When Bad Christians...

Based on a sterling recommendation by a kindred spirit, I just finished When Bad Christians Happen to Good People by Dave Burchett.

Turns out Mr. Burchett is also a kindred spirit. No surprise there!

I am now reading The Adventure of Living by Paul Tournier, recommended by the same source. I have since come across many people who also highly recommend M. Tournier (who's Swiss, by the way, not French).

Thanks, Jeff!

Rapid Expansion

Two weeks ago, physicists announced that they now have the smoking gun that shows the universe went through extremely rapid expansion in the moments after the big bang, growing from the size of a marble to a volume larger than all of observable space in less than a trillion-trillionth of a second.

Really!? Huh. Just figured that out, didja? Interestingly, they failed to find out how? Or where this marble came from.

I've got a book, by the way, written over 3,500 years ago, that tells everything.

The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy is neither being created nor destroyed, but merely changes its state to remain in equilibrium.

Antoine Lavoisier, who was (somewhat paradoxically) both a brilliant chemist as well as a Frenchman, similarly postulated the principle of the conservation of matter.

Albert Einstein then hit upon his famous equation, E=mc2, where energy equals matter multiplied by the speed of light squared. The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second - squared, it's 125 trillion mph (that's right quick). He also noticed that light acts as both particles and waves, giving rise to quantum physics, and that the speed of light is the ceiling as far as how fast something can go (just as absolute zero is as cold as something can get, because all motion stops). Therefore, thanks to Einstein, we can think of the photon as the basic unit of energy or matter.

So...if no matter or energy is being created or destroyed, where did it come from? Scientists tell us that if you trace it all back, it started with a mysterious 'singularity'.

The aforementioned book says,
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (Genesis 1:3)

Fiat Lux!

So God brought into being out of nothing (ex nihilo) all the energy required for all of creation with one simple phrase!

Singular, indeed!

Scientists have also calculated that the universe is 13.7 billion years old (give or take 200,000). This, to my mind, is akin to ants on the side of a full bathtub with a dripping faucet calculating how long it took to fill the tub at the current rate of drippage.

Seems to me, any Supreme Being capable of speaking into existence all the energy and matter that will ever be, didn't need a long time to do it. He just filled the tub and let the faucet drip, so we could appreciate his handiwork.

Rapid expansion is quite the understatement.

Viruses: Another Result of The Fall

G. K. Chesterton (another of my favorite authors) felt that the sin nature of man was "the only religious doctrine that can be scientifically, empirically verified. All you have to do is observe people."

No kidding! You may not have noticed, but there has been an unwelcome interruption in my postings - a computer virus crashed my computer, so I couldn't even boot up! The only reason there are such things as computer viruses is due to some programmer's sin nature - they're not even a 'necessary impurity', like what was built into Green Lantern's power ring so it wouldn't work on anything colored yellow. They're due solely to the perverse "pleasures of sin for a season" that some geek gets out of sheer maliciousness.

As I think of it, I don't believe that viruses (the disease-bearing kind) were around before the fall. More bad stuff than 'pain in childbirth' and 'sweat of the brow' farming resulted from Adam and Eve's rebellion (Romans 8:19-22). Although they were naked in a tropical setting, they didn't have to worry about bugs biting - they weren't even called "bugs" then. There were no nucleic acid strings covered in protein looking for suitable hosts in order to replicate themselves and spread their pathogens (that's viruses, for you Cubs fans).

Didja ever wonder why A&E made a big deal about being naked and felt they had to cover themselves? There were no prying neighbors with telescopes. Could it be that when they realized the enormity of their actions, that the entire as-yet-to-be-born human race was going to be infected with the sin virus, they covered their genitals from a sense of intense shame?

Another Portion of Plum Pudding...Please!

Aaaahhh! Like a refreshing draught of pure spring water to a man dying of thirst, I just read Bill the Conqueror, #65 on my personal checklist of 99 P. G. Wodehouse works.

I've been in the throes of Wodehouse Withdrawal since finishing Biffen's Millions way back on November 1st!

The Master is my favorite author by a wide margin. His clever turns of phrase seem so effortless, although I've heard he agonized over each word in every one of his books.

