The Burr in the Burgh

Everyone who knows me will tell you that my favorite fourth century Turkish saint to commemorate on December 6th is none other than Nicholas, Bishop of Myra. We always exchange gifts on this day in our household in remembrance of the good bishop's fabled kindness and generosity.

I've long known that St. Nicholas attended the First Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) , from which came the Nicene Creed. That's been one of the coolest things about him in my view.

But I'd never heard this juicy tidbit until today. According to Pr. Petersen, Nicholas got so frustrated with the heretic Arius that he went up to him and slapped him.

Of course, clergy are not allowed to hit people. And Nicholas had to say he was sorry (even though that cad Arius had it coming). And though I do not approve of violence in the church or at church councils, I do surely wish I'd have been there to see it.

Do you believe in Santa Claus? I don't and as far as I can recall, I never have. Now the troubling thing is that some of you will think I had a deprived childhood for not experiencing the "magic" of Santa. Well, it gets even worse. We never taught our son anything about Santa Claus, other than that he is make-believe (gasp!). But don't worry, I won't spoil it by wearing my "Santa is Dead" t-shirt to church on Christmas Eve.

I never used to have a problem with Santa. I always thought of him as a fun and harmless goofy thing to do at Christmastime with the kids. But more and more these days I am beginning to really hate the big guy in the red suit. Now I hesitate to say anything because I know that I will offend some very pious and excellent Christian parents who do enjoy the whole Santa thing. I'm not throwing stones at you or saying you're a bad parent or anything like that. But I am suggesting you reconsider the whole Santa business.

You see, I think that 50 years ago - or even 20 years ago - Santa Claus was indeed fun and harmless. But today, I'm not so sure. Fun, yes. But harmless?

Well, let's put it to a test. Go grab ten random 5-year-olds and ask them if they know who this man is. Ask them to tell you who he is AND why he comes. Write down their answers.













Next, have the same ten random 5-year-olds tell you who this is. Who is the person in the center of this picture? Ask them that AND ask them why he came. I am convinced that unless you grabbed all ten of these kids straight out of a truly superlative Sunday school program (such as ours), fewer than half would be able to answer the first question correctly and not one will be able to answer the second question. Oh, if you repeated this test a dozen times, you might find a nano-percentage of children who actually know what you're talking about, but most simply will not.

Then again, maybe you'll prove me wrong. I could be full of beans. But I suspect that today's children know a whole lot more about Santa Claus than they do about Jesus Christ.

And if I'm right, then Santa Claus is not harmless fun. He has supplanted Jesus as the reason for the Christmas celebration in the minds of most children, even Christian children. And if that is the case, then Santa Claus is a false god, an idol, the anti-christ, and anything but harmless.

Last night, I was in a video store looking for something to pass the evening and the store was playing the recent film Polar Express. Admittedly, I only saw/heard about 20 minutes of it, but what I witnessed disturbed me. And I mean "disturbed" in the sense of watching baby harp seals being clubbed to death. All this stuff about Christmas is about believing - believing in what? Santa. Santa this. Santa that. And at the end, the movie makes him into a Titan demi-god who grants wishes and makes children's dreams come true. Some folks have a word for that. It's called a religion. And this business that Christmas is about nostalgia, friendship, being nice - that's a false American 20th century religion invented by Macy's, Coca-Cola and Frank Capra.

Do yourselves a favor and commemorate the birth of Christ and that alone this Christmas.

Every Advent for that last several years, I have read a book by St. Athanasius called On the Incarnation. It's short enough, only around 100 pages, that it can easily be read over the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It would also be suitable for a Christmastide devotional.

St. Athanasius, as you know, confronted the Arian heresy at the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. One of my favorite factoids about the Council of Nicea is that the real St. Nicholas was there as the Bishop of Myra.

The version of On the Incarnation which I possess has a delightful foreward written by C.S. Lewis, but I have not been able to find that one still in print. One of the recommendations Lewis makes is that for every new (last 100 years) book you read, you should read an old one. Or if that is too demanding, at least for every 3 new books, one old one. I could not agree more. Maybe you can find this edition with Lewis's foreward at a used book dealer.

The edition I am linking you to is from St. Vladimir's press and I have no doubt it is quite good as well.

