You can get to all of these by clicking here or just follow some of the links below.
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smoke gets in our eyes
We here at swordandspirit live in Southern California. If you have been a living, breathing human in the last weeks, and not glued to Joe Millionaire or Trading Spaces, you know we are having a set of fires the likes of which we here have never seen. Sure, we have had our occasional major earthquake to destroy our houses and kill our people. But this was something rather new, at least the hellish scale of it was.
 We all here know people who were affected by it. Here are just a few of the stories: The house of a colleague of Dan's burned to the ground in the Old Fire. A teacher at the school down the street from me lost her house in the Hemet/Temecula fire. A family of one of the students at my school helped evacuate one family from that same fire, only to arrive at their own property later to find their home had been totally destroyed. And they had no insurance. My family camped at a campsite in Cuyamaca (see picture) just south of Julian in San Diego County last summer. The campsite is no more, neither are several hundred thousand acres and hundreds and hundreds of homes around that area. Thanks to the uber-devastating Cedars Fire. Smoke wasn't the only thing bringing tears to our eyes.
It has been quite a tragic time. So, you're thinking, how can you help? Beside the all-important prayer for the comfort and spiritual guidance these victims need, perhaps you can donate a little time or money to organizations like The Salvation Army who are trying to feed and shelter thousands of people who either can't go back to their home, or have no home to go back to. Don't donate to us, we have no idea how to handle money in cases like this. But these people and other groups like Samaritan's Purse do. Would you prayerfully consider donating to them to help our neighbors?
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everyone's right if everyone's wrong!
When it comes to religion nowadays, well, it seems like just about everybody is A-OK! God forbid someone should imply that one religion is more correct than another. Someone might be offended! Or, someone might grow up. In the spirit of our nation's forefathers, we think discussion of religion is a good thing that leads one to the truth, good even though it may temporarily cause someone to feel bad about the fallacy of his or her own world view. That said, we again feature an article by Ken Samples Do all religions lead to God? He describes it thus: Do Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus worship the same God? Given the present cultural milieu of globalism, multiculturalism, relativism, and especially the postmodern spirit, the growing climate of religious pluralism poses a serious challenge to the integrity of the Christian faith. Go print it out and have a good read! |
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burning bosom: Holy Spirit or bad tamales
Here are two thing that don't exactly share the same way of thinking: Mormonism and science. Well, Rich Deem, our buddy at godandscience.org has a nice summary of how to use science and facts to pretty much knock a weird set of beliefs the likes of Mormonism out of the baseball field of believability into the parking lot of cult "thinking." It is a free powerpoint presentation called Testing the Creation Model of the LDS Church. Using cosmology and archaeology among other things, Rich systematically exposes the unbridled creativity that is Mormonism. Go here and learn about it so that next time they come to your door, you'll be locked and loaded. Maybe you can even show the presentation to them. Then ask them questions! Then offer them a Pepsi or coffee or tea! (Kidding on that last part.) |
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methinks they are monkeys, m'Lord!
One interesting site that was shown us is The Monkey Shakespeare Simulator. It's a computer simulation of monkeys randomly typing on a typewrite and their chances of producing Shakespeare as a result. It's a clever way of showing you how really really really tough it is for random chance to produce meaning. Pray havest thou more fun than a barrel of monkeys! |
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from the tract rack!
This month we feature our tract, The Clearing. This is a story about a man living in the forest by himself, believing he's in God's country, completely at peace. Until he is visited by Them. His life then takes a frightening turn for the absolute worse. The Clearing is a Kafkaesque modern day parable about abortion. Go here, print it out, and go have a good read - but not right before you go to bed. |
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new noozes
On the lighter side, we finally have some new noozes. For the uninitiated, our Nooz section is a creative outlet for those of us cursed with the Satirical Gene. This month we had no less than three contributions by Charlie LeHardy, a kindred spirit in the seemingly fruitless drive to make a difference via the internet. (Charlie's site is AnotherThink.) His creative contributions for us have to do with The Disciple's Cooler, A Holy War between Quakers and Baptists, and Scientists & the Hand of God. Go to the Nooz section by clicking here. |
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satire site sighting
So, you like satire just like we do. Well, not only do we dish it out in steamy, giant portions but apparently some upstarts do as well, and as well, or better - perhaps. One of our family turned us on to The Holy Observer a crazy place that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the modern Christian Church and delivers satire along with all the appetizers and dessert you can ask for. Go check out their site and remember it is just satire. It is we, laughing at ourselves. Some people just won't get it, like in the next nooz item... |
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checking humor at the door
In our own Nooz Section, full of satire and warning, we have a story about Jars of Clay and Apple Computer joining ranks to spread evil. It was based on real stories we read about Jars and Apple, but we married the stories and satirized it to a fare-thee-well - obviously, we thought. But one reader didn't get it. Here's a letter we got. (By the way: We love Jars of Clay and we use Macs.) Get the kids out of the room!
How dare you suggest that the members of Jars of Clay has sold their souls to Satan. Shame on you! Their heart is in the right place. Their attitudes are completely positive. What right have you to be so condescending, and judge them? Their salvation is between them and God, and they are claiming Christian. There's nothing you can say--with any real merit--that can prove or even support your claim that they have rejected God. I can't believe you call this a Christian attitude, trying to warn us that Jars of Clay has released themselves to the devil. Shame on you! I hope you think twice before you do this again. You had better be sure that you know what you're talking about before you pop off like that. I just don't even know what to say anymore. How could you do that? And to warp their picture, to say that they themselves are secret little devils--God forbid! You tell me one place in Scripture where we are asked to make complete mockery out of someone who not only professes salvation in Christ, but is truly saved and leading others to the Lord, and I'll show you ten that says we're to build each other up, not tear each other down.
You had best reply to this email, or you'll be getting plenty more from Jars fans around the world. Website postings are very useful. You can expect that you're review of the band will be on a very popular, and often visited, Jars site. And soon, if sometime isn't corrected here. Again, reply to this. I want an explanation. And we deserve it.
(BTW, Apple computers are NOT the devil's playground. But then I suppose you'd say Windows was built to the glory of the Lord... Please. Watch Pirates of Silicon Valley, and you'll understand the true nature of Windows. And you have to use some computer to make that site of yours, and no computer system is arguably less diabolic than Apple. Shame on you. Such ignorance.)
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the skies above
the latest astronomy article has a holiday astronomy gift guide. Go here. And if you'd like to see this column in your own local paper, please let me know, so I can write to them and grovel. |
| Thanks for your kind words of support and encouragement. We don't expect to please everyone with what we say and how we do it. So prayer and encouragement are always welcome. Thanks very much from the three of us! |
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