THE FLIGHTLESS ONES ARE STAYING HOME!

Get ready, sports fans, for what might be one of the best rides in professional sports for decades. The young and dangerous Pittsburgh Penguins are staying in the Steel City!

Much thanks to Governor Rendell for hanging in there, and to Super Mario for making it happen.

Ask and You Shall Receive

My last post pointed out that the news media, in general, contributes to the persuading of uneducated masses into non-thinking compliance with policy positions of the establishment.

Well, I should then also point out an example that goes the other way that I happily stumbled upon yesterday. The New York Times published THIS ARTICLE which brought in other voices on the global warming noise coming from Hollywood. The article is great. It brings voices from different sides without calling anyone names. What a refreshing change!

However, it only continues the conversation. A thinking consumer of news will still need to follow up, read more on the person's mentioned and their science, to draw a strong conclusion of their own. That's okay. This is an article, for a change, that brings more light than heat, and is a sign-post towards greater thinking and less of a sheep-mentality for the public.

Larry King: Bill Nye vs. Richard Lindzen

this video demonstrates communication and truth, American style. First, it will not happen often, for it moves too slowly for American viewers.

Second, it is truth by consensus. In this panel, you have one, count 'em, one climate scientist. There is a popular science entertainer, Bil Nye, and two commentators who are not scientists at all. no one watching this can come away with an honest conclusion about anything discussed.

and yet, it is good enough for the masses. We are a vulnerable people. We are easily manipulated.

When it comes to the global warming debate, the issue to watch out for is policy, for we are not talking about facts and science anymore. We are talking about global government and global economics.

On this issue, I am leaning to listening more and more to the dissenters who are be being slandered and attacked. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! The greatest Oz has spoken." That sounds like the voice of the establishment on this issue. It is time to question the establishment. We must in order to get to the truth. If they are right, the establishment, that is, it will be provable. But so far, the main arguments I hear, even from Bill Nye, are, "What? You don't believe it? Are you crazy?"

No, I don't blindly believe the media and political establishment. Faith in the authority of these people is not enough for me. Let's do real science again, one that has provable results. let's explain it and not attack dissidents, but listen to them, and explain point by point why they are right or wrong.

Putting Bill Nye, who is not a climate scientist, against Lindzen, who has studied nothing but the earth temps for long before the time this became a political football --this tact will work with the masses in America, because, frankly, they don't care. Americans, in general, are distracted by entertainment and self-indulgence. They are content to trust the government to handle this issue. I am not.

Fast Forward

Here's two pictures of two different people. Both women, both survivors of abortion, both grown up now, both debilitated by the procedure phsycially, both happy to be alive, and . . . both are beautiful young ladies, might add.

Story on the Brown-haired one (Gianna) is here. Story on the Blonde (Sarah) is here.

Both also speak publicly against the practice of abortion. There are a million arguments in the political world regarding abortion. None of them disarms me as much as two women who say, "It was almost me. I lived. How about we knock this off?" What can I say. Yes. You're right. These are baby humans.

Your ideas?

Moral Relativism and Tangled Justice

Okay, there's a woman named Jenifer Raper. She tried to have an abortion last March. It didn't take. She didn't realize she was still pregnant, and ended up having a baby on December 7th, 2006. Now, she is suing the planned parenthood doctor for child support.

This is happening in Massachusetts.

This story is filled with ironies. The baby was born on Pearl Harbor day. Interesting. This happens in a state, Ted's state, that is famous for many things politically, among them: a love for legalized abortion, and an ability to overlook the death of a young woman in a lake at the hands of a member of the royal family (That would be Teddy. I have him here not because he has anything to do with this case directly, but to me he is an icon of Mass and their sense of justice).

So now, this woman thinks she deserves money from a doctor because he didn't kill the baby right.

My question: What is it like to be the young girl who was born? What is it like to know, and she certainly will find out, that your mother sued doctors because you were born? That would be a hit on my self-esteem.

Why not give the girl up for adoption? Can't afford her, didn't want her nine months previously --seems like adoption clears up the whole thing, and we can go on.

To read the story, click here.

To tell my what thoughts run through your mind, leave comments. I'm curious how this story strikes you.

Say It Ain't So

The Penguins might be leaving Pittsburgh. And this, at a time when their fans are attending the games in large numbers and the team has the most exciting players in the game.

Why? Because politicians can't work a deal to replace the oldest arena in the NHL. To read a bit more on the saga, click here or here.

Bottom line, this is a matter of "want-to." The politicians don't want it bad enough. And so, the people of Pittsburgh and vicinity will lose one of the few professional sports teams in this half of the state.

I don't blame the owners on this one. Lemiux has tried hard for almost a decade to keep this team in this town. He rescued the Penguins from a certain move in 1999 when he put together a group to buy them from bankruptcy. The value of this team to this region should speak for itself. I guess it doesn't.

Our governor got involved. His final word? "They're tough negotiators." So are you, Mr Governor. You seem to get your way when you want to raise our taxes (sales tax going up, employer payroll taxes to pay for health care welfare, a million other little taxes) and when you want the casino big-bosses to get their slot palaces. I guess Mario Lemuix, who wants to keep the team in Pittsburgh, is just too tough for you. Yeah, right. And I'm the NHL's leading scorer.

