Ranking the Presidents

Yesterday being "Presidents' Day", I read a ranking of the presidents.  The first three were:  1. Abraham Lincoln, 2.  George Washington, and 3.  FDR.

These polls come out about every year, and they change a little.  Harry Truman seems to keep moving up, while Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan have slipped a little.  And sometimes, time removed from the office seems to affect the person's position.  George W. currently ranks below Herbert Hoover.  While I certainly don't think W. was a great president, I have a feeling history will be a little kinder to him (maybe lower middle of the pack).  

Right after Nixon resigned, he was ranked extremely low.  Then through the years, he moved up some (he was a good foreign policy president).  Now he is slipping again.

I wonder how much current political bias plays into these historians' views?

I personally like the Teddy Roosevelt-Harry Truman-Lyndon Johnson type presidents -- who make decisions, and then let the chips fall as they might.  We saw some of that in Reagan, too.

So who is YOUR favorite?  

By the way:  I heard Michael Irvin talking about this on his radio show yesterday.  His all time favorite president?  Barrack Obama.  Yes, sir -- they guy has been in office for 1 month, and he already ranks as the greatest president ever?  I hope history proves that to be true -- but come on!      

TV Favs

I could not tell you what Boston Legal or Grey's Anatomy or any number of popular TV shows are even about.  And sit-coms?  I never even watched a Seinfeld episode until I saw one in reruns while I was cooking dinner recently.  So I would not make a very good TV critic.

There are two shows that Beverly and I follow.  We used to be big Monk fans, but the plots are beginning to get stale after 8 years or so.  But another show on USA Network that I would recommend it Psych.  It is a hilarious comedy-drama.  The premise is a young guy that has incredible recall and takes in all the details of a situation, but the local police department thinks he is a psychic.  So they call him in when their cases meet a dead end. His sidekick, Gus, is one of the funniest people on TV (to me).  It's on Friday nights at 9 (I think), but we just always DVR it.  Give it a try.

I don't know if it is because I am getting hard of hearing (I don't think that is the case, so Jeff -- keep your opinions to yourself), but I have trouble understanding the dialog in so many shows.  Psych is one of them.  So I am beginning to use closed caption.  That way, if Beverly and I miss something, I can rewind to find out what they said.

Of course, you know my other favorite by now:  24.  And I am glad to know that I have converted my son Josh, who recently wrote on his blog that it is the best show on TV.  Again, DVR is so cool.  On Monday nights, Beverly works until about 8.  So I have dinner ready, and we eat while we watch it -- usually beginning about 8:20.  It is on from 8 to 9, and as we fast-forward through the commercials, we usually end up catching up with it in real time about the time it is over.

And then there is the Golf Channel.  But I won't go there with you.             

Unfortunate Quotes

I came across a list of unfortunate quotes throughout the years.  One of them is from the editor of the Firm Foundation, Buster Dobbs.  I hope you find these as interesting, and at times as funny, as I did.  I had to delete some, because they were not appropriate:

1.  "Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."  Mayor Marion Barry.

2. “The internet is a great way to get on the net.”  Bob Dole, Republican presidential candidate

3. “We don’t necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people.”  Colonel Gerald Wellman

4. “China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese.”  Charles De Gaulle, former French President

5. “The world is more like it is now then it ever has before.”  Dwight Eisenhower

6. “Traditionally, most of Australia’s imports come from overseas.”  Former Australian cabinet minister Keppel Enderbery

7. “We’re going to move left and right at the same time.”  Jerry Brown, Governor of California

8. “Nobody in football should be called a genius. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein.” Joe Theismann, former NFL football quarterback and sports analyst

9. “I always used to put my right boot on first, and then obviously my right sock.”  Barry Venison

10. “Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious.”  Alan Minter, Boxer

11. “Men, I want you just thinking of one word all season. One word and one word only: Super Bowl.”  Bill Peterson, football coach

12. “Strangely, in slow motion replay, the ball seemed to hang in the air for even longer.”  David Acfield

13. It’s a humbling thing being humble.”  Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett

14. “I have a God-given talent. I got it from my dad.”  Julian Wakefield, Missouri basketball player

15. “He’s a guy who gets up at six o’clock in the morning regardless of what time it is.”  Lou Duva, veteran boxing trainer, on the Spartan training regime of heavyweight Andrew Golota.

