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Tolerance as a Virtue???

February 28, 2005

The Democrats say they want to court the religious in America. This is Howard Dean's attempt: Dean roars into town

"The issue is not abortion," Dean told the closed-door fund-raiser. "The issue is whether women can make up their own mind instead of some right-wing pastor, some right-wing politician telling them what to do." And Dean told the Hiebert fund-raiser that gay marriage was a Republican diversion from discussions of ballooning deficits and lost American jobs. That presents an opportunity to attract moderate Republicans, he said. "Moderate Republicans can't stand these people (conservatives), because they're intolerant. They don't think tolerance is a virtue," Dean said, adding: "I'm not going to have these right-wingers throw away our right to be tolerant."

Tolerance as defined in The American Heritage Dictionary:

The capacity for or the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practices of others.

In other words, we are putting up with something that we do not agree with or we find abhorent. When the Bible teaches us to love and pray for our enemies, to invite sinners into our home, to love the sinner - hate the sin; that is tolerance as a virtue. It does not include casting out right-wing pastors, politicians and anyone who is passionately pro-life and pro-family.

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Boston anacharists target Fidelity

February 28, 2005

In a break from my traditional blogging fodder - I bring this news bulletin from the Boston Herald.
A group of Boston based anacharits called Anarchist Black Cross Boston is willing to use armed resistance to target government and businesss offices in Boston to create a classless society.
Fidelity Investments (my husband's company) is on the target list.
They say they are not associated with al-queda, that offers me little comfort.

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The C-word debate

February 28, 2005

Robert Novak: The hinge of history sums up the cloning debate in Massachusetts nicely. The lines coming out of Massachusetts scientists and politicians would have the general reader think that being against cloning is being against cures for any disease. They've moved the arguement from foundational ethical/moral decisions to arguements about the desire to see the paralyzed walk and the old age "with dignity" (equating Alzheizmer's patients with losing their dignity - preparing the ground for another debate - euthansia). Read the article - its a great summation of a critical debate.

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Terri Schiavo update

February 27, 2005

We are approaching Good Friday and La Shawn Barber's Corner post reminds me of Pontiaus Pilate. Another unwise judge, this time in the Terri Schiavo case. This judge is washing his hands as well. LaShawn Berber writes:

On March 18, barring a court order to the contrary, Michael Schiavo's wish will come true. The judge said he's no longer "comfortable" trying to keep Terri alive. He washes his hands of the whole mess:

The judge wrote that he was no longer comfortable granting delays in the family feud, which has been going on for nearly seven years and has been waged in every level of Florida's court system. He said the case must end...."The court is no longer comfortable granting stays simply upon the filings of new motions," Greer wrote. "There will always be 'new' issues."

2000 years later and the courts remain morally ambivalent if not reprehensible. Keep praying for Teri and her family. Go to Terri's fight for updates and ways you can help.

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Forgiveness, a two-way street

February 27, 2005

JOLLYBLOGGER writes about forgiveness. He points out how are forgiveness is often tied to repentence. This is true, but it is only half of the equation. Forgiveness needs to be given as well as received.
First, let's look at Jollyblogger's first steps. He suggests you think of people who have offended you and ask these questions.

1. How many of them don't even know that they have offended someone else?
2. How many of them know they have offended someone else, but they think that the other person has misunderstood them and is just being a little too sensitive, or touchy?
3. How many of them know they have offended someone but feel that the other person is at least partially to blame?
4. How many of them believe that someone else's sin against them justifies their own sin against that person?
5. How many of them are sorry for what they have done, but not really "sorry enough" in the eyes of the one whom they have offended?
6. How many of them are cold-hearted and just don't really care whom they offend?

This is an good place to start when looking at our heart. On the cross Jesus shows us what true forgiveness looks like.
Jollyblogger goes on to site a Christianity Today article where R.T. Kendall says this:

One of Jesus' main teachings was that we love our enemies, pray for them, and do good to those who have hurt us. It is curious how some of us read the Gospels over and over and miss this. We may get the theology, but not the graciousness that Jesus taught and exemplified.

How much repentance do you suppose there was at the Cross while Jesus hung there? There was not only an utter absence of repentance, but also total contempt. Jesus' reply: "Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

Grudges, bitterness, old hurts seem to plagueing so many Christians. Forgiveness, praying for our enemies, having the mind of Christ would empower and free the church in such a powerful way, we would hardly recognize it.

