Old, Young Earther

I would be classified as a "Young Earth Creationist." I understand the Biblical record to reveal a 6 day(of 24 hours each) Creation. I am persuaded that the unbiased, scientific evidence observable today corroborates this record. I do not consider theistic evolution, day age theories, gap theories and such like to have any merit.

I have been a young earth Creationist now for nearly 50 years; that makes me an old young earther. As a teenager I read Morris and Whitcomb's Genesis Flood. I heard Morris speak back in the early 70's. His clear, Bible-based, scientifically valid presentations blew the opposition arguments out of the water (pun intended). When I attended college, I became a disciple of Dr. Gail Terrell, a PhD scientist extraordinaire. How many times I heard his lectures; how many questions I asked him!  How well he taught me.

From time to time I challenge some evangelicals who mock young earth creation.  Their ignorance is matched only by their arrogance.  They find it easy to ignore me.  I had to smile when Dr. Al Mohler stepped into this arena. 

It did sadden me though that they attacked Dr. Mohler's integrity.   Shame on those whose logic is so flawed that must try to distract us with ad hominem insults that tell us more about them than about their target.  I am amused that some may think Dr. Mohler unequal to the task, intellectually inferior or academically unprepared.  I suspect that they were ill-advised to get into a war of words with this man.  He is as smart as they think they are.

Church and State: Mosque and Church

As do many others I have strong opinions about the building of a mosque near Ground Zero.  I have read the various arguments for and against; not surprisingly they ran the gamut on the political and the religious spectrum of viewpoint.

I have a pastor friend who served in NYC before, during and after 9/11.  For some years he lived in an apartment overlooking Ground Zero.  We visited there and saw the site just a few months after the attack.  His view is that the mosque should not be built.  I trust his judgment enough to defer on his wisdom alone.

There are other voices, of course.  One of my friends insists that it is a matter of first amendment issues - religious liberty trumps our "bias" against Islam - he thinks; and he makes a good case.  It would be a stronger case if Islam had no mosques in Manhattan or they were being discriminated against, or persecuted here in America as Jews or Christians are treated in Muslim countries.

When I learned of this news story, I was suddenly reminded that political posturing is often just so much noise.  How does this religious liberty issue fail to make the national news until now? 

I realize I do not know the whole story about this conflict;  but apparently there is no urgency.  So my remedy for the controversy about the mosque is to delay it for several years, appoint some committees to study this issue, maybe have some Congressional hearings, appoint a Presidential Commission.  Surely the Greek Orthodox deserves to be built (actually re-built) first.  Perhaps we could wait until the War on Terror has been won or at least until Islam publicly and profusely apologizes for its militant "wing."  I am confident that Islam ("a religion of peace") will not mind demonstrating patience.

Everybody has one

This  is a good example of why truth is often counter-intuitive to, or at least unexpected by, the masses. I live in a culture intoxicated with opinion polls.  From politicians to pastors we misuse the ones that reflect our views and abuse the ones that reject them.  If we disagree with a poll, we become brave and label our self  a statesman (if a politician) or a prophet (if a pastor.)  If we agree, we get over-confident and call our self a man of the people (if a politician) or a man of Issachar *(if a pastor.)

I think the political process has been eviscerated by the 24 hour opinion polls as news cycle.  Churches have been encapsulated by the seeker sensitive methodological models.

If you want the answer to a math question, asking 100 people does not necessarily provide a trustworthy answer. Include the toddlers and you may get an interesting array of opinions.  The correct answer is a fact.  We could do with a lot more facts and a few less feelings.

Please feel out the survey below to tell me how you feel about this.








Just kidding.






* I Chronicles 12: 32:  Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do,

Never Too Late?

We have all seen the inspirational stories of the septuagenarian who goes back to college or high school and completes the program; then there is the fellow who searches and finds his childhood sweetheart. Opportunity does not knock once we are told; rather it sits on our doorstep and trips us every morning as we leave.



There is some truth in all that. But I see another permutation on those possibilities. Sometimes we spend too much time trying to re-connect, re-discover or re-invent ourselves. Of necessity the inspirational stories do not mention the elderly lady who bankrupts herself with student loan debt and fails to graduate and dies penniless and unfulfilled. They do not usually tell about the fellow who breaks up his marriage to go looking for the girl of his dreams only to find out it is a nightmare.



I mean to say that if you are late and miss the bus maybe you just need to take the next one, or walk, or call a taxi. I do not see that as a sadness nor as an excuse for tardiness ( I hate being late.) Sometimes unfinished business demands to be completed; sometimes to do so is just a waste of time and talent.




I told you I was a contrarian.

Exceptions

"The exception makes the rule." Or so I have heard. Whether by nature or nurture I have often noticed that I often incline to observe the contrary facts to positions being stated or read. This may derive from a contrary spirit and yet it may also reveal that often we speak in generalizations and ambiguities. Thus, I am often moved to contradiction, sometimes silently. Sometimes, to be fair, the subject is so large that no single discussion could cover every facet. Sometimes I am just wrong. I would like for this blog to help me with this. At best I would like it to reveal logical fallacies, and with astute readership, even my own logical fallacies. At worst, it may only reveal that on many matters we may have to agree to disagree.