Twilight; A Book Review of the First

The book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer has been talked about a lot among my friends lately and seems to be making its way through our society. The book has made #1 on the NY Times Best Seller list (even though it isn’t on that list now) and two movies have been produced that are based on the first two books of the series (Twilight and New Moon). I had intended to hold off on reading Twilight until I could find it in a used book store. There is a certain aversion to supporting something that is controversial until I know more about it. Well, someone bought me the first three books because they had enjoyed the series immensely. The fourth is still available only as a hard-cover book and that would not look right next to the other three. With a three day long train ride, I read the first book of the series. The voice of the opening chapter or two reminded me of Dick Tracy except with a lot of teenage drama involved. It did not make me miss highschool, but then that was the authors intent. The main character of the plot, Bella (short for Isabella), is bored with school. She was one of the more advanced students in the Phoenix area that moved to a small town in the state of Washington. Having lived in large cities and small towns, I think her melodramatics were very overdone. Perhaps that is simply my opinion. In that small town lives a family of “vegetarian” (animal-only) vampires and within a couple months one of them, named Edward, and Bella have fallen in love with each other. This is the part of the story that most of the reviewers have problems with. The family of vampires is viewed as heroes, with special emphasis on Edward. He is described repeatedly as having an angelic appearance to Bella. What I find odd is that the front cover of the book sports an apple held in two hands. There is no doubt that this is intended as a reference to the fall of mankind in Genesis 2. Immediately after the table of contents is a quote of Genesis 2:17. It is even the King James Version.

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Nevermind that it probably wasn’t an apple (that idea is derived from Song of Solomon 2:3). That fatal decision in the garden is the intended message of the book, that this is a forbidden thing (drinking blood is – whether from humans or animals). After she learned about Edward’s family, Bella never had a doubt that she wanted to be with him and to become a vampire. Edward himself, at least in the first book, plays a contradictory role in this. He refuses to allow Bella to become a vampire because it disrupts the natural order of life. He dislikes who he is and at one point tells how he did hunt humans for a time – those who were committing atrocities in back alleys. He stopped when he realized that there was still a moral penalty on those who killed humans. He was partially right about that. I am told that Edward does not believe vampires have souls but that must come from a later book. He does bring up a question over whether God may have created vampires. Then he mentions that evolution might have created him. If it were evolution, what moral obligation does he have to not kill humans and drink their blood? What could a soul possibly matter if there is no God to create a heaven? One of the female vampires can see the future. We are told that if she had been born in another century that she would have been burned for this. The implication is that it is also something natural. For that matter, we are told that Doctor Carlisle Cullen is the one who turned each of his family members into vampires to save them from death’s door. He did this because he was lonely as one of the few who did not prey on humans. There is no mention of the moral beliefs before they were “turned.” In other words, at the end of the first book in this series, it seems that he has let his loneliness override his desire to protect people from the power-hungry. The author does keep to some of the traditional elements of vampires. They have no heart beat. They can go without breathing for indefinite periods of time. Their speed and agility is unmatched. Oddly, the “father” of the family is a medical doctor. He ought to know that what is being described is medically impossible. The cells have to regenerate. That pushes this into a supernatural sphere. The ability to stop breathing bothers Edward only because he can’t smell when he doesn’t breathe. At the same time we are told that the scent of Bella makes him want to feed on her. His struggle to overcome this does take up a fair amount of space in the book. Why doesn’t he simply stop breathing around her? Bella is a klutz. She tells this to everyone. But she thinks she can be a good vampire with super-human reflexes. She’s smart, I’ve got to hand it to her. With our dating culture, there is a promotion of the idea that others cannot understand what the couple in a relationship are experiencing. That view is very present in this book, and the main character is given an excuse for it. Nobody else is dating a vampire. I have to wonder if this form of escapism isn’t a large part of the reason the books are as popular as they are. In my opinion, the age difference is not adequately addressed either. At nearly a hundred years old, Edward is supposed to be enamored with the teenage melodrama of a 17-year-old in her first crush – on him. Yes, I’m being harsh. For simplicity in math, let’s make the age difference 1:5 (20:100). Suppose Bella were to fall in love with someone who is 3 1/2 years old (17/5). Perhaps the difference isn’t quite that large, but there are some major mental differences that would have to be overcome. None of those are mentioned. Edward and Bella have a lot more touching and feeling than is wise. That is another big complaint among conservative reviewers. The book is about as modest as a bikini in some areas. It could stand some improvement. With that said, the movie has the actors making out while the girl is in her panties (she is wearing a shirt still). The book is illogical and has some philosophical problems but, all in all, I don’t think that it is much worse than the next book out there. After this book, I read The Golden Compass, which bothered me more. Stephanie Meyer created the controversy she wanted by referencing the Bible and then refusing to commit between it and popular secular ideas. I don’t advocate playing into her hands but I also don’t think reading her books is a sin.

Travel Quotes

It seems that some of you have figured out I was traveling. So, yes, I made it home safely after visiting my parents for Christmas and New Years. Here were some of the funnier happenings (that don’t violate the stated purpose of this blog):

• On the train out there, a Lebanese man nearly adopted me. He kept reaching over to hand me candy or other food items from across the isle or sliding across to talk.
• My sister has been telling me to come home so that she could introduce me to a couple of the girls she works with. If I introduced her to more girls, does that mean that I win?

