The Burr in the Burgh

This is the first time I've heard of this particular group, a cult calling themselves Growing in Grace. The leader has called himself everything from the reincarnation of St. Paul, to the antichrist to Jesus Himself. Many of his church members are so dedicated that give up to 40-50% of their incomes to him. And now, as the latest trend and to show their devotion to their leader, many members are getting the numbers 666 tattooed on their arms, legs or necks. Go here.

Here is a story about abortion and infanticide in India. Many poor traditional Indians view sons as future bread-winners and girls as financial burdens. So now there is a government action to save the lives of unwanted girl babies. Recently a dump with hundreds of fetal and infant children body parts was discovered in a hospital lot.

It raises the question of the value of human life. Are some lives more valuable than others. If you do a cost analysis, do some human beings cost more than they are worth? Of course, this is a barbaric line of thought, but it is how many do think - not just in pagan India.

Parents do tests to see if their pre-born baby will have any defects such as Down's Syndrome. They may decide to have an abortion because they determine that such a life is not worth living or will be too costly emotionally and financially. The elderly or the terminally ill may feel pressured to allow themselves to be euthanized because they feel as if they no longer contribute to society.

In India, human life is cheapened by the prevailing Hinduism which teaches reincarnation. Killing your children will not be seen as evil because the soul of that being will merely go to inhabit a new body.

In the West, human life is cheapened by Darwinist materialism, the view that we are merely what we eat. This notion is that human life is nothing more than the result of random molecules stumbling into chance chemical reactions. There is no intrinsic value to anything. A life only has the value that you assign to it.

Christians see things differently. All human beings are precious to God, the Creator. He loves human beings such that He offered His Son's life for the redemption of our lives.

A mama Rottweiler rejected her puppy and this mama cat willingly obliges and lets him in to nurse.

I heartily commend the Bishop of Rome for this helpful statement.


Pope Benedict XVI reportedly lashed out against laws that he said threaten the family and social order, saying none "can overturn that of the Creator."

"No law made by man can overturn that of the Creator without dramatically affecting society in its very foundation," said the pope, according to the I-Media news agency, which reports on Vatican affairs in French.

The pope's remarks to a delegation attending a conference on "natural law" at the Pontifical Lateran University came as Portugal moves to liberalise abortion and Italy plans to grant legal status to unwed couples.

"Weakening the family is punishing society," he told the delegation. Natural law "has rules that supersede all human laws (and) does not allow for derogations by anyone."

Natural law has "concrete applications" such as protecting human life from conception to its natural end, and the institution of marriage between a man and a woman, Benedict said.

"Awareness of natural law is inscribed in our very being," he said. "The law inscribed in our nature is the true guarantee offered to everyone to be able to live freely and in dignity."

The Vatican II Council of the 1960s "reaffirmed that the institution of marriage is established by divine order, and therefore this sacred bond for the well-being of spouses, children and society" cannot be severed, he said.

Those who knew Prof. Kurt Marquart know that in addition to being a brilliant scholar and teacher, he also had a burning zeal for mission work. Of particular interest to him was Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western hemisphere.

In his honor, the graduating CTS class of 07 have established a fund for pastoral education in the Lutheran church of Haiti. Go here to help.

Aha! The best evidence that Darwinism is a farce is the skull of Charles Darwin himself. Look at these two photos. I see very little advancement btwn the caveman and the 19th century British naturalist. It just proves that Neanderthals never became extinct. One of them just wrote that they did.

Funny.

I just visited the wonderful new public library in downtown Fort Wayne, IN. And, as expected, came home with a bag of books. I've been wanting to read a biography of John Lennon for some time and in searching for one, I came across a collection of his sayings. Here is one that immediately struck home for me:

Part of me suspects that I'm a loser, and the other part of me thinks I'm God Almighty.

At their best, artists assist humanity in understanding reality. Here John gives us all a helping hand. I think many many (if not all) people have this same dual consciousness, the feeling that one is worthless AND the feeling that one is the center of the universe. When you understand that this is the basic modus operandi of most people, it really helps you know how to apply God's Word to their lives.

Part of you needs to be comforted and assured of God's love and His kindness toward sinners. But the other part of you needs a swift kick in the britches.