Monday, February 05, 2007
Random Musings for the Week Ending Feb 2, 2007 - On Global Warming and Super Coaches
How do you know it has been a slow week newswise? When the entire media becomes focused on the victims of the tornados in Florida. Don’t get me wrong, it was a tragedy, but tornados and tornado destruction and death are a regular feature of life in the United States, so why the 24-7 coverage? Slow news week. Though that doesn’t mean we cannot be in prayer for all the folks who lost loved ones, homes and jobs in the tornados. With that note, this week’s two main stories.
Global Warming Report – Big Yawn - So the U.N. releases its summary of its report that is not coming out until May. And the results? Well, if you read the press releases, it is now undoubted that the Earth is warming, that the cause is human beings, and that we have a decade to repair the damage.
The actual facts – they reduced their estimates to 3 degree C rise over the next century, they admit of the now 9 factors in climate (down from 12 by combining some), they still cannot accurately estimate 6 of them. In other words…they don’t really know but they are committed to the idea of global warming being true.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Random Musings for the Week of January 27, 2007
This week has not been necessarily an action packed on, but three interesting items to discuss: The Iraq War Resolutions, the March for Life and the 34th Ann. Of Rowe, and the National Review Institute gathering in Washington, D.C.
A Correction: Apparently after some investigative reporting we now know that Barak Obama did not attend a Madrassa school, but an Islamic school. For some reason I was given the idea that Barak had called it a Madrassa, but he had not. So, please take last week’s comments with that change. It is a still a question about why it took him a week to answer to the charge, and why he keeps telling everyone he was never a Muslim, when he was clearly raised as one in Indonesia. Again the question for me is not one of whether he was or was not, but openness and honesty and pride in one’s background.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
Random Musings for the Week ending January 20, 2007 – On Obama, Marriage, and Global Warming
This is a new post type. As any reader of this site knows, I write really long posts in general, which means that I don’t post as often and topics go flying by. So from now on at the end of the week I will do a post that captures random thoughts for the week. Here goes issue #1.
Obama and the Madrassa – So someone tracked down that Barak Obama attended a madrassa (a type of religious school in Muslim communities that are focused solely on the Koran http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrasah). Is this a big deal?
Theological Musings on Important Topics • (0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Monday, January 15, 2007
New Class - The Letters of John
This winter at First Presbyterian Church (Colorado Springs, CO) I am teaching a class on the letters of John, with obvious focus on 1 John. Last week was the first night of class, with class continuing until the beginning of Lent. Below find all the handouts and other materials from the class.
Week 1 - 1 John 1 - Handout Letters_of_John_-_Week_1.doc
Week 2 - 1 John 2 - Handout Letters_of_John_-_Week_2.doc
Week 3 - 1 John 3 - Handout Letters_of_John_-_Week_3.doc
Week 4 - 1 John 4 - Handout Letters_of_John_-_Week_4.doc
Week 5 - 1 John 5
Week 6 - The rest of John’s letters and his theology
New Testament Studies - From Christopher's Teachings • (0) Comments • (8) Trackbacks • Permalink
Monday, January 08, 2007
Mitt Romney - The Dilemma of a Mormon President
I have made no secret of the fact that I am a conservative and a registered Republican. I am not a religous conservative per se, because I
do tend to think that religous conservatives can be a bit out of wack at times, though I have lots of friends who are. For many Christians
the possible election of Mitt Romney presents a new quandry - do I go with my electoral self or my religious self.
Now let me be straight, yes I know that 1960 and the election of J.F. Kennedy answered whether or not there is a religious test in America. So, there
is no problem with a Mormon president is there? Well, at least for some of us, there is.
(Please note, these thoughts are not final, but are a present reflection and are my opinion and not those of my church, organization, or my beagle).
First off, the Catholic question and the Mormon question are very different. First, there were two issues with Catholics in 1960. First, would JFK’s loyalty
lie with Rome or with Washington. People gave scary scenarios of the Pope running American foreign policy as well as setting the moral tone for the country.
JFK made it clear that he was not going to take his marching orders from Rome and that he was going to be an American President first and a Roman Catholic
second. Personally, I think this is a glaring example of the modernist approach of seperating faith from the rest of self, but I do appreciate what President Kennedy
meant by it, and no doubt Governor Romney will say and mean the same thing - American policy will not be dictated from Salt Lake City.
A Final Thought on the Death of Darrent Williams - Why We Care?
As any follower of the NFL or the Denver Broncos know, 24 year old Darrent Williams was gunned down in a drive-by shooting in Denver on New Years Day (3am). A lot has already been said, but after listening to commentary there is one question I want to answer.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
The Execution of Saddam - A Few Thoughts
No one should rejoice at Saddam’s execution (after all, if God does not rejoice in the death of the wicked, neither should we). However, can we rejoice at the meaning of this man’s demise? And what about the repsonse from those who either don’t care or want to to see the execution of another President. Well, here are my thoughts…
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
President Gerald Ford, RIP : The 1st President I Ever Voted Against
As you probably know, President Ford died today (12.26.06). Not a great President, but by all accounts a very good man. His passing brought two thinks to mind, one personal and one theological.
President Gerald Ford, the man who helped make Chevy Chase famous and who will forever be linked to the pardon of Richard M. Nixon in 1974, died today (12.26.06). Say a prayer of thanks for this mediocre president, but good man, today, and read on for my thoughts on the man.
What do you get the theologian who has everything???? My Favourite Christmas Gift
What do you get a theologian, especially one with an odd sense of humour and who really doesn’t need anything. Well, my wife did it perfectly.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Got Christmas Spirit?
Hate to say it, I don’t. And I notice not many people do either. Why is this?
Trades in Baseball - The Jason Jennings Saga
I know, I am a theologian, and this blog is supposed to talk about serious stuff, but stick with me...the trade of Jason Jennings this past week by the Colorado Rockies says something important about our culture.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Old Testament Study - The Book of Job
Since I had been out of contact with my site I have not posted any of my more recent class handouts. This Fall I taught on Job for the first time (I generally avoid it like the plague). It was a challenging class to teach and I hope you find this of interest.
Old Testament Studies - From Christopher's Teaching • (4) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Why Sci-Fi Can Teach Us A Lot
We live in a very complex world, one marked by war, scarcity, and the challenges that come from people with different cultural backgrounds and different values. What can help us think about these challenges (aside from the Bible that is)? How about Star Trek?
General Augusto Pinochet – Neither Hero nor Villain
General Augusto Pinochet died on Sunday. He was a dictator and responsible for the death of 3197 people during his 17 years at the helm of Chile. So how cannot he not be a moster?
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Back up and Posting – Soon to be Dr. Christopher Morton
Why no posts since August???
