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Home USA Politics Comparing Congress to Volunteer Firemen
Comparing Congress to Volunteer Firemen
Sat March 6, 2010
A politician is a strange and wondrous creature.
They can easily favor opposing ideas on alternate weekdays while spending the weekend raking in money from lobbyists and contributors who have no concept of ethics or even any loyalty to this country.
On the day after taking thousands of dollars in "contributions" from some foreign company which has legislation pending that they will amend and vote on, the same politician can stand up in Congress and rail against third-world dictators and customs inspectors who demand small payments to favor businesses.
These days it is difficult to keep perspective on what is really happening as spin doctors work hard to confuse you and everything a politician says might seem to make sense, even if they held the opposite viewpoint a year earlier.
I thought an analogy might help.
Consider if our brave and hard-working volunteer firemen instead acted like Congress.
When your house is burning they would rush to the site, wave their arms, and half would shout loudly and repeatedly that the building is on fire. The other half are taking a quick poll of your neighbors to see if they like you and start shouting that, no, the house isn't on fire, it is all illusion and you are just trying to get money and services you don't deserve from the government.
All the while you stand there watching your home burn.
The fire chief and his staff are sitting in their cars getting makeup applied until a TV news crew showed up to photograph the fire, then, while the cameras are being set up they rush in, grab an ax and join the fire crew in breaking into your car and cutting down any nearby trees.
About this time one group of firemen would propose pouring water on the fire and the rest would all yell, "Great, that's what we should do."
But then the guy who wants to be chief next year says, "Wait a minute, this water in the river is the wrong kind, we need to buy water from my cousin's pool company and, besides, we could put out this fire much faster if we had a new fire engine."
Then they fall to squabbling and choose up sides.
You are by this time sitting on the ground trying to comfort your crying children while the house continues to burn.
One small group wants to just start pumping water on the fire with what they have. Another small group is quietly setting other fires in the same neighborhood to support their call for funding to expand the department and buy additional fire trucks.
The rest, some of whom have control of the hoses while others have the keys to the truck, are arguing about the new equipment both sides now want.
One side wants to buy a standard fire truck from the dealer located just down the block. The dealer is actually open and has a truck they can have at the fire in five minutes. Unfortunately, he forgot to contribute to the fire chief's BBQ fund last month.
The other side is led by a guy whose brother-in-law owns a flower shop but wants to start building fire trucks instead.
The two groups keep grabbing at the news crew's microphone while shouting insults at each other.
Eventually the TV cameraman turns to cover the burning building while the reporter interviews you, the homeowner, first asking how your children felt when they realized the family dog was still in the burning house (which they hadn't realized until now.)
Next the chief and wannabe chief get together and decide to order the new truck from the brother-in-law so they have something to announce to the reporter.
They push the homeowner away from the reporter and step between the camera and the house to tell everyone how, in view of the gravity and urgency of the situation, they have decided to order a new truck with a pump twice as big as any other ever seen.
By now little remains of your house except embers where the local kids and the news van driver are toasting marshmallows.
The next day the chief asks the brother-in-law to design a new truck and get it built quickly. They also promise to double his asking price if he hurries.
He submits a design a few weeks later and everything seems to be on track to put out the house fire, but then some of the firemen start squabbling over what color the engine should be, while others want their relatives' companies to supply a gold-plated steering wheel and some shiny decals.
Blah, blah, blah… I'll let you fill in the rest, but the new truck arrives just in time to give you a ride to the new home you had built. It accidentally runs over your new dog.
My apologies to all the heroic, hard-working firepersons everywhere for even mentioning them in the same breath with the lazy, greedy bums we send to Congress.
Congressmen play politics with the future of our great nation, while being wined and dined (you're not allowed to call it "bribed") by lobbyists. And we're supposed to believe they are taking their duties to the people who elected them seriously.
We REALLY need to send some volunteer firemen to Washington.
And, by the way, just why isn't money given to someone who later supports a business called a bribe?
Copyright 2010, John A. McCormick, Inc.
http://groundhogpress.com/
John McCormick is a reporter, /science/medical columnist and finance and social commentator, with 18,000+ bylined stories and seven major books. He is a 38-year member of the National Press Club, retired emergency management coordinator, physicist, and member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a member of The Union of Concerned Scientists. He is a senior NewsBlaze writer who writes incisive, investigative stories.
John's latest books, "Sheep in the Rafters," and "Everywhere I turn There's a Wet Nose" a book for those who see dog hair as a condiment (about the science of and love for dogs) are available on Amazon.
The list of all of his books is here: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00287RNFS
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In the growing conversation around mindfulness, we're constantly hearing about meditation in the workplace and tech CEOs who swear by the practice. But less attention is being paid to the quietly growing movement for mindfulness in the family, and the use of meditation to optimize the health, well-being and happiness of children.
It's not just adults that can stand to benefit from cultivating a focused awareness on the present moment. Research is beginning to shed light on the power of mindfulness as an intervention for a number of behavioral challenges that children face. We're also starting to recognize that mindfulness practices could be beneficial for children for the same reasons it helps adults, contributing to reduced stress, improved sleep quality and heightened focus.
At increasingly younger ages, kids are facing higher levels of stress, and it may be taking a significant toll on their health. Stressful events in childhood can increase the risk of developing health problems as an adult, but the impact may hit much earlier. A recent University of Florida study found that stressful events can impact a child's health and well-being almost immediately, and can contribute to the development of physical and mental health problems and learning disabilities.
Sonia Sequeira, Ph.D., a clinical researcher specialized in Investigational Therapies and director of the Institute for Meditation Sciences, has been practicing yoga and meditation for nearly 20 years, and has practiced with her own children for years. Now in her work as a mindfulness researcher, she's brought contemplative practices to children ages 3-18 who are struggling with autism, cancer, and other physical and mental health problems. Currently, she's using meditation and chanting to help relieve pain in children with cancer.
It may seem like a tall order to ask your kid to meditate -- given that it can be a struggle just to get a child to sit down or eat breakfast -- but Sequeira insists that in her years of working with children, she's found just the opposite.
"There's an initial resistance, which I think is cultural, and usually it occurs in the presence of the parent," Sequeira told The Huffington Post. "But it extinguishes very quickly. Teaching mindfulness to children has always been the easiest for me because there's no set patterns, or at least they're not set in stone yet. With adults its much more difficult."
Learning mindfulness practices -- including meditation, breathing exercises, yoga asana (postures) and chanting -- can have a significant long-term affect on a child's development.
"[In my research], what really mattered was finding practical tools that were not an on-off or intermittent practice for children, but something they could really grow with and that could affect their physiology as they grow from their young childhood into adolescence," says Sequeira.
Here's proof that children need mindfulness just as much as adults do.
Susan Kaiser Greenland, author of The Mindful Child, is one of increasingly many parents fighting for a "mindful revolution in education," explaining mindfulness programs can aid kids in developing good habits that will help make them happier and more compassionate.
"Meditation is one of a few interventions that have been shown to effectively strengthen self-control and character development simultaneously," the researchers write in a report. "There is much to be gained by exploring meditation as a strategy to override impaired brain synchronicity and debilitating symptoms arising in early years of persons with autism."
In autism and many other psychological imbalances, the connecting thread is a lack of rhythm, says Sequeira. There's a challenge of balancing the inner and outer world, and this can distort relationships and interactions with others. In the case of autism, environmental cues become so augmented that the child shuts down from the world to protect themselves. Mantra meditation in particular (a type of meditation that involves the repetition of a word or sound) can help restore a sense of rhythm.
"When you create internal rhythm, there's a harmonizing and balancing effect," explains Sequeira. "It facilitates communication, incubation of thoughts... it tells you that you're in a safe environment and there's no threat." "It truly is a top-to-bottom response, and with the children, it restores a natural ability to respond inside to rhythm."
It can help kids with ADD and ADHD.
It can help children with cancer and other serious health conditions.
Sequeira has been hard at work for over a year now on a pilot program bringing mantra meditation to children with cancer as a way to reduce pain. While the study is still underway and the results have not yet been finalized, she's seen an overwhelming positive reaction from both the children and their parents.
"Frequently the children remark that they want to continue beyond the time that's scheduled, even beyond the point where they had heightened pain," says Sequeira. "They wanted us to stay there chanting with them for a while. Parents from all over the world speaking different languages are united by mantra that doesn't have a language meaning but that touches their heart. They felt an enormous sense of peace and did feel that they were contributing to the healing of their children."
The kids Sequeira works with at Sloan-Kettering also use what she calls a "worrywart waste basket," in which they make a practice of writing down their concerns on a piece of paper and throwing them away. "They know to do that, and to chant and resolve some of the tension that arises," says Sequeira.
A mindful family upbringing encourages children to self-actualize.
Mindful parenting, as defined by Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction founder Jon Kabat-Zinn, consists of "paying attention to your child and your parenting in a particular way: intentionally, here and now, and non-judgmentally." As Sequeira puts it, creating a mindful family is about "healing the environment and healing the relationships."
To begin to create a more mindful family and incorporate mindfulness into their children's lives, parents can start with a daily meditation, yoga or breathing practice. Family dinners can also become mindful by not allowing phones at the table and having a moment of gratitude for the food. Even simple things like positive affirmations and encouraging children to think before they speak can foster an environment of calmness, presence and compassion.
"A child is imprinted with many influences... and all of this shapes a personality" says Sequeira. "When there's a mindfulness approach to living, it ultimately becomes the personality of the child to truly manifest and become who they are -- not trying to become a doctor or a lawyer, but trying to discover their gifts. At the same time, it allows the parents to wean themselves from this very analytical, competitive, linear thinking in life, trying to carry children towards certain goals, which ultimately is stressful for the parent."
This "group healing," says Sequeira, will hopefully one day become the basis for a more mindful society.


