Robert Novak is shocked, shocked that Mike Huckabee is not a libertarian. It's a shame someone as learned as Novak would conflate the terms "libertarian" and "conservative."
But never mind Novak--Huckabee stole the show (again) at the CNN/YouTube Republican debate on Wednesday. From a purely oratorical standpoint (forget about policy for the moment) the former Arkansas governor had the crowd roaring, and the other candidates looking stiff.
I tell ya, I'd really like to see a Huckabee v. Obama race. It could snap the country out of a national political funk.
BC
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Wind on the Way
Via the Jim River Report and South Dakota Politics, news today that Governor Rounds and Senator Thune will be in Aberdeen (SD) on Monday to announce the arrival of a new wind turbine facility.
I think it's probably time to establish a Mayor Mike Levsen Day in Aberdeen.
Cheers,
BC
The Aberdeen American News says: A wind turbine plant? You don't know that for sure. But probably, yeah, that's what it is. -BC
I think it's probably time to establish a Mayor Mike Levsen Day in Aberdeen.
Cheers,
BC
The Aberdeen American News says: A wind turbine plant? You don't know that for sure. But probably, yeah, that's what it is. -BC
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
To the Wedding DJ...
...all I'm saying is that you should've played this song at the wedding dance. That's all I'm saying.
BC
Friday, November 9, 2007
This Present Darkness
"This is fundamentally a religious war...Under no circumstances should we forget this enmity between us and the infidels. For, the enmity is based on creed." -Osama bin Laden
"To win a gunfight, first you have to bring a gun, and to win a religious war, you had better know something about religion...None of the political leaders of the West, and few of the West's opinion leaders, comprehend this." -Spengler
"The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue." -Psalmist
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." -St. Paul
Have a great weekend, everybody.
-BC
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Just Down the Road
In The Wild Olive's first stab at guest commentary, we have a story from TC in Tea, South Dakota, just outside of Sioux Falls. As TC's account demonstrates, Biblical principles often appear clear on the page -- but in practice, moral choices on how best to further the Kingdom of Heaven are often difficult to discern. Read the account below and tell me -- what would you do in this situation, and on what basis?
Earlier this summer, an adult store, make that "super" store, was opened just a short mile outside of Tea on the way to Interstate 29. Much protest ensued from the locals over Olivia's, which touted itself as a good, upstanding, reputable business that would be beneficial to the local economy. It's actually a sister store to its Sioux Falls counterpart, Annabelle's.
A lot of people were making uneducated, emotional statements about how the store would ruin the community, hurt their children, and among other things, encourage drunken driving (apparently from the potential customers who would drive to the 24-hour store while 3 sheets to the wind during odd hours of the night). Lincoln county, and the city of Tea, currently have no restrictions or regulations on these types of adult businesses, so legally, everything has been done by the book, and the owner/manager has been fairly accommodating to local suggestions (he voluntarily changed the building color from bright purple to egg shell white, and changed his sign out front to display "Olivia's" in large letters, instead of "Adult").
Now, before you think I'm promoting places of this nature, let me just say that I am not personally in favor of a store like this opening anywhere, anytime. While it is a free country and people can do what they like within the confines of the law, verifiable studies have shown that these SOB's (that's Sexual Oriented Businesses, not Sons of... well, you know the rest) have secondary effects on a community such as increased criminal activity, property devaluation and urban blight. Even if all the evidence pointed the opposite direction (that such a store was actually good for the community), I would still, because of my own personal faith and convictions, not want a store like this open in my, or anyone else's, community.
Olivia’s is one of those “bold” types of businesses. But a few weeks ago, something equally bold appeared in the same vicinity. Olivia's is on the north side of 271st St, and on the south side of the road is a corn field. Directly across from Olivia's, on the south side of the road, just between the corn field and the ditch, popped up what appeared to be a large, 12-foot wooden cross (which is conveniently the very first thing Olivia’s customers see as they exit the store). At first I thought it might have been something to do with the electrical or telephone lines, but after driving by again during my lunch break, it was unquestionably the instrument used by the Romans to crucify Jesus Christ.
