Food Vs Fuel

Here's an article about what I have been saying for more than a year! Turning food into "alternative fuels" to help the "global warming crisis" is a BAD IDEA!

Fox News Article

The fact is that biofuels are a waste, as they result in increased food prices, decreased food supplies (go figure that whole supply and demand thing works) and creates fuels that are inefficient and hard on your engine.

Yet to pacify the green trend, gas companies tout it as a great thing for you.

Avoid any fuels that claim to contain E85 or any type of ethanol. Shell gasolines all contain this, so drive on to the next station if you please.

God and Rocks

Post By: Travis

Mark called me this morning with the age old question of "Can God make a rock so big that he can't lift it?" Although we had both heard this question many times, it is one in which it's hard to put an answer into words. It seems to be a valid question at first glance, and seems to be one of those questions that disproves the possibility of an all powerful creator because in either answer to the question you define a limit to a presumably limitless God.

Below is an article I found on the topic:

Gregory Koukl

This is known as a pseudo-question. It’s like asking, “Can God win an arm wrestling match against Himself?” or, “If God beat Himself up, who would win?” or, “Can God’s power defeat His own power?”

The question is nonsense because it treats God as if He were two instead of one. The phrase “stronger than” can only be used when two subjects are in view, for example, Bill is stronger than Bob, my left arm is stronger than my right arm, etc. Since God is only one, and since He has no parts, it makes no sense to ask if He is stronger than Himself. That’s why this is a pseudo-question. It proves nothing about any deficiency in God because the question itself is incoherent.

This pits one aspect of God’s ability against another--in this case, His creative ability against His ability to lift. The goal is to show that there are some things God can’t do, thus undermining the Christian concept of an omnipotent Creator. This illustration, however, miscasts the biblical notion of omnipotence, and is therefore guilty of the straw man fallacy.

Omnipotence doesn’t mean that God can do anything. The concept of omnipotence has to do with power, not ability per se. In fact, there are many things God can’t do. He can’t make square circles. He can’t create a morally free creature who couldn’t choose evil. He can’t instantly create a sixty-year-old man (not one that looks sixty, but one that is sixty). None of these, though, have to do with power. Instead, they are logically contradictory, and therefore contrary to God’s rational nature. The “Can God make a rock so big He can’t lift it?” challenge is no threat to Christian theism

I liked this answer, because it helps me wrap my mind around what I have always known to be a flawed question. The fact is that God does have limits, but those are defined by the very nature of reason and logic.

God, in the end, is not limitless, nor should he be. We all know that God cannot sin, so why doesn't that disprove his existence? Because sinning is defined as going against the nature of God, and therefore impossible to do by God himself.

What are Atheists So Afraid Of?

This post by: Travis

Fear is the only word I can come up with. After reading an article like this one, in which a man is trying to use the courts to not allow his teenage son to attend a Catholic high school. The kid wants to go there, his mom wants him to go there, but the dad doesn't want him to go because the dad is an Atheist.

The most prevalent articles you find on Atheists making the news all have that one element in common. Fear. They are afraid to let their kids be exposed to the idea of God. They are afraid of having leaders in this country that believe in God, they are offended by the very idea that we believe something they don't.

Some part of me tells me that they fear the idea that their kids will start to believe if they are exposed to the idea. So what's so wrong with that? Are they afraid that their kids will change? That the child they raised will become some sort of zealot? Or is it perhaps that they are afraid their kids will find something that they don't have?

It hurts my heart to see people living with this kind of hatred and fear of belief. Even more so than those who just choose not to believe. It hurts because in the back of my mind I am always wondering what we, as Christians, did to offend. We are hardly blameless in this. It may have been someone in the person's past, or even in past generations of the family, but this kind of fervor only comes from something you are passionate about, and the ONLY way I can see being passionate about preventing people from believing in something is if that something has wronged you.

I know that there could be other reasons out there... but all I want to do is find a way of communicating faith in a new way so that people loose the stereotypes of bigotry, hate, hypocrisy and start seeing Christians as a people filled with love, and hope. Something that starts with us as individuals...

Where do we begin? How do we start healing wounds that Christianity has inflicted on people for so long?

Symantics

Correct lil bro.

I believe they require counselors to be available pre and post op., not asking my brothers and sisters to perform abortions.... just love those having them.

Loved the idea of an adoption booth outside of the clinic! Can we start a movement?

- "That is why a cold, self righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to Hell than a prostitute. But of course, it is better to be neither." - His friends call him Jack

On My Homeless Guy Analogy

Post by: Travis

How do you presume to know that he needed food more than a cigarette at that particular time? I loved your illustration, but you forgot one thing.... The moral man, and presumably the Christian as well should have made your same decision. He feeds the homeless person and feels good, using after tax dollars. The man in the suit has already handed him your pre tax dollars and therefore we have a fat, smoking, unemployed ward of the state who will cost you many, many creamy delicious Marble Slab ice cream cups in the future with un payable medical expenses and hospital stays.

Well I agree that I cannot presume to KNOW what he needs more, but I can presume to know what I am willing to support. Cigarettes are not a charity I support, just as I would not donate to my local Al Quida recruiting office.

On the Subject of Planned Parenthood

Post By: Travis

I would have to agree with Mark on the death penalty and the ineffectiveness of the current prison system. For those who make the argument that prison is worse than it is made out to be may I just say: "Been there, done that".

