Dear readers... Sorry it has been so long on my postings.
Today, I received this from Steven Curtis Chapman.
I thought it was very worth sharing with you all.
Honoring Veterans
Hear the New Song By Steven Curtis Chapman, “Thomas McBride”A few days ago Steven Curtis Chapman had the opportunity to visit the Bethesda Naval Medical Center, a guest of the President’s physician.
It’s become a given on Steven’s schedule over the last 8 years plus. If he has a tour date in the DC area, you’ll find him spending the morning and afternoon at Bethesda. He’s been fortunate to have the chance to meet brave men and women military service personnel there, both the wounded and the medical staff.Two Fridays ago Steven met Corpsman Thomas McBride. He had been wounded in action in Afghanistan and tragically had lost part of his leg. Steven was deeply moved by this man and the sacrifice he had made for this country. In response and with gratitude to Corpsman McBride and all who have served America, Steven penned a new song, “Thomas McBride.” It’s Steven’s great privilege, that this song was delivered this week to Corspman McBride by the President of the United States, George W Bush.On this week that marks Veterans Day 2008, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.
To mark the week, SCC is making available, via streaming audio, this simple demo he recorded of the new song.
Here is the link: http://stevencurtischapman.com/thomasmcbride.htm?roi=farm-15964618-116699-4545528b94b43d3ccff80d110a0dda01
Please listen, enjoy, and "thank a Vet today!"Duane
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Abortion and other Social Issues... How do we address them?
Dear Friends,
Chuck Colson had a great commentary today.
The transcript is pasted below.
A Model for Engagement:
Wilberforce and The Better Hour...
February 19, 2008
At a recent conference on Christian worldview, a college student asked the question: "Is there a model for engaging secularism?" The panel of well-known experts was stumped, clearly unfamiliar with the fact that 200 years ago a small group of politicians, bankers, writers, and lawyers addressed and overcame the crisis of secularism and immorality in England.
A small group of about 10 friends was known as the Clapham Circle. Following the lead of English parliamentarian William Wilberforce, the Clapham Circle set about with two great, major objectives: In Wilberforce's words, "the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners." In the process, they helped transform the self-indulgent society of eighteenth-century England.
How they did that is the subject of a new book called Creating the Better Hour: Lessons from William Wilberforce, edited by a Centurion, and my friend, Chuck Stetson. The accompanying documentary called The Better Hour airs this month on PBS television stations.
Stetson discusses 10 methods or strategies that Wilberforce and his associates used to shape public opinion. One was the use of a powerful symbol to focus attention on the plight of the slave. Wilberforce enlisted the famous Josiah Wedgwood to create a special cameo. At the center of the cameo was a kneeling slave in shackles. Inscribed around the edges of this picture was the simple, but provocative question: "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?"
The Wedgwood cameo became a kind of logo when the whole concept of a logo was still novel. The picture and the accompanying question became a powerful symbol for human dignity. Women, who at the time could not vote, wore it on their dresses and on jewelry to show their support for the abolition of the slave trade.
The images from the cameo appeared on everything from plates to snuff boxes. The slogan "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" was as well known to the people of Wilberforce's day as Nike's "Just do it" is to any modern American consumer.
And the slogan posed a pointed question that was simple but brilliant. People who never gave slaves a second thought had to examine their own attitudes and engage the issue. It reminds me of how pro-lifers are using in utero photography to force people to ponder the humanity of babies in the womb.
Stetson goes on to describe the other methods Wilberforce and company used so well: long-term planning, teamwork, research, effective networking, use of volunteers, etc.—methods we Christians would do well to emulate as we tackle the myriad social ills we face in this postmodern, self-indulgent society.
But what I take away from Wilberforce and his circle is not just good ideas about strategies and tactics, but also hope. This small handful of committed believers changed the world. Their unfailing efforts eventually resulted in the abolition of slavery itself in Britain and led to the formation of more than 69 voluntary organizations—organizations that tackled a wide range of social concerns, from child labor to the prevention of cruelty to animals to universal education."Is there a model for engaging secularism?"
As Stetson's book shows us, thanks to William Wilberforce and the Clapham sect, there certainly is.
Chuck Colson had a great commentary today.
The transcript is pasted below.
A Model for Engagement:
Wilberforce and The Better Hour...