But... I believe this is only the first step. Once we've been forgiven we need to accept that forgiveness. I once spoke to a gentleman who said, "How dare she forgive me, I've done nothing wrong!" In addition to forgiving we need to be ready to accept forgiveness, often just as difficult as forgiving. Sadly, we stand before God as well, and refuse his forgiveness because we are unwilling to face our sin. Forgiveness is a two-way street, it must be given, and received. It starts with seeing our sin, and forgiving others for their sin. One, without the other, cripples.

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Macbeth and Total Depravity

February 26, 2005

Have you ever worked on a post for an hour - AND THAN LOST IT!!! Now you know how I feel.
I had a grand post on MacBeth, Total Depravity, Harold Bloom, and Neibuhr. Than I hit close instead of post. So let me quickly summarize.

I started rereading Macbeth. Specifically Harold Bloom's guide to Shakespeare's Macbeth. Bloom describes himself as an "unbelieving Jew of strong Gnostic tendencies." Bloom sees Macbeth as us,

Macbeth is all too human. ...since we are Macbeth, though we are pragmatically neither murderers nor mediums, and he is. ...The proleptic element in Macbeth's imagination reaches out to our own apprehensiveness, our universal sense that the dreadful is about to happen, and that we have no choice but to participate in it.

Bloom shows Macbeth to be a passive pawn of his own imagination, and then, the violent acting upon those thoughts. Unknown forces contaminate Macbeth. "The nature that Macbeth most strenouously violates is his own, but though he learns this even as he begins the violation, he refuses to follow Lady Macbeth into madness and suicide." But his nature, is as he imagines it.
Rather than a gnostic view of Macbeth, I see the drama as an example of man's total depravity. Yes, we are Macbeth. No, we do not have to participate in a destiny that is forced upon us by external powers. We are born of sin, son's of Adam, a wrathful God has made judgement upon us, but has chosen to provide redemption through his son taking on sin and its judgement by paying the penalty for our sins on the cross.
When I first saw Macbeth - I saw evil, when I later read Macbeth I saw evil coupled with ambition and its violent results. Now I still see evil in Macbeth, but he is evil because he is a man born of sin. This makes Macbeth even more tragic and empty, because there is no redemption. Unlike Harold Bloom who says,

That pretty much makes Christianity as irrelevant to Macbeth as it is to King Lear, and indeed to all the Shakespearean tragedies.

On the contrary, Macbeth is the most Christian of the Shakespearean tragedies. A man born in sin, swallowed by sin, and responsible for his sin - sees no need for a Saviour. Now that is a TRAGEDY.

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The Interview Game - Come play!

February 24, 2005

I volunteered to be interviewed by Tod Bolsinger of It Takes a Church. After posting here I will turn around and interview some other blog writers, look for details below.
Here are my answers:

1. What's your favorite Shakespeare writing, or, what inspired the quote for the name of your blog?

Well, I'll answer both. My favorite Shakespeare writing is MacBeth - but there are no quotes from MacBeth that would be blog friendly. I came up with Mine and Thine for three reasons.
1) I love Latin, and Latin phrases, Meum et Tuum is from Cicero, and is translated mine and thine, a phrase I've loved.
2) A.W. Tozer has written A Prayer of a Minor Prophet. In it he says:

My God, I shall not waste time deploring my weakness nor my unfittedness for the work. The responsibility is not MINE, but THINE. Thou has said, "I knew thee - I ordained thee - I sanctified thee," and Thou hast also said, "Thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." Who am I to argue with Thee or to call in to question Thy sovereign choice? The decision is not MINE but THINE. So be it, Lord. Thy will, not MINE, be done.

3) Shakespeare's Sonnet 38 : How can my Muse want Subject to Invent?

If my slight Muse do please these curious days, The pain be mine, and thine shall be the praise.

The muse/poet was using a young man as inspiration for all he wrote. The poet felt he was running out of new ideas and even said in Sonnet 108 "must each day say o'er the very same." This encapsulates for me the joy and fear of blogging. I look for fresh ideas, and I'm dependent on others for my inspiration. I fear my muse will run out - but Lord willing it continues - the pain be mine and thine be the praise.
If you put Tozer's prayer, Shakespeare's sonnet and a beautiful Latin phrase together - that is how you get to Mine and Thine.

2. What's the short story of how you came to be a Calvinist?

I grew up in a Plymouth Brethren Church. As a teen I attended a conservative Baptist youth group, went on to a charismatic assembly, and than a Presbyterian Church in America church post-college. At the PCA church we studied the Westminster Catechism for Sunday School. This was my first exposure to reformed, Calvinism. I fell in love with the doctrine of justification by faith alone and Jonathan Edwards, Man's total depravity and God's effectual grace became real in R.C. Sproul's writings. I learned to put first things first - the Lord seeking and saving me. This provides even today joy, peace, comfort, mystery and awe - the depths by God's grace I continue to plumb. In Calvinism I found the gospel - the good news. This last Sunday we sang "Amazing Grace" it is wonderful to sing that song and understand what it means.

