Nationwide Christian worldview event
Free subscription to Voice of the Martyrs!
New Novel from Beverly Lewis
Celebrate Israel's 60th Anniversary!
Study the Bible Online
See what God is doing
RSS This Blog-
Wednesday, May 7, 2008Wednesday's Wasabi Talk
An "evangelical manifesto" being released today by a group of Christian scholars and theologians is expected to try to take back the term "evangelical" from politics and return it to its theological roots. "Evangelical" has been widely used to refer to Christians who have conservative political views, but the Evangelical Theological Society requires members to agree on just two points: inerrancy of Scripture, and belief in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as "separate but equal in attributes and glory" and essential for salvation.
USA TodayIndeed, releasing the document appears to be staking a claim for new leadership with different emphases from the traditional, mainstream evangelical movement; the declaration’s authors appear to be making a power play to launch new public faces for evangelicalism. Perhaps they heard E.J. Dionne, Jr., a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, opine about what he perceives as a “waning influence of the traditional religious right” and hope to move into the perceived vacuum. Likely, they also want to subtly shift the understanding of what it means to be “evangelical.” Several prominent self-identified “evangelical progressives” have written books and launched speaking and media campaigns in order to distance themselves from the issues of the religious right — painting themselves as more sophisticated and nuanced in their understanding of evil in the world. One branch created a “Deep Shift” to describe their “new paradigm” for making Christianity more palatable to the world. Others object to the “very narrow” depiction of evangelicals as conservative; they want the leftist social justice issues to be at the heart of “moral and political decision making.” While they object to the political activism of the religious right, their own “vocation” to use “political involvement as a vehicle for social change” is viewed as a mission and high calling.
Townhall ColumnThe Vallejo City Council voted to declare bankruptcy Tuesday night after months of last-ditch wrangling failed to rescue the city from financial catastrophe. The North Bay city of 117,000 now heads into largely uncharted territory, as no California city of this size has ever opted for this route. Carolyn Jones in the
San Francisco Chronicle Sarah Rohrs in the Oakland TribuneHundreds are expected to descend on San Francisco's Civic Center Plaza today to protest a June ballot measure that would end rent control across the state and, many argue, would push thousands of people from their homes through evictions or rising prices. James Temple in the
San Francisco ChronicleMcClintock's foe making residence an election issue -- During the great gubernatorial recall campaign of 2003, state Sen. Tom McClintock made a statewide name for himself by evoking his nostalgic vision for a return to California's Golden Age. He talked often about the home in Thousand Oaks his parents purchased in 1965. Timm Herdt in the
Ventura StarBorder fence across deep canyon will begin to be built next month -- More than two years after a precedent-setting move by the federal government cleared a path around environmental laws and legal challenges, the construction of a stretch of border fence across a deep canyon known as Smuggler's Gulch is set to begin next month. Leslie Berestein in the
San Diego Union-TribSchrag: Suspend the federal gas tax? Pander politics redux -- The bet placed by the political camps of John McCain and Hillary Clinton that the voters will hungrily bite into their proposal to suspend the federal gas tax doesn't seem to be paying off. Most voters appear to know it's a sucker pitch in which Clinton is both sucker – for taking up the McCain plan – and panderer for pushing it as a major campaign plank. Peter Schrag in the
Sacramento Bee96 arrested in San Diego State drug bust -- Fraternity houses were infiltrated in a six-month undercover investigation, and widespread drug-dealing was found, authorities say. Tony Perry in the
Los Angeles Times Jeff McDonald, Sherry Saavedra and Tanya Sierra in the San Diego Union-TribTest drive of 2007 ZENN electric vehicle inspires elation -- and fear -- The 2007 Zenn electric vehicle that I recently test drove filled me with elation – and fear. I was elated because, after years of driving experimental prototypes, this all-electric car is capable of being driven by real people now. Mark Glover in the
Sacramento BeeIn the category of “Parenting and Politics”…Carpooling is an underrated parenting tool. True, you have to be willing to trade your clean car and peaceful commute for chaotic chatter and OKR (other kids’ residue), but I have found that it is well worth the sacrifice. Why is that? Because carpooling has taught me more about my children than any other school related activity. Carpooling is the legal equivalent to truth serum. From the bowels of the back seat, children reveal incredible things. If you just listen long enough without interrupting or prompting them, you’ll find out more than you ever thought possible about their friends, their teachers, and their views of the world.