February 19, 2008
At a recent conference on Christian worldview, a college student asked the question: "Is there a model for engaging secularism?" The panel of well-known experts was stumped, clearly unfamiliar with the fact that 200 years ago a small group of politicians, bankers, writers, and lawyers addressed and overcame the crisis of secularism and immorality in England.
A small group of about 10 friends was known as the Clapham Circle. Following the lead of English parliamentarian William Wilberforce, the Clapham Circle set about with two great, major objectives: In Wilberforce's words, "the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners." In the process, they helped transform the self-indulgent society of eighteenth-century England.
How they did that is the subject of a new book called Creating the Better Hour: Lessons from William Wilberforce, edited by a Centurion, and my friend, Chuck Stetson. The accompanying documentary called The Better Hour airs this month on PBS television stations.
Stetson discusses 10 methods or strategies that Wilberforce and his associates used to shape public opinion. One was the use of a powerful symbol to focus attention on the plight of the slave. Wilberforce enlisted the famous Josiah Wedgwood to create a special cameo. At the center of the cameo was a kneeling slave in shackles. Inscribed around the edges of this picture was the simple, but provocative question: "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?"
The Wedgwood cameo became a kind of logo when the whole concept of a logo was still novel. The picture and the accompanying question became a powerful symbol for human dignity. Women, who at the time could not vote, wore it on their dresses and on jewelry to show their support for the abolition of the slave trade.
The images from the cameo appeared on everything from plates to snuff boxes. The slogan "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" was as well known to the people of Wilberforce's day as Nike's "Just do it" is to any modern American consumer.
And the slogan posed a pointed question that was simple but brilliant. People who never gave slaves a second thought had to examine their own attitudes and engage the issue. It reminds me of how pro-lifers are using in utero photography to force people to ponder the humanity of babies in the womb.
Stetson goes on to describe the other methods Wilberforce and company used so well: long-term planning, teamwork, research, effective networking, use of volunteers, etc.—methods we Christians would do well to emulate as we tackle the myriad social ills we face in this postmodern, self-indulgent society.
But what I take away from Wilberforce and his circle is not just good ideas about strategies and tactics, but also hope. This small handful of committed believers changed the world. Their unfailing efforts eventually resulted in the abolition of slavery itself in Britain and led to the formation of more than 69 voluntary organizations—organizations that tackled a wide range of social concerns, from child labor to the prevention of cruelty to animals to universal education."Is there a model for engaging secularism?"
As Stetson's book shows us, thanks to William Wilberforce and the Clapham sect, there certainly is.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
MN Governor, Tim Pawlenty
I just heard our governor, Tim Pawlenty in an interview on the radio.
Tim is a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke well of responses to our state's recent calamities, and the response of the people of MN.
He deflected the praises of the interviewer as to how he handled the events of recent MN tragedies to those who had laid the ground work for the first responders through training, the way the first responders carried out their duties, and for the average citizen who helped out, often in their own personal harm's way, to help their neighbor.
He explained that it was a reflection of their faith, by their up-bringing, nurturing, and encouragement by those who were instrumental in their lives (i.e. their mentors), he was very grateful for that.
Our Governor is a man that truly reflects our Lord.
I, am very grateful for that!
Duane
Tim is a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke well of responses to our state's recent calamities, and the response of the people of MN.
He deflected the praises of the interviewer as to how he handled the events of recent MN tragedies to those who had laid the ground work for the first responders through training, the way the first responders carried out their duties, and for the average citizen who helped out, often in their own personal harm's way, to help their neighbor.
He explained that it was a reflection of their faith, by their up-bringing, nurturing, and encouragement by those who were instrumental in their lives (i.e. their mentors), he was very grateful for that.
Our Governor is a man that truly reflects our Lord.
I, am very grateful for that!
Duane
Friday, August 17, 2007
"What is wrong with our culture?"
I rec'd this today from Chuck Colson.
I believe it is a telling tale of our culture.
Please read and consider his thoughts.
_______________________
Of Dogs and BabiesCruelty and Outrage
August 17, 2007
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia isn't known for mincing words on the Senate floor. Still, even by his standards, his recent comments about a crime in the news were especially impassioned.
He repeatedly called the alleged crime "barbaric" and even volunteered to attend the execution of the accused. He told his colleagues that he is "confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt . . ."
What prompted the senator's ire? Genocide? Ethnic cleansing? No, cruelty to animals, specifically the indictment of NFL star Michael Vick.