16. “Well, I used to look like this when I was young and now I still do.”  Yogi Berra

17. “Sometimes they write what I say and not what I mean.”  Pedro Guerrero, major leaguer

18. “The Bible commands that we hate.”  H. A. (Buster) Dobbs

19. “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life.”  Brooke Shields

20. “I get to go to lots of overseas places, like Canada”.   Britney Spears

21. “Most cars on our roads have only one occupant, usually the driver.”  Carol Malia, BBC Anchorwoman

22. “I don’t diet. I just don’t eat as much as I’d like to.”  Linda Evangelista, Supermodel

23. “A bachelor’s life is no life for a single man.”  Samuel Goldwyn

24. “Are you going to ask that question with shades on?”  George Bush to blind reporter Peter Wallsten

25. “The gavel of the speaker of the House is in the hands of special interests, and now it will be in the hands of America’s children.”  Nancy Pelosi, on the prospect of Democrats winning back Congress

Being "Offensive"

I love what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 8 and Romans 14 about getting along in the midst of differing opinions. Through the years I have probably been harsher on not being offensive toward a "weaker brother" than I have been about the weaker brother not insisting on his opinion.

Edward Fudge has some interesting insights into this passage that has caused me to reconsider some things. Here it is:  

A gracEmail subscriber writes: "In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul urges us to avoid even innocent activities if our doing them 'offends' a weak brother or sister. My own relatives and friends include different people who object to using instrumental music in church, celebrating Christmas, playing cards, women wearing pants, wearing clothes with zippers, and drinking alcoholic beverages in moderation. Am I required to cease every activity to which anyone happens to object?"

Regarding this subject, people easily go to either of two opposite extremes. On the one hand, some selfish, immature and headstrong believers insist on exercising their personal freedom, even when they have reason to believe that their doing so will cause a fellow-believer to sin. On the other hand, some selfish, immature and headstrong believers use this chapter as a tool for tyranny, when they try to restrict the conduct of others based on their own personal scruples. Both groups would provoke apostolic frustration.

I once helped a church decide to use unfermented grape juice in the Lord's Supper in consideration of a brother who was a struggling alcoholic. However, while preaching for a different church and having grown a beard, I was approached one Sunday by a sister who said: "Brother Fudge, your beard offends me." To which I replied, as kindly as I knew how, "Really, sister? What sin does it make you want to commit?" She read the word "offend" in her King James Version of 1 Corinthians 8:13 and confused it with provoking a negative reaction. In fact, the verb translated "to offend" in the KJV, in today's English really means "to stumble" (ESV, NASB) or "to fall into sin" (NIV).

We can summarize Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 8 in one sentence: When I am with another believer, who I know considers some innocent activity to be sinful, if I have reason to suppose that my doing that activity might cause that believer to do it also, then I should momentarily set aside my personal rights in order to avoid causing that believer to sin by doing something that he or she considers to be wrong.

My Back and Other Stuff

Yesterday was an interesting experience for me, as I preached from a stool. I have had lower back issues for several days, and standing (actually very stooped) for more than a couple of minutes was extremely painful. I had a number of people tell me that they thought it was easier to stay engaged with me as I sat and preached. I found that interesting.

I am going to give it one more day of total rest today. I will stay home and work on our upcoming marriage retreat. Hopefully, tomorrow will be back to normal.
____________________

So the list continues to grow. Will we now change his name to A-Roid? You would think these guys would learn from what has come before: Confess your steroid usage, and people will forgive and forget. Deny it and you are DONE!
____________________

Someone wrote in this morning's Star-Telegram that they were saddened because Terry Glenn's Cowboy career s now over. "To go into the huddle would be a violation of his probation of not associating with other criminals."
____________________

Report is out that Tiger has had a cub -- this one a boy. Tiger, take my advice. You need to get back out on tour as quickly as possible. You have a girl (which means WEDDING) and a boy (car insurance). Get back out there and start saving your money, my friend!

