A Christmas Day Post

Merry Christmas to all!

I haven't been able to decide what to write about for awhile, but as I've been perusing the internet today, I've run across some articles that I recommend.

"Be Not Afraid: Christian Resistance and the Meaning of Christmas" by Joseph Morrison Skelly (some thoughts on Christmas at a time when there are those who would wipe out religion)

"A Tale of Two Pundits: Sowell vs. Huffington" by Roger Kimball (This one is about economics rather than Christmas, but still, it's an important piece.)

"Utopia" by Peter Ferrara (an interesting idea for letting everyone have their way politically and economically)

"The True Spirit of Giving" by Ken Connor (some thoughts on what Christmas giving really should mean)

I know that times are tough economically (and in other ways, too), but I hope that we will budget for charitable giving. There are many good places for your charity dollars (and don't forget that you can give of your time, as well) such as your church and nationally known charities that you can trust. There is one organization that particularly appeals to me because the giving is a hand up and not a handout. That is Heifer International, which gives animals to families and teaches them to care for them and use them as a basis for growing prosperity. They also make microloans that help people begin and sustain small businesses, again using those loans as a basis for growing prosperity. I've provided a link so you can read about this organization and decide if it is something you want to support. Research any charity you are considering so you can decide where you want your money and effort to go. There may be perfectly good local charities that aren't so well known that would be worthy of your donations--you just need to spend a little time looking into them to be sure your efforts to help aren't wasted.

Merry Christmas to all!!!!

A Break from Politics--Theology and Languages

Time for a break from politics. I find politics very interesting and believe that it is important for us to keep up with current events and participate as citizens in the political process. On the other hand, I have other interests and want to write about those sometimes.

Take theology. I am curious about it. What is it that people do when they "do theology"? I have been searching around the internet for some basic information about it. In a sense, it seems almost like math, where you use proofs to present/defend a point/doctrine. Is that what it is?

In my searches for information and instruction, it seems that the websites I find are directed toward "doing theology" for a specific religion. So what if that religion is not mine and I do not believe some of the same things in quite the same way? I can't use some of the "givens" that they use. What do I do then?

I do not have any ambition of doing a lot of theology, so perhaps it is enough to just read about it and learn what the different types are and what their purpose is. Still, it is interesting and I would like to know more about the mechanics of it, if only so that I can read theology more intelligently. If any of you out there have any suggestions or links, please feel free to put them in a comment.

How about languages? What languages do you speak? Do you think it is important, as a foundation, to learn Latin? How about Greek and Hebrew? Do you study more than one language at the same time? Does that make it more difficult or is it helpful? I speak English and am interested in reviving my Spanish, which I studied in several classes in grade school, high school, and college, then let whither away. I have books and CDs to study from. In addition, there are more and more native speakers around with whom I could practice. That makes it the most practical language for me to (re)learn. I am interested in Latin and never had the chance to study it. Many of our words come from Latin, so it seems to me that it would be useful in understanding meanings.

Comments?

More Conservative Wisdom

Last week my post referred to a column written by John Hawkins at Townhall. This week Mr. Hawkins has written another column called "10 More of the Greatest Pieces of Conservative Wisdom". Take a look at it. There are some good thoughts there. You might have your own favorite pieces of wisdom, of course, but reading someone else's list can expand your thinking and give you some new ideas.

At American Thinker I found another article that I recommend for its thought-provoking ideas. It is called "'Seeker-Sensitive' Conservatism" and was written by Alan Roebuck. In the article, Mr. Roebuck discusses the problem of basing Christian teachings on a "seeker-sensitive" marketing approach. Mr. Roebuck defines that as:

The seeker-sensitive movement is a close analogy to the contemporary conservative movement. In both cases, people who ought to be offering timeless truths that can save individuals and societies are instead using market research to craft a product that appeals to consumers, telling them what they want to hear rather than a truth that is initially painful but ultimately liberating. Even if you are not a Christian, you should be concerned about a mass movement that thrives by suppressing many important ideas that it once believed in, especially because the same error tempts other idea-based movements, such as conservatism.

He goes on to tell us that a pastor, Bob DeWaay, has studied this seeker-sensitive movement and has concluded thusly:

DeWaay's basic conclusion is this: The purpose-driven movement begins with the premise that the only way to attract non-Christians to church is by offering to meet their felt needs, rather than their real need for salvation through Christ. If a non-Christian "seeker" visits a church where he hears the traditional Gospel message that he is a lost sinner in need of a salvation that can only come from personal repentance and trust in the atoning death of Christ, he will be repelled by the challenging message, and will not return. To prevent this failure, so the theory goes, a church must conduct market research into what people in its area want, and then find a way to give these seekers what they want.

One result is that the deep and challenging teachings of traditional Christianity must never be presented in the Sunday morning worship service that has traditionally been the cornerstone of Christian fellowship. Not only will non-Christian seekers probably not want to hear that God regards them as sinners, but they will have no interest in what Warren (and theological liberals) dismissively call "doctrine," that is, the actual content of the religion preached by Christ and the Apostles. The result is a Christianity that retains the rituals and some of the language of traditional Protestant Christianity, but is effectively stripped of its content.