For those of you that do NOT know, I was indeed arrested at one point... on Easter Sunday no less, for expired registration. So, I can say that my 12 hours in jail was worse than I had imagined it would be, and I can only imagine the despair I would have felt had I thought that the 12 hours would be 12 years, I can also say that, like any phase or situation in life, people adapt, and get used to being in jail.

I was locked up in a county holding cell, buy I have also toured a state prison, and I will tell you that while the holding cell was bare, boring and bland, the state prison had TV's in EVERY cell. They had cable too.

This is Huntsville state prison too, not some club fed kinda joint. The guy I was there to interview told me quite the story about the time he fed a guy feet first through a wood chipper. Feet first, of course, so he had time to talk.

I digress... I will, however take issue with one thing said by my esteemed brother which I think is more of a symantics thing, but I will throw it out for clarification. You said that we should have Christians working in Planned Parenthood and Abortion clinics to infiltrate them with positive messages, alternatives, and in order to extend love and kindness to girls who are finding themselves in a tremendously heart breaking situation.

The only issue I have is that, while Jesus may be in the Planned Parenthood counseling the girls and offering them love and support, I doubt very much that he would be working in the abortion clinic. Images of Christ with a vacuum hose don't really sit all that well with me. :)

So the trouble is that, for those who are not influenced by the Christian presence, and decide that abortion is their "Get Out Of Jail Free" card (which BOTH of the girls I know who had one would argue against it being any kind of freedom) what do the Christians do then? How do they justify being a part of that facility when it does come to that point?

So perhaps the answer lies somewhere in between. Instead of protesting the planned parenthood facilities, perhaps we should be holding adoption rallies outside of them. Putting up booths with information on adoption, having hopeful adoptive parents there to meet the girls, showing them love and an option, and not showing hatred and intolerance.

My 2 cents on the matter.

Reply to comments from Caleb & Audria

Caleb & Audria said...
think Christians should be against the death penalty - Although I tend to agree with you, there are some case where I feel Gen 9:6 makes sense! Really though, I think our prison ministries have a chance to touch everybody... even those on death row.
and I think they should be working at Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics instead of protesting outside of them.- I disagree. I would like to hear why you think Christians should be working at a place that slaughters babies?

Thanks for the response!
1) The only New Testament scenario where Jesus is asked to confirm the death penalty is John chapter 8, and He challenged the motives of the accusers instead. Don't mistake that comment for a weak on crime or consequences attitude. In fact, cable TV, the Playboy channel, weight rooms, and cigarettes do not "Cruel and unusual" make. I'd have them busting rocks, cleaning roads, farming the prison grounds and getting educated.
2) I thought that might generate some discussion. I really think we should ask ourselves the only question that matters - Where would Jesus be? It's hard to feel loved walking through a crowd chanting "hoar" or "baby killer". But it would be easy to feel loved by someone counseling, and encouraging you to see the big picture of your actions. Promoting adoption without judgement but understanding. The people on the inside of the planned parenthood organization are usually the last ones to make that woman feel understood, in fact the last ones to make her feel forgiven - that her choice is okay. Imagine the impact of a Christian infiltration of Planned Parenthood! Imagine the change of hearts and minds if those on the inside truly promoted adoption over abortion. Planned Parenthood's motto is "Every child a wanted child." Imagine if every scared teenager or lonely single in trouble knew that every child is a wanted child! While even being inside a building that promotes condoms to abstinence for 12 year olds and killing to adoption would make most Christians, let's say a little uncomfortable, most God fearing, well meaning, practicing Jews 2000 years ago would have felt the same way at a leper party.

Response to Jesus - Blue or red

This post by Mark:

Good start. You said yourself it was long winded and you'll find no argument from me. Since you seem, in your own mind, to have solved all of the world's confusion on the issue I almost have nothing left to say.... But I'll say a few things anyway.

For the initial response to your first post, here are my politics.

I am a socialist, at home.
I am a democrat, at church.
I am independent, locally.
I am a republican, stateside.
I am a libertarian, federally.
I am conservative, in foreign policy.
And I am an anarchist, at the United Nations.

So first, while I agree with the vast majority of your monologue, I'd like to take issue with several:

1) "How do we defend our Republican political ideals as Christians."
I don't - based on the above description of my politics. In fact, I'd take issue with many Republican ideals being defended as Christian. To take a couple - I think Christians should be against the death penalty and I think they should be working at Planned Parenthood and abortion clinics instead of protesting outside of them.

2) "Let me just say now that I DO NOT believe that EITHER party is out to destroy America."
You are just scared of the word destroy. To destroy means "to put an end to". The United States was created to be a capitalistic free market, governed by states and the rights given to them by the people who live there. The democrats are trying to destroy America.

3) "3. I did, because in my scenario he got fed."
How do you presume to know that he needed food more than a cigarette at that particular time? I loved your illustration, but you forgot one thing.... The moral man, and presumably the Christian as well should have made your same decision. He feeds the homeless person and feels good, using after tax dollars. The man in the suit has already handed him your pre tax dollars and therefore we have a fat, smoking, unemployed ward of the state who will cost you many, many creamy delicious Marble Slab ice cream cups in the future with un payable medical expenses and hospital stays.

The inter connectivity that ties all things moral, spiritual, human, economic, and political together will keep posts interesting, enlightening, and long.... The lack of connectivity that is my fingers to the keyboard as I hunt and peck painfully along will require some courtesy on your part to keep each post as succinct as possible, or if long, at least only musing through one topic at a time.

My choice for you and my proposal for our next posts - you decide and I will accept the other:

Jesus - red or red?
Jesus - blue or blue?

Love you bro, and in the timeless words of Socrates, "I drank what?"