3. Why did you start a blog?

I have two reasons for starting my blog. My friends say "Ask Chris, she'll know." That is not entirely true - but I do seem to be able to read and absorb a lot of discrete information and than pull it together in ways that are meaningful. Something I've read in a newspaper, than heard mention of on TV, reminds me of a book read 10 years ago, a website that gives more detail, a friend of a friend who knows. I hope to use and practice this information gift with my blog.
The second reason is I hope to connect with other reformed believers. Living in New England often seems like the desert of Christianity. I have a very small church, very limited Christian fellowship that offers meaningful dialogue. I hope my blog can continue meaningful and edifying dialogue among other Christian bloggers - so that we all may benefit and grow - it's a way of being part of a larger Christian community.

4. Describe the church you've always wanted to belong to?

Like I said in a previous post, Tod's church sounds about perfect. But since I don't live in California let me dream... The church would have sound Biblical reformed teaching. Each Sunday I would walk out and know that the Gospel was preached. This is the foundation! From there I would look for a maturing congregation. Evidence of discipleship. I want to be part of a "growing in the knowledge and love of the Lord" congregation. Active church discipline and discipleship are hallmarks. People that pray and care for each other. I could go on and on... but let me also say - I'm looking for community.
I miss being part of a church community. Maybe it is New England, maybe it is our busy lifestyle, maybe it is our church. I dream (and my closest friends dream) of starting a Christian commune. Yes, we are joking. But, we desire a place of safety, love, companionship, shared vision, worship and accountability that is a retreat, but still in our community. A place where we could gain strength and encouragement, but still engage the world. You get the idea.
I'll close with a question... why does it seem that to gain community you have to accept theological looseness? We have churches up here you are big on community - almost mega churches (by New England standards), but they lack theological vitality, it's all about the programs. The church I've always wanted to belong to has both community and affirms sola fide, soli Christo, soli Deo Gloria, and sola gratia.

Here's how you can play the interview game:

1. Leave me a comment saying "interview me." The first five commentators will be the participants.
2. I will respond by asking you five questions.
3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. (Write your own questions or borrow some.)

Thanks Tod, this has been fun. I look forward to interviewing other bloggers.

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Ideal Church

February 24, 2005

Tod Bolsinger at It Takes A Church... is playing the interview game. I will post later today my interview. Meanwhile his question, "Describe the church you've always wanted to belong to?" has got me thinking.
First, I want to belong to Tod's church (superficial reasons are listed - to go with this post). First, I want to live in California, have cookies on the patio between services, go to Lenten services in a small chapel take pictures of sunsets over the ocean that sing God's glory, fellowship on the beach with church friends, go to Big Wednesdays for pie, etc.

Here in Massachusetts is my church. Slog into a cold (literally) high school that turns off the heat on the weekends, find your seat in a massive auditorium that seats 1000 with 80 other church goers, look at the pulpit set to the side of "Guys and Dolls" playing March 3,4 and 5th, participate in the Lord's Table while listening to feedback from KISS 98.9 on the sound system and try to keep my mind focused on worship.
After church we gather in the FREEZING cafeteria around a small fold up table (everything is fold-up since we have to carry in and out all church things every week) and have some coffee. Look out at the unplowed sidewalks hoping no one breaks there neck while walking to the remote parking lot, fold everything up and go home.

This is it - no weeknight meetings (no place), no get-togethers (we live spread over 30 miles of Boston), no choir, no youth group (well, there were 3 last week ), no sense of place or church as I knew it growing up.

So what is my ideal church - and why am I a member of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in New England. That's complicated - hope to answer some of these questions later today.

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Triple murderer execution stayed - Terri???

February 23, 2005

Kendall Coffey, Former US Attorney for Southern Florida on Fox News mentions William Elledge on death row for triple murder. He has been waiting 30 years for his execution. Terri Schiavo in a Florida hospice, waits her murder to start at 5:00 today.

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Evangelicals stake an outpost in Bioethics

February 23, 2005

Joe Carter over at Evangelical Outpost accepts a job with The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity. Congratulations to both parties. Joe is an influential blogger who has a one-two punch blogging style. Bioethics is a complicated, pit-laden, VERY serious concern for all Christians. We need more education and dialogue in the Christian community. Catholics have been good, getting better, while evangelicals have lagged in communicating sharp, worldview thinking. The addition of Joe to the mix shapes up to be win for evangelical voices in bioethics.

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Terri's Cries unheard...

