Spring Rolls On

Well, March is almost over, and I still don't have much to say.  I've been so busy going to my sons' baseball games, I don't have time to think.

A few tidbits-

I just saw that a Southwest Airlines flight from Orlando to Chicago had to make an emergency landing in Louisville.  Apparently, there were some smoking wires in the cockpit.  They should arrest those wires.  I understand it's a federal offense to smoke on a domestic flight.  <>

I just found out today that the head football coach is going to move my son, Will up to varsity for Spring football.  He's just a freshman.  So now I'm both very proud and very nervous.  Those other boys are very, very, big.  And fast.

I just got a promotion to full professor.  I'm pretty excited about that...it's the highest academic rank one can achieve short of retiring and being named Emeritus professor.  And as one retired gentleman explained once, 'Emeritus' is from the Latin:  E means your out, and meritus means you deserved it!

I just had the honor of co-approving the money for a new state champion wall sign for the high school gym.  (I'm one of the VPs for the Canyon Eagle booster club.)  The Lady Eagles went 38-0 this year; were the only undefeated team in the state of Texas, boys or girls; and the state championship game was Coach Lombard's 1100th career win.  He hasn't lost a hundred yet (98 loses).  That's almost unimaginable.  He's quite a coach, and a great Christian man who brought glory to God in the process of winning this title.  Hats off.  This was his 14th state title here at Canyon.  Wow.  On top of that, the Lady Eagles are now ranked in the top 12 nationally by USA Today magazine.

Our interim pastor preached on hell yesterday.  You don't hear that very often anymore.  Contrary to what we hear, everyone I talked to at church found it to be a positive, not a negative, sermon.  Good job, Dr. Shaw!

We only have two more lessons left in 2 Peter.  That means I have to find something to do for the summer.  Last summer, I used a six-week video series called, Chosen By God with R. C. Sproul.  Maybe I can find something like it for a different tact for early summer.  Then, by request, we are going to do some systematic theology, starting with the doctrine of prayer.  I'm looking forward to that study, even though it will be a tough prep, as I'll get some magnificent Bible study from it.

Just saw a pair of funny tweets from Fred Thompson- "Reporter at Biden fundraiser locked in closet. Only allowed out during Biden speech. Now that's what I call adding insult to injury."

And, "Hillary: U.S. won’t go into Syria the way it has in Libya. Oh, so Obama's going to go in with a plan?"

Good ones, Fred!

Uncle Jay Gets This One Right

I've watched Uncle Jay Explains the News off-and-on for a couple years now.  Sometimes he is pretty far out there, but other times he seems to get the picture.

This week's post is spot on and funny to boot.  Check it out.

Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue (book review)

I was given the opportunity by Ligonier Ministries to post a review of their recent book Abortion:  A rational look at an emotional issue, by R. C. Sproul.  I first heard about the book when Ligonier decided to send a copy to every member of Congress at the convening of the next congress this January.  (Ligonier gave the opportunity for their followers to purchase a copy for a congressman, which I did...hopefully he or she will read it.  I love the idea that the copy I paid for might end up on Nancy Pelosi's desk!)

Here's the link to the book on Ligonier's website-

   http://www.ligonier.org/store/abortion-hardcover/

I'll do this review in three parts, as it is a bit long for normal blog reading.  Each part of the review will correspond to the same part of the book, since the book is divided into three parts.

First, the list of names in the endorsements section is a roll call of superstars of evangelicalism:  Jim Daly (Focus on the Family), Marvin Olasky (World Magazine), Randy Alcorn (author), Russell D. Moore (pastor and seminary dean), John MacArthur (pastor and author), Chuck Swindoll (pastor and author), Peter Jones (apologist and author), and others.

The book is not long; about 150 pages plus appendices, notes, bibliography, and an index.  The book was first published in 1990.  This is the 20th anniversary edition. 

Part One is titled, Abortion:  The ethical dilemma of our time.

Ch 1- 'A Nation Divided'-  Sproul deals with the following issues in the first chapter-

Abortion is a divisive issue intertwined in our culture; core question is, "Is abortion a form of murder?"; what is a fetus...when does life begin?; philosophical basis for making decisions about right and wrong.  This chapter is a good introduction to some of the problems in thinking about the issue of abortion.

Ch 2- 'The Sanctity of Life'-  The second chapter moves to some philosophical foundations for why both believers and unbelievers can understand the value of human life.  These issues are highlighted in this chapter-

The nature of man; biblical roots of the concept of sanctity of life; the relation (morally) of the death penalty to abortion; the potential desctruction of actual life versus the actual destruction of potential life.  This chapter moves the reader into deeper thinking about the issues involved in abortion, as well as general issues related to life and death.

Ch 3- 'The Sanctity of Life and Natural Law'- Sproul continues to develop the themes from chapter 2 in this chapter.  Here, he deals with these issues-

Abortion as an act against nature; our culture's intense concern for living individuals but not for the unborn; the early church's opposition to abortion; the connection between abortion and infanticide in early cultures.

Ch 4- 'When Does Life Begin'- Sproul deals with some of the key issues in the legal realm as well as the philosophical realm in this chapter-

Scriptural support for the idea of the fetus as human life; scriptural distinction of the unborn baby from the mother; the power of prejudice in decision making and the forming of opinions; 'What should we do if we remain unsure of the answer?'  Dr. Sproul will more fully develop this last idea in the next chapter.