Come on, guys. Let's get this deal done.

A Great Time Listening!

There are so many Christian teachers out there, but so few worth listening to. Strong words? Maybe, but I'm serious. So much of what is taught and preached is just plain boring. If not boring, it is often sloppy in it's thinking or muddled in it's theology. Then, there are volumes of stuff that is downright unethical use of the Word of God --those who sensationalize themselves all the way to the bank.

But the internet allows more access to more teachers at lower cost. One I have found that I enjoy quite a bit is Mark Driscol from Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington.

He's not your average preacher guy. Some are put off by his casual, almost grungy approach to communicating, but I think his style is one for an age when people are really suspicious of anything that looks slick or contrived.

REDEEMING RUTH is a series of messages that many people I know have been getting into, seemingly on their own. It's like a wave, or something. I had all the messeages on my ipod (automatically downloaded), but this week I was in the car with Lorrie for many hours and she wanted to listen to them. So, we listened to all six messages in a row. Great stuff.

I recommend them to you highly. As a pastor and a preacher, I would go so far as to say this: If you only listen to six messages this year, make it these. Good stuff.

Here is where you can find them, both in audio and video, and of course, absolutely free. Isn't the internet great! If you have listened to these or if you do, let me know your thoughts.

I've Got To See This Movie

Global Warming is Bunk? That's what a new documentary claims. Read this article and let me know what you think.

Sound Words From Rome

What is the new pope really like? What does he believe? Is he a true Christian?

That last question might seem odd to many who would say, "Well, of course the pope's a Christian! What an insulting question." However, history shows that such assumptions are not safe. Remember the Medici's. The most wicked and power-hungry brother's of their age. They took over Florence by force, made themselves rulers of the Vatican, and sponsored great moral evils in the Vatican.

Of course, such debauchery has not been seen in Rome in years.

There are many protestants who believe that Catholacism has erred so greatly in it's many extra-biblical doctrines (like, pergatory, worship of Mary, prayers to saints, etc), that no pope can be a true follower of Jesus.

What do I think? I think Christians need to study up on church history before even attempting to answer such questions. More on this later.

For now, let's examine some of the words of the current pope:

"Modern society is not simply without morality, but it has, so to speak, 'discovered' and professes a part of morality", the Pope told the Swiss bishops. "These are the great themes of peace, non-violence, justice for all, concern for the poor, and respect for creation."

However, the Pope warned that these "great moral themes" have "become an ethical complex that, precisely as a political force, has great power and constitutes for many the substitute for religion, or its successor."

"It is only if human life is respected from conception to death that the ethics of peace is also possible and credible," concluded the Pope. "It is only then that non-violence can express itself in every direction; only then that we truly welcome creation, and only then that we can arrive at true justice."

For the article I got these quotes from, click here.


I think he makes a great point. There is a new morality that is forming in the West and spreading throughout the globe. This morality is becoming, it seems, the replacement for religious distinctions. And yet, it is the morality of man, and not of God. Unfortunately, "there is a way that seems right to a man, but it only leads to death."

Your thoughts?

A Fascinating Bishop

This Guy's name is Giacomo Biffi. He recently spoke at the Lentin service for the Vatican. In that service, he said that the anti-christ is alive and among us and will come in the form of an environmentalist and a person who tried to pull all Christian denominations together.

Interesting. So I looked him up. He has been saying these sort of things for a while.

Check out this story:

Vegetarian Antichrist is 'Walking Among Us'
Sept 18, 2004
Cardinal Giacomo Biffi, 71, the Archbishop of Bologna said that the "Antichrist" was already on Earth in the guise of a prominent philanthropist whose concern for human rights and the environment and advocacy of ecumenicism masks his real aim: the destruction of Christianity and "the death of God".

(6 March 2000) Cardinal Biffi said the Antichrist was not the beast with seven heads described in the Book of Revelation but a "fascinating personality" whose outward charm and plausibility had deceived his enemies. The cardinal said the Antichrist espoused vegetarianism, pacifism, environmentalism and animal rights.

He also identified the Antichrist as an expert on the Bible who nonetheless promotes "vague and fashionable spiritual values" rather than the Scriptures. He advocates ecumenical dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations, including Anglicanism and the Orthodox Church. This appeared to be a worthy aim, but was in fact being used by the Antichrist in an attempt to water down and undermine Catholicism to the point where it collapsed.

The cardinal did not say whether he had any particular world figure in mind, and his real target seemed to be the substitution of "feel-good" causes, such as ecology and humanitarian aid, for "true religion".

Cardinal Biffi was speaking at a conference in Bologna on the work of Vladimir Solovyov (1853-1900), the Russian philosopher and mystic, whom he praised as a "forgotten prophet" who had "lucidly foreseen" the horrors of the 20th century. In his last writings, the cardinal said, Solovyov had predicted the rise of the Antichrist after a century of bloodshed, wars, revolutions and the breakdown of the nation state.

I got that story from here.

Wild, huh?

What do you think? Do you think the anti-Christ is alive today? Will there be a literal anti-christ? Will he be a vegetarian? An environmentalist?

(for the latest)

Here's an article he wrote.