As you probably know, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback was recently indicted in connection with a dog-fighting ring allegedly operating out of his home in Virginia. The indictment included shocking details about the cruel way in which dogs that could no longer fight were disposed of.
Public reaction to the indictment was so strong that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took the unusual step of telling Vick not to report to the Falcons' training camp. If he had reported, Vick would have seen dozens of picketers outside the camp holding signs reading "Kick Vick" and "Sack Vick."
Let me be clear: The allegations, if true, are barbaric, and whether the defendants plea bargain or are tried, if convicted, they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Still, as former Congressman J.C. Watts noted, something's "out of whack" in this response. He wrote that people get "more worked up over the admittedly brutal and inhumane treatment of soulless dogs" than "the brutal procedure known as partial-birth abortion."
Writing in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Watts quoted CNN's Nancy Grace, who said that the dogs "can't defend themselves." He then reminded readers that unborn children are even more defenseless. "If only," Watts continued, "animal-rights [advocates] would acknowledge the more precious worth of human life."
Watts' explanation for this moral blindness is that "cultural degeneration" has so skewed our priorities that we decry "the mistreatment of innocent animals, while we turn a collective and legislative blind eye to the premature and yes, barbaric killing of human life in the name of 'choice.'"
He concludes by saying that "once—just once," he would like to see people express the same level of outrage at the taking of innocent human life as they do over the mistreatment of animals. "Absent that, [he weeps] for them and for our culture."
The blindness Watts describes is the result of the two most destructive ideas in our culture. The first is the belief in radical autonomy which exalts "choice" and blinds us to the reality of what is being chosen. Choice, after all, is just a process. What matters is what you choose.
The second is the denial that there is anything inherently special about man—he is just an especially clever primate. Thus, there's no reason to get more upset over the death of humans, however barbaric, than the death of animals.
Combine the two and you have sad irony that Watts noted—an irony whose contempt for human life should make us all weep.
______________
I can tell you, that I'm weeping for our culture!
Today the issue at hand at our home, is my father's health.
He is in an ICU dept. at a local hospital.
In light of this post.....I'm not sure if he might receive better care at an "animal rescue society"?
Duane
Duane
I believe it is a telling tale of our culture.
Please read and consider his thoughts.
_______________________
Of Dogs and BabiesCruelty and Outrage
August 17, 2007
Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia isn't known for mincing words on the Senate floor. Still, even by his standards, his recent comments about a crime in the news were especially impassioned.
He repeatedly called the alleged crime "barbaric" and even volunteered to attend the execution of the accused. He told his colleagues that he is "confident that the hottest places in hell are reserved for the souls of sick and brutal people who hold God's creatures in such brutal and cruel contempt . . ."
What prompted the senator's ire? Genocide? Ethnic cleansing? No, cruelty to animals, specifically the indictment of NFL star Michael Vick.
As you probably know, the Atlanta Falcons quarterback was recently indicted in connection with a dog-fighting ring allegedly operating out of his home in Virginia. The indictment included shocking details about the cruel way in which dogs that could no longer fight were disposed of.
Public reaction to the indictment was so strong that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took the unusual step of telling Vick not to report to the Falcons' training camp. If he had reported, Vick would have seen dozens of picketers outside the camp holding signs reading "Kick Vick" and "Sack Vick."
Let me be clear: The allegations, if true, are barbaric, and whether the defendants plea bargain or are tried, if convicted, they should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Still, as former Congressman J.C. Watts noted, something's "out of whack" in this response. He wrote that people get "more worked up over the admittedly brutal and inhumane treatment of soulless dogs" than "the brutal procedure known as partial-birth abortion."
Writing in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Watts quoted CNN's Nancy Grace, who said that the dogs "can't defend themselves." He then reminded readers that unborn children are even more defenseless. "If only," Watts continued, "animal-rights [advocates] would acknowledge the more precious worth of human life."
Watts' explanation for this moral blindness is that "cultural degeneration" has so skewed our priorities that we decry "the mistreatment of innocent animals, while we turn a collective and legislative blind eye to the premature and yes, barbaric killing of human life in the name of 'choice.'"
He concludes by saying that "once—just once," he would like to see people express the same level of outrage at the taking of innocent human life as they do over the mistreatment of animals. "Absent that, [he weeps] for them and for our culture."
The blindness Watts describes is the result of the two most destructive ideas in our culture. The first is the belief in radical autonomy which exalts "choice" and blinds us to the reality of what is being chosen. Choice, after all, is just a process. What matters is what you choose.