February 22, 2005

Horrible News The court remains silent! Michael Schiavo can slowly begin to starve Terri to death as soon as tomorrow. What can be said?
I'm reading Os Guinness's book Unspeakable - Facing up to Evil in an Age of Genocide and Terror. Guinness quotes the Scottish skeptic and atheist, David Hume,

The first entrance into life gives anguish to the new-born infant and to its wretched parent: weakness, impotence, distress attend each stage of that life, and it is, at last, finished in agony and horror.

As Christians we cannot change the reality of Terri's sentence, but we cannot be skeptics. We must rest in the hope that God has heard our prayers and is glorified even in the face of evil. Let's pray for Terri's family, continue to take a stand against the evil of euthansia, and work to end this evil horror.

UPDATE: Judge Greer issues stay till 5:00 pm Wed. Terri fights!

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Circle of Death

February 21, 2005

Stem cell research may be boon to fertility clinics / Insight gleaned in lab could help couples conceive
Oh, the many benefits of embryonic stem cell research!!! Here is another one - we can create more successful IVF outcomes (babies born). But does this tap into science's supply of embroyonic stem cells. If all these frozen embryos become born babies - where do we get the stem cells. Oh yeah, cloning.... The circle of death goes on.
Interesting quote from this article:

Fertility specialists hope the stem cell work will lead to better methods of handling embryos and perhaps provide a clearer understanding of human development at this very early stage. Ultimately, this could translate into improved IVF success rates.

Handling embryos, human development, early stage - could this mean embroyos are early humans and not just a mass of cells???? Funny how the truth comes out.

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Crossing To Safety - Book Review

February 21, 2005

A good friend, almost 80, a wise Christian woman who reads voraciously - recommended the American writer Wallace Stegner and his novel Crossing to Safety. A recommendation from this friend is good enough to get me reading.
Crossing to Safety is beautifully written. Stegner is a master of words and pulls you into his time and place. With large parts of the novel set in Vermont, Crossing to Safety is a New England novel. The characters have New England sensabilities and eccentricities. Set during the depression it follows two newly married couples through their academic lives, travels, and travails. Mostly, the book is about marriage and friendship.
Stegner deals with the difficult and prickly parts of our personality. The prickles come out to stab and bother at the most ordinary times. Friends overlook the prickles, marriages develop tough (but not calloused) skin. Sorrow and pain occasionally poke through.
Read this book and you will see yourself in one of the four characters. You'll gain insight into your friendships and your marriages. You will feel a new tendernesss towards those who do not always meet our standards.

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U.N. approves ban on human cloning

February 19, 2005

Question: When does the UN show wisdom that evades Massachusetts, California and New Jersey?

Surprisingly, when the UN calls for a ban on human cloning.

Massachusetts Senate President Robert Travalglini - take notice!
Governer Mitt Romney - Keep up the good fight!

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Massuchusetts Stem Cell Debate

February 19, 2005

The Boston Globe publishes their account of embroyonic stem cell alternatives. Here is a fairer summary, and here is the transcript of the President's Council on Bioethics meeting last December where Dr. William Hurlbut of Stanford University proposed a way of getting embryonic stem cells without creating or destroying embroyos. Using a techniques called "altered nuclear transfer" embryonic stem cells would be made available without creating embroyos.
A human embryo is defined as any whole, living member of the species homo sapiens in the embryonic stage, which includes the stages of zygote, morula, and blastocyst. A human embryo is that which, barring natural failure or lethal intervention, will become what everybody recognizes as a baby.
First Things explains "altered nuclear transfer" as a type of embroyonic stem cell that once created never could and never would become a baby and, it therefore follows, is never a human being at any point. It is so to speak, human material, as an amputated ear is human material. Otherwise it could not provide human stem cells. But it is not a human being. It is human life but it is not a human life.
Contrast this explanation with Peter Koutoujian's statement (a Waltham, MA Democrat who is cochairman of the Legislature's Public Health Committee.)

This is science proposed by a nonscientist. This gentleman is a medical ethicist and his theory has been debunked by research scientists throughout academia. Even if this can be done, he's presenting a compromised entity. It is not the same as an embryonic stem cell. It is a damaged embryo so you can't even compare. You can't use apples to make orange juice.

With closed minds, and agenda driven politician's like Peter Koutoujian, Mitt Romney has a fight on his hands.

