Cal Thomas writes about the pastor who burned the Qur’an: “Terry Jones is a cipher. Like those clowns who makeup the family-only Westboro ‘Baptist’ Church in Kansas, Jones does not represent the example of Jesus, but is a grand stander who seeks attention for himself. More than two [dozen] people died in Afghanistan. The murderers said Jones’ burning of the Koran was the reason. Again, those killers might well have found another excuse for their acts, but Americans — and especially ministers who claim to be acting in God’s name — ought not to be providing more fuel to an already incendiary situation.”
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Burning the Qur’an and Murdering Humans
John Piper has some valuable reflections about the Florida pastor who burned the Qur’an and the violent response in the Middle East. He writes: “The burning of the Qur’an and the murder of human beings are not morally equivalent. That’s true. And it is, frankly, outrageous the way some commentators speak with more moral indignation about the burning of holy books than the butchery of human bodies. In the western media this seems to me to be sheer fear.”
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KJB – The Book That Changed the World
If you haven’t seen it yet, there is a new documentary out on the making of the King James Version of the Bible. It is narrated by John Rhys Davies, and it looks really fascinating. The video is linked above.
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One Shining Moment
Well, the tournament is over. Both teams in the final game played horribly. The only thing that could have redeemed this pitiful display would have been a Cinderella victory by Butler. But that didn’t happen. UConn lifted the stink enough in the second half to pull out the win. As I write this, the trophy presentation is gearing up, and some guy behind the scenes is cuing up the “One Shining Moment” highlight reel from the 2011 tourney. I wonder if any of you out there in internet land will agree with me that “One Shining Moment” is a really bad soundtrack for the highlight reel. Which brings me to…
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An Atheist on Gender Neutral Bibles
Christopher Hitchens has high praise for the King James Bible in the latest issue of Vanity Fair. This year is the 400th anniversary of the KJV, and Hitchens makes the case for the superiority of the King James Bible over all comers. In one section of the essay, Hitchens takes umbrage with gender neutral language in modern versions. In particular, he criticizes the Contemporary English Version’s use of “my friends” in place of the KJV’s “brethren.” He writes: “Pancake-flat: suited perhaps to a basement meeting of A.A., these words could not hope to penetrate the torpid, resistant fog in the mind of a 16-year-old boy, as their original had done…
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Meet Jacob Tucker
Move over Spud Webb. Jacob Tucker is a 5’10” guard from Illinois College (Division III), and on Thursday he won the NCAA slam dunk contest. That’s right. He flew over, out-dunked and outdazzled all the Division I bigshots. I don’t know what else to say. This guy is amazing. The winning dunks are above. Some bonus dunks are below.
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Introducing Gmail Motion
I am an avid Gmail user, and they have a new service out called “Gmail Motion.” It allows users to compose messages without a keyboard or a mouse. It’s an amazing technology that uses your computer’s inboard camera to detect hand and body motions. Watch the video above. Read about it and download here.
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Deepest Swimming Pool Ever
A company in Dubai has just put a pool on the top floor of a 100 story skyscraper. You will not believe how deep this pool is. You have to see it to believe it. View pictures here.
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Bell Says He’s Been Slandered
In an emotional interview with Sally Quinn, Rob Bell says that he has been misunderstood and slandered. There is much that could be said in response to this accusation. I think Quinn followed-up with the most obvious response. In what way does he feel misrepresented and slandered? Bell’s answers, however, really miss the mark in my view. First, he sort of alleges that his critics are accusing him of not being a “serious follower of Jesus.” I don’t know anyone who is saying that he is not a serious follower of his version of Jesus. Second, he suggests that his critics don’t understand that he is simply trying to present…
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Embarrassed about the Bible?
In a recent article for First Things, Gerald McDermott writes about the reluctance of some evangelical scholars to identify with their own tradition: “Evangelical theologians, like other orthodox thinkers, are susceptible to the peculiarly academic sort of ambition that seeks acceptance and recognition by their liberal colleagues. We want the academy’s approval, and so we are tempted to write and teach a theology that will be consistent with its moral and theological sensibilities.”