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Dreamscapes of Los Angeles
Edited by Geoff Tuck
Paperback, Full Color
Dimensions: 5.5" x 8.5" x 0.5" 254 pages
Dreamscapes of Los Angeles is a compilation of writing from the Los Angeles art blog, Notes on Looking, which was founded in 2009 by artist and writer Geoff Tuck, and which over the years has published writing and image posts by Tuck and more than thirty other Los Angeles artists. Notes on Looking invites one to consider the art object, and to seek understanding from the moment of looking. The editorial position at Notes dispenses with much that is current in critical and academic writing about contemporary art and proposes a supportive stance—support that is informed by the rigors of close observation and inquiry. Notes on Looking is also fun, or it aims in that direction; the writers at Notes on Looking take pleasure in art and in ideas.
At heart, Notes on Looking, and this current publication, Dreamscapes of Los Angeles are quirky, enthusiastic and humanist; the site was founded out of a desire for education, and to make manifest my belief that to have value, ideas must be shared. That writing also serves as a passionate and vocal advocate and booster for art, artists and art spaces in Los Angeles is simply the way things should be. If you're given a voice, use it for something good.
With contributions from Geoff Tuck, Brianne Latti, David Bell, Jonathon Hornedo, Aaron Wrinkle, EJ Hill, Becky Kolsrud, John Pearson, Tiffany Smith, Bettina Hubby, Carlyn Aguilar, Olga Koumoundouros, Ari Marcantonio, Asher Hartman, Calvin Lee, Latoya Raveneau, York Chang, Sonja Gerdes, and Alex Gross.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: addEventlistener function gives error in internet explorer I have the following code which is used for a mixitup filter, this code regulates the input from an input range and sets it to a checkbox which is checked it works in every browser except for internet explorer (tested in ie11). I think it has something to do with the initial function.
var p = document.getElementById("range"),
    res = document.getElementById("output");

p.addEventListener("input", function () {

        $("output").html(p.value);

    var classes = "";
    var minimal = 0;
    var maximal = p.value;
    $("input[type='range']").attr({'data-filter': "."+ maximal});
    $("input[type=checkbox].budget").val('.'+maximal);

    $( ".active" ).each(function( index ) {

      var thisClass = $(this).attr("data-filter");
      if (thisClass == '#mix.activiteiten') {
      } else {
          if (thisClass != 'undefined') {

            classes += thisClass + ',';
          }
      }
    });
    if (classes.length > 0) {
        var replaced = classes.replace('undefined', '');

        var matching = 0;
        var arrClasses = replaced.split(",")
    }

}, true);

p.addEventListener("change", function() {
    var $show = $('#FilterContainer').find('#mix.activiteiten').filter(function(){
        var price = Number($(this).attr('data-budget'));
        if (classes.length == 0) {

            return price >= minimal && price <= maximal;

        } else {
            for (index = 0; index < arrClasses.length; index++) {
                var thisValue = arrClasses[index].replace('.', '');

                if ($(this).hasClass(thisValue) && price >= minimal && price <= maximal) {

                    matching = 1;
                    return (price >= minimal && price <= maximal);

                }

            }
        }

    });
        $('#FilterContainer').mixItUp('filter', $show);

}, true);

`

A: Try this ... by using the jQuery On, you can ensure better response across browsers and versions.
var p = document.getElementById("range"),
   res = document.getElementById("output");

    $("#range").on("input", function () {
       ...
    }, true);

    $("#range").on("change", function() {
       ...
    }, true);

A: In older IE attachEvent method works instead of addEventListner
see Docs

A: If you're interested in a cross-browser approach, try creating a function that handles the feature detection for you.  Here's one way that might help as a starting point:
function registerEvent( sTargetID, sEventName, fnToBeRun )
{
   var oTarget = document.getElementById( sTargetID );
   if ( oTarget != null )
   {
      if ( oTarget.addEventListener ) {
         oTarget.addEventListener( sEventName, fnToBeRun, false );
      } else {
         if ( oTarget.attachEvent )
         {
            oTarget.attachEvent( sOnEvent, fnToBeRun );
         }
      }
   }
}

Note that this function makes a few assumptions that you may wish to expand in in order to incorporate this into production code, such as error checking, fallback to attribute based event handlers, and so on.  Still, it may serve as a proof of concept.
Also, those claiming that IE predominately relies on attachEvent are referring to older versions of IE.  Starting with IE9, addEventListener is not only supported, it's recommended for IE.  To learn more, see:

*

*How to detect features, rather than browsers

*Use feature and behavior detection

*IECookbook: Compatibility guidelines and best practices
The IE Blog is a good way to stay up-to-date on the latest news and best practices for IE.  (For example, here's the entry talking about why you should use addEventListener instead of attachEvent.)
Hope this helps...
-- Lance
P.S. If 'addEventListener' doesn't seem to be working for you, trying adding <!DOCTYPE html> as the first line of your HTML file.  To learn more, see How to enable standards support.
P.P.S. If you create a personal library of such functions, you can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes you to incorporate common tasks into new projects.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home / City Trip • South Africa / Things to do in Johannesburg
City TripSouth Africa
8 Minute Read Leave a Comment
What to do in Johannesburg? Local Feliciana Groothuis shares her favourite spots and guides you through the metropolis, where she has been living for three years.
Four years ago, the Dutch expat set foot ashore to explore the heart of South Africa as a potential home address. "Is Johannesburg safe, I wondered. And can I even walk down the street? Then you find out that you actually have so many prejudices against a city like this."
Feliciana has been living in 'Jozi' for over three years now and is extremely enthusiastic. "Johannesburg is really a fantastic city," she says. "It's a bit like Rotterdam: you will not get it handed on a silver platter, and you have to know where to go. After a while, you will learn to appreciate the city."
Feliciana considers the weather and climate to be one of the most advantageous features of the metropolis: "You have about 360 days of sunshine a year in this area. And because Jo'burg is situated at an altitude of 1700 metres, it cools down comfortably in the mornings and in the evenings.
In addition, Johannesburg is very green, and the city has the largest planted forest: "It is truly different from other cities. I once drove over the highway with a friend, when she looked outside she asked if the city centre was a park, that's how green it is. There are so many trees here. And it is so vast here. That's why it's hard to understand where you have to be."
Luckily Feliciana can help us a bit with that. The things you have to do and where you have to be, when in Jo'burg – according to her:
During Apartheid, Jo'burg was divided into 'white' and 'non-white' areas on the basis of skin colour. "To understand the scale and impact of this policy, the Apartheid Museum is an absolute must visit," says Feliciana. As the remnants of Apartheid can still be seen throughout South Africa, the same unfortunately applies to Johannesburg.
> Apartheid Museum, Northern Park Way and Gold Reef Rd, Johannesburg, 2001, open daily, www.apartheidmuseum.org/
Maboneng
Maboneng, 'Braam' and 44 on Stanley are great initiatives, which are definitely worth a visit: "There are two streets that are very cool. Just be careful with when visiting this area in the evening, you shouldn't just wander around and just remain on those two streets," Feliciana advises.
Neighbourgoods Market Braamfontein
"Johannesburg has been rebuilt five or six times. The city ended up in such an economic decline with the Apartheid in the '70s, that the renewal stopped and it still has its current appearance. Lately, they have been trying to revitalize certain parts of the city with success: Maboneng and the Neighbourgoodmarket in Braamfontein are examples of trendy places with restaurants and art studios in areas where, in the old days, it would be better not to go."
> Maboneng Precinct, 276 Fox St, City and Suburban, Johannesburg, 2094, South Africa, www.mabonengprecinct.com/ | Neighbourgoods Market Braamfontein, 73 Juta St, Johannesburg, 2000, South Africa, every Saturday, neighbourgoods-market.business.site/
Johannesburg city centre: 44 Stanley
The 44 Stanley is another must go. This district in the 'black' part of the old centre has been revitalized for some time now. "There are two courtyards, where all ethnicities come together. It's hip and happening, but with residents who are not yet adapted to the flow of tourists."
> 44 Stanley, 44 Stanley Ave, Braamfontein Werf, Johannesburg, 2092, www.44stanley.co.za
Discover colourful graffiti with PAST Experiences
Although a visit to the above places is fun, it also gives a rather one-sided image. "As an expat, you can easily stay in a bubble and enjoy a very Dutch programme," says Feliciana. "That's why I really appreciate a number of tours, including the Graffiti Tour of PAST Experiences. Art reflects and shows what's going on in society. This tour makes sure that you are confronted with the facts."
Hillbrow: on to the Ponte Tower
"The Ponte City Experience with Dlala Nje is also a great thing to do," she continues. The Ponte Tower in Hillbrow was the pinnacle of decadence in the 1970s, but fell into serious disrepair in the 1990s – with drugs, poverty, prostitution and crime predominating. The skyscraper was also called the 'vertical slum'. Nowadays, however, this is no longer the case and the iconic building primarily tells a story of resilience and hope.
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Following on a previous post I would like to extend the functionality of Home Assistant using the OwnTracks plugin to get an idea of how full my phone battery is. This information could be used to send an alert to you should your battery drop too low and you are at home, or let you know that your spouse's battery is low when they are out and about (the only limit here is your imagination).
In order to accomplish this I will need to know a couple of things, mainly what data is being sent by OwnTracks, and how to get at this bits of it I want.
Something to note here "iOS,Android/integer/percent/optional"
There is a possibility that this value won't always be there, and this is due to the fact that you can enable / disable advanced reporting in the application. We will need to make sure that this case is catered for when we attempt to collect this information.
In order to store and present this information in Home Assistant we will need to make use of a sensor, more specifically the mqtt sensor. This sensor will allow us to subscribe to any MQTT topic and collect data from it, with the added bonus of being able to manipulate this data using the templating engine built into Home Assistant.
Most of it is self-explanatory with the exception of the value_template, which I am sure most of you can work out. Basically this template first checks that we have some battery information to extract (value_json.batt) and providing we do it will extract it, should there be no information to extract it will use the last known value of the battery. I found that sometimes OwnTracks would check in without sending battery information, this is just a safeguard against that.
After restarting Home Assistant, and checking in with my phone I am able to see my battery information!
Using the same approach as above I was able to add the following sensor to Home Assistant to track what type of connection my phone was using to call home (either WiFi or mobile data). This information could be used to alert you when you are at home and not on the WiFi network, and possibly save you some money :).
After another restart of Home Assistant (notice a trend here) I was able to see my WiFi / mobile connection information.
The last bit of useful data from the "call home" payload of OwnTracks is the GPS accuracy value. Personally I have yet to think of a useful flow involving this data, but I am collecting it nonetheless just in case.
Hopefully you found this post useful and as always I look forward to any comments, questions and suggestions below.