Actually, he is practicing full-throttle on his new knee, and reports are that he is feeling great. Translation: the rest of the tour is toast. Come on, Tiger. Weekends aren't the same without you.

An Atheist with a Message We Need to Hear

I would encourage you to paste this link and watch as Penn Fraser Jillette of Penn and Teller (comedian magician team) tells an interesting story. He is an avowed atheist, but he has a message for us that we need to hear. I could not get it to come up as a link you could just click on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHS8adO3hM .

Breaking Down Barriers

I am getting SO much out of my study of the Gospel of Luke.  This Sunday's passage will zero in on the story of the paralytic who was lowered by four friends through the roof to be healed by Jesus. 

But just prior to that story is the story of a man who had leprosy.  He violated the Law of Moses by not keeping his distance and not crying out, "Unclean."  Jesus never corrected him for this, by the way.  He falls at Jesus' feet.  He doesn't question Jesus' ability to heal him.  What he questions is Jesus' willingness:  "If you are WILLING, you CAN make me clean."

Jesus could have spoken the word, "Be healed" -- and he would have been.  But Jesus "reached out his hand and touched the man.  "I AM WILLING," he said.  "Be clean!"

The touch of Jesus.  It was TOTALLY not essential to the miracle.  But it WAS so important.  There are many things that would keep us from touching people today.  BARRIERS.  In whatever form they take, those barriers prevent us from being Jesus to the world.

I have too many barriers in my life.  I am a daily work in progress.  But I want to become more like Jesus, and that means not being satisfied to leave those barriers in place.     

Deep Questions

Questions I have been pondering: 

I'm just wondering:  If I don't pay what I owe in taxes, will the IRS accept "it was an honest oversight" as an excuse?  An honest oversight of $128,000?  

____________________

Nancy Pelosi, our Speaker of the House, said that "500 million Americans" lose their jobs every month.  Wouldn't that mean that EVERY American would be out of work in the next two weeks?

____________________

There is something about Vice President Joe Biden that I like.  I think it's that he just seems like (no pun intended) an "average Joe."   But I didn't like the way he made fun of John Roberts' mess-up of the oath of office.  Is it proof of the truth of the old adage "what goes around, comes around" that he botched up the oath given to one of the new cabinet members?  Be careful what you say.         

____________________

Just wondering:  Do the Super Bowl MVPs really go to Disneyworld?  I find it hard to picture Ben R. (a single guy) getting all excited about going there.  Maybe if they have a motorcycle track.

____________________

So the Cowboys are the #2 pick to make it to the Super Bowl next year.  What are the oddsmakers smoking?  Have they been watching this circus led by the head clowns of Wade and Jerry?  They must have gotten ahold of the same bong that Michael Phelps was pictured with. 

____________________

Does anyone really watch the Pro Bowl?

These questions keep me awake at night. 

What Would You Do?

So much for Michael Phelps' "hero" status.

_______________

There is a show on ABC entitled "What Would You Do?"  I've only seen it once, but it is very interesting.  They were showing a clip from it this morning on GMA.

Here was the scenario:  What would you do if you saw a baby alone inside a car at in retail parking lot?  They found that 90% of those who actually heard the baby crying walked on by (it was a model of a baby, but it looked and sounded like the real thing).  

There was a day I would have tried to find the parent-in-charge and given him or her a self-righteous sermon.  But now?  Well, I wouldn't ignore the situation.  I really think I would report it to the store manager.  And if that didn't get the desired results, I would call the police -- and stay close by until help arrived.

The guy who does the show suggested that you find the window furthest from the baby and break it out with a brick or a rock.  I'm thinking:  No, not in today's world.  I would be setting myself up for being beat up or sued.  I was really surprised at his advice.

What would YOU do?     

Defending Rush?

I can't believe I am doing this today.  I am defending Rush Limbaugh.  Well, actually I'm really not.  I think he is a mean-spirited, slanderous, self-righteous baffoon who tries to hide behind love for God and country.  Yet there is no semblance of God in his words.  

