While Rome Burns

Buy Black Experiment

2009-05-12T21:50:00.002-05:00

Blowing the dust off this place to link to an article on MSNBC, and hopefully spark some discussion. I got the link from a blogger in my home state of Wisconsin, about a couple in Chicago who made a commitment at the beginning of the year to buy only from black-owned businesses. Now, as a white person, if I made the commitment to buy from only white-owned businesses, I'd be called a racist and a bigot, and probably rightfully so. But what I'm wondering is, how is this any different than the commitment so many in the church make to buy only from Christian-owned businesses? We have Christian business directories in many cities around the country (including Milwaukee, where I live), and I know from firsthand experience that some Christian owned businesses will only spend radio advertising dollars on the local Christian station. To some extent, I can understand that; Christian radio stations don't take ads from just anyone, and Christian businesses see it as a win-win for them, but the question still exists; how is this different than believers buying only from believers?

Your thoughts are welcome and appreciated.

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes

2008-12-18T10:46:00.000-06:00

Hat tip to ysmarko for the video and the transcript, to which I only added the first bit. The video below is inspirational speeches from 40 different movies, all edited together into one two-minute speech. See how many you can recognize! Transcript is below.

Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you’re going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won’t go by in your life you won’t regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I’m not going home. We’ve come too far! And I’m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. You’re going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that’s fine, we’ll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That’s how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you’ve got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You’re like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death… that’s the Chicago Way! Who’s with me? Clap! Clap! Don’t let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let’s fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they’ll never take our Independence Day!

A Red, White and Blue Christmas

2008-12-06T20:06:00.001-06:00

The White House Website is featuring the ornaments sent in by all 50 states to adorn the 2008 White House Christmas Tree. The link above will take you to the list by state, where you can click through to view each state's contribution. I particularly like the eagle ornament sent in from Wisconsin's 8th district.

Hat tip Rightyblog.

Boldly Protecting Christmas!

2008-12-04T22:15:00.002-06:00

Hat tip and link to The Dave Casper Experience for this week's (slightly early) Friday Funny.

The Bible or The Bard?

2008-11-22T23:43:00.000-06:00

The Bible or The Bard?

Score: 80% (8 out of 10)

Twitter

2008-10-13T22:24:00.003-05:00

Just in case anyone wants to follow me on twitter, I'm wannabenewsboy on there.

UPDATE: You can now see my latest tweets on the sidebar.

Ray Boltz "Comes Out"

2008-09-15T13:08:00.003-05:00

I was saddened to see in my feed reader this morning a post from Slice with a link to this article from The Washington Blade, a gay newspaper. Yep, Ray Boltz, famous for such songs as "Watch the Lamb," "Thank You," and others, came out to his family almost four years ago, the same day of the deadly tsunami in the Indian ocean. While I'm not a fan of Ray's music, I am saddened by this, but I must take issue with a few things.

First and foremost, Ingrid turns this into an indictment against the CCM industry as a whole, especially the incidences of Christian and gospel singers coming out as either gay or having committed other infidelities. I don't think that's fair. Yes, there is a lot of emotion in CCM, but there is a lot of emotion in all music. If there wasn't emotion, it wouldn't be music; it would just be noise. Even the great hymns of the past and present appeal to our emotions, to the very nature of who we are (for lack of a better term), and speak to us on a deeper level.

Next, I have to take issue with the Blade's conclusions about CCM. They publish a quote from Joe Hogue, a former CCM producer who found himself with no job offers after he came out, who says that there are "a lot of closeted people in Christian music," and yet nothing is offered to back this up. Forgive me, but with no evidence, I find that hard to believe. They also hit on the allegations against some prominent figures in the Christian world, who have been questioned about being gay because they are still single, such as Mark Lowry, although they did admit it's not fair to assume such people are gay just because they're still single. Not all of us get married, and not all of us intend to or have the desire to. That doesn't make it a sin. Jesus Himself addressed this in Matthew 19:12.

In the end, I do think it's sad that Ray Boltz chose this path. And yes, I do think it is a choice. He could have gotten help, and he chose to simply push this under the rug and let it fester for years. That's never a good choice to make. And, now, we've seen where it's led him. Pray for Ray, pray for his family (he and his wife split amicably, and are still on good terms), and pray for those who will be affected by this announcement.

Fri... er, Saturday Funny

2008-09-13T16:30:00.002-05:00

Cross posted from According to Coop (my political/current events blog), with a tip of the hat to marko, here's a mashup of Home Alone and I Am Legend. If you remember the former and have seen the latter, you may understand the humor I found in this.

Side note: This marks post number 75 for While Rome Burns. 100, here we come!

To those who criticize "The Social Gospel"

2008-08-11T19:31:00.004-05:00

Speak out for those who cannot speak,
for the rights of all the destitute.
Speak out, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31.8-9

Hat Tip: Mike King

Please understand, this is not meant to be a "drive-by" post, however, there are those who feel that social work (for lack of a better term) is taking on too large a role in the church. Your thoughts are welcome, but please, keep it respectful.

Much ado about...

2008-07-28T22:22:00.002-05:00

well, nothing, really.

After all the hubbub, the wailing, the posts railing against Richard Abanes and his handling of an article by Ken Silva, after all the virtual screaming and hollering about Apprising Ministries being taken offline (which could have been easily avoided if Ken had simply taken the high road and deleted the post, even temporarily), Apprising.org is back online, with a new layout which, in my opinion, is much more attractive than the old one.

Ah, well, the beat goes on, as they say.

Like bits of data on the Internet...

2008-07-26T22:11:00.003-05:00

...these are the posts of our blogs.

I hesitated to post on the dispute between Richard Abanes and Ken Silva, but as Pastor Silva's site, Apprising.org, appears to be offline at this hour, I decided now is as good a time as any. I was going to post a brief rundown of what has brought us to this point, but I decided that if you're reading this post, you probably know what's going on by now, and if not, do a little poking around, I'm sure you'll get caught up pretty quickly.

OK, here goes...

