Posts
9 years ago
Saturday, March 26, 2005
EGLBS Meeting
i received the program for the Eastern Great Lakes Biblical Society meeting that i'm presenting a paper at on April 7-8 (i'm on page 3, under NEW TESTAMENT 2: Jesus and Gospels). holy cow, i'm feeling a bit intimidated. i thought this would primarily be other students at a similar stage of study as me, but instead it looks as though most of the other presenters are professors. in fact, the professor who supervised my master's thesis at Ashland, John Byron, is one of them! i think i'm going to have to do a little revision and double-checking on my paper in the next week--i think people ask tough questions after you present, and i don't want to look like a complete idiot.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Euthanasia
Okay, maybe it's just because I have a baby on the way that I'm especially sensitive to this, but this euthanasia thing is really pushing my buttons. To give you an idea of where this debate is going, take a look at this exceprt I pulled from Peter Singer’s website (he’s a medical ethicist at Princeton, and bigwig in the euthanasia movement). Is this a bit scary?
http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/faq.html
Q. You have been quoted as saying: "Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person. Sometimes it is not wrong at all." Is that quote accurate?
A. It is accurate, but can be misleading if read without an understanding of what I mean by the term “person” (which is discussed in Practical Ethics, from which that quotation is taken). I use the term "person" to refer to a being who is capable of anticipating the future, of having wants and desires for the future. As I have said in answer to the previous question, I think that it is generally a greater wrong to kill such a being than it is to kill a being that has no sense of existing over time. Newborn human babies have no sense of their own existence over time. So killing a newborn baby is never equivalent to killing a person, that is, a being who wants to go on living. That doesn’t mean that it is not almost always a terrible thing to do. It is, but that is because most infants are loved and cherished by their parents, and to kill an infant is usually to do a great wrong to its parents. Sometimes, perhaps because the baby has a serious disability, parents think it better that their newborn infant should die. Many doctors will accept their wishes, to the extent of not giving the baby life-supporting medical treatment. That will often ensure that the baby dies. My view is different from this, only to the extent that if a decision is taken, by the parents and doctors, that it is better that a baby should die, I believe it should be possible to carry out that decision, not only by withholding or withdrawing life-support – which can lead to the baby dying slowly from dehydration or from an infection - but also by taking active steps to end the baby’s life swiftly and humanely.
http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/faq.html
Q. You have been quoted as saying: "Killing a defective infant is not morally equivalent to killing a person. Sometimes it is not wrong at all." Is that quote accurate?
A. It is accurate, but can be misleading if read without an understanding of what I mean by the term “person” (which is discussed in Practical Ethics, from which that quotation is taken). I use the term "person" to refer to a being who is capable of anticipating the future, of having wants and desires for the future. As I have said in answer to the previous question, I think that it is generally a greater wrong to kill such a being than it is to kill a being that has no sense of existing over time. Newborn human babies have no sense of their own existence over time. So killing a newborn baby is never equivalent to killing a person, that is, a being who wants to go on living. That doesn’t mean that it is not almost always a terrible thing to do. It is, but that is because most infants are loved and cherished by their parents, and to kill an infant is usually to do a great wrong to its parents. Sometimes, perhaps because the baby has a serious disability, parents think it better that their newborn infant should die. Many doctors will accept their wishes, to the extent of not giving the baby life-supporting medical treatment. That will often ensure that the baby dies. My view is different from this, only to the extent that if a decision is taken, by the parents and doctors, that it is better that a baby should die, I believe it should be possible to carry out that decision, not only by withholding or withdrawing life-support – which can lead to the baby dying slowly from dehydration or from an infection - but also by taking active steps to end the baby’s life swiftly and humanely.
Monday, March 21, 2005
it's a girl! (probably)
we had our first ultrasound this morning at UofM... looks like it's probably a girl! we're both incredibly excited, of course. i'm already thinking about what color to paint the walls in the baby room... how awesome; God is good. the whole thing took about 45 minutes--it was a lot more extensive than what I was expecting. seeing the baby in cross-section was a bit unnerving for me... not sure why. maybe just the idea that this life is so small and fragile? i can't wait... a daughter! how amazing.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
a bit colder
well, i think the 'arctic blast' that hit the northeast has made its presence known down here too... temperatues were in the 50's today, instead of 60's and 70's. didn't attempt the water today, but did some jogging on the beach... it's remarkable how much the sand increases the difficulty of running!