Mr. Roebuck continues:

But what does this have to do with conservatism? Doesn't the conservative movement stand in unambiguous opposition to the foolish and destructive ideas of the left? Don't conservatives suffer the hostility and sometimes the persecution of the liberals and leftists who have de facto control of the universities, the media, and much of the government? How could conservatism be "seeker-sensitive?"

By failing to stand on principle. As I have argued in Liberalism 101, liberalism (i.e., the worldview of the left) has almost complete control of America. It is our "unofficial state religion." But since liberalism is largely false, John Q. Public senses (even if he cannot articulate it) that something is seriously wrong with the ideas and policies he is relentlessly taught by the schools, the media and even, God help us, by many clergy. This being the case, there is a major market for "conservatism," that is, articulate opposition to liberalism. People have a felt need to have their intuitions vindicated.

But whenever there is a popular product, its producers will be tempted to modify their product to suit the desires of the consumer. There is much profit to be made in giving people what they want, rather than what they need.

Something that struck me was Mr. Roebuck's statement that:

It is something entirely different to admit, as I have argued in Liberalism 101, that the real problem is America's general acquiescence to an entire worldview based on the nonexistence of the God of the Bible, and which therefore means that God is not the supreme being, but rather man.

And if man, who is constantly changing, is the supreme being, then we cannot know anything for sure, except that the highest priority is protecting myself and asserting my ego. And people devoted ultimately to themselves can hardly form a strong nation, defeat the bad initiatives of liberalism, and pass on their way of life to their descendants.

His solution?

I have argued here that we need a sustained and aggressive public campaign against the fundamental ideas of liberalism. Individuals, of course, are free to believe whatever they want, but any nation must have ideas that are authoritative for the guidance of its public policies. Since the publicly acknowledged comprehensive system of thought that has de facto authority over America is liberalism, liberalism must be fought publicly, at the level of its fundamental ideas. That is, we must aim to discredit publicly not just the specific foolish initiatives of liberalism, but more importantly the foundational ideas that make liberalism what it is. If we fail to discredit these ideas in the minds of both John Q. Public and our leadership class, liberalism will continue to be the guiding philosophy of America, and America will continue to decline.

To change the entire way of thinking of a nation is a fearfully difficult undertaking, and success is by no means guaranteed. If liberalism really is our state religion, then most people will resent our contention that we must change the way our nation thinks. But liberalism, being largely false and irrational, is intellectually vulnerable.

And the stakes are high: America is in mortal danger. The America that we have known, under the onslaught of many maladies either caused or exacerbated by liberalism, is in danger of ceasing to exist and being replaced by something radically different and worse. Think of the mass immigration that, coupled with multiculturalism, is Balkanizing us, of the widespread promulgation of secularism, agnosticism and atheism that is making us more self-centered and cowardly, and of the creeping socialism that is making us a nation of dependents.

I've quoted a lot of what I believe is an important article, but go read all of it to get a better idea of what Mr. Roebuck is talking about. We need to really think about our futures and the future of America and in what direction we are headed.

"Islam: Not Just Another Religion"

There is an article at American Thinker titled "Islam: Not Just Another Religion". It is written by Janet Levy. This is a serious article and definitely not a politically correct article, but it should be required reading for every American if we want to hold on to our freedom and our ability to worship as we see fit.

The first paragraph of the article says this:

This campaign season, presidential candidates seem intent on battling each other with a war of words over universal healthcare, tax reform, immigration, the war in Iraq, the economy and Biblical literalism. Yet, they have spent few words on and have literally ignored the greatest threat to America and Western civilization since the Cold War: the global jihad.

We need to talk about global jihad. It is a threat to everyone everywhere. There may be moderate Muslims out there who do not support global jihad, but they are remaining silent. Many people think that it's not polite, or politically correct, to speak out about wrong being done in the name of religion. Unless, of course, it's to speak out against Christians and Jews. They remain fair game.

Back to the article. Ms. Levy makes many good points about just why Islam and the global jihad they are waging is so dangerous. For example:

While this may appear to be benign, election-year activity, it important to note that CAIR's aims are far from that. In 1998, CAIR's founder, Omar Ahmad, stated that "Islam isn't in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on Earth."

And:

Worldwide, Islamic fundamentalists continue to make inroads into Western culture, political structures and in the economic system, while, at the same time, insisting on severe and outrageous punishments for even minor violations of sharia or Islamic law. It is unprecedented that a minority group that freely immigrated to the United States and Europe of its own accord is now endeavoring to overhaul Western civilization to its Koran-dictated, specifications. The West, particularly America, has a tradition of welcoming people from other cultures and practitioners of different religions. However, immigrants have always assimilated and strengthened American society rather than demand that we adopt their ways at the expense of our own.

Many Westerners, who worship at the altar of multiculturalism and erroneously believe that Islam is just another faith, fail to understand the inherent cultural and political dangers of a religion that is a consummate ideology for the faithful. Unwitting Westerners write off barbaric punishments as mere cultural differences, enthusiastically embrace blatant acts of appeasement and readily respond to demands for special privileges and allowances never before conferred on other groups.

Also:

In places like Saudi Arabia, the epicenter and primary global financier and promoter of Wahhabism, an austere form of Islam that interprets the Koran literally, social rules are severe, extensive and often brutal. Gender apartheid is enforced with separate libraries for men and women. Starbucks coffeehouses are divided into "male" and "family-only" sections, and hotels are completely devoid of a female presence, as all personnel, including maids, are male. A rape victim was recently sentenced to 200 lashes, a punishment that was increased when her lawyer complained of its injustice. At the same time that the Saudi government is sponsoring 32,000 students on visas to the United States, the standard Saudi elementary and high school curriculum teaches hatred for Christians and Jews.

And:

Meanwhile, six years after 9/11, most Americans remain ignorant about the history, nature and intent of Islamic jihad. They know little about the worldwide presence of Islamist groups, the hateful rhetoric directed toward non-Muslims spewing from mosques and madrassas, the use of the Internet by Muslim radicals to spread their propaganda and connect with each other, the extent of weapons arsenals and nuclear proliferation, and the geopolitical interconnections between countries in the Middle East, Europe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, South America, North Korea, Southeast Asia and Africa.

Ms. Levy's final paragraph says this:

An ideology that endeavors to supplant our laws, culture and religious beliefs poses a dangerous threat and is not a candidate for coexistence. We had better face the reality of true, Islamic doctrine and forcefully fight its encroachment into our society. It is a peril to our way of life if we wish to preserve the liberal and enlightened democracy that is America.

I think we have allowed political correctness to run amok if we can't even warn our country about a very serious danger that it faces.

As we consider presidential candidates, it would be a good idea to check and see what kind of courage they have.

A Book about the History of the US's Middle East Involvement

At one of my favorite websites, Jewish World Review, Jonathan Tobin writes a book review of Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren. Tobin says, "Until the release of this beautifully written and meticulously researched volume this month, there simply was no comprehensive history of American involvement in the region."

He goes on to say:

Oren, who is based at the Shalem Center in Jerusalem, has written a book overflowing with colorful tales of American travelers, pilgrims, businessmen, missionaries, diplomats, soldiers and sailors who weren't merely observers of this pivotal area of the globe (the term for which was actually coined by the American naval strategist Alfred Thayer Mahan). Americans have, from the very beginning of our own history as a nation, played a crucial role in shaping the Middle East. And as Oren illustrates, we, in turn, have been influenced by this interaction.

This is a book that is going on my "to read" list--it sounds fascinating, and useful as well. The more all of us know about this region, the better we'll know what would be good and what would not be good and, of course, the better we'll understand what is going on in the Middle East.

Also at Jewish World Review is a much different article by Rabbi Yitzchok Tzvi Schwarz titled "Small Deeds...Eternal Impact". The article discusses the impact that even the smallest things we do can have. Uplifting reading and very much worth contemplating.

"Christianity's Real Record" by Greg Koukl

At Townhall.com columnist Greg Koukl writes an interesting article called "Christianity's Real Record."

Mr. Koukl writes of a common accusation--that religion in general and Christianity in particular has been the instigator of war and mass killings. He refutes that claim by explaining how Christianity has helped the world. As he writes, "Love for Christ and a desire to obey Him has transformed the world in four areas: education, human rights, acts of mercy, and general moral transformation of culture."

He writes about, for example, the work of missionaries in China and Africa in establishing schools and hospitals, and in creating written languages for many of Africa's dialects. He writes of the work of those such as Mother Teresa in helping the poor and down-trodden of the world.

He concludes by writing, "This is Christianity’s real record, not a history of evil, violence, and debauchery, but a legacy of radical transformation for good."

Something to consider.

Why is Religion Important to Mankind?

In an interesting article called "The Power of Religion" by Will Durant, there are some interesting insights and ideas about what religion has to offer society.

The first paragraph is as follows:

Religion is the last subject that the intellect begins to understand. In our youth, we may have resented, with proud superiority, its cherished incredibilities; in our less confident years, we marvel at its prosperous survival in a secular and scientific age, its patient resurrections after whatever deadly blows by Epicurus, or Lucretius, or Lucian, or Machiavelli, or Hume, or Voltaire. What are the secrets of this resilience?

The entire article is intriguing with its reasons as to why religion has survived. It gives hope. It brings order to society. Dr. Durant, as near as I can tell, is an agnostic who nevertheless admires the good that religion can bring to people and to civilization.

Religious Texts from Many Faiths

Let's see--I haven't done a post on religion yet. Here's a site that links you to the religious and sacred texts of many faiths. If you are interested in sampling the writings from faiths around the world, here's your chance.

Here's another, more extensive site: Internet Sacred Texts Archive There's a lot of reading here.

Enjoy!

On a further religion note, here is a link to an article at The Heritage Foundation entitled "Why American Needs Religion" by William E. Simon, Jr. It will give you some things to think about.

I, of course, have my own religious beliefs. While I don't plan to discuss them all that much here, on my "secular" blog, I do have another blog that contains a lot of my religious views. If you are interested in perusing it, it's called "By Study and Also By Faith" and is located here.