But he is an entertainer! (I am using the term loosely)  He is not a voting politician.  He cannot do anything to actually affect public policy.

But I digress.  Here is where one might think I am defending him.  He is being vilified in the press right now for saying that he hopes Obama fails as president.  I mean, people are coming out of the woodwork to roast him over this.

Just wondering.  Why is it that Nancy Pelosi (Speaker of the House) and Harry Reid (Senate Majority Leader) have been able to say the same things about George Bush for years with NO public outcry?  And they CAN vote and affect public policy.

And why can Sean Penn act in ways that would have found him guilty of treason a generation or two ago, and be considered a hero by many?  And how can Alec Baldwin and Barbara Streisand and The Dixie Chicks and Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks (do I need to go on?) say the same kinds of things, and get a pass?    Because they are entertainers?  (see comments on Limbaugh above)  I have heard Bush compared to Hitler! His intelligence has been questioned. He has been called EVIL. 

If this country doesn't begin to pull together in the midst of our diversity, we are in big trouble.  And the hatred for individuals is SO ugly.  I don't ever remember anything like it in my lifetime.  Why does being able to pretend you are someone else by reading lines (an actor) give one perfect clarity in all things political?

I used to listen to Rush some.  I agreed with a lot he said.  But his mean-spiritedness and blindness to anything other than his own opinion TOTALLY turned me off.  But come on, people!  Let's be even-handed here.  I'm not even opposed to some form of reprimand for Limbaugh.  But let the same reprimand be issued to the Bush-haters, too.             

Playing Champions

I'm still at home this morning. It's 18 degrees, and the streets are covered in ice. I hear a car go by every once in a while -- but very slowly. THE NEWSPAPER DIDN'T EVEN COME THIS MORNING! I will venture out in a little bit, because I HAVE to get my preps done today for Sunday. Tomorrow after lunch, Beverly and I are going to Houston to see two of our grandkids. Our son (their dad) won't even be there until Friday night, so that's just extra spoiling time.

The other day, Jonathan (above-mentioned son) called and said one of his friends from church wanted to take him and me golfing Friday. He said that he would not be there, but the friend still wanted to take me. I said, "Great." (I never turn down an invitation to play golf) Then I asked, "What is the name of the course?" Jonathan said, "It's out on 1960. I think it's called Champions?" I said, "Are you kidding? Champions is where they played the U.S. Open back in the late 60s. And they played the Ryder Cup there. And for several years, the Tour Championship was there!"

So, I will be playing Champions on Friday. They do have two courses now, so I don't know if I will be playing the above-mentioned course or the newer one. But who cares?

Weird Weather Reporting

We are in the middle of an "ice event" today.  I have come in to the office, but will probably go home late morning and study there.  The weather people are saying conditions will only get worse as the day goes on.

The coverage of weather events like this crack me up.  The local stations (DFW) will have reporters all over the place -- standing out in the cold at intersections and overpasses all over the Metroplex to tell us how cold and dangerous it is.  I would believe them without them having to endanger a crew driving out to some distant location to tell me.

And the cameras will zoom in on an icicle hanging from a guardrail.  Or a car loosing traction.  Or show shots of sleet pelting a windshield.  

And this will go on for HOURS!

PLEASE!  Just tell me the temperature, and what you expect the conditions to be.  Tell me about schools and businesses closing.  But spare me the phony theatrics.

The same thing happens in hurricanes.  "You should not be out in these conditions!  Even though we are out here -- waiting for a piece of sheet metal to come flying into our heads."  If they are out there, don't you think it puts in the minds of some people that they can be, too?

____________________

I went to the doctor yesterday for a checkup and because my blood pressure has occasionally been elevated lately.  At the doctor's office, it was 135/82!  That is the best reading I can ever remember having!  And I have dropped 15 pounds since last year's checkup ('scuse me while I brag.)  He did change my blood pressure medicine from one that has been used by the medical profession for years to a new medicine that not only treats the symptoms, but also works on the cause.  I will be interested to see how that goes.

____________________

"24" -- Wow!  I only have one question.  Why doesn't the President commission Jack Bauer to go get Bin Laden?  He could take out him and his whole terrorist network in a day (24 hours).     

