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Monday, April 20, 2009
The Source of a Gracious Spirit
I asked Paul what he intended to do in response to the mailings. He was silent for a moment and said, "Nothing." Paul went on to explain that his mission in life was not to correct the mistatements of his opponents. In years past he would have felt the need to correct the incorrect opinions that others had of him, but having now come to an incredible sense of his own worth to Christ, it was neither necessary nor beneficial to put out fires about his character and integrity started by others. The conversation was refreshing and reminded me that . . .
(1). I'd much rather be around a person with a gracious spirit and a secure sense of his personhood, even though I may disagree with this person doctrinally, than to keep the company of a mean-spirited person - even though we may be in complete agreement doctrinally. To phrase it a little stronger - I sometimes wonder if there are those who give mental assent to evangelical truth, but have been still-born spiritually, possessing none of the divine life of God in them - life evidenced by love for people (John 13:35).
(2). I am convinced that one of the greatest evidences of strong character and genuine security is the lack of desire to silence one's detractors and accusers. Insecurity is the mother of twins named control and intimidation. A secure soul, finding genuine and ultimate satisfaction in Christ, responds to criticism, personal attacks, and derogatory statements with a genuinely gracious spirit. That's not to say there are not times when a response is needed to false accusations, but even when those rare occasions arise, the tone and tenor of the response says far more than the response itself.
In His Grace,
Wade Burleson
75 comments:
- Ramesh said...
Amen. Amen. Amen.
- Mon Apr 20, 03:11:00 PM 2009
- Wayne Smith said...
Your post here is a good one and it coincides with Your Father's Post "Open Heart of a Pastor" at :
- Mon Apr 20, 03:11:00 PM 2009
Wow, thank you very much for that. Great post.
- Kiel
- Mon Apr 20, 03:16:00 PM 2009
- Ramesh said...
Paul's blog > An Open Heart Of A Pastor.
I'm always challenged with remarks that are born out of a heart that has been humbled by failure and strengthened by the Grace of God. It is that combination that I believe is so lacking in so much of the professional ministry and church life I see on the scene today. It is also that combination that, when seen, reminds us all that there are no super saints in the Kingdom. We all stand equal at the foot of the Cross.
Much is being written on the Internet and other places about what is wrong with the Church and what is needed by Her. Whatever the answer to the question of what is wrong, no change will ever come without the combination of humility of failure and the strengthening of Grace I found in the comment recently put on my blog by a pastor who has given me permission to share those words with you again.
Rodney Sprayberry exhibits the character, hunger, honesty, and conviction to grow in grace that I would want a pastor to possess were he to be MY pastor and the pastor of MY family. Enjoy him as I did as you hear his heart. I will be saying a final word at the end.
- Mon Apr 20, 03:19:00 PM 2009
- jasonk said...
Thank you for this Wade. It reminds me of the current political climate in our country right now. I've had more opportunities to be salt and light since the November elections, because I have chosen not to join the crowd of voices criticizing president Obama. My liberal friends are surprised and pleased to hear me say that I pray for him, and pray for his success. I may not always agree with his politics, but I genuinely support him, as commanded in the New Testament. As a result, I am finding the voices on the right to be more and more mean spirited, divisive, and hateful. When Christians align themselves with these secular voices, they take away from their opportunity to influence those around them. As you said in today's post, it is more pleasureable to be around those who on the left, even though we may disagree, than it is to be around bitter people on the right.
- Mon Apr 20, 03:51:00 PM 2009
- wadeburleson.org said...
I agree.
It is true, however, that there can be some really mean spirited people on the left as well, as I know you would agree.
The gospel of grace transcends one's ideologies, either right or left, and the Bible emphatically declares that the life of God in the soul of a sinner transforms the sinner into a kind, compassionate, loving human being.
So, where that love is absent, either in those on the right OR the left, the life of God is absent.
- Mon Apr 20, 04:28:00 PM 2009
- Alan Paul said...
Thanks for this... I need to be constantly reminded out of my cynicism and sarcasm I sometimes display.
- Mon Apr 20, 05:23:00 PM 2009
Well said, Wade. And I concur that sometimes the most vocal critics (of anyone/anything) are often those least secure in their own identity, and sometimes even their beliefs. Some people seem to need the "safety" of their own accusations against others. And more's the pity, some of them are afraid to admit their own fears and insecurities even to themselves, but they are present, operating at an unarticulated level.
I had an instance a couple of years ago when I was accused of what I suppose would be considered a moral failure. The chairman of deacons came to me with this an anonymous complaint. Fortunantly, I was able to show that the complaint was groundless. At the time, I thought it was just a case of someone putting two and two together and coming up with five, and frankly, thought little more about it. That is, until a couple of weeks ago, when the deacon chairman mentioned the instance to me. Turned out the anonymous complainant was a man who was caught, a short time after accusing me, in a moral failure of his own. It destroyed his family and his career, not to mention his credibility with the church. The chairman, who by the way is a counselor, said he was convinced that the person who made that complaint was trying to shift attention away from himself, knowing his secret would soon be revealed to the "world."
There are appropriate Bible passages, such as Luke 6:45, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." But I also think of the wisdom from Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2, line 230, "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
I don't always agree with you--usually, but not always--but you are willing to listen, and do so with grace. I wish that many of those who commented in the thread about Mr. Young had the same grace.
John Fariss
- Mon Apr 20, 06:37:00 PM 2009
- Ramesh said...
This is a great interview. Please listen to it.
Mainstream Baptist > Podcast: Wade Burleson Interview.
Podcast (7MB Mp3) of Dr. Bruce Prescott's 4-19-09 "Religious Talk" radio interview with Rev. Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Oklahoma and author of "Hardball Religion: Feeling the Fury of Fundamentalism."
We talk about Burleson's transition from being a trusted foot soldier in the post-1979 Southern Baptist Convention to being a dissident blogger against SBC fundamentalism. His blogging proved so controversial that he became the only Southern Baptist trustee to ever be "recommended for removal or officially censured." Despite that, Burleson and other dissident SBC bloggers were instrumental in electing Frank Page as President of the Southern Baptist Convention in 2006 and 2007.
- Mon Apr 20, 06:51:00 PM 2009
I recently did a word study on the word charis for Greek class. My aim was to prove that grace is only of God, that man cannot exude grace, and that grace is only salvific in nature. (Specifically, I wanted to debunk the idea of "common grace"). While I believe I succeeded in so far as the word charis is used as a noun and translated grace, I also found, as digging deeper sometimes does, other ways in which charis is used. Less frequently we see, as in Luke 25:3, it is used in much the same way we would use the word "favor." (May I ask you a favor? May I ask you to give me some grace?) Where does this usage come from? Homer as well as the writer of Sirach both used the word in this way several times. More study will reveal that many of the forms of charis we see, indeed the whole word group found in TDNT takes a similar historical path as the word charity: to give something to someone who does not possess the means or ability to acquire it themselves. (a fair def.)
Of course charis can also be used adjectivally as in the case of your OP title. So we see that you have rightly identified that it still needs a source. In general something or someone to guide our souls intp a spirit of charity.
Paul Young defines charity as doing nothing. Leaving well enough alone and allowing the Lord to do His will and enact His own vengeance.
Wade, do you give charity to Page Paterson? Do you act graciously toward him? Or do you convict him openly before the world?
I must say, I find Dr. P to be the gracious one here...the one giving YOU a favor. The one who's "chara," or joy is in the Lord despite what others say. Paul young and Paige Patterson are on the same page as far as favor is concerned. Both have chosen the road of "nothing" in response to their detractors.
May the grace of our Lord be upon you and your tribe as you consider my tiny little Greek lesson of the day.
- Mon Apr 20, 06:57:00 PM 2009
I imagine you will be "challenged" by other bloggers for your observation. I, however, commend your response especially since you expressed yourself so much more graciously than I might have. Thank you.
- Mon Apr 20, 07:24:00 PM 2009
- Gereja said...
No one in this room will criticize Dalai Lama as harsh as you all normally trashed Paige Patterson.
Lu Mo Nyet
- Mon Apr 20, 08:30:00 PM 2009
- Ramesh said...
No one in this room will criticize Dalai Lama as harsh as you all normally trashed Paige Patterson..
Except if you are part of the oppressors - say the Chinese Government, Chinese Military or the Police. They have no hesitation to oppress, suppress in both blood and thievery. Thugs everywhere will eventually lose what they take by force. What endures is what is freely given, not taken by force or by fiat or a diktat.
- Mon Apr 20, 08:57:00 PM 2009
- wadeburleson.org said...
I have written to Dr. Patterson and requested that we get together for dinner. I volunteered to drive to Fort Worth and pay for both our meals. I have also been by his office with my son in tow, and sought to visit with him, not about business (I wouldn't have had my son), but simply to say hello and let him know that we have several students from Emmanuel, many of whom are there upon my recommendation. I waited for an hour, but he seemed to be delayed with a visiting group from Japan. I left him my private cell phone number and a note saying I had been by to simply say hello.
Kevin, it is possible as Christians to love and accept one another, as I do Dr. Patterson, and be willing to speak out against an action (firing Dr. Klouda) and ideology (removing women from leadership because of a faulty view of women), and seeking to bring doctrinal conformity to a Convention built on diversity.