A number of thoughts crossed my mind, but here are two that stuck out...1) "What is the point? That cross is only going to add fuel to the fire for store advocates that think Christians are closed-minded, legalistic hypocrites." The other thought on the opposite end of the spectrum was...2) "Now that is encouraging to see someone taking a firm stand against such a deceptive and destructive business."
Unfortunately, thought number 1 may have been confirmed. A couple days after the cross was erected, it lay flat on the ground. Someone had apparently come by and taken it down. Not just pushed it down, no, this was a clean, chain-saw looking cut that left the cross lying in the dirt below with a 2 foot section still stuck in the ground. It lay there for about a week. It was almost depressing to see this symbol of hope and redemption lying there defeated, but at the same time I thought to myself, "Congratulations to whomever put that thing up because now you have someone that much farther from wanting to know Jesus."
Later in the week, as I drove by Olivia's on my way to work, I noticed that a skid loader and 3-4 workers were out messing around with the fallen cross and a second, deeper hole had been dug in between the power lines. I thought they must be getting ready to lay some wire, or do some other type of public utility work. But, when I came back for lunch, there stood the old rugged cross. Only this time it was a couple feet shorter with reinforced steel at the base and metal strips covering the center beam and cross-beam. No chain saw was going to bring this bad boy down! So, for now, there it stands, unless someone comes up with another clever way to bring it down, vandalize it, or who knows what else.
I don't know exactly what the person's original intentions were for putting up the cross or who it was directed towards (the owner, the customers, the drivers who pass by, etc.), but I do know this...
When I drive by the two symbols I thank God that I live in a country of free enterprise, and free speech. I thank God that I have another (better) option to look at besides the glaring adult superstore. I'm thankful as I drive through the middle of two very bold signs; one reminds me how fallen I am, along with the rest of mankind, and the other reminds me of how gracious God is, allowing me to be a member & participant in His eternal kingdom.
So, if you are a fellow disciple of Jesus, what are we to do with something like this? I think we ought to start by praying. Pray for the owner, workers and customers of the store, that they would encounter the one, true living God and be changed forever. Pray for those who put up the cross, the churches & Christians of this community, that they would be effective (not deflective) witnesses for the Prince of Peace. And lastly, pray for my safety as I drive by the two landmarks, deep in thought contemplating the meaning of it all, that I would pay attention to the road in front of me and the cars around me. I'm 10+ years removed from my last fender bender and I certainly don't need a new one on my record!
TC
A Local Update: This last weekend a neighbor reported there was a man with his wife and children standing together by the cross, facing Olivia’s in silence as the husband/father held a Bible outwards and upwards towards the store. Repelling the darkness, or repelling those who need the light? You decide and let me know.
Earlier this summer, an adult store, make that "super" store, was opened just a short mile outside of Tea on the way to Interstate 29. Much protest ensued from the locals over Olivia's, which touted itself as a good, upstanding, reputable business that would be beneficial to the local economy. It's actually a sister store to its Sioux Falls counterpart, Annabelle's.
A lot of people were making uneducated, emotional statements about how the store would ruin the community, hurt their children, and among other things, encourage drunken driving (apparently from the potential customers who would drive to the 24-hour store while 3 sheets to the wind during odd hours of the night). Lincoln county, and the city of Tea, currently have no restrictions or regulations on these types of adult businesses, so legally, everything has been done by the book, and the owner/manager has been fairly accommodating to local suggestions (he voluntarily changed the building color from bright purple to egg shell white, and changed his sign out front to display "Olivia's" in large letters, instead of "Adult").
Now, before you think I'm promoting places of this nature, let me just say that I am not personally in favor of a store like this opening anywhere, anytime. While it is a free country and people can do what they like within the confines of the law, verifiable studies have shown that these SOB's (that's Sexual Oriented Businesses, not Sons of... well, you know the rest) have secondary effects on a community such as increased criminal activity, property devaluation and urban blight. Even if all the evidence pointed the opposite direction (that such a store was actually good for the community), I would still, because of my own personal faith and convictions, not want a store like this open in my, or anyone else's, community.