     

Preaching a Favorite Text

This week in my preaching, I come to Luke 4 -- and one of my favorite passages.  It is the story of Jesus returning to Nazareth and the synagogue of His youth.  He reads from the prophet Isaiah (ch. 61), and uses that passage to define His ministry.

I find it interesting when I look forward to preaching favorite texts, that once I get there -- I feel more inadequate to the task than I normally do.  This week, I am praying more than usual to let the text tell the story -- and not get in the way.       

Reason to Root for the Cards

I mentioned in a previous blog that I would be rooting for Arizona in the Super Bowl.  Following is a story that is one of the reasons (I did check this story on snopes.  It is legit.  Thanks to Jeff Jones for sending it to me).   

KURTIS THE STOCK BOY AND BRENDA THE CHECKOUT GIRL

   In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the loud speaker asking for a carry out at register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant
smile caught his eye, the new check-out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
   Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road. Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible.
   He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.  That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was
unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kids with us."
   She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had an older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a
wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome.
   Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities just like her first husband and father of her children had done. Kurtis was not ordinary -- he had a different mindset.
   That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the restroom, he picked him up out of his wheelchair, took him and brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At
the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.
   A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children.  Since then they have added two more kids.  So what happened to Kurtis the stock boy and Brenda the check-out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Arizona , where he is currently employed as the quarterback of the National Football League Arizona Cardinals and has his Cardinals in the Super Bowl. Is this a surprise ending or could you have guessed that he
was not an ordinary person.
   It should be noted that he also quarterbacked the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. He has also been the NLF's Most Valuable Player twice and the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player.

Yesterday's Inauguration

My views on politics (as a Christian leader) have dramatically changed in recent years. I do not mean this to be patronizing or spiritually superior to anyone else -- but I hope it is because I am more interested in advancing Jesus' agenda and Kingdom than I am a worldly one. Having said that, I enjoyed a lot of the inauguration yesterday.

I really liked Edward Fudge's observations. He speaks my heart in many of his comments, having myself grown up in segregated Mississippi:

INAUGURATION 2009

Following are my personal reflections after today's inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the United States. I did not vote for Mr. Obama, but as a Christian who grew up in segregated Alabama, it feels profoundly right to me to witness a Black family moving into the White House. I was pleased that Rick Warren, a Bible-preaching Southern Baptist minister whose view of God's agenda extends to helping the poorest, weakest and most despised of the world's population, was asked to offer the invocation, that he did so, and the way he did (Col. 4:2, 5-6).

I strongly disagree with some of President Obama's platform -- particularly his support of abortion and the "gay" agenda -- but I strongly agree with his concern for the helpless at home and his desire to bring an end to our wars abroad. Whatever we Americans think about Mr. Obama's politics and his policies, he is now our President, and we need to pray for God's protection and guidance on his behalf. Our country faces many challenges -- a situation that calls for national unity so far as possible -- and there is much on which we may all unite.

I am not among those who can see only the bad and say only the negative. I deny that America is going to hell in a handbasket and there is nothing we can do to prevent it. Despite secularist victories here and there, our culture retains more of its biblically-based heritage than the culture of any other country in the so-called "Christian" world. Percentage-wise, more Americans regularly attend church services today than did so in 1776. There are millions of committed Christians who are Democrats and millions who are Republicans, as difficult as that might be for some in both parties to believe.

So I will pray for President Obama, and for all others in positions of power (Eph. 6:18). I will pray that God will overrule all their decisions for good, that God's name will be hallowed, his kingdom realized and his will done (Matt. 6:9-10). I will pray that we Americans, and people throughout the world, may live godly and dignified lives in peace and quietness (1 Tim. 2: 1-4). As a Christian living in the United States of America, that is the least that I can do. As a matter of fact, it is also the most powerful (James 5:16).

MLK, Super Bowl and the White House

Today is MLK Day.  He inspired America with a dream.  Regardless of your or my political bends, tomorrow we get to see a part of that dream fulfilled.  Let us pray that it will help us to get past one of the most immoral issues in America's history -- racism.