Since first falling in love with Thank You, Jeeves back in 1989, I've had to employ hitherto unused portions of my brain in order to bring the requisite amount of self-restraint to the surface so as to be able to budget appropriately my reading of the fruits of his genius.

It's rather like pizza. Although I believe I could eat it every day, I'm not about to tempt fate by trying it. Besides, delayed gratification is that much sweeter.

In the Sahara of literature, his books are an oasis - and not the cartoon kind, where the guy jumps into the apparent pond only to find WHUMPF! he's landed face-first in the gritty sands of hallucination - but the real kind, replete with dates and pomegranates.

Plum, for those of you who don't know (Philistines!), is the shortened version of Pelham (as in Pelham Grenville Wodehouse) and serves as his affectionate nickname for all those who love his writings and feel as though they know him.

Bill the Conqueror was published in 1924, and like everything else he's written, is timeless. Since I hold his writing to a higher standard than other books (i.e., mere scribblings), I only gave it a 9.

Exercising My Right

I don't understand people who are given the right to vote, but opt not to exercise it. Retraction: yes, I do. It can be attributed to ignorance and apathy. Why should this be so? I don't know and I don't care.

When it comes time for the general elections, a common complaint would be 'I don't like any of the candidates, how did they get chosen to run?' - which is why I think the primaries are even more important - you get the chance to vote for the best candidate to run in your party of choice. Is it a perfect system? By no means.

The cool thing is, the lower the turnout, the more my vote counts. During presidential elections, when the turnout's 50%, my vote is worth twice what it would be if everyone voted. However, in off-year elections, when only 33% show up, it's worth three times as much - and, in off-year primary elections, my vote is maybe four times more valuable! All of which is fine with me, because I personally think minimum qualifications should be met before one is allowed to vote - like knowing who the candidates are and what they stand for.

So, all of you who are too lazy or disinterested to vote - by all means, stay home!

Legalism vs. Liberty and Love

Back in Paul's day, they also had to contend with legalism (see last post). Some newly converted Jewish believers were telling the guys in Antioch (gentiles), "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1) This ticked off Paul and Barnabas (who knew the truth), so they dropped what they were doing and trudged up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders (the Vatican of the early church).

While at the conference, some ex-Pharisees (of course) stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." (Acts 15:5) After much discussion, Peter (of all people) got up and addressed them (v. 7) and noted how God gave the gentiles the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us (v. 8), He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? (vv. 9-10) He turned the tables on them by accusing them of breaking the law themselves by acting this way (Deuteronomy 6:16). He finished strong, by saying, No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are. (v. 11)

James, the leader (and most Jewish of them all - read his epistle), then said, "You're right, we'll just send this letter with you to the gentile believers to clear up this misunderstanding" - then he appended four things they were prohibited from doing - seems he couldn't help himself, "You can take James out of the law, but you can't take the law out of James".

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul let them know in no uncertain terms, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Gal. 5:1) He goes on to tell that if they put their trust in the law, they're obligated to keep all 613 , which no one's ever been able to do. He said, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." (v. 6) He asks them who persuaded them away from the truth? (as if we didn't know) He works himself to a fever pitch by verse 12, "As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!" A little harsh, but "You tell 'em, Paul!"

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (vv. 13-14)

Where have I heard that before?

St. Patrick's Day

Good News for Chicagoans! Cardinal George has declared a dispensation, so corned beef may be consumed guilt-free today - even though it's a Friday during Lent.

I like what Rev. Dan Brandt, pastor of Nativity of Our Lord parish in Bridgeport said about any good deed or act of self-denial can serve the same purpose as abstaining from meat, which in reality is not much to ask. "Crab cakes, tuna melts - it's really no great sacrifice," Brandt said.

If it's really no great sacrifice, why make a big deal about it?

Over on the EWTN website, a concerned Catholic posed this question:

My dad is traveling over St. Patrick's Day, which is a Friday this year. He was wondering if he would be able to eat meat. I told him that it depends on the diocese, but I have a few questions on that:
1) How can one find out if the Archbishop in New Orleans has granted a dispensation especially when they are from out of town?
2) Are there any rules concerning if someone travels from another diocese that might or might not have the same dispensation?
3)What if someone crosses the diocese simply for the purpose of eating meat?
Thank you

The Reverend in charge of silly questions responded:

Travelers can be dispensed either by their own parish pastor or diocesan bishop (or one of his vicars) OR by a parish pastor or diocesan bishop (or one of his vicars) in the place that they are visiting. So the easiest thing is for him to request a dispensation from his own pastor before leaving. Of course, for a dispensation to be granted, a just cause is necessary for the dispensation.