The world is trying to change Christmas into something else, something it’s not. The world says that Christmas is a time for decorations and large meals, a time for family and children, a time for presents and the Charlie Brown Christmas special on TV. And while all those things are nice, the only one that has anything to do with Christmas is the Charlie Brown show. The world has done such a good job of hijacking Christmas that most Christians haven’t even noticed. Opening presents has become more important than coming to church. Let Christmas be about Christ or forget about it altogether.

The managers at Wal-Mart now tell their employees not to wish anyone a “Merry Christmas” in case it might offend someone. What offends me is when non-Christians celebrate Christmas, to tell the truth. I don’t celebrate Yom Kippur. Do you know why? Because I am not a Jew. I don’t celebrate Ramadan because I am not a Muslim. I don’t celebrate the Summer Solstice because I am not a witch. Why should anyone celebrate the birth of Jesus who does not recognize Him as the Son of God - which He Himself claimed to be - who came to redeem sinners?

Clearly, we live in a world that in some ways is hostile to Christianity. We have it pretty easy in America. No one is going to put you into jail or shoot you in the back of the head because you brought your children to Sunday School. But what is happening here in America is almost worse than in China or the Sudan. Here Christianity is permitted, but it is being slowly drained of all its meaning.

If the world wants to have their holiday with the decorations and gifts and office parties, then let it do so, but I wish they’d call it something else. A number of years ago, there was a famous episode of Seinfeld, a popular television sitcom in the 1990s. And the joke in this one particular episode was that the characters wanted to invent their own December holiday and they called it Festivus. Now that actually makes sense to me. A Christmas without Jesus Christ is not Christmas. Call it something else because it is something else.

We in the church can still have our presents and decorations but we will gather to worship the Christ child. And that’s because we know the true identity of that little stranger wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.

He is no mere prophet, no new-fangled Buddha offering nothing more than a set of wise teachings. He is, in reality, the incarnation of the one true God. God, in Christ, has come to dwell with man. And to bring real light into the world, a light that can never be snuffed away.


[Side note: Since I referenced the Charlie Brown Christmas Special above, I want to direct you to Gene Veith's blog here, where he gives an excellent appraisal of the annual Christmas television specials.

Maybe you've noticed that there's a bit of a controversy brewing these days about whether people should say, "Merry Christmas." My take on it is this: If someone says to me, "Happy holidays," I will respond, "What are you talking about? There is nothing called "holidays." What exactly do you mean?" I intend to do so with a completely straight face until they give me a response. I don't care if it makes the elderly greeter at WalMart feel uncomfortable.

You see, if I were an employee at a store like that, no one would be able to tell me that I am not permitted to wish someone a Merry Christmas. This is something I'd be willing to lose a job over. Of course, that is very easy for me to say since, in my profession, that is not likely to happen anytime soon.

But listen. Recently, I was asked to do the swearing in of newly elected borough officials and offer a benediction. I told the fellow that I'd be very happy to participate in this civic event and say a prayer, but only so long as there would be no restrictions on the wording of my prayer. I will pray in the name of Jesus Christ and will mention the Holy Trinity and all that stuff. He said, "Go for it." And I will.

It's a good thing that I don't live in that secularist Shangri-la of the state of Indiana, because there a federal judge has decreed that no Christian ministers who pray at state legislative meetings may mention the name of Jesus. See here. Some people are getting their shorts in a knot over that but it's not unusual. . . if you live in Saudi Arabia.

Here is what I tell people when they ask me to pray in public. "I am a Christian and the minister of a Lutheran church. I would be happy to pray (in most circumstances), but I will pray a Christian prayer. If that makes you uncomfortable, then please ask someone else. I will not be offended. However, if you still want me to pray, you know what I will say." It's that simple. I'm not trying to be offensive, but neither will I cloud my identity as a Christian so the Rastafarians in the audience won't jump and holler.

Back to the Merry Christmas controversy. In some ways, I see this as a tempest in a teacup. I don't really care if people are allowed to say Merry Christmas. In that regard, I'd just do what I want and let the rest fly a kite.

And by the way, why do non-Christians want to celebrate Christmas in the first place, as so many do. That offends me. This is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, not a gift-fest with Santa and booze soaked office parties. I truly and very sincerely believe that the U.S. government should repeal December 25th as a federal holiday. Let's see what happens then.

