Duck Dynasty, Phil Robertson and the Birth of Christ

It’s Christmas Eve.  I’m with my wife’s family preparing to celebrate Christmas and sitting alone in the quiet of the morning with my cup of black (there is no other kind) robusto coffee.  I look forward to the next few days with family.  In spite of all the negative commercialism, the pressure of shopping, and even some knowledge of the pagan roots of some of the traditions, I love Christmas.  It genuinely helps me to focus on the biggest question of life – “Why am I here?”  The coming of Christ is central to that.

It has always been obvious to me that I have a creator, even without Christianity and the Bible.  What is not as obvious is what this creator expects of me, if anything.  Condensing a great deal of comparative religious study and personal journey, I found Jesus to be the focal point for this determination.  If he really did come to earth in a miraculous virgin birth, his arrival is worth noting.  If he really did fulfill multiple prophecies, his life is worth considering.  If he really did perform miracles and teach things that cut to the core of the heart like no other, his words are worth hearing.  If he really did voluntarily die as a substitute to pay my debt for rebellion against my creator and rise from the grave showing his power over even death, he should be followed and followed on his own terms.  Where do we get those terms?  Well, they are recorded in the Bible.  The Bible is part and parcel of the Christian faith and is the key to understanding Christmas.

Thankful on the Cancer Wing?

Having just celebrated what is one of my very favorite holidays of the year, I’m reflecting a little on thankfulness.  It is 1:30AM as I sit here at Kosair Children’s Hospital in my University of Kentucky lounge pants (real men don’t wear pajamas).  My son has been a patient here on the oncology floor for the last two weeks.  What we hoped would be a relatively uneventful round of chemo to treat his leukemia relapse turned into a full blown septic infection in his bloodstream as well as a fungal infection in his lungs.  With no immunity because of the chemo treatments, he has been in a very precarious position.  It has taken constant care, constant treatment, a herd of doctors and nurses, round-the-clock attention from his mother and me, a can-do attitude from Brad, plus much prayer just to keep our noses above the water line. 

10 Lessons I Have Learned Blogging

One year ago today, I posted my first entry on Marking the Times.  I still don’t consider myself a blogger, but I have learned a few things these last twelve months.  I started blogging because writing down my ideas helps clarify them in my mind.  Knowing that others might read my opinions makes me think carefully about what I say.  I never really thought anyone would be interested in my thoughts, but I wanted to contribute to the conversation if I could.  I have been pleasantly surprised (maybe “shocked” is a better word) by the interest in my musings. Most of us like to know what others think about various topics – it helps refine our own thoughts.

I have been surprised to see how steadily the readership has grown.  No big fanfare, no explosive growth – just steady increases.  I am trying to avoid concerning myself with how many people are reading or if the monthly statistics are growing, but I am just as human as the next guy.  I do look, and I do watch to see if people are increasingly interested.

Dealing with Disappointment

This past week, I saw the following tweet come across my screen:

Billy Graham ‏@BillyGraham25 Oct
"I have never met anyone... who was strong in faith, who was ever discouraged for very long." http://ow.ly/qbrl4  #devotion

 This tweet caught my attention and resonated with me.  I followed the link and found a great deal of both wisdom and truth here in this short devotional from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. A few excerpts stood out to me:

"Discouragement is nothing new… It is as old as the history of man"

"It comes many times when we don’t get our way, when things don’t work out the way we want them to."

Disappointed with God?

What do you do when you are sorely disappointed with what God allows in your life?  Where do you turn when you have begged God for something which seems reasonable, yet God's answer is no?  How do you react when you cannot see what God is doing?  When you cannot see where he is going?  When you cannot figure out what he wants?  When you feel as if you can bear no more?

I have experienced a number of firsts the last few years, many of which I did not want.  Perhaps for the first time in my life, I am now experiencing deep disappointment at what God is allowing.  I hesitated to write this post.  I usually find blogging an outlet, but ever since my seventeen-year-old son Bradley was diagnosed with a leukemia relapse last week, I have been unable to find release through words.  I can identify my underlying feelings, but I have hesitated to admit them. It is hard to face being weak.

Chicken or Egg? Does Wealth Create Family Stability ?

