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Conspiracy Theorists, Deniers, Lunatics and the Story of Jesus
Last night I was watching a documentary on the Apollo space program on YouTube. After the episode was over I surfed those "recommendations" that are over on the side of the screen. One happened to be about how the "hoax" of the Apollo program was finally, incontrovertibly, proven. I clicked on the video, more out of curiosity than anything. At first I was amused, then concerned. Finally I just became angry. Reading the comments below the video only made me more angry.
Now, I must say that there is a certain little voice in the back of my head that whispers, "These people are just out to rock the boat, get a little rise out of people. They don't really believe all this conspiracy garbage, but they want you to think they do, just to provoke a response." I cannot really be sure – but from watching the video and from reading the comments, it certainly appears that a great many people believe the whole Apollo space program, and especially the lunar landings, were all one huge hoax, filmed by Stanley Kubrick on some desert wasteland in Arizona.
But it is not just the Apollo space program. There are people who do not believe the space shuttle actually flies into space, that the massacre of the school children at Sandy Hook elementary school actually took place, or, of course, that Lee Harvey Oswald killed president Kennedy.
This might all be mildly amusing if it were not for more than a few some troubling issues. One, these "conspiracy theorists" refuse to consider any conflicting evidence. The more evidence that is presented to them that contradicts their hare-brained ideas, the more they insist that your argument proves their conspiracy. Take, for example, the Apollo space program. How many thousands of individuals would have to be in on the hoax that the US supposedly sent 12 men to walk on the moon? Yet, confronted with this question the "conspiracy theorists" simply argue that proves their point – the power of the government was so overwhelming that it could and did keep those thousands of people (a large number of whom are still living) so utterly silent about the hoax. Never mind the photos that were recently taken that show the bases of the lunar landers still on the moon, with numerous foot and rover tracks all around the landers. Hoaxes, all of them. If you can fake an entire lunar landing, you could certainly fake a few "supposed" satellite pictures.
The conspiracies around the Sandy Hook massacre are more disturbing, so I will not dwell on those. Anyone who denies the carnage that took place at that school is not just deluded, they are psychotic. They are genuinely mentally ill.
As I was pondering all of this, a related though occurred to me. People have been denying the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus ever since the first century. These "conspiracy theorists" have created all manner of convoluted stories as to how the "myth" of Jesus was created – from the virgin birth, through his miracles, and finally ending with the crucifixion and resurrection. No matter how much evidence is provided to these people, their only response is, "See, that just goes to prove that my theory is correct – Jesus never existed!"
This goes a long way to prove a theory that I have – that the field of apologetics is basically designed for those who already believe in the truth of Scripture. While all the various attempts at "proving" the truth of Scripture are interesting, and some are more convincing than others, it is readily apparent to me that no amount of "evidence" demonstrating the truth of Scripture will convince anyone if they initially choose to reject the basic premise of the Bible – and that is that God exists.
If God had wanted men to prove that he exists, he would have given us the exact manner in which to do so. But he did not – he gave us the Bible, a story that relates how he created us, loved us, and eventually became one of us so that we might at some point choose to accept his love. Scientific proof (the stuff of apologetics) demands adherence to scientific theories and laws, but it does not require any kind of a loving relationship. God, however, does not want a mindless adherence to a set of laws, even his laws. He wants a relationship with that which he created – us. God loves us, and wants us to enjoy the blessings of loving him in return. The field of apologetics misses that point entirely. Apologetics is about science. The Bible is about faith and love. Science never created a Christian. Only the cross can create a Christian. And there is no "incontrovertible" evidence that the cross of Jesus ever existed. Unless, of course, you are willing to accept the eyewitness accounts of both his followers and his enemies. But, never let contradictory evidence foil a good conspiracy theory!
Speaking of foil, those people who doubt the Apollo space program, that Lee Harvey Oswald shot president Kennedy, or the fact that the 9/11 terrorists flew jets into the World Trade Center, causing them to ultimately collapse, need to tighten their tin-foil hats around their heads a little tighter. They are a living definition of the concept of lunacy – the idea that the moon has demonic power over human beings. Reality is a scary thing – especially when you refuse to accept the overwhelming evidence of hundreds, if not thousands, of individual pieces of evidence and testimony. Those who have a theory that men never walked on the moon, that the FBI, the CIA, and the mafia all conspired to kill Kennedy, and that the US government was complicit in detonating bombs in the twin towers to destroy them probably hate this post.
That's okay by me. I don't believe any of them really exist. They certainly cannot prove they exist, even if they think they do. The proof of their existence is all just one big hoax.
Try to deny that fact!
Book Review – "Dissident Discipleship" (David Augsburger)
I have not been posting much this summer (and probably will not, except for a stray column now and then). I am working on finishing my dissertation for my Doctor of Ministry program and I am up to my armpits in writing crises. I just have not had time for this space this summer.
But, some things are just too good to pass up.
As a part of my dissertation I was reviewing some material from earlier classes at Fuller Theological Seminary. I came across a book that I did not realize how important it was the first time I read it, but now after the passage of some time and the focusing of my dissertation I have an entirely new appreciation for the material.
The book is titled, Dissident Discipleship: A Spirituality of Self-Surrender, Love of God, and Love of Neighbor by David Augsburger. It is published by Brazos Press out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has a 2006 publication date. In a sentence, the book is a description of the Anabaptist view of discipleship.
I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who are curious about my dissertation, but finding this book on my shelves again was huge. Augsburger works through eight core practices of discipleship: Radical Attachment, Stubborn Loyalty, Tenacious Serenity, Habitual Humility, Resolute Nonviolence, Concrete Service, Authentic Witness and Subversive Spirituality. Augsburger then concludes with six appendices, the most valuable to me was the seven "Core Convictions" of the Anabaptists. As you can tell from the chapter headings, this is not fluffy reading. Although Augsburger works through some heavy theology, the book is not written in "technical jargon" and is easily accessible, if the reader will simply devote some time to absorbing the material. The content will challenge you, regardless of whether you accept Augsburger's conclusions or not.
Coming from a tradition that values reason and logic above all else, there was much in this book that was difficult for me to understand. I do not agree with everything that Augsburger says in the book – I never agree whole heartedly with any author (well, almost never). However, after the passage of several years, a whole heap of a lot of study, and the focus of my dissertation, all of a sudden I think I realize just how important, and how powerful, this book really is.
The fact that the book is based on the "radical" Anabaptist tradition will, no doubt, be distressing to many. If you judge a book, or an entire movement, by the fly-leaf of a book review or by the shallow lecture of someone who knows nothing about the tradition, then this is probably not the book for you. It would rattle your cage to the point you would probably lose your sanity.
However, If you are serious about learning about an often misjudged and abused people, then by all means buy and study this book. If you are serious about learning about what it means to be a disciple of Christ, then by all means buy and study this book. If you are interested in deepening your walk with God and your service to the church and world, then by all means buy and study this book.
But be careful, you just might end up becoming a dissident disciple.
Christians and the U.S. Constitution
I apologize to my out-of-the-U.S. readers, but this is where I live, and if you do not have this problem consider yourself extremely blessed.
Yesterday I wrote what probably has been my most angry post. I am still fuming – and believe me, what I posted was nowhere near as vitriolic as what I deleted. Quite simply I cannot fathom why anyone would consider a personal "right" (whether it truly is or not is debatable) over the life of another human being, but especially the child of grieving parent. Enough of that.
The question I want to pose today is why do American "Christians" have such a morbid attachment to the U.S. Constitution? Why are American Christians so emotionally attached to that piece of paper? Can anyone explain that?
Really, people – its just a piece of paper. A bunch of human beings got together, wrote it down and then voted on what they wrote. It is as simple as that. There was no divine intervention, no words from Mt. Sinai, and there were clearly no words from Golgotha. It was a significant human achievement, I will grant you. But Americans, and Christians in America especially, act as if Moses carried down the mountain before the 10 Commandments. I mean, wasn't Moses elected president of the NRA? That's good enough for most Duck Dynasty fans, anyway.
Here is a little exercise for you – think of the most horrific thing that can happen to the U.S. Constitution. Was it destroyed? Did a foreign country overwhelm the U.S. and burn it to ashes? Did the President get it annulled? (Our current one is working on it, by the way). Got it? Now, what would change about your life?
Really, seriously – what would change if the Constitution was to be destroyed? Would you maybe lose your job? Would you become a slave? Would you have to go to an interment camp? Maybe your family would be killed? Maybe you would be killed?