I have a lot of issues with Ken Silva and the things he posts at Apprising Ministries. To be brutally honest, it's hard for me to get through even one of his articles/missives, what for his liberal use of name calling (heretical this, neo-liberal that, ecumenical church of deceit, Roshi, Yogi, Guru, etc. etc. etc...). However, I read the original article in question (link is to Google cache copy), and I can certainly see where Richard Abanes would see that he was being libeled by Ken Silva. Why he has chosen to wait this long to bring up the issue, I do not know, and I do not pretend to know the motives of Pastor Silva or Rev. Abanes. Just wanted to make that clear.

My take? Both of them went too far. In spite of the fact that Richard Abanes felt that talking to Ken Silva directly would have been fruitless (and based on exchanges I've seen online between Ken and others, I'd say Richard is probably right about that), he should have at least tried to resolve the issue with Ken directly. He has also, I feel, added some unnecessary fuel to the fire over the last few days.

Now, lest you think I am letting Ken off the hook... Ken Silva has, in my assessment, blown this whole thing completely out of proportion. This is one article among THOUSANDS on his site. Ken had the chance to be the bigger person and simply pull the article from his site, no harm no foul. Instead, he posted the message from iPower (his hosting company) for all to see, and stoked the fires that soon spread across the blogosphere. Not to mention, he violated copyright laws by posting an email from Richard Abanes that had a clear copyright notice at the bottom. Furthermore, I find it hard to believe that Ken had no form of recourse with iPower. He could have called them, explained his side of the story, and discussed possible solutions to this problem. He could have gotten in touch with Abanes directly and resolved this, at which point Abanes could have redacted his complaint to iPower. It's possible Ken could have sought some sort of arbitration with iPower to prevent the deletion of his site.

Long story short, this whole thing has gone too far. While I disagree with almost everything Ken Silva has posted at apprising.org, it didn't need to come to this.

That's my opinion. That and $1.50 will get you a copy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tomorrow morning.

Church on the Move! No, seriously...

2008-06-29T18:25:00.001-05:00

Hat tip to ysmarko.

Chapman Family Update

2008-05-22T22:28:00.002-05:00

By now I'm sure you've all heard about the tragedy that struck Steven Curtis Chapman's family (link is to the Associated Press story), and I simply wanted to post to put out some updates on what's going on.

First, a brief summary: One of the boys (I believe the younger of the two boys), Will, was driving an SUV down the driveway where the girls were playing, and hit Maria, the youngest of the Chapman's adopted daughters. She was airlifted to nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Please, please, PLEASE pray for Will especially; I'm sure he's beating himself up over this to no end.

At this time, SCC's official site has been reduced to only the front page, due to high traffic. Services for Maria have been set; visitation is tomorrow, service on Saturday at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville, see the official site (link above) for details. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations to Shaohannah's Hope. If you would simply like to send condolences to the family, head over to In Memory of Maria, a blog set up for this purpose.

Paul was a Platonist? Well...

2008-05-19T09:52:00.003-05:00

As often happens here at While Rome Burns, I am going to respectfully disagree with Ingrid's assessment over at Slice of Laodicea. In this case, we're looking at a video posted on YouTube (embedded below for your convenience) of an interview between Tony Jones and Jerry Johnson, president of Criswell College.

The folks who put this video together seem to think that Jones is elevating the writings of Augustine to the level of Scripture, and stating that Paul was a Platonist. I really don't think that's an accurate assessment, and here's why. First of all, he doesn't say Paul was a Platonist; he *does*, however, say that Paul was versed in Platonism, which would imply he was extremely familiar with it. This would make sense, as Paul talked about being "all things to all men," and his various writings show that he adjusted his message based on who he was speaking to in order to convey the message in a way his audience could understand. Second, Tony doesn't say that Augustine's writings are the same as Scripture; he simply states that a strong knowledge of Platonism came through in many of his theological writings, and uses that to draw a parallel. Finally, Tony doesn't deny the inspiration of the Scriptures, which Johnson implies at the end of this video. I think I would really like to get my hands on the audio of the entire interview, because it seems to me that in the video above, Tony got cut off. I've got a busy week ahead (I really shouldn't even be on now!), but I'll see what I can do. Stay tuned.

Feed Me, Seymour, Feed Me!

2008-05-14T23:24:00.002-05:00

Great post over at CRN.Info today in response to an article by Jim Bublitz at OldTruth.com. First, I want to post the comment I left at CRN.info, and then I want to expand on this a little more, so here goes:

It was not so long ago, in our College and Career age Sunday school class, that one of the ministry leaders (ministry is led by a husband and wife team who are not paid by the church, but do receive financial assistance from the church for things related to the ministry) made the point that the Sunday (and possibly midweek) services should not be the only times you get fed. They should be, as she said, “the icing on the cake.” Yes, we are referred to as sheep, and sheep need to be taken to a place where they can eat, but the shepherd can’t eat for them. As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Same principle applies here. The pastor is called to act as a shepherd and feed his sheep, but at the same time, the sheep need to do the actual eating. Not only that, we are told to “grow up in our salvation” and move from milk to meat.

I’ll say it once more; the pastor can put the spiritual food in front of his congregation, and show them where to find more, but they have to make the choice to actually eat it.

I also wanted to expand on this, because the point that seems to have been made by Jim and others at Old Truth is that sequential exposition is the *only* way to properly preach the Word. However, as Rick Frueh (one of the commenters at CRN.info) pointed out, even expository preaching is topical on some level, because there is a topic to the sermon, and honestly, there has to be, or the sermon won't make sense. Go read the original article at Old Truth, and then read the response at CRN.info and the comments. There are some great points made on both sides.

A Slice of Something That Shouldn't Be

2008-05-12T23:20:00.005-05:00

I have deleted this post in the interest of promoting peace, unity and polite discourse, and because feel that I need to. While there was a point to be made, I didn't make it well, and it has created discord and hard feelings, two things I am NOT trying to do. I've also deleted the associated comments for the same reason, and because the won't make any sense aside from the original post. And finally, to make this a three for one special, I will offer up the moral of this story; don't blog after a late night at work.

