Speaking of Faith

One of the best shows on radio or tv is Speaking of Faith from MPR. The host, Krista Tippett, takes faith and its consequences seriously as they address a wide range of issues and topics. It's worth a listen to every week, but let me draw your attention to this week's episode:

British activist Ed Husain was seduced, at the age of 16, by revolutionary Islamist ideals that flourished at the heart of educated British culture. Yet he later shrank back from radicalism after coming close to a murder and watching people he loved become suicide bombers. He dug deeper into Islamic spirituality, and now offers a fresh and daring perspective on the way forward.

Of the many interesting things Mr. Husain said was that (if I may paraphrase) "in Britain politicians don't understand faith, so they focus just on the consequences of Islamic extremism and think they can deal with the problem by shoveling money at it."

For me, this highlights one of the great failing of secular liberal democracy (including Western Europe and USA) and its battle against Islamic extremism. Secular, capitalistic, liberal democracies fight the battle as if they were fighting communism, i.e., the lifestyle of the West is so rich and great and irresistible that if we can only get our message out, than the other folks will understand. You get this sense when people talk about how its folks in poor economic conditions that become terrorists. This is obviously false. Nevertheless, what the "West" needs to realize is that the western lifestyle is not only not irresistible, but repugnant to some. We can not buy our way of the problem. We need to make sure we are telling the better story.

NFL Division Playoff Weekend

Well, the best weekend of pro football is upon us. We have four good teams playing their hearts out. It's much better than the Super Bowl (too much time off and distraction) and the Conference Championship games (quality is too hit and miss). But the division playoffs have great teams playing for their lives. Here are my quick picks:

Jets: 20; Chargers: 27

Indy: 17; Ravens: 20

Saints: 35; Cardinals: 27

Vikings: 31; Cowboys: 24

Go Vikings!

Why Rapid Rocks

Four days ago the high was around 5 degrees. Today the high will be 54 degrees. I love it. You get winter and then a nice littler break to melt the snow (which is absolutely necessary since they don't plow here) and then you'll appreciate the next snow storm. It's pretty all over again.

Quote of the Day

Many Christians have decided that the best way to compete in an era of political correctness is to play the victim card. But these believers are colluding in their own marginalization.

If you treat your faith like a hothouse flower, too vulnerable to survive in the crass world of public disputation, then you ensure that nobody will take it seriously.

Ross Douthat, New York Times Op-Ed

Would they do it like this today?

I'm reading a history of Christianity. And in the book the author discusses the social history of the early church (first 300 years). Lots of fascinating tidbits jump out, but let me talk about just one.

The early church saw an explosion in growth in the first 300 years. This was despite the fact that the practice of the day was to:

1. Limit the involvement of non-baptized to either nothing or just the initial worship service, keeping them out of the communion dinner and fellowship.
2. Baptisms took place only once a year (usually on Easter Sunday). Before baptism they would be interviewed to make sure their faith was sound and deep.
   
3. It often took three years from when a person expressed interest in Christianity to when they were baptized. During this time they would get educated on the specifics of the Christian faith.

That's taking Christianity really seriously and not worrying about your church growth as an indicator of God's blessing.

Lamentations 4:4

The tongue of the infant sticks
   to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
   but no one gives them anything.

Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians. The terrible siege had wrecked its devastating blow. And Judah was worst than a vassal state--a destroyed nation. I haven't heard any sermons on this verse (or much of lamentations for that matter) yet it speaks to the terrible power of war and politics and the suffering that can befall upon any of us. Such sadness.

Happy Birthday Tolkien

Today is Mr. JRR Tolkien's Birthday. He would be 118 today. In his honor is a comic from my favorite cartoonist.

Shocker of the Day

Leeds United beats Man U:

Jermaine Beckford's winner gave League One leaders Leeds a famous FA Cup victory over their fierce rivals Manchester United in a thrilling tie at Old Trafford.  

Forty-two league places separate the two clubs following the Yorkshire club's dramatic fall from grace during the last decade but Simon Grayson's side showed the rate of their recent revival with a memorable triumph. 

Man Utd had never before lost in the third round of the Cup - or been knocked out of it by a lower-division side - during Sir Alex Ferguson's 23-year reign as manager, but they began 2010 on the wrong end of their biggest upset in this competition since they were dumped out by Bournemouth in 1984. 

Back in the day Leads United was one of the best teams in English Football. In the last decade they've fallen on hard times and gone down two divisions. Wowzers.

Depressing Fact of the Day

For all my readers striving to become professors. From the New York Times:

In 1960, 75 percent of college instructors were full-time tenured or tenure-track professors; today only 27 percent are.

HT: Marginal Revolution.

Awkward Names

Jesus called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.  

This passage from Luke 6 highlights one of the most unfortunate names in history.  Now Mr. Judas son of James had no way of knowing how unfortunate his name was while growing up in that small little village or while bumming around with Jesus. But as soon as Judas Iscariot becomes a traitor, well awkward questions appear. And for the next 40 years people give Judas the stink eye until they find out he is the son of James. Awkward.