Well, guess what, good Christian American – each and every one of those things has occurred to people as a direct result of the U.S. Constitution! If you doubt be ask the descendent of a slave. Ask a Native American Indian whose ancestors were beaten, raped, forced to live in "Reservations" (which is a really polite word for "Concentration Camp") and, if they resisted, were murdered by the thousands. Ask the Chinese who were forced to work as virtual slaves as the country moved west. Ask the Japanese and German immigrants who were forced to live in interment camps during WWII simply because of their last names. Yeah, boy, we have a long list of Christian accomplishments – all at the power of the U.S. Constitution.
If the U.S. Constitution were destroyed tomorrow I will tell you what would still be true – God would still be God, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross would still be effective for all who believe in him, disciples of Christ would still be able to live in the greatest free country in the world – the country of the Kingdom of God.
No human can ever be really free just because of the accident of his or her birth. No human can ever be a slave to anyone if that person has been set free by the blood of Christ. We are all, each and every human who has ever lived, ultimately the slave of whichever god we choose to be the ruler of our life. And that subjection is proclaimed most clearly by the things we protect the most fiercely and those things we absolutely refuse to give up.
So, I ask again, why are American Christians so devoted to the Constitution? Oh, I think I just answered my own question.
"Jesus Was Not God"
Okay, I hope I did not vacuum someone in here that did not want to be here, and if I did I apologize. In no way, shape or form do I agree with the message of the title of this post (notice the quotation marks??). However, an increasing number of people do believe this, but not in manner that you might suspect. On a surface "intellectual" level they will say that yes, indeed, Jesus was the living embodiment of the eternal God. However, on a functional "gut" level they simply do not accept that Jesus is in any way the one, true, living God.
Just this week I was reminded (in reading another blog) that there is a deep seated repulsion of the idea that the loving, kind, and all-forgiving Jesus of the New Testament could be associated with the mean, nasty, wrathful and genocidal God of the Old Testament. This is especially true in two specific areas: capital punishment and homosexuality. The God of the Old Testament, it is averred, was a deity best described as cold, austere, vengeful and angry. Offer the wrong kind of incense and poof, God just zapped you dead. Touch the Ark of the Covenant in an unworthy manner and pay for it with your life. Simply go outside and pick up a few sticks on the Sabbath and kiss your next birthday goodbye. And that whole sex thing? That was just one entire death sentence just waiting to happen. It is a wonder any babies were born.
However, turn the page from Malachi to Matthew and all of the sudden we have Jesus – meek, mild, gentle little Jesus who cradled sinners and hobnobbed with the wretched. Jesus, it is proclaimed, never had a bad word to say about anyone, forgave everyone, and basically told his followers, "You know, all those stories about God punishing the unrighteous – well, that was true up until I was born, but now its ollie-ollie-in-come-free." Why, we have Jesus getting drunk (or at least tipsy, so it is insinuated), thumbing his nose at all those restrictive 10 commandments (or at least that pesky Sabbath one) and promenading around with the promiscuous. Amazingly enough, Jesus looks just like a rebellious teenage or a baby-boomer looking for a second childhood.
Of course, all of this is post-modern deconstruction and re-historizing. Individuals who have this myopic view of Jesus and God have never done one, or perhaps either, of two things. They have never deeply read the Old Testament, and they have never deeply read the New Testament. For in the Old Testament we see God repeatedly begging His wayward people to return to Him and demonstrating time and again how He has made it possible for them to do so. Likewise, we see in the New Testament, especially in the words of Jesus, how God's patience is limited. There will come a day of judgment in which some will be blessed and some will be punished. Jesus himself pronounced specific and eternal curses (woes) upon those who rejected his words, as well as offered tears because they would not.
Yes, God demanded strict obedience in the Old Testament, and He punished those who defied His Holiness. If I read Acts 5 correctly, He did so in the New Testament as well. And, yes, God forgave blatant sinners in the Old Testament (insiders as well as outsiders to the faith); and, clearly, He did so in the New Testament. So, you tell me – exactly how is the Jesus of the New Testament different from the God of the Old Testament? It seems to me that the entire point of the New Testament is that Jesus IS the God of the Old Testament – only briefly made human so that we could see and hear from Him directly (Jn. 1:1).
Please do not get caught up in this postmodern falderal. Of course it is not new – according to the writer of Ecclesiastes nothing is ever entirely "new." But it is certainly becoming more prevalent. The New Testament portrayal of Jesus does not contradict the Old Testament portrayal of God. The gospel of Jesus is in the Pentateuch, the Writings, and the Prophets just as clearly as it is in the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles. However, the Holiness of God is just as prevalent in the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles as it is in the Pentateuch, the Writings, and the Prophets. We worship One God, not two. That God has one will, not two. There is one people of faith, not a pre-faith and post-faith. And we will all be saved by the one grace of God, and judged by the one revelation of that God.
Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. (Deut. 6:4)
God's Counter-Cultural People
Another gem from my daily Bible reading today – Leviticus 18:1-5 (Yes, it is okay for Christians to read Genesis-Malachi):
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: I am the LORD your God. You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you lived, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not follow their statutes. My ordinances you shall observe and my statutes you shall keep, following them: I am the LORD your God. You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances; by doing so one shall live: I am the LORD. (NRSV)
This passage, of course, precedes the great holiness chapter in Leviticus 19 where the phrase, "I am the LORD" falls like a drumbeat on the ear. But maybe more on that another time.
I was struck this morning with the profound counter-cultural message of Leviticus 18:1-5. God cannot make it any more clear – do not be like the people that I am delivering you from, and do not be like the people that I am going to drive from you. You are my people, therefore you will follow my statutes and my commands and my ordinances.
I wish more religious/spiritual/Christian leaders would read the Old Testament. Especially the holiness passages.
Today what we hear from far too many spiritual gurus is that the Lord's church has become too exclusive, too secluded, too provincial. What the church needs to do is get with the culture – become more affirming, more inclusive, more accessible.
To be specific, if the dominant culture dictates that there are no differences between the genders then the church must become gender neutral. If the culture dictates that marriage is simply a matter of "love" and physical attraction then the church must not only accept same-sex marriages, it must bless them. If the culture dictates that nationalism is synonymous with spirituality then the church must preach subservience to one's country, and perhaps even one political party within that national structure. If the culture dictates what is acceptable in dress, in language, in entertainment then the church must alter its message to accept that clothing, that language, and that entertainment. If the culture dictates how a person is to spend his or her time, then the church must alter its schedule to find a time in which a person who is "busy" with soccer or softball or football or gymnastics or dance or whatever else may conflict with previously scheduled times of worship may attend without missing out on the "important" aspects of life.
To be perfectly blunt – the 21st century church has forgotten from whence we have been called and whither we are being called. We have forgotten that Egypt was our place of slavery and that Canaan is nothing but a spiritual cesspool.
Okay – we have never been slaves in Egypt and Canaan is all the way around the world, and several centuries removed from our experience. But the message of Leviticus is clear: our God is a Holy God and he expects us to disregard the culture in which we find ourselves and to follow only His commands, His statutes.
That means we have God's commands as a priority when we find ourselves in an unfriendly culture and when we find ourselves in a friendly culture. Maybe especially when we find ourselves in a friendly culture.
For far too long Christians in America have soothed our consciences by repeating the mantra: "America is a Christian nation, America is a Christian nation, America is a Christian nation." Well, whether that has been true in the past is a matter for debate (I, for one, do not think so). But it clearly is no longer true. We may not have moved to Canaan, but we certainly have allowed Canaan to move into the U.S.
Let us be done with cultural accomodation. Let us stand and be recognized for what we claim to be – God's holy and chosen people. If that earns us scorn and ridicule and censure then so be it. Those are the promises given us by none other than our Savior, Jesus (Matthew 5:10-11; John 15:18-16:4). If the shoe is supposed to fit, maybe it is time we tied it on and started walking in it.
Dialoguing On The Need For Christian Dialogue
I just made a discovery – about my own interpretive process. The process itself is not something new to me, I guess it is the way I have been thinking for quite some time. But the end result of my thinking has just become much more clear. You'll have to wade through the whole post for my last sentence to make any sense. But it is where I am today.
Let me begin by saying dialogue is great. I heartily support dialogue. Dialogue is necessary and in most cases is quite pleasant. Dialogue is absolutely necessary if two people, or two groups, are to find common ground and negotiate a mutually acceptable position in the midst of a heated and bitter conflict.
Which is why the Church of Christ should never, ever, in any way, shape or form, enter into a dialogue with anyone or anything.
A dialogue takes place between two equals, or between a lesser who appeals to a greater, in the hopes of finding a mutual agreement. A dialogue is a prologue to a compromise. Married couples sometimes need to have a refereed dialogue. Big companies and organized labor quite often need to come to a bargaining table and have a refereed dialogue. Prosecuting and Defending attorneys dialogue quite often to avoid the bother and expense of a trial. On occasion antagonistic countries need to be brought to a negotiating table in order to have a peaceful dialogue.
