Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Join us at the Freedom From Meth March and Rally in Fresno CA, October 2nd. This is a family event. http://bit.ly/FreedomFromMeth
Join us at the Freedom From Meth March and Rally in Fresno CA, October 2nd. This is a family event with a kid's zone. Check it out! http://bit.ly/FreedomFromMeth
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Did you ever wonder what happened to little Rickey on "I Love Lucy?" He founded a dance troupe! What? http://ping.fm/q4AeC
So what is Robert Schuller the son doing these days? Well, he's on TV, but not with his famous dad. http://ping.fm/GRZFF
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Why it might be that after 40 years of marriage, Al and Tipper Gore are splitting up. http://ping.fm/iwtvW
Friday, May 28, 2010
Arguments are a normal part of any relationship, and can be very healthy, if done correctly. http://ping.fm/15iYU
A new weight loss program especially for women. Learn how to supercharge your metabolism to burn weight faster. http://ping.fm/BvY7O
Easily pull in 100-1000 visitors to your website by using a simple copy and paste system. http://ping.fm/btuIx
Friday, January 15, 2010
If There Is A God, How Could He Let The Hatian Earthquake Happen?
In the past 10 years, natural disasters have been a big part of our lives. The media has broadcast staggering reports of:
I do believe there is a God, but I do not believe He intervenes to stop natural evil. I also do not believe Pat Robertson's commentary on Haiti's "pact with the devil" is the reason for this tragic catastrophe. Following that line of theology has some terrible problems. Here's a quote from the Hot Air blog:
"If you’re trying to divine Divine will by tracing a cause-and-effect line between certain historical data points, how do you know which data points to select? Does Haiti get no credit in the heavenly ledger for overthrowing a slaveholder regime and thereby bringing about the conditions for the U.S. to purchase the Louisiana territory? If not, if that’s spoiled by their, ahem, “pact with the devil,” does that mean the U.S. has some sort of reflected retribution coming because it profited from the deal (or was Katrina that retribution)? Or was the “pact with the devil” actually a good thing because God wanted the U.S. to have Louisiana — in which case, why are the Haitians supposedly being punished? If we do have retribution coming, how do we know when it’s finished — i.e., that Katrina wasn’t just part one of many?"
After a while, it just becomes silly. Actually, good theology states that God placed the judgement for all evil on His Son, Jesus Christ. When Christ was crucified, the judgement of God was carried out so that its now no longer up to us to try and make sense of natural evil through random finger pointing. So, when an earthquake strikes, even though it may be referred to as an "act of God," it is because natural evil is a very real part of our world.
So how do we make sense of this? In Haiti the earth's tectonic plates shifted releasing stored up energy and a 7.0 earthquake occurred. Because of the nation's poverty, building codes and materials were inferior. Each day the media reveals new horrors of Port Au Prince's destruction. If there is a theology to embrace at this time it should be based on the words of Jesus...
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
So, let's set aside our need to figure out WHY and instead figure out HOW we can ease the suffering of thousands of people who have experienced the horror of Haiti's worst natural evil in over one hundred years.
That's what I believe.
- The cyclone in Myanmar (Burma) that claimed as many as 100,000 victims.
- The 2004 Indonesian earthquake and tsunami in which more than 200,000 perished.
- Hurricane Katrina and the unbelievable destruction not only to the city of New Orleans, but the Louisiana coastal regions.
- Most recently, the heart breaking stories in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake.
I do believe there is a God, but I do not believe He intervenes to stop natural evil. I also do not believe Pat Robertson's commentary on Haiti's "pact with the devil" is the reason for this tragic catastrophe. Following that line of theology has some terrible problems. Here's a quote from the Hot Air blog:
"If you’re trying to divine Divine will by tracing a cause-and-effect line between certain historical data points, how do you know which data points to select? Does Haiti get no credit in the heavenly ledger for overthrowing a slaveholder regime and thereby bringing about the conditions for the U.S. to purchase the Louisiana territory? If not, if that’s spoiled by their, ahem, “pact with the devil,” does that mean the U.S. has some sort of reflected retribution coming because it profited from the deal (or was Katrina that retribution)? Or was the “pact with the devil” actually a good thing because God wanted the U.S. to have Louisiana — in which case, why are the Haitians supposedly being punished? If we do have retribution coming, how do we know when it’s finished — i.e., that Katrina wasn’t just part one of many?"