By the way, here is a hilarious ad from Virgin mobile phones spoofing the blending of religions this time of year to appease everyone. It's funny, though I liked last year's version better. I can't find it anywhere. If you have a link to the 2004 version of this ad, please send it to me.

And MERRY ADVENT (Christmas doesn't even start for another 23 days).

Why is it that the so many of the greatest 20th century American authors were Roman Catholics? One of my favorites happens to be Flannery O'Connor, who died much too early in 1964 from lupus. She wrote a number of short stories including the classic A Good Man is Hard to Find. Her novels include Wise Blood and The Violent Bear It Away.

Several years ago, I also enjoyed a volume of her Collected Works which contained a number of her letters and essays. And it was by reading her correspondence that I discovered a woman of sorrows and familiar with grief. The specter of her Christian faith seeps through her fiction, but it is in her non-fiction where it is made most explicit. You have to admire any person who uses the Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas as bedtime reading. This woman understood the crushing weight of sin and the corruption it has had on human nature. But she understood just as well the redemptive character of the incarnation of God's eternal Son in the man Jesus.

A lot of Christians hear that Flannery O'Connor was a devout believer and they read her works expecting to be edified. And I suspect many of the pious put her books away half-read. They are not happy stories. They are not pretty. In fact, some of the most shocking ugliness ever put on paper can be found in the horror writings of this petite Georgian maiden.

Some Christians think that "Christian writing" should always be uplifting and cheerful. They may even try to use Scripture to support this assertion. "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Phil. 4:8)." They'll say, "you see, God's Word tells us we should be concentrating on positive things, whatever is lovely and whatever is pure." But I'd respond as I believe Miss O'Connor would have done by saying, "Yes, but notice what the apostle mentions first. Whatever is true." And let's face it, not every true thing is lovely or inspiring. Some true things are quite grim. And many of these truths need to be told as well. And that is where the fiction of Flannery O'Connor serves its highest purpose. She wrote the kind of material she did because she understood that it needed to be said and said in such a way as to be heard.

I'll conclude with this quote from O'Connor herself which, I think, sums up one of the tasks of every Christian artist as well as every preacher.

'The novelist with Christian concerns will find in modern life distortions which are repugnant to him, and his problem will be to make these appear as distortions to an audience which is used to seeing them as natural;....to the hard of hearing you shout, and for the almost-blind you draw large and startling figures.'

If you have been reading Anne Rice's novel, Christ the Lord : Out of Egypt or if you have been reading about it, you might also be interested to discover that she has a website. Go here.

I don't share Ms. Rice's political views. And since she is Roman Catholic, I'm sure we'd disagree in certain areas of religious dogma. But I am listing reasons below that she and her writings are important for you to know about:

• She is a huge force in American pop culture. She has millions of fans. She's written dozens of best-selling horror novels, selling close to 100 million copies. Several of her books have been made into blockbuster movies and plays.


• She is a popular author because she is a skilled writer and storyteller. We must not underestimate the power which storytellers wield over a society.


• She has undergone a very publicized re-commitent to the Roman Catholic Church. Many of the fans of her horror books and the erotica she's penned are unhappy about this.


• Now she has written a book about the childhood of Jesus Christ. This was a bold undertaking since the canon of Christian scripture says next to nothing about this period of the Savior's life.
  


• Undaunted by the risks, Ms. Rice has produced what I consider to be a vivid portrait of the life and ways of first-century Palestinian Judaism, a background which greatly illuminates the Gospels.


• I would have made some different choices were I the author of Christ the Lord, but Ms. Rice has written a book that is orthodox, entertaining, and insightful.


• Think of the millions of people who would perhaps never ever pick up to read a book about Jesus who will now read this, simply because of the author's fame. I believe that many people who are otherwise religiously indifferent could become captivated by the figure of Jesus and possibly, oh please, recieve a new or renewed faith.
  

If you've visited here before, you may notice that I'm tinkering with my template. Right now, it looks fine to me, but please alert me if anything does not appear right on your browser.

Let me draw your attention to a new feature. In the left side-bar, scrolling down about half way, you'll see a section of links called "Classic Burr." There I will regularly rotate old posts of mine that I personally like and want to sort of resurrect.