Miley Cyrus: Two Responses

2008-04-29T22:19:00.002-05:00

I invite you to compare and contrast these responses to the dustup over Miley Cyrus' photo shoot for Vanity Fair.

1st Response

2nd Response

Which of these responses is seasoned with grace?

Pastor's Draft

2008-04-27T20:22:00.003-05:00

With a tip of the hat to my old friend and former coworker Danny Clayton, I present you LarkNews.com's "Pastor's Draft," a humorous spin on the NFL draft. Enjoy!

What do Gays and Lesbians Hear?

2008-03-29T10:42:00.002-05:00

This is the question asked by Michael Spencer (aka the Internet Monk), who has also earned a place on my blogroll. Go read the whole thing; you'll be glad you did.

How fast can YOU name all 50 states?

2008-03-06T09:50:00.000-06:00

In 2m 57s

Click here to Play

[h/t ysmarko]

Trees, Tyson, and Tony Jones: SoL Strikes Again

2008-02-19T16:44:00.002-06:00

Ingrid must have been bored today, or something. Her latest post rails against Tony Jones' new book The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier. The first thing that strikes me about her post, however, is that she's taking someone else's word for it (namely, that of Lighthouse Trails Research on their From the Lighthouse blog). But wait, it gets better.

First, how does she know that the trees pictured at the top of her post were used for Tony's book? Then, she drags Brian McLaren into the fray, simply because he is credited with giving Jones the idea for this book. Then, she somehow twists what he has to say into a message about the rights of chickens, and how we need to be defending them. Uh, what?

I can't write any more about this. I just can't. Go read it for yourself, but I warn you; Ingrid has really dialed up the rhetoric on this one.

Burger of DOOM!

2008-01-17T09:12:00.001-06:00

Please, if you have any kind of heart trouble, DO NOT CLICK THIS LINK! Don't say I didn't warn you.

H/T: Air1 Radio

About The Author

2008-01-07T21:59:00.000-06:00

I was inspired to write this when I noticed that the writers of CRN.info have a "Who We Are" page, including subpages for each contributor.

Dan Cooper, or "Coop" as he is known to his friends, resides in the Milwaukee, WI area, sharing an apartment with his widowed mother and two spoiled cats. He is an aspiring chef and baker, and enjoys cooking for family, close friends, friends in general, and gatherings of all sizes. He is a member of Victory International Fellowship, an Assemblies of God church, in Brookfield, WI, where he sings in the choir and on the worship team, giving him an outlet for his musical talents. He also serves as a volunteer youth sponsor, giving him an outlet to be the big kid his friends (and students) know him to be. He is an avid reader, an occasional writer, a karaoke junkie, and a fitness enthusiast working on guru status.

Willow Creek Changes Course

2007-10-18T09:59:00.000-05:00

After several years and multiple millions of dollars spent, Willow Creek discovers that it's still the basics that are the most effective; prayer, study, and fellowship. An interesting read, to be sure, from the Out of Ur blog of Leadership Journal at Christianity Today, which I am adding to my blogroll.

I have a new fitness goal...

2007-08-28T15:39:00.001-05:00

It is to be able to do this to a frying pan.

HT: ysmarko

As the Deer... So I Long

2007-08-28T15:35:00.000-05:00

Great post by nakedpastor over at his blog today, which I have also (officially) added to my blogroll. I've been reading his blog ever since his dustup with Slice, but never put it in the sidebar. Anyway, go read.

Big Mac's Birthday and Self Control

2007-08-24T10:50:00.000-05:00

Great post by Matt B over at CRN.Info, one that is definitely worth reading. There is a lot of talk about self control in the church today, but most of it focuses on sex and alcohol. Self control can be applied to so much more, which is what Matt explores in this article.

Addicted to Blogging?

2007-08-20T11:44:00.001-05:00

60%

Mingle² - Dating Site

HT: ysmarko

On Cars and CRN

2007-08-10T19:35:00.000-05:00

Apparently, what a pastor chooses to drive is fair game for blog fodder over at CRN, especially if they can use it to get a jab in at Erwin McManus. Seriously, how is Erwin stating that pastors should drive whatever they want a point of contention worthy of a post? Apparently pastors (and the rest of us) should run our car choices past the ever elusive "Editor" at CRN before purchasing.

So Erwin likes fast and fun cars. Most guys do. Heck, a lot of women enjoy sports cars. What business is it of theirs (or anyone else) what Erwin McManus (or any other pastor, or anyone for that matter) what kind of car is in his driveway? How is this related to salvation, grace, theology, God's call, etc.? The simple answer is: it isn't. And I think it means that CRN is getting desperate for anything they can use against those they disagree with.

Of course, someone from CRN will say that it's about the deeper issue of Erwin using the phrase "whatever we want," and that that somehow indicates a heart condition out of line with Scripture. To which I respond, if you look for what you want to find, you'll find it sooner or later, even if it's not there.

So, "Editor," I'm thinking about buying a 1995 Ford Taurus wagon. Does that meet with your approval? I'll send you pictures of the cars I'm considering if it helps.

Squirrels Like Chocolate?

2007-08-03T15:41:00.001-05:00

Well, this one in Finland apparently does.

From the "Lack of Foresight" Department...

2007-08-03T14:53:00.000-05:00

...comes this gem from Mark Oestreicher at ysmarko.

Did anyone on the church board let their mind wander just a little bit before they went ahead with this name?

Wrong on several levels, but still funny.

Side note: this is my 50th post at While Rome Burns. So do something celebratory!

Punk'd By The Devil

2007-07-25T09:11:00.001-05:00

No comment needed here; just head over to Reverend Scottie's blog to see how he proved the point so many of us have been trying to make about Slice of Laodicea; they're not interested in the truth, they're interested in their version of Christianity. A form of Godliness, denying its power...

HT: Monday Morning Insight via CRN.Info

CRN's Sour Grapes or When did "Relevance" Become a Dirty Word?