Someone crossing dioceses simpy to eat meat sounds a bit legalistic or at least silly.[emphasis mine]

Of course, if one's parish is St. Patrick's parish (such as where I am currently stationed), then St. Patrick's day is a solemnity and no dispensation is necessary. [nyah-nyah]

What if you order your corned beef in a 'dispensed' parish, don't finish it and bring it home to eat the rest where the bishop hasn't given his official okey-dokey?

Wait...I'm just being silly.

The Probability of Evolution

I had heard somewhere that the probability of evolution having actually happened is greater than the number of atoms in the universe.

In my search for reliable back-up, I was 'shootin' the curl' in cyberspace and came across a British chap named Nigel Aldworth's interesting web page which says in part, "Ever wondered what the biggest number is in the history of science? Well, the estimate for the probability of our universe happening the way it did is 10 to the 200th power. Doesn't look that big does it? You only begin to grasp its size when they tell you that the total number of atoms in the universe is only 10 to the 80th. You get an idea of the size of these numbers if you consider that there are about a million atoms in a single grain of table salt, let alone the whole universe."

It ends with "The ultimate triumph of human reason will be to discover a Theory of Everything which will answer the question of why it is that we and the universe exist."

The problem is, Nigel, that human reason won't cut it!

Romans 11:33
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and His ways past finding out!


I also found a forum at another site, where a brave creationist started a conversation thread with the following question:

What is the probability of 124 specifically sequenced proteins, consisting of 400 all L-amino acids each, forming by chance, given every molecule in every ocean of 10 to the 31st power "Earths" being an amino acid, and these linking up in sets of 124 proteins every second for 10 billion years? 1 in 10 to the 78,436th power, so...probably not. - berean

Some of the responses (I've taken the liberty of bowdlerizing the language to make it suitable for younger or more sensitive readers):

"See here's the thing, genetics doesn't work in the same way that you flip a coin. There are variables and mutations. It's not just heads or tails." -sucksathalo

"So, where do you believe the dinosaurs are hiding today?" - leobaby

"Evolution isn't meant to explain the origins of life, it's the theory that life evolves..." - dracula7

"What a crock of [boogers]. These fundie moron's[sic] know just enough to be dangerous, yet are experts at twisting everything to their cause. Just drink the koolaid already and let the rest of us logical thinking people carry on." - vonskippy

"Can people please stop trying to pass off theology as science? If any of these "scientific studies" were scientific in any way, they would have been published in peer-reviewed journals. As it is, I have yet to see any work from the "Answers in Genesis" crowd to make it through the review process. This isn't because of some Darwin-lovers circling the wagons, either. It's because these "studies" don't pass any of the requisite criteria for being considered science, such as impartial data analysis and falsifiable hypotheses." - physicsguy23

"Even if that probability is right you got 4 billion years to sort it out." -10scott10

"Scientific folk are interested in how life began, religious folk are interested in why life began... but for the record, if the odds of Evolution happening are 1 in 10 to the 78,436th, then the odds of there being a god who created us must be like 1 in 10 to the 4,815,162,342,108th. Of course I don't have all the [fancy] paperwork to back that statistic up." - evari

"Um, isn't this the science section? Hello? Telling me god designed everything and the earth is 6000 years old is not science. If you want to believe in creationism go live in a cave somewhere and don't use the internet." - Punkymonkey

berean is a man after my own heart - he uses logic and their own numbers against them.

What puzzles me is...why are they so hostile and passionate? They have an unshakable faith based on...what?! If everything is the result of random chance, why get worked up about what religious whackos think? It doesn't really matter, does it? Or are de-sensitized nerves being struck, as if with a ballpeen hammer? If folks like vonskippy are "logical thinking people", where does logic or the ability to think come from?