I have been reading the new novel by Vampire Chronicler Anne Rice. Newly re-committed to her Roman Catholic faith, Ms. Rice has written an intriguing book told in the first person by a 7 year old Jesus. She has clearly done her research and presents her subject in a remarkably reverent, orthodox and interesting way. It is an enjoyable read. And believe me, I approached this with great skepticism.

Rather than writing a full review, I recommend you read what Dr. Gene Veith has written here at his Cranach Blog. He nails it on the head. He points out the perils inherent in trying to novelize the childhood of Christ the Lord.

My remaining criticism of the book is that Rice borrows slightly from ancient non-canonical tales of Jesus' youth. But as Veith points out, she does de-gnosticize them. Still, she does have Jesus performing occasional miracles.

It says in John 2:11, after the water-into-wine episode: "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee." My understanding of that passage is that Jesus performed no miracles prior to the wedding of Cana.

I do recommend Anne Rice's book.

Joel Osteen is pastor of the fast-growing Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. He promotes a prosperity gospel which is no gospel at all. His is the gospel of self-esteem. The Christian Research Journal published a helpful article, which you can find here, about his latest book. To sum it up, Osteen is a false prophet who fails to preach Christ crucified.

The letters in the above picture lapel pin stand for "I Watch Joel Osteen." To be fair, it should be stated that this pin is not being sold by Pastor Osteen or his church, but by a misguided devotee.

The fish symbol has been used since ancient times by Christians to identify themselves to one another. This is how it works. The Greek word for fish is ichthus. Ancient believers used each letter of the Greek word for fish as the beginning of another word spelling out this early confession of faith: Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.










The makers of the Joel Osteen fish pin claim that they are trying to help people share their faith. Supposedly if someone asks you about the IWJO, you get to tell them about Joel Osteen and then they'll watch him too and get saved. But honestly, if the goal is to share one's faith, why not stick with the original so that instead of telling your friend about Osteen, you'll be talking about the Savior Himself?

It is offensive and possibly blasphemous for someone to take a universally recognized Christian symbol and remove the name of Jesus, replacing it with the name of a mere man. Now this would be bad enough, but it adds injury to insult (intended) when the man whose name you substitute doesn't even preach the correct message.

Hat Tip: Orthodixie

Go here for the new Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest trailer. It appears that Captain Jack is back.


Thanks to Jeffrey Overstreet.

Hello all you ingrates. You are ungrateful, aren't you? Sure you are. So am I. You don't really pause to offer thanks for the blessings you have from God, do you? Not like you should. No, it's much more likely that you complain, you whine, and you feel sorry for yourself. So do I. When good thing happen to you, you may remember to say a cursory "thank God" in your prayers, but you really think that you had it coming. And when bad things happen to you, you act all surprised. You say it's unfair. At least you think it. When bad things happen to you, you see-saw back and forth between self-pity and outrage. That's because in your heart of hearts, you believe that YOU should be immune from suffering. You don't deserve to bear God's wrath or the effects of your sins. And when bad things do happen, you don't give thanks. You are not thankful in all things as Scripture exhorts. No, you not only expect God to alter your circumstances but you expect Him to do it right away. And any delay at all is seen, by you, as a flaw on the part of God. Admit it. It's true for me and I'm willing to bet it's true for you.

And the kicker in all this is that you have sooooo much to be thankful for. First off, you are alive. You live. You exist. And secondly, you continue to live. God gave you life and still preserves it. And certainly, above all we should be thankful for the gift of new abundant life in the Savior Jesus Christ.

But I don't want to clobber you, using the grace of God as a club to make you feel bad. You should feel bad. But the Holy Spirit can take that feeling of guilt and worthlessness and use it to drive you to seek forgiveness at the foot of the cross. Did I hit a nerve up above? Good. But don't tune out. Let me tell you about Jesus of Nazareth who paid for your ingratitude. Are you selfish? Christ died for you. Are you a complainer? Christ died for you. Do you feel like the world owes you and that you are entitled to happiness? Well, Christ died for that too. You have been pardoned. Now go eat your turkey with a clear conscience.

No, it's not an ocean cruise. Lutheran blog carnival XI is at Necessary Roughness. Check it out.