It is always helpful for Christians to understand that differences of opinion and doctrinal disagreements do no equate to a personal rejection of the people with whom you disagree.
Ask yourself Kevin the following question - Do you believe that the number of fellow Christians that you and Dr. Patterson would be willing to fellowship with, cooperate with, and worship with is as large of a number as those with whom I would be willing to do the same?
I think you will find that speaking out against the separation and exclusive characteristics of a narrow ideology is not the same thing as rejecting the people who hold to that ideology.
- Mon Apr 20, 09:10:00 PM 2009
- WTJeff said...
God gave me a perspective on what's really important through an encounter with a truck driver last night. It's a little lengthy for a comment, so I'll just post the link. The beginning paragraph link's it to the subject of this post.
I know I don't add much to the discussion here, but I believe you will be blessed if you take less than five minutes to read this.
- Mon Apr 20, 09:12:00 PM 2009
- wadeburleson.org said...
WT Jeff,
Thanks for the link - great post!
- Mon Apr 20, 09:13:00 PM 2009
- wadeburleson.org said...
Lu Mo Nyet
I would like to gently challenge you to provide one example where Dr. Patterson himself has been trashed by me. You will be unsuccessful.
Saying it has happened does not make it so.
Neither does your confusion over challenging an un-Christian behavior equate to condemning one's Christian character.Blessings,
- Mon Apr 20, 09:15:00 PM 2009
- blu said...
I was greatly touched by Paul Young's visit to Emmanuel.
Being critical of his doctrine after having read The Shack, I came to the conclusion that some people miss the beauty of the forest because they are looking at the bark on the trees to harshly to paraphrase a great quote.
Simply how could he have accomplished so much out of such a simple story if God had not been with him and blessed him and his endeavor?
- Mon Apr 20, 09:33:00 PM 2009
I have finally figured it out. Your last comment to me helped me to finally put all the pieces together. You see, Dr. Patterson never knew you visited his office. Lu Mo Nyet stole the note and is now bent on destroying you for trying to disrupt Patterson's meeting with the Japanese delegation of which Lu Mo Nyet
was obviously apart.
Thank you for the clarification. We can be friends again.
- Mon Apr 20, 09:54:00 PM 2009
- wadeburleson.org said...
Well, Kevin, glad to know you haven't lost your sense of humor.
- Mon Apr 20, 10:13:00 PM 2009
- Dave Samples said...
It's funny, but I am in the early stages of learning what Paul Young has apparantly been practicing for some time--the art of letting God's love and acceptance be enough. I am being taught that my need for man's acceptance is feudal and that the alternative to feudal thinking is Christ-thinking. When I feel the need to defend myself, prop up my status, or in someway seek approval through others, I am trying to focus on the cross-conditioned acceptance that I have through Christ, His unlimited love for me, and my ability to share love and value out of my overflow. Paul it seems has learned that once God's acceptance is in place--nobody else's means very much. May his kind increase among us...
- Mon Apr 20, 10:39:00 PM 2009
- Gereja said...
Since I FIRST visited this blog that has been my impression--anti Patterson (as per Klouda's case; and later of Patterson's personal dogs, etc.-- which is his private business). Your blog is much broader in scope than that subject of course.
Also you NEVER said one word explicitly that you question Patterson's character, etc. But everybody knows that there are many ways to skin a cat.
The IMPRESSION I got was NOT by means of your explicit words, but by all the carefully chosen words and highly sophisticated wordings you've succesfully thrased Patterson (might not by design--only you and God knows it). Much like beating around the Bush, but not at Bush himself. Very sophisticated writings. To me it is good politics, but bad theology. I don't know politics, just beginning to learn Bible.
Wade, no hard feelings please. You just have Paul Young filled your pulpits; I just wondering will you have Patterson soon at your pulpit preaching unlimited atonement?
Honestly I think you meant well as proven by the many fans you have at this blog, but I think you have been influenced by the culture of postmodernism.
Lu Mo Nyet
- Mon Apr 20, 10:46:00 PM 2009
- Chris Ryan said...
And you have been influenced by the culture of Modernism, as I pointed out in a previous post.
We make a mistake when any of us think that we are free of cultural biases and presuppositions. It takes a great deal of courage to admit that what the culture has always told you is wrong. It takes even more courage to examine how you have always experienced God and read the Bible for influence of the culture you realize isn't infallible.
Few have the courage, insight and self-awareness to undertake such a task and complete it wholly successful. Actually, probably only Jesus did.
- Mon Apr 20, 11:08:00 PM 2009
Just bought a copy of the movie "Joshua" at a garage sale and was struck by the impact it had on me. Found the film to cause a similar reaction as the one I had to Paul's book.
After trying to figure it out, I came to one conclusion: it was about the ability of mankind to see the love of God for them. Not told in the 'same way' but in the 'same spirit'.
I'm all for this message getting out to people in as many forms as possible.
- Mon Apr 20, 11:15:00 PM 2009
Patterson trashed himself.
Commenting on the wrong he did, does not imply an attack on Patterson's character, as Patterson himself set out to openly destroy Dr. Klouda. He would be the first the welcome the publicity.
The shame is that Patterson brought disgrace on the Church by his actions.
Remember, the attacks on women and on gays are coming from the same sources. These sources don't teach of the loving Presence of God.
- Mon Apr 20, 11:20:00 PM 2009
- Gereja said...
Actually Jesus' teaching & life was not influenced by the culture of His time. And we too can be like Christ as per 1Cor2:16: "But we have [keep on having] the mind [thinking] of Christ." IF He were around today probably SBC churches would rather not having Him fill their pulpits.
Lu Mo Nyet
- Mon Apr 20, 11:24:00 PM 2009
Chris Ryan:
You said
Remember, the attacks on women and on gays are coming from the same sources. These sources don't teach of the loving Presence of God.
So David Jeremiah doesn't teach of the loving presence of God but Perez Hilton does right! Miss California was attacking
that Gay man.
Boy you got your head on backwards or something...are you a Christaphobe?
- Mon Apr 20, 11:54:00 PM 2009
- Tue Apr 21, 01:11:00 AM 2009
To portray Obama as a common ordinary every day run of the mill messiah.May you burn in Gitmo.
- Tue Apr 21, 01:14:00 AM 2009
- Ron said...
I hope it doesn't say something negative about my character as compared to Paul Young but I would like to respond to your statement in the post at the bottom of the Washington Post story comments that I was spinning the facts to fit my story. If that is true, I want to understand it. I hope you will look back at the post and read my response and help me understand.
- Tue Apr 21, 05:25:00 AM 2009
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Tue Apr 21, 07:41:00 AM 2009
Who are you wishing to burn in Gitmo? How can a professing Christian wish death upon another for mere political differences? What this really says about you is that you care not about their soul, in essense saying "whether or not you have been redeemed, your time is up--I wish you to die. I have deemed your eternal fate is sealed in your present state--be it heaven or hell."
Repent Robert. Your statement was morbid and demonic.
- Tue Apr 21, 07:45:00 AM 2009
- Tom Kelley said...
I want to have a more gracious spirit.
- Tue Apr 21, 08:42:00 AM 2009
Kev, that was an example of a 'Robert joke'.
It's when Robert talks seriously about a hating God that I begin to worry for him. There is so much he does not understand yet. If God is not a loving God, we would not have been given mercy in the form of Jesus. Until Robert understands, we must all worry on his account.
Robert's attempt at humor goes over like a lead balloon; his attempt at being like Jesus is far more chilling. We should pray.
- Tue Apr 21, 08:44:00 AM 2009
- Chris Ryan said...
I don't doubt that Christ's teaching transcends mere cultural norms. Don't think for a moment though that Jesus doesn't speak to those cultural norms or use them to His advantage. If you aren't reading the Bible in light of its pre-modern socio-religio-political context, then oftentimes you are missing the intent of Christ's words.
All Christians have the mind of Christ being formed in them. I don't doubt that either. But if any of us are honest, the process of transformation is far from completed. Proof: if we had the fully formed mind of Christ then we would not still sin. Where our mind has not been fully redeemed is room for a great many cultural interpretations of our own.
You never said what about my post you were speaking to. And, honestly, I am just not seeing the connection. Especially in light of your final question. Would you please clarify what your intent was so that I can better understand why you are so concerned and ask myself if I should share your concern?
- Tue Apr 21, 10:00:00 AM 2009
- Ramesh said...
Breakfast with Fred weekly newsletter:
Hurt gives us the opportunity to know ourselves much better than does success. Many of the world's great achievers have been lonely. This gave deeper self-knowledge and understanding of their uniqueness. When the time came to steer their course, they didn't have to depend on others.
These alone times help us know two things: 1) our destructive weaknesses and 2) our constructive strengths. Knowing these two allows freedom to operate well under pressure.
We never truly know ourselves until we navigate the easy and hard times. The breadth of our weaknesses is hidden if we only have one experience or the other. Just as it is important to know the weight limit on a bridge, so it is important to know our own breaking point. We can bolster our weaknesses only if we truly understand them.