CrosswalkI was recently posed the question, “How should singles resist the temptation to fulfill our physical desires outside of marriage?” This question makes it sound as if all singles struggle with the temptation of physical desires. For those of you who don’t struggle with this temptation, Praise God! For the rest of us, the Bible gives us some practical instruction and lessons on how we may be able to handle this and other temptations.
CrosswalkOk. I’m not a financial expert. I don’t even know where CNBC is on the dial. I’ve never subscribed to the Wall Street Journal. And I wouldn’t recognize Warren Buffet if he were sleeping on my couch. But I have found some useful advice for Christians as we experience what every single living expert tells us is happening to our economy. Strangely, it comes from the divinely inspired pen of a man who has a lot of American cities named after him—but has never stepped on U.S. soil. In fact, he lived centuries ago in filthy dungeon of a prison for crimes he didn’t commit. But his advice, spelled out on the pages of the book of Philippians can make all the difference in your economic and spiritual outlook.
Crosswalk -
Tuesday, May 6, 2008Tuesday's Talk Tablet
Two million books is too many to seem real. What Jeffrey Zaslow can get his hands on, though, he can get his head around. So as "The Last Lecture" rockets up the best-seller lists — and really, it's already done rocketing — Zaslow can't help himself: He checks. He'll drive past a bookstore and OK, just this one last time, he'll pull in. Is it in stock? Up front, where it's supposed to be? Ahh, good. And reassured, he goes on his way.
Denver PostThe instructions are simple: Read the Prayer ... / Drink the Water ... / Believe in God! / Believe in Yourself! Spiritual Water, the faith-inspired venture of two Sunrise, Fla., businessmen, offers its drinkers clearer focus, positive thinking and connection to a higher power. The 11 bottles in the company's collection bear prayers and impressively detailed images of Jesus Christ, St. Michael and the Virgin Mary. Spiritual Water joins a broad slice of feel-good products — Testamint, Bible Gum and other bottled holy waters — emerging at the intersection of religion and commerce, entrepreneurship and pop culture.
Denver Post Here is the picture of the bottles of water and their photos.The
University of Toledo suspended an administrator for stating in a guest column in a local newspaper that choosing homosexual behavior is not the same as being black or handicapped. Associate Vice President of Human Resources Crystal Dixon wrote in response to a newspaper editor's column criticizing a lack of equality for homosexuals that, "I take great umbrage at the notion that those choosing the homosexual lifestyle are 'civil rights victims.' Here's why. I cannot wake up tomorrow and not be a “black woman”. World Net DailyConservative Christian leaders who believe the word "evangelical" has lost its religious meaning plan to release a starkly self-critical document saying the movement has become too political and has diminished the Gospel through its approach to the culture wars. The statement, called "An Evangelical Manifesto," condemns Christians on the right and left for "using faith" to express political views without regard to the truth of the Bible, according to a draft of the document obtained Friday by The Associated Press. "That way faith loses its independence, Christians become `useful idiots' for one political party or another, and the Christian faith becomes an ideology," according to the draft.
APGrounded in research at the Dartmouth Medical School, slow medicine encourages physicians to put on the brakes when considering care that may have high risks and limited rewards for the elderly, and it educates patients and families how to push back against emergency room trips and hospitalizations designed for those with treatable illnesses, not the inevitable erosion of advanced age. Slow medicine, which shares with
hospice care the goal of comfort rather than cure, is increasingly available in nursing homes, but for those living at home or in assisted living, a medical scare usually prompts a call to 911, with little opportunity to choose otherwise. NY TimesNo more dogs behind the steering wheel. Canines don't have to be back-seat drivers, but they'd better stay away from the gas pedal under legislation passed Monday by the Assembly. The measure to ban drivers from holding a live animal has been lambasted by radio's Rush Limbaugh and ridiculed as the "Paris Hilton Bill" in honor of the celebrity dog lover. But Assemblyman Bill Maze, R-Visalia, said his bill can be a matter of life or death. "It's a safety measure," he said before the Assembly's 44-11 vote sent the measure to the Senate. Current law requires animals to be secured in the back of a pickup, but allows them to roam freely inside a vehicle.
Sacramento BeeA new school being built in Natomas has something in common with the Chia Pet.