Do you believe that the planet earth is becoming over-populated? Do you worry that there may not be enough resources to sustain the burgeoning population? Then you may be interested to know about the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement. This movement does not advocate murder, forced-sterilization, suicide or genocide. But it does encourage people simply to stop having babies. Why? So that the planet earth can return to health. But allow me to be as clear as possible. They do not promote reducing or stopping population growth. They literally promote the extinction of the human race.

You absolutely MUST download this video from their website. If you still use dial-up, this could take a while, but it's worth the wait. It's a 4.5 minute animation comparing the human race to a cancerous tumor metastasizing and killing mother earth.

On the other hand, if you would like to see some sane statistics and research about population growth, go here.

Thanks to Weapons of Mass Distraction for the tip.

Yesterday, we watched Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven and, in spite of the director's angelic last name, it was terrible. The worst movie on earth. Maybe on Mars there are worse movies. Or maybe there is a worse piece of celluloid toilet-paper in the astral plane between heaven and earth, but this is the worst one here on terra firma, at least from 2005. I'd say it's a piece of rubbish, but that would be unfair to actual pieces of rubbish. Of course, I'm intentionally exaggerating in order to make a point. Do you get my point?

Here are just a few of the reasons I hated this film:

• It was boring. Too many anachronistic speeches given by agnostics about the supreme virtue of post-modernism: tolerance.
  


• Orlando Bloom was terrible. Never has a role been so poorly cast. He simply does not possess enough IT to pull this off. Liam Neeson could have done it. Russell Crowe would have been terrific. Even Stan Laurel would've done a better job. Sure, Orlando did fine as a fairy in The Lord of the Rings. But his only other cinematic claim to fame is that he was completely overshadowed by Keith Richards. . . oop, I mean Johnny Depp, as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean.


• Kingdom of Heaven is supposed to be set during the period of the Crusades, but naturally, it is historically inaccurate in every scene. Just about the only accurate piece of information in the film is that there actually is a city named Jerusalem and people live there. Beyond that, it's pretty shaky as a historical drama.


• Ridley Scott has made a piece of propaganda, pure and simple. Christians are bad. Europeans are bad. Muslims are noble.


• Big Brother director employs double-speak and double-think. In real life, Muslim armies conquered and took Jerusalem from Christian inhabitants. In real life, Muslim armies attacked and conquered Spain and occupied it for 700 years. In real life, Muslim armies tried to invade France and were repelled by that nation's one and only military hero, Charles Martel. In real life, it is Muslim warriors who behead innocents. In real life, it is Islam which cries that it is no sin to kill infidels and martyrdom is a free ticket to paradise. But in the movie, everything is reversed.


• The anti-clericalism is so thick, I nearly gagged. What kind of parish priest says, "God has abandoned you." Or do we think the Patriarch of Jerusalem was so ignorant of Christian dogma that he would object to cremating human remains saying, "You can't do that. Then they won't be resurrected until Judgment Day." OK, I'm sure he would've opposed cremation, but not because he expected people to be resurrected before Judgment Day. Duh. Everyone will be resurrected on Judgment Day, cremated or ingested by maggots. I'm pretty sure that, no matter his flaws, he knew the Nicene Creed.
  

Over at the Cranach blog, Dr. Gene Veith offers a few good thoughts on current trends in Christian videos for children. See here. Since we recently covered new Veggie Tales products here on the Burr, I thought I'd chime in.

Dr. Veith reviews a few of the current products and then ends with what I consider a piercing insight. He says:

The message of all of these DVDs is essentially moralistic. Yes, children need moral instruction. But would it kill any of these "Christian products" to say something about Christ?

I agree with Dr. Veith 100%. We are SUPPOSED to teach morals to our kids. Where else are they supposed to pick it up?

But if the teaching of morals is the sole (or even chief) objective, then I am much happier with the animations that stay away from the bible stories. Teaching morality is not the central purpose of Scripture. Pointing to Christ the Savior is the central purpose of Scripture. To use the bible only as a story-book showing us proper behavior is to misuse God's Holy Word.

If our cute little videos lead our children (parents too) to think that the Bible is essentially about how to improve your behavior, we are leading them away from Christ, not toward Him. When the Bible is seen as a mere morality tale, and an oppressive one at that, people will turn in despair away from the very source which offers them life.