In the words of Jonathan Swift:

There is none so blind as they that won't see.

Harry Potter

In light of the dim view taken by many in the Religious Right of the Harry Potter series of books, what I'm about to say is heresy:

I love the Harry Potter books!

I may be wrong, but I'm of the opinion that some people react to "hot button" words like wizard and magic and condemn the books without ever having read them.

I know it strains the bounds of credulity to believe this of some of my fellow "Christians", but there it is: I've said it.

(The picture is of the original cover of the first UK edition of the first book. Notice that the title changed from Philosopher's Stone to Sorcerer's Stone when it was published in America)

The books are more about life in an English boarding school (albeit an unusual one) than sorcery. They are no more a cleverly disguised instructional guide to Black Magic than the Chronicles of Narnia (which I also enjoyed). They are about good vs. evil and love vs. hate, and are well-written with characters the reader cares about.

I never had a problem distinguishing fantasy from reality, especially as a kid. I read and was read to such things as Grimm's Fairy Tales, the Arabian Nights and super-hero comics. They all had in common fantastic creatures and beings with supernatural powers and you always knew who were the good guys and who were the bad guys.

Some atheists have even been offended that the Harry Potter series is a Christian allegory. I won't go that far, but they are fun and entertaining and less dangerous to children than most stuff on TV.

They have influenced me to want to rename my dog Harry (the one with a penchant for lifting his leg frequently), just so I could say in my best Robbie Coltrane, "You're a whizzer, Harry!"

There! Now that it's out, think of me what you will.

Please Just Use Spell-Check

This is one of my pet peeves!
It's spelled Q-U-I-X-O-T-E and pronounced key-HOE-tea.

Besides, it looks more like George Washington than the Man of La Mancha. Come on, people!

The Love of God - an Experiment

Ever wonder about the love of God?

Here's an experiment to try.

Materials required: lots of modeling clay or Play-Doh; rent the big glass room down at the Mathesonian Institute - you know, the one with the theater seats up in the gallery

1. Fashion two people from the clay (one male, one female)
2. Animate them
3. Give them free will by giving them a choice - prohibit them from doing something - but it has to have serious consequences, like the incinerator
4. When they disobey, change the environment
5. After a while, there will be a lot of snotty, rebellious clay people (it won't take long, they multiply like chinchillas) - take a handful of decent ones, stick them in a covered container and take the power hose to the room
6. After another while, there will be a lot of snotty, rebellious clay people (see above) - you decide to actually become one of them and enter the room
7. They won't recognize you, so they torture and kill you
8. Because it's your experiment, you leave the room - but let them know that all anyone has to do is believe that your death was a substitute for the punishment they deserve and they won't be incinerated
9. Anyone stupid and stubborn enough not to believe, shovel into the incinerator
10. Anyone that does believe will not only not be incinerated, but will eventually leave the room themselves and go home with you to live as your offspring on the sprawling family estate in Newport, Rhode Island

After performing this experiment, think about what God did for us!

I still can't fully comprehend or appreciate it...yet!

1 Peter 1:6-9
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

45

That's right! The uniform number of my favorite pitcher of all time, Bob Gibson.

I don't know why I thought of this today, but here's a short list of people who didn't make it to the age of 45:

Elvis Presley
Jane Austen
Bruce Lee
Glenn Miller
Marilyn Monroe
Edgar Allan Poe
John Lennon
George Gershwin
Roberto Clemente
the Bronte sisters
Vincent Van Gogh
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Lou Gehrig
Alexander the Great

The Road Less Traveled

It seems to me that proponents of things like political correctness, affirmative action, slavery reparations, et. al. think that by overcompensating for past evils a happy medium will be achieved.

That's like saying if you drive off the road by 300 yards to the right, you have to go as far left into the woods to restore the equilibrium. You just need to get back on the road!

On any given trip, the most efficient way to reach your destination is an extremely narrow path (Euclid proved this geometrically 2,300 years ago).

Jesus said "Narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."(Matthew 7:14b)

Most people zigzag all around the right road, but never actually take it.

My advice: If you find yourself off the path, don't panic and overreact! Just take a deep breath, regroup and consult the map - that's why we were given it.