Olivia’s is one of those “bold” types of businesses. But a few weeks ago, something equally bold appeared in the same vicinity. Olivia's is on the north side of 271st St, and on the south side of the road is a corn field. Directly across from Olivia's, on the south side of the road, just between the corn field and the ditch, popped up what appeared to be a large, 12-foot wooden cross (which is conveniently the very first thing Olivia’s customers see as they exit the store). At first I thought it might have been something to do with the electrical or telephone lines, but after driving by again during my lunch break, it was unquestionably the instrument used by the Romans to crucify Jesus Christ.
A number of thoughts crossed my mind, but here are two that stuck out...1) "What is the point? That cross is only going to add fuel to the fire for store advocates that think Christians are closed-minded, legalistic hypocrites." The other thought on the opposite end of the spectrum was...2) "Now that is encouraging to see someone taking a firm stand against such a deceptive and destructive business."
Unfortunately, thought number 1 may have been confirmed. A couple days after the cross was erected, it lay flat on the ground. Someone had apparently come by and taken it down. Not just pushed it down, no, this was a clean, chain-saw looking cut that left the cross lying in the dirt below with a 2 foot section still stuck in the ground. It lay there for about a week. It was almost depressing to see this symbol of hope and redemption lying there defeated, but at the same time I thought to myself, "Congratulations to whomever put that thing up because now you have someone that much farther from wanting to know Jesus."
Later in the week, as I drove by Olivia's on my way to work, I noticed that a skid loader and 3-4 workers were out messing around with the fallen cross and a second, deeper hole had been dug in between the power lines. I thought they must be getting ready to lay some wire, or do some other type of public utility work. But, when I came back for lunch, there stood the old rugged cross. Only this time it was a couple feet shorter with reinforced steel at the base and metal strips covering the center beam and cross-beam. No chain saw was going to bring this bad boy down! So, for now, there it stands, unless someone comes up with another clever way to bring it down, vandalize it, or who knows what else.
I don't know exactly what the person's original intentions were for putting up the cross or who it was directed towards (the owner, the customers, the drivers who pass by, etc.), but I do know this...
When I drive by the two symbols I thank God that I live in a country of free enterprise, and free speech. I thank God that I have another (better) option to look at besides the glaring adult superstore. I'm thankful as I drive through the middle of two very bold signs; one reminds me how fallen I am, along with the rest of mankind, and the other reminds me of how gracious God is, allowing me to be a member & participant in His eternal kingdom.
So, if you are a fellow disciple of Jesus, what are we to do with something like this? I think we ought to start by praying. Pray for the owner, workers and customers of the store, that they would encounter the one, true living God and be changed forever. Pray for those who put up the cross, the churches & Christians of this community, that they would be effective (not deflective) witnesses for the Prince of Peace. And lastly, pray for my safety as I drive by the two landmarks, deep in thought contemplating the meaning of it all, that I would pay attention to the road in front of me and the cars around me. I'm 10+ years removed from my last fender bender and I certainly don't need a new one on my record!
TC
A Local Update: This last weekend a neighbor reported there was a man with his wife and children standing together by the cross, facing Olivia’s in silence as the husband/father held a Bible outwards and upwards towards the store. Repelling the darkness, or repelling those who need the light? You decide and let me know.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Faith in the Flesh
Today over our post-church bagels I read an interesting article in Commentary Magazine that resonated with some experiences I've had at work. The article, entitled Faith in the Flesh, was written by R.R. Reno, a devout Christian and professor of theology at Creighton University. (Unfortunately the online version is subscriber only so I can't link to it here.)
Reno reflects on the complexity of outward faith as his observant Jewish daughter comes of age. Many of his thoughts are raw as he writes of watching his wife and children apply their Jewish faith to their physical bodies -- through circumcision and kosher lifestyles. He wonders at his own Christianity and his ability to apply his faith so tangibly to his life. He wonders if, in the Christian faith, nothing needs to be submitted to God "other than the fine sentiments of the heart."
"My daughter... however, could not eat cheeseburgers, and her friends found this remarkable. Her very mouth was trained and set apart, day by day. And me? Jesus teaches that what goes into the mouth is not important; what matters is what comes out. And yet what came out of my mouth seemed so generic, so easily molded into the progressive platitudes of our age."