2007-07-17T19:37:00.000-05:00

I simply couldn't let this post over at CRN go by without comment. In it, we are directed to this year's list of the 50 most influential churches in America. The list includes several of CRN's "usual suspects" (their words, not mine), including Joel Osteen (Lakewood Church, Texas), Rick Warren (Saddleback Church), Bill Hybels (Willow Creek Community Church), T. D. Jakes (The Potter's House), and others. Mind you, I don't think that any of these men are infallible, and of those whom I have listed above, I don't know enough about what they teach to be able to pass judgement on them, nor would I want to. So why this post?

The reason is two-fold. First, the mysterious "Editor" at CRN chose to title this post "More Buffoonery?" Interesting title, and interesting heart condition, to be labeling brothers in Christ (and their congregations) as "buffoons." OK, I could let that slide. Really, I could. But it is the manner in which they point out that John MacArthur (pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA) was *NOT* included on the list, going so far as to call it a "relevance parade." Sour grapes, perhaps? Second, exactly when did "relevance" become a dirty word? It seems to me that if the church becomes irrelevant, it will die. It will have no place in American culture, and will simply fade into nothing. Dictionary.com (a great resource, by the way) defines relevance as:

Pertinence to the matter at hand.
Applicability to social issues

As I stated above, if we are not pertinent to matters at hand (namely, many of the issues which CRN writes about), and if we cannot apply ourselves to social issues in a relevant matter, then what point is there for the church to exist? It rather reminds me of Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 13, in which we are told that though we speak in the tongues of men and angels, or do great things, but have not love, we are nothing. I believe the same principle applies. If we seek to exist in a vacuum, we will get exactly what we want, but it won't last. Like it or not, we are in this sinful, fallen world for the long haul, and we need to make the most of it. We need to be willing to engage those around us, not simply tell them they are lost and going to burn for all of eternity.

The Top 100 Christian Blogs

2007-07-17T11:10:00.000-05:00

As reported by The Evangelical Outpost. I intend to take a look at quite a few of these, and I imagine there will be some additions to the blogroll in the near future. After all, I have to have something to distract me while I'm at work.

A few highlights:

Boars Head Tavern and Pyromaniacs tied for the #9 slot. Interesting, in that they tend to take very different views on the issues.

Internet Monk comes in at #61. (Really must add that one to the blogroll)

TallSkinnyKiwi landed at #89.

Go check it out, especially if you've been looking for some new additions to your own blogroll, or just some new places to explore. I know I've got quite a few I'd like to take a look at, and who knows? Maybe I can improve this blog to the point of being included next year. :-)

[HT: Hugh Hewitt]

My Blog's Rating

2007-07-13T08:46:00.000-05:00

Mingle² - Online Dating

Apparently this is due to six instances of the word Sex, and one of the word Porn. Of course, now that I have used those words in this post, that may change.

You can try it out yourself if you like. I'm going to run my MySpace profile through and see what I get.

Ken Silva's El Niño

2007-07-02T13:16:00.000-05:00

Over at CRN.Info Chris has published a response to Pastor Ken Silva's latest missive. I've decided to link to his response rather than write one of my own, because Chris expresses the point I would like to make much better than I ever could. In his missive, Pastor Silva takes an Episcopal priestess who has embraced Islam without leaving the church (no, I don't know how that works either), links her to the Emergent/emerging church, and decries the entire movement as "not of God" and responsible for all of the ills in the Church today. I encourage you to read what Chris has written on this topic.

Guidelines for Comments

2007-06-22T10:58:00.001-05:00

The first few are from my "other" blog, According to Coop, which deals with political stories, national news, local news, and other stuff that just doesn't fit here. Much like While Rome Burns, it's mostly just a sounding board for me that I have opened up to the Internet. Anyway...

As I seem to be having more folks showing up and commenting here at While Rome Burns, I thought it was a good time to set down some ground rules for commenting on this blog. More guidelines than rules, but if you are going to comment here, I ask that you abide by them.

1. Keep it clean. You don't need to use bad language to make your point.

2. Keep it friendly. If you wouldn't say what you're about to say to someone's face, don't say it on this blog.

3. Keep it respectful. People of all backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions are welcome here. You can disagree with someone and that's fine, but don't insult them because they don't agree with you.

4. Keep it concise. Please don't write novels in the comment section. If you have that much to say, you can start your own blog right here on Blogger for free.

5. Please check your spelling. I don't expect you to be able to win the national spelling bee, but please take a moment to make sure everything is spelled correctly. It makes it a lot easier to understand just what it is you are trying to say.

6. Keep it on topic. If your comment covers the content of two posts, please split it into two comments. That way, the discussion all stays in the same place, and everyone can follow along easily. And please don't drag something completely unrelated into the discussion (for example; don't drag Islam into a discussion about Rick Warren).

This is not in any way meant to be exhaustive, and this list may change in the future. If it does, I will let you know. Until then, please abide by these guidelines.

TIME Pays Tribute

2007-06-15T14:03:00.000-05:00

Simply had to share this article from Time magazine. Ruth Graham is high on the list of people I am looking forward to meeting when we all get to Heaven.

Ruth Graham Goes Home

2007-06-14T20:43:00.000-05:00

Sad news tonight from CNN, as they report that Ruth Graham, wife of renowned evangelist Billy Graham, has gone home to be with the Lord. I pray the family will be comforted in their time of grief.

Why Join a Church?

2007-06-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

So asks Frank Turk over at Pyromaniacs, in a post he wrote yesterday. Go check it out; it's a great read. I'm glad I decided to take a peek at Pyromaniacs today. I don't agree with a lot of what they post, but sometimes I do, and sometimes they post some really good stuff. Like this. So go read.

Ingrid on Porn Addiction

2007-06-04T22:02:00.000-05:00

In her latest post at Slice of Laodicea, Ingrid takes on pornography addiction, which is, without doubt, one of the biggest issues facing society today. It is an addiction that knows no bounds; it is not selective, it has no respect for boundaries of race, sex, class, religion, or any other category. And it is devastating.