Automobiles vs. Humans

Did ya ever notice how automobiles and human beings have a lot of similarities?

Both have bodies that come in all styles (Ferraris, Hummers, Yugos), both have a chassis (skeleton), as well as an electrical system (nerves), a fuel system (digestion), an exhaust system (not to be spoken of in polite company), a cooling system (sweat), an engine (heart), steering and suspension system (muscles), etc.(you get the idea).

Both can be kept running mechanically, but unless there's a decision-making entity inside of them, they're useless.

Cars need a driver, humans need a soul. When a non-critical part (like a muffler) falls off, the car is still operable and the driver is no less of a driver. Similarly, if someone's leg is amputated, a person is no less a person. However, when the engine is destroyed, the car is dead and the driver has to leave.

Not many people could believe that an automobile with all those closed yet interdependent systems was not designed and deliberately created. Capitalism urges car makers to breathe life into their cars in the form of consumers/drivers.

Genesis 2:7
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Humans are a much more amazing mechanism, even more so when a driver is inside. To not see the design of a Creator is like driving blindfolded.

Christianese - My Least Favorite Language

I count it a privilege to to be able to share my heart with you today. I feel led to petition the Lord that you might stay in the center of God's will. I covet your prayers for traveling mercies, that the Lord would put up a hedge of protection around me and my loved ones. The Lord has laid on my heart a burden to beseech you to ask for a double portion of His blessing and that I might be sensitive to the Lord's leading in my life.

What?!? Why do Christians have to talk like that? These aren't quotes from the Bible, just an inbred jargon of stuff and nonsense. Do they feel so insecure, that they need to display their spirituality? Who did that in Scripture? Hint: the initials are Phar-i-sees.

What did Jesus say?

Matthew 23:27-28
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Now I'm not saying that everyone that uses these phrases is a hypocrite (it might just be a bad habit), but if we're trying to get the message out to people who haven't been brought up in insulated pockets of christendom, we should at least be intelligible.

Say what you mean, and mean what you say. (James 5:12)

My personal gauge is: the amount of Christian catch-phrases used is inversely proportional to the level of spiritual maturity.

Kal-El

The comic book to your left is Action Comics #300, cover date May 1963. When our family moved to Lombard from Japan via Decatur in 1965, we had maybe a grand total of four comic books in our possession - all used and donated by relatives.

I distinctly remember this one (not for the story, since I couldn't read yet) because I came across a word that I thought I recognized but still it looked a little strange. In one panel, Superman (the bearded gentleman on the cover) fell heavily and the balloon above his head enclosed the single word "OOF!" (ostensibly because he had gone past his stop in journeying to the future and come out when the sun had turned red, thereby sapping him of all his prodigious powers - a tremendous lesson to be learned for not dozing off while on public transportation). Being a precocious four-year-old, I noticed the similarity between Superman's exclamation and the word inscribed on the hall light switch, which could only be read when it was in the downturned position. I remember asking my sister Joan if they were indeed the same word. She then, in her patient way (time tends to color memories with a rosy hue), explained how Superman just made that sound because he had the breath knocked out of him but the word on the light switch was "off".

I don't remember how the plot was resolved, but presumably Superman made it back safely, since he's made a few more appearances since then.

Interesting side note: Superman came from a planet with a red sun and his Kryptonian name is Kal-El. He was created contemporaneously with Hitler gaining power in Germany by two Jewish high school kids in Cleveland. Notice how his name looks like an Old Testament Hebrew name, which when translated means "all that is God". In my personal opinion, Siegel and Shuster (for such were the names of the aforementioned students) made up a new Moses (whose parents put him in a tiny rocket ship and set him adrift in the stream of space for his safety, and who was adopted by kind folks from an advanced civilization) to counteract all the antisemitism that was rampant in the world.

Lawyers Have Always Been the Same

A couple of thousand years ago, the Pharisees and Sadducees (natural enemies) had the same objective: to show up Jesus, whose grassroots popularity was perceived as a threat to their authority.

On the same day (cf. Matthew 22 and Mark 12), they tried to stump him on taxes - "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's;" on the resurrection (the Sadducees didn't believe in it) - "But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living;" and on the law.

The crowds (populace, rabble) were astonished at his answers.