The Church is not a marriage partner to anyone or anything in this world. The Church is not a big company, nor is it an amalgamation of unionized workers. The Church is not a country, or an aggrieved individual. The Church has no equal on this earth with whom it can compromise. When the Church compromises it loses its nature. It simply ceases to be the Church. To put it bluntly, the Church has no one or nothing with whom it can dialogue.
Over the past 50 years virtually every church group, religious group, denomination, whatever you want to call it, has entered into a "dialogue" with a group that wanted it to become more modern, more "relevant," more in tune with secular practices and mores. The "Social Gospel," militant feminism and now militant homosexuality are just three areas in which a religious group has "dialogued" and come out looking far more like the world than when it entered the conversation.
Can you name a major religious group, denomination, or independent church that is theologically more conservative or less "progressive" today than it was 50 years ago? I cannot. Some may not have changed (although, I would argue very few), but I cannot think of a single Christian faith group that is more conservative today than it was just a scant half-century ago.
The only way a group has been able to maintain any kind of conservative, narrowly biblical interpretive stance is to split off from a larger, more "progressive" movement. So we have seen huge defections from the Anglican/Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Church and many Baptist and Church of Christ congregations. Whenever anyone says, "We need to reexamine our beliefs about…." what they are really saying is "we need to change our beliefs about….." and "dialogue" becomes the vehicle by which that change is effected.
All of which makes me very nervous and very skeptical when I hear certain voices promote a new or ongoing "dialogue" between the church and atheist movements, or agnostic movements, or further dialogue with proponents of homosexuality or feminism or militarism or any other king of "ism" for that matter. This would extend, by the way, to "dialogues" with religious groups with whom I might share one or two core convictions, but who have chosen to make substantive departures from what I believe to be Scripture itself is to be viewed.
So my question for these proponents is this – what exactly do you mean by "dialogue?" The way I read the Bible, the Church of Christ does not negotiate anything. The Church does not have the power to compromise with anyone or anything. The Church of Christ is not an equal to any secular power or entity. Therefore, the Church of Christ is under no compulsion or expectation to "dialogue" with anyone.
Nor am I, as a member of the Church of Christ, authorized or deputized to "dialogue" with anyone or any group and speak for "The Church of Christ." I can only speak for my own convictions, my own beliefs, and my own interpretations of Scripture. And, as much as they may want to argue, no one can speak for me based on his or her interpretations, convictions, or beliefs. I cannot even speak authoritatively for the congregation of which I am a part, and for which I serve as a minister.
In a sentence, the "Church" is a group of people who live their lives in a submissive relationship to the absolute authority of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
So, when you say "the church needs to dialogue with ……," exactly what authority are you giving the Church that God himself has not given it? And who will speak for the "Church" that you think needs to enter into this dialogue? And what power or authority does that person (or persons) have to bargain with?
Membership in the Church is non-negotiable. That is the thing about the church that the world never has understood, does not now understand, and will not likely ever understand. Discipleship is a total and complete surrender to a Lord and Savior who demands our complete devotion.
So, when I say that I cannot enter into a dialogue with a certain group or with a certain person, I am not trying to be mean, nasty, ugly or unduly obstinate. I am simply living out my conviction that I do not have have the power, the authority, nor the freedom to "dialogue" with someone who refuses to accept the God under whom I have placed my life, and His Word, which I hold to be absolute in guiding my life. I can teach, I can "give a reason for the hope that is within me." I can evangelize – that is – spread the good news. But I cannot, and I will not, lower my understanding of the nature of the Church of Christ to make it be something that is equal to or lesser than a vain philosophy of this world.
And that, dear reader, something that I am discovering in increasing measure, is profoundly unpopular.
Why I Love the Church
This post has started out in several different forms. Each time I would erase a little, change a little, zig a little here, zag a little there. Every time I started out with the same goal, and each time I found myself traipsing down a path I had not necessarily planned on traipsing. Such is the nature of this post – I know what I want to say but the "getting out" is proving to be quite exhausting.
For those of you who do not keep up with religious bloggers, quite the hoo-haw has been raised over the past few days concerning Donald Miller's confession that he does not like church very much. (He wrote a book entitled Blue Like Jazz in which he basically said the same thing, but in much more disguised and glowing terminology.) There have been dozens (hundreds?) of blogs written in response – some praising and some condemning. But what I find to be interesting is that so many of Miller's compatriots in the "Emerging Church" movement have ended up in exactly the same place – they all claim to love Jesus exuberantly but for one reason or another cannot stand to remain in the "institutional" church (whatever that is) so they leave the church to join the ekklesia at large. I see that as a very high-brow way of saying, "I love to eat steak, but I would never condone the slaughtering of a cow. So I get my steaks at the restaurant."
I might add, for those of you who think I am just reacting to everyone else's reaction, I have had three classes in a doctoral level program that were either entirely or significantly focused on the writings of post-modern, "Emerging Church" theologians. I was interested in their writings (and I still am), but was then and remain now deeply doubtful of the long-term results of their shallow theology. They often indicate they are in agreement with orthodox Christianity, but when they spell out what they really believe in terms of practice it becomes clear that their doxy is quite anything but ortho.
I should also say up front that I too believe that the modern church is not what it could and should be. I think I am honest about my misgivings. If I am permitted to do so, I intend to direct my dissertation to an area of theology and practice that I believe modern Churches of Christ have completely (or to be more charitable, almost completely) omitted – and much to our spiritual loss. But, the Good Lord willing, I will write out of a position of love and healing, not a position of hate and rejection. Such is my plan, anyway, and my fate is currently in the hands of others, so all of this may be a bunch of blather about nothing.
But, returning to my original, thoroughly revamped post – I just wonder how anyone can proclaim any kind of love for Jesus or God and at the same time argue that the church is dead, or at least is on life support and should be extinguished. What kind of friend walks up to a groom and says, "Man, I love you like you were my own brother, but I have to tell you, that girl you just married is as ugly as the south end of a north bound donkey and has the personality of a witch."
The book of Revelation ends with God's redeemed people receiving a stamped, embossed invitation to the marriage feast between the Son and his bride, the Church. Jesus died for the church, his creation. Paul rejoiced that he was able to continue Christ's afflictions for the church. It's funny, but with all the warts and dysfunction and flat-out heresies that consumed the early churches, Paul never referred to them as anything other than God's holy and precious children.
Yes, I love the church. Exactly why would take a whole book to explain – this blog is just too short. But suffice it to say that I love the church exactly because Jesus loved the church – enough to die so that it might have life. And it seems to me that if Jesus loved something enough to die for it then I should make every effort to love it as well.
It may not be popular, it may not be blue like jazz, but in the end God is not going to ask if we were trendy and hip – He will judge whether we have been faithful and devoted. I do not think that God ever expected the church on earth to be perfect – I think that is a dangerous myth that has led to some horrendous mistakes. But we can be faithful, honest and disciplined – all hallmarks of the church that God gave to us through the blood of Christ.
The church of Christ, the church of God, the church of the Firstborn Ones*, the universal ekklesia or the local congregation down the street, – whatever name you find in Scripture, just love the church. Help it get better. Point out where it is weak. Make it stronger. Just do not leave it and claim you are doing so for the love of Jesus.
*The word firstborn in Hebrews 12:23 is plural. This is not typically translated, as firstborns or firstborn ones are clumsy ways of translating the phrase. Think of the word "fish." We can catch either one fish, or multiple fish, but we only rarely (and only archaically) catch more than one fishes. The context of the passage, however, makes the plural obvious.
God's Monumental, Incomprehensible, and Staggering Incompetence
As a conservative, Bible believing Christian I do not often speak about God's incompetence. I rarely have opportunity to discuss his abject failure and blatant ignorance. But, thanks to so many wonderful bloggers out there I have been presented with this precious opportunity, and I shall endeavor to make the most of it.
It would appear that, according to these theological wunderkinder, God is basically able to create the world ex nihilo and part the Red Sea and feed 5,000 people with a couple of fish and some matzo crackers, but there are some things that are simply beyond God's otherwise unimpeachable metaphysical prowess. Chief among these, or perhaps the ONLY thing God cannot do, is offend people.