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Terri cries

February 19, 2005

Wittenburg Gate asks for a bloggers best for Terr Schiavo. Our best at this late date (two days before Terri's feeding tube is to be pulled) is our prayers. Terri and her family has our prayers - Now hear is my post.
I am not a theologian, a philosopher, a politician or an activist. I am a mother, wife, daughter and a Christian. A theologian can write persuasively about Imago Dei and how only God can know our time. A philosopher may write about natural law and our innate revulsion at the taking of a human life. A politician may debate the use of torture for terrorists that leads to death, than draw parallels to the torture of, starvation and dehydration, of those more innocent. An activist draws our minds to stark images of partial-birth abortion and the acknowledgement by even the most partision for anesthesia for the unborn baby ripped from her mother's womb. Than asks cynically, will Terri receive anesthesia as she suffers such a callous death?
All of these questions are important if not shocking. But a Christian mother, wife, daughter asks, no, pleads to our great God for a miracle. God champions the oppressed, Oh Lord,

Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you! Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!
For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace. My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread;... But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.... He appears in his glory; he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer. Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD: that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die, that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD.
Psalm 102:1-21a

Terri cries, we cry, the Lord hears our cries.

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TNIV for who?

February 18, 2005

Driving with my son today he wondered why I just ordered the new English Standard Version Study Bible. I explained the controversy surrounding the TNIV gender neutral, politically correct Bible. I stated that I was using the ESV - and actually liked it better.
His comment "You mean they are trying to make a Bible for non-Christians that doesn't offend anyone? Come on it's the BIBLE!!??"
I praise God that the word of God gives offense - it is after all the Good News.

Check out more on Mark D.Roberts - Is the TNIV Good News?

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Passion Recut

February 18, 2005

The Passion of the Christ is going to be recut to be less intense. Mel Gibson said in this article that he was trying to focus more on Christ's sacrifice than his suffering. I'm anxious to see this recut.
Last Lenten season we made a tough decision - we let our than 12 year old son decide if he wanted to see The Passion. He had heard so much about the movie, he'd read articles and heard many conversations. He decided to go. We of course over-prepared him. By the time the opening scene came across the screen we were a nervous wreck. We feared we were scarring our child for life.
My son is glad to this day he saw the movie. We are planning on viewing it again on Good Friday (he will again have the choice). I've gone to the Lord's supper since seeing the movie with a new appreciation of Christ's sacrifice. I'm glad the movie will be more accesible to teens who are ready.

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New Design

February 15, 2005

Welcome to my new blog design. Many thanks to Tim Challies at Challies Dot Com for the great design. His blog is one of my favorites and a must watch daily blog!
Check out the cool Reading link on the left. Of course, it will take me about a month to enter ALL the books I'm currently reading. Just don't look to carefully for the change from Reading to Read.

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Terri's fight and God's miracles

February 14, 2005

God is a God of miracles. Who are we to usurp God's authority? Read this After 20 Years of Silence, Brain-Damaged Woman Begins Talking.
Now go to Terri's page. Man has decided that in 8 days (Feb 22nd) they are going to play God. Pray!!!!!

Make sure you scroll down and click on some of Terri's videos. You will never think the same!

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To Know Mercy

February 10, 2005

Thursday morning's Women of the Church Bible Study always leads to blog thoughts. Today we were studying Romans 9 using Boice's excellent commentary. Our discussion of the doctrine of election led us to explore God's justice and God's mercy. We were commenting on how mercy only has meaning if there is justice first.
One of my friends had the privilege of studying under R.C. Sproul many years ago. Sproul made an impact on her when he said,

If you really want to experience God's mercy in your life, first - pray for God's justice.

We all gasped - yes, we want God's mercy, but his justice????
Thankfully, God is a God of justice and a God of mercy! Sproul sure knows how to say it!

To

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Poor and Pagan

February 2, 2005

An uprising of traditional social gospel is hitting our shores. Daily Kos links to this: Morality Isn't Guaranteed By Politics in Jesus' Name. Here's a quote: 

As the emotions from the 2004 election recede, it is time to contemplate its meaning. There is a multitude of exit poll data to examine, but here is a set of numbers that caught my eye. 

 --Persons who say they attend church more than weekly: Bush 64 percent, Kerry 35 percent.
--Persons whose annual income is greater than $200,000: Bush 64 percent, Kerry 35 percent.
--Persons whose annual income is less than $15,000: Bush 36 percent, Kerry 63 percent.

These numbers are so stunning that it takes a moment to recognize what they are saying. It is apparent that there has been a major shift in the identity of the church, and it is difficult to imagine a more searing indictment of Christianity in America.

If those who attend church more than weekly represent its most committed members, those whose identity is most closely connected to the church, then what do the numbers tell us?

They tell us that the church votes just like rich people and just the opposite of poor people.

Compassionate conservatism is being challenged by this illogical mixing of numbers.
I guess these same numbers show Kerry voters are poor and pagan.

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