This prompted a lawyer (what do you call 5,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? - a good start; what's the difference between a lawyer and a bucket of pond scum? - the bucket; what's the difference between a dead dog in the road and a dead lawyer in the road? - skid marks in front of the dog) who was actually an expert in Mosaic law (they specialized even way back then), to try to trip him up by asking him something that was disputed by these types as recreation - namely, which of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah is the most important commandment? I think that, being a lawyer, part of his motivation was to display his erudition in public.

Jesus immediately quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and gave him a bonus: Leviticus 19:18, as the #2 ranked commandment. In case you don't know, he said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart (your emotions) and with all your soul (your very being) and with all your mind (your intellect)and with all your strength (and give it everything you've got!). The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

He then followed that up with this remarkable statement: "All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

In other words, if just these two were obeyed, not only the other 611 laws found in the Pentateuch; but everything in all of scripture would be obviated. Think about it: if we were to truly love the Lord with every part of our being, we'd be doing God's will all the time. Sin is the opposite of God's will, so sin would be banished.

As for the second one, as Paul told the Philippians, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

This reminds me of an illustration I'm fond of using: Dante dreamed that Virgil came to give him another tour of heaven and hell. While in hell, Dante noticed that there were all manner of good things to eat everywhere and everything was in perfect ripeness and succulence. The people there, however, had four-foot sporks (like the combination spoons and forks you get with your mashed potatoes at KFC) growing straight from their elbows. No matter how they contorted their bodies, they could not get any of this food to their mouths. This truly is a doom worthy of the name "hell", thought Dante.

Upon arriving in heaven, Dante noticed all the same kinds of excellent food, but the inhabitants also had the same implements instead of forearms, wrists, and hands. "What's the deal?" he asked Virgil in my translation of his colloquial Italian. Virgil responded, "In heaven, everyone feeds each other."

If each of us only thought of others, then there wouldn't be a need for any kind of law.

Since we can't even obey these two laws, both by heredity and inclination, there needs to be a different solution: let's call it grace.

The Space-Time Continuum

What if the Space-Time Continuum is a mechanism created by a supreme being?

Therefore, there was a beginning and there will be an end.

What if we are limited by our three-(or four-)dimensional bodies and when who we really are is released, we step out of this continuum - time and space, as we know them, don't exist and we can rejoin loved ones who left this "vale of tears" long before - only we will arrive at the same "time" (for lack of a better word, since it doesn't exist)?

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him
1 Corinthians 2:9

Gideon Checked Out and Left It No Doubt...

Excuses, excuses.

Gideon gets a visit from an angel, telling him "the Lord is with you, mighty warrior". His reply? "If the Lord is with us, why has all this (bad stuff, see Judges 6) happened to us?"
Lord: Am not I sending you?
Gideon: But Lord, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.

Sound familiar?

Lord: You're going to deliver your people.
Moses: What if they don't believe me?
Lord: Throw down your staff.
Moses: Aaaaah! Aaaahh!
Lord: Grab the snake by the tail.(Aside: I wouldn't wanna grab a poisonous snake by the tail! That's the best way to get him to bite you.)
Moses: Whew! But I cain't talk good!
Lord: I will help you.
Moses: Please send someone else.
Lord: [sigh]All right, your brother will do the talking.

Gideon: If you will save Israel by my hand as you promised, if there is dew only on this fleece and the ground is dry, I will know that you will save Israel by my hand, as you said.
Lord: There you go.
Gideon: OK, now don't be mad, let me just ask you this: This time, make the fleece dry and the ground covered with dew.
That night God did so.

Talk about longsuffering! That's proof of 1 Corinthians 1:27, But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

There's hope for all of us!

Quantum Physics

Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Schrodinger, Heisenberg - the pioneers of quantum physics. The only thing they could agree on, however, was that they didn't know how the real world at an atomic level worked.

Planck came up with a number to use in equations to make them work, known as Planck's Constant, but he didn't know why it worked.

Einstein noticed that light behaves like both waves and particles, but said there had to be something they were missing, because "God doesn't play dice with the universe".