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It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood
Columbus United FCU joins forces with a national nonprofit to champion housing availability in rural Nebraska.
By Marc Rapport
Top-Level Takeaways
Columbus United is financing homes and building relationships to leverage additions to its FOM.
The Nebraska cooperative works with NeighborWorks on subdivision development, among other things.
Columbus United Federal Credit Union ($73.9M, Columbus, NE) is leveraging its relationship with another nonprofit provider of affordable housing to make a difference in their rural corner of the Cornhusker State.
Through its work with NeighborWorks Northeast Nebraska, one of the more than 245 community development organizations working under the NeighborWorks America umbrella, Columbus United has helped develop subdivisions, sold homes in them, and expanded its reach within its newly expanded field of membership.
Brian Christensen, President and CEO, Columbus United FCU
Without partnerships like this, we wouldn't be doing a lot of these things. Our demographics, service areas, and community involvement all overlap. We know and trust each other.
NeighborWorks Northeast Nebraska buys 30 to 35 houses every year to rehab and sell, and it extensively uses a revolving loan fund to help keep costs in check.
Christensen is the current president of that local NeighborWorks board. According to him, Columbus United is a rural, blue-collar credit union whose membership is a "sweet spot" for NeighborWorks.
That's because affordable housing is also a major goal for Columbus United, whose mortgage products include conventional and USDA rural development loans plus down payment assistance.
Columbus United FCU
HQ: Columbus, NE
ASSETS: $73.9M
12-MO LOAN GROWTH: 3.8%
Christensen says his credit union, where he's been for 21 years, has worked with NeighborWorks for approximately 10 years.
"We refer to them, and they make sure our members come to us if they are working with them first," he says. "We have similar cultures that value those in need of quality housing, and our staffs know each other well."
That cooperation includes Bradshaw Place, a subdivision of 41 homes in Columbus. Columbus United first kicked in $50,000 for a 0% participation loan with several local banks that financed the infrastructure for the development five years ago.
Check out these articles to learn how other cooperatives approach affordable housing.
SECU Makes Lemonade From Foreclosure Lemons
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A South Carolina Credit Union Lends, Builds With Habitat
Since then, the credit union has offered some members USDA-backed loans to move into the subdivision, where at least 21 of the 41 homes were required to go to low- to moderate-income families, Christensen says, while others bought in with conventional mortgages.
Christensen says his work as a NeighborWorks board member has provided dual benefits for the community as well as Columbus United members. For the community, Columbus United has participated in loan pools for other subdivisions through NeighborWorks' rural workforce housing fund. For credit union members, exposure to these projects allows the credit union to learn more about new and different housing options.
But the benefits run even deeper than that.
"It's opened an opportunity for me to sit on the housing committee of our local chamber of commerce during a time of dramatic apartment and housing subdivision growth," Christensen says.
Get Involved. Advocate Fiercely.
Columbus United FCU president and CEO Brian Christensen had a clear reason for involving his cooperative with the local NeighborWorks America affiliate.
"It's the perfect match for developing housing opportunities for our membership, which is mostly blue collar," he says.
Here are four tips he has to make a similar strategy work at other credit unions.
Get involved and be known in the community.
Muscle into areas where banks want to exclude you.
Give to the community in time, talent, and treasure.
Advocate fiercely for members. "While they are hard at work making a living, you should be hard at work creating beneficial economic opportunities for them," Christensen says.
That's a relationship Christensen expects to see continue and flourish.
"With our ongoing support of NeighborWorks with time, talent, and treasure, we hope to continue to be positioned for the clear advantage of our members," the credit union president says.
That will become increasingly important as Columbus United works to develop the market in the field of membership it gained last year, which takes in the other larger community in the area, Norfolk, NE. Columbus and Norfolk, where NeighborWorks is based, each have approximately 24,000 residents and are about 45 miles apart.
"Our community charter overlaps all of NeighborWorks' designated service area and their programs match the blue-collar make-up of our membership," Christensen says.
That relationship should help Columbus United gain traction in Norfolk, where it plans to open an office.
"Since NeighborWorks is already in that community, it's been a tremendous vehicle by which contacts are being made," Christensen says.
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There are many opportunities in the world for us to consider our lives in Christ. In America, the Martin Luther King Holiday gives us the chance to think about how our treatment of others is a moral issue which should be governed by the Gospel commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. Loving strangers is part of our life in Christ, as Jesus teaches we will hear at the Judgment Day: "I was a stranger and you welcomed me"(Matthew 25:35; see also for example: Ephesians 2:19 or 3 John 5). Our prejudices and fears can help us identify the stranger whom we are to welcome. "Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:1-2).
My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man with gold rings and in fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, "Have a seat here, please," while you say to the poor man, "Stand there," or, "Sit at my feet," have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?
If St. James says that it is evil which leads us to make distinctions between people because of the clothing they wear (whether we think them rich or poor), what would he say to us if we make distinctions based upon skin color or accents or facial features? I think he would clearly tell us such "distinctions" (i.e., prejudices, bigotry, racism, xenophobia) were based in evil thoughts, not in godliness. St James' Epistle is for us Scripture – it has the authority of God's Word. St. James is not saying that we won't have feelings of phobias or prejudices. He tells us it is wrong to act on them and to treat others based on them. In love we have to overcome our own sinful thoughts.
Listen, my beloved brethren. Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you, is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme that honorable name which was invoked over you?
St. James is immediately addressing the temptation of distinguishing between the poor and the rich and then treating them differently based on our sinful bias. However, there is a principle here that applies to many other ways in which we apply our prejudices or bigotry. We cater to the rich in our churches as we want their financial support, but St. James says it is the rich who are a threat to us Christians, not the poor. The rich are powerful and have the legal means to threaten us legally and in other ways.
We often fear the poor and want to keep them far from us, but St. James says it is the rich and powerful who are the real threat. For it is the rich and powerful who will tempt us away from adhering to the Gospel commands of love – by bribes or threats. Something to think about. We build walls to keep the poor out of our lives, but it is the rich and powerful who have the ability to pass laws which threaten our beliefs and moral practices and who have the power to have those laws enforced against us. Power is a greater threat to our religious freedom than poverty.
If you really fulfil the royal law, according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," said also, "Do not kill." If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty.
St James tells us if we commit the sin of making distinctions (of prejudice, bigotry, racism, xenophobia), we break the law of God and fall under condemnation for our sin. Note, St. James does not say "partiality" is listed in the 10 Commandments, but he says it is every bit as sinful to show partiality (prejudice, bigotry, racism, xenophobia) as it is to commit adultery or murder! If we think we can commit such sins as "partiality" or "making distinctions" because there is no direct scriptural commandment against them, just read the Epistle of James. There Scripture clearly teaches prejudice and racism and bigotry are every bit as sinful, evil and wrong as is murder and adultery. If we think prejudice and bigotry are somehow not as sinful or evil as murder and adultery, we need to look at the Epistle of James who will correct our thinking immediately.
For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment.
Mercy is the Gospel command we are to follow to rid our hearts of the sins of prejudice, partiality, racism, making distinctions, bigotry or xenophobia.
Mercy triumphs over justice and judgment. That is why in the Orthodox Church we constantly pray, "Lord, have mercy!" We are not constantly saying, "God be just and judge us." We need God's mercy and to receive it, we need to show mercy to others.
"Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.