Ch 5- 'What if You Are Not Sure about Abortion?'- In a continuation from the last chapter, Sproul deals with these issues-

The argumentum ad populum; the logic of dealing with the rightness/wrongness of abortion; the conscience and abortion (Luther- 'To act against conscience is neither right nor safe').  Dr. Sproul makes a cogent logical argument for the moral duty of anyone who may have doubts, one way or the other, about any moral dilemma.  This is a valuable chapter for what is probably the majority of non-believers on the topic of abortion...not sure about what is right or wrong.

Ch 6- 'The Role of Government in Abortion'- Sproul moves to the political side of the issues in this chapter-

'Is abortion a private ethical issue or does it fall within the scope of government regulation and control?' (p. 75); the role of government in restraining evil in society; separation of church and state; the moral implications of law (and how this does not entangle church and state); how Roe v. Wade was the state's greatest failure at being the state.  This chapter breaks down some of the mythology that has developed around the 'wall of separation' issues between the church and the state, and shows why the state's dealing with moral issues falls fully within the appropriate sphere of activity for a state.


To be continued...

____________________
FCC disclaimer:  Ligonier provided me with a PDF copy of the book for review purposes.  Anyone who writes a review is eligible to receive a paper copy of the book.

Here is the copyright information for the book.  Portions used in this review were used by permission, per email on December 6, 2010, from D. Finnamore.

This book's copyright information: © 2010 by R.C. Sproul, Published by Reformation Trust Publishing. All Rights Reserved.

Gate Rape

Here's some more fallout on the TSA adventure.  I'm beginning to think we might be able to get some things changed, especially if Drudge, et al., keep it up.

I picked up the term Gate Rape from a blog where it was so named by an airline captain.  I think it'll stick.

Burning the Quran is Wrong (But For Other Reasons Than You've Been Told)

I can't think of anything that makes me more angry (the kind of deep-seated, moral anger) than churches who do the wrong thing and do it on a pedestal for all to see.  You can be sure that the secular media will take every advantage to help make idiots who profess faith to look even more idiotic than they actually are.

The first example is the (so-called) church in Kansas (which I refuse to name or link) that protests at the funerals of soldiers, sailors, and marines killed in action.  But that's a whole other blog post...I'll stay focused here on the current controversy.  (And thank God for the Patriot Guard Riders!)

The church in Florida (again, I'll leave it unnamed and unlinked) that plans to have a 'Burn the Quran Day' on September 11 is making a big mistake.  Others have gone on-and-on about how it is un-American or intolerant or some violation of some sense of decency (and they are mostly right about that).  The problem I have is a bit different.  I haven't heard it put my way on the national media, but that doesn't surprise me...the national media isn't really worried about the gospel, after all.

That's the key: the gospel.  The church in Florida should be focused on their mission to glorify God through worship and the proclamation of the gospel.  Instead, they are bogged down in some type of moralism, expressed through political posturing or protest.  If they were concerned with ever having any kind of credibility with Muslims who might be in their community, they would obviously not engage in such provocative behavior.  I understand that Muslims often don't respect the Bible, and treat it with contempt.  But to respond likewise with the Quran is just the opposite of what the gospel demands.  The action will have no constructive effect.  No Muslim anywhere will look at this and say, "Gee, maybe we are being too hard on those other religions...we should lighten up."  More importantly, no Muslim will say, "I'm curious about this Jesus fellow...I think I'll find some people of the book and inquire about him further."

The bottom line is this- no person of islamic faith or tendency will ever be reached with the gospel by provocation.  The media attention makes it even worse; the barriers to the gospel won't be felt in Florida alone, but in various places all over the world.  That does not bring glory to God.

And that's why 'Burn a Quran Day' is wrong.

Elections Have Consequences

I began building an AR-15 about June of 2008. I wanted the experience of building my own, rather than buying one off the shelf, and I wanted to know how they were put together so I could work on mine if they ever needed repair.

Big mistake.

I should have realized with the election of BHO coming up, AR parts would all but disappear. I remember when Clinton was elected, and the "Clinton Gun Ban" was passed in 1993. The same thing happened...no ammo to be had, primers and powder were unavailable except at ludicrous prices, high-capacity magazines were selling for $100 each, and so on. I don't know why I didn't put two and two together and realize the same thing was coming in November '08. I suppose we all forgot how good we had it under GWB.

In any case, I have finally completed the lower, except for the buttstock. I can't find the recoil tube and collapsible stock I want. Finally, uppers are coming back into availability, though the prices are at least $100 more per each unit. Instead of building the upper, I think I'll snag a whole one when I can and save the project for more sane political times.

While the gun grab didn't happen like some thought, it may still be coming. The democrats are to busy doing the health care grab right now. Looks like they will pull it off, albeit after the summer recess. The only thing that can stop it now is folks in the districts of blue-dog democrats getting in the face of their representative until he or she has no doubt about the wrongheadedness of socialized medicine. I don't see that happening...the electorate is too gullable, naive, or downright myopic for such to happen, I fear.

But stranger things have happened. BHO's approval numbers are nearly as low as Carter's were at this point, and lower than GWB's. (That's gotta rankle the libs...) Congress, in spite of the almost inhuman charisma of BHO, will never show altruism in this day and age...if the poll numbers are a threat, they'll do the populist thing. Unfortunately, that only benefits us about half the time, since the populace is even less altruistic than their congressional representatives.