And direct (or approximate) quotes:

[A couple friends explained a foreign courting game that involves the girl giving a guy jewelry when a ball is dropped. He is supposed to return it that evening and talk to the parents.] Me: These people look bored. Wouldn’t it be easier to just ask the girl for some of her jewelry?

Sister: Q-U. That’s 31 points! Me: Um… that’s not a word. Sister: Yes, it is! That’s what Chinese men do with their hair. Me: No. You can spell Q-U-E-U-E or C-U-E. Consults dictionary See? Sister: Oh, man! Don’t tell . We’ve been using that.

Sister: Mmm! This apple pie is good. And I don’t like apple pie.

[Sure you don’t…]

Mom: Did you leave the address? Me: Nope. Mom: Did you pack everything? Me: Mhmm. Mom: Even the blanket? Me: You guys taught me well. Mom: Yeah, but that borders on miraculous!

Random kid to his dad: This guy is weird. He has a book called Philip Pullman! Me: That’s the author’s name.

[I’ll be writing a review of the book soon…]

Another random kid: I hope this train does what they did on the Polar Express!

Inbox Irony

These two e-mails arrived in my inbox two and a half hours apart from each other. Their line-up on my screen was too good to pass up.

As you might have guessed, the first message is from an organization (Downsize DC) that is trying to improve the United States’ federal government. The second is from a reporting magazine (Governing) that tells what federal and state governments are up to.

How do those look side-by-side? We need people to start acting smarter. Those kids are the ones who are going to be in state and federal offices in a few years.

By the way, this post is not a campaign for better public schools. It is a campaign for personal learning.

For Fun: On ECD, English Country Dancing

On a forum, the question came up (concerning ECD – English Country Dancing):

What's been your luck scouting gals at these dances? A lot of them tend to have fathers, brothers or mothers to meet.

What do you say to something like that?

I find that, Scripturally, when a guy dances he incurs his wife's wrath. Once that happens she becomes infertile. I will decline to dance until we have enough kids already.
Sincerely,
Chris

(or perhaps not so sincerely)

Star Trek and the New Year

My brother is watching Star Trek: Voyager in the other room. A voice yelled “Captain, the engines are out!” Shortly afterward the computer warned, “Warp core breach in 30 seconds.” There is lots more yelling; most of the phrases begin with “Captain!” It’s funny how each crewmember waits their turn to address Captain Janeway. The ship is under attack, the engines died and worse – their big power supply is about to explode and kill everyone. How often do you manage to remain steady when everything around you is falling apart? I’m not saying that I make resolutions during this season (I don’t) but I think a good pick this year is to not panic when things get rough. There is always more to do. There are always issues that can be pressing. Don’t ignore those things. They do need to be addressed. All I am saying is that you should not let those issues run your whole life. When you feel frustrated, there is always someone that has it worse than you. The Voyager crew is within 30 seconds of being blown to bits. Granted, that is TV but as the saying goes, “truth is stranger than fiction.” Hollywood can’t hold a candle to many of the events normal individuals like you and I happen to go through. I still guarantee that someone else has things worse. Here is a conflicting reality for you: Even though your life is not your own, you can make it through. Have a happy New Year!

It Seems We Have Healthcare

When asked (Christian Science Monitor) on Wednesday why she pushed so hard to pass a health care bill before Christmas, Pelosi said “Its very hard to merchandise healthcare until we have a bill.” What? We can’t tell people why it is so good for them until the bill is passed? That’s encouraging.

From 2020 to 2029, "it will reduce the deficit of the United States by $1.3 trillion," he added. "At the end of the day, 94 percent of the people in the United States will have health insurance  the highest percentage in our history."

How does that work, you ask (LA Times)?

All insurance is based on the idea that most of the time, most people are not filing claims. As it applies to healthcare, supporters say, most people are pretty healthy most of the time, but eventually almost everyone incurs major medical expenses. If only sick people bought insurance, the system would collapse because plans would be forced to pay out more than they took in. And since nearly everyone who develops a serious medical problem gets treated (with or without insurance), the cost of treating the uninsured is passed on to other people. In effect, those with insurance are helping pay the costs of those without it.

So basically this is either about making money for the insurance companies (MoveOn.org is complaining about this (AP)) or it is an attempt to force everyone into the same molds (ie. not saving money themselves). There are some exceptions (AP) to the latter option (emphasis mine):

Longshoremen. They were added to the list of workers in high-risk professions who are **shielded from the full impact of a proposed new tax on high-value insurance plans**. (Electrical linemen were already included, along with policemen, firefighters, emergency first responders and workers in construction, mining, forestry, fishing and certain agriculture jobs.)