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Theophilus, a possible clue for the writing of Luke and Acts
gregoryfl
Luke wrote his account of Yeshua and Acts of the believers to a man named Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). It happens that there was a high priest of that name from 37-41 A.D. whose father and grandfather were involved in Yeshua?s crucifixion. If Luke was writing to that high priest, might that change the way we read the Book of Acts?
The question is, who is the man to whom Luke gives the honor of calling ?most excellent Theophilus? (Luke 1:3)? One would think from his name, Theophilus, that he would be a Roman. Speculations as to who he may have been led to the expectation the audience for Luke?s writings were Romans or at any rate, Gentiles. This led to seeing the Gospel account and in particular, Acts, as carrying an erroneous anti-Hebrew or anti-Jewish bias. The emphasis on Paul?s mission to the Gentiles is seen as the major message of the story.
So who was this ?excellent Theophilus? and what made him so excellent? To begin with, most of what we know about him comes from the noted Jewish historian Josephus Flavius who wrote extensively of Jewsih history. In digging around for some back up history, I came upon some facts that indicate Josephus himself was of priestly lineage of the Hasmoneans who are related to the priests of the Hanukkah story. Having won an incredible victory over the Syrians and reclaiming the Temple and their sovereignty, the victorious priests stepped across the tribal lines to assume joint offices of both priests and king. Torah provided for priests to come from the tribe of Levi while kings were to be of the tribe of Judah. We could say this is a kind of God-imposed separation of church and state. Note, however, that the intention of God, and subsequently Jefferson, was that government not impede or limit religion in any way, contrary to the inverted (mis)interpretation we are dealing with today.
With amalgamation of the priesthood and kingship all kinds of trouble arose resulting in the Romans being invited to help settle some in-house conflicts. Once there, they stayed and the rest, as they say, is history. So when noted historian Josephus writes about what took place in Israel?s history related to high priests and kings in the first century B.C. and A.D., he is writing from inside his own family history. He writes: ?I am of the chief family of that first course also; nay, further, by my mother I am of the royal blood; for the children of Asamoneus (Hasmoneans), from whom that family was derived, had both the office of the high priesthood, and the dignity of king.? These then are Josephus? credentials to be recording all that history.
Now back to Theophilus. According to Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews, Theophilus (which means God-lover in Greek, a good name for a priest even if it is Greek) was a member of one of the wealthiest and most influential Jewish families in Judea during the 1st century. This wealth enabled them to buy political favor with the Romans, whose Hellenistic ways they embraced, so it was not unusual for priests to have Greek (Hellenistic) names. This openness to Hellenism and infiltration of other cultures into Israel are the very things their ancestors, whom we know as the Maccabees, fought against. (See my article, ?The Other Hanukkah Story? for more on this.)
Since the church from early on had little or no interest in Jewish history, they were unaware of the references to Theophilus in Josephus? writings. As he had to be identified in some way, it has been taken for granted by Bible commentators for centuries that Theophilus was a Roman official of some kind, with a plethora of speculations being made about his status. For one, he is seen as a Roman Procurator (governor) of Judea, based on the fact that Luke addresses him as "most excellent" in Luke 1:3, which was used for Festus (Acts 26:25) and Felix (24:2), both Roman officials. Because later in Acts Luke addresses Theophilus only as, ?O Theophilus,? with no ?most excellent? attached, it is assumed that this indicated that Theophilus was demoted or removed from his Roman position as a result of his interest in Christianity.
It is also assumed Theophilus is asking for information because he is considering ?converting to Christianity.? (There was no ?Christianity? at that time.) Others may say, ?converting to the faith.? It is also assumed that he couldn?t have been very high in the Roman government because no historical evidence exists about him. I?d like to suggest that?s because they were looking in the wrong place. He wasn?t a Roman or Gentile, he was a Jew, the high priest. The church since Constantine was anti-Jewish, so if they were to take the Book of Acts as relevant for the church, which they did, it was assumed to be anti-Jewish, as they were. It was construed as being the document that lifted faith in Yeshua out of Judaism, with nothing for any Jew to gain from it. It certainly would never have occurred to the ?church fathers? that it was meant to be an apologetic to Israel?s high priest.
Both of Luke?s books were written before the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. However, it is further assumed that Luke could not possibly have been writing to anyone in Jerusalem. I find it also interesting that commentators talk about Luke as writing specifically to a Roman audience, when it?s addresses only one person, Theophilus. It is also assumed that Luke was writing to readers somewhat removed from what was going on in Jerusalem at the time. One Roman Catholic commentary says about Theophilus, ?This Roman official must have expressed an interest in learning about Christ and about the Apostles. He may have been in the process of converting to the Faith. The most likely answer is that a group of Christians living nearby had influenced and taught Theophilus. Luke was writing, not only to Theophilus, but also to those Christians who had given Theophilus his initial interest in Christianity.? (www.catholicplanet.com). This position is held by Protestant commentaries as well.
Of course, if you don?t know Theophilus was the high priest, why would you think he had any connection with Jews or Jerusalem? But now that we know who Theophilus was, he becomes part of the picture of the Messianic community?s impact upon Israel. We see why Luke addressed two works of such length and importance to Theophilus, since both the Gospel and Acts were lengthy works for that time period. He would not have written such important works to a minor Roman official.
Here?s where it gets more interesting. Are you ready for some family gossip? Now you get to see how Theophilus fits into the bigger picture and why he?s not some unrelated Gentile out there somewhere detached from the Jews or Jerusalem. Hebrew history tells us that Theophilus, high priest from 37-41 A.D. was the son of Annas who was high priest in the days when John the Baptist was preaching: ?In the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness?(Luke 3:2). Now already there?s some hanky-panky going on because there was never supposed to be two high priests. When Aaron died, his son took over as high priest as was the pattern. No two high priests in the same time period. We do know that collaboration with the Romans had something to do with who got the post of high priest based on who paid the most for the position. But there were evidently family dynamics going on to maintain power in the family. When Yeshua was taken captive, they ?led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year?(John 18:13), after which?Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest? (18:24). John?s Gospel tells it this way: ?The Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people? (John 18:12-14). A bit confusing, I know. ?Dad? (Annas) seems to be carrying some serious authority as he sees Yeshua first even if he?s not high priest. The point to keep in mind here is that Theophilus? father, (Annas), and his brother-in-law, (Caiahphas), were largely responsible for what happened to Yeshua. Was Theophilus privy to their plans and intentions? Was anything discussed within the family? I wonder, was he a part of it? What must he have witnessed?
Theophilus was, as we see, Caiaphas? brother-in-law, and along with his four brothers, served as high priests. By name his brothers are Eleazar, Jonathan, Matthias and Ananus. All this changing of high priest makes one suspect there was a great deal of jockeying for position going on. (Again, see ?The Other Hanukkah Story? for more on the hanky-panky. To round out the story, Theophilus? son Matthias served as the next to the last high priest before the destruction of the Temple by the Romans.
There?s one more generation to the family account. An ossuary, which is an engraved bone box with inscriptions on it, was found that provides more family information that may lead us to why Luke was writing to Theophilus. This same Theophilus had a granddaughter who was named Yohanna (Joanna) who was possibly Matthias? daughter. Do you remember there was a ?Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who were contributing to their support (to Yeshua and his disciples) out of their private means? (Luke 8:3)? Only Luke mentions Theophilus, Joanna, and Matthias (Anna, another woman, is only mentioned elsewhere by John), leading us to believe Luke had intimate knowledge of the family. Yohanna is mentioned in Luke 8:3 and more importantly in 24:10 where she is a key eye witness of the resurrection: ?Now they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the other women with them were telling these things to the apostles? (24:10). That her name is in the middle between the two other women is significant of her position of importance in the story. We know how important Miriam of Magdala (Mary Magdalene) is in the Gospel; Yohanna comes next. There is archaeological evidence that verifies that she was Theophilus? granddaughter.
Luke writes to Theophilus: "Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things which have been accomplished among us, just as they were delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word, it seemed good to me...to write an orderly account...that you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed" (Luke 1.1-4). Theophilus was evidently "informed" by his granddaughter Yohanna who was an "eyewitness...from the beginning".
Theophilus undoubtedly would have known Paul. Paul was not the only apostle who was traveling and making disciples, but Luke focuses on Paul for a reason. He was a noted rabbi and Pharisee. Theoophilus would have known what had taken place with Paul from the priests? side. Luke wants him to know the story from Paul?s side. He goes into detail about Paul?s persecution of believers and that it was sanctioned by the priesthood (Acts 9.1-2,14; 22.5; 26.12). Theophilus may remember that clearly. Then he tells the powerful story of Yeshua coming to Paul in a great light and speaking to him so Paul was entirely convinced of Yeshua being alive. Paul is a man of great authority and position in the eyes of the priests so this story would be very significant to Theophilus. That Paul was entirely committed to Yeshua from that moment forward was no incidental fact and Luke focuses a significant amount of the story on Paul purposely. His purpose was to bring Israel?s high priest to the Lord. This understanding of who Theophilus was serves to correct the erroneous idea the story is one of how ?Christianity? is no longer Jewish once Paul took it to the Gentiles. Paul may have gone to the Gentiles, but he always went to synagogues first, kept all the holidays, observed the Sabbath and was a Torah-observant Jew his whole life. Theophilus would need to know that. Any Jew would need to know that to give credibility to Yeshua being the Jewish Messiah.
For whatever reason, be it a sense of responsibility as a leader, conviction, a great desire to know the truth, out of skepticism, curiosity, or genuine spiritual hunger, Theophilus evidently wanted a full account, and sought out Luke, whom he appears to know personally, to confirm it. Luke writes with the goal that Theophilus, the High Priest of Israel, might come to believe. Now that you are informed of this information, take a new read through the Book of Acts with this in mind and see if it doesn?t give you a new sense of meaning.
Reprint of this article is permitted as long as you use the following; Use by permission by Messianic Vision, www.sidroth.org, 2011.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. Richard Anderson (attorney) explores this idea further in his book "Who are Johanna and Theophilus?: The Irony of the Intended Audience of the Gospel of Luke" and argues that Johanna, who is mentioned twice by Luke exclusively as is Theophilus, is Theo's grand-daughter and also argues that Luke himself was a priest and eyewitness. (I believe the evidence shows John was a priest as well, whom would've finalized/edited the NT Canon himself, 22+5 books ((begun by Peter and Paul as the NT itself indicates)), in accordance with Torah law, same as Ezra the priest finalized/edited the OT, 22 books. 22+27 = 49, 7x7, completion, making a 7 branched menorah: torah, nevi'im, ketuvim, gosepls/acts (the servant branch used to light the others, the 'et' or 'aleph-tav/alpha-omega' of Hebrew Genesis 1.1; 22 letters + 5 that change, from aleph to tav; tradition is God used the very letters to form creation when spoken, the Word), Paul's 14 letters, 7 universal letters, rounded out by Revelation, the book of 7s. I haven't read this book but am tempted. Here's the Amazon description:
This book is the first comprehensive analysis of the identities of Johanna and most excellent Theophilus. In support of this identification of Theophilus as the High Priest (Chapter 2) and Johanna as his granddaughter (Chapter 3), it is shown that Luke the author, a priest and eyewitness (Chapter 14), has adopted the recurring Old Testament theme of unfaithful and dishonest priests (Chapter 12). The irony of the gospel narrative is demonstrated by the behavior of the Unjust Steward as temple treasurer (Chapter 9), the Rich Man as High Priest (Chapter 10), the wicked tenants as the temple establishment (Chapter 11), and Ananias and Sapphira. These individuals are contrasted with the faithful and honest priests represented by the steward who repented and corrected the records, Lazarus the priest, Barnabas the Levite, Stephen, Ananias the blind guide and the community of love of the followers of Jesus. The final contrast is that of Caiaphas the High Priest with Jesus the eschatological High Priest.
This book explains two enigmatic and disturbing Lucan parables; demonstrates that Luke has adopted the recurring Old Testament theme of unfaithful and dishonest priests; and that Luke has employed "hidden polemics." This book also explains the significance of the usage of some hapax legomena in Luke, and establishes, contrary to Lucan scholarship, that Jesus is the eschatological High Priest while proving that Luke wrote to Theophilus the High Priest and that Johanna is none other than the granddaughter of the high priest. Furthermore, Luke alludes to the Books of Ezra, Jubilees, Micah and Enoch to name the most important findings made with respect to allusions. Scholars have been aware of some of these allusions but have not appreciated the significance of many of them. Finally, this book explains Luke's preface in a simple fashion that actually makes sense because Luke is shown to be an eyewitness as well as a priest. Most of these findings are possible only because Theophilus has been identified as the High Priest. Each of these new findings solidifies the claim that Theophilus is the High Priest.
This book of 332 pages contains a great deal more than one would expect from its title made possible by the author?s approach to theology that caused him to look at difficult passages in a new way. Many of the issues discussed cover matters not previously addressed in the literature.
The author is a trial attorney who has applied his extensive eclectic readings to his lifelong interests in the writings of Saint Luke. The Postscript of the Book includes the email address of the author for those who wish to submit a question to him about the book.
http://www.amazon.com/Who-are-Johanna-Th...B0056IXW6U
Acts 6.7 The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.
"All that openeth the matrix is mine" -Exodus 34.19a
Seeker of the Truth
Shalaamu (Shlama) Gregory,
Interesting conclusion. My current research on high priests drove me to him already (Theophilus Ben-Ananus/Annas of Scripture). However, I have another possible connection to this Theophilus: 3 Corinthians. This letter of the Corinthian church to Paul and Paul's response does not appear in Scripture (it is considered a pseudepigraphical work under the name of Paul). Whether it might be authentic or not I won't speculate, but it mentions a Theophilus among the Corinthian church elders/presbyters (3 Corinthians 1:1). Just something to consider.
Blessings and peace to you.
Shalaamu (Shlama)
-- Seitz (הַלְתַּוְאַם Hal-Tawˀam)
"We have no power at all against the truth, but for the truth." -- 2 Corinthians 13:8