i started reading Philip Jenkins' "The Next Christendom"... it's pretty darn interesting... i had no idea there were that many christians in africa. it does explain the presence of so many africans at my seminary (which is anglican)! it's so amazing that christianity has adapted and survived in so many diverse cultures... makes you think there's something 'miraculous' about it!
i'm also still reading clancy's 'teeth of the tiger'... it's pretty interesting, although i don't really find his muslim terrorist characters very believable. it's still fun stuff. also reading the new testament apocrypha... currently working through the gospel material and other sayings sources. some weird stuff going on in those first centuries! wow... makes the latest mind-benders from hollywood seem pretty tame.
decided that i'll wait to get back to michigan to watch 'saw' with jesse... it somehow seems more 'healthy' to watch it with a friend than alone.
so long!
i started reading Philip Jenkins' "The Next Christendom"... it's pretty darn interesting... i had no idea there were that many christians in africa. it does explain the presence of so many africans at my seminary (which is anglican)! it's so amazing that christianity has adapted and survived in so many diverse cultures... makes you think there's something 'miraculous' about it!
i'm also still reading clancy's 'teeth of the tiger'... it's pretty interesting, although i don't really find his muslim terrorist characters very believable. it's still fun stuff. also reading the new testament apocrypha... currently working through the gospel material and other sayings sources. some weird stuff going on in those first centuries! wow... makes the latest mind-benders from hollywood seem pretty tame.
decided that i'll wait to get back to michigan to watch 'saw' with jesse... it somehow seems more 'healthy' to watch it with a friend than alone.
so long!
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
blogging from Jacksonville Beach
well, here we are! i'm writing from Panera Bread here in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
the drive down wasn't too bad... mapquest said 17 hours, but effect of some bad traffic and snow in the appalachians (not to mention a generous number of rest stops) put the trip at about 18.5 hours. needless to say, i was pretty wiped out when we arrived.
i couldn't believe the snow as we drove through virginia! it was pretty bad in the mountains there... strange that it was worse as we drove south! but by the time we came out of the mountains the temperature was up to about 50, and it was great from then on.
can't believe how warm and beautiful it is here! yesterday it was 78 and sunny, and had to actually turn on the air conditioner in the car... how awesome. i've been out in the water just about every day... kayaked the first two days; it's a bit tricky with the waves, but you get used to it. the water is still pretty cold, so the wetsuit i have is really handy. there were quite a few people in the water over the weekend, but today was a bit windy, so not much action... tried some boogey-boarding today, but the waves weren't too good (the broke too quickly)
i watched 'open water' on the drive down--wow, what a great movie! a low-budget indie film, but real sharks and no over-the-top special effects or gore. definitely had me keeping an eye out when i was in the water!
this climate really reminds me of growing up in california... being able to wear shorts and t-shirts just about the whole year-round. man, i do miss the weather...
sure are a lot more older people down here... you really notice it. also, with so many people retired and not working, the traffic is pretty much heavy all day long.
i see a lot more people down here 'living it up', so to speak. rent a little pad a few blocks from the beach. maybe work 25-30 hours a week, spend all the rest of the time on the water, at the clubs, or drinking beer and playing foosball into the wee hours of the morning on the front porch. i guess if i just wanted to relax and enjoy myself, that's one way to go about it!
i'm thinking that the people who remain in the colder climates (e.g. michigan) do so for: a) family & friends, b) career jobs, or c) are really huge hunting or snowmobiling enthusiasts. that seems to sort for a particular kind of person i think... mostly good qualities (except maybe c.)
however, i've noticed that the people down here in the 'south' are a lot more friendly than up north. people say 'thank you' a lot more, and eye-contact with a 'hello' isn't so unusual. reminds me a bit of the characters from 'a streetcar named desire'--the coarse, brutal north and the genteel, refined south (or that's what i remember from high school). i guess the hospitality is a remnant from the old southern culture, but i suppose it will change as more northerners continue to move here.
julie and i watched 'the notebook' last night on DVD. i really liked it... at first it had me rolling my eyes--just a bit too cutsie & cookie-cutter--but by the end i was into it and even got a bit misty-eyed.
i really want to watch 'saw', against all my better judgment. my dad said it was great... this is a dilemma... i know i'll thoroughly enjoy watching it, but i also know i'll end up thinking 'i really didn't need to see that'... alas. what would grace wilson do? i always ask myself that.
