links & subscriptions

For the millions out there who eagerly check their computers every few hours to see if I’ve written a new post…

(millions I tell you…)

1. I’ve moved to my own site at http://fruitfulfaith.net
2. Please kindly remember to update any links you may have to this blog
3. I’ve provided an email subscription option (‘Feedblitz) over at the new site
4. I’ll probably delete this blog after a few weeks
5. Rhett, the headers at the new site are just for you…  🙂

www.fruitfulfaith.net

I’ve gone and done it… 🙂

Presenting:

http://www.fruitfulfaith.net

hat tip to Danny for the hosting and help getting the ball rolling…

I’ll be playing with themes for a bit – so apologies in advance.

Over and out… 🙂

psalm 8 remixed

A targum of Psalm 8:

1 Yahweh our Master!
Your Name is priceless throughout the universe!
Your glory is unsearchable and inscrutable
and utterly beyond our capability to measure.

2 Even the smallest and inexperienced ones; yes – babies
they praise you – just as you wanted
all this is like ignorant and inane babbling to those who hate you,
yet this incoherent baby-noise completely silences sinners and evil-doers.

3 When I ponder the chaotic-order of the cosmos,
the mechanics of your workshop,
whether multiple distant galaxies or single stars,
knowing you plan and place them all,

4 I wonder why you bother thinking of mere humans,
or why you concern yourself with homosapiens?

5 But – no other thing you’ve created comes as close to your divine greatness,
potential and power, reason and rhyme; you gave it – we have it.

6 Everything that you’ve created, we are now responsible for;
under God and over creation:

7 over the lions and llamas,
and every land-dwelling animal,

8 over every single thing that flies in the air,
and every thing in fresh-water or salt-water,
indeed – every kind of ocean-floor crawling and swimming thing.

9 Yahweh our Master!
Your Name is priceless throughout the universe!

being responsible with your bits

This post over at Scoop highlights the reality (whether we like it or not) that the ‘anything goes’ mindset (and more specifically the outworking of that mindset) toward sexuality is not healthy – literally.  It does matter where you put your bits.

For me, an interesting angle is that of self-control.  We have the ability to control even the most basic and ‘natural’ desires.

Clearly, none of us controls our ‘self’ as well as we may want to (if we are audacious enough to believe that we even should control ourselves).  Apparently, something more than short-term national campaigns is needed – according to the article:

The effects of the ‘Hubba Bubba’ campaign haven’t lasted. More young people are getting STIs, not fewer.  What’s needed is a renewed emphasis on education and personal responsibility. Young New Zealanders need an attitude change.

Maybe re-claiming the value of the human body and sexuality would help just a tad?

anthropocentric ethics

Anthropocentric Ethics – In Ancient & Modern Perspective

The author/composer/poet/community which produced the text we know of as Genesis 1 observed many things. Just one of these is the uniqueness of humans in relation to our environment.

Day and night, earth and sky, sea and land, vegetation, and fruits, creatures great and tiny, both in the sea and on land…

And then behold – human beings. These humans are at the pinnacle of creation and are invested with the task and responsibility of governing the entire earth.

lying and technology

This post over at newsweek raises an interesting question…

Can we trust photos in an age where photo-editing technology is not only highly advanced, but free?

The case of the extremely-strange-looking animal is one thing – there are (probably) ways of getting at whether or not such a thing exists other than arguing over the veracity of the pic; but what about photos of – say – someone committing a crime? Useless in a court of law?

Things that make ya go hmmm…

the logic that allowed public porn

Judge Nicola Mathers had this to say in regards to the ‘Boobs on Bikes’ parade in Auckland.

It is ‘not offensive per se for women to be topless’; her court was not one ‘of morals and it was her job to stick to the law’; and that “It may well be that the parade is tasteless but equally it may be that in a more mature society the vast majority might consider it harmless.”

My comments on each:

porn parade – questions

The Erotica porn industry exhibition (forgive me for not hunting for a link – !!!) got free advertising by way of the now infamous and highly controversial ‘Boobs on Bikes’ parade.

Auckland City Council tried to stop the topless ride down Queen St., but Judge Nicola Mathers allowed it, commenting that it was ‘not offensive per se for women to be topless’, and that her court was not one ‘of morals and it was her job to stick to the law.’  She also said, “It may well be that the parade is tasteless but equally it may be that in a more mature society the vast majority might consider it harmless.” (source)

doco screening at my church

I’m happy to announce that my church is hosting a screening of:

If you’re in the area and are interested, we’re starting promptly at 7pm and will have a 30(ish) minute discussion afterwards – and probably tea/coffee/bikkies… 🙂

http://nbc.org.nz/2008/08/walmart-high-cost-low-price-screening.html

http://walmartmovie.com

http://walmart.bravenewtheaters.com/screening/show/11100-auckland

flew’s brain still works

{***EDIT: The review discussed below – allegedly by Antony Flew of ‘The God Delusion’ by Richard Dawkins – is of uncertain origins.  I’m awaiting an email response to clarify the source.  Discerning how much Flew’s age is affecting his critical thinking is a difficult thing.  Poor memory doesn’t – automatically – mean poor logical thought.  I’ll update this when I hear more…***}

Antony Flew used to be an atheist – now he’s… well… a Deist (or pantheist or Spinozan or a believer in the ‘god’ of Aristotle or Einstein or… well… something…)

Swiftly, his book “There Is A God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind” (I didn’t write the sub-title – don’t blame me) was dismissed by some atheists as a ‘sad’ case of an older man losing his mental capacities, and being ‘manipulated’, etc. Some claimed that the book didn’t represent Flew’s own thoughts…