As Dr. Dennis Gabor in The Mature Society points out, history provides proof that in trouble man can be noble, but cannot sustain that nobility in long-term prosperity.
In an old issue of The Monthly Letter of the Royal Bank of Canada, I read, "The determining element in maturity is not so much what happens to a person, but the way he takes it. The responses to life of a mature person are of good quality and can be counted on." The opposite if the juvenile response to problems and the obligations of life.
Knowledge of our self must include our ability to trust others and to trust principles, particularly divine principles. Eric Erickson, the eminent psychiatrist, says that the proper development of trust in a child is one of the most fundamental necessities for a healthy life. Too often I see people in trouble who have let trust turn to cynicism.
The lack of well-placed trust creates tentative living. Trust in the one true God gives us strength to walk through the dark times. Knowledge of Him allows knowledge of ourselves. And self-knowledge comes as one of the values of the valleys.
This week think about: 1) How have dark times helped me know myself? 2) Where am I finding the value in the valley? 3) What are my destructive weaknesses, as well as my constructive strengths?
Words of Wisdom: "Self-knowledge is one of the values of the valleys."
Wisdom from the Word: "But I trust in your faithfulness. May I rejoice because of your deliverance. " (Psalm 13:5 NET Bible)
- Tue Apr 21, 11:54:00 AM 2009
- Lydia said...
"Wade, do you give charity to Page Paterson? Do you act graciously toward him?"
Kevin, What about giving some grace to his victims? Unfortuantly, that would include making truth known which you would define as ungracious. Catch 22..in favor of Patterson who has been ungracious to many over the last 30 years.
- Tue Apr 21, 12:05:00 PM 2009
- Byroniac said...
Actually, what Robert quoted was the comment left at the link he gave.
- Tue Apr 21, 12:05:00 PM 2009
- Ramesh said...
Master and Best Friend.
Here are comments left on that post that are similar to what Robert said here:
To portray Obama as a common ordinary every day run of the mill messiah.May you burn in Gitmo.
April 16th, 2009.
Wiki > Being There.
Was Peter Sellers blaspheming God, by walking on water?
- Tue Apr 21, 12:19:00 PM 2009
Thanks Byroniac:
just waiting to see how long it took people to get the political humor.
Kevin if you have not figured it out I love politics, theology, and free software(fsf).
My mother actually sent me that from Iowa and the comment was one of only two by someone on that website with that picture.
I thought it was a gracious way of injecting humor into the discussion about liberal fascists.
- Tue Apr 21, 12:34:00 PM 2009
Thanks Byroniac:
just waiting to see how long it took people to get the political humor.
Kevin if you have not figured it out I love politics, theology, and free software(fsf).
My mother actually sent me that from Iowa and the comment was one of only two by someone on that website with that picture.
I thought it was a gracious way of injecting humor into the discussion about liberal fascists.
- Tue Apr 21, 12:35:00 PM 2009
- Tom Parker said...
You attempt at humor failed. I did not notice any quotation marks with your comment.
It is going to be a long 8 years for you. I really wish you were a more respectful person than you are when it comes to the President of the United States.
- Tue Apr 21, 12:53:00 PM 2009
"Wade, do you give charity to Page Paterson? Do you act graciously toward him?"
Wade has organized for the victims'welfare. He has tried to make contact.
- Tue Apr 21, 01:33:00 PM 2009
Tom Parker:
Just because you say it does not make it true.
- Tue Apr 21, 01:48:00 PM 2009
This ringer comes from Lu: "To me it is good politics, but bad theology."
And if anyone knows about bad theology, it's Lu.
Carry on men...
- Tue Apr 21, 02:15:00 PM 2009
- Lydia said...
This ringer comes from Lu: "To me it is good politics, but bad theology."
And if anyone knows about bad theology, it's Lu.
Carry on men...
Tue Apr 21, 04:15:00 PM 2009
If anyone knows 'good politics' it is Paige Patterson.
- Tue Apr 21, 03:04:00 PM 2009
I agree with the last two comments.
And I wrote one of them. :)
- Tue Apr 21, 05:57:00 PM 2009
I disagree with you on this one. You will see why in a sec.
You get no grace on this one. You were not attempting humor nor did you quote a website. When you quote something you MUST put it in quotes. Quite frankly I am sick of your posts that do not use quotes nor site your sources. You lie when you do this. You discredit yourself and commit academic fraud. You prove yourself to be a fake and a scam.
There! You are exposed. Do not defame good humor with your lies.
Say something smart, quote and document something smart, or shut up.
And don't even try to say I am not following Matthew 18…..next time I am bringing someone with me!
- Tue Apr 21, 06:52:00 PM 2009
- Tom Parker said...
Great post!!!!!!
- Tue Apr 21, 07:06:00 PM 2009
I apologize for not putting quotes....I should have put them there!
I usually put links afterword but I thought the link blazing across the picture was pretty obvious.....sorry again.
- Tue Apr 21, 07:17:00 PM 2009
You are forgiven.
To all:
Baptist Press has an article from NOBTS on the roles of the Persons of the trinity. Worth a read.
SEBTS is NOT raising tuition either. I am going hunt and hunt and hunt, and if I see so much as a parking fine increase I want them hung out to dry!
- Tue Apr 21, 07:38:00 PM 2009
- Steve said...
"IF He (Jesus) were around today probably SBC churches would rather not having Him fill their pulpits."
Are we really having to read silly unthinking stuff like this? What's next, "God is Dead"?
- Tue Apr 21, 08:56:00 PM 2009
- Ramesh said...
Discussions > Something Is Broken > An update on profile counts....
So many of you have noticed that profile counts have not been updating as they have in the past, and we thought we'd step in and let you know exactly what is going on here and why this change has been put in place.
Basically, having completely accurate counts caused a lot of problems for profile pages that experienced high traffic - at several times in the past few months this has led to difficulties and slowness for the entire service. These problems were amplified even more by a number of users who abused the count by running automated scripts trying to bump up their counts.
Because of this, we've switched to using an estimated count of profile views; while it's less accurate we believe that keeping the service running and responsive has to be our first priority. We'll change the language on the profile pages to reflect this - thanks for your patience and understanding..
The Profile Views Counter Is Not Updating.
The Profile Views Counter Is Frozen.
- Tue Apr 21, 09:18:00 PM 2009
Chris Ryan:
You replied to me with this comment.
You never said what about my post you were speaking to. And, honestly, I am just not seeing the connection. Especially in light of your final question. Would you please clarify what your intent was so that I can better understand why you are so concerned and ask myself if I should share your concern?"
I asked you this question first based on the later part of your statement....here is the statement.
"Remember, the attacks on women and on gays are coming from the same sources. These sources don't teach of the loving Presence of God"
So he is my question again to you!
So David Jeremiah doesn't teach of the loving presence of God but Perez Hilton does right! Miss California was attacking
that Gay man?
In case you have not followed the discussion Miss California got asked a question about homosexual rights then lost the contest due to her religious beliefs.
Frankly even the gay community was trashing Perez Hilton for that question and his bigotry. Then he calls her a B word and then the C word on National television. So who is attacking who?
Also if you didn't get the connection she attends San Diego Christian college which was founded by David Jeremiah.
Do you understand my question now?
BTW---the talk is that Miss California might be suing the Miss USA or Miss Universe pageant for religious discrimination.
- Wed Apr 22, 12:25:00 AM 2009
Way to go Miss Cali.!
Miss California is the bomb, and in more ways than one. -wink-
- Wed Apr 22, 02:57:00 AM 2009
Yes. Miss Cali is 'the bomb'.
I admire her for saying that she was glad that all Americans can marry freely.
I admire her for giving her opinion openly and honestly, as she later also stated that it was HER opinion.
She did nothing wrong.
I will be happier for daughters and grandaughters who won't have to parade in a skimpy bikini for attention and competition of externals. I will be happier when the men on a Christian blog who agrees with what she said, doesn't have to go 'wink'.
Yes, vive la difference.
Wonderful to see a beautiful, healthy, honest young woman.
Not so good to see what she must put herself through in order to achieve her potential in our society where her 'pulpit' is a stage, and a microphone;
and where she is forbidden to speak
in church 'pulpit' because what makes the Christian man say (wink) disqualifies her.
You go, Miss Cali,
and by the time your daughters and their daughters have grown up, may they have a dignified 'pulpit' to speak up for what they believe in.
And when, the Christian men can say 'Amen" to their message, instead of 'wink'.
Dear 'wink': you are a good, red-blooded American male who means no harm and I speak not against you personally; just hoping for a better world for all women some day where they can use all their gifts and speak, without restrictions, for their Lord. I hope you understand. If not, then someday, I hope you will.
- Wed Apr 22, 08:14:00 AM 2009
Ignorant Anony - You just made a jackass out of yourself without even trying. Does it come easy for you?
I am, in fact, a female. I was saying that she is the bomb for stating a strong opinion even though she would be drilled for it by people like you (making fun of her beautiful body) and hollywood celebrities (making fun of her stand).
You are in a good company of people who commonly make jackasses out of themselves (you, Sean Penn, Alec Baldwin, Steven Spielberg, etc...I won't name any of the lady celebrity jackasses so you won't be offended).