well, enough for now... thanks to the free wi-fi here, i'll have a chance to write again soon. hope everyone back home is doing well, and hope things are warming up!
the drive down wasn't too bad... mapquest said 17 hours, but effect of some bad traffic and snow in the appalachians (not to mention a generous number of rest stops) put the trip at about 18.5 hours. needless to say, i was pretty wiped out when we arrived.
i couldn't believe the snow as we drove through virginia! it was pretty bad in the mountains there... strange that it was worse as we drove south! but by the time we came out of the mountains the temperature was up to about 50, and it was great from then on.
can't believe how warm and beautiful it is here! yesterday it was 78 and sunny, and had to actually turn on the air conditioner in the car... how awesome. i've been out in the water just about every day... kayaked the first two days; it's a bit tricky with the waves, but you get used to it. the water is still pretty cold, so the wetsuit i have is really handy. there were quite a few people in the water over the weekend, but today was a bit windy, so not much action... tried some boogey-boarding today, but the waves weren't too good (the broke too quickly)
i watched 'open water' on the drive down--wow, what a great movie! a low-budget indie film, but real sharks and no over-the-top special effects or gore. definitely had me keeping an eye out when i was in the water!
this climate really reminds me of growing up in california... being able to wear shorts and t-shirts just about the whole year-round. man, i do miss the weather...
sure are a lot more older people down here... you really notice it. also, with so many people retired and not working, the traffic is pretty much heavy all day long.
i see a lot more people down here 'living it up', so to speak. rent a little pad a few blocks from the beach. maybe work 25-30 hours a week, spend all the rest of the time on the water, at the clubs, or drinking beer and playing foosball into the wee hours of the morning on the front porch. i guess if i just wanted to relax and enjoy myself, that's one way to go about it!
i'm thinking that the people who remain in the colder climates (e.g. michigan) do so for: a) family & friends, b) career jobs, or c) are really huge hunting or snowmobiling enthusiasts. that seems to sort for a particular kind of person i think... mostly good qualities (except maybe c.)
however, i've noticed that the people down here in the 'south' are a lot more friendly than up north. people say 'thank you' a lot more, and eye-contact with a 'hello' isn't so unusual. reminds me a bit of the characters from 'a streetcar named desire'--the coarse, brutal north and the genteel, refined south (or that's what i remember from high school). i guess the hospitality is a remnant from the old southern culture, but i suppose it will change as more northerners continue to move here.
julie and i watched 'the notebook' last night on DVD. i really liked it... at first it had me rolling my eyes--just a bit too cutsie & cookie-cutter--but by the end i was into it and even got a bit misty-eyed.
i really want to watch 'saw', against all my better judgment. my dad said it was great... this is a dilemma... i know i'll thoroughly enjoy watching it, but i also know i'll end up thinking 'i really didn't need to see that'... alas. what would grace wilson do? i always ask myself that.
well, enough for now... thanks to the free wi-fi here, i'll have a chance to write again soon. hope everyone back home is doing well, and hope things are warming up!
from my dad in Hong Kong
HELLO FROM HONG KONG!!!
It's my first break in the schedule so I'm here in the Youth for Christ offfice trying to squeeze my fingers into one of those tiny little keyboards they make for NORMAL hands. Ouch, I'm cramping up already!!
I got to San Diego Airport late Tuesday afternoon, waited a couple of hours, got on a plane to L.A., then got off cuz mechanical difficulties. An hour and a half later, back on plane, to L.A., and then left for Hong Kong at 11 p.m. Yes, I DID get Bulkhead seat. Still had to park my legs in the aisle. Got run over by the Food Cart about a hundred times, but foot still somewhat attached to my leg.
I really tried to sleep this time. Denny Magnuson, how do you do it?? Overseas seats must be about a foot narrower than domestic. Felt like I was wedged in for 16 hours. Maybe standing on my head would work better.
Arrived in Hong Kong 6:30 a.m., found a Bus into Hong Kong, had 20 min. to unpack and was off to 2 school programs(1000 students), Senior Citizen program(400). How I love the seniors here. I think I high-fived all 400 of them. When I get to be old(another 40 years) I want to be like them!! So full of joy and laughter!! They ooh and ahh at everything I do(I could tie my shoes and get a standing ovation)
Got to bed at 11:30 my first night. Had to force myself to STAY AWAKE all day, even after 18 hours of flying, so I could get on a body time clock. My bed is a little 6 foot bunk bed. Not gonna work. So I piled some mattresses on the floor and gave it a shot. My room is 6'7" wide. I am 6'7" tall. Do the math. Do you really think there that many other 6'7" people in Hong Kong? NOT!!!!