____________________

  

Steelers and Cardinals in the Super Bowl.  That has to make the "Phony Cowboy GM" (aka Jerry Jones) sick.  The Steelers are early 7 point favorites.  I can't decide who I am going to root for.  Unless it is my favorite team in a competition, I usually go for the underdog.  So I should be for Arizona (I made this correction after it was pointed out to me that they moved from St. Louis years ago.  Old habits are hard to break.  I still have to stop and think:  It's not the Baltimore Colts.)  But since I am now the anti-Jones fan, if Pittsburgh were to win, that would give them 6 Super Bowls -- thus taking some of Phony Cowboy GM's thunder.  By the way, have I reminded you that "Mr. 13 years without a playoff win" trashed the previous owner for going 5 years without a playoff win?  Oh, yeah -- I think I have.

I think I will be rooting for the Cards.  I really appreciate Kurt Warner.

____________________

I saw a piece this morning on GMA about the moving process at the White House tomorrow.  While the inauguration is taking place, 95 movers are transitioning the living quarters.  In 4 to 5 hours, they move the Bushes totally out, strip the paint in the Oval Office and repaint, and move the Obama's in.  EVERYTHING will be in place.  Girls' toys where they want them.  Clothes hung in the closets.  Food in the refrigerator.

I was a bit surprised at this:  Both the Bushes and the Obamas must pay for their own moving expenses.

   

  

 

Downed Plane, Inauguration, and Baseball

What a bargain!  Buy an airplane ticket, and get a cruise down the Hudson River for free!

I would not be joking about this if anyone had been seriously injured or killed.  What an incredible story!

____________________

I love presidential inaugurations.  There are certain things dealing with pomp and pageantry that make me proud to be an American.  Like the way we honor a veteran at a military service.  The changing of the guard at Arlington Cemetery.  And the peaceful exchange of power in the White House.

So whether I vote for a candidate or not (I even watched and enjoyed Bill Clinton's 1st inauguration), I enjoy the inauguration ceremony.  I will take my day off next Tuesday just to see it.

____________________ 

Update to yesterday's blog:  Kudos to Michael Young for reversing his decision and agreeing to the change of position.  He IS one of the good guys in sports, and once again he proved it.  

The Michael Young Controversy

The big talk here in the DFW area right now is about Texas Ranger Michael Young being asked to move from shortstop to 3rd base.  His response was to ask to be traded.

On one side are those who are saying that he has been loyal to the organization -- as lousy as it is.  Coming to the organization as a 2nd baseman, he has already made one position change.  And this is the thanks he gets for his loyalty.  My immediate response was to take this side.  

On the other side, some are asking,  "How removed from reality is this guy?"  People are being laid off all over the country.  People are being reassigned -- often at lower salaries.  Here is a guy making multi-millions.  He is still going to make his money.  He will STILL be a starter in the Rangers' infield.  And truth be known, while he is an adequate shortstop -- his limited range would be better suited to 3rd base.

I think those are legitimate points.  As the economy gets tougher, I have a feeling that prima donna athletes are going to have a hard time garnering public sympathy for things like this.       

Wrestling with God

Do you ever struggle with theological issues like why God demanded genocide in the Old Testament?  Do the old answers settle the issue for you ("God's ways are not our ways", "keeping Israel pure", etc)?  

Well, they don' t for me.  And it seems that I am coming across more and more people are struggling with their faith over such issues.

What really struck me is that I have cited the Koran's commanding "death to the infidel" on a number of occasions, while not recognizing the Old Testament's similar words.

I have some theories as to what was at work there, but will probably keep them to myself.  And I find myself saying more and more to God:  "I believe.  Help me in my unbelief."  It seems that things were a lot "safer," and easier, when I used to have all the pat answers.  But also shallower -- and that's not where I want to be.   

A MUST Article for Parents of Teens

I have been waiting for about 45 minutes for a video of my grandson playing the drums to upload.  I finally gave up.  If I can get it to upload, I will post it later today.