While scanning news sites this morning, I saw a couple of headlines that caught my eye.  An article titled “Children suffer from growing economic inequality among families since recession” by Brigid Schulte was posted in the “Local” section of today’s Washington Post, but the implications of this article are anything but local.  The impetus for Schulte’s article is the report just released by Ohio State University social scientist Zhenchao Qian titled “Divergent Paths of American Families”.  Qian examined census and other data regarding income, poverty, and family status in the United States.  Both Schulte and Qian miss the point.



What's in a Day? A Great Deal When Your Son Is No Longer Dying!

The 29^th of August.  This day may not be significant for you, but it is forever burned into the very psyche of our family.  It was on this day, four years ago, that our then 13-year-old son Bradley went into septic shock from the staph infection that ran rampant through his body.  It was August 29^th, 2009, that our lives were irreversibly changed.  It was August 29^th when we were told our previously energetic, brilliant, healthy, and loving son would not live.  It was August 29^th that we learned he had leukemia which had allowed the septic infection to destroy every system of his body.

No Dog in This Fight

By the time this posts, the United States may well be involved in the conflict in Syria.  As I hear about what is going on there, I get an all-too-familiar feeling:  that we (the US) are getting sucked into another war, and I don't understand why.  Don’t get me wrong, I stand against people killing each other.  I do not support the use of chemical weapons.  I oppose a government’s exterminating its citizens.  I want to see stability in the Middle East.  I am against activities that strengthen a country’s ties to Russia and Iran.  Countries obsessed with opposition to Israel concern me.  Syria embodies all these things I oppose.

Ribeye Steak, a Polish Waiter and Being an American

For the first time in a long while, my wife and I have the chance to get away alone for a few days.  We chose to go back to Williamsburg, Virginia.  It’s been great so far.  I love Virginia.  The history here is incredible.  Both sides of my family have roots in Virginia dating back to the 1620’s in Jamestown.  During our tour of the Williamsburg capitol building, it was all I could do to keep from getting the tour guide’s attention and blurting out that my great-great-great-great…grandfather sat right here (well the capitol was actually in Jamestown then, but why quibble over historical details) in the 1623 House of Burgesses.  I was sure he would be automatically impressed and ask me to expound on my great knowledge of what it means to be an American.  Being the humble man that I am, however, I didn’t want to make others feel as if they were lesser Americans, so I held back. 

Now Flatulating Cattle are Driving Teens from the Church?

When I wrote my last post on Christians and climate change a few days ago, I had no idea the New York Times would publish the following article validating my points:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/science/earth/what-to-make-of-a-climate-change-plateau.html?_r=1&

Again, I'm not discounting the possibility of global warming - I'm just challenging the confidence of what we really know.  I've had some people come after me very aggressively for my views on the subject.  I just find an incredible amount of hubris in the environmental science world about an incredibly difficult to solve (mathematically) problem.  Forgive me if my wee bit of experience (OK, a little more than a wee bit) mathematically predicting physical phenomenon makes me skeptical of the confidence of the environmental climatologists.

All that being said, I want to reiterate that it really doesn't matter if the science is correct or not - Christians should be the first in line to take care of the planet, albeit without unnecessarily taking a "hair-on-fire" kind of approach.

Famine in Malawi and Flatulating Kentucky Cattle

Conservative Christians really get a bum rap when it comes to certain social movements.  Some of it is fair – we can be quick to oppose anything “the world” tells us is true.  I read an article today which made me think.  The article, titled "The church in a land of climate change" was written by Jonathan Merritt – a young Christian culture thinker and writer.  Merritt works hard not to reject ideas just because they originated outside Christianity.  I like most of his writing.  Heck, I liked this article.  I just don’t agree with his core assumptions. 

The Legacy of a Logan Countian

Tomorrow we auction the home and farm where I was reared.  I remember the summer before I turned four-years-old when my father was building the house.  My mother took us to the construction site.  The walls were being framed.  My Mom and Dad took my twin brother and me to a corner of the house and said, "This is where your room is going to be!"  It was impossible for a three-year-old to imagine that room that was coming, but it is easy for this forty-eight-year-old to remember that day.

Ready the Millstone!

Matthew 18:6 (HCSB)
But whoever causes the downfall of one of these little ones who believe in Me—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea!

For someone who tries to communicate with others through the use of the keyboard, my reserve of written words is very low at the moment.  In fact, I am sickened to the point of being nearly speechless.  I have just finished reading an amended lawsuit filed by former members against a relatively small but (up to now) influential evangelical denomination.  I am disgusted.  I am sickened.  My blood is boiling.