William Dembski, who was recently elected as the new Vice President of the EPS, released his latest book earlier this month from Broadman & Holman Academic, titled, The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World (2009). We interviewed Dembski about his book and its implications for Christian work on the "problem of evil."
What's the main point that you are trying to communicate in this book? What is the "end of Christianity" that you speak of in your title?
My book attempts to resolve how the Fall of Adam could be responsible for all evil in the world, both moral and natural IF the earth is old and thus IF a fossil record that bespeaks violence among organisms predates the temporal occurrence of the Fall. My resolution is to argue that just as the salvation of Christ purchased at the Cross acts forward as well as backward in time (the Old Testament saints were saved in virtue of the Cross), so too the effects of the Fall can go backward in time. Showing how this could happen requires extensive argument and is the main subject of the book. As for my title, "End of Christianity" involves a play on words – "end" can refer to cessation or demise; but it can also refer to goal or purpose. I mean the latter, as the subtitle makes clear: Finding a Good God in an Evil World.
How did this book come about for you? How does the "problem of evil" intersect with your other professional and personal interests?
My main work has been in the field of intelligent design. The problem of evil looms large there because if the world and life are designed, the question arises what sort of designer would allow all the malevolent designs that we find in nature. In referring such evil designs to the Fall, however, one runs into a problem if they predate the Fall, as is required with an old earth: How can future events influence past events? So this question is at the heart of the debate between young and old earth creationists.
What do you think often lacking or neglected in "problem of evil" discussions among philosophers and theologians? How does your book contribute to filling-in-the-gaps in the contemporary literature on this topic?
Philosophers tend to approach the problem of evil generically, asking whether God, conceived without specific references to Christian revelation, could be good despite the existence of evil. Such an approach falls under philosophy of religion. It's fine as far as it goes, but it does not address specifically Christian concerns. My book falls more properly under philosophical theology – I analyze philosophically the content of Christian theology on the question of evil and of the Fall. Moreover, I make a positive proposal for how the Fall is possible in light of advances in modern science, which suggest that natural evil must have predated humanity by millions of years.
In five parts, you lay out your twenty-four chapters. Can you briefly describe the flow of this book and help us understand the larger argument in light of the parts of your discussion?
Part I describes the essence of human evil, the Fall, and God's solution to our predicament, namely, the Cross. Part II addresses how natural evil can be a consequence of the Fall. The chapters here contrast a young earth view, in which natural evil comes after humanity's Fall, with an old earth view, in which natural evil comes before. Part III lays out a theological metaphysics that provides the theoretical underpinnings for the retroactive view of the Fall that is the heart of my book. Part IV lays out this retroactive view of the Fall in detail, showing how the Fall can come after the natural evils for which it is responsible. Part V ties together loose ends, notably what to make of evolution as well as the existential problem of evil (it's one thing to discuss evil intellectually, it's another thing to deal with it in experience).
In the introduction, you help the reader to pay attention to the reality that we live and think in a particular "mental environment." What is that mental environment? Why does it matter for doing theodicy work?
Mental environments are more powerful than what typically are understood as worldviews. A worldview can be thought of as a collection of propositions to which we assent. But a mental environment adds conviction to a worldview. How strongly do we hold to certain principles and values in our worldview, and how does that make a practical difference in our lives? A mental environment controls, among other things, our plausibility structures – what we find reasonable or unreasonable. In the current mental environment, given that it holds to an old earth, it becomes very hard for people to accept that the Fall affected the physical world (and, in particular, induced natural evil). My theodicy attempts to redress this obstacle posed to the Fall by the current mental environment.
As you say in the introduction, "Christian theodicy" often does deal with the fact of (1) God's wise creation of the world out of nothing and (2) God's particular providence in the world. But what is often missing and yet considered preposterous for some is the claim (3): All evil in the world ultimately traces back to human sin. Why is that preposterous for some given our mental environment?
If the earth has been around for millions of years and if animals have been killing each other, getting sick, and going extinct all that time, how can all that suffering be a consequence of humanity's Fall when humans have been around only a minuscule portion of that time? Without a retroactive view of the Fall, in which God by anticipation allows natural evil in consequence of the Fall, the Fall and its physical effects seem crazy.
Would you say that if there is a failure to account for or be acquainted with the knowledge that is involved in claim (3), then a Christian theodicy that results from claims (1) and (2) will be inadequate?
A denial of (3) does not entail a denial of (1) or (2). Still, as a practical matter, without a classical view of the Fall as given in (3), theologians and scholars seem to find (1) and (2) less plausible. The problem is that (1) and (2) suggest that God is very close to the creation, getting his hands dirty in it and therefore responsible for much that happens. Without passing the blame for evil to humanity, as in (3), that blame then naturally falls on God – unless, that is, God's role in the world can be diminished, which is precisely what the denial of (1) and (2) involve and which is why process and open theism are now the rage.
The importance of claim (3) would seem to speak to the importance of divine revelation about the human condition and a theology of the heart that takes seriously that revelation as knowledge about reality. Would you agree? If so, how might greater Christian philosophy and theology work on the "problem of evil" result from taking seriously claim (3) in light of claims (1) and (2)?
My book arose out of an essay titled "Christian Theodicy in Light of Genesis and Modern Science." I take seriously that the Scripture is God's special revelation to humanity and that, as such, it is likely to contain layers of meaning that only become clear as our knowledge of the world increases. Far from scholarship undercutting the Scriptures, I see it as opening new vistas within the Scriptures. Thus I certainly see revelation as giving us knowledge about reality, knowledge that will agree with other sources of knowledge, such as science. As for the relation between claims (3) and claims (1) and (2), I see it as mutually reinforcing, where claim (3) renders the other two as more plausible and vice versa.
You are also working on a future project related to the topic, "being as communion," which is also the title of chapter 13. Can you tell us about that project, including how is that project related to The End of Christianity? How is chapter 13 a microcosm of that larger project?
Actually, Part III, and not just chapter 13, which is within that part, is a microcosm of that larger project. "Being as Communion" attempts to provide a metaphysics of information that is conducive to Christian theism. It depends, however, on a prior science of information, which has been the subject of my research now for over a decade. My most current work here may be found on the Evolutionary Informatics Lab website (http://www.evoinfo.org/). There are still a few more mathematical results I need to publish before I'm ready finally to write a full-length treatment of the metaphysics of information.
What is your view about the reality of the Kingdom of God's power and presence in our midst? How does that view figure into your treatment of suffering?
Evil, as I treat it, is never purposeless. Rather, God uses evil to bring us to our senses by making us face the consequences of our rebellion against God. The ultimate expression of evil and of God's redemption from it is signified in the Cross. The Kingdom of God's power is thus seen in God reversing the effects of evil through the Cross. God's goodness, our hope and thanksgiving, and the full extremity of suffering are found in the Cross. For this reason, the first chapter in my book is devoted to the Cross – it is titled "The Reach of the Cross" and argues that the Cross is indeed enough to redeem the whole of a fallen world.
William Dembski is a Research Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. More about his work can be found at DesignInference.com and at his highly-trafficked group blog, UncommonDescent.com.
The Earth was fallen before Man was placed in the garden. I think the Bible indicates this, simply by the fact that Satan appears to have already been in rebellion at the time Adam and Eve came into existence. Thus, sin was already in effect, the creation was already tainted, and a way of redemption was in place before the foundation of the Earth.
I always felt that when Satan and a third of the angels were cast down to earth for their rebellion, that earth became sin influenced. Also that the Garden of Eden for that reason would have to be a special place of superior perfection as the platform for God to give man a chance to prove his loyalty to relationship with his Creator over his ability to choose temptation's snare. Just the fact that the serpent was allowed into the garden was proof of sin on the earth. When Adam and Eve failed to choose the Creator it was a mercy to banish them from the Garden where they would have eaten of the tree of Life and remained in their now sinful state forever. As Jonathan stated, the plan of Redemption was there before the very foundations of the earth and the fall simply ushered in the need for it to begin, with the banishment from the garden.
Satan is still a created being. It doesn't get you anywhere for Theodicy to blame him for evil, though maybe Jonathan was not suggesting it did. His presence in the Garden in Scripture does not prove Satan fell before Adam existed but only that he was evil before Adam was. Sin's effect might not have effected creation through Satan as he is not the Federal head of creation as Adam seems to be at least in most reform schools of thought. Adam is given Dominion, Satan is a usurper and there is a difference for the purposes of this discussion theologically and in terms of the effect upon creation. Also I would point out that the "way of redemption" you allude to seems not to apply to fallen angels, at least the Bible nowhere suggests it does. So now you have the question of Satan's creation and fall before the creation of the earth and world as we know it and yet there is no plan of redemption provided for him and the other fallen angels, I would suggest to Jonathan this deepens the problem of Theodicy or adds to it.
Reversing the order of effect and cause seems highly counter-intuitive ("crazy", to quote the interview) too. The "backward-effect" of Christ's work on the cross, upon which this idea of a "backward effect" of the fall apparently rests in analogy, can also be understood in a different way. According to Romans 3:25-26, God was patient and delayed the punishment. ("God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.") But the punishment was carried out nevertheless. It's comparable with a huge bill that I cannot pay. The bank waits for 10 years, then I get an inheritance which pays the bill. This is no mysterious "backward" effect travelling back in time but a normal, "forward" causation. Seeing how William Dembski makes a different argument should make his book a very interesting read.
It would also be interesting to read how the second reason for this argument, the equation of animal suffering with human suffering, is argued in it.