Bohr postulated that when an electron changes orbits, it does so in a sudden quantum leap. It's kind of like a car going from 30 mph to 100 mph without hitting any of the speeds in between (I know, I've driven with Margaret, but she can't even do that!) He never understood why.

Schrodinger came up with the wave mechanics equation which allows us to have cell phones, DVD players and personal computers - but the equation doesn't work on anything more complex than a hydrogen atom.

Heisenberg is famous for his Uncertainty Principle, which states that you can never know both the location and the velocity of a particle.

The only thing they knew for sure is that they didn't know for sure why tiny particles followed different rules than the visible universe.

I remember my friend Roger telling me about a book he read where the author summed up by saying how ironic it would be, if scientists, after struggling up to the top of the mountain of knowledge handhold by handhold, found theologians had been sitting there all along.

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Romans 11:33

I enjoy watching a British game show on BBC America called Enemy Within, where five contestants answer questions - the catch is, one of them has been given the answers ahead of time, and if the others don't figure out which one he is, he walks away with all their winnings.

That's kind of how I feel, only the answers have already been given to everyone - most people just don't take advantage of it. (Romans 1:18-32)

So, what holds everything together?

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17

And what happens if what holds all things together were to suddenly be taken away?

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
2 Peter 3:10

Didja ever wonder where the lake of fire was - especially one that was big enough to accommodate almost every soul in history?

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
Revelation 20:12-21:1

Why do ya think there has to be a new heaven and new earth? There was no more sea? No kidding!

Now, that's quantum physics, Messrs Planck, Einstein, et. al.

Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools
Romans 1:22

Land Flowing With Milk and Honey...Gross!

When I was a kid, and heard about the "land flowing with milk and honey", I could only picture wading knee-deep through the stuff - and it didn't appeal to me.

Now that I'm older and wiser, I realize it's a poetic description of a place to be desired because its vegetation could well support lots of livestock, which in turn could produce milk, cheese, butter, etc.; and was also lush enough to sustain beautiful flowers which attracted bees which produced honey (the prerequisite to a sweet life). In fact, one of my favorite things to eat along with a cup of Earl Grey is an English muffin slathered in butter and honey. The verse follwing the one we're all familiar with in Isaiah prophesying the Messiah is interesting:
Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:15
Butter and honey shall He eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

I also wondered why the Isralites were compelled to wander for forty years in the desert. I know God told 'em that they'd have to spend a year in the wilderness for every day they spent spying out the land. But why not just find a comfortable spot and make a settlement?

Now that I'm older and wiser (I know the second half of that phrase is debatable), I notice that the people were numbered and they counted just over 600,000 men 20 and over. You have to figure a similar number of women and that's before you count the kids and Kenites and other hangers-on. There must have conservatively been between 2 and 3 million people. That's like the city of Chicago camping in the desert. That would make the Sinai Peninsula the world's largest litter box. No wonder they kept moving!

That's Not Cricket

President Bush has taken up cricket. Actually, he only saw three balls and was able to put his bat on one of them. This was, of course, in Pakistan - the fourth-ranked cricket-playing country in the world.

Historically, cricket test matches take four or five days to play, complete with "intervals" for lunch and tea. Within the last 40 years or so, they've come up with something called "one-day cricket". Taking note of the popularity of its American cousin, baseball, they've made a few rule changes - so now, instead of everybody wearing solid white and using a red ball, they have colorful caps and uniforms and a white ball. It makes for a much more exciting game, complete with strategy and everything and lasts for no longer than three hours. There will be 16 ODI (one-day international) teams involved in the quadrennial Cricket World Cup.
The side I follow is the West Indies, who won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979. The Windies are currently ranked sixth, but they're hosting the event this time, so I'm hoping for a home cooking upset.

It starts in 370 days, the amount of time Noah was in the ark. I will try to be as patient, but I must admit I have CWC fever! Go Windies!

Top Ten for March

Last month, I mentioned in a post (Franklin and Johnson, you could look it up) who were my personal top ten people in history to have a dinner conversation with.

I've decided to make My Personal Top Ten a monthly feature.

Hey, it's my blog - so it's all about me!

My top ten novels of all time:

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
The Teutonic Knights by Henryk Sienkiewicz
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Quentin Durward by Sir Walter Scott
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Watership Down by Richard Adams