And Miss Cali. is the bomb in more ways than one because the percussion effect is still being talked about because of what she said.
So what exactly were you referring to when you thought I was a male?
It wasn't anything sexual, was it?
Perhaps you need to get your mind out of the gutter and get yourself a mirror. You are much too ignorant to be worried about other peoples motives in what they write.
Now go buy your daughter a treadmill and a bikini so she won't have those stupid tan lines.
I'm no Miss Cali., but I love mine.
- Wed Apr 22, 08:55:00 AM 2009
Please focus on the question as to whether Christians attack homosexuals or homosexuals attack Christians.My experience has been that homosexuals are the most intolerant group of people in America.
- Wed Apr 22, 09:06:00 AM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 09:21:00 AM 2009
- Lydia said...
The only restrictions on their speaking came FROM the Lord in the Bible (i.e. I Timothy 2). Therefore, since He is the one who put them there no one has the right to just ignore them just because it's not Politically Correct. Our opinions don't matter. What God's word clearly teaches does.
Wed Apr 22, 11:21:00 AM 2009
Wow. A new law just for women in the NT!! Even though there is not one in the OT concerning this. That is incredible.
So, Huldah would have been in sin had she been in the NT!
- Wed Apr 22, 09:30:00 AM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 09:44:00 AM 2009
- Lydia said...
Calling me names and being insulting is too easy,Joe. Where is the new law for women in the New Covenant?
Why wasn't Huldah in sin for teaching men?
- Wed Apr 22, 09:58:00 AM 2009
- Tim Marsh said...
Interesting where this "The Source of a Gracious Spirit" post has gone...
- Wed Apr 22, 10:16:00 AM 2009
The SBC has come to a conclusion about that issue via the BFM.
However the other point that Chris Ryan brought up in his statement is what I am curious as to your beliefs. Especially in relation to what many have argued should be unconditional love from God.
- Wed Apr 22, 10:20:00 AM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 10:44:00 AM 2009
<< Judges 4 >>
American King James Version
1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead. 2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelled in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried to the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. 5 And she dwelled under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. 6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said to him, Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun? 7 And I will draw to you to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into your hand. 8 And Barak said to her, If you will go with me, then I will go: but if you will not go with me, then I will not go. 9 And she said, I will surely go with you: notwithstanding the journey that you take shall not be for your honor; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. 10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him.
11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent to the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
12 And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles to the river of Kishon. 14 And Deborah said to Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the LORD has delivered Sisera into your hand: is not the LORD gone out before you? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15 And the LORD discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet. 16 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, to Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell on the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left.
17 However, Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite. 18 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said to him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in to her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 19 And he said to her, Give me, I pray you, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20 Again he said to her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man does come and inquire of you, and say, Is there any man here? that you shall say, No. 21 Then Jael Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly to him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said to him, Come, and I will show you the man whom you seek. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.
23 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.
- Wed Apr 22, 11:16:00 AM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 12:13:00 PM 2009
- Lydia said...
"First Timothy 2:11-12 says "Let a woman quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." In the church women are to be under the authority of the elders, excluded from teaching men or holding positions of authority over them."
I know this interpretation makes you feel like a manly man with authority but it just is not right in many ways. First of all, the passage is about ONE specific woman. The grammar proves this to be correct no matter what the CBMW says. Secondly, she is not to 'authenteo' (We have another case of negative teaching in the NT in case you use that excuse)
Even Jerome interpreted this as dominate not 'authority over'.
Unfortuantly, there is just not enough evidence..real evidence...to prove that this means authority over. In Greek literature it means something really horrible to do to someone and has nothing to do with authority over.
Thirdly, elders have no authority over folks in the Body. Something our brethren in the SBC need to learn and the followers need to look to Christ. Real elders actually look more like Matthew 5. This is not a passage that appeals to those wanting authority over others. It is about being a servant, Joe. Not having authority over others.
If your interpretation of authority over others in the Body is correct that would mean there would be a layer (another depraved human being) between Jesus Christ and I.
"As to your red herring about Huldah, her brining a message to men from God does not suggest in any way, shape, form, or fashion that she had a regular prophetic role."
Huh? That is how she is described. The 'priests' went to her:
2 Kings 22
14So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her.
2 Chronicles 34
22So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, the keeper of the wardrobe (now she lived in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter); and they spoke to her regarding this.
" There are no women anywhere in the OT who served as prophets in the same manner as Isaiah, Elisha, Daniel, etc. No women ever wrote scripture. You can't take someone who brought A message from God and elevate them to the office of prophet no matter how loudly this culture screams "That's not fair" and threatens to hold its breath til it turns blue in the face and passes out."
You are right, Joe. We really are second class persons in Christendom. And I guess God could just not find any men to work through in those instances. I am sure Deborah and Huldah knew this and were ashamed to be used of God in this way. I am sure the priests and Barak knew the same thing.
- Wed Apr 22, 12:48:00 PM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 12:57:00 PM 2009
Joe said 'Finally, I never once said women were second class citizens'
yeah, Joe, and thanks to you, we now have proof.
- Wed Apr 22, 01:18:00 PM 2009
Knew a girl from Texas, a navy wife with two kids, who told about her upbringing. We were discussing 'women's lib' as it was called back in the 70's.
Marianne told me about how her father 'enforced' her lowly status as a female in the home. She came home from an after-school job one day and her oldest brother was drunk and demanded that she cook for him. She refused. Her father, also a vicious drunk, got up, grabbed her by the poney tail and socked her in the jaw, and threw her on the floor. With her teeth loosened and blood coming from her mouth, she was forced to cook for the drunken brother. Her father quoted scripture during this episode. Marianne left home and never returned and never spoke to her father or brothers again.
She has had her teeth repaired, but her other scars have not healed, you know the ones you get from people who have learned from the Bible to treat women poorly and 'charity begins at home'. Marrianne no longer believed in God, when we talked. After hearing her story, I didn't ask why. She's one of the 'casualties' in the fundamentalist misoginist war against women.
- Wed Apr 22, 01:27:00 PM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 01:34:00 PM 2009
Finally, I never once said women were second class citizens. I bet that gave you a good little rush to type that, though.
Wed Apr 22, 02:57:00 PM 2009
Joe, any woman who would submit to you either in church or the home, would have to be an unintelligent doormat. I am basing this on your nasty, arrogant and insulting comments here.
- Wed Apr 22, 03:37:00 PM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 03:39:00 PM 2009
- Joe Blackmon said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- Wed Apr 22, 03:54:00 PM 2009


text:
TINTIN: Hergé's Masterpiece/The Mysteries of Marlinspike Hall (Terrace Rooms, Somerset House, 12 November 2015-31 January 2016)
Toward the end of this exhibition is a photograph of Hergé and Andy Warhol.
One of them is an artist. The other one worked in reproductions.
Ah, but which is which?
I remember the large format Tintin books from my junior school, back in the day before graphic novels were a thing — but I don't recall reading any. I must have done. Nothing stuck. There were cartoons, too, right? HERGÉ'S ADVENTUUUUUUUUUUUURES OF TINTIN. Oddly enough, I did read the book on Tintin by Tom McCarthy.
A few years ago, my local Waterstone's — one of them, the one which produces authors — had a boxset of all twenty-four volumes in a medium format in a slip case at a daft price, but one which was clearly cheaper than buying twenty-four individual titles. All or nothing. And then, several months before the film, they reduced it considerably. So I bought it with the intention of reading them before so the film. I didn't read them. I didn't see the film.
And so when there was news of an exhibition at Somerset House, I thought that was an excuse, but I've still only read about five. I'll go back now and work through. Tintin appears to be a journalist, although I've yet to see him file a story. There seems to be a pattern of receiving a telegram or travelling to another country and running into men with guns, and an encounter with the local police who throw him in prison thanks to the villains misleading them. Captain Haddock may turn up and the identical (non?)twins Thompson and Thomson and chaos ensues before Tintin unveils the criminals. Snowy, his dog, does the full Timmy's-down-the-mineshaft business, but nobody listens to him.
Hergé was born Georges Remi in Etterbeek, Belgium in 1907, so he would have been seven when the Germans invaded and devastated the country. He went to a Catholic school and excelled, although not apparently in art. More significantly, he joined the scouts, and started drawing a strip, Totor for a scouting magazine. The moral code, the respect for authority and the doing a good deed every day — along, perhaps, with Catholicism — feeds into Tintin. Hergé had found work with a Catholic newspaper, Le Vingtième Siècle, and was invited to draw a weekly strip for its children's supplement, Le Petit Vingtième from 1929.
The new technologies of the age — electricity, cars, gramophones, telephones and cinema all contribute to the strips, with Hergé apparently taking inspiration from early cinema as much as earlier comics. Among the latter we must presumably include Benjamin Rabier's Tintin Lutin. Hergé aspires to realism; he did a lot of research on the Destination Moon (1950/1953) and Explorers on the Moon (1952-3/1954), getting the rocketry as right as was possible then. (The former predates George Pál's film as far as I can see, assuming Objectif Lune appeared in the serialisation.) On the other hand, the action twisting action, Tintin's survival and the constant defeat of criminals stretches credulity. Hergé has very basic ligne clair (clear line) which is nonetheless efficient.
