Yes, that's a hollow chocolate bunny and, yes, that is milk inside it.So, yes, I did use a hollow chocolate rabbit as a drinking vessel, as I do every Easter season.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wabbit Season!
Yes, that's a hollow chocolate bunny and, yes, that is milk inside it.So, yes, I did use a hollow chocolate rabbit as a drinking vessel, as I do every Easter season.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Padding
In the first three years of my blog's existance I posted a whopping 20 posts. Well now, in just the second month of its fourth year this post marks the halfway point.
10 posts in two months is notable only for me, I know, but as I have issues celebrating my victories, I figured I would at least acknowledge this one.
As for where this post fits within my blog: just padding.
10 posts in two months is notable only for me, I know, but as I have issues celebrating my victories, I figured I would at least acknowledge this one.
As for where this post fits within my blog: just padding.
Genesis is a Hobby
Religion, as a whole, is an intellectual curiosity of mine but I have spent considerable time pondering the Christian Bible's very first two chapters. Add to this my knowledge of basic Astronomy, another hobby, and you may understand why the Creationists claim of an Infant Earth to be worth commenting on.
My posts on this subject are not an attack on God, Christianity or all Christians in any way. The IDiotic claim that Creation's creation was completed within a literal six 24-hour-day period does not come from first chapter of Genesis. I actually think Darwin's Theory of Evolution and Genesis' Story of Creation generally agree. It is foolish, however, to take every word within it literally.
I'll be posting several illustrations soon, but as I intend to focus on each point individually, and because my brain's been begging for a break for some time now, those posts will come later.
My posts on this subject are not an attack on God, Christianity or all Christians in any way. The IDiotic claim that Creation's creation was completed within a literal six 24-hour-day period does not come from first chapter of Genesis. I actually think Darwin's Theory of Evolution and Genesis' Story of Creation generally agree. It is foolish, however, to take every word within it literally.
I'll be posting several illustrations soon, but as I intend to focus on each point individually, and because my brain's been begging for a break for some time now, those posts will come later.
We Are Not Who We Think We Are
No one is who they think they are.
They are only who others allow them to be.
They are only who others allow them to be.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
An All Powerful God
The Christian Bible has to be completely, 100% reliable, at least as far as salvation is concerned. My old church, the now struggling International Church of Christ, taught that it had to be. What sense would it be for God to give his people inaccurate instructions on how to reach him? To paraphrase them, it'd be like inviting you to dinner, promising that the dessert is to die for...but first you have to get through the meal. Some of the items on your plate are tainted with an undetectable poison. Good luck guessing which ones. Dig in! While this is the likely plot for Saw V it is not the kind of game our God is likely to play.
If I was having a party and wanted you to be there, I would be sure to give you correct directions. It would make no sense to try to throw you off course unless I was too much of a coward to simply not invite you. God wants us to reach Him. Forgive me for not fetching the litany of quotes that say so.
Some people (Who? I can't find a good, general link right now), however, remind us that the Bible was written by man, and as such, regardless of how it was inspired, would include man's imperfections. To be sure, the Bible was written by about 40 men and then copied over and over by many more men. Exactly my point. That is why I say, at least in the issue of salvation, the bible has to be perfect.
If God is All Powerful, if God made the Heavens and the Earth, the Seas and the Sky, all the Trees, Plants and Grasses; if God made the Sun, Moon and Stars, the Fish, Birds, and Animals, each according to their kinds; and if God also made Man and Woman...if God did all the things the Bible says he did...I think he can edit a book.
God inspired Matthew, but Matthew, the jerk, screwed it up. Well, over the decades and centuries God allowed errors (read: corrections) to creep in. By 300 AD, or so, once all the "red-herrings" were removed, God allowed the Christian Bible, New Testament and Old, to be collected into one document.
So, since God wants us to join him then his directions must be correct and, further, understandable. That there are so many Christian denominations is man's imperfect doing.
If I was having a party and wanted you to be there, I would be sure to give you correct directions. It would make no sense to try to throw you off course unless I was too much of a coward to simply not invite you. God wants us to reach Him. Forgive me for not fetching the litany of quotes that say so.
Some people (Who? I can't find a good, general link right now), however, remind us that the Bible was written by man, and as such, regardless of how it was inspired, would include man's imperfections. To be sure, the Bible was written by about 40 men and then copied over and over by many more men. Exactly my point. That is why I say, at least in the issue of salvation, the bible has to be perfect.