With a few sprinkles of water, plants will spring from its top, forming a cover of vegetation across the roof of the H. Allen Hight Learning Center. The school's "green roof" is one of many construction features designed to save energy when the campus opens in August with 500 students. It's also likely the first local example of a building trend sweeping across rooftops worldwide. The green roof will account for about $200,000 of the $74 million school construction project, Cannon said. It's more than double the cost of a traditional roof, which would cost roughly $80,000. But Cannon figures the school district will see a return on its investment in about 12 years.
Sacramento BeeSan Francisco has fewer black residents but more blacks in jail -- s San Francisco's population of African American residents has decreased in recent years, the population of black men and women locked up in the San Francisco County Jail has increased dramatically, Sheriff Michael Hennessey said Monday. The item is in the
San Francisco ChronicleWith the Beijing Games less than 100 days away, the International Olympic Committee clarified its protest rules Monday, saying that athletes' external appearance, clothing and gestures would be scrutinized in China. The IOC sent a six-point letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, to the national Olympic federations in response to their request for interpretations of Rule 51.3 of the Olympic charter. That rule states "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas."
APIts the last drive-in theater in Sacramento County. And now it's shutting down. So when will the last movie be shown? The drive-in. It has become a part of Americana, along with our love of cars and our love of Hollywood rolled up in one. Even John Travolta couldn't help but sing about it in Grease. But in recent years the money at the Sacramento Six Drive In has been drying up.
CBS 13 TV -
Monday, May 5, 2008Cinco de Mayo Monday
Today is Cinco de Mayo, an event that commemorates a Mexican victory over the French in 1862. A ragtag 4,500-strong militia under the command of Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza defeated a larger, well-equipped French expeditionary force at the original Battle of Puebla on March 5, 1862. Cinco de Mayo celebrations started "by Latinos living in California during the Civil War around issues of freedom and democracy," according to David E. Hayes-Bautista, the director of the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture. Mexico's victory came at a time when "'it looked as if freedom and democracy was just about going to be a thing of the past in the North American land mass" because of the Union's struggles in the Civil War and the French invasion of Mexico, Hayes-Bautista said.
CBS 13 NewsWhat's got everyone talking is the odd-looking tower that rises 140 feet above the 101 Freeway, directly across from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The futuristic metallic edifice, with a wraparound spiral Dr. Seuss would love, is not part of a theme park. It is the signature adornment on a new arts-oriented public high school that will cost roughly $230 million. That's far more than the going rate for a more conventional school, but district officials argue that they already owned the site of the former L.A. Unified headquarters. Sure, but aren't these tough times for public schools? Aren't school districts facing huge cuts? Aren't many aging schools in disrepair?
LA TimesSince the pastor and his family moved from Charlotte to Prague three years ago to start a church, the falling value of the U.S. dollar has brought home a sobering reality: The money they raised to support themselves and their work overseas does not go nearly as far as it once did. The dollar's decline has stung most expatriates who are paid in U.S. funds, but missionaries serving internationally are particularly at risk. Many depend on money raised years before they left, when exchange rates were more favorable. As a result, the Davises and fellow missionaries are facing tough financial questions: Should they move to a smaller house farther from those they're trying to reach? Where can they save on groceries? Can they raise enough money to stay?
Trading Markets NewsThe current divorce rates weigh heavily on Dr. Gramm as well, prompting him, he said, to tell his students why he was leaving. “I want them to know that God does not desert you when life suddenly gets real on you,” Dr. Gramm said. “And I want them to know that you can be a responsible, reasonable and decent person and not be able to work out a marriage with another responsible, reasonable and decent person.”
NY TimesPro-family advocates are urging people to act quickly in asking their local CBS affiliates to preempt the May 4 broadcast of two back-to-back episodes of "Dexter," a graphically violent show that portrays a serial killer as its hero. The show has aired on the premium cable network Showtime for two seasons and was placed on broadcast television this year during the Hollywood writers' strike when CBS was short on material. "Dexter introduces audiences to the depths of depravity and indifference as it chronicles the main character's troubled quest for vigilante justice by celebrating graphic, premeditated murder," Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, said.
Baptist PressA former CBS News correspondent says the half-hour nightly newscast on the big three television networks is "an idea whose time has come and gone." CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric is rumored to be leaving her position soon amid a ratings slide in which her viewership has dropped to just over five million. Former CBS News correspondent Bernie Goldberg predicts Couric will exit the anchor chair no later than a few days after the presidential election. Goldberg, who was won eight Emmy awards for his journalistic work at CBS News and HBO, says nightly newscasts on ABC, CBS, and NBC have become practically obsolete.