The initial strips — Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (1929-30/1930, Tintin in the Congo (1930-31/1931) and Tintin in America (1931-32/1932) — have a crude, conservative, xenophobic, not to say racist feel, and it's worth remembering that Belgium was a colonial power in Africa. (See, say, Heart of Darkness.) However, on becoming friends with Zhang Chongren in 1934, he started doing more research into the background locations of his adventures, beginning with The Blue Lotus (1935-36/1936). The exhibition calls him Chang — minus his personal name — and calls him Hergé's "spiritual guide", which brought me up short. As I read on, I am going to have to be aware of the degree to which Hergé avoids xenophobia.
Meanwhile, the Nazis rose to power and invaded and occupied Belgium, closing Le Vingtième Siècle; Tintin continued in the Nazi-controlled Le Soir and I've vague memories of where Hergé was politically. McCarthy must have discussed this in his book. This is presumably at the same time as Paul de Man's work for the same paper? There is clearly the risk of an appearance of collaboration on Hergé's part. After the closure of Le Soir, he established his own magazine with Raymond Leblanc, a resistance fighter.
The exhibition mostly consisted of black and white panels from the original stories, mostly minus the dialogue. These were described as facsimiles — but I wasn't clear whether this meant modern copies of the archive or these had been made in the production process. There were also small photographs — some I suspect photocopies, not all clearly labelled. And then in each room there is either a vitrine containing a three dimensional recreation of a frame from the strips or a model — Marlinspike Hall or Tintin's flat. On the side wall were further reproductions, as well as on the windows and in fireplaces. Information boards included scans.
As scanning and printing technology has improved, I've noticed more and more use of facsimiles in exhibitions. Does it matter that they are copies? Am I fetishising the original with its aura of labour — Hergé's steps in putting a strip together? Tintin was mass produced — in newspapers, in collections — and so the hand of the artist is lost in what we've seen. Should it be brought back? In an interview, Hergé said that not only did he have fun, he was paid to do it. And that photo of a meeting with Warhol — he of the Campbell Soup and Brillo Pads and silkscreens and chat shows as art — is telling.
I don't think there were any examples on show, but apparently Hergé embraced abstract art in later life. In 1976 he bought a Calder mobile — coincidentally there is a show of that artist's work at Tate Modern. There's much more to be said about Hergé, I suspect; I seduced myself into buying the book, so no doubt I will say more.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Joshua Leinsdorf, Chief Psephologist
Information About Joshua Leinsdorf
"It doesn't take a lot of intelligence to start a war. It takes a lot more to put an end to a war. Fools can easily start wars, and wise men are left not knowing what to do." Nikita S. Khrushchev, 1970
"Wars are God's way of teaching Americans geography." – Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1913)
"Waging war is simple, but running a country is very difficult." Pham Van Dong to Stanley Karnow
"History does not repeat itself; it is historians who repeat one another." – Max Beerbohm (1872 – 1956)
"All you need in life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure." – Mark Twain
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2020 Election Analysis (December 14, 2020) -
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Democrats' Misplaced Faith in Mail Voting (September 11, 2020) -
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The Wisconsin Primary Proves Election Day Should Be A National Holiday (May 1, 2020) -
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interview with Seyed Hossein Mousavian, a former nuclear negotiator for Iran.
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Why Obama Won in 2012 – Read The Center Holds: Obama and His
Enemies by Jonathan Alter. A truly great piece of political reportage.
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into Syria (September 30, 2014) -
The Ebola Virus and Corrupt Elections (September 5, 2014) -
Margaret MacMillan is the Greatest Diplomatic Historian of the Twentieth Century (August 16, 2014) -
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Chris Christie Goes Down For the Count (December 8, 2013) -
Own Goals and Compromise American Style (October 10, 2013) -
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Obama's War of Choice Against Syria (August 30, 2013) -
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No Iran War Under Netanyahu (August 20, 2012) -
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Chris Christie's New Jersey Republicans Use and Abuse Legal System to Outlaw Defeat of Incumbent Republicans (September 24, 2011) -
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Foreign Policy and Prosperity: Failure to Raise the Debt Ceiling Will Cause Economic
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Afterbirth: Accurate Analysis is an Essential Part of Democratic Self-Government. The
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New Jersey Non-partisan Legislative Map (March 31, 2011) -
Soldier Among Diplomats Without Hesitation: The Odyssey of and American Warrior
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Ignore it at your peril. (March 14, 2011) -
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contemporary politics and government. (March 6, 2011)
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Everybody Loses: UK Voters Demand National Unity Government to Face Economic Equivalent of World War II (May 7, 2010) -
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Link to Positions on Taxes and Expenditures http://www.leinsdorf.com/Governor/Taxes.htm
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Bush Says War On Terror To Last Forty Years: WAR JOURNAL
MY FIVE YEARS IN IRAQ By RICHARD ENGEL NBC NEWS MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT. If you read only one
book on Iraq, this is the one to read. Engle has lived in the Middle East for twelve years and speaks
fluent Arabic (August 9, 2008) -
Analysis: Israel's Hamas Truce and Syria Negotiations are Prelude to Iran Attack (June 23, 2008) -
The Genius of Democracy – Voters Reprise the 2000 Presidential Election in the Democratic
Party Nomination Process (June 4, 2008) -
Kentucky and Oregon: Voters Refuse to Quit and Get Off the Fence (May 21, 2008) -
Democrats in Big Hurry to Lose White House, Think They Can Not Lose. Judge Smith and Role
Nebraska and West Virginia Primaries Make Popular Vote a Dead Heat in Democratic
Obama Regains Popular Vote Lead on Surging Turnout in North Carolina and Indiana (May 8, 2008) -
Somalia is Not A State, Not A Failed State (May 5, 2008) -
Venue Shopping 2008 Election Winners Proves Gore Won in 2000 (May 2, 2008) -
Pennsylvania Gives Clinton Popular Vote Lead,
Obama leads in Caucuses (April 24, 2008) -
The Complete Official 2006 Election Results: Over
85,481,870 voters; more than 800 million ballots
cast; 36 Governor's races; 33 Senate races,
435 House races; over 6,000 state legislators
and 196 ballot questions. Read all about it (April 17, 2008)-
Voters Boost Obama Into Serious Contention (Lincoln's 199th Birthday) -
The First Super Tuesday, February 5, 2008: Voters Turn Out; Romney Drops Out; Democrats in Marathon Horse Race; Obama Nips At Hillary's Heels, Emerges As New JFK (February 8, 2008) -
The Florida 2008 Presidential Primary: The Voters Seize Control of the Candidate Selection Process
South Carolina Presidential Primary Results (January 27, 2008) -
Michigan Presidential Primary Results (January 16, 2008) -
Complete and Final Results from the 2008 New Hampshire Presidential Primary: New Hampshire Voters Turn Out in Droves To Make A Brilliant, Difficult First Cut in the 2008 Presidential Race (January 11, 2008) -
Iowa Votes To Protect Its Poll Position in Presidential Nominating Process (January 4, 2008) -
Leinsdorf's Second Law - Stolen Elections Lead to War: The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro (January 4, 2008) -
A Question of Torture: CIA Interrogation from the Cold War to the War on
Terror by Alfred W. McCoy is an important book. Link to review -
Prime Minister John Howard Becomes the Second Australian Prime Minister in 106 Years to Lose His Seat in Parliament on the Heels of a Crushing Defeat by Kevin Rudd's Labor Party (November 24, 2007) -
Ornery New Jersey Voters Stay Home in Droves to Send Shock Waves Through Trenton (November 15, 2007 -
Bush is Turning the United States Into An Israeli Colony (November 4, 2007) -
The Voters' Strategy for 2008: Brokered Conventions (October 25, 2007) -
Bush Endorses Guliani, the Republican Kerry (September 22, 2007) -
Bush's Iraq Trip A Reprise of Carter's Trip to Iran in 1977 (September 16,2007) -
The Quranic Concept of War by Brigadier S.K. Malik, with an introduction by the late General M. Zia-Ul-Haq, Chief of the Pakistan Army Staff
and dictator of Pakistan, is a great book about the Islamic approach to war compared to western concepts. . Published in 1986, I am the fourth person to take
this book out of the Princeton Firestone library in the past 21 years (where General David Patraeus got his Phd.) For a brief excerpt on strategy click on book
icon. (September 4, 2007) -
Is the United States torturing prisoners in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo? You bet. Read a brilliant, first hand account:
FEAR UP HARSH, An Army Interrogator's Dark Journey Through Iraq by Tony Lagouranis and Allen Mikaelian published by
NAL Caliber, New American Library, a division of the Penguin Group ISBN:978-0-451-22112-4 $24.95 (August 23, 2007)
Michael Vick Prosecution Part of Iraq War Propaganda (August 17, 2007) -
Mortgage Meltdown Proves Importance of Illegal Immigrants
(August 17, 2007) -
No President Arnold: Governor Schwartzenegger Is the Reason for the
Weak Republican Presidential Field (August 13, 2007) -
Record 2006 Off-Year Turnout of 85,375,277 Voters Proves Integrity of 2004 Election in Ohio
and Electronic Voting Machines (July 22, 2007) -
The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace by Ali A. Allawi is essential reading for policymakers, soldiers,
relatives of soldiers and voters interested in understanding what happened and what is happening in Iraq. Allawi left Iraq in 1958, studied in the west,
and returned after the invasion to become defense minister. He is incredibly knowledgeable and objective. Allawi has been paying attention to the
details in Iraq for six decades. Whether one is for the war, against the war or undecided, this book will change your mind about how to proceed. (July 17, 2007)
Voters Handicap the 2008 presidential race
(May 27, 2007) -
Complete, Official, Final 2004 Election Results:
More than 123,271,028 voters casting over 800 million
votes, Dozens of presidential candidates, 33 Senate races,
435 House races; over 5,750 state legislative races and
159 ballot questions. Read all about it! (June 18, 2007) -
9/11 Attacks will be the deciding, if not the only, issue
in 2008 Presidential Race (May 19, 2007)-
The Memoirs of Nikita S. Khrushchev. In three volumes.
