Gus Porter, American Legend

Here is a humorous video of actor Christopher Hayden Church acting the part of an American hunter who is injured in Canada but refuses to be treated by the free Canadian Health Care System. This is hilarious!

Gus Porter, American Legend with Thomas Haden Church from Thomas Haden Church

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : Jewish View of Jesus

Mariano has posted a great essay quoting various views of Jesus from a Jewish perspective.

Christian Apologetics - Life and Doctrine: Jewish / Judaism : Jewish View of Jesus

Argument from the Definition of God and the Superiority of Existing in Reality - Apologetics 315

I'm really enjoying Brian's series on Apologetics 315 where he summarizes basic theistic arguments. Check him out. This week he covers:

An Argument from the Definition of God and the Superiority of Existing in Reality

Argument from the Definition of God and the Superiority of Existing in Reality - Apologetics 315

An "Evil" of Christianity

doI got the graphic at the left in a tweet from lilhappyheathen. The artist most definitely has a message to convey. With the slogan"Know Your Bible" and a visual aid supposedly depicting the meaning of 1st Timothy 2:11. Unfortunately I don't think the graphic adequately explains what Paul meant when he wrote to Timothy, and people who think it is what the passage means do not know their Bible as well as they think they do. Let's first look at the passage in context (vs 9-15)

I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

I want to discuss this on two point of views. 1 - let us look at what the text is really saying and who the audience is. 2 - Let's look at what the early church thought about women.

First, in the context of the passage, Paul is writing to Timothy about how a church should run. I won't attempt a full exegesis of the whole passage I quoted but concentrate on the part the image focuses on. If anyone would like to discuss more of other verses, just let me know. The first thing to ask is why did Paul say that women in congregation should "learn in quietness and full submission"? Simple. In the first century literacy was really low for people in general and women in particular and did not receive the same level of education as men. So instead of interrupting services with questions, the teaching here is let women ask questions later.

If you were to take the view that the Bible is saying that women are weaker or dumber than men, then you have Paul conflicting with himself and with Jesus. If you look at 1 Timothy 2:14 clearly agrees with Genesis 3 that Adam was to blame for the failure in the Garden not Eve. She was completely tricked and had no intention of outright rebellion against God but Adam was not tricked he understood what he was doing (Romans 5). Also look at the fact that Jesus had women followers who sat at his feet and learned from Him personally (ie. Mary, Lazarus' (the one Jesus raised from the dead in John 11) sister).

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:38-42

Also don't forget that the first to find the empty tomb were women in a time when women testimony was not taken seriously in the 1st Century. And the first person to see Jesus after the Resurrection was Mary Magdalene.
Some of the named leaders in the early church were women! Dorcas (Acts 9:35-43)  was an important church member. Priscilla along with her husband Aquila taught Apollos about Jesus in Acts 18:25-27. Priscilla and Aquila  were partners in ministry and life.
If Paul did not think women could be church workers and teach why did he say of a woman:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. - Romans 16:1,2

What kind of work do you think she was doing? I'm sure it included teaching not just cooking and cleaning in the kitchen! The Greek word translated in the NIV as "servant" is translated in other translation as "deaconess". Phoebe was a female deacon and "deacon" meant the same thing then as it does today - a church official who supports the ministry and is trusted to teach!
Could a man who is chauvinistic and hate women write the following?

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. - Galatians 3: 26-29

I don't think it's a fair conclusion that the Bible takes a low view of women. Just let the Bible speak for itself and at least assume that the same author would not outright conflict with himself. I mean if you are coming up with an interpretation that conflicts with another passage the problem is your understanding and you should consider revising it.
I'm not trying to argue that western civilization has not subjugated or persecuted women. And the Church is guilty of crimes against women and in trying to use the Bible to validate those crime - but I find no evidence that the 1st Century church did that and that the Bible condones it.  Blame the people who did the evil, not the Bible because the Bible condemns us for it. It's not on God but people.

Barack Obama Speech to C ongress 09-09-09

On September 9, 2009 President Barack Obama spoke to both houses of Congress about the plan he is advocating to reform our Health Care system. His speech was great. I thought that he was as articulate, intelligent, and gracious as always. I also thought he did a great job explaining his points and debunking the lies his opponents are pushing such as "death panels", insuring illegal immigrants, and covering abortion. Here is the video





Unfortunately there was an event during the speech that may overshadow what the President was actually trying to communicate. When Obama categorically denied that he was suggesting that illegal immigrants should have universal health care coverage, South Carolina Republican Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" in the middle of the President's speech.




I was shocked and appalled. These are supposed to be professionals. How could he disrespect the President of the United States that way? Second, how could he be that ignorant to think that Obama's plan would include covering illegal immigrants. I think that if Obama were white, Wilson would never have done that. Today, Wilson apologized but I don't believe it. I don't think that it from the heart at all, just going through the motion to protect his career.

A History of God

This video is based on a book by Karen Armstrong. I read the book several years ago and I was extremely disappointed. Karn Armstrong approaches the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and Koran are all nothing more than human products. She disavows a personal God who intervenes in history and the lives of people. I think that Armstrong thought this because she failed to personally encounter God as a Catholic nun (read her introduction). I don't know why she did not meet God. I'm not qualified to judge her honesty or her experience, But I can testify that if we reach out to God we will find him. It seems like she was looking for an experience like those of the Catholic saints and the Biblical prophets instead of seeking her own unique experience.