Reno's observations got me thinking about a recent exchange with one of my superiors at work, who is Jewish. Over dinner on a business trip we were describing our religious backgrounds, and she told us about the tight community she has through her Jewish temple. Judaism, she pointed out, is based on community and is not focused on proselytizing. This made sense to me, and I told her so. After all, I said, the Jewish people simple are: they are God's chosen people. There is no going out to bring in more chosen people. As Christians, we are also sons and daughters of God, but we each have to ask to become adopted into that family, and we believe that anyone can ask. I understood the silent skepticism at the table. Indeed, Christianity is simple sounding. It is simple, says C.S. Lewis, but it is not easy. Or at least, it's not supposed to be.
Reno asks: "Has modern Christianity rejected the very idea that God's commandments can shape or control how we use our bodies?"
He quotes a passage from a book written by an Orthodox Jewish rabbi during the Holocaust:
"How many noblemen bowed down before the cross in a spirit of abject submission and self-denial, confessed their sins with scalding tears and bitter cries, and in the very same breath, as soon as they left the dim precincts of the cathedral, ordered that innocent people be cruelly slain."
If our Christian faith is as easy as confessing our sins with "scalding tears and bitter cries" and then marching out and proceeding to gratify the desires of our flesh... I cannot blame my Jewish colleague for her skepticism over "simple Christianity."
My Jewish colleagues are marked and known by their outward expressions of faith -- through circumcision and kosher lifestyles. People know they are Jewish because their lives literally look different. Reflecting on this has made "circumcision of the heart" a very interesting analogy. Yes, it sounds nice. But circumcision hurts. It leaves a scar.
And in the end, shouldn't it also make me look different?
-EC
Reno reflects on the complexity of outward faith as his observant Jewish daughter comes of age. Many of his thoughts are raw as he writes of watching his wife and children apply their Jewish faith to their physical bodies -- through circumcision and kosher lifestyles. He wonders at his own Christianity and his ability to apply his faith so tangibly to his life. He wonders if, in the Christian faith, nothing needs to be submitted to God "other than the fine sentiments of the heart."
"My daughter... however, could not eat cheeseburgers, and her friends found this remarkable. Her very mouth was trained and set apart, day by day. And me? Jesus teaches that what goes into the mouth is not important; what matters is what comes out. And yet what came out of my mouth seemed so generic, so easily molded into the progressive platitudes of our age."
Reno's observations got me thinking about a recent exchange with one of my superiors at work, who is Jewish. Over dinner on a business trip we were describing our religious backgrounds, and she told us about the tight community she has through her Jewish temple. Judaism, she pointed out, is based on community and is not focused on proselytizing. This made sense to me, and I told her so. After all, I said, the Jewish people simple are: they are God's chosen people. There is no going out to bring in more chosen people. As Christians, we are also sons and daughters of God, but we each have to ask to become adopted into that family, and we believe that anyone can ask. I understood the silent skepticism at the table. Indeed, Christianity is simple sounding. It is simple, says C.S. Lewis, but it is not easy. Or at least, it's not supposed to be.
Reno asks: "Has modern Christianity rejected the very idea that God's commandments can shape or control how we use our bodies?"
He quotes a passage from a book written by an Orthodox Jewish rabbi during the Holocaust:
"How many noblemen bowed down before the cross in a spirit of abject submission and self-denial, confessed their sins with scalding tears and bitter cries, and in the very same breath, as soon as they left the dim precincts of the cathedral, ordered that innocent people be cruelly slain."
If our Christian faith is as easy as confessing our sins with "scalding tears and bitter cries" and then marching out and proceeding to gratify the desires of our flesh... I cannot blame my Jewish colleague for her skepticism over "simple Christianity."
My Jewish colleagues are marked and known by their outward expressions of faith -- through circumcision and kosher lifestyles. People know they are Jewish because their lives literally look different. Reflecting on this has made "circumcision of the heart" a very interesting analogy. Yes, it sounds nice. But circumcision hurts. It leaves a scar.
And in the end, shouldn't it also make me look different?
-EC
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