LSU beat Auburn tonight, but it was ugly. And when I say ugly, I mean really ugly. Again, there were too many penalties and turnovers, and LSU looked lucky to come away with the win. The final score was 12-10. What I said after the first game is still true today. LSU does not look like a championship team, even though their record is now 4-0. Unfortunately, the Tigers are not playing anywhere close the level that Alabama is playing at. Unless there’s a dramatic shift in the way that the Tigers are playing, I expect LSU to lose at least 1-2 regular season games this year. I hope I’m…
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Don’t Believe the Hype on the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife
My college Greek professor taught me more than simply how to read the Greek New Testament. He also instructed me that to be a theologian I would have to learn my “ABCD’s.” That was my prof’s acronym for “A Built in Crud Detector”—only he didn’t use the word “crud.”
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Same-Sex Marriage Poised To Win Popular Vote
Supporters of traditional marriage have always been quick to point out that same-sex marriage has never survived a popular vote at the state level. Even in the very blue state of California, Proposition 8 passed with a simple majority. That track record of success for traditional marriage may be about to change. NBC News reports:
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Justin Bieber’s Pro-life Story
Justin Bieber’s mother, Pattie Mallette, has just published a book about her lifestory. In it she reveals some painful details about her past. As a young girl, she endured sexual abuse and subsequently turned to substance abuse. She underwent some sort of religious conversion but nevertheless became pregnant out of wedlock at age 17. In a recent interview with Kathy Lee Gifford (see above), Mallette shares that she was encouraged to abort her unborn child, but she refused. Watch the excerpt above. The rest of the interview is here.
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The 9/11 Surfer
Do you remember the 9/11 story of the man who survived the collapse of the World Trade Center by “surfing” down from the upper floors on top of the rubble? I first heard that tale reported in the immediate aftermath of the attack. I remember thinking then that the story was far-fetched. Since then, the story has been written-off as an urban legend—an extraordinary fabrication stemming from extraordinary events.
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Close Up Video of a Live Volcano
Tim Challies posted a video today that is simply astonishing (see above). Filmmaker Geoff Mackley produced the film that shows a close-up view of a live volcano. Here’s his explanation of how he got the footage. AFTER A HAIR RAISING 400 METRE DESCENT MYSELF AND BRADLEY AMBROSE BECOME THE FIRST PEOPLE EVER TO GET THIS CLOSE, climbing down to within 30 metres of the lava it was so hot (1150 degrees) that without protection we could stand the heat for 6 seconds before retreating, with heat suit and BA I was able to stand it for 40 minutes.
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Michael Gerson Rebukes Libertarianism
Michael Gerson has a strong rebuke of “libertarian nonsense” in his column today for the Washington Post. He writes: A Republican ideology pitting the “makers” against the “takers” offers nothing. No sympathy for our fellow citizens. No insight into our social challenge. No hope of change. This approach involves a relentless reductionism. Human worth is reduced to economic production. Social problems are reduced to personal vices. Politics is reduced to class warfare on behalf of the upper class.
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Extended First Look at “Les Misérables”
A few months ago, I posted the first trailer to the upcoming movie-musical “Les Misérables.” It’s one of the most well-done trailers that I’ve ever seen. In just a couple of minutes, it captures all the pathos of Victor Hugo’s epic story. How were they able to do this? As the video above explains, the director recorded all the vocals live on set. They were not pre-recorded in a studio. This allowed the actors to act, even as they were singing their lines. If the trailer is any indication, this movie will be one that you won’t want to miss. (HT: Alex Medina)
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Compromising God’s Standards for Sexuality
Tim Challies suggests five ways in which Christians may compromise God’s standards for sexuality. He writes, It is not only unbelievers who compromise God’s standards for sexuality. We, as Christians, allow compromise to creep into our lives, and from there into our marriages, and from there into our churches. We, too, as compromisers. We, too, need the grace of God to resist the endless temptations to give up God’s good standards and to live by our own.
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Do gay rights conflict with Conservative Christian values?
Doug Wilson recently debated R. Clarke Cooper, Executive Director of Log Cabin Republicans. The event was sponsored by Collegiate Reformed Fellowship at the University of Idaho, and it addressed this question: “Do Gay Rights Conflict with Conservative Christian Values?” Wilson argues that they do, and Cooper argues that they don’t. At two and a half hours, this is a lengthy discussion. Watch it above, listen to it below, or download the audio here. [audio:http://www.foucachonmedia.com/music/debate-gay-rights-christian-values.mp3]