Essential reading for anyone interested in American
foreign policy, politics and history.- (May 27, 2007)
Click on books for link to brief review
Sarkozy Squeaker A Nod Toward Vichy France and War (May 7, 2007) -
Link to French Election Results - http://fr.news.yahoo.com/elections2007/presidentielle/flash/fr/2007/index.html
Iraq War Already Lost on Unacknowledged Shock Wave of Brain Injuries
(April 28, 2007) -
United States Considered Attacking Iraq in 1958 (April 9, 2007) -
Why the House of Representatives is Spearheading Opposition
to Iraq and Its Impact on the 2008 Presidential Race (March 25, 2007) -
The Crisis of American Nationality (March 16, 2007) -
Can the Democrats and Republicans Snatch Catastrophe from the
Jaws of Defeat in Iraq? (March 8, 2007) -
Bagram Attack is Bush's Mini-Tet and the Cause of Historic Market Decline
(March 1, 2007) -
2008 Presidential Race Already A Disaster (March 1, 2007) -
Time to Take Saddam Hussein Seriously (February 3, 2007) -
The Sixth Year Foreign Policy Curse of the Two Term
United States Presidency (January 30, 2007) -
Fight the Roots of Terror, Not the Symptoms:
Financial Times interview with Abdullah Badawi, the Malaysian prime minister (January 29, 2007) -
Gerald Ford, the Worst President of Modern Times. The Person Responsible for
the Rise of Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bush and Unelected Presidents
(January 13, 2007) -
Bad News for the Legacy Candidates In 2006 Off Year Election
Is There Something Rotten In The State Of New Mexico? Did
U.S. House Proposal for Voter Photo I.D. and Citizenship Proof is
Playing Politics With the Future of the United States's Democracy
9/11 Remembrance - It is important to remember that 15 of the 19 hijackers and Osama Bin Laden are Saudis.
Rachel Bronson has written THICKER THAN OIL: America's Uneasy Partnership with Saudi Arabia. Sponsored by the
Council on Foreign Relations, THICKER THAN OIL is like reading a National Security Council briefing book on Saudi-American
relations from the beginning until today. Absolutely indispensable for anyone who wants to understand the War in Iraq and Middle
East Policy. [Published by Oxford University Press ISBN-13: 978-0-19-516743-6]- (September 11, 2006)
Was Kennedy the First Fragging Fatality of the Vietnam War? Vietnam War Memoirs Point to the
Involvement of General Paul D. Harkins in Kennedy's Assassination (August 1, 2006 amended November 21, 2009) -
Three Essential Books (June 6, 2006) -
Bush Opts For War (May 3, 2006) -
Bush Copies the Errors from John Foster Dulles's Playbook: Treating the
Funding of the Palestinian Authority After Hamas's Victory like the Funding
of the Aswan High Dam (April 17, 2006) -
All Democratic Elections Beginning To Look The Same: Berlusconi Tries to
Pull A Bush (April 17, 2006) -
Ali Baba - Bound, Honor Killing and Group Identity in Water Deficit
Societies (April 10, 2006) -
War With Iran Is Next On Bush's Agenda (St. Patrick's Day, 2006) -
Vice President Cheney's Hunting Accident Possibly Caused by Stroke (February 19, 2006) -
Mob Rule Yields Corrupted Haitian Presidential Election (February 19, 2006) -
The Sinking of Salam 98 is the Objective Correlative for Islamist Violence
Against the West, The Danish Cartoon of Mohammad is Just the Vehicle of
Its Expression ( February 7, 2006) -
Hamas Landslide in the Palestinian Territories and Iranian Victory of President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad Presents Unprecedented Opportunity for Middle East Peace - Will the United States and Israel Miss It Again? (January 27, 2006) -
Water, Not Oil, Is The Major Cause of War in the Middle East; and Polygamy Is the Reason For Strong Tribes and Weak States (August 24, 2003,Amended January 27,2006) -
Psephological Reasons Why Alito Should Be Rejected by the Senate (January 16, 2006) -
Eugene McCarthy, 1968 Peace Candidate, dies at 89 (December 13, 2005) -
D.C. Confidential by Christopher Meyer is indispensable Christmas reading or gift (December 4, 2005) -
Worst New Jersey Governor's Race in Modern History (November 16, 2005) -
Link to Joshua Leinsdorf for Princeton Borough Council Homepage - Click on small picture of Joshua Leinsdorf
Ensuring Contested Elections - Leinsdorf Runs for Princeton Borough Council (October 6, 2005) -
Oklahoma Rejects Gas Tax Hike By 7 to 1 (September 21, 2005) -
Essential Reading: Why Love Matters: how affection shapes a baby's brain by Sue Gerhardt (May 3, 2005) - Click on books for link to brief book review
Why Kerry Lost (January 23, 2005) -
Massive Turnout Puts Bush Over the Top - Complete, unofficial, state by state presidential returns from November 2, 2004 election (November 29, 2004) -
The Five Crucial Geographic Regions Needed To Win the Presidency Why Bush Needed Ohio to Win, but Kerry needed Florida and Iowa or New Mexico. The Genius and Necessity of the Electoral College. (November 11, 2004) -
It's Foreign Policy, Stupid: Bush's First Elected Term Won Because Of The War He Helped Start During Term He Stole - Historical Pattern Broken (November 5, 2004) -
Bush Wins Ohio and the Election: Nader Did Not Cost Gore The Election in 2000; but may have cost it to Kerry in 2004: Undecideds Did Not Vote: Iowa Caucuses May No Longer Be Relevant (November 4, 2004) -
The 2004 Presidential Election: Record Turnout Ignored by Candidates, Some Voters Wait Longer to Cast Ballots than Bush and Kerry are Willing to Wait for Results: Democratic Party Dead -Chaos at Inaugural Predicted (November 3, 2004) -
State By State Voter Registration Deadlines and Link to National Voter Registration Form (September 15, 2004) -
Hawaii is becoming a swing state in the 2004 election to focus attention on the state's 1960 electoral vote controversy (October 29, 2004) See Following Article.
How Kennedy Carried Hawaii in 1960 After Nixon's Electors Had Been Certified The Winners By The Governor (August 2, 2001) -
The Voters Have Their Own Campaign Strategy: Massive Turnout set to Yield Split Government; The Senate as a Gyroscope; Everyone Distrusts the Media, So The Decision is Being Left to Small States: A Rerun of 2000 (October 26, 2004) -
Analysis: Garden State Up For Grabs as State Committee Stiffs Kerry (October 15, 2004) -
Here's what the 9/11 Commission Report, Authorized Edition, says on page 161 about Mohammed Atta, the lead hijacker and pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 that crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46:40 a.m. on September 11, 2001: "To him [Atta], Saddam Hussein was an American stooge set up to give Washington an excuse to intervene in the Middle East." (October 1, 2004)
Bush Campaign Planning To Use War On Terror To Keep Black and Hispanic Voters Away From The Polls (July 10,2004) -
Bush Wins Narrow Victory in New Jersey Primary (June 17, 2004) -
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Eulogy of Ronald Reagan : the best of Reagan and one of the greatest eulogies of anyone by anyone ever (delivered June 11, 2004) - Link to Eulogy
Abu Ghraib, Ho Chi Minh and the History of Western Torture of Arabs (June 12, 2004) -
Ronald Reagan Dead at 93. One of the better Presidents. Number 13 (out of 43) in average electoral votes per election. Number 8 in popular vote average. One of only 7 presidents and 8 Americans to receive electoral votes in more than 2 elections. (June 6, 2004) Why It Is An Insult to Reagan's memory for George W. Bush to give the eulogy at his funeral : and Reagan's Farewell Address which includes his warning about the danger of Americans being ignorant of their own history (June 11, 2004) -
Bad News from the Badlands : Democrats Gain One House Seat In South Dakota On Declining Support (June 2, 2004) -
2004 Electors: State By State (May 23, 2004) -
2002 Nevada Ballot Issues Identify The 6% Swing Voters Who Will Decide the November 2, 2004 Presidential Election, Which Will Be Very Close (May 16, 2004) -
Pennsylvania Primary Latest Results (April 28, 2004) -
The 2002 Election Analysis based on Complete, Official Returns. Over 80 million ballots cast, 36 Governor's races, 144 other statewide offices, 34 United States Senate races, 436 Contests for the House of Representatives, 6,220 State Legislature races, 204 Ballot Questions and state by state 1998 to 2002 comparisons of all offices. Read all about it. (April 26, 2004) -
Essential Reading: From Chivalry To Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of Masculinity, By Leo Braudy In this new book, Braudy shows how the needs and technology of waging war throughout history have been the prime determinants of social conventions, specifically honor and masculinity. It is an indispensable book for anyone interested in understanding the current state of political conflict in the United States today. Near the end, Braudy quotes from an interview with Osama Bin Laden where he explains that even worse than having Saudi Arabia defended by western soldiers, is the fact that some of those soldier/defenders are women. This is an impossible insult to Saudi men in general and Moslem men in particular.(April 1, 2004) (Not an April Fools Joke.)