Next day(Thursday. You lose a day going to Hong Kong), I did a high school program, back to Youth for Christ to do a Seniors program, then we did an outdoor program at a Fruit Market, kinda like our Farmers Market. We start doing our magic program, the crowds come, and we share the Gospel with them. Almost thought we were going to cancel, due to the rain.It has been VERY COLD and WET. Haven't seen much sun. And no heat in our little apt. so I just put on everything I own and fight through it. Really funny because at a few of schools I performed in, they had he windows wide open AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ON!!!! You could actually see your breath as you were talking!!! I wonder if they do this to kill off any germs or viruses. Still some concern about the viral problems they had a few years ago.
Friday I ministered again to a Seniors meeting. I had the perfect magic object lesson. I came out with a little teapot, poured me some tea(everyone drinks tea in Hong Kong), talked about how Teapot was specially made for making tea and how were specially planned and created to walk with God and become like Him. I then pulled a 30 foot silk streamer from inside the teapot, taling about the blessings of being "filled" with God. Then I told of how we use the teapot over and over, not throw it away. I actually put the teapot in a paper bag, wadded up the bag and threw it away. The audience went wild!! Wouldn't you, too??
Food has been quite good this trip. We go to a restaurant that has become good friends of the Youth for Christ director,David Chu. They bring us about 12 different dishes of all kinds of real Chinese food(Chicken feet, squid, chicken(sliced up, WITH the bones), and yes, RICE and NOODLES. I've learned to stay away from anything that looks like it's still alive and wiggling. The other stuff has been quite tasty. Not crazy about drinking 15 cups of tea everyday. How about just one Coke, but they're about $3 a bottle. Sometimes after a meal, the couple I'm ministering with(Michael and Jeannie) will sneak out to McDonalds for an ice cream cone. UMMMMM!!!
Today, I am preparing to go to a Phillipine Church to preach. How I love to preach and encourage the people in the churches. They are extremely receptive. This one church last week had a Praise service with Praise dancers that went for 50- minutues before they started the regular part of the service.
My health has been pretty good. Always hard to make adjustments the first 3 days. The cold has caused a little bit of a cold, but I feel strong. Last night, we had 2 Chinese young men over to teach them how to use Gospel magic in their ministry. Finished about midnite. Then yesterday I directed some young leaders in a mime Drama to use in their evangelistic meetings. I hoping we will debut the skit in the next day or 2.
Well, got to get some things together for Phillipine church. There is always very much preparation going on because we have a schedule but we never know when they will throw in another meeting or 2 each day. That's what we're here for, to be "on call" for the Lord. Boy, you really get a perspective for serving the Lord "moment by moment" when you go on the mission field. We may possible get ONE DAY to ourselves to maybe do some sight seeing but that's a big maybe.
Thanks for all our prayers. Thanks again to all the people who made this trip financially possible. Amazing all these years that God always provides every single need, sometimes at the 12th hour. All these years of missions trips teaches one to truly trust in the Lord let go of the worries about finances, health, safety, and open doors.
Love you all.
Mr. Tiny
It's my first break in the schedule so I'm here in the Youth for Christ offfice trying to squeeze my fingers into one of those tiny little keyboards they make for NORMAL hands. Ouch, I'm cramping up already!!
I got to San Diego Airport late Tuesday afternoon, waited a couple of hours, got on a plane to L.A., then got off cuz mechanical difficulties. An hour and a half later, back on plane, to L.A., and then left for Hong Kong at 11 p.m. Yes, I DID get Bulkhead seat. Still had to park my legs in the aisle. Got run over by the Food Cart about a hundred times, but foot still somewhat attached to my leg.
I really tried to sleep this time. Denny Magnuson, how do you do it?? Overseas seats must be about a foot narrower than domestic. Felt like I was wedged in for 16 hours. Maybe standing on my head would work better.