Boston Bomber Proves that Idle Hands Are the Devil's Workshop

Your grandma told you it was so: "Idle hands are the Devil's workshop."  The story of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the elder brother of the Boston bombers, lends strong credence to this largely ignored wisdom.  In the article linked below, we see that Tsarnaev was apparently lazy before he was evil.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/tamerlan-tsarnaev-and-family-received-welfare_719056.html

Can Christianity and Freedom of Conscience Coexist?

I can't count the number of times I've heard what, to me at least, is possibly the most poorly reasoned charge leveled against Christianity.   It usually goes something like this:  "You Christians are so closed-minded and just want to force your beliefs on everyone else.  How arrogant to say you have 'the' Truth.  Why can't you just keep your beliefs to yourself?  Just go away!"  This attitude is getting a lot of play in the public square, with many people thinking they are doing the United States a favor by trying to suppress Christians from even admitting what they believe.  They apparently just want serious Christians to be gone.  Here's a recent example:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/teacher-fired-for-bible-nj-teacher-fired-for-giving-bible-to-inquisitive-student-93848/cpt

A New Era for Christians in America

Like any number of other (maybe "real" would be a better descriptor) culture observers, I came to the realization on November 14, 2012 that we were entering a new era for Christians in America.  After the second election of Barack Obama, there was no denying that "the times, they are a-changing."  The following months have only brought even greater clarity to that assessment.  Christianity is no longer culturally cool - at least not Biblical Christianity.  In fact, it appears the culture is heading toward downright antagonism toward historic Christianity.

Is Rand Paul Channeling Jefferson Smith?

I don't know how many times I had the debate with Republicans in 2010.  "How can you support Rand Paul?" they asked me.  "He's too polarizing!"  "His father's a kook!"  "What we need in Washington is cooperation and compromise."  "He won't work with the established senators."  "He's one of those nutty Tea Partiers!" "He's a loose cannon!"

Man Up

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better.  The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Teddy Roosevelt - Citizenship in a Republic - Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

Playing "Chicken" with the Country

Here comes the next chapter in our 2013 political crisis calendar – sequestration.  We’ll see who blinks first in this coming head-on game of chicken between the big-government do-gooders and the small-government do-it-yourselfers.  In an article titled “Defcon Hill” by Jeremy Herb posted today on The Hill, we learn that if we haven’t resolved the budget crisis by March 1, up to 800,000 civilian military employees will be impacted with furloughs.  These furloughs could be as much as one day per week the rest of the year – effectively a 20% cut in pay.  The Pentagon notes that because the President has the power to protect active military personnel, the civilian workforce is the only place to turn to respond to the forced reductions which will be required by sequestration if we do not come to a budget agreement by then.

Breach of Trust - Part 2

Link to Part 1

Some time ago, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal regarding a Chinese businessman who had spent time working in the United States.  This man had an interesting observation about the success of American business.  He said America succeeds economically because, in general, we can trust each other in a way that was completely missing in China.  In China, he stated, you could not trust what anyone told you.  You just understood that others would take advantage of you if they got the chance.  He didn't see that in the United States.  He observed that at least in the business world, there was a general assumption of truthfulness and honesty.  He concluded that this is what makes American business work.

I find that interesting.  It wasn't our laws or our ingenuity that make our businesses work.  It wasn't our technology or our work ethic.  It wasn't our universities, our natural resources, or our intelligence.  He concluded it was our honesty in business that made our economy work.  He further concluded that it was our generally Christian worldview that provided the expectation of general honesty.  This Chinese man was so impacted by what he saw that he became a Christian himself.  He concluded that Christianity was the answer China needed for its own society, and he took his new faith with him when he repatriated.

Breach of Trust - Part 1

Do you ever think about what it takes to make a civilization function?  To prosper?  Is it possible to boil it down to a one-word concept?  It think maybe it is.  The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that the necessary ingredient is trust.  Think about the implications of that notion.  What would life be like if we truly had trust in each other?  What would it be like if you knew another person always intended to do the right thing?  Forget whether or not he was capable of understanding what the right thing was.  Let's assume as a society we still have the same intelligence levels as now, the same skill levels, the same foolishness levels, the same error levels and the like.  If, in spite of all that, you could still trust that other people's intentions were to do the right thing and to be truthful with each other, how different would our society be?