After a while, it just becomes silly. Actually, good theology states that God placed the judgement for all evil on His Son, Jesus Christ. When Christ was crucified, the judgement of God was carried out so that its now no longer up to us to try and make sense of natural evil through random finger pointing. So, when an earthquake strikes, even though it may be referred to as an "act of God," it is because natural evil is a very real part of our world.
So how do we make sense of this? In Haiti the earth's tectonic plates shifted releasing stored up energy and a 7.0 earthquake occurred. Because of the nation's poverty, building codes and materials were inferior. Each day the media reveals new horrors of Port Au Prince's destruction. If there is a theology to embrace at this time it should be based on the words of Jesus...
The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
So, let's set aside our need to figure out WHY and instead figure out HOW we can ease the suffering of thousands of people who have experienced the horror of Haiti's worst natural evil in over one hundred years.
That's what I believe.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
America's Got Talent?
I'm sitting here watching yet another popular "vote for your favorite" variety show and wondering what the Ted Mac Amateur Variety Hour or The Ed Sullivan Show might have been like if they had the audience voting on the talent. Back in those days we watched and saw careers launched just because they showed up and gave an incredible performance. Making it on the show was an accomplishment that recognized a performer's talent and passion. Now, there is a week after week disappointment to endure as someone who didn't get enough votes is sent home. Seriously, Dave Clark Five, The Beatles, Herman's Hermits, The Rolling Stones, all performed on Ed Sullivan's show. So let's take a vote... and I understand that some of you won't even know all four of these groups, but they all had a significant part to play in the pop culture of the 60s and 70s. So, which group would win today's vote? Should it really matter?
So we come to a really significant question... Why vote? As I see it, turning a talent show from an exhibition into a competition benefits only one party. The networks. It ups the ratings by involving the audience in a Roman Coliseumesque rating system of "thumbs up or down" to label the talent as winners or dead losers. As the ratings go up, ad revenue goes through the roof and the networks make lots of money on a show that is inexpensive to produce.
Now I know some will argue that Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson have successful careers even though they didn't get the votes. But really, they will forever be known as the ones who made it big, but got voted off American Idol. And they have to live with it for the sake of getting millions of people to choose who lives or dies on the Idol stage.
This year, one of my favorite shows "So You Think You Can Dance" had an absolutely stellar line up of dancers. I like the show because everyone on the show, the judges, choreographers, the dancers, and the audience passionately love dance. There are some evenings when the art is so overwhelming we are all left breathless and the judges are in tears. And then we have to vote and everything becomes cheapened by the commercialism. The girl who won this year, won because she was popular. Was she the best dancer? Does it really matter?
I have a solution. The next time a show comes on TV that wants us to rate the talent, let's show our support by watching and enjoying what happens, but when the host announces, "The voting lines are now open..." resist the urge to pick up the phone. What a night that would be if no one voted; if America decided to enjoy a talent show and sacrificed no one to the lions.
-- Wink
Now I know some will argue that Chris Daughtry and Jennifer Hudson have successful careers even though they didn't get the votes. But really, they will forever be known as the ones who made it big, but got voted off American Idol. And they have to live with it for the sake of getting millions of people to choose who lives or dies on the Idol stage.
This year, one of my favorite shows "So You Think You Can Dance" had an absolutely stellar line up of dancers. I like the show because everyone on the show, the judges, choreographers, the dancers, and the audience passionately love dance. There are some evenings when the art is so overwhelming we are all left breathless and the judges are in tears. And then we have to vote and everything becomes cheapened by the commercialism. The girl who won this year, won because she was popular. Was she the best dancer? Does it really matter?
I have a solution. The next time a show comes on TV that wants us to rate the talent, let's show our support by watching and enjoying what happens, but when the host announces, "The voting lines are now open..." resist the urge to pick up the phone. What a night that would be if no one voted; if America decided to enjoy a talent show and sacrificed no one to the lions.
-- Wink
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