As for the new 4G surface the manager said he felt his players faced more disruption from the enforced changes he had to make than the pitch.
The manager said he was pleased with the fitness levels his squad have shown, both in training and the two games to date; "The lads are looking fit and sharp, though there are other areas of our game we need to tighten up on. For instance, the high energy our game demands needs working on and we need to ensure that we don't give our opponents time on the ball.
Kieran Preston was in goal today as both triallist Ian McLoughlin and Will Puddy are suffering from slight groin strains; "We will need to see how it goes with Ian in the next few days and see whether or not he will be fit to play in either of our midweek games.
There were, of course, two other players looking to impress the manager, Jennison Williams and Toby Ajala.
"I can't really say that Jennison is a triallist, as he has offers from other clubs on the table, so it was pleasing that he wanted to play this afternoon.
Rovers face two more games on consecutive days this week, with matches at Cirencester on Tuesday and Mangotsfield on Wednesday and the manager is likely to field similar teams to those he out this weekend, assuming the injuries sustained today aren't serious.
Like everyone else, he is hoping for positive news on the new stadium tomorrow when we finally learn whether or not the purchase of the Memorial Stadium by Sainsbury's goes ahead.
"The situation affects me, of course it does, and a positive outcome tomorrow would be a bit of a game changer.
"I think it's well documented that money is tight at the moment and it's not rocket science that the more money that's spent on a court case the less I have to bring in new players.


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Capitol Police Board Completes Review of Navy Yard Response
By Hannah Hess
Posted November 8, 2013 at 3:36pm
A four-person team of highly trained Capitol Police officers responding to the Navy Yard shooting on Sept. 16 was recalled from the scene because of concerns about potential threats to the Capitol, according to an internal review of Capitol Police actions.
Based on information being gathered at the command center that day on the nature of the attack and the potential of threats or secondary attacks — and absent a request for additional Capitol Police assets — the Containment and Emergency Response Team was recalled to the Capitol 30 minutes after reports of the shooting.
Those facts were outlined in a two-page report released by the Capitol Police Board on Friday afternoon detailing the findings of an independent review of the department's response.
Capitol Police Chief Kim Dine requested a comprehensive, independent fact review of his department's response two days after the shooting, following an exclusive BBC report that four members of the CERT team were ordered by their commanders to "stand down."
"Initial reports of the actions of USCP personnel were inaccurate and failed to convey the nuanced complexity of such situations including the personal and professional impact on potential first responders," according to the statement released Friday.
The report was due on Oct. 21, but the federal government shutdown delayed the investigation.
In conducting the review, the team interviewed dozens of Capitol Police personnel and others and reviewed written reports, radio transmissions and incident logs from the command center.
Two motorcycle units responded and assisted with traffic control on M Street Southeast that day, plus a field sergeant who was stationed in the Navy Yard command center. A third field unit deployed to the southwest corner of the Navy Yard, where it assisted in providing perimeter security. The report focused on the CERT team, which responded to 11th and M streets SE.
According to the review, traffic gridlock caused by emergency vehicles and commuters prevented the CERT team from reaching the command post when they initially responded. As a result, the team moved closer to the Capitol so officers could respond to either location.
The order from the command center came over 30 minutes after the first reports of the attack.
The team also made "several recommendations" to improve command and control of personnel, internal communications, mutual aid participation, and after-action debriefings. Dine concurs with the recommendations and has begun implementing them, according to the statement.
The full report and recommendations will not be made publicly available, according to the statement, because it contains sensitive law enforcement information.


