A Nail In His Place

By NICHOLAS DAWIDOFF
The Wall Street Journal
JUNE 13, 2009

Part of the pleasure in watching David Ortiz, the great designated hitter of the Boston Red Sox, play baseball is the physical exuding of a captivating personality; everything this large and gregarious man does makes you think of something else lively and loud. When he walks towards the plate for his turn at bat, a massive girth taking tiny steps on well-tapered legs, he resembles a sea lion maneuvering through a rocky surf. At the batter’s box, he spits purposefully into each gloved palm, claps a single, mighty optimistic clap, and positions himself into a wide, menacing crouch that brings to mind a self-propelled field artillery piece—with an irresistible gap-toothed smile.

And then he fails. Day after day, night after night this season we have watched him fail. It is a slump fully as majestic as the 6’ 4” 230 pound slumper himself. Through last year, Mr. Ortiz was the batter opposing pitchers were least eager to face during crucial situations. In 2004, he led the Red Sox to their first World Series victory since 1918, and then to another in 2007. Now, at 33, still in his playing prime, Mr. Ortiz is, statistically speaking, the worst everyday hitter in the American league. It has been a stunning demise. A primary human fear is that we will suddenly lose our ability to do what we do best and be exposed as a fraud for all to see…

The rest of the story:   When Brilliance Hits a Slump - WSJ.com.

Dr. Albert Mohler

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Readers of Monday’s edition of USA Today were treated to an introduction into the sociobiology of belief. Interestingly, this article appeared in the opinion pages of the paper — which is right where the article belongs.

Andrew Newberg, associate professor of radiology and psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, argues that religion can be a force for good or for evil, depending on the conception of God that is the focus of belief. In its most basic form, Newberg’s article can be reduced to his belief that when individuals believe in a God of mercy, compassion, and forgiveness, they are likely to experience benefits from this belief and then have a generally positive outlook on life. On the other hand, those who believe in a God of wrath, judgment, and vengeance are more likely to experience negative consequences in their lives and to demonstrate a basically negative outlook.

Newberg, along with his colleague Mark Robert Waldman, have been working on a psychiatric understanding of religious belief. Their recent book, How God Changes Your Brain…

The rest of the story:   Dr. Mohler’s Blog.

May 22, 2009
By Charles Krauthammer

“We were able to hold it off with George Bush. The idea that we might find ourselves fighting with the Obama administration over these powers is really stunning.” — Unnamed and dismayed human rights advocate, on legalizing indefinite detention of alleged terrorists, New York Times, May 21

WASHINGTON — If hypocrisy is the homage that vice pays to virtue, then the flip-flops on previously denounced anti-terror measures are the homage that Barack Obama pays to George Bush. Within 125 days, Obama has adopted with only minor modifications huge swaths of the entire, allegedly lawless Bush program.

The latest flip-flop is the restoration of military tribunals. During the 2008 campaign, Obama denounced them repeatedly, calling them an “enormous failure.” Obama suspended them upon his swearing in. Now they’re back.

Of course, Obama will never admit in word what he’s doing in deed. As in his rhetorically brilliant national-security speech on Thursday claiming to have…

The Rest of the Story:   RealClearPolitics - Obama’s Deeds Vindicate Bush.

Posted at FirstThings.com
By Ryan Sayre Patrico

Maggie Gallagher on why she’s not giving up the fight against same-sex marriage:

“Truth and love wlll prevail over lies and hate.” On that basis Havel took on the Soviet empire. Where is that invincible empire now?

Same-sex marriage is founded on a lie about human nature: ‘there is no difference between same-sex and opposite sex unions and you are a bigot if you disagree’.

Political movements can—sometimes at great human cost and with great output of energy—sustain a lie but eventually political regimes founded on lies collapse in on themselves…

The Rest of the Story:   First Things » Blog Archive » “Truth and Love Will Prevail Over Lies and Hate.”.

Mr. Ehrman was the subject of a conversation I had yesterday with a couple of friends so I thought this article (below) was interesting when I read it this morning.  Having read and listened to Mr. Ehrman I find his arguments thinner than air and not serious in the least.  However weak they may be Mr. Ehrman’s arguments should be refuted and the Gospel proclaimed.  -jw

Fighting Words about the Bible?
by Albert Mohler
Monday, April 13, 2009

The Monday “On Religion” feature in USA Today is consistently interesting, even if often exasperating. That is what should be expected of an opinion column — strong opinions in both the column and the reaction it prompts. Well, get ready to form your own opinion about today’s feature, for it is likely to make a lot of waves.

Tom Krattenmaker, a Portland, Oregon based member of the paper’s Board of Contributors, levels a broadside attack on the unity, inspiration, and veracity of the Bible…

The Rest of the Story:   Fighting Words about the Bible?.