The second is the denial that there is anything inherently special about man—he is just an especially clever primate. Thus, there's no reason to get more upset over the death of humans, however barbaric, than the death of animals.
Combine the two and you have sad irony that Watts noted—an irony whose contempt for human life should make us all weep.
______________
I can tell you, that I'm weeping for our culture!
Today the issue at hand at our home, is my father's health.
He is in an ICU dept. at a local hospital.
In light of this post.....I'm not sure if he might receive better care at an "animal rescue society"?
Duane
Duane
Friday, August 3, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Interesting placement in a "news story"!
This paragraph in an article by Steve Holland on the web, was third from the last in a lengthy story about Lewis "Scooter" Libby.
I believe the story is more accusational against Bush, than factual reporting.
Here is the paragraph:
"Many at the White House found criticism from New York Sen. Hillary Clinton particularly ironic. Aside from the Rich pardon, her husband's former national security adviser, Sandy Berger, reached a plea deal in 2005 and avoided a jail sentence for illegally removing classified documents from the National Archives and destroying some of them."
Here is the link to the whole article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070703/pl_nm/usa_crime_libby_bush_dc_10;_ylt=AkStBI_yIwi6aUqoYzpwKbAE1vAI
You be the judge.
Duane
I believe the story is more accusational against Bush, than factual reporting.
Here is the paragraph:
"Many at the White House found criticism from New York Sen. Hillary Clinton particularly ironic. Aside from the Rich pardon, her husband's former national security adviser, Sandy Berger, reached a plea deal in 2005 and avoided a jail sentence for illegally removing classified documents from the National Archives and destroying some of them."
Here is the link to the whole article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070703/pl_nm/usa_crime_libby_bush_dc_10;_ylt=AkStBI_yIwi6aUqoYzpwKbAE1vAI
You be the judge.
Duane
Thursday, May 17, 2007
2008 Presidential Material?.....
Rec'd this via web news today.
I'm not looking forward to a long drawn out campaign for the 2008 election.... but I'm glad that one more gifted than I in communication, has entered the fray and voiced his concerns.
For me, its way too early for me to plant my flag behind a specific candidate.
I have had many concerns how many of my "right thinking" bloggers have seemed to jump in with both feet into the Rudy boat.
__________________________________________
"Is Rudy Giuliani presidential timber? I think not," Dobson said in the commentary.
"Can we really trust a chief executive who waffles and feigns support for policies that run contrary to his alleged beliefs? Of greater concern is how he would function in office," he said.
Giuliani leads the 10-man Republican field in national polls despite longstanding doubts about his candidacy from conservatives, but he has seen his lead over second-place Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) of Arizona shrink in recent weeks as social issues have moved to the fore of the debate.
Giuliani earned a national reputation for his leadership while he was mayor of New York after the September 11 attacks.
Dobson said Giuliani had tried to hide his views from conservatives, but "this leopard has not changed his spots." He also said the former mayor's three marriages raised "moral concerns about Giuliani's candidacy that conservatives should find troubling."
________________________________________________________
I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out in the media.
I loved the part in the last paragraph.... "this leopard has not changed his spots."
Duane
I'm not looking forward to a long drawn out campaign for the 2008 election.... but I'm glad that one more gifted than I in communication, has entered the fray and voiced his concerns.
For me, its way too early for me to plant my flag behind a specific candidate.
I have had many concerns how many of my "right thinking" bloggers have seemed to jump in with both feet into the Rudy boat.
__________________________________________
"Is Rudy Giuliani presidential timber? I think not," Dobson said in the commentary.
"Can we really trust a chief executive who waffles and feigns support for policies that run contrary to his alleged beliefs? Of greater concern is how he would function in office," he said.
Giuliani leads the 10-man Republican field in national polls despite longstanding doubts about his candidacy from conservatives, but he has seen his lead over second-place Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) of Arizona shrink in recent weeks as social issues have moved to the fore of the debate.
Giuliani earned a national reputation for his leadership while he was mayor of New York after the September 11 attacks.
Dobson said Giuliani had tried to hide his views from conservatives, but "this leopard has not changed his spots." He also said the former mayor's three marriages raised "moral concerns about Giuliani's candidacy that conservatives should find troubling."
________________________________________________________
I'm looking forward to seeing how this plays out in the media.
I loved the part in the last paragraph.... "this leopard has not changed his spots."
Duane
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