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Miriam Rozen August 15, 1996 4:00AM
A baseball cap covers the closely cropped, strawberry-blond hair of Marc Alvarez, and a Nike logo pendant dangles from the gold chain around his neck. Baggy jean shorts hover below his hips, drooping toward his leather high-tops with their flashy stripes. Top to bottom, he looks more like a teen-ager than a teacher.
At 31, Alvarez has been a teacher for just three years. He brings more enthusiasm than experience to his classroom, suiting him well for a job at Washington Elementary School.
Though hardly a blackboard jungle, Washington is the worst of the lot in Sherman, a modest farming and manufacturing town of 35,000 about 60 miles north of Dallas, just shy of the Oklahoma border.
Built on the unpredictable fortunes of cattle, wheat, sorghum, corn, and a smattering of peanuts, Sherman has no legacy of great riches, though things are improving with a new silicon wafer plant opening south of town.
Washington Elementary is in the town's poorest neighborhood. It is a bunker of a school, built of tan brick, sitting on a quiet street of handsome trees and once-stately homes that have withered since the school opened 40 years ago.
Compared to the town, Washington is diverse, its student body 20 percent black and 23 percent Hispanic. About 70 percent of its roughly 500 students receive subsidized school lunches. The academic performance of the school's students in recent years has not earned better than an acceptable rating from the Texas Education Agency.
Last summer, promises of something better blew into this unspectacular locale, the kind of promises that proved irresistible for an eager young teacher like Alvarez.
They came in the form of The Edison Project, one of the latest bright ideas from the East Coast for reforming public education. The concept, conceived by media entrepreneur and jet setter Chris Whittle, aims to remake public schools in the image of free enterprise.
Whittle's dream has garnered widespread attention from educators throughout the country grasping for ways--charter schools, local control, year-round classes, anything--to bolster the sagging performance of public school students. Benno Schmidt Jr. even left his job as president of Yale University and threw in with Whittle's company.
The Edison Project's vision is simple:The private company seeks to take over schools from local districts and run them its own way, improving the education children receive and making a profit in the process. Whittle wants to replace musty ideas and cumbersome bureaucracies with cutting-edge programs, modern technology, and lean, efficient management, allowing schools to deftly maneuver the ever-changing currents of public education.
Washington Elementary was one of only four schools in the nation--and the only one in Texas--to sign up for The Edison Project's maiden voyage last year.
When members of The Edison Project's brain trust arrived last summer, they promised to create an educator's paradise. Not incidentally, they also hoped that what they achieved in Sherman and three other towns would help convince Wall Street that the company is a worthy investment.
All of the students at Washington would be issued laptop computers, the company promised. Teachers would receive special training in a rigorous curriculum designed to help the students learn their basics--math, reading, and writing--better than before. All of the students would learn Spanish, and there would be more time for art and music.
It would take longer school days, and a longer school year, than before. But the Sherman Independent School District was an easy sell, signing a five-year contract with The Edison Project, and turning Washington Elementary over to the company. The company receives all of the state and local tax dollars that would normally have been spent at Washington. Whatever it doesn't spend educating the children, the company gets to keep.
But as the second year of the ambitious undertaking dawns, The Edison Project's success in Sherman is middling, at best, raising as many questions as answers about the company's ability to achieve its lofty goals.
Since it started, the company has found itself plagued with a litany of problems all-too-familiar to veterans of public education. Teachers left in frustration. Books weren't passed out on time. Classrooms were more crowded than expected. The school's first principal was transferred from her job. And some parents pulled their children from the school.
Most significantly, student test scores actually dropped, and The Edison Project overran its operating budget, rendering the quest for profit elusive.
The students didn't score better on tests. The company didn't make any money. The Edison Project flunked both of its major tests.
Company managers offer an array of explanations for the troublesome first-year performance. They note that the company has had fewer problems with its three other schools--in Mount Clemens, Michigan; Boston; and Wichita, Kansas.
Miriam Rozen
Contact: Miriam Rozen


4 Crayons, 25 stickers and a 24-page coloring book.
Your little ones will love seeing Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf all year round in this magical calendar for 2017. Calendar includes 12 colourful images from the Disney hit film Frozen along with plenty of space for daily activities and notes. Size H305 x W305mm - Format Square 12-month Wall Calendar.
It's almost time for young Prince Ben to take the throne of Auradon, and he's determined to give the Villain Kids from the Isle of the Lost a chance to prove themselves.
But when Mal and her trouble-making friends arrive at Auradon Prep, they aren't interested in being good - they're on a secret mission to help their evil parents escape and take over the entire kingdom!
Will the Villain Kids succeed and follow in their wicked parents footsteps, or will they embrace their inner goodness and choose a different path?
Use the image beneath each puzzle as your guide while you assemble the puzzle pieces alongside your book. Then, read the stories to bring each scene to life!
Create 12 of Disney's most enchanting characters!
A full-color, 76-page instruction book with detailed patterns and colorful photos will guide you from "once upon a time" to "happily ever after" using your yarn and hook. To start you off, the kit includes all the materials needed to create Cinderella and Ariel.
Each amigurumi princess is sure to be a treasured part of any crochet collection!
The tale of the young princess Snow White and her evil stepmother the Wicked Queen is widely known. Another tale far less often spoken of is the one that explains what caused the Queen to become so vile. Disney Villains Fairest of All recounts a version of the story that many over the ages have viewed as plausible. It is a tragic tale of love and loss, and it contains a bit of magic. It is a tale of the Wicked Queen... Hear her side of the story in this twist on the beloved Disney classic, part of an exciting series following the villains of the films.
Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.
Wave the wand and hear the magic!
In Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns," an all new sequel with a fresh sensibility that celebrates the spirit of the original, Mary Poppins is back to help the next generation of the Banks family find the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
This novelization of the film features eight pages of full-color film stills.
What if the Evil Queen poisoned the prince? Following her beloved mother's death, the kingdom falls to Snow White's stepmother, known as the Evil Queen. At first, Snow keeps her head down, hoping to make the best of things. However, when new information about her parents comes to light, and a plot to kill her goes wrong, Snow embarks on a journey to stop the Evil Queen and take back her kingdom. Can Snow defeat an enemy who will stop at nothing to retain her power... including going after the ones Snow loves?


Chicago, July 31, 2018 — Workforce magazine has announced the finalists for its 2018 Optimas Awards, which recognize creative people management initiatives and human resources strategies that deliver measurable business results.
In addition to conferring gold, silver and bronze Optimas Awards in 10 HR-related categories, the prestigious General Excellence Award will be given to a single visionary employer that "not only excels at responding to emerging workforce management issues but also uses proactive HR strategies to position the organization for future growth and success," Bell said.
Winners of the 2018 Workforce Optimas Awards will be announced in October, featured on Workforce.com and spotlighted in a special section of the November/December issue of Workforce magazine.
For more information about the Optimas Awards, please visit optimas.workforce.com.