Ingrid's answer? People who are addicted to porn can't *possibly* be Christians. Apparently she missed the parts of the Bible that deal with the fact that even the righteous stumble, but what sets them apart is that they get back up. Apparently she missed the apostle Paul talking about the thorn in his side that the Lord refused to take from him.

It's late, I'm tired, and there's so much more I could say about this, but I can't put it into words just now. I will say this; Ingrid and others in the discernment crowd have taken ministries like XXXChurch.com to task for what they do. These people are facing the porn problem head on, offering support, encouragement, and hope to those who are addicted to porn and even helping former porn stars leave the industry and start new lives. These men recognize that we cannot simply ignore the problem and hope it will go away. We cannot simply shun those who struggle with these issues.

If you struggle with an addiction to pornography, know that there is help for you. XXXChurch.com is a great place to start. Go to the Wall of Prayer and start there; you will find people who are at the same place you are, and those who have been there before. They will help you. They also offer a program that will track the Internet sites you visit and email a list of questionable sites to an accountability partner you designate. If you want to go as far as a content filter, BSafe Online offers a great one, which can also be purchased as part of a total security suite.

Let me leave you with this; we serve a God who is faithful and just to forgive us if we ask Him. If you need help, start with the One who created you, and knows you from your inmost being.

If Rick Warren should boycott Zondervan...

2007-05-29T11:42:00.000-05:00

then so should John MacArthur.

In recent posts (here and here) over at Christian Research Network, Rev. Ken Silva calls on Rick Warren to boycott Zondervan, the publishing house that prints his book The Purpose Driven Life. His reasoning behind this is that Zondervan is owned by News Corp, which is in turn owned by Rupert Murdoch. News Corp owns several pornography channels in Europe, and Rick Warren has apparently claimed to be Murdoch's pastor (this is still hotly contested, and is not an issue I'm going to get into here). Among its other holdings, News Corp also owns HarperCollins, which publishes The Satanic Bible. So what?

I'm glad you asked.

Zondervan, owned by News Corp/Rupert Murdoch, who also owns the company that publishes The Satanic Bible, publishes two of John MacArthur's books: The Gospel According to Jesus, and Charismatic Chaos. If Rick Warren should boycott Zondervan because of it's connection to The Satanic Bible, then Ken (and other discernment ministries that have picked up this story) should call on John MacArthur to do the same. What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

Ken Said WHAT???

2007-05-25T18:53:00.000-05:00

I couldn't let this article at CRN pass without comment. Aside from Ken's usual slander and name calling (posers to the faith, neo-liberal cult, etc.), this is the part that made my jaw drop:

This Memorial Day weekend, how about we ask God to help us remember the Biblical doctrines of grace that we as Christians are supposed to be preaching and then use these useless books of the so-called emerging church to light our bonfires. Let’s use them to fuel our cookouts, at least then they might just produce something useful after all…

I cannot believe that Ken is actually advocating that we burn books! People, this is what the Nazis did! And lest Ken try to pull the article and say it never happened, I have taken a screenshot.

Is Ken really advocating this kind of suppression of ideas? Burning books?

I still can't believe it.

That's it, I'm done.

2007-05-22T16:17:00.001-05:00

I am officially finished commenting at the new Slice of Laodicea. I have had two comments on one post today result in Ingrid acting as if I was attacking her personally, and the second comment was to try and shed some light on what I was getting at in the first comment. I didn't call Ingrid crazy, I didn't say she was standing on a street corner screaming about fire and brimstone, nor did I say that all fundamentalist churches do so, or that they are all crazy or have bad hygiene. I am pleased to inform Ingrid (and anyone else who reads this) that I am dealing from a full deck of cards, thank you very much, and that I don't get my theology from late night comedy sketches. I have, however, come to a realization; there is no benefit to contributing to the comment section at Slice of Laodicea. To be honest, after the response I received to one of my early comments at Slice 2.0, I don't know why I continued commenting there at all. My comments were taken in entirely the wrong way and words were put into my mouth. But, then again, coming from the "discernment/remnant" crowd, should I expect any different?

Verse of the Day

2007-05-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

This is more likely to become Verse of However Often I Get Around to Posting It, but that notwithstanding...

"The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives." ~Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

A Slice of Hypocrisy at CRN

2007-05-18T19:31:00.000-05:00

In a recent post (by the ambiguous "editor") over at CRN, Doug Pagitt was criticized for removing a post from his blog. I would like to note, and make clear, that while I didn't see the original post (and therefore will have to take the "editor's" word for it), Doug did post on *why* the original is now gone, and why he has replaced it. This is far more than we have seen from CRN in it's former incarnation, Slice of Laodicea (which has been reborn, but that's another topic). In it's days as SoL, multiple posts simply disappeared off the site, with no explanation. It was as if they had never existed, and many would likely not know they had ever been there if not for the work of bloggers who did see the posts, and pointed readers to the Internet Archive at wayback.org. This is hypocrisy of the highest order. Pagitt at least gave us an explanation for what he did and why; Slice/CRN would prefer to act as though the post in question simply never happened, as long as it's on *THEIR* site.

Falwell Goes Home

2007-05-15T13:27:00.000-05:00

The Raw Story is reporting at this hour that Jerry Falwell has been pronounced dead after being found unconscious in his office. May God be with his family as they mourn.

JammieWearingFool has updates, links, and reactions. Sadly, some of the reactions from the left are definately not safe for work, and are truly disgusting.

And the Missed Joke Goes WOOSH!!!

2007-05-14T15:45:00.000-05:00

Right over the head of the mysterious "editor" over at CRN. Specifically, their post entitled Nice to Worship, to Worship Nice! Naturally, I had to investigate this for myself, because what was being written seemed just a little too... well, out there. Upon investigation of the article the editor linked to, I found a few clues, namely, the fact that the article was published on April 1st of this year. (Side note: in Europe, dates are commonly written in the DD/MM/YYYY format, whereas we in the US usually use the MM/DD/YYYY format). I won't go over this with a fine tooth comb here, but another clue was the name of the production company: Boulderdash. Sounds just a bit like balderdash, doesn't it? It also seems to be the case that Boulderdash produced many arcade games which are now considered classics. And we can't forget the "promotional deal" that is supposedly being "negotiated personally by the Archbishop of Canterbury." Really now.