Is Social Media Harming Your Happiness?

Today I ran across a Reuters article by writer Belinda Goldsmith that caught my eye.  It was titled, Is Facebook Envy Making you Miserable?  The article begins:

LONDON (Reuters) - Witnessing friends' vacations, love lives and work successes on Facebook can cause envy and trigger feelings of misery and loneliness, according to German researchers.

A study conducted jointly by two German universities found rampant envy on Facebook, the world's largest social network that now has over one billion users and has produced an unprecedented platform for social comparison.

The researchers found that one in three people felt worse after visiting the site and more dissatisfied with their lives, while people who browsed without contributing were affected the most.

Empty Cribs - Forty Years of Abortion Complacency - Part II

In Part I of this topic, I concluded that life begins at conception.  Part II builds on that premise.  It surprises many people when I tell them that I am actually very “pro-choice".  I believe a woman has the choice of when and with whom she will have sex.  Once a child has been conceived, however, any choice regarding birth is a choice concerning the deliberate killing of a human being.  At that point, there is really no moral choice at all.  Conception, in a moral sense, automatically implies birth for cultures who believe that killing a human is wrong.  This is why teaching our children a proper sexual morality is so important.  This is why we need to teach our culture that stable, committed relationships (e.g. marriage) are needed for child rearing.  Sexual morality, marriage and child bearing are inseparably bound together in a culture that realizes life starts at conception.

Few would argue that abortion is a positive thing.  Many admit that in addition to ending a child's life, abortion harms the mother in many ways.  It harms our nation as well.  The United States might not be facing a Social Security crisis if we had another fifty-five million working citizens to support it.  More and more Americans realize that science is redefining the start of life (see January 14, 2013 edition of Time magazine), pointing to conception as the only sensible beginning.  We know that abortion is not optimal at best and may be horribly wrong at worst.

So why does anyone support abortion?  I am convinced that support for abortion betrays the desire to engage in sex without consequences.  Men and women want an escape hatch in the event of trouble.  They want the pleasure without the responsibility of sex.  At its core, privilege without responsibility is what abortion is all about.  Whether from a reluctant one-time mistake or a lifestyle of unconcerned irresponsibility, the vast majority of individuals who choose abortion are trying to wipe out the negative consequences of a conscious decision they made to have sex.

Empty Cribs - Forty Years of Abortion Complacency - Part I

I remember the first real conversation I ever had with anyone outside my family on the topic of abortion.  In a high school study-hall discussion, a teacher stated, “I know what I would do if my teenage daughter came home pregnant.  I would not let her ruin her life.”  I respected this teacher, and it really made me think about this topic on a different level.  Was abortion sometimes the best decision?  Even as an impressionable sixteen-year-old, something really nagged at me about that teacher's statement.

Fast forward nine years to 1989.  By then my views were fully formed.  As I was preparing to teach a church group of college students for a “Sanctity of Life Sunday”,  I learned a staggering fact:  twenty million babies had been aborted (at that time) since the decision in Roe V. Wade.  Since 1989, another thirty-five million babies have gone to their deaths through abortion.  Though I have always been straightforward with my views on abortion, it does not feel as if I have done very much these last twenty-four years to change this national tragedy.

It's Not About the Guns

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” - Benjamin Franklin

On December 14, 2012, a deranged Adam Lanza entered the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut and killed twenty kindergarten children as well as six adults.  This was the second-deadliest mass shooting in United States History.  The heartfelt outcry was universal and immediate.  How could this have possibly happened again?  When were we going to do something about these mass murders?  What were we going to do to protect the innocent among us?  Shouldn’t we get rid of these powerful and high-capacity firearms that always seem to be used in these killings?  Wasn’t this the obvious answer?  Were there other solutions?  Better solutions? These are all obvious as well as very good questions.  

Can a Christian Be a Gun Nut?

I’m surprised at how infrequently I really stop to think about it, but in one way I am living a life of uneasy tension as a gun-promoting, gun-toting, card-carrying NRA member who is simultaneously a committed follower of Jesus Christ.  The Sandy Hook shooting has shown me how easily I can compartmentalize my thoughts when it comes to certain subjects.  On the one hand, I’m an ardent defender of the Second Amendment to the point of including the availability of one-hundred shot magazines and Bushmaster assault rifles.  On the other hand, I’m basically a practical personal pacifist with a strong desire to avoid physical confrontations.