The Valley Free Press reports that the town of Plano is considering penalizing prosperity, Catholics, Mormons and the Full Quiver movement. Do homeschoolers get a refund?
Alderman Shari Riddle said she would rather keep the district small than not have enough funds for the schools. She added families moving in with more children should pay more for the schools.
School Superintendent Laurie Walker defended the proposal.“We’re not making a profit. We’re just trying to pay the bills,” she said. “I don’t know what kind of effect it has on the market. I’m not a developer. I’m an educator.”
If I had the means I would buy a copy of this movie for every Christian parent I know. If you have a daughter and you want to be challenged with a counter-cultural vision of her future please see this movie. I am not profiting from the sale of this movie but you will!
“The Return of the Daughters” premiered at the 2007 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF) to a standing ovation and my wife and I were among those standing. I encourage all parents to see this movie (cost $20) . As a father of three I have had to think carefully about many of the cultural practices we blindly accept and the impact these decisions have on my family. This movie offers us portraits of families who have challenged cultural norms and have instead found beautiful alternatives. Click the link to purchase or learn more about the movie.
A few thoughts…
The movie is very well crafted. Five families are profiled. They demonstrate that keeping your daughters at home is not only a viable option but an option that bears much fruit.
The movie does an effective job of responding to many of the potential critics.
For families that want to foster a multi-generational vision I see this as a foundational aspect for success.
Voddie Baucham and his daughter are powerful and articulate spokesmen for this position. Pray for this man, his family, and everyone featured in this movie. If anyone of them falls they will be dragged out for all to see.
I can’t wait to see what the movie the Botkin family does next!
I am a bit of a techie and I have been thinking about ways in which a number of products I love could more easily be marketed to a wider audience. For example, I love the movie ‘A Journey Home‘ (I will write a review soon and tell you why). I would like to see this put in the hands of more families. I have just glanced at this announcement by Mark Cuban about ‘Radical Buy’ but this is just the sort of idea that has been running around in my head lately. Hopefully it won’t be limited to just Facebook.
Ideally I should be able to find products from parties A, B and C. Then I should be capable of going out and working to get these products listed on web locations X, Y and Z. I should have the option of working out different payment schemes for all parties to include even paying for the ads to be placed myself. This should all be very easy to do. So the idea of supporting a middleman should still exist. Hopefully Cuban is already thinking this way, if not maybe he will stumble across this post and steal my idea, I only humbly request 5 tickets to a Mavs game in less than lame seating. Perhaps this is all already possible, I will go back and check out the details later.
Reforming My Mind has a post linking to some mp3 sermons on head coverings (1 Cor. 11:1-16) . I listened to one by R.C. Sproul, “To Cover or Not to Cover”. Some thoughts…
There are commands in the Bible that are difficult to interpret and when you find this you also find significantly sized groups which represent the competing positions. For example, there are groups which baptize infants and groups which only baptize adults. There are seemingly good arguments for both positions and that is why you find groups which reflect both ends of the spectrum in practice.
I believe the command for women to wear head coverings is just such a command. There are arguments for and against interpreting the relevant passage as being presently applicable. However, in this case the number of groups which presently encourage the wearing of head coverings and the number of women who actually practice this is astonishingly small.
I say astonishingly small because I believe that if a thousand people untainted by modern culture and scholarship were to study the relevant passages that more than half would come out in support of head coverings. Maybe I am wrong and it would be significantly less, but the present reality is that this number is probably less than 2% at best (astonishing).
This leads me to think that very few Christians have ever really struggled with these verses. Instead they have taken their queues from the culture or simply done what is easiest which is to look around and do what everyone else is doing.
R.C. implies that the rejection of head coverings is historically recent and coincided with cultural shifts in views of the roles of men and women. This affirms the statement that we are taking our queues from the culture.
Not going to dwell here but I think there is some applicability that can be made here in regards to forms of dress and which are and are not appropriate for worship for both men and women.
I am certain (if I were a women) I would be compelled to wear a head covering during worship. This would not be an easy thing to do given no one else within our present circle does. I believe that the pressure to conform within the church is even greater on this particular issue than the pressure which comes from outside the church. That is a shame.