That is right, you did not hear it first here, folks, but God is simply incapable of offending people. Let me explain it the best way I know how:
God can take an young, unmarried and very much virgin girl from a peasant village in a backwater strip of land known as "Palestine" and choose her to bear his very own Son. God is further capable of declaring through this Son His very nature – who and what it means to be God. Throughout this Divine Son's ministry on earth he made a lot of people very, very angry. He called the religious leaders a bunch of snakes. He challenged the religious hierarchy and told them their precious temple would be destroyed. He even had the audacity to march in and kick over their money-changing tables and throw the bums out.
But, he never, ever, ever offended anyone.
His earliest disciples picked right up where He left off. They told the leading religious figures that ALL people, not just a chosen few, could enter into God's kingdom. They challenged sexual practices, religious practices, economic practices, domestic practices, speech patterns and changed the liturgy of their worship.
But, they were careful to never, ever, ever offend anyone, because that is simply something God cannot do.
So, when a question arose over whether men should be the leaders of the family and church these early disciples were hit with a problem. Jesus never offended the tender sensibilities of the people by selecting a woman as one of his apostles, and all the way back to the garden of Eden there appeared to be an solid chain of male spiritual leadership, so these early disciples did what God was forced to do and what Jesus surrendered as well.
They strove mightily not to offend anyone who would be upset if a woman was selected as a spiritual leader.
So, we might see little hints and pointers that women are to be elevated into spiritual leadership positions, but they have to be extremely well camouflaged lest the words upset these fragile early followers of Jesus, and more important, the surrounding culture. So well camouflaged, I might add, that it took almost 2,000 years of some of the finest theology ever written to decode the carefully hidden messages.
So, when the apostle Paul encouraged the women to be silent in Corinth (well, according to the letter that was his message everywhere, but we do not want to confuse the situation any more than it already is) he was only faking it, what he really meant to say was, "OK gals, you're in charge now – go for it!"
The same with Peter. Bless his heart, after almost letting the cat out of the bag in that ill planned sermon in Acts 2, he had to come back and redeem his socially acceptable self in his first letter when he referred to those "weaker vessels" that had to be gently loved by their husbands. Whew! That was a close call!
There is only one thing that I do not understand about this multi-act play. I don't get it.
Why would this all powerful God, who from the very first page of Genesis to the last word of Revelation, demonstrates that he goes out of his way to delight in upsetting the status quo, suddenly be stricken with a case of total incompetence when it comes to the issue of spiritual leadership? Why would Jesus, who was a Great White shark when it came to touching all kinds of spiritually and physically unclean people and who allowed prostitutes to touch him, suddenly become a jellyfish when it came to choosing his immediate successors? Why would an apostle, in presenting arguments that would completely upend virtually every facet of common culture, suddenly balk and become impotent when the issue of female spiritual leadership came up?
And, much beyond those questions, if we can label certain teachings of these apostles as inferior and even spiritually false, how can we trust any of their writings? If Jesus and Peter and Paul could all be wrong about the gender thing, how can we trust they were anywhere close to being right about the grace thing? What about the ultimate question of God Himself? Is this all just an elaborate charade? Could it be that Stephen Hawking, Richard Dawkins, et.al., are actually correct – that the Bible is nothing more than a bunch of fables used by certain power groups to maintain their hegemony?
You see, I just don't buy the argument. If God is who He says He is, if Jesus is who He says He is and if he could do the things that the Bible records that He did, then by all means God could "upset the tender sensibilities" of a culture that placed men over women. God could have kicked over the tables of the misogynists and thrown the bums out. Jesus could have selected three or six female apostles, and the male apostles could have written emphatically that in the realm of spiritual leadership there is to be no gender difference.
But that is not the story that we have. That is not the Scripture that we have. So, we are faced with a question:
Is our God a bumbling, fumbling, incompetent buffoon who only occasionally gets a few things right, or is our God one who both knows the human psyche and who directs humanity's footsteps, even in directions that we are not inclined to go?
I'm placing my faith in a God who is so much bigger and so much smarter and so much more powerful than I am.
And yes, I do happen to believe that God is capable of offending people.
Questions From a Generous Antagonist
I have been swamped by a mixture of pressing duties and an admittedly poor administration of time management. That has accounted for the paucity of posts over the past several weeks. However, now that I am in-between semesters, maybe I can do a little catching up.
One item of immediate business is to address some questions/comments that were made in response to my comments to the Churches of Christ. In particular is one rather animated individual who, at least in my initial impression, was genuinely off-put by some of my declarations. In subsequent comments it became more clear to me that while not quite so antagonistic as I had originally thought, this individual has some serious questions/challenges to the concept of restoration theology, and he provided me with a few of those questions. So, I have identified this individual as a generous antagonist: antagonist in that he clearly disagrees with me, generous in that he has engaged me with an accepting tone, albeit a pointed one. This is how it should be. If your position is not worth defending, it is not worth owning.
At the outset I want it clearly understood, however, that I am only defending MY position, and if you were to ask 100 other ministers within the Churches of Christ you would probably come up with 162 other opinions. That is because ministers within the Churches of Christ rarely agree, and even if they agree they have to share some unique twist or "improvement" on someone else's opinion. So, I am not declaring divine inspiration here, but I do want to make my own understanding of the situation as clear as I can.
So for a general beginning, here is what I consider to be a very pertinent question:
So my question is, how do you justify the idea that there are 2,000 years of Christian history if the "true Church" left planet earth shortly after/during the apostolic era (who knows when?) and then popped up in the 19th century? Is it not more honest to suggest that your tradition only has less-than 200 years of history?
Perhaps a little background might be valuable. I was making the argument that the record of church history defended the use of acappella music as opposed to instrumental music. My interlocutor wondered, if the Churches of Christ disavow church history from "X" period of time up until Alexander Campbell "got it right" then how can we appeal to "church history" as a defense of acapella music in worship?
My answer in response to this and similar questions posed by the same individual is this: I do not believe the "'true church' left the planet earth shortly after/during the apostolic era (who knows when?) and then popped up in the 19th century." I know there are some (perhaps many) within the Churches of Christ who do believe this, but my antagonist must ask them this question. As I do not believe the statement, I cannot defend it.
The phrase "true Church" is mystifying to me. That phrase communicates that there are true churches and false churches, real churches and fake churches, good churches and evil churches. The New Testament, continuing and building upon the Old Testament, communicates no such idea. In the Old Testament there were the "people of God" (sons of God, Children of Israel, the "faithful") and there were "the nations." In the New Testament we find this "people of God" being identified by a new communal name, "the Church," but the concept is identical. There is "the Church" and there are the "nations" – those who either flat out disbelieve in God or who might accept that God exists, but who reject his commandments.
Now, within this Church there are a number of other "categories" that we might identify from phrases either found in Scripture or closely akin to terms used in Scripture. One would be schismatics, those who would divide the Church because of ego or some other non-doctrinal matter. John had his Diotrephes, Paul had his opponents in Corinth. These folks need to be disciplined, to be sure, but theirs is more a problem of ego rather than doctrine.
Another group would be those who would destroy the Church over matters of doctrine. Paul was much more severe with these individuals: Galatians is the best example of his address to these folks. However, there were some of these people everywhere Paul went – he told Timothy to watch out for Hymenaeus and Philetus. These two clearly had a false teaching related to the resurrection and Paul says they have "wandered away from the truth." (2 Tim.2:17).
So, while we have schismatics and heretics, we only have one "Church." While schismatics may seek to divide the Church, and heretics must be cast out of the Church, there can only be one "Church." Jesus did not come to build many churches, but only one – His Church.
So, out of the dozens, if not hundreds, of "churches" in existence today, which is the "true" Church? Answer: the one that truly seeks to "love God with all of its heart, soul, mind and strength, and that loves its neighbor as itself" to borrow a phrase both from the Old Testament and Jesus' teaching. The "true Church" is not defined by the name on the building, the legal documents that establish it with the state, the creed or confession that separates it from other "churches." The true Church is the Church was created by Jesus, bought with his blood, and the one that lives its life in total surrender to the grace and command of God.
Now, please note: within that Church there may be many who are schismatics and heretics. The one group needs to be disciplined, the other needs to be removed. Just as with a human body, some diseases need to be cured; gangrenous limbs need to be amputated. In regard to the sheer number of "churches" in existence today that process appears to be impossible. But, I also believe in the power of the Holy Spirit and in God's desire that His Church be as pure as is humanly possible. Therefore, I am a firm believer in, and defender of, the restoration movement.
However, let me be clear about this next point as well. The restoration movement that I see as my example did not begin with Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone. My example for the restoration of the Church began with the apostle Paul.
