel like my soul is beginning to expand
Look into my heart and you will sort of understand
You brought me here, now you're trying to run me away
The writing on the wall, come read it, come see what it say
Thunder on the mountain, rollin' like a drum
Gonna sleep over there, that's where the music coming from
I don't need any guide, I already know the way
Remember this, I'm your servant both night and day
The pistols are poppin' and the power is down
I'd like to try somethin' but I'm so far from town
The sun keeps shinin' and the North Wind keeps picking up speed
Gonna forget about myself for a while, gonna go out and see what others need
I've been sittin' down studyin' the art of love
I think it will fit me like a glove
I want some real good woman to do just what I say
Everybody got to wonder what's the matter with this cruel world today
Thunder on the mountain rolling to the ground
Gonna get up in the morning walk the hard road down
Some sweet day I'll stand beside my king
I wouldn't betray your love or any other thing
Gonna raise me an army, some tough sons of bitches
I'll recruit my army from the orphanages
I been to St. Herman's church, said my religious vows
I've sucked the milk out of a thousand cows
I got the porkchops, she got the pie
She ain't no angel and neither am I
Shame on your greed, shame on your wicked schemes
I'll say this, I don't give a damn about your dreams
Thunder on the mountain heavy as can be
Mean old twister bearing down on me
All the ladies in Washington scrambling to get out of town
Looks like something bad gonna happen, better roll your airplane down
Everybody going and I want to go too
Don't wanna take a chance with somebody new
I did all I could, I did it right there and then
I've already confessed - no need to confess again
Gonna make a lot of money, gonna go up north
I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth
The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf
For the love of God, you ought to take pity on yourself
Music and words by Bob Dylan
Copyright 2006 Special Rider Music
That's perfectly clear now, isn't it?
Thunder on the Mountain
Thunder on the mountain, and there's fires on the moon
A ruckus in the alley and the sun will be here soon
Today's the day, gonna grab my trombone and blow
Well, there's hot stuff here and it's everywhere I go
I was thinkin' 'bout Alicia Keys, couldn't keep from crying
When she was born in Hell's Kitchen, I was living down the line
I'm wondering where in the world Alicia Keys could be
I been looking for her even clear through Tennessee
Feel like my soul is beginning to expand
Look into my heart and you will sort of understand
You brought me here, now you're trying to run me away
The writing on the wall, come read it, come see what it say
Thunder on the mountain, rollin' like a drum
Gonna sleep over there, that's where the music coming from
I don't need any guide, I already know the way
Remember this, I'm your servant both night and day
The pistols are poppin' and the power is down
I'd like to try somethin' but I'm so far from town
The sun keeps shinin' and the North Wind keeps picking up speed
Gonna forget about myself for a while, gonna go out and see what others need
I've been sittin' down studyin' the art of love
I think it will fit me like a glove
I want some real good woman to do just what I say
Everybody got to wonder what's the matter with this cruel world today
Thunder on the mountain rolling to the ground
Gonna get up in the morning walk the hard road down
Some sweet day I'll stand beside my king
I wouldn't betray your love or any other thing
Gonna raise me an army, some tough sons of bitches
I'll recruit my army from the orphanages
I been to St. Herman's church, said my religious vows
I've sucked the milk out of a thousand cows
I got the porkchops, she got the pie
She ain't no angel and neither am I
Shame on your greed, shame on your wicked schemes
I'll say this, I don't give a damn about your dreams
Thunder on the mountain heavy as can be
Mean old twister bearing down on me
All the ladies in Washington scrambling to get out of town
Looks like something bad gonna happen, better roll your airplane down
Everybody going and I want to go too
Don't wanna take a chance with somebody new
I did all I could, I did it right there and then
I've already confessed - no need to confess again
Gonna make a lot of money, gonna go up north
I'll plant and I'll harvest what the earth brings forth
The hammer's on the table, the pitchfork's on the shelf
For the love of God, you ought to take pity on yourself
Music and words by Bob Dylan
Copyright 2006 Special Rider Music
That's perfectly clear now, isn't it?
Some Random Articles
Here are links to some articles that I thought were interesting. I post them here for your information.
---
(From the One Big Happy Family Department)
From The Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a03e5b6-c541-11dd-b516-000077b07658.html
---
(From the Let's All Grab a Piece of Pie Department)
From The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122875608562688401.html
---
(Now from the Global Warming Department)
From The Ventura County Star
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/dec/08/rare-50-year-arctic-blast-sets-sights-on/
---
(From the It Worked for the Soviets Department)
From The International Herald-Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/08/asia/china.php
---
(From the Why Can't We All Just Get Along Department)
From Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/3688288/Pakistan-Were-ready-for-war-with-India.html
---
You might be saying, "Why, on a blog dedication to religion, psychology and popular culture, are you posting such an odd collection of articles without comment?"
The answer: Because these are the times in which we live. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
---
(From the One Big Happy Family Department)
From The Financial Times
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7a03e5b6-c541-11dd-b516-000077b07658.html
---
(From the Let's All Grab a Piece of Pie Department)
From The Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122875608562688401.html
---
(Now from the Global Warming Department)
From The Ventura County Star
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/dec/08/rare-50-year-arctic-blast-sets-sights-on/
---
(From the It Worked for the Soviets Department)
From The International Herald-Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/12/08/asia/china.php
---
(From the Why Can't We All Just Get Along Department)
From Telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/3688288/Pakistan-Were-ready-for-war-with-India.html
---
You might be saying, "Why, on a blog dedication to religion, psychology and popular culture, are you posting such an odd collection of articles without comment?"
The answer: Because these are the times in which we live. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)