Link to more commentary and Review of From Chivalry to Terrorism
Illinois Primary Results (March 18, 2004) -
Kerry Gives Bush A Run For His Money In Texas, plus the Louisiana and Florida results (March 10, 2004) -
Super Tuesday Results (March 3, 2004) Bush and Dean Win First Primary (March 4, 2004) -
Hawaii, Idaho and Utah Results, February 24, 2004 -
A Million Wisconsin Voters Keep Options Open: Doom Dean Campaign With Fourth Place Finish (February 18, 2004) -
Kerry Wins in Virginia and the Volunteer State, Bush Runs Third in Tennessee (February 11,2004) -
February 3, 2004 Primary Results -
The 2004 New Hampshire Primary – A landslide for first born white males who attended elite private prep schools, attended Yale University, reject public financing and have graduate degrees. Bush gets less than 80% in uncontested Republican Primary. Complete official final Returns (February 2, 2004) -
The 2000 New Hampshire Primary -
Iowa Passes the Buck and Re-writes the Rules of Engagement (January 21, 2004) -
The Center Cannot Hold: Why the United States is Losing in Iraq (January 11, 2004) -
The 2003 Elections - Bad News for Incumbents (December 5, 2003) -
Schwarzenegger Will Be 8% Better Than Davis and Schwartzman Runs 8th in California Recall Election (October 9, 2003) -
Link to latest California Recall Election Results - http://vote2003.ss.ca.gov/Returns/summary.html
Winning With Wesley: Clark, the Wendell Willkie of the 2004 Campaign (September 25, 2003) -
Proof of Fraud in 2000 Florida Election - This will take a few minutes to load, but it is worth the wait. http://www.ericblumrich.com/gta.html
The California Gubernatorial Recall Election - Another United States Supreme Court Generated Disaster in Democracy (August 8, 2003) -
George W. Bush, Pim Fortuyn, Pervez Musharaff,
Jacques Chirac, Robert Mugabe and the Importance
of Fair and Honest Democratic Elections (May 7,2002)-
Jean-Marie LE PEN's concession speech
The Complete Analysis of the Official 2000
Election Results - Gore Won The Election
By 538,948 votes: Bush Won the Count By 300.
Over 107 million voters, more than 22,000 candidates for president,
34 Senate seats (1 unopposed);435 House seats (14% unopposed),
11 Governor's races, over 1,000State Senate races (37% unopposed),
more than 5,000 state representative races (40% unopposed),
213 ballot issues and much,more. Read All About It (March 19, 2001)
The Haganah, Al-Queda, Ariel Sharon and the 1956 Suez War - (December 4, 2001)
The FBI Ignored Report of Suspicious Behavior By September 11 Hijackers - (December 2, 2001) Click on World Trade Center Sculpture to read article.
The Nine Political Errors That Contributed To The World Trade Center and Pentagon Attack - (October 18, 2001) Click on Photo of Secretary in Secretary of the Port Authority's Office in World Trade Center to read article
History: The World Trade Center - Disaster By Design September 20, 2001) -Click on photo of World Trade Center elevator bank to read article.
Bulletin: Why was September 11th chosen for the World Trade Center Bombing? (September 14, 2001) -
A Psephological Cause of World War II - Women Did Not Get The Right To Vote In France Until 1949(June 11, 2001) -
May 15, 2001 is the date of the Special Election to Fill the Vacancy in Pennsylvania's 9th U. S. House District. Link to Election Results Link
Arizona Democrats Failed to Field a Candidate for U. S. Senate (April 20, 2001) -
Republicans fall 10% in Pennsylvania Special Senate Elections (March 21, 2001) -
April 10 is the filing deadline for the June 5th Special Election to Fill the Vacancy in California's 32nd U. S. House District.
Gore's margin is 539,897. Final result (Dec. 21)-
Undervote Shows Ashcroft Will Not Be Confirmed As Attorney General (January 11, 2001) -
Two Significant Errors Found in New Jersey's Certified Election Results (December 31, 2000) -
The Supreme Court's Decision in Bush v. Gore -
How The Supreme Court Stole The Election For Bush (December 14, 2000) -
How the 2000 Presidential Election is like the Vietnam War (December 12, 2000) -
A Developing World View: From Zimbabwe (December 10, 2000)-
The Final Results - Bush and Gore: Two Losers Race For The Bottom (December 10, 2000) -
IT'S A TIE, Florida voting systems determined the winner - (December 4, 2000)
From the Historical Perspective - You Decide Who Won -
Pulitzer Prize Goes to Miami Herald for Helping Loser Win Miami Mayor Election (April 14, 1999)
Special: The Probability of Close Elections - By Sanjeev Kulkarni, Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University (November 17, 2000) -
Closest Election Since 1884. Update on the Other Close Races: Iowa, Wisconsin, New Mexico and Oregon (November 16, 2000) -
"No... person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States shall be appointed an elector." U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1. (November 13, 2000)
The Electoral College is Allowed to Choose the Candidate Who Got the Most Popular Votes (November 10, 2000 - Marine Corps birthday) -
Gore Carried Florida In Fact (November 9, 2000) -Cliffhanger Vote Yields Split Decision (November 8, 2000)-
Bulletin: The Purpose of the Electoral College is to Keep the Choice of the President in the Hands of the STATES. It is one of the checks and balances of the Constitution. (November 7, 2000)
American Voters Pull Together To Make Tough Choices -Small States' Power Hangs In The Balance - ( November 5, 2000)
The Bush Family In Maine - Proof That Every Vote Counts - (November 3, 2000)
Bush is Copying Nixon's 1968 Foreign Policy Play Book (October 22, 2000) -
Just Because Ralph Nader Was Unfairly Excluded From The
Presidential Debates, Does Not Mean That He Is A Moral
Candidate (October 31, 2000) -
The Commission on Campaign Debates is Directly Responsible for the Deaths of the American Sailors in Aden (October 13, 2000) -
How Accurate Were the Polls In 1960? (October 10, 2000) -
Palestinians are Dying to Make Jerusalem An Issue in the U.S. Presidential Election (October 4, 2000) -
Oil - The Real Issue of the 2000 Presidential Election (September 19, 2000) -
Year 2000 List of State's Electoral Votes
Harlan Fiske Stone and Lee Harvey Oswald - The Warren Commission Was A Fraud (August 30, 2000) -
Gore and Lieberman: The Democrats Drop the First Amendment (August 21, 2000) -
Bush - Cheney: The Republicans Drop Lincoln and Nixon (August 5, 2000) -
Link to Comparison of 1992 and 1996 Presidential Election results - State by State
A Digression into Economics - Is The Problem Irrational Exuberance or Obsolete Economic Analysis? (May 18, 2000) -
Romsey Bi-election - Bad News for Haig, Blair, Bush and Gore (May 7, 2000) -
Livingstone Wins London Mayor -Latest UK Local Results
Jorge Haider, Elian Gonzalez and the Euro's Fall (May 6, 2000) -
Extra - Leinsdorf Elected To School Board (April 27, 2000) -
Mayor Ken Livingstone and the Coming Labour Split (March 27, 2000) -
The Decline of the Euro is Directly Related to Austrian Sanctions ( March 9, 2000) -
Special: How Accurate Are Polls? (March 5, 2000) -
Latest Primary and Caucus Results (March 8, 2000)
How To Steal A Democratic Election (June 17, 2002) (17 pages)
Adlai Stevenson's Horrible Secret (February 9, 2000) -
The Millennium Book Award goes to HUMANITY - A Moral History of the Twentieth Century By Jonathan Glover (January 16, 2000)
The Y2K Presidential Election Prediction - A Landslide Vote for Primogeniture on Historically Low Turnout (December 13, 1999) -
Latest November 2, 1999 Election Results
Official 1996 New Hampshire Presidential Primary Results
Final 1998 U. S. General Election Results - Analysis and Data - Turnout down 7%. Unopposed candidates: 21% in U. S. House races, 35% in State Senate races, 42% in State Representative races, 222 Ballot Questions. - Read All About It! (June 18, 1999(
The Case for Keeping the Electoral College (November 12, 2000) -
There Are No Reformers, Only Insurgents - Brady's First Law of Politics (September 22, 1999) -
Leinsdorf's First Law of Election Results: War Is A Losing Political Issue (October 6, 1999) -
Perot Did Not Cost Bush the 1992 Presidential Election (September 23, 1999) -
Vietnam was Not the first war the U.S. ever lost - it was the War of 1812 (September 27, 1999) -
The Lodge Family : How John Kennedy Came to the Senate, And Why He Had To Be Removed From Office (September 27, 1999) -
Al Smith Did Not Lose the 1928 Presidential Election Because He Was A Roman Catholic (September 24, 1999) -
The Murdering Mind - Observations on the Colorado Massacre (April 23, 1999) -
Iraq Quick Quiz - (April 23, 1999)
The Proof that Kennedy Won the 1960 Election Honestly (April 6, 1999) -
Congress's Record in Choosing Presidents (October 1, 1999) -
The Genius of the Voters - EVERY VOTE COUNTS: The incumbent Republican loses in New Jersey's 12th Congressional district. (November 11, 1999- Armistice Day)
1998 Election Bulletin From Florida (January 4, 1999) -
Why Webster Hubbell has been indicted again, and why Ken Starr made $1 million a year in private practice while serving as Whitewater Special Counsel (November 16, 1998) -
Why the Whitewater Investigation went Nowhere (April 23, 1999) -
Quebec Will Always Remain in Canada (October 29, 2001) -
Special to the Institute of Election Analysis: "The Idea of State In Yugoslavia", from the Foreign Constitutional Review (French), published in 1958. 25 pages. This article will show you that the Yugoslav legal tradition does not consider states to be benign, neutral instruments. (April 19, 1999) -
What is the Institute of Election Analysis? The Institute is devoted to the scientific analysis of election results, as opposed to polling results. The difference between ballots cast by voters and opinions given to pollsters is that ballots are cast in secret and only by the people who really make the political decisions, the actual voters.
