New Feature: Friday Funnies

I'm adding a new feature to While Rome Burns, in the hopes that it will get me to update more often on serious topics, and to bring some laughter to my readers.

Now, on to the Friday Funnies!!!

H/T to Chris at Fishing the Abyss for this one. Go to Google Maps, and type in "Chicago to London" (without the quotes). Take a look at Step 20.

Have a great weekend everyone!

"Hate Crimes" Bill Expected This Week

We've discussed this here before, and now it's definately time to act. Representative John Conyers of Michigan is planning to introduce the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act in Congress this week. And the President is the only one who can stop it. The full story is at The Christian Post.

Lucado Steps Down

The Christian Post is reporting this afternoon that Max Lucado, author of such books as When God Whispers Your Name, He Chose the Nails, In the Grip of Grace and Just Like Jesus is stepping down as senior minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, citing health reasons. He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat last summer, and stated he "needs to slow down."

Lucado will stay on staff with the church, continuing to write and speaking occasionally. He will also assist the chuch in their search for his successor.

God be with you, Max. We love you, and we're praying for you.

[H/T: Christian Post via Air1 Radio]

San Francisco Pulls In the Welcome Mat

"What's so offensive about teens finding hope in God and not in a bed, a bottle, or a pill?" asks 18 year old Charlotte Hamilton, one of the organizers of the upcoming Battle Cry rally in San Francisco, set to happen this weekend. Battle Cry is an organization that is "inspiring hundreds of thousands of teens across the United States to rise up, reject destructive pop culture messages, and recreate teen culture on their own terms." More power to them, I say.

Unfortunately, the City of San Francisco disagrees with me, to the point that the city's Entertainment Commission is imposing what amounts to custom noise restrictions for the group's planned rally at AT&T Park; stricter than those imposed for mainstream rock concerts.

I especially liked this quote from the editorial staff of the San Francisco Chronicle, in regards to last year's rally:
"...the attempt by counter protesters and some of the city's elected officials to call them 'fascist' and 'hateful' was totally at odds with the tone of the ballpark event... The young people who came to San Francisco to affirm their faith... deserved to be welcomed by a city that was as tolerant and progressive as its sanctimonious supervisors like to profess."

Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel.

You can read the full press release on the Battle Cry website.

[HT: Air1 Radio]

Question for Fellow Blogger Users

Does anyone know if it is possible to log the IP addresses of those that leave comments on a Blogger blog? I've had a couple of comments in the lifetime of this blog that have been left either anonymously or without any real way to track them back to their origin. Mind you, I have a pretty good idea where they came from (partly because the posters addressed me by my first name, which does not appear on this blog). Are there other blog sites that DO offer this?

In other news, I'm considering a move to TypePad. Feedback on it, good, bad, or indifferent, is welcome. But keep your snarky comments to yourself.

Ninth Circuit Court Strikes Again

They're at it again. In a recent ruling, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California, in a suit filed by employees of the city of Oakland, decided that "municipal employers can completely censor the terms 'natural family,' 'marriage' and 'family values' as hate speech." But, apparently, memvers of the city's Gay-Straight Employee's Alliance (not to mention high-level city officials) are allowed to slam the Bible and Christiantity openly across the city-wide email network, and call the employee's "hateful." When the affected employees compained, they were threatened with the loss of their jobs, and the court decided that had no effect on free speech. Huh?

In their decision, the court wrote "the district court correctly held that [the City of Oakland] had a more substantial interest in maintaining the efficient operation of their office than appellants had in their speech, appellants cannot establish a viable free speech claim." Again I say, huh?

Thankfully, the Pro-Family Law Center is willing to fight this in the Supreme Court. Makes you glad John Edwards made it onto the bench, doesn't it?

This is an absolutely critical issue. Our rights as Christians are being taken away bit by bit, and we can't simply stand by and let it happen. I encourage you to get the word out about this, and keep following the story. I also recommend reading the full article at ChristiansUnite.com for more.

Something that's been bothering me

"...the historic Biblical Christian faith recovered at the Reformation"
"...the proper historic orthodox and Biblical theology recovered during the Protestant Reformation"
"...the proper Biblical theology recovered at the Reformation"
"...the proper Biblical doctrine recovered at the Reformation"

The above four quotes are taking from the articles and missives of Rev. Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries. I could cite more examples of Ken's use of phrases similar to this, but I think it would be unneccessary. So why bring it up? My issue is this; Ken points to, as you can see above, the "historic orthodox Christian faith recoverd at the Reformation." Ken also frequently cites Jude 3; "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." Emphasis mine, because Ken often cites that specific portion of the verse.

I say all that to say this; if the faith was once for all handed down to the saints, how was it "recovered at the reformation"? If it was recovered, that would indicate that it was lost at some point. But how could it be lost when the Scriptures state that it was handed down once for all?

Is there anybody out there?

Examining the 'Jesus Tomb' Evidence

Not suprisingly, Cameron's sources come up short. Head over to Real Clear Politics for an in-depth look at the sources used for Sunday night's documentary. For the record, no, I didn't watch. I was out having dinner with my family.

[HT: John at Verum Serum]

They've Found the Casket of Jesus: 45 Comebacks

NOTE: This is in no way an endorsement of the blog on which I found this article.

Jon at A Young Pastor's Perspective has posted 45 comebacks to the "discovery" of the casket of Jesus. Have a look.

A Satanic Swipe at the Emergent Church

There are some who have described Christian Research Network/CRN (formerly Slice of Laodicea) as "the National Enquirer of the Christian blogosphere." Saturday, they certainly lived up to that title. Contributor Dwayna posted an article entitled 5 elements of Satanism in the Emergent Church? Never mind the fact that the page she links to on Mosaic's site, the first conviction that they list is that the Bible is "God's infallible, authoritative word to us," and that "Jesus is the only hope for a lost and broken world." Comparing them to elements is simply a way of offering another perspective on the core beliefs of Mosaic. I think they need to go read I Corinthians again.

This is yet another example of irresponsible blogging on the part of CRN's contributors, and condoning the spread of misinformation on the part of Ken Silva.

Dangerous New "Hate Crime" Legislation *UPDATED*

UPDATE: Rather than get into a flame war with readers of this blog, I have chosen to be the bigger person and edit the introduction to this article. If you saw the original, please understand this: my opening sentence was in no way a swipe at Joseph Farrah or anyone at World Net Daily. I do not doubt Mr. Farrah's credentials or experience, and if he ever reads this, please know that I apologize. However, I am leery of *anything* that is written online. Eternally cynical and perpetually skeptical, you know. We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog...

While I'm weary of anything I read online (just because someone put it out there doesn't make it true, you know), I would like to draw your attention to World Net Daily and their article "Christian belief a 'hate crime' under plan." Apparently, if you say something to someone that they consider offensive, you could be fined or even jailed. If anyone had any doubts about the federal government going too far, I hope they are now gone. Not to mention that Nancy Pelosi could very likely put this bill, or a similar one, in front of the full House quickly. We can at least be thankful that we have John Roberts presiding over the Supreme Court. This law clearly violates the First Amendment, and I hope that this law will be fought that far if it passes. Jay Sekulow, I hope you're paying attention.