We’re penalizing many of the people outside of this list who currently really want insurance. That’s smart. I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum. I don’t want insurance at all. I used to sell insurance plans for electronics and furniture. I know the theory behind insurance plans and I’ll make do for myself. Then again, I’m the oddball American that doesn’t want to max out credit cards (“the borrower is servant to the lender”). One of the “unalienable rights” declared in the United States’ Declaration of Independence is the right to pursue happiness. Four tight walls that prevent any kind of failure does not allow any pursuing. Already “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” We are working on a bill that has half as many words as my Bible (363,000+ vs. 774,000+), which people have been arguing about the meaning of for 1,900 years (longer for most of it). I’m supposed to know the law when this thing is created and pushed through in less than a year? That sure leaves lots of time to pursue happiness. It even leaves time to earn a living. Anybody who wants to do anything is not allowed to be ignorant. There is an increased Medicare penalty for individuals making more than $200,000/yr (AP):

A proposed 0.5 percent increase in the Medicare payroll tax was bumped up to 0.9 percent in the latest version, putting the tax at 2.35 percent on income over $200,000 a year for individuals, $250,000 for couples.

In order to get around this, the individual or couple would have to create a corporation of some kind. Or do most people not realize that many small businesses operate as a sole-proprietorship or joint venture? That means that even though there are a few write-offs, most of the operating income for the business goes through their “income” block on the 1040. $200,000 is not as much as you might think. Donations to charities don’t decrease this amount for the self-employed (tithing either, for that matter). This means a lot more to study and take their minds away from actually running the business. How is this life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

McClatchy Newspapers reported yesterday:

The health-care legislation scheduled for a Senate vote early Thursday is a 2,000-page plus grab-bag of ideas and strategies, and a lot of senators are as confused about its potential impact as the general public is.

"It has to be complicated," said Timothy Jost, a law professor at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va., because it overhauls a complex system that involves one-sixth of the American economy.
However, Jost added, "It's probably more complicated than it has to be."

Do we really trust these senators to know how one sixth of our economy should be run? I mean, sure we pay them for it but when was the last time you handed a senator your paycheck willingly and told them to do whatever they want with it? Realize that on average, we’ve just given them control over two more months worth of wages for the average United States citizen. It sure helps young people like me who are trying to run our own businesses. In addition to the expenses and time requirements of college or other forms of learning:

However, young, healthy people buying such [average] coverage could see rates higher than they might be able to get today, because they'd get no break for their health status and less of a discount for their age, Blumberg said.

[But it was passed anyway](http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-praises-historic-senate-health-care-vote-2009-12-24):

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) – President Barack Obama on Thursday praised the U.S. Senate’s historic vote on health-care reform. The passage of the bill by a Christmas Eve vote of 60-39 marks a major step toward the government’s largest health-care coverage expansion since Medicaid in 1965. Obama said he looks forward to meeting with House and Senate leaders to “finish the job” of health-care reform. The president said the U.S. is now ‘incredibly close’ to reform that will provide health-care coverage for 30 million more Americans. The bill will save businsses money over time, Obama said.

Save money my foot. It's another tax. And Pelosi can't even tell you why it is good.
Merry Christmas from the US Government.

The Evolutionists' Appeal to Antiquity

There is a video that has been produced by Europa and called “HOME.” The film itself has some very nice imagery and runs anywhere from an hour and a half (edited) to two hours in length. From the very beginning it gave me reason to cringe and laugh. The video starts with an explanation of how earth evolved in an attempt to call people to the wonder of antiquity. They are right that our world is a wonderful place. The other parts of their underlying ideologies have some issues and I am not sure where to start. If I could stomach the evolution theory, I would encourage divorce, abortions and homosexual behavior. My reasoning, along the same lines as what the movie promotes, would be that humanity is corrupt and we need to eliminate most of the genes from the gene pool. These are successful ways to accomplish this task. Now you know at least something of the world view that I am watching this movie from. That said, the movie itself makes some major bloopers that show a lack of critical thought. The video starts with the modern and current evolution spiel. Almost four and a half minutes in, this was narrated:

[On early volcanoes:] These wreaths of smoke, curling from the bowels of the Earth, bear witness to the Earth's original atmosphere -- an atmosphere devoid of oxygen. A dense atmosphere, thick with water vapor. Full of carbon dioxide. A furnace...

Now, did she really say what I thought she said? Let’s check the dictionary to be sure.

de·void (dĭ-void')nadj.  Completely lacking; destitute or empty: a novel devoid of wit and inventiveness.

[The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition.]

Devoid of oxygen means no oxygen, right? Well, that is what we are told must have been in order for early evolution to take place. But what is water made of?

water (wô'tər)
A colorless, odorless compound of hydrogen and oxygen. Water covers...

[The American Heritage® Science Dictionary. Retrieved June 23, 2009]

Around seven and a half minutes, an attempt is made to explain the discrepancy. The plants used the suns rays to power them as they broke the water molecules apart and filled the atmosphere with oxygen. How are chemical combinations formed before individual elements? Simple moves to complex. Right? In the producer’s favor, they do have a balanced view of the needs in poorer countries. It laments the massive erosion that is caused by a lack of vegetation. They attempt to tie it into global warming.