But what really tipped me off was the premire date at the end of the article: Sunday, April 1st, 2008. Astute readers will remember that this year, April 1st fell on a Sunday, and so it cannot possibly do the same next year. In fact, April 1, 2008 will fall on a Tuesday. A mere typo? I think not.

Ingrid Misses the Point... Again

2007-04-16T19:58:00.000-05:00

It seems Ingrid over at Christian Research Net is all worked up over an email she received today from the father-in-law of one of the American Idol contestants, who also happens to be a pastor. In true CRN fashion, he can't be a true Christian because the world approves of him. Chris at Fishing the Abyss/CRN.Info has written some insightful posts about this very subject, which I encourage you to read.

The summary of Ingrid's arguement seems to be that because Phil Stacey (the contestant in question) is seeking success in the entertainment realm, he can't be a "true Christian" because the Bible says that if we are true believers, we will be persecuted. Apparently she's gotten the impression that the music business is easy. Not only that, she apparently doesn't understand that when Christ came to the earth, He went to where the people were; the synagogues, the marketplaces, the city gates, etc., and spoke to them in words they could understand. Not only that, there are multiple admonishments in the New Testament for us to encourage each other; two that leap to mind are Jude 20 and Ephesians 4:29. So what does this have to do with American Idol? Quite simply, Phil is trying to influence the culture around him, which, whether or not Ingrid and company like it, is exactly what Christ did. We are not called to hole up in our churches and our homes; we are called to be a light to a dark world, a "city on a hill" as Jesus said it in the book of Matthew. Phil is doing exactly that, and I say more power to him.

For the record, I have not been watching American Idol this season; I'm just not home to watch much TV to begin with anymore, and the stuff I record on the DVR is plenty for me to keep up with.

Boy Scouts 1, ACLU 0

2007-04-09T11:56:00.000-05:00

It seems that some time ago, the ACLU got all hot and bothered because the Boy Scouts hold their Jamboree every four years at Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia. As usual, they thought this was a violation of the separation of church and state. Nice try, guys. The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the ACLU had no standing to bring the lawsuit. World Net Daily has the full story.

[H/T: Air1 Radio]

Ken Silva's Double Standard

2007-04-04T16:25:00.000-05:00

While I don't want this to be a blog that simply responds to and pulls from other blogs (even though that's the way things have been going, but that's another issue entirely), I simply couldn't let this pass without a response. A recent post at Christian Research Net (aptly titled Slice 2.0 by some) links to an article at The Sacred Sandwich decrying churches and ministries such as (who else?) Rick Warren, who use multiple Bible translations to convey a point. So what's the problem? The fact that Rev. Ken Silva (who oversees the site, along with Apprising Ministries) DOES THE SAME THING. But somehow, when he does it, it's ok, but if Rick Warren or anyone else does it, it's wrong?

New Feature: Friday Funnies

2007-03-30T12:43:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-22T07:35:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-21T12:01:00.000-05:00

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

2007-03-09T15:03:00.000-06:00

"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

2007-03-08T19:04:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-08T10:33:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-06T20:52:00.000-06:00

"...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

2007-03-06T13:04:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-05T12:22:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-05T09:35:00.000-06:00

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

2007-03-03T20:24:00.000-06:00

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.

Dan Brown's New Disciple

2007-02-27T16:04:00.000-06:00

It seems James Cameron is trumpeting his discovery of the remains of Jesus, proving that he was married, had a family, and was buried in southern Jerusalem, according to an article from the Associated Press. So, basically, we're going to have The DaVinci Code all over again, but this time with James Cameron at the helm. Archaeologists are already slamming Cameron and the lunacy of what he's claiming, in spite of his claims that statisticians found "in the range of a couple million to one" in favor of his conclusions.

Dan Brown wrote a complete work of fiction and tried to pass it off as fact, even though his claims can be easily refuted. I recommend James Garlow's The DaVinci Codebreaker to see what I mean; Brown's geography of Paris isn't even correct, much less the architechtural descriptions he claims as "fact." Now James Cameron wants to cash in too. I can only hope he will be soundly shot down by people who actually know what they are talking about. He clearly doesn't.

Rob Bell Feeding Frenzy

2007-02-27T11:54:00.000-06:00

Two posts in a day. This could get to be a pattern if I'm not careful.

The folks over at CRN have whipped themselves into a frenzy over Rob Bell (slow day in discernment, maybe?), and Chris over at CRN.Info has a couple of articles dealing with it, and bringing the salt of truth to the discussion, which is much needed. If you go, beware; Chris P. of the Slice/CRN crew is on the prowl.

I'm not dead yet...

2007-02-27T11:36:00.000-06:00

Just a quick post to let everyone know that yes, I am still here. Just started a new job, so I'm trying to get adjusted to the new schedule that it brings. And in the midst of that, mom's car broke down, so that's thrown me for a loop too, seeing as I'm driving her to work every morning. Hopefully we'll get it back from the shop today...

Nothing really looming on the horizon right now, but that Gifts of the Wise Men series is still bouncing around in my head, and may make it out sometime. And yes, I'm still keeping an eye on Slice/CRN, and the insanity that goes on over there. Maybe that will spur me on to post in the near future.

Hypocrisy 101

2007-01-28T16:43:00.000-06:00

More than once I have read a post at Slice of Laodicea/Christian Research Network, and been blown away by it. Not because of great writing or a well made point; rather, by the fact that they point out the speck in the eye of another and remain oblivious to the plank in their own.

I offer into evidence a post, written by Ingrid, decrying other "discernment" ministries, and later removed by her (she claims it will reappear with more information). However, thanks to the miracle of modern technology, the post is not gone forever, and several other bloggers have taken note and dissected the post much better than I ever could.