How should the church handle this particular issue? I think churches should be clear that these passages are not perhaps as “clear” as our modern practices reflect. They should encourage men and women to reevaluate Paul’s commands and give them the freedom to comply as they are led to do so. The site of a women wearing a head covering should not be the cause of gasps and stares.
My wife and I discussed this topic at lunch today and a few more thoughts came up which I am adding below to the original post.
Until today I thought “hair” could equal “head covering”. I can’t believe I missed this before but verse 6 makes this idea impossible. If head covering meant hair it would read “For if a woman will not cover her head (with hair), she should cut off her hair.” This does not effect the cultural argument against head coverings but it is still a mistake to read it this way and once I cleared that up I had to deal with argument of culturally relevancy. In the past I avoided the argument because I assumed it did not matter as long as woman had a tad more hair than G.I. Jane.
We (Christians) tend to dismiss what we think to be small things in the Bible. The cultural argument against head coverings focuses on the sizable implications head coverings might have had within the Corinthian church and argue that no such implications are relevant today. I don’t agree. As a mental exercise try imagining a world in which you wake up tomorrow and most Christian woman begin to wear head coverings (at least during worship). This would draw scorn from the world. We would be mocked on late night TV. Oprah would interview psychologists about the negative effects head coverings have on self esteem. Many women would perhaps refuse to wear them because of the shame it brings, not from those within the church but from the culture. In fact I am sure many would refuse to step foot into any church which even adhered to such a practice. We would see a return to more modest standards of dress (in church at least). A head covering is not only a symbol of submission but a symbol of modesty. It marks the wearer publicly as one of God’s children. The cultural argument for head coverings is as strong today as it was in the days of Paul.
Another thought exercise here. I encourage you to try to imagine as you read that Paul handed down a copy of these commands to Timothy. They eventually end up in the hands of Timothy’s grandson and on his deathbed he bequeaths the them to you. The purpose here is to try to connect you in time to the author of these texts. It is harder to be convinced by the cultural argument if you can see that there isn’t really that vast difference between 100 years and 2000 years. My thinking is that if the scenario above were true I would have a greater inclination to believe the commands were still presently applicable.
Where do you need to go to find woman wearing head coverings? Your best chance is going to be some Fundamentalists, a few very Reformed folk, or the Anabaptists (like the Amish). If you think about these groups one aspect that they have in common is that typically make attempts to reject the influence of the culture. This is evidence that instead of actually being convicted by scripture we are actually”taking our queues from the culture”.
Here is a project I have been meaning to blog about for a while. Nothing I plan on doing but something I see value in and something I am sure will eventually occur. Last month my wife and I attended the 2007 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF) (read more about our trip here). One discussion by Geoff Botkin on how to evaluate a Hollywood movie was very well received. He walked the audience through a number of scenes in a popular movie and pointed out the good and the bad. He analyzed the movie both historically and theologically. The whole point of this was to encourage parents to do the same thing when they or their children watch a movie. In order to do this well there is an fair amount of research that would potentially be involved.
While I was listening to this I recalled some software that is currently being developed that will allow you to download a custom commentary for any movie or television show and then listen to it while you watch. The software is pretty impressive. What this means is someone who is interested in a particular film could easily do the research, interview experts, read the original source material etc…and then create a top notch commentary and make it available to discerning parents like me. This is something I would certainly pay a few dollars for. Historical films would be the genre I would personally be most interested in.
Random thought(s) here on Christianity as it relates to Government. As much as NPR would love you to think that Christians want to implement a theocracy, the truth is that views on church state relations vary widely within conservative Christian groups. I have been asking myself what the reaction would be (primarily from other Christians) to the formation of an explicitly Christian political party? My guess is that such a party would be seen as misguided and perhaps even rank error by many (on both the left and right). The idea of political involvement would be strongly affirmed but the idea of tying a political party to the name of Christ would certainly be denounced by many.
Now, try to imagine a vicious barbarian king who has conquered a vast kingdom. One day he converts to Christianity and everything changes. He sends out an announcement to all of his kingdom that from now on he will apply principles of justice and government according to God’s word. He affirms that the government will now be a “Christian” government. If we could look forward 100 years we see that the king and all of his successors actually abide by that promise.