It is impossible to read Paul's letters without noticing one overwhelming theme: Christ's Church is to be focused on and lead by Christ. Just read 1 Corinthians and underline every mention of the names "Jesus," "Lord," "Christ" or any combination of the three. How many times in the prison epistles (Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon) is the phrase, "in Christ" used? Paul was not concerned about creating, developing or maintaining a human institution. He was concerned about being a people devoted to Christ. Paul was the archetypal restorationist. I believe in "restoration theology" because it is what the apostle Paul taught. The closer we as humans get to Christ, the more we become the "true Church" of Christ.
And, so, to my generous antagonist I will say this in answer to his question: the "apostasy" that affected the church affected it in the first century, and has repeated itself in every century since. The "restoration" of that church started in the first century, and has been necessary in every century since. To the extent that the Church fails to be the pure bride of Christ in any generation it has "apostatized," and therefore a "restoration" becomes necessary. This was true in Ephesus, Colosse, Philippi, Rome, Jerusalem and it is every bit true in every place where there is a Church in 2013.
I will continue with some other very good and thought provoking questions in the days to come.
P.S. – It occurred to me in re-reading this post that I did not address the second part of the question above. To conserve space I would simply say "yes, it would be appropriate to admit that our 'tradition' is only approximately 200 years old, if by 'tradition' you mean that movement which was popularized and promoted by Alexander Campbell, Barton Stone, and a host of others." If, however, you mean by 'tradition' that we as a group of people seek to follow God the Father and Jesus as Lord in all that we do, then no, our tradition spans the entirety of history from the call of Abraham until today. Depending on the context and my audience, I will use 'tradition' in either sense, and in my opinion, justifiably so.
The World Hated Me…
I find it to be one of ministry's greatest temptations. Following Matthew's rendering, it was Satan's third and ultimate temptation of Jesus. According to the apostle Paul it was what derailed the faith of Demas. The temptation has a long and illustrious history of blowing up entire congregations and perhaps even movements.
"It" is the all consuming desire to be welcomed by the world, to be loved by the world, to be worshipped by the world. How many preachers want to climb down the ladder of worldly success? How many churches celebrate smaller numbers? How many elders ask prospective preachers how many spiritual parasites they have driven away from the worship assembly? How many modern followers of Jesus would have the mental or spiritual temerity to look the rich young ruler in the eye and tell him that with his current love affair with his checkbook he could not be a part of their church?
You see, you cannot be the preacher for one of the largest congregations in a metroplex and have an out-dated view of worship and how the congregation is supposed to sing. You cannot sell millions of books and be invited to speak at all the Evangelical church conferences if you have a restrictive view of what it means to be a disciple of Christ and what it takes to be a part of the body of Christ. You cannot have a nationally known presence among the theological glitterati if you hold to viewpoints that are considered to be patently conservative or traditional.
No, in order to be welcomed, feted, wined and dined you must look like the world, smell like the world, act like the world.
So, if the world demands certain practices to be included in a worship service, you include them to keep the world from hating you. If the world says that your belief about entry into the kingdom of God is too restrictive you modify your belief so that the world will not hate you. If the world says your interpretation of a passage of Scripture is too restrictive then you broaden your interpretation of Scripture so that the world will not hate you.
Your church may grow bigger. You may sell more books and get invited speak to all the glitzy conferences. You may earn more points in the hallowed halls of academia. In short, the world may shower you with its love and adoration.
As I said, it is probably the most powerful and subversive temptation known to ministry. Who among us can honestly say we have never felt the twinge of the realization that if we do or say or teach some point of doctrine "the people of the world will hate us."
If you find the godless world is hating you, remember that it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you. John 15:18-20, The Message
Jesus told us, way back yonder, what was going to happen. If we follow the world, the world will love us. If we follow Jesus, the world will hate us.
So why do we spend so much time worrying about whether the world will love or hate us? We already have the answer!! Now it is up to us to go out and live like we love and want to follow Jesus.
I'm tired of people wringing their hands and worrying that if we do not have a rock band, or at the very least, a "Praise Team," the world is going to hate us. Or if we have a sectarian name on our building the world is going to hate us. Or if we teach the doctrine of baptism the world is going to hate us. Or if we insist on making men wear the pants in the congregation (figuratively, not altogether literally) the world is going to hate us. Or if we actually have the guts to say that marriage is for a man and a woman, and that if you cannot figure out by looking in a mirror whether you are a male or a female then you need serious psychological and spiritual counseling, the world is going to hate us.
Folks, that bus left that station a long time ago. Jesus said if we don't play the world's game by the world's rules, the world will hate us.
And the flip side is that if the world does love us, what does that say about our allegiance and faithfulness to Jesus?
Jesus said, "The world is going to hate you." I am just old-school enough to believe what Jesus said, and as lonely as it can be to stand on biblical principles, I have to remember that no one has hanged me on a cross yet. As tempting and as insidious as that "love of the world" siren song can be, I must develop the fortitude to willingly be alone if being in a group is the wrong place to be.
And, brothers and sisters, that means even if, and occasionally especially if, that group of people claims to be followers of Christ. That is the true test of discipleship over popularity.


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Valve Gap Adjustment as Regular Maintenance
I was watching a guy adjusting the valve gaps on a riding mower on youtube and he said that with Briggs & Stratton motors, he recommended doing this once per year. He said they just normally go out of adjustment.
Does anyone else recommend this and what benefits would be derived from a mower that appears to be working just fine.
"Does anyone else recommend this and what benefits would be derived from a mower that appears to be working just fine."
I THINK B&S recommends it and the benefit is that the engine doesn't gradually get harder to turn over overloading the starter and eventually damaging the starter or result in engine not turning over.
Do I do that - no.
Walt Conner
! do this and you may never wear your tractor out! IMO I would also add removing wheels, cleaning axles, and hubs and lite coat of high temp grease, changing the fuel filter, and about every two or three year remove the fuel tank and clean it out (you'll be suprised what you find in there) and inspecting for chafed wires.
Course Everybody here knows I am a oil changing nerd, so chaining the oil atleast twice or three times a year is a must reguardless of hours, atleast change the oil filter once a year.
Are your familar with monthly pre-ventive maintenance requirements??? Some would be clean and inspect the air filter, check and sharpen blades and checking for grass build-up under the deck (especially if you have a habit of mowing when the grass is wet), lightly grease the grease points, check air in tires, and blow it off after every use. IMO this keeps the dust to a minimum and your lawn tractor looking like new and slows the aging process, especially if you store it inside.
There would also be "before use inspections" IMO. like check oil and gas, inspecting the deck belts, freedom of movement of blades, and going over your yard looking for sticks, rocks, toys, golf balls ect.. and any metal objects. these will become projectiles if you run over them. And the Most important IMO!!!!!!!!!NO KIDS IN YOUR YARD or the guy next door and exit your grass away from streets and sidewalks. Kind of long and I'm sure I forgot something, but I got time to kill before the big game TTU and TU.
You can go through these threads and find many instances where the [oster wonders why their Briggs doesn't want to turn over.
Many times their second sentence is something like "I replaced the battery, solenoid and starter"!
I think I've seen recommendations of doing it every 100? hours?
One problem is that the slow/hard cranking develops slowly over time and thus isn't readily apparent. Lets face it, by the time a valve adjustment may be really needed, the battery is probably old enough to be considered suspect anyway.
On another forum, some one conducted a starter draw test on their engine with it locked up VS valves properly adjusted etc. Current draw was something like 300 AMPS VS 100 AMPS@
Say your engine is drawing 200 AMPS, but cranks over enough to finally start. Imagine the additional heat that starter generates.
In a nutshell, if my engine had 100 hours since the last valve adjustment OR it seems to be cranking just a bit slower, I'd adjust them. It may save buying a new starter motor down the road.
The "gradual loss" factor also rings true in regard to keeping your engine at maximnm power efficiency. If the valve lash has decreased enough to prevent the compression release from operating as designed......the engine is not "breathing" as well as it could. This could be a 1 to 2 (or more) reduction in maximum horsepower output on engines advertised at 18HP or greater. Of course, everything else bill kapaun stated, holds creedence also. I just wanted to add another benefit gained by keeping your valves in as good a "state of tune" as the other stuff folks call "normal maintenance".
Well all B&S OHV engines have mechanical lifters which need periodic adjustment. Kohler OHV engines have hydraulic lifters which adjust themselves like automobile lifters do.
Walt Conner
Thanks. I know the Kohler is hydraulic, with the occassional Kohler "tick" and there is nothing in the Kohler manual about adjusting, but I didn't focus on the fact that B&S was mechanical. I just assumed they were also hydraulic these days, and that there was still some form of periodic adjusting recommended by those in the know. Now I "know".
Posted by walt2002 (My Page) on Mon, Nov 3, 08 at 17:15
Well all B&S OHV engines have mechanical lifters which need periodic adjustment. Kohler OHV engines have hydraulic lifters which adjust themselves like automobile lifters do.
So B&S intec's need adjusting every 100 hours or so.
Are the vangaurd's the same?
jerryo, yes, the Vanguard engines have "solid" or mechanical tappets and require periodic adjustment to compensate for "valve stem stretch", as well as wear to the valve face and the valve seats in the head, all of which conspire to reduce the necessary "clearance or lash" (necessary for good compression and for the health of the valves and seats).
goblin127: I also have an 18 hp Vanguard. I asked Walt to send me the directions, of which he did. It made a great deal of difference on my engine once I readjusted the valves. He does know his stuff as well as many others here. E-mail him for the directions.

subset: commoncrawl


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38 year old man | Rosemead, CA, USA | Seeking women 32-40 within 80 miles
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Beard Disclaimer: It goes away if you have...
Beard Disclaimer: It goes away if you have nice pheromones, kiss well, and plan on sticking around ;) Me: -Normal -Affectionate -No dbag guarantee. Not a player or serial dater. ACTUALLY single, and can prove it. Try me. -I was raised religious, but I _do not_ practice. -I don't smoke anything, and I rarely drink ...unless you're ugly. Kidding! Luckily, I am still fun. I'm the nice single guy that people like to claim doesn't exist, and the last unmarried one in most of my circles, or at least it seems like it. The simple things in life make me happy. I am helpful and supportive to my family and friends, including kid-sitting my pseudo nephews and nieces. I am social, and spend a great deal of time with the important people in my life. Things about me that sound more impressive than they actually are: -I've been in three big movies and I am available on blu-ray (not crew) -I was on Conan -I won on The Price Is Right -My poetry has won awards and has been televised -I've done laps at Irwindale speedway in my own car (not a class/groupon) -I've received spontaneous public applause due to unique talents (not a street performer) -I saved a baby -I got the DMV to give me a refund -The title of a novel was based on my conversation with the author -I've competed against olympic athletes in their own sport -My college told me I had "too many degrees" and rejected my re-enrollment -I've confronted a wild bear on his hind legs More Me: (for right person): Romance comes standard, but the right person needs to inspire it. I am affectionate. Not the let's-get-arrested type of affection, but the hand-holding, cheek-pecking, ear-whispering type. You: I am INITIALLY attracted to a nice smile, pretty eyes, and a natural look. Please, NO clowns, mimes, or masters of disguise. As I get to know you, a wonderful PERSONALITY is what will hook me. I find personality equally attractive in jeans and flip-flops, or formal attire. I like happy people, that actually enjoy life, laughing, and fun. I seem to get along extra well with people that work with kids, but that's not a requirement. I would love to find someone nearby, but I'm willing to drive further for a great match. No, not more than an hour. I'd like to spend more time WITH you than traveling to or from you. Girls are made from sugar and spice, and according to YOUR pictures, sky/scuba diving, a little white dog, yoga selfies, marathons/runs, novelty glasses/crowns/hats and fake mustaches, hanging off the lights at MOCA, jumping photos, shooting a gun, and standing in front of angel wings. FYI, I'm not stalking you. You all have the same pictures. I thought you might like to know that. I am NOT NOT NOT attracted to: -Pet-haters (you are horrible) -Duckface (I already have pets) -Giant sunglasses that completely block your face (see "nice smile and pretty eyes" above) -Eyebrows you didn't grow (is that sharpie?) -Incessant fedora outbreaks -Crocs (toddler shoes) -Rudeness (PLEASE look elsewhere for a man, THANK YOU) -Offers of sex in exchange for exotic vacations (it's called prostitution) -"Multiple dbag guys, touching you" profile pics. -Endless preaching about your dietary lifestyle or religion, or both -Angry emails about how this profile offended you (send them anyway, so I know who to avoid) Random Item of the Day: Working on my taxes :/
Alumni connections , Camping , Coffee and conversation , Business networking , Cooking , Dining out , Hobbies and crafts , Movies/Videos , Music and concerts , Exploring new areas , Playing sports , Shopping/Antiques , Travel/Sightseeing , Volunteering , Wine tasting
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I exercise 5 or more times per week.
I don't believe in astrology
I have Birds
I like Dogs that like me (especially corgis), but Cats and I tend to disagree on most issues. Exotic/Other... depends on what you have.
Middle of the Road
I'm more interested in the company than the location.
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, CA
*your name here*.
I spend time with friends doing all kinds of things. I'm equally happy to have a weekend adventure or lazy time at home. I tend to like EVERYTHING, so I do different things all the time
My FB feed. Your match profile.
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Pineapple-Orange Margarita
Made This Recipe? Add Your Photo
Total Time
Prep10 mins
Cook0 mins
Bon Appetite
Make and share this Pineapple-Orange Margarita recipe from Food.com.
- 2 1⁄2 cups pineapple juice
- 1 1⁄4 cups white tequila
- 1 cup Cointreau liqueur or 1 cup orange liqueur
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3⁄4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1⁄2 cup simple syrup
- 3 cups ice cubes
Optional garnishes
- fresh pineapple, spears (optional)
- maraschino cherry (optional)
- Combine pineapple juice, tequila, Cointreau, orange juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in large pitcher. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Refrigerate.)
- Add 3 cups ice cubes to pitcher and stir to blend well.
- Pour margarita into cocktail glasses. Garnish with pineapple spears and maraschino cherries, if desired, and serve.


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A few Tues Blooms
I was really late in getting to my Daylilies this morning, so the sun was really to high to be taking good pictures and I deleted most all of them. Had a few that I will post. I can say that I was very well supervised this morning. Roman, my Great Dane was relaxing up under the shade trees keeping a close watch on everything. Miss Kitty rolled around wanting her belly scratched everytime I walked close to her. Cats are so funny..
This is the Canine Head of Ranch Security. Roman
Sort of a blended colored unknown seedling
A small purple unknown seedling with a thin white edge. I hope the blooms get a bit bigger.
This unk seedling is a pinkish purple, not a good picture, too much direct sun..
pale peach seedling with a pretty eye. Gusting wind prevented me from getting a good close up of her.
Miss Kitty says "rub my belly" ; )
yellow blended unk seedling. It just keeps on blooming in clusters every day. Too much light to see the color variations.
Thats about it for now. It's too hot and too bright for me the rest of the day!!
them seedlings are great. I love them all, and miss kitty is so pretty. love her. amd the dane is a pretty one too.I use to have a friend.
that had a great dane that looked just like this one and it was a house dog, and big as a shetland pony.
The last seedling is very pretty, and I think I see some diamond dusting (?)
I am beginning to wonder what the connection is between daylilies and cats. Too many of you have adorable cats for this to just be a conincidence. Miss Kitty has beautiful sea-green eyes. (We used to have a cat named 'Mr. Cat' - very original also)


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Urgent! Two Video Clips Of Obvious Military Force Exertion! Obama And NatoSubmitted by rtgiant on Tue, 05/22/2012 - 15:46
scary stuff...that was yesterday...
- Login to post comments
Welcome to Chicago
where only the faces have changed. Can't get 1968 Dem Convention out of my head these days.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible really piss me off.
"It is the food which you furnish to your mind that determines the whole character of your life."
―Emmet Fox
You should change the title,
You should change the title, is misleading. But the situation is just an example of things to come if we don't join together to safe not even the country at this point, but the world from this tyranny.
Ron Paul for Freedom!!!
Knowledge is the currency of the Universe.-
Giorgio A. Tsoukalos
Scary, indeed.
However, those weren't military or NATO forces. Just Chicago PD and IL State Troopers. There's no denying the fact that their load is on a military grade level, though. What's really disturbing is that instead of using words to communicate to the crowd that they were, starting to spread into a restricted police quardened area, they just started slamming people with their batons, VIOLENTLY at that, while their backs were turned and didn't appear to even realize they were doing anything wrong. Not only that, if people from the front of the crowds are being led to the back and out of harms way, with their faces bloodied, why weren't they arrested or detained if they were in the wrong insted of just beat to the point of blood shed?
I voted this up only because
I believe we need to see for ourselves what's happening...
Susie 4 Liberty


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Rehosted from MTV
Article: LEGO Pirates Of The Caribbean Game Trailer, Queen Anne's Revenge Set
Huntmäster☠, Enixo, RobbGibbs, and 17 other people added this photo to their favorites.
Yes! So many good pieces.
Nay, tis from PotC4: On Stranger Tides and is none other than Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge. Glorious, truly.
Love the insane usage of skulls - very morbid for a LEGO set. The Blackbeard figure looks remarkable. Love that he has fuses in his beard, just as the authentic Edward Teach was wont to do.
Cool pieces, but the ship itself seems like a rehash of the Schooner 6286
wow,beautiful set and cool minifigs!
Hmmm... This set uses the Fantasy Era skeleton, while Isla de la Muerta uses the Ninjago skeleton. Perhaps one is for undead, and one is for actually-just-dead? Or perhaps LEGO will change one of the sets and settle with one or the other.
I myself would prefer the Ninjago skeleton arms and/or legs on the Fantasy-Era torso. That's the ideal skeleton in my personal opinion. But so far we haven't seen any indication LEGO plans to do that...
i want a skeleton monkey! hopefully on the Black Pearl...


text:
a1 Tobacco Treatment Specialist, MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence Portland, Maine, USA
a2 Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Family Practice, University of Vermont, USA
a3 Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, USA
Tobacco dependence is characterised as a chronic, relapsing disorder that typically requires multiple quit attempts before successful, long-term abstinence is achieved (Steinberg, Foulds, Richardson, Burke, & Shah, 2006). Best practice, evidence-based treatment includes multiple-session counselling and pharmacotherapy, or the combination of both (Fiore et al., 2008). The field has moved past the notion that tobacco dependence is simply a bad habit, a vice, or a moral deficiency that can be overcome by willpower or education alone (Mars & Ling, 2008). However, the language used in discussing treatment has not always been consistent with this evidence. Some words and phrases used lend themselves to varied meanings, and could lead to significant misunderstanding not only among professionals in the field, but also among the general public (O'Brien, 2010; Davis, 1992; Perkins, 1999; Hughes, 2013). In this paper, we discuss some commonly used, problematic terminology, and suggest more appropriate terms (Table 1).
c1 Address for correspondence: Fred Wolff, MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence, 110 Free Street, Portland, Me. 04101 207-662-7134 E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Watch Future to Bright Hai Ji Season 1 Episode 3:
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text: We hadn't been here for a number of years due to the landlords, but new owners now in situ. We visited Saturday lunchtime, and decided to try the menu. It is quite basic, and there are no starters or puds, but it was really good value for money. We ordered the steak meal at just under £8. Steak... read more


text: 000 FXUS63 KSGF 252258 AFDSGF AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO 558 PM CDT Wed Mar 25 2015 .SHORT TERM...(This Evening through Thursday) Issued at 235 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2015 Elevated convection developed north of a warm front over parts of southeast Kansas into southwest MO. Steep mid level lapse rates and mid level storm updraft rotation supported some large hail with some storms. A warm front from just north of Tulsa to the sw corner of MO then into north central AR is expected to continue to lift north to along a Columbus KS-Springfield-West Plains line by 6 pm with a sfc trough/dry line extending to the southwest from ne into central OK. An outflow boundary is also present south of earlier elevated convection. Capping evident in the warm sector based on METSAT data, but synoptic scale lift will increase with an approaching positively tilted trough from the west along with the right entrance region with a jet max over the Midwest. Lift will help break the cap with increased coverage in sfc based storms over ne OK within the next couple of hours. Progged helicity supports initial discrete supercell over ne OK transitioning to e-ene training line segments given the orientation of both the sfc and mid level winds. Large hail will be the most likely hazard with lower wind/tornado threat along the southern edge of the convection where stronger sfc based instability and mesovorts/line segements can maintain themselves. A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect through 10 pm for the southern 2/3rds of the cwfa. Rainfall amounts will be a concern where storms can train this evening. A hydro watch is already out and it`s location still looks good. The heaviest rain is expected form 00z-06z (7 pm-1 am) then tapering off from nw-se late tonight. Chilly blustery conditions will occur as the front moves south and east of the area Thursday. .LONG TERM...(Thursday Night through Wednesday) Issued at 235 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2015 Cold air will remain in place to end the week with a cold air mass over much of the Midwest and eastern CONUS in a highly amplified upper level pattern. A couple of shortwave (clipper like systems) are expected to bring some light rain/snow Thursday night and again Friday night. Temperatures will fall to near freezing both these nights, even with cloud cover. The upper level pattern transition back to a less amplified/more zonal flow over the weekend with a warming trend. A weak shortwave/associated sfc front will bring limited rain chances late Sunday. A more substantial shortwave will approach the area by day 6-7/Tuesday night-Wednesday. && .AVIATION...(For the 00Z TAFS through 00Z Thursday Evening) Issued at 550 PM CDT WED MAR 25 2015 Thunderstorms will continue across southern MO and will be possible at the 3 TAF locations through the evening hours. A shortwave trough will swing through from the northwest and will clear the convection from northwest to southeast late this evening and overnight. MVFR/IFR conditions will be possible within the convection this evening and will persist overnight with the colder air moving in. Improving flight conditions will arrive Thursday morning behind the shortwave. && .SGF WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MO...FLOOD WATCH through Thursday morning FOR MOZ070-071-081>083- 090>098-101>106. KS...NONE. && $$ SHORT TERM...DSA LONG TERM...DSA AVIATION...Lindenberg


text:
2007 Fun Finder $6500.00
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This 14 foot Travel trailer has only been used a handful of times, and sleeps three adults, or two adults and two children.. It comes with a gas grill that attaches to the side with propane connection from main tank. ...
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Fort Gratiot
Landscape Equipment Trailer with 2 Loading Ramps - Dual Axel
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4 Place Trailer (Floe Pro 100 Plus) Snow Mobile Trailer
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2010 K-Z Durango 325SB
Interior Color: Tan
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Slides: 3
Trailer Was Delivered From Manufacture To House & Hasn't Moved For 4 Yrs., Trailer Is Loaded, Lots Of Storage, Unloaded Trailer Weight Is 9410 Lbs, Hitch Weight Is 1720 Lbs. Extras Added On, Insulated Windows, Large Exit ...
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2015 Dynamax Rev 24RB class C motorhome
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wells cargo 6 x 10 V-Front utility trailer
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call 586-805-2161 .paid $4,400 and now want $2,900. .
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6 X 12 Wells Cargo enclosed Trailer
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2014 American Hauler Dump Trailer 83 X 12
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Brand new 5 X 10 pewter enclosed trailer with ramp and side door. Side flow vents, 3/4" plywood floors, 3/8th plywood walls, 16" o/c wall construction, 15" aluminum wheels and radial tires, screwless exterior, V-front with a slope, 5'6" interior height 1851 # payload
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text:
That is all.
True_Blu3 Blog
No Corpse Here
by True_Blu3 on Comments
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
I don't go on this site much, nor do I blog excessively like I once did. I have stopped writing about my daily doings for many years now, for reasons which are quite obvious: there is no reason. I have originally done it for attention, to become apart of a random group of people who loved games with endearing passion, which was something that inspired and transformed me. I loved games because of their appeal and their efforts to satisfy a young, underdeveloped soul. I love games now because I find potential in them as being powerful forms of storytelling; interaction is stronger than any fixed form of entertainment such as watching and hearkening a film or book. Interaction, simply, sucks you in.
It's been a long two years, and I have now graduated high school, prepped and suited for college and beyond. I gained the garner to write for I decided, for nostalgia's sake, to look over my previous blogs from the very past, only to realize that this site has been an important part of me, literally. My childish writing, my exaggerated reports, my hilarious endeavor to gain attention-- things that portrayed my once upbeat attitude as a young teenager with the mind of an ecstatic kid who wants to show the world who he is. Within the deepest recesses of my persona, it still remains. I want to be heard and adored, but above it crushing lies shyness, fear and depression. I have become a downed creature but a wiser thinker, and I think the cause of it is the darkness that has consumed the world unto this day. The economy, the war, the bleak future, and the relationship with my friends bring damaged emotions, and I try my hardest to steel myself.
The fear is both my death and the death of civilization. Death is unknown, and the unknown is usually feared. The only thing I can do as a young adult is to enter college and not follow the mistakes of the Mother. I play games and try to enjoy them, but it's very difficult when they are all... the same. The real thing that entertains me is luscious, inspiring music-- food to the ever active ears. As a man with a fantastical vision, I plan on becoming a programmer and a literary profession, for the reason being to make this vision come to life. I won't go into detail, but what I am planning is truly something grand and I hope I can create it before death.
I just wanted to holler out to those who have forgotten me or still wonder about my presence. I am still alive, and demand to keep it that way. Give great prayers that the future will uphold the beautifully complex race that is humanity, and may humanity have many great centuries filled with hope and opportunity.
Thank you, all. Really. And to Wildcat, if he still exists, for watching all my incredibly boring video blogs.
Let There Be Blue!
by True_Blu3 on Comments
Sorry for my lack of updating, boys and gals'. What has been going on?!