Scary Voice We only have 10 years to reverse this trend or else we will face life on earth as we have never known it… Back to Normal Voice Uh… aren’t we already facing things we haven’t “known”? There isn’t really as much of a consensus among scientists as the news media and politicians would have you believe about where we are at with global warming. The predominant proven effect of the release of more carbon dioxide is… ready for it?… bigger plants and longer growing seasons. Some are blaming the loss of some areas for growing crops on global warming, but you can read old records for yourself. Famines are not something new. No, I still don’t like pollution. My research on the actual papers being released by scientists is about 15 years old so I’ll avoid commenting on those here. There wasn’t a consensus then and there still isn’t one. There is another problem with how the producers of HOME try to push people to action. Resource-rich countries are not improving the lives of most of their citizens… but somehow spending “12 times more on military expenditures than on aid to developing countries” is a problem. Do they really expect that aid to get to the people and not line the pockets of the politicians? Don’t get me wrong, I do think our military is not set up right, but the argument that its funding should be spent on foreign aid instead is faulty as well. Deal with the people in need, not through their politicians. I think they are right to say that too much grain is wasted as fodder for our overconsumption of meat and for biofuels. The movie tries to close on a positive note. They cite those who are working to help the poorest of the poor. One reference is to a bank in Bangladesh which sounds a lot like what was promoted in the book Kingdom Business. It is a for-profit business with the goal of helping people. Then the commentator asks for more enforced legislation, which impairs the people. The film ends by saying that we should stop drilling into the earth. This is presumably for oil because the Sun’s energy is enough to supply our needs, but they are not completely clear on this. The Sun does not supply us with ore. There have been advances lately such as battery paper but I think that metals will still be very important in our future. There is good information. As with anything, don’t let it dictate everything you believe. Funny, isn’t it? They try to show how wondrous the world is around us so that we will want to take care of it. They also say that it is too messed up to have been planned by a designer. Would they make up their minds? Antiquity is a Christian’s playground.

Yo Ho, Oh No!

It’s that time of year and you have probably already heard the Christmas carols playing in the stores. YouTube has videos debating the reasons atheists should celebrate the season, and Mikey is remembering the FAA:

Santa Claus, like all pilots, gets regular visits from the Federal Aviation Administration, and the FAA examiner arrived last week for the pre-Christmas flight check. In preparation, Santa had the elves wash the sled and bathe all the reindeer. Santa got his logbook out and made sure all his paperwork was in order. He knew they would examine all his equipment and truly put Santa’s flying skills to the test… The examiner walked slowly around the sled. He checked the reindeer harnesses, the landing gear, and Rudolph’s nose. He painstakingly reviewed Santa’s weight and balance calculations for the sled’s enormous payload. Finally, they were ready for the checkride. Santa got in and fastened his seatbelt and shoulder harness and checked the compass. Then the examiner hopped in carrying, to Santa’s surprise, a shotgun. “What’s that for?!?” asked Santa incredulously. The examiner winked and said, “I’m not supposed to tell you this ahead of time,” as he leaned over to whisper in Santa’s ear, “but you’re gonna lose an engine on takeoff.”

College! College?

From CNN Time (by way of Boots and Sabers):

Marty Nemko, a career and education expert who has taught at U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Education, contends that the overflow in degree holders is the result of many weaker students attending colleges when other options may have served them better. "There is tremendous pressure to push kids through," he says, adding that as a result, too many students who aren't skilled become degree holders, promoting a perception among employers that higher education doesn't work. "That piece of paper no longer means very much, and employers know that," says Nemko. "Everybody's got it, so it's watered down."

Basically, they’re saying that a college degree isn’t worth what it used to be. It sure costs more now. At least we can look to our politicians, such as those in Pittsburgh, for a solution to this overabundance of college degrees. Tax the college students! Oh, wait, I’m already being taxed because I’m paying for my own learning. Add more taxes! If this is true about the devaluation of college (and it is), what does it mean about a high school diploma? Is it possible to keep the quality up when it is required of everyone? No, I’m not advocating schools for the rich and not the poor.

Slang

My last blog post received a couple of interesting replies. I shouldn’t have posted that while tired as it doesn’t seem the beginning is explained very well. Sorry ‘bout that. Hopefully the comments help to explain my thoughts a little better, even if they don’t perfect the post.

Let’s move on to the rest of today’s. Have you ever been gypped? Called a smart aleck? Do you use either of those phrases?

There is a relatively new word definition that is offending some of the more conservative people in our culture. MTV has a show called “Pimp your Ride” where “pimp” is supposed to be a good thing to do to your car. Other people in our culture have adapted that name for their own purposes, but those who created the show are not the ones who changed the word’s meaning. They only added to the popularity.

What do the phrases above have in common? According to the American Heritage Dictionary, here is what we know about the name “smart aleck”:

This expression, dating from the mid-1800s, probably alluded to a person of this description who was named Alec or Alexander, but his identity has been lost.

Aleck is a variant of Alec, which is short for Alexander. Some people think they know more to the origins of the phrase. From The Straight Dope:

According to G.L. Cohen, author of Studies in Slang Part 1 (1985), the phrase smart alec(k) arose from the exploits of one Alec Hoag. A celebrated pimp, thief, and confidence man operating out of New York City in the 1840's, Mr. Hoag, along with his wife Melinda and an accomplice known as "French Jack," operated a con called the "panel game," a method by which prostitutes and their pimps robbed foolish customers.

The “panel game” is roughly like playing with secret passages that many old houses and castles seem to have in the movies. Even though the “customer” barricaded the door they were still able to let themselves in while he slept.

Ready for another one? What about “Jewing” someone or being “Gypped”? Did the context trigger anything? They’re both racial slurs. “Jewing” is, of course, a reference to how some Jews have bartered, while “Gypped” comes from a belief that Gypsies would rip you off.

Sometimes you just have to laugh at which phrases are socially acceptable and which ones are not. Stories are the same way. In “The Little Mermaid,” after the heroine’s tail was split into feet, she ended up on a beach naked. It was after the prince saw her (she was still noticing where she was) that she wrapped her hair around herself. Little Red Riding Hood was about a pedophile (the wolf).

Don’t despair of where our world is. Meanings and tellings will change, only don’t help it for the worse. I won’t tell you exactly which words to use or not use but I do reserve the right to give you a hard time about some of them.

I Timothy 2:15: ... she shall be saved in childbearing ...

A couple days ago I had a few free moments in my car before an appointment so I pulled out the Bible I keep in it and flipped to I Timothy. A couple of my friends were raised under the influence of Patriarchy and I don’t like being left in the dark. I wanted to read one of the harped-on passage yet again. Here it is (I Timothy 2:9-15):

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety.

Unfortunately I didn’t make much headway on the Patriarchal issue because of something else in this passage. The last part is rather strange, that woman shall be saved in childbearing. Where does that come from? Some (most?) of you might remember Genesis 3:16-19 which covers the consequences of the fall:

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

This is where Paul’s statement came from. If part of a woman’s redemption comes from the pain of childbirth, is part of man’s the hard toil he must give for his food? From II Thessalonians 3:8-13, the closing of another of Paul’s letters:

Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

So, guys, ante up. God will watch out for those who seek Him (Matthew 6:24-34), but that doesn’t mean we don’t have to work.

Food Stamps

I’ve been pretty busy the past few weeks (yes, still) but thought this was worth passing on. From The New York Times on Saturday:

More than 36 million people use inconspicuous plastic cards for staples like milk, bread and cheese, swiping them at counters in blighted cities and in suburbs pocked with foreclosure signs.

The United States population is estimated to be a little over 308 million, which means just shy of 11.7% of the country is using food stamps (or cards) now. And…

... the program is now expanding at a pace of about 20,000 people a day.

The article is littered with people who are embarrassed to be taking this aid. They are facing a rough time. Then I know people who sell these cards for half their value to “make money” that can be used for other things. At more than 11% of our country, I wonder where the money is coming from. That’s something else to add to my agenda when time opens up a little…

Quotes from the New Testament

Just a few minutes walk from my house tonight was an all-night reading of the New Testament. I got there late, somewhere around John 14, and left at 3:30 after Colossians. One of the students quoted Galatians, Ephesians and the first half of Romans (not in that order). I was impressed. It’s a whole lot more than I can quote. Several verses stuck out because of various conversations I’ve been in lately. Here are a couple passages that I thought funny. We were reading from the NIV. There is Acts 25:16-21 where Festus is explaining a trial to King Agrippa:

"I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges. When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected. Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. I was at a loss how to investigate such matters; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar."

How exactly do you go about handling a case where there are records someone was killed but one person says says that they aren’t dead? Or there is Acts 28:1-6:

Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Moving from what bad fortune he had to how Paul must be a god is quite a change. Paul uses sarcasm rather nicely in Galatians 5:2-6,10-12

Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. ... I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Or perhaps that isn’t sarcasm (read Deuteronomy 23:1 too)… Because of the recent (and older) polygyny discussions, Acts 7:26 made a nice point:

The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?'



"Men, you are brothers." This fits pretty nicely with Leviticus 18:18:

Do not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is living.

At least the Temple Scroll (of the Dead Sea scrolls) agrees with me about the meaning of the latter verse.
Calvinists like to make "foreknew" to mean "before the world was created." I'll confess that I need to study the usage of some of these words more (that will be for another day). In the mean time, Romans 11:1,2 was amusing to come across tonight:

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah–how he appealed to God against Israel:

So, what does "foreknew" mean? The word gets quoted a lot from its appearance in Romans 8:29. For what it is worth, the same Greek word is used in Acts 26:5 and II Peter 3:17 to refer to what a person or people group knew. It is used in I Peter 1:20, where the word is translated "foreordained" or "chosen before the creation of the world" by some translations. Anyway, I'm holding to my mostly Arminian understanding.
One final verse, I Corinthians 4:18-21:

Some of you have become arrogant, as if I were not coming to you. But I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

That the kingdom of God is one of power and not just talk is something that I have been dwelling on for a while. Where is our power? Are we not where we should be?
Jesus will be returning in this manner one day too. It isn't Paul that we ultimately have to deal with.

More Stimulus Job News

It was reported yesterday that the number of jobs that have been “created” or “saved” is a dubious number. From The New York Times:

The 640,000 figure, announced by the White House with some fanfare last month, came from reports filed by recipients of the stimulus money, many of which have been shown to be inaccurate or overstated since they were made public. But the watchdog, Earl E. Devaney, the chairman of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, said that it was also possible that the figure understated how many jobs were affected. Up to 10 percent of the recipients had not filed the required reports showing how many jobs they had created or saved, he said.

The actual number could be higher or lower. Let’s do some quick math. This stimulus has been to the amount of $787 billion dollars. The number of jobs “created” or “saved” is stated by the current administration to be around 640,000, which isn’t a small number to be sure. Let’s divide the 787,000,000,000 dollars by the 640,000 jobs. On my calculator the number is just over 1.2 million dollars per “job.” Is that not bad enough? It seems that at least a handful of the jobs “created” were really payraises:

A series of embarrassing reports  of raises being counted as new jobs, of jobs claimed in Congressional districts that do not exist, of school districts claiming to have saved the jobs of more teachers than they employ  may have ended up undermining confidence in the stimulus program.

And more:

Also Thursday, a report issued by the Government Accountability Office identified significant problems with the jobs numbers. It found that 58,386 of the jobs were being claimed by recipients who had not reported spending any money; on the other hand, recipients who had received nearly $1 billion had claimed no jobs at all.

One seventh of the jobs saved were not saved by stimulus money? That’s nice. I’m also uncertain how many jobs are being lost by the way that government is funneling money. Any time that contracts are created by forced government spending, something that would ordinarily have happened does not. Did that make sense? Basically, the government can only shift money and/or jobs. It does not really have the ability to create jobs, however much it might look like it. So says Austrian economic theory, which I think has a better model of government inflation than the other branches. Most of the people I heard calling this recession (depression?) before it happened held to it. One of our Republican representatives read the dictionary definition of “propaganda” to those at the hearing. Before you applaud too loudly, don’t forget that both the Republicans and Democrats (as a whole) were wanting a stimulus at the end of last year. All they’re bickering about now is how the money should be spent, and perhaps a little about the size. Republicans and Democrats mostly balk at the price tag of the other party’s ideas. Why not their own? On a related note, have you seen the voting records for the health care bill, H.R. 3962?

Good People

Sometimes it is easy to focus on all of the bad things that happen in the world around us. There are murders and intentional harm to property. Every day seems to find a new form of stupidity in the world. It’s a good reason to pray. Then there are those rays that break through and remind you that there is still good here and now. A while back I took a walk in a heavy rainstorm and a random black woman ordered a soaking me to get into her car. It was on the “south side” of town. An older gentleman slowly helps his wife get into a bus when her steps falter. Someone at the grocery store tells you to go first because you have less. A driver lets you know a tail light is out. Friends. It just occurred to me that Thanksgiving is almost on us so this post wasn’t originally intended to remind you of it. Sometimes when you are busy and tired it is good to slow down and remember what is good. As David said in Psalm 34:

Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

Who wants a long life so that he will see good? I don’t think it means we should hide away and avoid the evil of this world as some have done, but while we are in it… be on the lookout for good.

An Open Letter on Polygyny

Mr. Milton, I just read an article that you wrote on July 4th of 2005 (http://www.christianmarriage.com/home/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=68) explaining why men should have the right to marry more than one woman. I have studied this issue out due to several conversations with others and have to disagree. If you trace the antiquity of the idea of having more than one wife, the first man to do so was Lamech (Genesis 4:19-24). He was very proud of how he followed in the steps of Cain, who he probably knew due to the extended life spans of the people back then. From there, continue to trace the idea of polygyny. There was Abram, whose wife Sarai put him up to it (Genesis 16:2). Lot, whose daughters got him drunk, also appears. After Sarah died, Abraham took another woman named Keturah. She is called his wife in Genesis (25:1) and a concubine in I Chronicles (1:32). Isaac took one wife and she turned out to be quite a handful. Jacob, his son, took two because he had already slept with the older sister before realizing who she was (Genesis 29:25). He took their handmaids at their behest (Genesis 30:3,9). He later treated his daughter-in-law as a prostitute (Genesis 38). I’m seeing quite a pattern here of women who pushed to share a man in order to obtain children. Now, Jacob did take things farther but you cannot say that his actions were right. God specifically spoke against these things in the Levitical law (Leviticus 18:15,18). You could turn to the kings as an example, but there is the command against kings having many wives in Deuteronomy 17:17. I’ve heard someone argue that there is no record of them being reproved for this practice so it must not be wrong. Michal, Saul’s daughter, was married to both David and and a man named Phaltiel (II Samuel 3:14). Neither was reproved by a prophet for their actions that we have record of. Is it alright for women to have more than one husband? Or for a stronger man to take a woman away from a weaker? David was confronted about Bathsheba by Nathan, the prophet, later on. But I digress. In the article you cite Ecclesiastes 2:8 as a reason to have multiple wives. The Septuagint (which is what the NT apostles quoted in their writings) says cupbearers, male and female. Even if the literal interpretation is right, consider the context. This is a king who is growing great and not denying himself anything (Ecclesiastes 2:10) and he is violating the law set out for kings from before God brought Israel into the promised land (Deuteronomy 17:14-20; II Chronicles 9:25; I Kings 11:3-6). Those many wives are forbidden to him as king and they turn his heart away from God. They would definitely be the delights of the children of men. You rush to determine that the Bible is in favor of having multiple wives because it does not harshly say “thou shalt not” for everyone. That is not an accurate conclusion to draw. You see, even as early as Exodus 12:19 God makes it clear that he intends for non-Israelites to be able to join His people. If you do some research on Caleb, who was one of the 12 sent into Canaan to spy out the land, you will find that he is proof of this as he was not fully an Israelite either (Numbers 14:6, Joshua 14:6; Genesis 36:15). When a man with more than one wife converts to the Judeo (or later, Christian) faith, you cannot tell him to divorce a woman he is already married to. He is already bound to her and to her provision. In Ezra (chapter 10), the men put away their wives from other nations. I do not see this condoned at the time, and Paul later said that it should not be done (I Corinthians 7:27). Even if we ignore the passage about deacons/bishops not having more than one wife, you have the words of Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6, which is an affirmation of marriage as it was designed in the beginning. “And they twain shall be one flesh.” It does not say “And those three” (or more). If you read verses 8 and 9, it seems very strange that divorcing a woman so that you can remarry is forbidden but remarrying without a divorce first would be allowed. Then there is the matter of dealing with so many mother-in-laws. I’m afraid that I do not see this as a “right” that I want to have. This is particularly ironic with the date on which your article was published – Independence Day for the United States. As your article is public, I am also publishing this on my blog. Thank you for your time in reading this, and I hope that it has brought up some considerations that you had not thought through before. Chris

Seasonal Flu Vaccine Safety

There has been a lot of discussion in some circles over whether vaccinations are safe or even do anything at all. Earlier this year, a United States federal court ruled that vaccines cannot be linked to autism. Just a few weeks ago a rather visible person got the standard flu (Influenza) shot. It isn’t even the H1N1 vaccine that has been pushed through testing and legislation so quickly. Here is the video:

Please be careful.

Higher Ground

Most of you have probably seen the button on the side of my blog:

That event is done and over with. There were two bands and two speakers (I was one of those). The first band, Still Waiting fsm, impressed me a fair amount. They had Amish/Menonite backgrounds and despite their tendency toward harder music were willing to perform acoustically in order to avoid the hype that so often accompanies youth activities. Because I had experience running sound boards, I ended up running the sound for the evening (some of the organizers kicked me out of the booth for the speaking). For that the band gave me a CD which I’ll have to finish listening to later. They seemed to have impressed the others too. After that first band the meeting broke for an hour of games – soccer, cards or just standing around to talk. We brought that to a close with a band called Furthermore. They were higher-energy and I had to laugh at their lead singer’s attempts to jump off of the bass drum or perform similar stunts. Then again, I shake my head at appearances like Miley Cyrus’ performance at the Teen Choice Awards (that was pathetic, really…). Dinner was provided next. Yes, a lot of time was put into this by several people – they did a good job. In addition to the soccer earlier, I got talked into volleyball after the meal. We were called in for the beginning of the worship and speaking segment. I spoke first and avoided the novice mistake of undercutting the time. Unfortunately it did not come out as smoothly as I had intended either (need to work on that). Hopefully it gave time for the meaning to sink in a little better. You can read the notes below, if you want. There was a short intermission and another gentleman named Rob spoke after that. He spoke about the need to be sure that we are where we think we are and emphasized that we are not saved by rules. Overall, everything fit together very well. We closed the service with an a capella rendition of the hymn “Higher Ground.” The words were on the projector and everyone was able to join in by the second verse. If you are interested, I spoke on Leviticus 19. Here are the notes. Don’t worry, I didn’t use everything. Some items were paraphrased too, both here and in person. The main translation of the Bible was the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) because that is what they had the projector set up to use and it did this chapter justice.

Teach Them to Obey

Introduction

Leonard Ravenhill, in a sermon called Who’s Touching the Ark?, asked:

Those of you who are trying to be justified by the law have been cut off from Christ. You have fallen away from grace.

Those laws do still have a place. II Timothy 3:16,17 (NET):

Every scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

God has intentionally hidden his words from those who do not want Him. Isaiah 28:9-11 (KJV):

Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

Jesus explained why it was this way before quoting from Isaiah 6. Matthew 13:10-13 (WEB):

The disciples came, and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn't have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don't see, and hearing, they don't hear, neither do they understand.

**James 2:26** (NET):

For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Paul holds the same view. **I Corinithians 6:9-11** (NET):

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! The sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, passive homosexual partners, practicing homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, the verbally abusive, and swindlers will not inherit the kingdom of God. Some of you once lived this way. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Jesus upheld the **greatest commandments** from the Old Testament, which will come later. Most important is the "Great Commission." **Matthew 28:18-20** (WEB):

Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you [emphasis mine]. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

How do you spot a leader? A leader owns the place he is at. Shouldn't it be obvious that we are Christians as God's authority plays out through us? That is what Matthew 28 implies.

### **Main Text - Leviticus 19**
Every one of the Ten Commandments is represented in this chapter.

_The LORD spoke to Moses: "Speak to the entire Israelite community and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy._<ul>This is for everyone. The laws are not hidden. God is the ultimate authority on this.</ul>_"Each of you is to respect his mother and father. You are to keep My Sabbaths; I am the LORD your God._<ul>Wesley - The mother is mentioned first [Septuagint reverses it]
     Barnes - These are the only two of the decalogue [Ten Commandments] that are positively reinforcedn     The two commands are linked. Those who disregard one often disregard both.
     