So here are few questions to think about. I don’t have the answers, this is just the sort of scenario I like to carry around when I think about these things.
Putting aside possible constitutional issues is it wrong (Biblically) to form a Christian political party? If yes, why? Ignore historical precedence also, even if 1000 attempts have failed that would not technically make it wrong Biblically.
Was the barbarian king wrong to do what he did? If yes, why?
If you answered yes and no, explain the difference in reasoning.
Only government food is safe food. Sound science dictates what is safe. No other standard will do. Only T-bone steaks wrapped in million-dollar, agriculturally prohibited, quintuple-permitted, government-sanctioned processing facilities are fit for human consumption. I can’t buy a pound cake from a neighbor girl who whipped it up and baked it in the family kitchen. That’s not safe. Sound science has thus decreed.
Click here to see a few of my other posts about Joel Salatin.
I have read many of Herrick’s blog entries about garlic powder and have been anticipating the arrival of this year’s batch. I plan on buying plenty. My mouth is watering already thinking about the ways I am going to put it to use. You can find out more here and here if you would like to purchase some for yourself. Now if I could only figure out where to get some good ginger.
A few days ago I received the DVD’s of the Film Academy from the 2007 San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival (SAICFF). They also sent along a card which details the mission of Vision Forum. I think the list is commendable and I for one plan on keeping a copy close at hand for review now and then. I have posted a copy of the list for your benefit here.
Turning the Hearts of Fathers to Their Families
Proclaiming the Nobility and Glory of Motherhood
Reviving the Doctrine of “Women and Children First”
Embracing the Blessing of Children and the Sanctity of Human Life
Building a Culture of Virtuous Boyhood and Girlhood
Reinforcing Godly Masculinity and Femininity
Understanding Family Culture as Religion Externalized
Teaching History as the Providence of God
Developing Biblical Worldview Through Presuppositional Thinking
Training Character by Hebrew Discipleship and Home Education
The chart below shows that Healthcare spending will reach 100% of GDP in 2082. Of course that will never happen because the government will have long since seized control of the system. If that happens you can expect many of the problems which plague the socialized systems around the world and it will only cost you 50% of GDP.
H. L. Mencken, late in life, allowed himself to be interviewed by a young reporter from his hometown newspaper. The interviewer asked the grand old curmudgeon, “why, if you find so much that is unworthy of reverence in the United States, do you continue to live here?” Mencken answered the query with another question: “Why do people visit zoos?”
I finally ordered the CD’s for the Highlands Study Center 2007 Conference and they arrived today. The conference featured lectures by Gene Edward Veith, Ken Myers, RC Sproul Jr. and Laurence Windham. So that is what I will be listening to for the next couple of days. Will try to share some thoughts here and there as I get them.
For those of you that don’t know, Joel is famous for his farming methodologies. I would call him organic but I think he would reject the label, I think he uses the term ‘Beyond Organic’. He was profiled in the popular book ‘The Omnivores Dilemma’. He has also published a his own books on the topic of farming and living the good life.
Joel has some interesting things to say in this video. About six minutes in he discusses the responsibility of the Christian to steward the land and animals in such a way as to lesson the effects of natural disasters, disease, catastrophe or misfortune. His statements are applicable to those working off the farm also. How long could you survive if you lost your job? If you lost your job would you rely on the government or your church for assistance? Were you enticed to borrow more money than you should have when you purchased a home because interest rates were so low? Did you ever ask yourself why the interest rates were so low?
Home foreclosures are at record highs. I am sure Christians are just as likely as non-Christians to be in this group. Do you find that strange? I do.
I am sure this question will come across as a bit more apocalyptic, but how long would you survive if there was a severe food shortage? Assume for a moment disaster did strike. One neighbor begins to run out of food after a week, another has enough food for a year, which one was tending the garden and pulling up the weeds? My pantry is presently closer to the one week end of things but Joel has me thinking that perhaps I better stock it.
If you like this you might like these other posts about Joel.
I just finished listening to an NPR interview with Hanna Rosin author of ‘God’s Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America’. God’s Harvard refers to Patrick Henry College (pictured below). A graduate of the college was also interviewed. One of the poignant questions posed to the graduate, “Is the Dalai Lama going to hell?”. In May of 2006 NPR interviewed the president of the school Michael Farris (also worth listening to if you in the mood for more high minded federally funded attack journalism).