One News NowStruggling Giants pitcher Barry Zito will make $14.5 million this year. Mark Yudof, the new head of the University of California, earns $591,000 plus perks. Hillary and Bill Clinton grossed an estimated $20.4 million in 2007, while Barack Obama's family took in $4.2 million. A fire captain in the financially stressed town of Vallejo earns $250,000. And the head of a street maintenance crew filling potholes on your block may be making $107,000.
Search SFGate's salary databases here A flood of newly available information about the paychecks of everyone from street cleaners to corporate chief executive officers to athletes is turning up on the Internet and elsewhere and that, in turn, has turned up the heat on an age-old debate: How much pay is too much? SFChronicleObama said his proposal for a tax cut for the middle class, as part of an economic stimulus package, would be more effective than Clinton's gas tax suspension. "Look, people do need serious relief," he said. "They are getting hammered. I mean -- people who can't go on job searches because they can't fill up their gas tank. And so, what I've said is, let's accelerate the second half of a tax stimulus proposal that I have put forward that would put, immediately, hundreds of dollars into people's pockets to get through the summer." Clinton has her own tax-cut proposals that benefit the middle class, but she said the gas tax holiday would be an important short-term measure.
Washington PostClovis Unified -- which has built a statewide reputation with high-performing schools and strict rules for dress and behavior -- may pursue a dramatic departure from tradition: a high school where students take classes entirely online. An online charter high school would be a radically new direction for the Clovis Unified School District, but educators say an increasing number of students are interested in getting their education through the Internet. Students -- and parents -- are seeking alternatives to the traditional school setting, whether it's through online classes, independent study or charter schools.
Fresno BeeDoctors know some patients needing lifesaving care won't get it in a flu pandemic or other disaster. The gut-wrenching dilemma will be deciding whom to let die. Now, an influential group of physicians has drafted a grimly specific list of recommendations for which patients wouldn't be treated. They include the very elderly, seriously hurt trauma victims, severely burned patients and those with severe dementia.
APWith gas prices soaring across the country, the presidential candidates are debating possible solutions for relief. Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton support a so-called "gas tax holiday," a temporary halt to the 18.4-cent federal gas tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day, "Just a little break for the summer," McCain told voters in Denver this weekend.
News 10 -
Thursday, May 1, 2008Thursday's Talk Thimble
On Thursday, several million Americans will gather in special observances across the country to mark the National Day of Prayer, first inaugurated by Congress in 1952.
Under the energetic sponsorship of a national task force, the events have mushroomed into the thousands in recent years. They are held at houses of worship but also schools, courthouses, city halls, state houses, and at the White House and on Capitol Hill. This year, however, voices are being raised to challenge the religiously exclusive nature of the task-force effort, which is coordinated by conservative Christians who have encouraged government leaders' involvement in their events but rejected direct participation by other faith leaders.
Christian Science MonitorAt the Crave Bookstore and Cafe in Lebanon, Tenn., you can buy Christian bestsellers like Max Lucado's "3:16" and "Velvet Elvis" from Rob Bell, sample the latest CD from Third Day, or get just about any English Bible translation under the sun. And then there are the "cinnamon things." "It's not a muffin and it's not a roll," said Sandra Lawrence, who works in the store's cafe. "People kept saying, 'give me one of those cinnamon things,' so that's what we named them." The Crave, which opened in December 2007, is not your ordinary Christian bookstore. Co-owners Mike and Beth Waggoner, along with their partners Sonny and Bridgette Belew, knew that if they just sold books, their store wouldn't have a prayer.
The Leaf ChronicleThe controversy surrounding a popular teen-star's recent photo shoot is creating opportunities for parents to teach their children about a wide range of moral issues and decisions. Earlier this week, controversial pictures from an upcoming issue of Vanity Fair featuring Miley Cyrus -- better known as the television character "Hannah Montana" -- were released. Hannah Montana is currently the highest-rated show on the Disney Channel. The photos were taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, and included one in which the 15-year-old star is wrapped in what appears to be a satin bed sheet, with her back exposed. Other photos include Cyrus and her dad, singer Billy Ray Cyrus. Initially, Cyrus, who has openly proclaimed her faith in Christ, defended the pictures as "artistic." Subsequently she has stated the photos and story embarrassed her, and she has issued an apology to her fans.