Dr. Veith sagely asks, "would it kill any of these "Christian products" to say something about Christ?" And I say, "NO, but it will kill the viewers if they don't." And not in the good way.

A must-have, especially for those of us who are at particular risk.



Buy it NOW.


Recent reports have indicated that my own fair city is highly vulnerable.

You may or may not know that my wife is an up-and-coming children's book author. We went out to dinner this evening and stopped to look around Barnes & Noble. We were delighted to see that her thanksgiving book was on sale there. Most of the other books on sale were about pilgrims and native americans and turkeys. Julie writes about that stuff too, but her's is a Christ-centered book. All good things come from God the Father, by and through Christ our Lord.

Julie is too modest to promote her works, but I am very proud of her. This book would be great for kids 5-9 years old. Show the bookdealers that distinctly Christian books will sell. And next Thursday, in between bites, remember your Creator. And maybe instead of stuffing your own gullet until you burst, share from your abundance with someone in need.

According to this news report, a pastor in Sweden was arrested, tried and convicted for preaching this sermon. Unless he wins the appeal, he could face up to two years behind bars. What was wrong with the sermon? He stated (correctly) the biblical teaching that homosexuality is a sin. Do you think it'd ever be possible for that to happen in the U.S.?

Peter Hitchens wrote an article for the Mail on Sunday in 2002 in which he criticizes Philip Pullman as the most dangerous author in Britain.

Philip Pullman, the author of the His Dark Materials Trilogy and outspoken hater of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia. His books, aimed at young readers, portray the church as thoroughly evil and God literally as a feeble-minded dolt who eventually dies.

There are many fantasy books series that portray concepts and values which support the Christian worldview. There are many that serve as entertainments and will not undermine the Christian perspective. But Pullman's books set out with the intention of attacking Christianity, the Church and God Himself.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , C.S. Lewis's classic novel, is the first of seven installments of his The Chronicles of Narnia . These are outstanding children's books that communicate the Christian story and Christian dogma via myth and fairy tale. I've long been a fan of these books and was elated when I found out they are being made into major motion pictures. L,W,W is scheduled to be released on December 9, 2005.

The secularist harpies who hated Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ and love everything base are now emerging to mock and slander everything C.S. Lewis. Of course.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post against writer Philip Pullman's attack on Lewis. And my post attracted a couple of spirited atheist/agnostics to comment. A brief but invigorating discussion ensued. Go here to check that out.

But I would also like to draw your attention to some of the blurbs Dr. Gene Veith has been posting over on the Cranach blog about the criticism of Lewis.

See here, and here, and here.

He has also written a newly published book on Lewis and Narnia, The Soul of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

If you are at all interested in the present culture wars between the secularists and those with a Christian worldview, you need to look into this.

AMBER ALERT

Police are looking for 14 year old Kara Beth Borden who was abducted at gunpoint from her home this morning. Both her parents were found shot to death. Kara is from Warwick Township, Pa, about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.

Police are looking for Kara's 18 year old secret boyfriend, David G. Ludwig, as their suspect. Read about it.



11/15/05 UPDATE HERE

Note these newly added Lutheran blogs. They're worth your notice.

Bloghardt's Reflector

Intolerant Elle

Katie's Beer

Madre's Missives

Necessary Roughness

Movie - Hotel Rwanda
Some are calling this the Schindler's List for of Africa. It's a grim and violent story of corruption, attempted genocide, and the incompetence of the UN. Not to mention the harsh indifference most Americans and Europeans have towards Africa. But more than that it's a story of courage. Don Cheadle - always a favorite - was excellent. And seeing the people and the setting made me anxious to return to Africa sometime soon.

Book - Fight Club: A Novel
Author Chuck Palahniuk pulls no punches, so to speak. This is a tale of urban terrorism spawned from male frustration with contemporary culture. A culture of boys raised by women, without strong male role models. A culture that wants to feminize the men and masculinize the women. A culture that tells you that you are your name; you are your family; you are your possessions; you are your job. Tyler Durden wants to hunt for elk through the misty mossy canyons of Manhattan. His vision is apocalyptic. It's Hegelian. Let's light this corrupted world on fire so that something purer can rise from its ashes.

