Wednesday, August 31, 2011

You Can't Get There From Here

Luke 17:20-21

King James Version

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.


Friday, August 19, 2011

Hearing Voices

Penn Jillette says "God no!" to religion on NPR. He begins by challenging religious people with the question "If God told you to kill your child, would you do it? If your answer is no, you are an atheist."

I doubt that most people of faith or otherwise, hearing a voice in their head telling them to kill any child, would assume that God is directing them. Of course, people are conditioned to kill in response to an authority less than an all powerful supreme being. An execution order from a Texas judge may be sufficient, or an order from the head of a gang in other situations.
I thought of all the fathers who, like Abraham and Isaac, grappled with the reality of their son possibly being sent to slaughter at the direction of a higher authority during the draft for the undeclared war in Viet Nam. I thought of the jingoistic "Chicken Hawks" who evaded the draft in the 60s and 70s, but years later encouraged young people to go off and fight in Iraq to rid Sadaam Hussein of his WMDs and in Afghanistan to capture Osama bin Laden.

Finally, I wondered if the U.S. government drafts my son a few years from now to fight in Absurdistan, will I potentially sacrifice him or encourage him to move to Canada or Europe?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Cowboys and Englishmen

A transplanted Texan in England wondered why the police aren't using guns to stop the UK riots:

...As everyone in the newsroom debated the use of force – whether to use rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons, Tasers, even bean-bag guns – I wondered why they were wasting their breath.

“If your cops had guns, day number 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this, it would NOT have happened!” I said at a recent meeting.

Texas has around 25 million people. There were over 1,300 murders committed in the state in 2009.
England has around 52 million people. There were over 650 murders committed in the country in 2009. Maybe if guns were more prevalent in England, the UK could one day be as safe as Texas.
Meanwhile, Texas Governor Rick Perry thinks using predator drones on the Mexican border is a good idea.


Saturday, August 13, 2011

Who can be bothered to read these things...



Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US was the President's daily brief prepared by the CIA and given to U.S. President George W. Bush on August 6, 2001.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Hot Air

Headline #1:

New NASA Data Blow Gaping Hole In Global Warming Alarmism

Antarctica rising as ice caps melt

  • 31 July 2011
  • Magazine issue 2823.


Monday, August 1, 2011

A Majority, But Not Fillibuster Proof


Only 52% of Americans Approve of God's Job Performance

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/07/only-half-americans-approve-gods-job-performance/40268/

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