The Rev James Bernstein discusses his remarkable spiritual journey from orthodox Judaism to Orthodox Christianity. This is a wonderful talk. It's part of podcast. The first part discusses the ecumenical relations between Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Anglicanism. As an Episcopalian, I was confronted by how deeply we have severed our relations with the other two churches.
{H/T Alice Linsley}
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
More About Freedom
While I've been ranting more or less incoherently about freedom and the loss thereof (Canada, I'm still lookin' at you!), RobertaX wrote an excellent post on the self same subject and why she blogs. Check it out.
Politician Does the Right Thing
The British Parliament recently emasculated the right of a prisoner to habeas corpus in the name of fighting terrorism. One Conservative MP, who is shadow Minister of Justice, is resigning so that he can run for his seat on the issue of the new law. David Davis appears to be a man of principle. Such men are lacking in every country. We need more of them.
Proposed Revision to Canadian Flag
Our spies in British Columbia have sent us what the BC HRC want the new Canadian flag to look like. I'm sure Mr Warman and Bishop Ingham will both be equally thrilled.
Oh, and if anyone wants to bring me up in front of a Human Rights Commission tribunal, I'm an American and I live, work and blog in America. I'm also an attorney. Bring it on.
Yet more background.
Oh, and if anyone wants to bring me up in front of a Human Rights Commission tribunal, I'm an American and I live, work and blog in America. I'm also an attorney. Bring it on.
Yet more background.
Canadian Theatrics
Iowahawk has discovered a script for a vintage Canadian radio play. Well worth the visit!
For those who wish to know more, here is some background.
For those who wish to know more, here is some background.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
100 percent of your daily snark allowance
Buy 'n Bail
Because there just hasn't been enough fraud in the real estate market of late, the Wall Street Journal reports on a growing phenomenon of homeowners buying a second house at today's reduced prices, promising the lender that the loan payments on the second house will be financed from rent on the first house, and then walking away from the first house. Which then gets foreclosed.
If you think qualifying for home loan was difficult before, it's about to get a lot harder.
{H/T Volokh Conspiracy}
If you think qualifying for home loan was difficult before, it's about to get a lot harder.
{H/T Volokh Conspiracy}
Problem meet Solution
The Archbishop of Canterbury apparently has been whining that he is being ignored by those is power, whilst they do pay attention to Muslims.
In a seemingly unrelated news item, the latest synod of the Church of England tabled a proposal to increase evangelism efforts in favour of a motion to increase tourism to religious buildings.
I have heard that the Archbishop of Canterbury is an ivory tower type, so I will break it down for him. Your Prime Minister is a politician. Politicians have a constant need to garner votes, especially in a parliamentary system. British Muslims are a growing group demographically, and they vote as blocs. It is relatively easy to ascertain what they want or need and deliver that to them.
Those who go to the Church of England are a declining group and are not united in very much of anything. They do not vote in blocs. Further, museums do not vote. Only people can do that.
Your old boss, Tony Blair, was a committed Christian. He paid some for that. You had greater access to him and his councils, not because you are wonderful or sage, but because you were the head of his church. The situation has changed. Tony Blair is no longer a Prime Minister or an Anglican. The new guy, Gordon Brown, needs votes. From all accounts he is rather desperate.
I have no solution to your political problems in the short term. For the long term, it occurs to me that if there were some way forthe institution you lead to regain focus and increase your numbers, then the Prime Minister might very well start returning your telephone calls again.
I'm a lawyer not a theologian but it occurs to me that there is a word that describes how a Christian group can embiggen itself by recruiting.
What's that word? Oh yes.... evangelism.
In a seemingly unrelated news item, the latest synod of the Church of England tabled a proposal to increase evangelism efforts in favour of a motion to increase tourism to religious buildings.
I have heard that the Archbishop of Canterbury is an ivory tower type, so I will break it down for him. Your Prime Minister is a politician. Politicians have a constant need to garner votes, especially in a parliamentary system. British Muslims are a growing group demographically, and they vote as blocs. It is relatively easy to ascertain what they want or need and deliver that to them.
Those who go to the Church of England are a declining group and are not united in very much of anything. They do not vote in blocs. Further, museums do not vote. Only people can do that.
Your old boss, Tony Blair, was a committed Christian. He paid some for that. You had greater access to him and his councils, not because you are wonderful or sage, but because you were the head of his church. The situation has changed. Tony Blair is no longer a Prime Minister or an Anglican. The new guy, Gordon Brown, needs votes. From all accounts he is rather desperate.
I have no solution to your political problems in the short term. For the long term, it occurs to me that if there were some way forthe institution you lead to regain focus and increase your numbers, then the Prime Minister might very well start returning your telephone calls again.
I'm a lawyer not a theologian but it occurs to me that there is a word that describes how a Christian group can embiggen itself by recruiting.
What's that word? Oh yes.... evangelism.
Because all the cool kids are doing it
I took the Political Compass Test.
Tip of the old fedora to Brad Drell and BabyBlue.
Addendum, the Deacon joins the in crowd.
It's kinda scary how we're all actually pretty close together. No real extremists so far.
Tip of the old fedora to Brad Drell and BabyBlue.
Addendum, the Deacon joins the in crowd.
It's kinda scary how we're all actually pretty close together. No real extremists so far.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Advice for a Young Woman
I've given it many times. Most women refuse to believe me. But I am a man, and I know men. I am right.
{Beginning of helpful advice}
There are strong men. There are sensitive men. In our history as a race, there has been exactly one strong and sensitive man. He was born two thousand years ago.
Your odds of meeting/dating/marrying a man who is both strong and sensitive is exactly nil. You must choose one or the other. You will never have both. You will never be able to remake him. You can not fix any of his imperfections. We come 'as is', in two basic models with no returns, exchanges or rain checks.
{End of helpful advice}
For what it's worth, Sally gets the above, mostly. ;)
{Beginning of helpful advice}
There are strong men. There are sensitive men. In our history as a race, there has been exactly one strong and sensitive man. He was born two thousand years ago.
Your odds of meeting/dating/marrying a man who is both strong and sensitive is exactly nil. You must choose one or the other. You will never have both. You will never be able to remake him. You can not fix any of his imperfections. We come 'as is', in two basic models with no returns, exchanges or rain checks.
{End of helpful advice}
For what it's worth, Sally gets the above, mostly. ;)
Tuesday Clarifier
One of my favourite blogs on the Internet is Fr. Jeffrey Steele's blog: De Cure Animarum. His latest post links to a whole website devoted to Byzantine chant. Check it out! Truly wonderful, moving music.
Museum of Terror
I know it sounds like a Simpsons episode title, but it's a real museum in Budapest. I've always wanted to visit Hungary. One of my favourite books as a teenager was John Michener's nonfiction account of the Hunagrian Uprising in 1956, "The Bridge at Andau".
I doubt that I would enjoy the museum, but if I were to visit Budapest and not see it, I know that I would regret it for the rest of my life.
I doubt that I would enjoy the museum, but if I were to visit Budapest and not see it, I know that I would regret it for the rest of my life.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Computer coolness
IBM has built a computer for the DOE that has broken the petaflop barrier. What really has to be chafing the folks in Redmond is that the Roadrunner computer runs Linux. On Playstation 3 chips. I love technology.
Synchronicity and Grass Roots
The blogosphere has been abuzz with various discussions of fake 'grass roots' anti-firearms organizations for a while. The groups are usually dubbed 'astro-turf' organizations by their detractors. I'd been gestating a post on the subject when I saw an unrelated post over at StandFirm about the Dean of Seabury-Western's latest sermon.
The sermon, which appears on his blog, is on the old idea of 'living for the moment'. Which is generally good advice and is biblical. But the phrasing of his sermon reminded me of the old sixties song "Let's Live For Today" by a band called The Grass Roots. My curiosity piqued, I turned to Wikipedia to learn more about the band. And astonishingly enough, the Grass Roots would have been more accurately called the Astro-Turfs. And it all comes full circle.....
The sermon, which appears on his blog, is on the old idea of 'living for the moment'. Which is generally good advice and is biblical. But the phrasing of his sermon reminded me of the old sixties song "Let's Live For Today" by a band called The Grass Roots. My curiosity piqued, I turned to Wikipedia to learn more about the band. And astonishingly enough, the Grass Roots would have been more accurately called the Astro-Turfs. And it all comes full circle.....
Grown Ups
The Episcopal Church is in many ways stuck at the emotional maturity of a nineteen year old. The Church is about what I want at this instance without any real reference to anyone or anything else.
If I want to have sex with someone else, then that should be okay. If I want to have an abortion, that's fine. And at all costs I must be hip, trendy, fashionable and with it. Even the ongoing litigation can be explained by the teenage maturity model. Think about how adolescents react to rejection.
What makes all very sad is when you realize what the average age of an Episcopalian is.....
The above is a cut 'n paste of my comment over at Innocent as Doves. Anne Coletta is posting an excellent series on why she is no longer an Episcopalian.
If I want to have sex with someone else, then that should be okay. If I want to have an abortion, that's fine. And at all costs I must be hip, trendy, fashionable and with it. Even the ongoing litigation can be explained by the teenage maturity model. Think about how adolescents react to rejection.
What makes all very sad is when you realize what the average age of an Episcopalian is.....
The above is a cut 'n paste of my comment over at Innocent as Doves. Anne Coletta is posting an excellent series on why she is no longer an Episcopalian.
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