Since 1981, Joshua Leinsdorf has been doing systematic analyses of election results. As a result of his research, he has discovered that many elections are, in fact, rigged by the professional politicians. By just understanding a few simple rules of election analysis, voters can interpret election results for themselves and have a better understanding of both politics and governmental policy.
Phone: (609) 688-9320, Fax: (609) 688-9319
Accessed times since September 8, 1997


text:
Mothers' Union today, Monday 13th July 2015, asked members of the General Synod of The Church of England to engage with the concerns parents are voicing over the impact of commercialisation on children and on the well-being of the family.
In a panel led debate chaired by Rt. Rev David Thomson, Bishop of Huntingdon, Mothers' Union raised awareness of their Bye Buy Childhood campaign and called for help from the Lords Spiritual to raise recommendations in Parliament which have been drafted by Mothers' Union as a result of their most recent research.
"Despite significant progress since our original research in 2010" said Rachel Aston, Social Policy Manager at Mothers' Union, "we know that only 50% of parents feel equipped to manage the significant influence of advertising and the commercial world on their family. We want to ensure that parents are empowered to manage the impact of commercialisation, and that Government continues to ensure that regulation is working and that industry follows the spirit, as well as the letter of the law when marketing and selling to children.
"We also are concerned that nearly seven out of ten parents now agree advertising can be harmful to children, up from six in ten five years ago; and that only three in ten parents believe advertising aimed at children is well regulated
The advertising industry was also represented at the event. Ian Barber, Director of Communications for the Advertising Association encouragingly said "When it comes to children's well-being, everybody must be ready to play their part. The Mothers Union has inspired a positive debate in our sector and UK advertising is committed to ensuring that marketing to children continues to be responsible and appropriate. Industry initiatives like Media Smart, created to help teachers and parents talk to children about advertising, are a great example of how we can make a real difference."
Parent Allie McClean, also on the panel, spoke from personal experience on how, even in a supportive partnership bringing up children to be resilient to the pressures of commercialisation and sexualisation takes dedication and constant need for support. For single parents, she outlined, the pressures must be enormous. Peer pressure, pester power and the need for guidance to handle the external pressures, is ongoing. She welcomed the news that Mothers' Union's guide for parents "Labelled for Life" will be reissued to cover emerging media later this year.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, the Bishop of Chelsmford, Rt Revd Stephen Cottrell, the Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Mike Hill and the Bishop of Durham, Rt Revd Paul Butler were amongst those who attended the debate and gave their support. Bishop Paul Butler welcomed the report and called for its wider dissemination and support. The full repot and engagement pack can be found here. The "Call to Action" given to those in the room can be found here


text:
Biffle wins at Michigan when Johnson's car falters
BROOKLYN, Mich. - Jimmie Johnson looked as if he had already finished the hardest work. After starting at the back of the pack, he had moved up quickly, and when he passed Brad Keselowski for the lead on lap 191 of 200, his No. 48 Chevrolet seemed to be the superior car.
Then Johnson's engine faltered with only six laps remaining. He lost the race - and the NASCAR Sprint Cup points lead - to Greg Biffle on Sunday.
"I got it turned around and was catching him, and then his engine failed," Biffle said. "It was going to be a great race, no matter what. I felt like I could catch him, but we'll never know. Passing him might have been a different story."
Biffle won the race at Michigan International Speedway, taking advantage when Johnson left the track because of engine trouble. Johnson started the race from the back because of an engine change, and he couldn't hold on at the end. He finished 27th.
After Johnson's mishap, there was a caution for oil on the track. Biffle held off Keselowski by 0.416 seconds in the green-white-checkered finish.
Biffle took over the points lead, while Johnson dropped from first to fourth. Matt Kenseth moved up a spot to second despite a 17th-place showing.
"I know that a lot of people don't expect us to win the championship, and don't expect us to compete for the title," Biffle said. "I don't care what they say or who they want to talk about, but we will be a factor when it comes down to Homestead. I promise you that."
Kasey Kahne finished third in the 400-mile race, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Marcos Ambrose.
It was the 12th victory for Roush Fenway Racing at MIS, breaking a tie with the Wood Brothers for the most wins at the track.
Pole sitter Mark Martin was sailing along in the lead for most of the first 65 laps before his race ended in scary fashion. Bobby Labonte went into a spin while Martin was coming up from behind, and Martin went sliding off toward pit road. His car crashed frighteningly into the end of a short, narrow barrier on the interior side of pit road.
The side of Martin's car was essentially impaled by the end of the wall, just in front of the left rear tire and dangerously close to the driver's seat. But in the smoky scene that followed, Martin was able to get out and walk away.
"I really feel that was a freak accident. I'm not sure you can ever completely fix something like that," Martin said. "That was a pretty freak angle that I got it. I'm not sure what you can do. It could have been really bad if I would have got into that hole a little deeper where it would have caught me in the door instead of the crush area back there."
Johnson started from the back, and so did Earnhardt, who was using a backup car after a mishap in practice Saturday. The two Hendrick Motorsports teammates made a solid run of it, but it was Biffle and his No. 16 Ford that emerged at the end.
Johnson did not speak to reporters afterward.
He was trying to become the first driver to reach four victories this season. Keselowski and Tony Stewart also have three, and drivers will earn bonus points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup for "regular-season" victories.
The Chase starts next month.
"The 48 has the most speed and the best history as far as the Chase is concerned," Keselowski said. "We caught a lucky break that was unfortunate for Jimmie. ... He definitely deserved to win the race. Just didn't play out that way."
It was Biffle's second win of the year and third career victory at MIS. Keselowski, racing in his home state, settled for second place for the second straight week.
"Just a great day," Keselowski said. "I don't know what to say other than I was this close to getting what would have been one of the biggest wins of my career. That would have been really special."
Biffle's victory was his 18th on the Cup circuit.
Earnhardt won at MIS in June, snapping a four-year losing streak. The last driver to sweep the two Cup races at MIS was Labonte in 1995.
Earnhardt bounced back with a nice showing amid adversity. That was after finishing 32nd at Pocono and 28th at Watkins Glen the last two races.
Stewart and Jeff Gordon both had motor problems, finishing 32nd and 28th. Gordon, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards entered the race on the outside looking in for the Chase.
Those three didn't do much to change that. Edwards finished sixth and Busch was 13th. There are three more races before the Chase starts. Right now Kahne and Ryan Newman are in line for the two wild card spots that go to the drivers between 11th and 20th in the standings with the most wins.
Busch, Gordon, Ambrose and Joey Logano could edge out Newman if any of them win another race.


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Finland's World Sauna Championships Marred by Death of Finalist
The World Sauna Championships in Finland ended today with the death of a finalist, Russian Vladimir Ladyzhensky. He was going for the win against Finnish rival Timo Kaukonen, when both were rushed to the hospital with severe burns.
The competition's organizer, Ossi Arvela issued a statement on the tragedy saying everyone was "grief stricken," and "all the rules were followed and there was enough first aid personnel. All the competitors needed to sign in to the competition with a doctor's certificate." How compassionate.
The World Sauna Championships have been held annually in Heinola, Finland since 1999, and competitors must sit in 110 degrees (Celsius) until the last man remains. Here's a highlight video from last year's competition: