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Some of you who tuned in to the Larry King Show a week ago Saturday will remember that Larry fired a question to me on the air that came out of nowhere. The question that reveals a nagging, troubling issue in the human heart. He asked me, "What about a two-year-old baby crushed at the bottom of the World Trade Center?"
I answered, "Instant heaven."
He replied with another question. "Wasn't a sinner?"
I again answered, "Instant heaven."
That's a compelling question, what about a baby crushed at the bottom of the Trade Center? What about any baby that dies? It's an agonizing question. It's a question that plagues Christians and non-Christians alike...what happens to babies that die?
All kinds of strange answers have been offered in the past. We don't need to deal with those, we need to know the right answer. I said, "Instant heaven." Now what was my authority for saying that? In a sound bite environment like that I didn't have time for an explanation and he didn't ask for one. But you deserve one so I'm going to tell you why I said what I said.
We're often hearing these days from those who are against war of any kind the statement, "Many innocent children will die and what about them?" This matter of death that exists in the world is obviously a massive force that operates in the realm of the little ones. We need to understand what it indicates, what it means. Life begins at conception, that is clear in Scripture. This is what the Bible teaches without question. So any death from the point of conception on is the death of a person and persons have eternal souls. Millions, perhaps billions of such souls have died throughout history. Millions continue to die today.
In fact, cumulatively in the modern era billions. One report I read in a book called Empty Arms says that up to 25 percent of all human conceptions do not complete the twentieth week of pregnancy...one out of four conceived die. Seventy-five percent of fatal deaths occur in the first twelve weeks. Neo-natal death, that is death in the womb, para-natal death, that is death at the time of birth occur in massive numbers even today with medical advancement. We have a larger population in the world than we've ever had, we have a lower mortality rate than we've ever had because of medical advancement, we still have a massive amounts of death. The latest statistics from the year 1999 indicate four million, three hundred and fifty thousand babies died in that year, infant mortality. Study concludes four million, three hundred and fifty thousand babies died is based upon statistical information and estimates are that the figures are so low that the actuality maybe more than that figure by double since most losses during pregnancy may not even be reported. The highest rates of infant mortality are found in the poorest and most primitive nations and at the same time the most pagan nations, mostly in Africa and Asia.
Take four million, three hundred and fifty thousand in the year 1999 and just keep adding the years and you can see the numbers of deaths are massive, staggering. These are, as I said, eternal souls and the question about "where are they?" then is of monumental significance. They're either populating hell at an incredible rate, or populating heaven at an equally incredible rate, or getting divided into heaven and hell. This is a question that needs to be answered, needs to be answered on the large scale, needs to be answered on the individual scale. A parent has the right to know...where is my baby? Where is my child? Where is that adult child of mine whose mind never developed and who for all intents and purposes mentally is still an infant? The death of one single baby in a family, the loss of one in a womb, the loss of a child at birth is significant.
There was a study some years ago that I read called "Mental Reactions to Para-natal Death," and it chronicled the parental reaction to the loss of a baby around the time of birth. Sixty percent of the parents surveyed were angry. Fifty percent of the men felt guilt. Ninety percent of the women felt guilt about the death of that child. Seventy-five percent were irritable. Sixty-five to seventy-five percent of the parents lost their appetite. Eighty to ninety percent lost their sleep and ninety-five to a hundred percent of them felt a profound and deep sadness.
It's important to understand that there are some amazing impacts of this on the life of parents. So when you look at it in the broad scale, millions upon millions of these little ones dying, or you look at the individual level and you see the sorrow and sadness that it brings into the life of a family, either perspective cries out for an answer. The agonizing mother in Afghanistan where a hundred and fifty babies out of a thousand die and at least that's the figures that are reported and it's likely double that, or the poor hungry mother in Angola where it is reported that two hundred out of a thousand die and it's likely double that, to you here in our congregation who lost a little one along the way, there needs to be an answer, there needs to be an answer from God, there needs to be an answer from God's Word to this troubling reality of infant death. You start adding up the years, you start adding up the millions, you start adding up the billions...the question, "Where are they?" becomes a very compelling question.
And you can add to that the very, I suppose, somewhat strange biblical indication that God Himself acknowledges, even authorizes the death of some infants. For example, in Isaiah 13:16 when God called for judgment on Babylon, He said, "Their little ones will also be dashed to pieces before their eyes." When God called for Assyria to make a war of judgment on Israel He said in Hosea 13:16, "Their little ones will be dashed to pieces," same statement. The same was said of Assyria's war on Egypt in Nahum chapter 3 and verse 10. Amazingly Psalm 137:8 and 9 says, "O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, how blest will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us, how blest will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rocks." Blest will be a nation who punishes Babylon, even including the death of little ones.
What happens to these little ones? The death of which God authorizes, in a sense, in fulfilling His judgment purposes? I suppose it would also be fair to say that when a birth is successful this is because God has allowed that to happen. We can say what David said in Psalm 22 verse 9, "Yet Thou art He who didst bring me forth from the womb. Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother's breast upon Thee I was cast from birth. Thou hast been my God from my mother's womb." David acknowledged that life came from God and when that life survived the womb and the birth and actually began to live, it was a life that God had allowed to live. No death occurs apart from the purpose of God, no life occurs apart from the purpose of God.
Now remember in the original creation there was no death. And man, according to Genesis 1:26 to 28, was given the power to procreate, that is to produce life in a deathless world. That was God's original intent that Adam and Eve would be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and they would literally produce life in a deathless world so that no...no life conceived would ever die. However, when Adam and Eve sinned, death came on all and death comes to all and it comes to many in infancy and childhood.
I suppose it would be an educated guess to say that perhaps half of the people ever conceived die before they reach any level of maturity. And again I ask the question...how does God deal with them? Is the answer comforting? Is the answer encouraging? is the answer hopeful? Or is it discouraging? Do they go instantly to heaven?
Why did I say that? I'm not the first one to try to deal with this, but there are a lot of people who aren't dealing with it today. I was on a panel at a conference, a large conference, with three other pastors and it was a question and answer panel and I was sitting up there with these other very fine pastors whom I love and respect. And one of the questions came from the audience was, "What happens to babies that die?" And they went down the first three and the answer in each case was, "I don't know," which isn't very comforting. And it puts me in a terrible spot because when it came to me I said, "They go to heaven...they go to heaven." And I tried to give a brief explanation of why I believe that's true.
But I thought as I've looked back on that so many times...how can you be a pastor and not get an answer to that question? Because you're dealing with people constantly who go through this. Even C.S. Lewis agreed with me. Now he didn't know it... C.S. Lewis in his wonderful book The Last Battle wrote about a terrible train accident, one of those terrible disasters that killed all the children in a family. And that surfaced the question...What about those children?...as any disaster does.
This is what he wrote. "And as God spoke, he no longer looked to them like a lion." You remember, he pictures God as a lion, Aslan. He said, "As God spoke he no longer looked at Him as a lion, but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them, and for us this is the end of all stories and we can say most truly that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world had only been the cover of the title page, now at last they were beginning chapter one of the great story which goes on forever in which every chapter is better than the one before," end quote. That's the inimitable C.S. Lewis saying they were ushered into the real story.
Now that's prose, I know, but it's true, isn't it? It's right, isn't it?, to tell parents when children die they do live happily ever after. I think the Word of God will affirm the salvation of little ones who die.
A place to begin, Psalm 139...Psalm 139. What I'm going to do tonight is just give you a little bit of a look at Psalm 139, then I want to talk a little theology with you and I'm going to be precise as I can because this demands precision. And then next Sunday night I'm going to support the theology with the text of various Scriptures. So this will be a two-part look at this issue.
Psalm 39...139 does provide for us a good starting place. I want you to look at verse 17. This is a place to launch our look and then we're going to go backwards in this first part of Psalm 139. "How precious also are Thy thoughts to me, O God; how vast is the sum of them." The psalmist, David, has captured some precious thoughts here, precious divine truths that mean so much to him, that's why he calls them precious. They are treasured truths. They are gems to hold on to. And what are they? Let's go back and find out.
First precious truth that the psalmist grips is that God knows everything about him, even before he could talk. Look at verse 1, "O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me, Thou doest know when I sit down, when I rise up. Thou doest understand my thought from afar. Thou doest scrutinize my path and my lying down and are acquainted intimately with all my ways." You know everything about me, everything about me. You know me. You know when I sit down, when I rise up. In other words, you know every detail of every moment of every day. You know what I think. You know my path. You know my sleeping. You know everything intimately about all my ways and You have known it even before there is a word in my tongue. Before I could ever speak You knew everything about me. I was known to you in every element of my life. "Behold, O Lord, You know it all." God knows everything about me, even before I can talk.
The second precious truth is that God is actively involved in my life. Verse 5, "You have enclosed me behind and before. You've laid Your hand on me." In other words, You've got me backed up on both sides and covered on top. You're active in my life. I'm in the middle and You've got me surrounded. Verse 6, he says, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it's too high, I can't attain it." You know everything about me before I can speak. You have my life completely in Your hands. You have pressured me from both sides. You've kept me contained and I can't get out the top because You're there. It's a precious truth, isn't it? From the very start You're actively involved in controlling my life.
A third precious thought is that God will never lose sight of or knowledge of me. There is no way I can ever be lost to You. "Where can I go from Your Spirit?" Verse 7, "Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I make my bid in Sheol, behold You're there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea then there Thy hand will lead me, Thy right hand will lay hold of me." I can't go anywhere outside of Your knowledge. I can't go anywhere outside of Your vision. I will never be lost to You.
The fourth precious truth is that God will never be limited in that knowledge no matter how dark it gets. This is sort of metaphoric language, in a sense, it's never going to be so dark. You say, "Well I can see you in the light, but things might get so dark that God loses His view." No, he says in verse 11 and 12, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, I might say, and the light around me will be night." In other words, I'm going to fall into some circumstance, I'm going to fall into some problem, some dilemma, some condition and it's going to be so dark the Lord isn't going to be able to find me. And then verse 12 he says, "Even the darkness is not dark to Thee, the night is as bright as the day, darkness and light are alike to Thee."
Now the point of this is these are credibly precious thoughts of the psalmist and what they tell us is that God knows every single detail about his life from beginning to end, starting before he could ever say a word. How is it that God has this personal intimate knowledge? Answer...because God is...and here's the fifth precious thought...God is his personal creator. Verse 13, "For Thou didst form my inward parts. Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb." You put together the male chromosomes and the female chromosomes, You wove my DNA. You made me personally.
The sixth precious thought is in verse 16. You determined my destiny. You planned my life. "Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance." You saw me in Your sovereign view before I was ever formed. ""And in Your book everything about me was written down, the days that were ordained for me when as yet there wasn't one of them."
Now these are precious thoughts. God knows everything about me even before I can talk. God is in complete control of my life. God will never lose sight of me no matter what goes on. I can never be lost to God. There is no circumstance that can in any way limit His knowledge. The reason He knows me so well is He is my personal creator who has planned carefully my destiny. Those are precious thoughts.
It's not as if lives are being conceived willy-nilly and God's not involved. This is not just true of David. David is speaking for every man. He is speaking of intimate association between God and each human creation. God is intimately involved in every little life...every life. It's not just a chain of procreative acts that He inaugurated, He is there in every single conception. These are precious thoughts because this indicates to us how precious every life is. If every life is so precious that God knows it all, plans it all, guards and protects it all, never loses sight of anything then they must matter to Him. They must matter to Him.
And we could conclude from that alone that since God is by nature a Savior and since God is not willing that any should perish but all should come to repentance, and since God would have all men to be saved, there's every reason to believe just from that alone that a caring God who created that life to begin with, who superintends and guards that life, who knows intimately everything about that life, should that life perish physically in its infancy there would be every reason from that Psalm alone to trust the grace of God who is by nature a Savior in behalf of that life.
Let me show you a couple of other passages, and we're just starting to build a foundation here. In Job chapter 3 and verse 16 and 17, again I don't like the NAS translation as well as I like the New King James. Those of you who have the New King James version have a leg up on the translation. I'm going to read the New King James, it's a better representation, I think, here.
Job is in some serious despair. How do we know that? Verse 1 of Job 3. "Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth." Pretty serious despair. Job said, "Let the day perish in which I was to be born and the night which said, 'A boy is conceived.' May that day be darkness." I wish I had never been born this suffering is so profound...never been born.
In verses 16 and 17 this is what he says, "Why was I not hidden like a still-born child, like infants who never saw light? Why didn't I die in my mother's womb? There the wicked cease from troubling. There the weary are at rest."
What's he saying? He's saying I'd be better off if I had miscarried. I would be better off if I were still-born so I wouldn't have to face troubling life but I would enter immediately into...what?...rest...rest. Job understood that dying as an infant would bring one to rest and one would escape the pain of suffering. He certainly didn't believe that infants that die go to hell and some eternal torment, but rather had the confidence that they entered into rest.
In Ecclesiastes also in chapter 6, you don't have to turn to it you can just jot it down, Ecclesiastes 6:3 to 5. Solomon laments, he laments that a still-born child is better off than a person who lives a thousand years twice and doesn't enjoy the right things. He says, "What's the point of living two thousand years if you don't ever enjoy true goodness, you'd be better off a still-born child."
In both of these cases you have by implication the idea that being still-born takes you to a place of rest. Being still born is preferable to a life of wickedness, a life of unfulfillment. Now those are some implicit references. Next week we're going to look at some explicit references that I think support the fact not just implicitly but explicitly that children who die go to heaven. So if we answer yes, what about babies that die, if we say instant salvation, yes, how are we going to understand that in the light of sin? In the light of fallenness?
So, I'm going to ask and answer a few questions. I'm going to give you a little theology lesson here. First question, who qualifies as an infant or a child? Fair enough? People always say, "Well, what's the age of accountability?" That's the way the question is typically answered. I'd like to pose it another way, who qualifies as an infant or a child? Who are we talking about here? We heard testimonies tonight in the waters of baptism from some young people who were 13, is that the age? Is it 12? Is it 11? Is it 10? I heard from one young lady that she believes that her salvation occurred at the age of 7, another, I think, at the age of 10. What is that age? And you often hear that question asked.
That's really not the question because we're not talking about an age of accountability. Get this in your mind, we're talking about a condition of accountability. Get the word "age" out of this discussion. We're talking about a condition of accountability...not an age. Who qualifies then in our discussion as an infant or child who dying is saved, who dying instantly goes to heaven? Who are we talking about?
Answer...those who have not reached sufficient mature understanding in order to comprehend convincingly the issues of law and grace, sin and salvation. I'll say it again cause I thought about it a long time and this is the way I want you to hear it. We're talking about someone who has not reached sufficient mature understanding to comprehend convincingly the issues of law and grace and sin and salvation. This is certainly an infant in the womb. This is certainly an infant at birth. This is certainly a small child. And this is certainly a mentally impaired adult at any age. Anyone in the condition who cannot sufficiently understand and comprehend so as to be fully convinced of the issues of law and grace and sin and salvation. It's not an age, it is a condition. And from child to child it varies. And as I said, you have to include in this those who grow up mentally disadvantaged, mentally disabled, mentally retarded so as never to be able to have a sufficient mature understanding and a convincingly comprehensive grasp of law and grace and sin and salvation. This is not an age, this is a condition. That's who we're talking about, people in that condition where they cannot in a mature way understand and comprehend convincingly these issues. We're talking about those people. Are they saved if they die?
And the next question that we have to address in framing up this discussion and I'm being careful in detail because I want this to be helpful to not only to us but to many people who are asking this question, so I want to be careful to cover everything. A second question...are all children conceived as sinners? Are all children conceived as sinners?
Now there is a belief, still around though it was condemned 1600 years ago, there is a belief that teaches that all people are born without sin. They're all born, we're all born morally clean. Sin only takes root in our lives when we commit our fist sin so we come in morally clean, this view says. And we commit sin by choice and then when we commit sin by choice we become sinners and not until. Those who hold this view find it very convenient in dealing with children because they say since these little ones can't make a moral choice to sin, they're therefore not sinners so when they die they go to heaven because they're not sinners. They die in sinlessness. As I said, 1600 years ago this view called Pelagianism was denounced as a heresy by every church that met after the death of Pelagius, and yet it's survived till today in some forms of what we call Arminian theology. However, the Bible is absolutely crystal clear that all children are sinners from conception...all children. The principle of iniquity is imbedded in the human race. Children are born morally corrupt. They are born with an irresistible bent toward evil. And any notion that children are born morally neutral and free from a predisposition to sin is absolutely contrary to Scripture. And as I said, this view was denounced as heresy after the death of the one who propounded it and has been considered heresy by those faithful to biblical theology ever since.
All humans are born in sin. If infants were not sinful, if they were not morally corrupt, then they wouldn't die. If they were born innocent or pure or morally neutral there would be no basis for their death. The very fact that they die indicates that the disease of sin is there in them because sin is the killer. It is in their inherited sin nature that the seeds of death are planted.
And furthermore, do you know any adult that chose not to sin and therefore perpetuated some holy perfection? Do you know any adult that didn't repeat Adam and Eve's conscious rebellion against God? Do you know any adult that didn't actually sin? No, the only persons who don't actually sin are those who die in infancy and the only reason they don't actually sin is because they die before they can manifest their sinfulness. They die before they can make a responsible moral choice to rebel against God which all of them will do if they live. Any child who lives to the point of moral responsibility, any person who gets beyond that condition where they can't understand and they can't convincingly grasp the truths of salvation, any child who lives pass the point of responsible moral to the point of responsible moral choice will choose to sin. We all do. The Bible is absolutely clear that all infants who survive end up wretched sinners because it's in their nature. First Kings 8:46, "There is no man who doesn't sin." Psalm 51:5, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, in sin my mother conceived me." It doesn't mean he was an illegitimate child, that's not the case. But from the very conception sin was there imbedded in his nature.
Psalm 58:3, "The wicked are estranged from the womb. And those who speak lies go astray from birth." Psalm 143:2, "In Thy sight no one living is righteous," that is from conception on, in the womb, at birth, in infancy, in childhood or adulthood, no one is righteous. Proverbs 20 and verse 9, "Who can say I have cleansed my heart, I'm pure from sin?" No one. Ecclesiastes 7 and verse 20, "Indeed there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, and who can know it?" Everything in Scripture cries out about the sinfulness of man.
Jesus in Matthew 15:18 says, "The things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and out of the heart come evil thoughts and murders and adulteries and fornications and thefts and false witness and slanders. These are the things that defile a man." It's what comes from the inside. In Romans chapter 3, "There is none righteous, no not one." Romans 3 goes on to describe the wretchedness of the human heart.
So, the Bible tells us that sinfulness is not a condition that comes upon people when they're old enough to choose to do evil. It is the condition of the entire human race and every conception brings into being a sinful life. Ever since Adam and Eve everyone born has been born in a fallenness sinful state. That becomes evident as soon as any behavioral choice is made. We're born sinners, we are also born guilty because we inherit the guilt of Adam's sin.
I don't want to go into detail, if you want detail you can get the teaching that we've done on Romans chapter 5. But a couple of verses. Romans 5:12, "Just as through one man's sin entered into the world and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned." That is a profoundly definitive statement that says when Adam sinned, the whole human race became guilty in Adam and we all sinned there and we all died there. And every human that is born bears the guilt of Adam's sin, the principle of iniquity and death. We are born corrupt, inheriting this defiled human nature and bearing guilt for that original sin. And so in the came chapter, Romans 5:21 it says, "Sin reigned in death from that point on." All people then are born sinners, they are born resisting righteousness and loving evil. We are...this is a very important verse...Ephesians 2:3, by nature the children of wrath. That is our nature.
Genesis 8:21 says, "The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth." Isaiah 48:8, "I know that thou wouldst deal very treacherously and was called a transgressor from the womb."
Now this is important. Every child is conceived with a deadly virus, the S-I-N virus with corrupt motives, corrupt attitudes, corrupt desires, corrupt ambitions, corrupt objectives and bears the guilt of Adam's sin. So we cannot answer the question by saying all babies die and go to heaven because they're sinless. They're not. They're not. The very fact that they die proves that they have inherited the corruption of sin that produces death.
Now that leads us to a third question, and we're getting to the issues now. What implications does this truth of depravity have on the issue of dying infants? We must conclude that all babies are depraved sinners from the time of conception because they're born to depraved parents. And like produces like. And here is where some people jump in and say, "Well, if they're all sinners, if they're all born in sin, they're all guilty then they're all damned to hell. And all the little ones who die by the millions and billions because they are sinful deserve death and hell and that's where they go since they can't repent and since they can't cry out to God for mercy and grace, they can't believe in Jesus Christ, they all go to hell."
There are people who believe this. There are people who have told me that repeatedly. This is...this is sort of an implication drawn out of their doctrine of total depravity that because all who are born are born into total depravity and deserve hell, they get hell. It is supposedly their sequential or logical process moving from the view of total depravity. It was one of the accusations against Spurgeon. Spurgeon was strong on reformed theology and people accused Spurgeon, as they have accused others who believe in reformed theology or Calvinism, as it is called, of damning all the babies. And maybe Spurgeon never responded better than this, he said, quote: "Among the gross falsehoods that have been uttered against the Calvinist proper is the wicked calumny that we hold the damnation of little infants. A baser lie was never uttered. There may have existed somewhere in some corner of the earth a miscreant...a criminal...who would dare to say that there were infants in hell but I have never met with him nor have I met with a man who ever saw such a person. We say with regard to infant, Scripture saith but little and therefore where Scripture is confessedly scant it is for no man to determine dogmatically but I think I speak for the entire body, or certainly with exceedingly few exceptions and those unknown to me when I say we hold that all infants who die are elect of God and are therefore saved. And we look to this as being the means by which Christ shall see of the travail of his soul to a great degree and we do sometimes hope that thus the multitude of the saved shall be made to exceed the multitude of the lost. Whatever views our friends may hold upon the point, they are not necessarily connected with Calvinistic doctrine. I believe that the Lord Jesus who said of such is the Kingdom of Heaven doth daily and constantly receive into His loving arms those tender ones who are only shown and then snatched away to heaven," end quote.
If you survey Reformed Calvinistic literature over 450 years since Calvin, you will find that the vast majority of all the writers believed that all infants who die are taken to heaven. Now let me kind of expand on that. This is very, very important.
You see, it's only pure true reformed soteriology, salvation, only pure true reformed soteriology can account for the fact that fallen, sinful, guilty, depraved children who die with no spiritual merit, die with no religious merit, die with no moral merit of their own can be welcomed by a holy God into eternal glory...only pure reformed theology can allow for that because only the purest theology believes that salvation is all by grace. How were you saved? By what? Grace.
You say, "Well, if God just takes all the babies to heaven, that's just grace." Right. But how were you saved? By law? What do you want? Law for babies and grace for you? You had no more to do with your salvation than a helpless infant. That's why the truest and purest theology is that theology which understands that salvation is by grace and maybe that's what Jesus had in mind in part when He said, "You who go to heaven go to heaven as little children." Is there a better illustration of salvation by grace than the salvation of a helpless infant? True understanding...any true understanding of Scripture yields the reality that all salvation is by sovereign choice by God through grace based on nothing that the sinner merits. And is there a better illustration of that than saving lost infants? Does that magnify sovereignty? Does it magnify grace? Of course it does.
Phil Johnson wrote in one of his lessons, "I met one fellow whose own child died in infancy and he seemed to think there was something meritorious about believing his own child had gone to hell. Every chance he got he brought up the issue and boasted about he and his wife had come to grips with the fact that their child was simply not among the elect. I told him he and his wife were in for a pleasant surprise when they get to glory. I recall, he said, that he was absolutely certain that if God elected that infant to salvation, He would have kept him alive long enough to bring him to faith. My reply was that he would have had just as much biblical warrant to conclude that if God had decided not to elect that child, He would have kept him on earth long enough for the child's heart to be hardened by sin and his rebellion against God to be manifest through deliberate actions because whenever Scripture describes the inhabitants of hell, it always does so with lists of sins and abominations they have deliberately committed. We might look at the biblical data and conclude that when God takes the life of a little one, it is actually an act of mercy, keeping that child from being hardened by a life of exposure to evil and a life of deliberate rebellion against God. One's position on this issue says a lot about one's view of God...I like this...and His grace."
And if you understand by nature God is a...what?...Savior...haven't we said that over and over and over and over?...is not that the truest expression of His heart? Isn't Jeremiah weeping the tears of God in Jeremiah 13? Isn't Scripture saying God wants people to be saved, He's not willing that they perish? How can we believe that if He catapults billions of helpless infants into hell? Is this any magnification of grace? Is this any illustration of grace?
Somebody else will come at this point and say, "Ah yes, but God is gracious but only to baptized babies." This is right. This is Lutheranism. Now we certainly have much to thank Martin Luther for, but infant baptism isn't one of the things. Luther's catechism says this, quote: "Baptism worketh forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil and gives everlasting salvation to all who believe as the Word of the promise of God declare." Well the baby can't believe, and that's where Luther jumped in and said, "Well, surrogate faith on the part of his parents is rendered in his behalf. So baptized babies will be saved."
The Lutheran Augsburg Confession says, quote: "Of baptism, Lutherans teach that it is necessary to salvation and that by baptism the grace of God is offered and that children are to be baptized who by baptism being offered to God are received into God's favor," end quote. This view is held by Anglicans and Episcopalians, some Reformed groups.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches essentially the same thing, that the removal of sin depends on the sacrament of infant Baptism. Without infant Baptism, without Baptism no child can be saved. The Council of Trent, 1563, based the salvation of infants on Roman Catholic Baptism. In 1951 Pius XII taught that, quote: "No other way besides Baptism is seen as imparting the life of Christ to little children." The New Catholic Catechism says, "By Christian Baptism one enters into the Kingdom of God and into the sphere of the saving work of Christ."
So the answer of the sacramentalists is the baptized babies are saved and the unbaptized babies aren't. Now this would make salvation not an act of grace but an act of works. That is no credit to the grace of God. The point must be rejected outright.
First of all, since infant baptism isn't mentioned or taught in Scripture. I remember when I was debating R.C. Sproul on baptism and he's my good friend, but he didn't have a case. So when he asked me if I'd debate him, I said, "In a heartbeat." And so after I gave my side of the thing and he gave his, he started out by saying, "Now MacArthur says infant baptism isn't in the Bible and he's right. However..." and off he went. If you're trying to find infant baptism in the Bible, you're not going to find it. Infant baptism would certainly be a work and if babies are saved in that work, then salvation is not by grace.
Now let me summarize. No view of infant salvation which denies original sin and total depravity is true. Did you get that? No view of infant salvation which denies original sin and total depravity is true. Babies are not free from sin, they are sinners.
Second summary point, no view of universal damnation of infants who die necessarily protects the doctrines of salvation since salvation is grounded in absolute sovereignty and comprehensive grace. All babies saved would be an act of grace apart from any merit on the part of any child and that is true of adult salvation.
And thirdly, no baptism of anyone, including infants, saves them. That would make salvation by works.
What I just said to you, in case you didn't follow it, is that all babies are depraved, fallen, guilty, corrupt sinners. But sending them all to hell doesn't necessarily protect the doctrine of salvation since the glory of the doctrine of salvation is that it is a sovereign choice by God provided for unworthy, incapable sinners purely on the basis of grace. That eliminates any work, including baptism.
One more question. If infants are saved when they die, by what means are they saved? If those who are retarded, mentally retarded, mentally disabled, dysfunctional and therefore in the same category as an infant would be in the condition of not having a capability to understand matters of salvation, if they are saved when they die, by what means are they saved? By what means?
Well, I'll tell you the means. By the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ because that is the only means that anybody can be saved. Now listen to what I say. God has predestined all He wills into salvation, including those in infancy. That salvation is by His sovereign choice through grace alone though all infants deserve eternal judgment because of their guilt and corruption. Their sins were paid for by the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross in which He bore the wrath of God not only for all who could believe, but for all who could not believe. I really do believe that only those who understand true reformed theology can grasp the redemption of little ones which fits so beautifully because it's all of sovereignty and it's all of grace.
B.B. Warfield, the great Princeton theologian, wrote this, "The destiny of infants who die is determined irrespective of their choice by an unconditional decree of God, suspended for its execution on no act of their own. And their salvation is wrought by an unconditional application of the grace of Christ to their souls through the immediate and irresistible operation of the Holy Spirit prior to and apart from any action of their own proper wills. And if death in infancy does depend on God's providence, it is assuredly God in His providence who selects this vast multitude to be made participants of His unconditional salvation. This is but to say that they are unconditionally, predestined to salvation from the foundation of the world. If only a single infant dying in irresponsible infancy be saved, the whole Arminian principle is traversed. If all infants dying such are saved, not only the majority of the saved but doubtless the majority of the human race hitherto have entered into life by a non-Arminian pathway." A little tongue and cheek there.
What he is saying is anybody who has an Arminian system has in that system some contribution to salvation made by the individual, that it's partly God and partly us. And that's why he intends to say that it is only a pure understanding of the doctrine of salvation that says it's all of God and all of grace that can account for the salvation of these little ones. And I quickly add that salvation is not apart from Christ, it is through Christ. He, as Warfield says, is the bearer of their sins in His own body on the cross.
You say, "But...but...but...but...but they didn't believe, they didn't believe." They couldn't believe...they couldn't believe. And so in grace and mercy and sovereign election through the sacrifice of Christ and His resurrection freely applied to them, they are ushered into God's Kingdom. And, of course, Scripture nowhere teaches infant damnation and I'll show you next time how it teaches the opposite.
And I want to close with this. What does Scripture teach about damnation? Turn to Revelation chapter 20. This is important. This is the main point that I want you to get in this message tonight. Revelation chapter 20, Scripture teaches, and listen very carefully, Scripture teaches, and here's a summary statement I'm going to show you how it comes through Scripture teaches that men and women are saved by...what?...grace, but damned by works...by works. Scripture teaches that all condemned sinners earn their eternal punishment by their sins.
How do I know that? Because whenever you go to the judgment seat this is what you see, Revelation 20 verses 11 and 12. Here's the Great White Throne, this is the final judgment of all the ungodly of all history and the One sitting upon the throne from whose presence earth and heaven fled away and no place was found for them, obviously the great Judge, God has committed to Christ it tells us in John 5. There is Christ the great Judge on the throne and verse 12, "I saw the dead, the great, the small standing before the throne and books were opened. And another book was opened which was the Book of Life and the dead were judged...listen to this...from the things which were written in the books according to their deeds and the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and hades gave up the dead which were in them and they were judged every one of them according to their...what?...deeds, or works."
I'm going to say this again. Scripture always, always connects eternal condemnation to the sinner's deeds, works...always. In John 8:21 and 24 the most significant damning work Jesus says, "Because you believe not in Me you will die in your sins and where I go you'll never come." The greatest of all the sinner's evil works is unbelief...unbelief. And unbelief is always singled out as the primary damning sin. John 3:36, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life, he who doesn't obey the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him." Earlier in the chapter He says, "You don't believe...you don't believe and because you don't believe you're condemned, you're condemned if you don't believe. And when you don't believe you don't obey." So there's a life of evil works that are recorded, the books record it. God has a complete record of every sin of every sinner who has ever lived and it is on the basis of those records that they will be condemned. It is the sins that sinners commit that constitute the record that is established against them by which condemnation falls from the throne of God.
Little children don't have that record. In Jonah 4:11, "Should I not have compassion on Ninevah, the great city on which there are more than 120,000 persons who don't know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?" There are people there, God says, who deserve compassion because they don't know the difference, they don't know the difference between their right and left hand. He's speaking of those who are infants, or those who are mentally incapable of understanding truth. And God says they deserve compassion because of that condition.
In Deuteronomy 1:39 God talks about your little ones who have no knowledge of good or evil. There's a point in life when you don't have the knowledge of good or evil, you haven't reached that condition of accountability. Similarly in Isaiah 7:16..."Before the boy will know enough to refuse evil and choose good," and so forth.
Infants who die then have never had anything written in the record because they've never committed the deeds, conscious deeds of rebellion and iniquity. God knows at what point they become accountable. Infants who die have been protected by God's providence from committing those deeds, those responsible acts of sin by which they would be condemned. And listen, there is no place in the Bible where judgment is based on any other grounds than the deeds of sin. It's true they're sinful by nature, but the account against them that condemns them is their deeds. God doesn't charge people with actual sins until they commit them.
Now listen, salvation then is by grace completely apart from works. Damnation is by works completely apart from grace. Infants have no sinful works to fill the books and condemn them. So I say this, if a baby dies, that baby is elect...instant heaven. Now you know why I answered Larry's question the way I did.
Let me read you something in closing. Written in 1907 by R.A. Webb, listen to this. "If a dead infant were sent to hell on no other account than that of original sin, there would be a good reason to the divine mind for the judgment because sin is a reality. But the child's mind would be a perfect blank as to the reason of its suffering. Under such circumstances it would know suffering but it would have no understanding of the reason for its suffering. It could not tell itself why it was so awfully smitten and consequently the whole meaning and significance of its sufferings being to it a conscious enigma, the very essence of the penalty would be absent and justice would be disappointed, cheated of its validation," end quote.
Yes, children are born sinners. Their death proves that. But never being able to understand the truth and therefore consciously rejected and choose rebellion, they have no record against them in the books of God and they then constitute a marvelous and vast opportunity for sovereign grace to operate apart from any works at all.
So here's a final summary. All children who die before they reach the condition of accountability by which they convincingly understand their sin and corruption and embrace the gospel by faith are graciously saved eternally by God through the work of Jesus Christ being elect by sovereign choice, innocent of willful sin, rebellion and unbelief by which works they would be justly condemned to eternal punishment. Get the tape if you want that again.
So, when an infant dies, he or she is elect to eternal salvation and eternal glory. So dear one, if you have a little one that dies, rejoice. Count not your human loss, count your eternal gain. Count not that child as having lost, but having gained, having passed briefly through this life untouched by the wicked world only to enter into eternal glory and grace. The true sadness should be over those children of yours who live and reject the gospel. Don't sorrow over your children in heaven, sorrow over your children on earth that they should come to Christ. This is your great responsibility, your great opportunity.
Father, thank You again tonight for these dear people, how they love Your truth, how my heart is filled with love toward them for that fellowship in the Word that we embrace and enjoy. How I thank You for their eager hearts to know, to apply and to proclaim truth. I thank You for every little life that has passed through this congregation, every little life that was miscarried and passed in to Your eternal presence through the election of sovereign grace, every little life that died around the time of birth, some of them held in the tender arms of a mom and a dad in a time of sorrow and yet rejoicing for that little one who passed through the world without the burden of sin. Thank You for every parent, for every little one that lived for months, or years and then was snatched away, taken into eternal rest, awaiting reunion, many cases with parents they never could know but shall forever enjoy. And for those children who lived a few years and died through an illness or an accident and were gathered into Your eternal arms, we thank You as well. You are a God who by nature saves, You show us that in so many ways. And this exhibit of sovereign grace is a massive evidence of Your compassion on sinners. You have saved those who have no ability to remedy the sin they've inherited and must be cast upon Your mercy, and so it is that You save us the same way, only for us You impart conviction, repentance and faith in Your Son who was our Savior and the Savior of all the little ones who died, for this great grace, for this rescue particularly from pagan countries, idolatrous and godless societies we praise You, we thank You and we glorify You for this abundant grace. In our Savior's name. And everybody said...Amen.
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Loyola at a Glance
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BOT member talks about Catholic values in today's media landscape
November 19, 2010
Communicating Catholic values in today's ever-changing media landscape has its challenges, and the Rev. Paul A. Soukup, S.J., Ph.D. , will discuss these and the opportunities communication programs face in carrying out their Jesuit mission through their work.
Soukup's talk takes place Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in Studio A on the fourth floor of the Communications/Music Complex. It is hosted by Loyola's College of Social Sciences and the School of Mass Communication and is free and open to the public.
As a priest, professor of communication at a Catholic university, and Loyola University New Orleans Board of Trustees member, Soukup understands what sets Catholic higher education apart from other colleges and universities. His research interests at Santa Clara University include the connection between communication and theology and the use of new technologies in religious communication.
"There are a lot of communications programs out there across the state and region, but what sets us apart is our commitment to our Catholic identity," School of Mass Communication director Sonya Duhé, Ph.D., said. "We are not content with just providing the basic skills for our students to start and maintain a career. Our focus is about educating the whole person."
High school students interested in careers in communication are encouraged to attend. For more information, please contact Duhé at 504-865-3450.
For the latest updates about Loyola University New Orleans, follow us on Twitter @LoyolaNOLANews or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/loyno.
Loyola at a Glance is written and distributed for the faculty, staff, students and friends of Loyola University New Orleans. It is published by the Office of Public Affairs, Greenville Hall, Box 909, 7214 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118. (504) 861-5888.
Information to be included in Loyola at a Glance must be received 2-3 weeks in advance of the publication date. Send us your news here.

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Genres: Action , Horror , Thriller
Directors: Daniel Bernhardt, Éric S. Boisvert
Writer: Éric S. Boisvert, Alexandre Carrière
Stars:Sam Ashurst, Jamie Birkett, Warren Brown
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Corrections Academy Schedule FY 2020 PDF - Rev. 02 - 06.12.19
This Academy is 160 hours in length [4 weeks]. It is designed to provide training for employees whose primary job functions are to facilitate the custody, safety and security of adults in jails. The COA provides participants with the basic knowledge and skills needed for safe and effective service. Training Coordinators act as coaches and mentors to individuals and the group as a whole. Professionalism and decorum are encouraged for officers to develop pride and ownership of conduct. Students are also organized into teams with Team Leaders serving to enhance group performance. Practical Skills application and testing is conducted via skills clinics and class quizzes. The final examination is a written test focusing on cumulative knowledge of the entire Academy. The final is scenario-based; prompting students to assess the appropriate application of technical information gained from class learning and student materials.
Evaluation & Assessment:
• Assessment and Testing
• Written Exams / Quizzes
• Skills Clinic
• Mock Scene Testing
• Defensive Tactics
• Journaling
2. Once your application has been processed, your agency representative will receive a registration letter with instructions on attending the Physical Ability Test (PAT). There will also be information regarding uniform requirements, lodging eligibility, etc.
As of 5/2/2016, a new and simplified WSCJTC Statement of Fitness (Form CJ-1251) will be implemented for enrollment in all Basic Training Academies. We are also excited to announce the introduction of digital signatures (e-signatures). For those of you who are unfamiliar with this process, a "how-to guide" is linked below with step-by-step instructions on setting up your e-signature for the first time. Another big change to this form, is that we will no longer require the Statement of Fitness to be signed by a health care professional. There is now an "Agency Administrator" affidavit that must be signed by an agency representative in authority and an "Applicant" affidavit that must be signed by the recruit. These signatures will serve as notice to the WSCJTC that neither the agency, nor the applicant, are aware of any existing physical challenges that would prevent the successful completion of the Physical Ability Test (PAT) or Basic Training Academy.
Application Packet:
COA - COEA Application Form CJ-1252 *Updated 10/09/2017
The WSCJTC requires applicants to pass a Physical Ability Test (PAT) prior to entry into the academy. The PAT is conducted prior to the start of the Academy. All academy recruits must be physically able to actively and fully participate in the defensive tactics and other required physical activities in accordance with WAC 139-10-212. Failure to demonstrate a requisite level of fitness within the overall assessment will result in ineligibility for academy attendance.
LOCATION Westside PAT: WSCJTC Campus, Burien at 10:00am CJTC Map.pdf
Agencies will be notified via email of PAT failures within two (2) business days. Agency representatives must contact the Registrar if they wish to re-enroll the recruit for the next available session. If the recruit has not retested within 30 days, a new application packet will be required.


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Juice Plus Supplement
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
Can you please offer some expert opinion on the vitamin supplement, Juice Plus? It is being shamelessly promoted as a cure and prevention for cancer and [from] what I have read about it, it has really shocked me. It looks like a total scam. Can you please comment on this product?
Katrina Claghorn, MS, RD, Registered Dietitian at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:
Juice Plus is a dietary supplement that its manufacturers claim has many health benefits, and it is heavily promoted to cancer patients. It is a concentrate of fruits and vegetables and is available in a variety of forms. The benefits of nutrients found in fruits and vegetables and their role in helping to prevent diseases such as cancer have been extensively researched. It is generally found that high consumption of plant-based foods helps reduce disease. However, the key word here is food. Plant foods contain many different compounds, including vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals (plant compounds), that all have a synergistic effect, meaning that they work together. Consequently, it is best to get these nutrients from their natural food forms, rather than from supplements. While concentrated fruit/vegetables supplements may be a way to increase the intake of plant foods, they are not comparable to the whole foods themselves. In addition, since there is no oversight of the supplement industry, products do not have to be standardized, and thus there is no assurance that the nutrients on the label are present in the amounts listed - or present at all, for that matter. Bottom line, try to eat a total of 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and before taking any supplement, do your research and discuss the product with your medical team. In addition, keep in mind that these foods are thought to help prevent disease, but they are not a treatment for disease.


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Your bike can take you anywhere.
From the end of your driveway to beyond your wildest expectations, you can find fitness, community and more.
Now, the USA Cycling Ride membership can help you get more out of the sport you love while supporting the athletes of Team USA.
We represent the United States of America on the world's largest stage, and we do it with passion and pride. Check out where we are riding all around the globe, meet our Team USA riders, see videos and photos of Team USA in action, and more.
You have trained and prepared, and now it is time to clip in and test your grit. Find races in your area, register for events, and see results and rankings. You can find a coach and explore other resources as you take your next step to climbing the podium.


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Brits abroad - Ray Hudson
The North American Soccer League wasn't just about ageing superstars. Former Newcastle midfielder Ray Hudson moved to the United States at just 22 and never looked back. Here he discusses his time playing for Fort Lauderdale Strikers alongside the likes of George Best and Gerd Muller.
By Adam Bate - Follow @GhostGoal
Last Updated: 03/04/13 8:07am
In 1977 Ray Hudson was a young footballer trying to make his way at Newcastle United. A loan move to the North American Soccer League to play a summer with Fort Lauderdale Strikers was supposed to be a learning experience. It changed his life. Adam Bate caught up with Hudson to discuss his experiences Stateside...
You're a young lad playing for Newcastle. How does the move to Fort Lauderdale come about?
I'd been in and out of the team in the four years I'd been at Newcastle. In fact, I'd been through four different coaches in my time there. They wanted me to get some experience and there were too many international players ahead of me at Newcastle. It was very difficult for a local lad to break into the team.
They asked me to go on loan to the States because the game was picking up there. No problem, I said. When they told me there was a club interested called Fort Lauderdale I didn't know what to expect. The first image that hit me was like something out of Dances with Wolves - I had in mind some isolated outpost.
But when they told me it was near Miami I thought I'd take that all day. I'd heard of Miami. I'd seen the James Bond films! So I came over and from then on it was a Cinderella story. It was just phenomenal. We won the division that year against Pele's New Year Cosmos and Rodney Marsh's Tampa Bay Rowdies. It was just incredible. It completely turned my head.
Every game there'd be something different. There were great crowds and every game it was exciting. I just loved America. I was a Woodstock kid and I'd grown up loving Americana. So just seeing the United States was something very special for a 22-year-old kid from Newcastle. Going to places like Hawaii and Las Vegas... And of course Fort Lauderdale was the place to be for Spring Break. So you can just imagine the hanky-panky that was going on.
A lot of guys went out there at the end of their careers or just during the summer months but you went out lock, stock and barrel. That was a big move for a young guy...
That's right. But I couldn't go back to Gateshead anymore. I loved Newcastle and [after the initial loan] I did go back and play another season for yet another manager in Bill McGarry. But I'd had enough. I just wanted to enjoy my football and that's something I'd never done as much as when I played in the United States.
When I went back to Newcastle I made my case to McGarry. I told him that I didn't want to be fighting for my place and I wanted to go back to the States. I kept on going into his office and seeing him.
In my last game against West Ham we lost 1-0 and Alan Devonshire scored the goal. We got on the bus afterwards and McGarry blew a fuse. He told me I could go back to my Mickey Mouse football. He just erupted on the team bus. He apologised on the Monday morning when I went in to see him about the move. But the ties were cut and I came back to America.
How did you find the standard of the game? People always want to compare it to a certain European league but I guess it's tricky given the mix of big names and ordinary players?
The football in the NASL just got better and better over the years. There were some phenomenal names. Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Rudi Krol all followed after Pele. So there were these gods of the game playing against journeyman footballers.
I remember talking to one of the referees out there, George Courtney, and asking him what it was like. He said it was a nightmare because he didn't know whether to ref the game in the style of the South Americans, the North Americans or the Europeans. It was a very difficult league in that sense.
It was such a melting pot. You had these dynamic players. There were real mavericks out there like Rodney Marsh, Frank Worthington and George Best. Then you had the gods of the game like Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto. We had Gordon Banks in goal for us!
But then we'd be playing against guys who'd come over from the third division of England on loan. The competitive nature of everyone involved ensured it was a competitive league. But the emphasis was on excitement. We were turning the crowds on to this new game.
There was no football on the television back then. We've got four soccer-specific channels in the United States now. Nowhere else in the world covers as much football these days but back then there was nothing. For them, it was this weird game but it was exciting and fun. It was an amazing time.
They had some novel ideas to generate excitement didn't they?
The first week that I arrived in the United States they explained the playoffs to me. We go through the entire season and, at the end of it, it doesn't mean a thing? Instead we go into this knockout tournament. So it's a cup? We can win the league and then get knocked out in the first game of the playoffs? That concept alone was crazy. That's exactly what happened to us. Our team had by far the best record but come the playoffs we drew the Cosmos and they bounced us out in the first round.
The shootout where you ran at goal from the 35-yard line was amazing. Pele never scored in a shootout. He never even wanted to take it. That's how difficult it could be. The best one I ever saw was Carlos Alberto and he had to score for the Cosmos to stay in the playoffs. He'd never taken one before but he scooped the ball up and ran with it bouncing it off his knee before lobbing it over the goalkeeper. Genius under pressure.
Fort Lauderdale had a pretty special team and you played alongside the likes of George Best, and Gordon Banks. What are your memories of them?
Nothing but the best. When these guys walk into your locker room it's numbing to you. These were people who you'd grown up worshipping and there they were stripping off next to you and hanging out at the restaurants afterwards. In terms of the football it was fantastic to test yourself against them. These were the cream of sports personalities and it triggered you tremendously.
Then there was Gerd Muller and Teofilo 'Nene' Cubillas too...
There was Ian Callaghan as well. We had a hell of a team. Me and Nene played together for so many years and that combination was the dynamic that worked for us in midfield. Gerd up front came in shortly after being top goalscorer yet again in the Bundesliga. Of course, they were at the plateau of their career. But it wasn't like people made out, that they were on the slide. They still had plenty to offer and they loved the NASL.
Any particular highlights on the field?
There are so many but beating the Cosmos when Best and Cubillas scored. That was a magical night at Fort Lauderdale. There were seven or eight World Cup captains on the field that night. It was astonishing the talent that was out there.
Then there were the battles against the Rowdies and Rodney Marsh. He was the king of the castle up there and we'd have some fantastic duels. People say the Cosmos was the best club but it wasn't. The Rowdies had everything and there was nothing like playing at Tampa.
You did briefly return to European football to play in the German second-tier with Union Solingen. How was that?
Ours was a summer league so in the winter some of the lads would go overseas. I'd never fancied going home or anything like that. I used the free time to see the country and loved it. But that one year I fancied it. It was a good team. They were in the second division but they were right up there pushing for the Bundesliga and we only just missed out on promotion.
It was great. It was just a brief stint as I had a head injury out there. Believe it or not I was on my honeymoon out there and we couldn't speak a word of German. Even if I could, a Geordie speaking German was going to lose something in the translation! But it was a wonderful experience.
You saw the demise of NASL while you were there. What is your take on the reasons for that?
It was just an inverted pyramid. It was very top heavy. The American kids weren't coming through in the numbers that they did later on. Happily, that was our legacy. We inspired all these kids, the likes of John Harkes, for example, who grew up watching the NASL, to go and become good footballers. But there wasn't that quality when we needed it in the NASL. Certainly not in big numbers.
And then there was the expansion. We went to 36 teams from 12 within a few years. There just wasn't the market support for that and the league became completely diluted quickly. It all dissolved very quickly. It was like a shooting star. Astonishing to watch and very exciting but, like that, it was gone.
But it did spawn what is now the MLS. It had a profound influence on the players that played in MLS and carried the national team to what it is today. So we have a proud legacy there, that's for sure.
And you continued to play in the US and tried your luck with the indoor game. How was that experience?
It was crazy! For the type of player I was, it wasn't a perfect fit but I was still a pretty skilful player. I was decent on the ball but being confined to a little bull-ring like that wasn't ideal. Smacking a ball off a wall isn't quite the way I was brought up so it was crazy.
But again, the carnival atmosphere was cool. It was fun. What you see now in the NBA all comes from what you saw in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). When they turned the lights down and the disco music up; when the smoke came out and the players were introduced. It was phenomenal and the NBA lifted it right from MISL.
Crazy game though! Being paid as a professional to play five-a-side? Some of the English teams would come over in the off-season to play exhibition games and we'd kill them because they didn't have the concept of the indoor stuff. It's not even the same game. It's wacky.
And after coaching roles with Miami Fusion and DC United, you're still living in Florida?
I still live in Fort Lauderdale just two miles from the stadium where I played all those years ago.
Did you envisage you'd still be there now?
I did! I'm not saying I could see into the future obviously but from day one I never wanted to leave Fort Lauderdale. This is my town and I consider it my town.
But I still go back to Newcastle to see my 94-year-old father. I go to the greyhound racing. In fact, I've never had a real holiday in all the years I've been here. Every chance I get I go back to hang out with my father. But with the beaches I have here in Fort Lauderdale I don't need a vacation!
And presumably you'd recommend British players heading for MLS?
I cannot endorse this country more. It's a different landscape altogether to when I joined. When we arrived it was a curiosity. Now it's established. It's not NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball but in individual towns it's big time and it's incredible to see the sell-out crowds around the country. So I'd encourage anybody to make the jump.
But the MLS isn't quite NASL...
It was such a special experience. There's never been a league like it before and there'll never be a league like it again. I was just lucky to catch the wave and ride it.


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As the cost of higher education increases with each passing year, it becomes more and more difficult for families and individuals to have enough funding on hand to afford a college education. Paying for a higher education can seem like an insurmountable task. But with proper planning, meticulously selected savings and investment plans, and access to information regarding financial aid, college can be affordable for just about anyone.
Whether you're a parent starting a college savings fund for a newborn or helping a high school-aged child figure out how to make college affordable, or thinking about a career that requires you go back to school, there are numerous reasons why it's important to be informed about saving and paying for a higher education.
When attempting to estimate how much going to college can cost, realize that there are two halves to that cost.
The first are direct costs. Direct costs are the primary costs to an education. They include basic tuition, room and board, and lab fees as well as various charges that different schools may assess.
The second are indirect costs. Indirect costs are charges that aren't applied by the schools themselves, but are unavoidable due to circumstance. Students and parents can control these costs to a significant degree. They include, but are not limited to, various personal expenses, transportation costs, and most importantly, book fees.
Once you have figured out the direct and indirect costs, you can efficiently approximate yearly college costs.
As most families use savings and financial aid along with current earnings to pay for college, there are some great reasons to start planning early:
Overall, planning means more savings, which means more schools from which to choose. As well, it means that your child can graduate college and begin a job search with fewer bills and more financial stability.
So just how much money should be saved? Well, it's important to save as much as possible, even if the only amount you can afford to save is small. Set a savings goal, and break it down over months and years so that it's manageable. Try starting small, increasing the amount saved as you earn more money.
In addition to saving, the method of saving is an important angle to factor into the savings equation. There are several methods of saving for your child's education.
The most popular options are:
So where does a parent start? Patricia Konetzny, CFP, who runs the website The Practical Planner and is a member of the Cambridge Advisors, says that IRAs are an excellent starting point.
"I feel strongly that parents should save in their own Roth IRAs for college before they start specific college savings," says Konetzny.
It's important to be aggressive with your savings when your child is young, and as they get older, move the "nest egg" to an account that has a lower risk.
"The maximum Roth contribution for 2006 is $4,000 unless the parent is over 50 (it's $5,000 then). Roths give them flexibility to take the money out for college or keep it for their own retirement," says Konetzny. "They could save $8,000 together. Contributions to Roths can always be taken out. The interest will be taxable if used for education, but they won't have a 10% penalty."
Personal expenses such as meals, pens, paper, and entertainment are a large part of college finances. What will your child live on? How will you get money to them when they need it? How do you budget that money?
One option that parents can use to help their child manage personal expenses and to budget is to open a checking account for them. When choosing a bank, it's important to make sure that the bank you choose has a branch as well as ATM machines near the campus and in your town.
As well, a prepaid debit card, such as a Visa Buxx card can be purchased for them. Parents can add money to it over the telephone or online. Along with being able to budget the money spent, parents receive monthly statements so they may monitor for what the money is being spent.
Be it a checking account, a prepaid debit card, or both, it's important to be sensible about budgeting. "Don't deposit the entire semester's money in your bank account in September," says Konetzny. Her daughter had run out of money by the end of November.
"I thought it would be a good learning experience for her to have to self-discipline for the entire semester," says Konetzny. "But when she ran out of money, I told her what I would tell a client: you either have to make more money or spend less. It was too late to spend less for that semester, so she made plans to come home for the weekend, work, and earn enough money to get her through."
For more information on federal and private loans, see FinAid.org and the Financial Aid channel on FastWeb.com.


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ADDISON — State and local lawmakers on Tuesday urged Gov. James Douglas to dedicate $1 million in federal stimulus funds to help Addison County businesses — including farms — that have taken a financial hit since the Champlain Bridge was closed on Oct. 16.
Douglas quickly endorsed the $1 million request, but said the money should be spent in the broader context of statewide, $8.6 million economic development package that includes some initiatives the Legislature rejected last session.
BRISTOL — The John Graham Emergency Shelter on Monday closed a deal for a $198,000 home in Bristol, which the Vergennes-based homeless shelter intends to covert into three units of transitional housing.
The deal comes at a time of rising demand for the homeless shelter's services. It marks a ratcheting up of the organization's efforts to use transitional housing to give families and individuals a place to get back on their feet while they hunt for a permanent residence that is away from the hubbub of the shelter but under the umbrella of a support system.
MIDDLEBURY — Bridgewater Corners-based Long Trail Brewing Co. is on the verge of acquiring Middlebury-based Otter Creek Brewing and Wolaver's Certified Organic in a deal expected to make the Exchange Street brewery more financially stable and competitive.
BRISTOL — The Mount Abraham Union High School board of directors Tuesday continued taking tentative steps toward a draft spending plan that reflects a zero-percent increase in educational spending — a goal that board chair Lanny Smith said leaves the board "between a rock and a hard place."
"We don't have anything left to cut," said Smith.
Last year, voters in the five towns that feed into Mount Abe approved a roughly $12.8 million spending plan, down just less than 1 percent from spending in 2007-2008.
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MIDDLEBURY — UD-3 school board members will consider cost cuts and the use of a fund balance to reduce the property tax impact of a draft 2010-2011 budget that includes a 3.2 percent increase in spending. The increase in the $16,025,483 spending plan is overwhelmingly driven by anticipated surges in special education expenses.
WHITING — Anyone who's driven through Whiting on Route 30 recently couldn't have helped but notice something happening in the ditches beside the road.
The Whiting Water Corp. is replacing its main water line, which runs beside the road from the firehouse, south along Route 30 for around 4,400 feet. The work began in mid-September, and company operator Bob Wadsworth estimates that work on the line will be done by the end of December.
Too often I have taken Thanksgiving for granted as simply a day off from work to gorge myself on turkey, pie and just about anything else that doesn't move. Pilgrims? Have never really given them, their funny costumes and blunderbusses much thought.
But this year, I thought I'd take some time to put the "Thanks" in Thanksgiving — specifically from a journalist's perspective. In no particular order, I thought I'd extend my heartfelt newsroom appreciation to:
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Nick Kristof's Itty-Bitty Prostitution Hypocrisy Issue
Consummate do-gooder NYT columnist Nick Kristof is waging a campaign against Backpage.com, the online hooker-ad compendium, and its corporate parents, Village Voice Media and (until Kristof gave them bad PR) Goldman Sachs. Is there a note of hypocrisy to be found in all this? Perhaps, a little!
Kristof's column today is back on the topic of Backpage, and how pimps use it to sell girls who are underage, sex-trafficked, or both. "When I wrote recently about this, these firms erupted in excuses and self-pity, and in some cases raced to liquidate their stakes," he writes. "I was struck by the self-absorption and narcissism of Wall Street bankers viewing themselves as victims."
Kristof works for the New York Times. The New York Times Company owns the broad info website About.com. Last week on BigJournalism.com, Joel Pollak raised a legitimate point: About.com hosts ads for escort services and other types of "adult entertainment"—which could be home to underage or sex-trafficked girls just as easily as Backpage.com could.
Now, this is a full order of magnitude more removed from the prostitution business than Backpage is; Backpage is a straight up hooker ad board, while About is an online information encyclopedia, with a little bit of everything. Still—applying Kristof's own stringent standards, it is in fact true that the New York Times Co. could be profiting from the very thing that Kristof has been condemning. Not the scandal of the century. But standards are standards.
We received this statement on the topic from Kristin Mason, PR director for the About group:
The sponsored and text ads that appear on the pages of About.com come through a third-party advertising service. While we do block third-party ads that use profane and vulgar words, the ads on the search results pages are served based on the user's search terms, so if a user searches the site for a specific keyword the third-party system will do its best to serve ads that fit the searcher's needs.
About.com receives an immaterial percentage of the site's overall ad revenue from cost-per-click ads for these types of search terms.
Something to mention in your next column, Nick.
[Photo: Getty]


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National Hug Week is over, and my personal quest to hug it out was a success. I didn't keep an official tally, but I'd say I averaged 10 embraces a day, which, according to the Hug for Health Foundation's daily hug prescription, puts me well on my way toward personal "growth."
In all honesty, it wasn't that difficult for me as I consider myself a "hugger" anyway. That's not to say, however, the holiday was without challenges, like having to hug folks with garlic hummus breath or funky-smelling dreadlocks (which I did). And then there were the people who stayed in the embrace so long it became awkward. Or the guy who said, "That wasn't a real hug!" then came at me full-frontal for a more satisfying one. (Looking on the bright side: If it weren't for these experiences, I might never have realized that "hug" is an anagram for "ugh.")
The fact that National Hug Week coincided with The Players Championship was a major bonus for a stalker such as myself since it gave me a legitimate reason to hug Adam Scott, Luke Donald and Jonas Blixt. Unfortunately, they were out of arms reach — literally — all week, so I had to fill my celebrity creeper quota by hugging other athletes, a country music star and local media personalities (check the photo gallery above).
More than anything, National Hug Week made me more aware of hugging the people I should be hugging every time I see them: my friends. Up until this week, the friends I see the most are the ones I hug the least, probably because I see them all the time. Because of this experience, I'll hug the people who mean the most to me the most.
And I promise my cats, Fonzie Ann Mildred and Puddy Frederick Renaire, that I will do my best to hug them less. As you can see in the photo gallery, they're not big fans.


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Jonathan Emile Brings SONGS OF FREEDOM School Tour Across Quebec, Now thru 2/28
In celebration of Black History Month, Overture with the Arts and the Grammy-nominated Hip-Hop artist, Jamaican/Canadian Jonathan Emile, brings the African Diaspora culture to life in an entertaining yet educational format with Songs of Freedom: Music as Reflection, Expression and a Tool for Social Change.
High school, CEGEP and university students go on a Journey from slavery to freedom while examining music as both an instrument of reflection and an agent of Social change. The interactive presentation blends historical facts, songs of the civil rights movement and some of Emile's socially aware music, creating a dynamic event that appeals to students of all ages.
"We just get bigger every year," beamed Overture Founder and Executive Director, Akilah Newton. "The first year we toured to a handful of schools, then tripled our bookings last year and this year, we've grown another 30%. Besides educating students about Black history, the program also enables discussion about racism in all its forms." Emile, who has been with Overture since the beginning and donates a fair amount of his time providing voluntary web support and more said, "I was really attracted to Overture with the Arts because of its community outreach program. Akilah has big plans and I'm really excited about where we're going." (Visit YouTube to see Emile in action with the Songs of Freedom initiative.)
FREE Public Event - February 28th
Partnering with the Riverdale High School Community Learning Centre and the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA), and funded in part by Yolande James (Liberal MNA for the West Island district of Nelligan), Overture with the Arts brings Songs of Freedom to Riverdale High School, (5060 Sources Boulevard in Pierrefonds), for a free public event on Thursday, February 28th. This wrap-up bash for the Songs of Freedom school tour will include performances by Emile, as well as some of Riverdale's students, and is open to everyone 12 years and over. The doors open at 5:30 PM and the show starts at 6:00 PM.
Following the show, Caribbean Tasty Treats is providing a buffet dinner for up to 60 people. Admittance to the dinner is by donation only and those wishing to attend are asked to reserve before February 23rd by calling 514.889.8678 or by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. (Reservations are required for the dinner only.)
Overture with the Arts, through the MAI mentorship program, has benefitted from financial support from the Ministère de la Culture, Communications, et Conditions féminine du Québec and the Ville de Montréal under the agreement on the cultural development Of Montreal 2012-2013. The Songs of Freedom school tour is also partly funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Overture with the Arts is a non-profit organization dedicated to making performing arts Education available to young people from all walks of life through subsidized workshops and after-school programs. To learn more, visit www.overturewiththearts.org. For all enquiries about Overture with the Arts programs, email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 514.889.8678.
School Tour 2013
Pending contract confirmations, more schools to be added
1. Friday, February 1 - Dawson College, Montreal
2. Wednesday, February 6 - Champlain College, Saint-Lambert
3. Thursday, February 7 - Westmount High School, Westmount
4. Friday, February 8 - Mountain View High School, Montreal
5. Monday, February 11 - John Rennie High School, Pointe-Claire
6. Friday, February 15 - Heritage Regional High School, Saint-Hubert
7. Monday, February 18 - Beurling Academy High School, Verdun
8. Tuesday, February 19 - Laval Junior High School, Laval
9. Wednesday, February 20 - McGill University Lakeside, Montreal
10. Monday, February 25 - Lakeside Academy High School, Dorval
11. Tuesday, February 26 - Westwood Senior High School, Hudson
12. Wednesday, February 27 - John Abbott College, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
13. Thursday, February 28 - Riverdale High School, Pierrefonds


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ROCKFORD — A popular fishing hole near Fordam Dam will be closed to the public this summer as ComEd tackles an environmental cleanup on the site.
The power company plans to remove contaminants left behind by the former hydroelectric and coal-fire power plant near South Water Street along the Rock River.
Environmental cleanup, slated to begin next week, is expected to last five months; the area will be closed to the public during the cleanup. Commonwealth Edison plans to then turn the property over to the city for a riverfront park.
"They're going to have to find a new spot for their favorite fishing hole while this work goes on, but presumably it will be an even nicer spot for them in the future," spokesman Paul Callighan said.
The cleanup is being done now to tie in with a series of public improvements along that stretch of river in downtown Rockford.
"This is a major milestone in the journey to reclaim this prime riverfront space for the community and civic use," said John Groh, president and CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Cities across the globe covet having riverfront land for public use, and this just takes us one step closer to being able to open up our riverfront to public use."
The ComEd property consists of about five acres on the east bank of the Rock, which is immediately south of the planned downtown sports complex in the former Ingersoll building. The company also owns less than an acre on the west end of the dam, also slated for cleanup.
The city is developing plans to convert an 800-foot-long former Illinois Railway Bridge into a recreation path that would connect Davis Park to the area owned by ComEd on the east bank of the river. The city won a $740,000 state transportation grant to create the scenic path for walkers, runners and cyclists. The bridge could also serve as an optional connection from the sports complex to a planned hotel in the former Amerock building on the west side of the Rock.
"We wanted to coincide with all of these developments," Callighan said. "We're excited to be able to move on to this next step and join in the excitement of what's going on in the south end of downtown Rockford."
Fordam Dam was built in the 1840s as part of the Rockford Water Power Co. It was first used for hydroelectric power in 1896 by Rockford Electric Co. and expanded to include coal-fired steam turbines eight years later, according ComEd.
Rockford Electric Co. became part of Central Illinois Electric & Gas Co. in the 1930s. It was acquired by ComEd in 1966. ComEd closed the plant in 1971 and demolished it in 1975.
Callighan said cleanup includes removing any concrete or other debris left by the demolition, as well as oils or other chemicals associated with the power plant. Clean soil and stone will be used to refill excavated areas, which will be restored to match the surrounding grade, and the riverbank will be re-sloped.
The city, Rockford Park District, ComEd and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources are working on plans to transfer ownership of the dam. The goal is to get local control of the dam's river-control gates, which are automated and monitored by a ComEd operations center in Joliet.
Kevin Haas: 815-987-1410; firstname.lastname@example.com; @KevinMHaas


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In Texas, it is a very good idea to have a Will - or a Last Will and Testament. A Will establishes the final wishes of a person for the distribution of their estate when they pass away. Without a Will in the state of Texas, all personal and business assets and real estate will be transferred according to the Texas Rules of Intestacy (rules for a person without a will). It is very important to know that these rules may not agree with your own wishes for your estate.
There are several steps in the preparation of a will: First, you must designate your beneficiaries (the persons who will inherit your estate), and what you wish them to inherit. Next, you should nominate an Executor or the person who will handle the probate. This person should be responsible and able to manage the financial aspects of the estate. The attorney will then draw up the Will document for you to sign, and keep in a safe place. The original Will must be available for submission to the probate court when the person passes away.
Probate is the legal process for transferring the assets of a person who has passed away to persons designated as heirs in the Will. A Last Will and Testament is the document that directs the court and the named Executor on the transfer of those assets. In Texas, an Application to Probate a Will is the document that begins the process through which a decedent's estate must go. Such an application would be filed in the Probate Court of the county in which the person passed away, or where the person owned real property. There are numerous steps that must be followed in probate, such as appearing in court to prove up the will, signing documents that attest to the decedent's death and family status, and swearing to carry out the duties of Executor. Letters Testamentary are requested and then delivered by the Court to allow the Executor evidence of all of the personal and real property of the decedent, and determine its worth. Before the probate cause is completed, an Inventory, Appraisement and List of Claims must be completed by the Executor, in preparation for the transfer of the assets of the estate to the named beneficiaries. In addition, all of the beneficiaries have to be notified of the probate proceeding. If no Will is available, an Heirship proceeding will be established by the State to allow family members to transfer the assets of the estate.
It is strongly encouraged that you receive legal assistance from a Probate attorney during this process. If complexities develop, the attorney can guide the way to a successful conclusion. Actions that are delayed, or skipped over, can cause problems that are difficult and sometimes impossible to correct.
For specific questions or further information, please click here.
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Virginia L. Lootens is a Houston, Texas based Elder Law attorney specializing in Medicaid Planning, Qualified Income Trusts, Powers of Attorney,Living Wills, Guardianships, Wills and Probate, and Texas Medicaid Recovery Rules. In addition to protecting the assets of seniors, Virginia Lootens provides help in areas of immediate care and security, as well as planning for long term health care needs and ensuring the right level of care with coordination of private and public resources. Contact us today to receive your free Elder CareLaw information packet or call 713-622-6606 to schedule a consultation.
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Find Your Perfect Home.
Scottville Real Estate
Scottville is located in Michigan. Scottville, Michigan has a population of 1,213. Scottville is more family-centric than the surrounding county with 26.73% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 22.38%.
The median household income in Scottville, Michigan is $33,750. The median household income for the surrounding county is $42,156 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Scottville is 32.7 years.
Scottville Weather
The average high temperature in July is 79.4 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 18.1 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 35.4 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
View Homes for Sale in Scottville
Scottville Map
Real Estate Near Scottville
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Scottville Zip Codes


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1. Indian Military News - Use this topic for all Military related news and debate in which India is concerned
<Indian Military News>
2. Indian political News - Use this topic for all socio-political debate/topics in which India is concerned
<Indian political news>
Now I'm not saying you're not welcome to talk about India, however it seems this forum has far too much talk about India simply due to the volume of Indians. It's meant to be a global military forum, and your not that big on a global scale...lol. Your welcome to use the topics to carry on these debates in, but if you feel you want a deeper longer debate I feel you should take it to an Indian forum.
UPDATE: GMF will be back online by Nov 1st
Edited by Web Master, 28 October 2008 - 05:53 PM.


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Media contact: Rex Graham, (858) 822-3075, email@example.com
UC San Diego's Center for Energy Research has several programs focused on creating efficient energy sources, including next generation fusion solutions. One project CER scientists are working on is PISCES, which focuses on fundamental and applied research in the field of boundary plasma science for fusion applications. Some of the research for PISCES will be used to create solutions for ITER, the International Thermonucklear Experimental Reactor, a joint research project between the United States, the European Union, Japan, Russia, China and South Korea. ITER will be the first fusion experiment to produce long pulses of energy released on a significant scale.
Media Contact: Andrea Siedsma (858) 822-0299, email@example.com


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~ Welcome to A.G. Howard's Official Website ~
I'm so happy you found your way here!
If you were expecting to see an Alice in Wonderland themed setting, don't despair! My novels are a mix of whimsical, creepy, romantic and magical, so I wanted the design to encompass everything.
Still, take heart Carrollians, I haven't overlooked the theme which inspired my Alice in Wonderland inspired young adult novels. Just click here to step through the looking glass and learn all about the Splintered Series. For insights into my Phantom of the Opera retelling, go here. To learn more about Stain, my original Gothic fairytale inspired by The Princess and the Pea, follow this link. And if you're interested in my New Adult books, click here. Buy buttons for my books are provided on their prospective pages, and also on the right sidebar and at the bottom of this site.
My other pages are located on the sidebar to the left. Feel free to browse around, read about my books, and find some writerly wisdom and encouragement over at my blog or on my tips for writers page. :)
I enjoy speaking about writing and my books. Please see my visits and presentations page for information on how to request a visit for your school or group.
Oh, and I love to give away book swag and great reads, so make sure to drop by my contest page from time to time to see what's new there. Or if you just can't wait, hop over to my swag page and follow the instructions to receive free bookmarks, gift tags, and bookplates.
Most of all, thank you for your interest in my books! I hope you enjoy your visit and stop by again soon.
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There seems to be about a 128 KB limit on the size of files that can be attached to posts. This is a small limit, smaller than it used to be.
When trying to attach a file larger than 128 KB, it seems to upload but then the status indicator shows an error ( ), clicking on it gives a popup message
"ERROR Failed to move uploaded file."
Looking at the page source, I see the javascript is defining two variables
max_file_size: '262144b',
chunk_size: '131072b',
it seems to be limiting it to the chunk size, whatever a chunk is in this case
I don''t know what file size you want the limit to be, but the feedback to the user isn't helpful, took me a while to figure out why I couldn't upload a 135KB gif The attachment size limit used to be about 1MB, the javascript seems to indicated a limit of 256 KB, and the current reality is about 128 KB


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