Palahniuk uses lots of bad words and intentionally tries to shock his reader. It is brutal and darkly hilarious. His abrupt and choppy writing style, angry and sentimental, is full of testosterone. As is so often the case, a contemporary artist keenly diagnoses many of the ailments of the human condition but is unable to offering a truly helpful response. And yet beneath all the vulgarity is just enough insight to make this a most interesting read.

Has anyone read Lauren Winner's book, Real Sex: The Naked Truth About Chastity? Go here at Raging Rabbits to learn more about it. It is refreshing to hear of a young, articulate, Christian, urban, professional defending chastity with a little more sophistication than "just say no."

Some days I just think we'd be better off with a benevolent dictator to govern us. Or as Plato advised, a philosopher king. Why do I utter such weirdness? Because it is so aggravating to read stories like this one. A poor, clearly troubled, young girl surfs the net and finds a web forum with all sorts of information about how to "check yourself out" so to speak. Someone will witlessly defend this monstrous website on the basis of free speech. Freedom is a wonderful thing. But it will only work so long as the populace are first self-governed by internalized precepts of virtue. Otherwise, freedoms - such as we enjoy - will lead to debauchery, moral chaos and death. Or in other words, without a more firmly established social contract, our lives will become solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short (cf. Thomas Hobbes in The Leviathan). My opinion is that the American Experiment is failing precisely for this reason. A society formed and informed by clear ethical guidance can do well when given extensive liberties. But a society that largely and increasingly rejects all objective standards of goodness will become quite unsafe. To sum it up, the majority of Americans are not "good" enough to handle the freedoms they are given. Forced to choose, I'd rather live under tyranny than anarchy.

I have decided that from this day forward I will only refer to pizza by the last two letters: za. Let it be spoken. Let it be done.

And I thought fish tacos sounded bad. Now I'm reading about fish ice cream in Taiwan. Some of the popular flavors are: pineapple shrimp, wasabi cuttlefish, strawberry tuna and mango seaweed, all in stark colors from orange to green to black. Now, I enjoy eating ethnic foods and trying new things, but this just is not right.

Well, we're almost finished with what has been a long and involved process. But one more layer of asphalt and painting the lines and then we have a new, more level and much larger parking lot for our church. Thanks to God. And to the dedicated lay people who labored many hours to plan this.

The World Health Organization - not that they know everything - is stating that an avian flu pandemic that could kill millions of people is inevitable. It's a matter of when, not if.

Of course, Martin Luther, writing 450 years ago, did not address the bird flu specifically. But he did write a pamphlet on whether Christians ought to flee the bubonic plague when it came to town. In short, the answer is, "It depends." He clearly states that pastors, local officials, and doctors, for instance, must not flee but tend to the their duties for the sake of those inflicted. One of these individuals might possibly flee to safety if his services are honestly not needed. But the general citizen is also obliged to stay to serve his neighbor. To care for the orphans and nurse the sick. If this is already being adequately provided for and one is not needed, one may go. Luther says that if you see a drowning man and do nothing to help save him when it is within your power to do so, you are guilty of murder. Likewise, abandoning your sick neighbor who has no one else to care for him is a sin.

Along the same lines, a Christian cannot neglect to help his neighbor out of fear that doing so might inconvenience him, disrupt his plans, or even result in him being harmed. That is simply a risk that MUST be taken. Luther writes:

He will always reckon with the possibility that doing so will bring some disadvantage and damage, danger and loss. No neighbor can live alongside another without risk to his safety, property, wife, or child. He must run the risk that fire or some other accident will start in the neighbor’s house and destroy him bodily or deprive him of his goods, wife, children, and all he has.

Anyone who does not do that for his neighbor, but forsakes him and leaves him to his misfortune, becomes a murderer in the sight of God...

I do not intend this, in any way, as a political statement. I just thought it was cute.

HT: The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns

In California, a school district decided to administer a 79 question survey to their elementary school children. Ten of the 79 questions related to sex. Some parents objected and took the school district to court. Now the federal court of appeals has ruled against the parents. The Judges believe that . . . well, let me just show you the quote:

"We ... hold that there is no fundamental right of parents to be the exclusive provider of information regarding sexual matters to their children ...."

Parents have no due process or privacy right to override the determinations of public schools as to the information to which their children will be exposed while enrolled as students."

Judge Stephen Reinhardt, Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals