Tax and free trade basics

Corporate taxes: If corporate taxes are too high it sends jobs overseas.  When I worked at Compaq the company shipped tons of jobs to Singapore, and it wasn’t for the lower wages.  They would have been offset by the logistics costs (freight, handling and timing). 
We moved the jobs because the corporate tax rate in the [...]

Who is a Christian? Who is a Muslim?

This is a rerun from 2007.
I have found that for many people the word “Christian” has lost or changed meaning.  It used to mean someone who was an authentic follower of Jesus.  Now it is often used as a synonym for “nice,” as in, “She’s a really Christian person,” or to describe someone who goes [...]

Yea for electricity!

Best line of the whole ordeal: The number one reason that the hurricane season is like the Christmas season: At some point, you’ll probably have a tree in your house.
It took 12 days but we now have electricity again.  That’s a relief.  I was lucky to get a generator the day after the storm, so [...]

Reverse missionaries

Typical evangelism for any religion involves someone going out at some degree of expense and risk to share what one believes to be true.  It is a pretty simple and logical concept: If you think you know the true path to forgiveness, joy, peace and eternal life and you truly care about others, then of [...]

Shouldn’t Christians agree with Jesus?

Someone calling himself a Christian is saying that he follows Jesus.  Here is a list of things that He clearly taught.  Some are more foundational than others, but one thing I’ve noticed that the theologically liberal Christians disagree with most if not all of them. 
I realize that liberal theologians may claim that I have misinterpreted what [...]

Weekly roundup

The “fat gene” is not an excuse – it turns out that exercise can overcome it.  Leave it to the Amish to prove it.
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Forget the national polls, you want to check out the electoral vote status – this has shifted back and forth between McCain and Obama depending on the close states.
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Yes, Barack Obama does [...]

Endless errors from Soulforce

This pro-gay theology pamphlet by Mel White of the pro-gay theology Soulforce group is an absolute train wreck of bad reasoning.  I’m going to give you just a sample.  Joe Dallas made this observation in Responding to Pro-Gay Theology (a terrific resource I refer to several times below).
Mel White alludes, in his book, to some earlier studies of [...]

Jesus is still the only way

This is a rerun from 2007.
The Rev. Chuck Currie wrote a piece called, “John 14:6 – Is Jesus the only path to God?“  He is a pastor with the highly theologically liberal United Church of Christ denomination.  Here’s most of the post with some of my comments.
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the [...]

Finish the sentence!

People who favor pro-legalized-abortion are skilled at the name game.  If you didn’t know better you’d think they didn’t know how to complete a sentence.  They will do anything to avoid the word abortion.  It is always, “choice,” “reproductive freedom,” “women’s rights,” etc.  And they call us “anti-choice.”
I’d be OK with any of those labels [...]

Testimony

The following is a rough draft of my notes for a testimony I was asked to give at church.  I typically write things out a bit and time them to ensure I’m within range.  Then I toss the notes and just use 6-8 bullet points.  The live version was shorter, more conversational and less dry.  [...]

Ike status

Hey – thanks for the well wishes.  All the people are ok here.  We’re still without power and may be for days (trees knocked down power lines for several neighbors), water came back late yesterday (yea!), two huge trees came down (pics to come), some roof damage and leaking and damage to be fixed, lost [...]

Charles Gibson is mistaken about Palin’s “exact words”

From Ann Coulter’s site (Note: She has a running list of debunked rumors in her right sidebar – hat tip: Haemet):
ABC’S CHARLIE GIBSON LIES ABOUT PALIN’S “EXACT WORDS” -GIBSON: You said recently, in your old church, “Our national leaders are sending U.S. soldiers on a task that is from God.” Are we fighting a holy war?
 
PALIN: [...]

The Bridge to Nowhere

More details and commentary on the Alaskan “Bridge to Nowhere” here.  This is much more than just how Palin weighed in.  Note the date of the vote and how the views of McCain, Obama and Biden.
October 20, 2005.
Scene: The United States Senate.
Players: Alaska Senator Ted Stevens, Arizona Senator John McCain, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, Delaware [...]

Weekly roundup

Media bias?  What media bias?  The NY Times is over 500 times more likely to refer to Hillary Clinton as Mrs. than Ms. than they are Sarah Palin.  And they are 156 times as likely to refer to Clinton with her title of Senator than they are to refer to Palin as Governor.
Searching the New [...]

Palinmania?

Obamamania makes way for Palinmania?  Some Brits seem to think so.  The quotes are anecdotes, of course, but I think they are pretty representative.  The more she gets out there the more people will like her views and the way she presents them.
Be sure to read the bottom part in bold.
Even before Governor Sarah Palin [...]

Saved from what?

Christians use words like Savior and saved rather reflexively.  Just pay attention to the next few songs you hear in church or on Christian radio and you’ll see what I mean. 
But it seems that we rarely complete the sentence.  Do we assume that everyone knows?  Have we forgotten?  Do we really believe it?
Saviors save people [...]