If you are a Christian and you enjoy cultural commentary I highly recommend reading Gene Edward Veith’s blog. He is among many other things the Provost and Professor of Literature at Patrick Henry.
Doing a few searches tonight for information on Hegel and found this old post by Doug Wilson. Good post read the whole thing, but this particular bit gave me a chuckle.
Marching around in a circle does not constitute any departure from modernity — it is more like Pooh tracking himself in the snow, which would make this dawning era the post-first-time-around-the-spinney era. The second circle cannot be described as a post-circle. The reason I want nothing to do with postmodernism (in all its current forms) is because they are pretending to be at odds with modernity.
A good friend sent me a link to this post today. The quote is from Tim Keller.
“Isn’t evangelical Christianity growing—at least in North America? Look at all the megachurches spouting up! But we must remember that the new situation Lloyd-Jones was describing has spread in stages. It was in Europe before North America. It was in cities before it was in the rest of the society. In the United States it has strengthened in the Northeast and the West Coast first. In many places, especially in the South and Midwest, there is still a residue of more conservative society where people maintain traditional values. Many of these people are therefore still reachable with the fairly superficial, older evangelism programs of the past. And if we are honest, we should admit that many churches are growing large without any evangelism at all. If a church can present unusually good preaching and family ministries and programming, it can easily attract the remaining traditional people and siphon off Christians from all the other churches in a thirty-mile radius. This is easier now than ever because people are very mobile, less tied into their local communities, and less loyal to institutions that don’t meet their immediate needs. But despite the growth of megachurches through these dynamics, there is no evidence that the number of churchgoers in the United States is significantly increasing.”
And now some bullets because…hey it’s easier.
I find this a bit depressing. It it said that traditional methods of personal evangelism are dead. I am not sure I buy that. Instead I am wondering if they every really worked in the first place. Perhaps our churches were full because most people went to church and all the while we were crediting our evangelism ministries for the great results. Now that people are not going we think people have stopped responding to evangelism or we question the specific methodology of evangelism we are using.
I am not a church historian so take this with a grain of salt, but the Apostolic church grew out of the blessing of signs and wonders and the Apostles teaching. God has also used persecution to grow and strengthen the church. The Reformation is as much about the printing press as it is about the spread of good theology. So my point is that personal evangelism is more of something that is always part of church growth but perhaps not the primary means.
Also speaking historically here, in my mind large movements of growth within the church usually parallel social and cultural reforms (ending slavery for example). This is something that has pretty much been a big no show in the American church, instead we pretty much decry and participate in the culture at the same time.
So where are we to look for an answer? Well if I had to guess, and it really is nothing more than a guess, I would say you should look to groups which because of their beliefs are going to face sure fire persecution. You should also look at groups which are taking on the task of real cultural reform. These would be groups that are pursuing excellence in art, education, theology and music (probably missed a few things here). They would be groups who are not afraid to live counter-culturally. They would be groups which are seeking to live as free men with as little intrusion by the state as possible in their lives. They would be speaking boldly to the culture in addressing the sins of that culture as well as proclaiming a clear Gospel message. Now I can think of a few groups that might fit this mold. “How are they going to grow?”you might ask. Well the ones I am thinking of are not afraid to have a lot of children, and they raise their children to have the same desires. Isn’t it just possible that the next wave of growth will come from these groups?
Perhaps I’m wrong about this, but I am sure that the modern church is on the downgrade. The fact that we are a zero sum game is evidence enough. I feel strongly that change will require antithesis to the culture and to the modern trends within the church.
Voddie Baucham is a man that I discovered about a year ago. The more I hear him speak the more my respect is grows. I found some great video content that you can watch online. I encourage all Christian men to listen closely to what Voddie has to say.
YouTube channel for Family Driven Faith (currently 14 short videos).
I was reading a post by Steve Sailer which links to a review Steve wrote about a book called “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking“. The review is a fun read. My “blink” on Blink is that the book isn’t worth reading but you can read the review and decide for yourself.
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