Lack of Updates
by True_Blu3 on Comments
Yup, the updates are lacking alright. So I'll just get straight to the point of things.
School is tough. Everyday, I must do homework for my Biology, Geometry, and World History cl@sses. It's stopping me from playing some games on week days, and it causes me to totally ignore blog updating. Is this really a problem, though? It's damn school. A Human being should be busy eventually in his life. If not, then he or she is considerably not a good Human being; for many reasons that I don't need to state.
Anyway, lets get cracking.
I got my copy of RE5. It's a damn good game. Sure, it lacks the fear and tension of the past REs. But as an action game, it's incredible. It does the one thing that made me love RE4 so damn much; the developer placing the player in crazily-insane situations that look impossible to pass at a first impression. RE5 doesn't do that as much as RE4, but that's simply because of the game's length. I am on the last chapter, and I think I clocked in at least twelve hours of playtime. If the game was 20-30 hours long like RE4, maybe the tense situations would be constant and would make the game better.
But really, who likes long games despite me? I am probably in the 1% category of the gamer population that hates the fact that games are short these days. I know, a game's length doesn't determine as to whether or not a game is good or bad. It's all about the level design, the story, the gameplay, and how the design and the mechanics intertwine with each other.
Which brings me to my future career after College. I want to be the head leader of a game company. I want to be like Hideo Kojima, Cliffy B., and Gabe Newell. I have ideas that I cannot turn into reality by myself, and I need to let my soon-to-be-made game documents go into the game console/PC as actual games. I have gameplay ideas that I hope will fix the problems of the modern shooter, such as the recharging health meter and the imbalanced weaponry. Every gamer should not be frustrated by trial-and-error and balance issues. I want the gamer to enjoy the experience and hope to never see it end. I want them to love the game and not think of the fact that they paid $60 (plux tax) for a **** product.
As a 17 year old man, I want to be a part of the game industry. I am currently writing a script for a game that will soon be made in the long future. I can't go into details on what the game is or what it's about, for that would be taking it a little too far and would kind of make me seem childish. But I want to be a game developer, simple as that; and to do that, I am going to be a concept artist. That's how Hideo Kojima began, so I am following in his foot steps.
Wish me luck, I guess... Well, you don't have to wish me like yet. Maybe when I am in my mid 20s... or 30s... or 40s... Yeah, 40s sounds about right.
Forge + Sandtrap = Dream Come True
by True_Blu3 on Comments
Tons of people will agree that Halo3 is nothing but a Halo 2.5 with minor improvements in graphics and gameplay. It has it's frustrating trial-and-error moments in single/multi player. It even has some balance issues with it's weapons and vehicles. Halo3 has a lot of flaws, and that's very agreeable. But there's one thing that makes Halo3 an actual sequel.
When Halo3 was released, Forge was a useless map editor that was used to move weapons, spawns, flag placements, and all that other stuff. It was a useful tool, but nothing else. That was until Foundry came into play, and it changed Forging forever. Why? With the use of moving immovable objects to create bridges, walls, and entrances, creating your own map was as easy as pie. All that was needed was some patience.
Since then, glitches were found. These glitches gave Forgers the ability to make objects float and attach together. These highly mistakable glitches made Bungie, in my views, a genius. Plus, with the amazing ability to create your own Game modes with the highly customizable options available in Custom Games, Halo3 became the Xbox360's LittleBigPlanet.
Just when things were going great, Bungie wanted to take the term "great" and enchance it to the term "godly". The result?
Sandbox is Foundry 2.0. It's a large, nearly endless plain of awesomeness where imagination can strive. It's bigger then Foundry, it's better then Foundry, and it's sandier then Foundry. We still don't know much about it, but it's rumored that Forgers have the ability of changing the Day-and-Night cycle of the map. If true, that's wicked awesome.
I can't wait for the Mythic Map Pack. It's #1 on my list for the most awaited DLC on Xboxlive, near GTA4: Lost and the Damned. Lets hope it followed the hype.
Music is Life; It's Everything
by True_Blu3 on Comments
I haven't really expressed my taste in music yet, nor have I even talked about it.
Here's how I answer:
And, simply put, power.
Rock is non-existent in my mind. I focus on beauty, triumph, imagination, and sty!le.
Thinking About Upgrading my PC
by True_Blu3 on Comments
I went to my nearest computer store to buy my friend, HellBound, a new keyboard. Since he has done so much for me in 2008, I just had to repay him for his charitable efforts of giving me the best damn Christmas since 1994. He needed a new keyboard anyways, is I guess my gift to him was rather thoughtful. (self criticizing is rudementry, but I couldn't think of anything else to write.)
So during my venture within the computer store, that of which was Frys, I went into the GPU section and found a Geforce9800GTS, only for $130.
$130... Have I been distracted by my 360 that much?
Point is, that card must be one-year old. Usually, when a new set of next-gen GPUs are released, that last generation decreases in worth. And again, usually current-gen GPUs are at a whooping $400.
My 7800GT is now showing it's age; it's time for some improvements.
Sadly, I do not have the money... Yet. I do, however, have the money to get a Hard Drive upgrade for my computer. I now have only 8 GBs of HD Space, considering my countless number of PC games that I got from Christmas. So I need a Hard Drive, and that's about $70. I only have $45, but I think my Mother is considering of paying half. I just have to gain the knowledge of which HD brand to buy.
Vlog soon, homies. I promise.
How Things Are Going
by True_Blu3 on Comments
Things are going quite decent, actually! My Mother threw out all her cigarrets and she's trying to fight the urge. So far, she's doing phenomenal. I was expecting her to do good, but not this good. I hope that later on in the next few months, the nicotine will rinse away in her body; allowing her to grow healthier without an addictive urge of smoking.
My sisters seem to have gone quite when it comes to their foolish nagging, simply because of my Mother's lack of use on the phone.
And some more good news?
I am staying on GameSpot, fair and square. I just realized how much friendlier and supportive the user community is here compared to Giantbomb. I don't care about getting the most comments on my blogs; if I have people like you just reading my random stuff, it gives me the feeling that there actually is good moralized people in this world.
Expect more blogs, my fellow bretheren. Who knows, maybe a video blog. :)
Thanks for everything.
I am Afraid I Have Some Bad News...
by True_Blu3 on Comments
And it involves me.
- I just found out my mother has a borderline stroke/heart attack. She needs to stop smoking for four months or she will die.
- My sisters have to give her their freaking bills since they can't pay them. This puts more stress on her.
- I have to be aggressive with my Mother tomorrow. I just can't do that. I don't yell at people. I yell out curse words when I play games, but not at people. If I do, I cry. Since it's toward my Mother, it's going to be devastating.


text:
Receive Breaking News updates as they occur
FORT MEADE, Md. (AP) — A friend of the driver killed in a confrontation at the entrance to the National Security Agency said the individual identified as transgender and was a sex worker in Baltimore.
UNION, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey's Kean University has cancelled hip-hop artist Common as commencement speaker after police voiced concerns over a song about a woman convicted of killing a police officer who fled to Cuba.
NEW YORK (AP) — As if there weren't enough upheaval in 17th-Century Salem, Massachusetts, this haunted village is about to welcome Lucy Lawless.


text:
I like to think I'm pretty cool. I like to wear bright lipstick and much prefer dressing for business to dressing for comfort. I'm studying International Event Management in Eastbourne and have spent the past year of my degree working in Nottingham as an Events Management Coordinator for the NHS.
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23 • Eastbourne, UK • Woman
I'm looking for
- Everyone
- Ages 21–35
- Near me
- Who are single
- For new friends, long-term dating, short-term dating
My details
- Last online
- Mar 24
- Orientation
- Bisexual
- Ethnicity
- White
- Height
- 5′ 5″ (1.65m)
- Body type
- Curvy
- Diet
- Anything
- Smokes
- No
- Drinks
- Socially
- Drugs
- Never
- Religion
- Christianity, but not too serious about it
- Sign
- Sagittarius, but it doesn't matter
- Education
- Working on university
- Job
- Hospitality
- Income
- Rather not say
- Status
- Single
- Type
- —
- Offspring
- Doesn't have kids
- Pets
- Likes dogs and likes cats
- Speaks
- English (Fluently), French (Okay), Japanese (Poorly)
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I'm a student at the University of Brighton, studying International Events Management in Eastbourne
I'm really good at
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Bring wine and sushi and you've got it down
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Lipstick, phone, mascara, cheese, wine and bed
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Global warming, lunch, or your next vacation… it's all fair game.
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Netflix and takeout, or getting your party on — how do you let loose?
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