Arrived in Hong Kong 6:30 a.m., found a Bus into Hong Kong, had 20 min. to unpack and was off to 2 school programs(1000 students), Senior Citizen program(400). How I love the seniors here. I think I high-fived all 400 of them. When I get to be old(another 40 years) I want to be like them!! So full of joy and laughter!! They ooh and ahh at everything I do(I could tie my shoes and get a standing ovation)
Got to bed at 11:30 my first night. Had to force myself to STAY AWAKE all day, even after 18 hours of flying, so I could get on a body time clock. My bed is a little 6 foot bunk bed. Not gonna work. So I piled some mattresses on the floor and gave it a shot. My room is 6'7" wide. I am 6'7" tall. Do the math. Do you really think there that many other 6'7" people in Hong Kong? NOT!!!!
Next day(Thursday. You lose a day going to Hong Kong), I did a high school program, back to Youth for Christ to do a Seniors program, then we did an outdoor program at a Fruit Market, kinda like our Farmers Market. We start doing our magic program, the crowds come, and we share the Gospel with them. Almost thought we were going to cancel, due to the rain.It has been VERY COLD and WET. Haven't seen much sun. And no heat in our little apt. so I just put on everything I own and fight through it. Really funny because at a few of schools I performed in, they had he windows wide open AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ON!!!! You could actually see your breath as you were talking!!! I wonder if they do this to kill off any germs or viruses. Still some concern about the viral problems they had a few years ago.
Friday I ministered again to a Seniors meeting. I had the perfect magic object lesson. I came out with a little teapot, poured me some tea(everyone drinks tea in Hong Kong), talked about how Teapot was specially made for making tea and how were specially planned and created to walk with God and become like Him. I then pulled a 30 foot silk streamer from inside the teapot, taling about the blessings of being "filled" with God. Then I told of how we use the teapot over and over, not throw it away. I actually put the teapot in a paper bag, wadded up the bag and threw it away. The audience went wild!! Wouldn't you, too??
Food has been quite good this trip. We go to a restaurant that has become good friends of the Youth for Christ director,David Chu. They bring us about 12 different dishes of all kinds of real Chinese food(Chicken feet, squid, chicken(sliced up, WITH the bones), and yes, RICE and NOODLES. I've learned to stay away from anything that looks like it's still alive and wiggling. The other stuff has been quite tasty. Not crazy about drinking 15 cups of tea everyday. How about just one Coke, but they're about $3 a bottle. Sometimes after a meal, the couple I'm ministering with(Michael and Jeannie) will sneak out to McDonalds for an ice cream cone. UMMMMM!!!
Today, I am preparing to go to a Phillipine Church to preach. How I love to preach and encourage the people in the churches. They are extremely receptive. This one church last week had a Praise service with Praise dancers that went for 50- minutues before they started the regular part of the service.
My health has been pretty good. Always hard to make adjustments the first 3 days. The cold has caused a little bit of a cold, but I feel strong. Last night, we had 2 Chinese young men over to teach them how to use Gospel magic in their ministry. Finished about midnite. Then yesterday I directed some young leaders in a mime Drama to use in their evangelistic meetings. I hoping we will debut the skit in the next day or 2.
Well, got to get some things together for Phillipine church. There is always very much preparation going on because we have a schedule but we never know when they will throw in another meeting or 2 each day. That's what we're here for, to be "on call" for the Lord. Boy, you really get a perspective for serving the Lord "moment by moment" when you go on the mission field. We may possible get ONE DAY to ourselves to maybe do some sight seeing but that's a big maybe.
Thanks for all our prayers. Thanks again to all the people who made this trip financially possible. Amazing all these years that God always provides every single need, sometimes at the 12th hour. All these years of missions trips teaches one to truly trust in the Lord let go of the worries about finances, health, safety, and open doors.
Love you all.
Mr. Tiny
Thursday, March 03, 2005
florida, here we come!
got a 17-hour drive ahead of me, but shouldn't be too bad... have some books on tape and DVD's to watch (when I'm not driving, of course)...
i'm taking the kayak down, hoping to get out on the ocean a good deal... maybe see some dolphins! i'll upload some pictures when i return.
other than that, just plan on reading a lot of books, getting some sun (hopefully it's warm enough), and doing some jogging. looking forward to it! hope it's warmer here when i return... bye!
i'm taking the kayak down, hoping to get out on the ocean a good deal... maybe see some dolphins! i'll upload some pictures when i return.
other than that, just plan on reading a lot of books, getting some sun (hopefully it's warm enough), and doing some jogging. looking forward to it! hope it's warmer here when i return... bye!
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