I recommend reading Discernment Gone WILD!!! at Verum Serum for analysis and response to the disappearing article. To read the article without commentary, pay a visit to Sliced Laodicea.

In other news, I just got back from a weekend retreat with the youth, and we had a great time. We were joined by members of the Rockford Masters Commission. I hope to have a post about the weekend on MySpace soon, culled from my journal entries from the weekend. I need to boil them down first and make sure they'll be of interest.

Updates

2007-01-13T19:34:00.000-06:00

I'm finally home from Orlando! I had a three hour layover in Kansas City, plus two and half hours spent sitting on the runway waiting for takeoff, because of freezing rain and a ground crew that can't make a decision. I will never fly through KCI ever again. Unless they seriously overhaul the place. Anyway, wanted to put a few updates out there.

1. As promised, I am planning a study digging into the gifts of the wise men. I need to do some research and get some thoughts down on paper (or at least on the screen), but I hope to have the first part up in a few weeks. Suggestions for resources are welcome.

2. My book of choice for my trip was Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz, which I am enjoying immensly. There are a few quotes that I'll be posting here and elsewhere from the book. Some serious, some not so much.

3. Slice of Laodicea has been reborn as Christian Research Network. Old links redirect to the new site. Not sure if I'll be keeping them on my blogroll or not.

4. Just before my trip I finished John Eldrige's Journey of Desire, which will definately require a second read. I may bring up the possibility of a teaching series in our youth group based on this book. We did one based on Epic last year that went over very well, and we all learned a lot.

That's it for now. I've got some catching up to do from my week away, and I'm headed out to a game night tonight. Grace and peace to all!

Coop

Response to Emergent Critics

2007-01-02T19:51:00.000-06:00

Great post over at Theoblogy (thanks to Chris L. for posting the link on E-What?) offering response from some of the leaders in the Emergent movement to their many critics, both positive and negative. I'm also adding Theoblogy to my blogroll.

And we're the crazy ones?

2006-12-23T16:54:00.000-06:00

Anyone who thinks Christians are crazy needs to see this story from Yahoo! News. Yes, we feel that it is our right to say Merry Christmas, and we get a bit miffed about people saying Happy Holidays instead. But how many of us burn Christmas trees, American flags, and ourselves in the process?

(HT: John at Verum Serum)

An Upcoming Project: The Gifts of the Wise Men

2006-12-22T16:50:00.000-06:00

In the next couple of weeks (likely after the new year) I'll be working on a three part study of the gifts the wise men brought to Jesus. We all know they brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh, but have you ever wondered about the significance of those three gifts? I have, and I'm going to do some digging and see what I can learn. I'm going to post what I find here, and I invite you to join me.

Time's Person of the Year

2006-12-22T16:28:00.000-06:00

While I intend for this to be a blog dealing with news and issues within the Christian Church at large, I wanted to take a few minutes to mention Time magazine's announcement of their Person of the Year. And yes, this does relate to the church, as you'll see in a few moments.

If you haven't walked past a magazine rack yet this week, or you haven't seen the news stories (man, where have you been?), Time has named you (yes YOU) their "Person of the Year" for 2006. Why? Because, in their words, you, and I, and all of the millions of Internet users, have changed the information age. From social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, to YouTube, to the myriad of blogs that exist today, information and the way we share it has significantly changed in 2006. Blogger, the site that hosts this blog, along with and other blog hosting sites, have also played a big part in this, allowing anyone with access to the Internet to start a blog.

As with just about everything, the ease of entry into the blogosphere has it's positive and negative effects. While blogs and bloggers have added a myriad of unique perspectives on the news of the day, and can provide local content in a way that big news agencies can't match, it is also very easy for disinformation to spread. It's a bit like the chain emails we've all received on a variety of subjects. Have you seen the one about Target being French-owned? (It's not true, by the way). Unfortunately, the disinformation and half truths that can be (and have been) spread in the Christian blogosphere can be far more damaging. Their consequences can be eternal.

I say all that to say this: Whatever you read, be it here or anywhere else on the Internet, especially in the blogosphere, don't accept it as absolute truth. It's the old addage; don't believe everything you read. Read the blogs, certainly. But if something doesn't seem right, research it for yourself. Read something about what Rick Warren wrote in The Purpose Driven Life? Stop by the library or your local bookstore and check the citation for yourself. Read something about John MacArthur's latest book? Again, check it for yourself. Did someone cite a Scripture you're not familiar with? Crack open your Bible and look it up, and read the surrounding verses too. If you'd like to look at a different translation, Bible Gateway is a great resource. Above all, don't just accept what someone else says is true. Find out for yourself if it's true.

Sliced Out of Laodicea UPDATED

2006-12-20T16:30:00.000-06:00

It is with mixed emotions that I find I have earned the following badge, which will soon find a permanent home on the sidebar of While Rome Burns:

That's right, fans and friends, I've been banned from commenting at Slice of Laodicea. While I don't know for sure, I suspect the ban was enacted by Rev. Ken Silva, pastoral advisor to the blog, sole contributor to Apprising Ministries, and pastor of Connecticut River Baptist Church in Claremont, NH. Ken is an ordained minister in the Southern Baptist Convention, even while he decries the "emergent vipers" and "purpose driven madness of Rick Warren" that are "rapidly apostasizing" that denomination. Why he continues to hold his credentials in the SBC is a mystery to me. He tells me it's because a denomination's leadership doesn't make it apostate. If you figure that one out, let me know.

The ban came about (again, I can't confirm any of this) due to an exchange I had with Ken and a few other commenters at Slice about his recent post Rob Bell Your Fruit Is Showing. Apparently my only offense was pointing out flaws in Ken's logic, and later, taking offense at my faith and devotion to Christ being questioned. If that's all it takes to be banned from commenting at Slice, I feel sad for the contributors, and pray the Lord will open their eyes, that they may see how blind they truly are.