____________________

Maybe you saw the report a couple of weeks ago that said virginity pledges among teens were ineffective.  The following article, sent to me by SmartMarriages, suggests otherwise.  While fairly lengthy, I found it encouraging.  It is a must-read for parents of teens. 

Like a Virgin: The Press Take On Teenage Sex
Yes, attitudes do make a difference in behavior.
The Wall Street Journal
January 6, 2009
By WILLIAM MCGURN

The chain reaction was something out of central casting. A medical journal starts it off by announcing a study comparing teens who take a pledge of virginity until marriage with those who don't. Lo and behold, when they crunch the numbers, they find not much difference between pledgers and nonpledgers: most do not make it to the marriage bed as virgins.

Like a pack of randy 15-year-old boys, the press dives right in.

"Virginity Pledges Don't Stop Teen Sex," screams CBS News. "Virginity pledges don't mean much," adds CNN. "Study questions virginity pledges," says the Chicago Tribune. "Premarital Abstinence Pledges Ineffective, Study Finds," heralds the Washington Post. "Virginity Pledges Fail to Trump Teen Lust in Look at Older Data," reports Bloomberg. And on it goes.

In other words, teens will be teens, and moms or dads who believe that concepts such as restraint or morality have any application today are living in a dream world. Typical was the lead for the CBS News story: "Teenagers who take virginity pledges are no less sexually active than other teens, according to a new study."

Here's the rub: It just isn't true.

In fact, the only way the study's author, Janet Elise Rosenbaum of Johns Hopkins University, could reach such results was by comparing teens who take a virginity pledge with a very small subset of other teens: those who are just as religious and conservative as the pledge-takers. The study is called "Patient Teenagers? A Comparison of the Sexual Behavior of Virginity Pledgers and Matched Nonpledgers," and it was published in the Jan. 1 edition of Pediatrics.

The first to notice something lost in the translation was Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former head of both the Red Cross and the National Institutes of Health. Today she serves as health editor for U.S. News & World Report. And in her dispatch on this study, Dr. Healy pointed out that "virginity pledging teens were considerably more conservative in their overall sexual
behaviors than teens in general -- a fact that many media reports have missed cold."

What Dr. Healy was getting at is that the pledge itself is not what distinguishes these kids from most other teenagers. The real difference is their more conservative and religious home and social environment. As she notes, when you compare both groups in this study with teens at large, the behavioral differences are striking. Here are just a few:

- These teens generally have less risky sex, i.e., fewer sexual partners.

- These teens are less likely to have a teenage pregnancy, or to have friends who use drugs.

- These teens have less premarital vaginal sex.

- When these teens lose their virginity they tend to do so at age 21 -- compared to 17 for the typical American teen.

- And very much overlooked, one out of four of these teens do in fact keep the pledge to remain chaste -- amid much cheap ridicule and just about zero support outside their homes or churches.

Let's put this another way. The real headline from this study is this:
"Religious Teens Differ Little in Sexual Behavior Whether or Not They Take a Pledge."

Now, whatever the shock that might occasion at CBS or the Washington Post, it comes as no surprise to parents. Most parents appreciate that a pledge of virginity -- a one-time event that might be made at an emotional moment in a teen's life -- is not some talisman that will magically shield their sons and daughters from the strong and normal desires that grow as they discover their sexuality. What these parents hope to do is direct these desires in a
way that recognizes sex as a great gift, which in the right circumstances fosters genuine intimacy between a man and a woman and at its freest offers
the possibility of new life.

This is not the prevailing view, of course. And these parents know it. Far from conformists living in a comfortable world where their beliefs are never challenged, these families live in an environment where most everything that is popular -- television, the movies, the Internet -- encourages children to grow up as quickly as possible while adults remain locked in perpetual adolescence.

Nor do these families believe their children are better than other kids. Unlike the majority of health experts and their supporters in the press, however, they don't believe that the proper use of the condom is the be all and end all. For these parents, the good news here is that the striking behavioral differences between the average American teen and the two teen
groups in this study show that homes and families still exert a powerful influence.

That, alas, is not something you're likely to read in the headlines. For when it comes to challenging the conventional wisdom on issues of sexuality, the American media suddenly become as coy as a cloistered virgin.