If God is All Powerful, if God made the Heavens and the Earth, the Seas and the Sky, all the Trees, Plants and Grasses; if God made the Sun, Moon and Stars, the Fish, Birds, and Animals, each according to their kinds; and if God also made Man and Woman...if God did all the things the Bible says he did...I think he can edit a book.
God inspired Matthew, but Matthew, the jerk, screwed it up. Well, over the decades and centuries God allowed errors (read: corrections) to creep in. By 300 AD, or so, once all the "red-herrings" were removed, God allowed the Christian Bible, New Testament and Old, to be collected into one document.
So, since God wants us to join him then his directions must be correct and, further, understandable. That there are so many Christian denominations is man's imperfect doing.
Who, What...and When
In a brief follow up to my Who vs. How post, let me add that Genesis also tells us in what order these events happened in.
This will be vital to an argument I intend to make soon.
This will be vital to an argument I intend to make soon.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Loyal to Big Oil
Check the "Loyal to Big Oil" logo that I did a while back for a Billionaires for Bush spin-off.I learned a simple lesson, actually suggested by Professor Extraordinaire, Courtney McGlynn. I knew I wanted the Y in LOYAL to be gushing oil but it couldn't get it to work. Courtney passes buy and tells me to draw it on top of a regular Y. So simple I should have thought of it. Still, it worked and it's a tool I'm glad I have on my belt.
WHO is not an anagram for HOW
Creation is God's doing. Sure. Why not. I'll post what I actually believe in the (near?) future, but for now we'll go with that.
So, God is Who and Creation is What. Good. Got that. But what about How? How did God do this Creation thing? I don't know. Neither do the scientists, who readily admit that all we can see, find and detect is a mere 4% of all the stuff that supposedly makes up our universe.
So maybe we chalk up the other 96% to God. Okay. I'm with ya. Still, that's Who, not How.
If there's a broken lamp on the floor and someone tells me the cat did it, I'm satisfied. I can see how that could have happened. But if the room is completely trashed with broken windows, broken ceiling tiles on top of overturned furniture, and all the wallpaper torn from the walls, telling me simply that the cat did it doesn't even begin to cut it. I need to know how a cat could have made such a spectacular catastrophe (sorry).
The same, albeit opposite, is true of God's Creation. Telling us that God did it doesn't satisfy our curiosity. We have a need, that He apparently gave us, to understand How. Will we ever attain such knowledge? Probably not. But since we're able to ask the question, we're sure as hell gonna try.
So, God is Who and Creation is What. Good. Got that. But what about How? How did God do this Creation thing? I don't know. Neither do the scientists, who readily admit that all we can see, find and detect is a mere 4% of all the stuff that supposedly makes up our universe.
So maybe we chalk up the other 96% to God. Okay. I'm with ya. Still, that's Who, not How.
If there's a broken lamp on the floor and someone tells me the cat did it, I'm satisfied. I can see how that could have happened. But if the room is completely trashed with broken windows, broken ceiling tiles on top of overturned furniture, and all the wallpaper torn from the walls, telling me simply that the cat did it doesn't even begin to cut it. I need to know how a cat could have made such a spectacular catastrophe (sorry).
The same, albeit opposite, is true of God's Creation. Telling us that God did it doesn't satisfy our curiosity. We have a need, that He apparently gave us, to understand How. Will we ever attain such knowledge? Probably not. But since we're able to ask the question, we're sure as hell gonna try.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Back on Track
Just to let the world know, I'm back in school. As always, I could only get myself to do anything on the very last day possible. Course selection was, of course, terrible, but I actually did okay.
The only real stretch is my XML class, but I'd been curious to learn that anyway. I am retaking Intro to Mass Media. The only section available, however, was web based and I've yet to start any of the work. The biggest fun is that I'm retaking the Astronomy class. And because it'll be treated as my finally fullfilling that long-lingering IP, I don't have to pay for it again.
My past is littered with derailed and abandonded dreams, but I knew this time was different. I went back. Like every other time, the I fell off the horse. But, now, unlike every other time, I immediately got back on.
The only real stretch is my XML class, but I'd been curious to learn that anyway. I am retaking Intro to Mass Media. The only section available, however, was web based and I've yet to start any of the work. The biggest fun is that I'm retaking the Astronomy class. And because it'll be treated as my finally fullfilling that long-lingering IP, I don't have to pay for it again.
My past is littered with derailed and abandonded dreams, but I knew this time was different. I went back. Like every other time, the I fell off the horse. But, now, unlike every other time, I immediately got back on.
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