Al Mohler writes about the controversy regarding the German-born polar bear Knut. Along the way, he says something poignant about the purpose of zoos:
Furthermore, one clear purpose of zoos is to attract and delight crowds of humans who are drawn by the excitement and pleasure of looking at cute, dangerous, exotic, and famous animals. Zoos dress up their mission statements with passages about scientific study, defending biodiversity, and other purposes — no doubt legitimate — but those do not explain why people are buying tickets to get in.
As an increasing frequenter of zoos (due to Niam’s increasing interest), I am often overwhelmed by the in-your-face “science education” about environmentalist endeavors and how bad humans are as a species. It would be nice if zoo administrators found a way to remember that the best way to save the planet is to inspire the wonder of creation (and our enjoyment of it) in the hearts of little humans.
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Posted by blestou on March 23rd, 2007 — Daily Life, Culture, Politics, Doctrine
For eight years, the Family Research Council (FRC) has been trying to tell people about the link between HPV and cervical cancer, and that condoms were little defense. From Gina R. Dalfonzo in Christianity Today:
In short, just as the commercials tell us to do, they told someone.
And they were told to shut up.
A chorus of voices from the media, politicians, and organizations like Planned Parenthood and the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS) derailed the condom-labeling effort, claiming that FRC and its allies were putting teenagers and young adults in danger by making condoms look bad. “What no one in the HPV brigade mentions,” scoffed Sharon Lerner in the Village Voice in 1999, “is that, even by conservative estimates, a teeny number of people who have the virus—far less than 1 percent—will develop cervical cancer.” The implication was that it was hardly worth putting warnings on condoms for that minuscule number of women.
Interesting bit of history, that. The pointed quote from my perspective comes toward the end of the article.
Instead, we need to learn something from the bitter ironies on display here: namely, that our society will gravitate toward any message that endorses sexuality unencumbered by biblical morality. If “telling someone,” as the ad campaign urges, means that they’ll be advocating safe sex, all well and good. But if the cause of free sex is better served by keeping silent, the message becomes, “Tell no one.” Not even if it might put her health at risk. The urge for absolute sexual autonomy and freedom from any kind of control is that powerful—and that deadly.
The politics of sexuality are alive and well, and not simply the preoccupation of those evil no good Christians.
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Posted by blestou on March 22nd, 2007 — Culture, Politics, Family
via Catholic News Agency:
St. Patrick was born around the year 389 on the Island of Briton and considered himself to be both Roman and British. At the age of 16, he was captured by an Irish raiding party and sold into slavery. As a slave, Patrick worked as a shepherd and was given little to satisfy his needs. After six years of slavery, Patrick was given the chance to escape and he took it, traveling first to France and later back home. While in slavery, Patrick realized the spiritual need of the Irish people and decided to address this problem.
After studying for the priesthood and ordination, Patrick began to seek support for his plan of being a missionary to Ireland.
We are all slaves to sin before Christ offers us the way of escape. The purpose of having a “St. Patrick’s Day” is not, dear friend, to drink green beer. It is, in part, to reflect on our spirituality. Are you a Christian who seeks reconciliation for those who hurt you, or are you the kind that is mad at the lost because they act like the lost? St. Patrick hurt for those who previously held him in bondage. Do we hurt for those still trapped in a worldly system without Christ? How do you make use of your liberty?
This day is also traditionally a day to pray for missionaries who travel the globe, like a matrix-Morpheus, preaching truth to free troubled minds. They have given up their own selfish dreams of greatness for a magnificence of hope in Christ. Here’s to J, R&C H, the Bs, and the Ws - may God protect you and bless your service to him.
We who have been set free are the only ones who truly have a choice. Will we serve God or ourselves? We should all be missionaries to those God has placed before us.
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Posted by blestou on March 17th, 2007 — Church Life, Ministry, Daily Life, Culture, Doctrine
The commentary set is now online! You can access it via the tab at the top of the blog, as well as leave comments. Links to the tab by my friends will be appreciated. Share, and share freely.
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Posted by blestou on March 7th, 2007 — Church Life, Review, Ministry, Tech, Doctrine, Online
Here is a helpful link partially debunking the Jesus Tomb myth. It is like I told my congregation last week, There is always somebody trying to take away from the truth of Jesus Christ.
www.y-zine.com/yjesus.htm
Cameron and crew are raising the same old objections with the same old problems. Still, if people around you get all excited about the Discovery Channel “documentary” then visit the link above and plead reason back into consideration.
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Posted by blestou on March 3rd, 2007 — Culture, Doctrine