Yes, I said blind. They surround themselves with people who agree with their every word (aptly titled an "amen chorus" by Chris over at Fishing The Abyss), and when anyone disagrees, they allow only comments that can be picked apart easily to pass through the comment filter. Logical responses disappear into the ether. Those who continually disagree are forever banned from commenting. While I can understand the need for a filter with the myriad of spam bots on the Internet today, and I can certainly understand deleting malicious, mean-spirited, and just plain rude comments that add nothing to the discussion, their refusal to entertain opposing points of view says a lot about their character, and the lack of content and logic used in their posts.

As I've said so many times before, sometimes the irony of their posts is simply staggering.

*UPDATE*: Ingrid, the administrator and owner over at Slice, caught wind of this post, and has (if I'm reading her comment correctly) lifted my ban. So, I guess I have to take down the Slice-Shunned tag on the sidebar, for now at least. I do admit to jumping to conclusions, but I feel the conclusion was logical given Ken's track record in the past. As I have told Ingrid (via my comment section) I will continue commenting at Slice if I am allowed. She has conducted herself well even in disagreements on that blog. I wish I could say the same for Rev. Silva.

Slice Goes Non-Interactive

2006-10-17T11:22:00.000-05:00

In an announcement posted on the site today, Slice of Laodicea, one of the blogs I frequent (which also holds a place in my blogroll on the right side of your screen) has gone non-interactive. Ingrid, the site's founder and lead contributor, cited abuse of the comment section, and the division and confusion often caused by the comments. I don't mean to be critical of Ingrid or any of the site's contributors, but I will say that this likely won't change anything. While I appreciate many of the posts on the site, a lot of misquoting and error goes on there as well, and there are many who rightly take them to task in the comment section of the blog for these errors, until the comments are shut off or the person leaving comments is banned from doing so. I have to wonder how much accountability there will be at the site in light of this decision.

In spite of the decision to permanently disable comments at Slice, you can still post your thoughts on articles posted to the site. Click on Emergent What? in my blogroll to do so. Emergent What? is an aggregator site for several blogs.

One more thing; if you would like to suggest a blog for my blogroll, please feel free to do so.

Christianity Today releases list of Top 50 Books

2006-10-06T15:30:00.000-05:00

This morning, Christianity Today published their list of the Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals. The list was limited to books published after World War II, and according to the article, the staff vigorously debated the books included on the list, and the debate continues even after the list has been released. The full list is available online, along with comments from the publishers about why each book was included, and/or a little background on each.

(HT: Steve Camp at Slice of Laodicea)

Quote of the Day

2006-10-05T13:16:00.000-05:00

"We are quick to pick up swords, but slow to pick up towels." ~Tommy Tenney

I happen to have TBN on in the background (they were showing a program on Billy Graham a little while ago) while I do some ironing, and Tommy Tenney is the guest on the program currently airing. In the above quote, what he is saying is that we are quick to jump into a fight, cut each other down, and generally cause (or join) strife, but we are slow to serve each other. If it stopped me in the middle of my ironing, and moved me to get online and post this, you know it's good.

Rob Bell Preaches on Hell

2006-09-26T21:14:00.000-05:00

Great post today over at Fishing the Abyss. Chris digs into one of Rob Bell's recent sermons from Mars Hill Church, his latest in the series "Jesus Wants to Save Christians". Audio is availabe online here; you will need to provide a valid email address and agree to their terms. I've not read them yet, but I doubt you'll be sacrificing your firstborn for this. I'm planning to give this a good listen tomorrow, and I'm eager to find out what else Rob Bell has to say on the subject.

Purpose Driven Split?

2006-09-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of chatter in church circles these days about Rick Warren's best selling book The Purpose Driven Life, and the 40 Days of Purpose campaigns it has spawned. There is also a lot of talk about the division it is coming to create in churches all across the country that have adopted Rev. Warren's methods. Ingrid at Slice of Laodicea posted a link to this article at EthicsDaily.com dealing with the aftermath of PDL at the well-known Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN. This Southern Baptist congregation of nearly 30,000 is in an uproar, all because of the PDL.

Why have I posted this? Well, my church (Brookfield Assembly of God) went through the 40 Days of Purpose some time ago, and while I wouldn't say the church has split yet, there are quite a few people (many long-time members of the church) who have left in the time since we completed the campaign. I myself haven't yet made it through the book, and now I'm not so sure I want to. Stories such as this are becoming all too common, it seems. I'd like to think that I haven't seen the telltale signs of my church slipping away from true Christianity. Part of me thinks that maybe I haven't seen these signs because I don't want to; another part of me tells me I need to keep reading, keep researching, and above all, get into the Scriptures to find out what God has to say about the matter. Which, of course, is what I intend to do.

Your comments are welcomed and appreciated.

Unity in the Body

2006-09-22T19:02:00.000-05:00

Rev. Ken Silva, a regular contributor at Slice of Laodicea, has posted a short missive on the site about unity in the body of Christ, with thoughts from A. W. Tozer on the subject as well. Put simply, we want the Holy Spirit to come to bring unity to the church, but we've got the whole thing backwards. We need to come to unity in order to allow the Holy Spirit to work. I encourage you to take a look, and offer your comments, either here or at Slice.

Here I go again...

2006-09-14T19:05:00.000-05:00

Talkin' bout the rain/And mulling over things/That won't live past today...

These words from Casting Crowns' hit song Here I Go Again seemed appropriate as I make yet another attempt to enter into the blogosphere. There is a lot of talk in the Christian community about the state of the church today. Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Doug Pagitt, Rob Bell, Don Miller, Brian McLaren, Jon MacArthur, R. C. Sproul... all of them are putting their opinions and their studies out for all the world to see, but yet the two sides don't agree with one another. I'm hoping to find some middle ground. You'll likely see material from other blogs posted here with some of my own thoughts, as well as news from anywhere and everywhere in the church world. Care to join me for an interesting journey into finding just what is truth, and what we need to cast aside? Grab your Bible; you're going to need it, I'm sure. Other reading material is optional.