2008-12-19

Manata points out the cognitive dissonance of PeTA, where they vehemently hold that animals should not even be undignified, let alone experimented upon, but they are ambivalent towards abortion. Perhaps it is because they think fetuses aren't animals. But if PeTA intends to be rational and submit to scientific consensus, 'Here are various quotes by embryologists that have appeard in various journals and textbooks demonstrating the overwhelming scientific concensus that human life starts at conception.' Maybe they would say a fetus doesn't feel pain - except putting a tutu on a monkey isn't painful, but they would still say its harmful. That, and this is an absurd premise for determining personhood (e.g. CIPA sufferers). Maybe they would say that safe and legal abortions stop back alley abortions. 'But not only is this "back alley butcher" scenario largely based on myth, and is now a well-known example of the typical wool that gets pulled over so many an ideologues' eyes because, to be quite honest, most Americans are dumb and will swallow whatever pill their Morpheus gives them,' but it works against PeTA's position, since it could 'be used to allow the continuation of slaughterhouses so we don't go back to the old days of hunting our own food.'  PeTA, Abortion, ES Cell Research, and Cognitive Dissonance

Phillips writes about how a couple who lost six children in a 'fiery accident caused by a driver who gained his license due to Illinois' Governor George Ryan's corruption. It is hard to imagine a parent reading that story without gasping in horror' are apparently going to pursue biblical forgiveness (rather than vengeance, and rather than simply 'forgiving' an individual who admitted no wrongdoing). Indeed, Ryan has not admitted that he did anything wrong or criminal. Just mistakes. Unpacking forgiveness in real life

White gives a brief response to a KJV Onlyist who writes that White is in the snare of the devil, in the 'Alexandrian cult. White says, 'To make a person's relationship with Christ dependent upon a 17th century Anglican translation of the Bible is not only absurd, it is heretical.' Why We Need to Consistently Expose False Concepts- King James Onlyism

Clint writes, 'Canadian Evangelical denominations tend to differ from their American counterparts only in their belated seizure of fads once the US churches have relinquished them.' He gives an example that illustrates 'a ready motive for pastors to seek fraternity outside of their denominational circle.  And the place that these pastors look to first is the internet.' Evangelical Canada- Some Thoughts II

Turk: Gays denounce Obama for choosing Rick Warren. Everyone hates Rick Warren

Mathis gives a quick summary Habakkuk's protest against God, and God's response. God has things in control, and He will punish wickedness - even if it seems like things are getting out of hand. From Protest to Praise

Jay Adams writes concerning 'promptings of the Spirit.' "Neither the term “prompt,” nor anything like it, ever occurs in the Scriptures as a means of assurance. The Bible allows for no such personal, individual revelation. People may have what they think are hunches, promptings, and the like, that originate from the Holy Spirit, but they have no biblical basis for interpreting these inner feelings as such." He argues that the Spirit testifies with us, not to in Romans 8:16, and that this is referring to the requirement for multiple witnesses. Promptings by the Spirit

Here are some strange statistics on beliefs in religion, superstition, and evolution in America. God, UFOs and Darwin

Here's a post on the Canons of Dort and the atonement. "the Arminian scheme is completely arbitrary, since Christ's redemptive work is not about satisfying the retributive justice of God, but is instead a demonstration of God’s moral governance of the universe and love for sinners.  The cross was not a necessity, but the result of God’s arbitrary decision to save in this manner.  This means that Jesus does not die for the elect so as to satisfy God’s wrath towards them and to secure their salvation (as taught by the Reformed). " The Canons of Dort, Second Head of Doctrine, Refutation of Errors, Article Seven

This sort of objection makes a person look intellectually credulous. Pi and the Bible. If this sort of thing is something you find it troublesome, look here: http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/1731/ . Alternatively, there is something called significant digits and rounding. And rounding may not be done as a strict round, but as a ceil function. Sigh.

From JT: The latest issue of Themelios is different (available as a 129-page PDF or in HTML). Every single article looks well worth reading. New Themelios

"Some Anglicans are quite upset about the church's efforts to evangelize Muslims.  That's probably a good indication that those Anglicans who worry about such things are in need of evangelization themselves.  Click here: Church of England to debate whether Christians should try to convert Muslims - Telegraph" Had It With Government Bureaucrats-