One News NowCalifornians divided over new taxes for schools, poll finds -- Californians want their public schools protected from state budget cuts and are willing to tax the rich to make that happen. But despite the threat of schools taking a beating in next year's state budget, residents are sharply divided over whether they would support higher taxes for themselves, according to a statewide poll released late Wednesday. Mitchell Landsberg in the
Los Angeles Times Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle Dana Hull in the San Jose Mercury -- 5/1/08See the world, let special interests pay, Schwarzenegger urges lawmakers -- The governor says globe-trotting is how he got his education and says it is especially important for legislators from small towns. Evan Halper and Nancy Vogel in the
Los Angeles Times Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/1/08Gas near $4 a gallon raises costs for businesses -- If the cost of a fill-up at the gas station makes you gasp, you ain't seen nothing yet. High pump prices are just the beginning of the four-dollar-gas fallout. In Silicon Valley, flowers, pizzas and taxi rides to the airport are going to cost more. So will hay for horses and limousines to the prom. Linda Goldston in the
San Jose Mercury -- 5/1/08Hispanics to march as debate simmers -- Valley Hispanics will march for immigrant rights today in downtown Fresno for the third year in a row. But activists are divided on whether another march is the best way to push for changes in federal immigration law. Vanessa Colón in the
Fresno Bee -- 5/1/08Wiegand: The latest from the goofy front -- Exactly two months ago, I regaled or bored you with some synopses of proposed legislation that we in political journalism sometimes refer to as "goofy." Steve Wiegand in the
Sacramento Bee -- 5/1/08For love of L.A. taco trucks -- Some residents have launched an Internet fight against an L.A. County law curbing how long the vehicles can remain parked as they sell their wares. Jean-Paul Renaud in the
Los Angeles Times -- 5/1/08 -
Wednesday, April 30, 2008Wednesday's Talk Weeds
A license plate that would have become the first in the nation to prominently feature a religious symbol
is unlikely to be on the road any time soon after state lawmakers did not include it in a bill Tuesday. The plate, which included an image of a Christian cross, stained-glass window and the words "I Believe," is not in legislation passed late Tuesday that's now headed to the governor. Opponents of the plate said approving it would result in a court challenge because it violated the separation of church and state and gave the appearance the state was endorsing a particular religious preference. Supporters countered that not approving it could also result in a lawsuit. One News NowObama praised for rebuking his pastor
-- Sen. Barack Obama's forceful denunciation of his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, earned him praise Tuesday for confronting a searing controversy that has dogged him for weeks. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/30/08The Rev. Wright's comments alarm black ministers in Los Angeles
-- Disputing his characterization of the church, they say they fear Obama's former pastor will hurt the Democratic candidate's chances. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times -- 4/30/08Roadshow: $4 gas pops up across Silicon Valley
-- Gas above $4 a gallon in the South Bay? At a growing number of stations, we're already there. While the average price for a gallon of regular in the San Jose area stood just shy of $3.93 Tuesday, plenty of stations were selling fuel well above the magical and dreaded four-buck figure. Gary Richards in the San Jose Mercury -- 4/30/08Bee investigation prompts nail-gun maker to halt production
-- A small North Carolina company says it will stop making nail guns equipped with automatic firing systems this fall to avoid worker injuries and prevent accidental deaths. Andrew McIntosh in the Sacramento Bee -- 4/30/08This is, of course, why conservative Republicans and fundie Christians love her. They call her "classy."
What they mean is: She knows her place, keeps her mouth shut, possesses exactly zero sexuality, speaks only when spoken to, lets the men do the "real" work, stays so far off in the background she might as well be wallpaper. Here's the bottom line: I think Laura Bush has been bad for America. Not nearly as toxic as her husband, but bad enough. SF ChronicleA San Rafael minister who presided over several same-sex ceremonies didn't violate Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) rules
, because same-sex marriages don't exist in the church, a church court ruled Tuesday. At the same time, the Permanent Judicial Council's ruling affirmed the right of same-sex couples to have unions, a ceremony that would theoretically have a distinct liturgy. The ambivalent ruling - affirming the rights of gays and lesbians to have their relationships sanctioned by the church but not considering them equal to those of heterosexual couples - is likely to disappoint both sides in the debate. SF Chronicle