     Hebrew - Literally, fear your parents</ul>_Do not turn to idols or make cast images of gods for yourselves; I am the LORD your God._<ul>Hebrew - _idol_ is useless or vanityn     
What of _American Idol_? The Steelers? Seawolves? Cowboys?
Who is our God?</ul>_"When you offer a fellowship sacrifice to the LORD, sacrifice it that you may be accepted. It is to be eaten on the day you sacrifice [it] or on the next day, but what remains on the third day must be burned up. If any is eaten on the third day, it is a repulsive thing; it will not be accepted. Anyone who eats it will bear his punishment, for he has profaned what is holy to the LORD. That person must be cut off from his people._<ul>JFB - _Those which included thank offerings, or offerings made for vows, were always freewill offerings. Except the portions which, being waved and heaved, became the property of the priests (see Le 3:1-17), the rest of the victim was eaten by the offerer and his friend._n     
     Leviticus 7:16 - gives more details about those who profane the offering. It is possible that this was to prevent it from being sold or otherwise abused. Our religion is against the mystical use of charms and whatnot.</ul>_"When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edge of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident; I am the LORD your God._<ul>Gill - The gleanings are what fall out of a full hand that is harvesting.
JFB - There seems to be some discretion with who they allowed to follow their workers.
Why don't we do this, or something similar, today?</ul>_"You must not steal. You must not act deceptively or lie to one another. You must not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God; I am the LORD._<ul>This is why some Jews have a reputation worthy of bankers, and many have been bankers throughout history. The Israeli government has had a lot of corruption issues, but when these rules are followed it allows people to trust each other. That is necessary for any business.</ul>_"You must not oppress your neighbor or rob [him]. The wages due a hired hand must not remain with you until morning._<ul>Calvin - The hireling often lives hand-to-mouth.
Do not hold on to another person's money beyond what you should.</ul>_You must not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but you are to fear your God; I am the LORD._<ul>We should aim to help others.

     Bible distributor Thomas Nelson defines "Fear of the Lord" as "The term used in the OT for 'religion.'" In the NT it is those who "are faithful or converts to Judaism."
Our culture today wants to define "religion" as irrelevant. **James 1:27** (WEB):

Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

Proverbs 23:17,18 (God’s Word Translation):

Do not envy sinners in your heart. Instead, continue to fear the LORD. There is indeed a future, and your hope will never be cut off.

**II Corinthians 7:1** (ESV):

Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free, then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.

I find it surprising that slaves could have wives given and taken away, but this was allowed by God’s law. Understand that there is still more to sex than the physical. Calvin believed it would properly translated to say that both are to be whipped. Others, such as the KJV translators render it this way: “…_ she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free_.” From my limited understanding, I think that Calvin was right. Modern translators word it as we see above, that punishment must take place but they do not specify on whom. The next part (the following verse) explains how the man is to atone for his sin.“When you come into the land and plant any kind of tree for food, you are to consider the fruit forbidden. It will be forbidden to you for three years; it is not to be eaten.There is a time to plant and a time to harvest (Ecclesiastes 3:2). This has to do with when they planted a new tree, not their entering the promised land.In the fourth year all its fruit must be consecrated as a praise offering to the LORD. But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way its yield will increase for you; I am the LORD your God.Wesley - The fruit from the fourth year went to the Levites and widows (Deuteronomy 14:28). Calvin - God promises greater blessing in the future because of the four years.“You are not to eat [anything] with blood [in it]. You are not to practice divination or sorcery.This command against eating blood is found everywhere in the Bible. It was given in Genesis 9:4 and is again confirmed for the gentiles by the apostles in Acts 15:20. Do a study on blood when you find the time. Divination and sorcery are a demonstration that you do not trust God to supply your needs. In practical terms, you do not ever control the supernatural anyway.You are not to cut off the hair at the sides of your head or mar the edge of your beard.Hair was sometimes dedicated to certain gods.You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves; I am the LORD.Cutting wrists; tattoos – deforming what God has made. Clarke - this includes the sectarian marks used by such as the Hindu worshippers

 Hebrew - literally, do not make gashes on your bodies for a soul; It is the same word used in Genesis 2 when God breathed life into Adam.</ul>_"Do not debase your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity._<ul>Temple prostitutes have been common in many cultures.

This flagrantly disregards that “the two shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24) Dating could fall into this. It is common for many people to expect sex on the first date. Sex is the consummation of a marriage. The license from the state or a church is not what marries people before God.You must keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD.As Jesus said in Mark 2:27, the sabbath was made for man. It should be a time to reflect on our lives so that we can evaluate where we are at and where we are trying to go. It is a day dedicated to God. The sanctuary is a place to be revered. A lot of people have forgotten this.“Do not turn to mediums or consult spiritists, or you will be defiled by them; I am the LORD your God.“that have familiar spirits” – Hebrew: one who is an empty jar, hollow Water witching (using divining rods) would fall into this category also. A few weeks ago I saw a show on the Hallmark channel that depicted a girl who used the “paranormal” to figure out who killed her father. It is rampant. Jesus said to seek God first and His kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and that all of our needs would be met. That isn’t an excuse to be foolish either. We still have responsibilities. If you think that mediums or spiritists get results, I would ask whether you put as much time into seeking God as you do in manipulating the spiritual through “spirit guides.” I very much doubt it.“You are to rise in the presence of the elderly and honor the old. Fear your God; I am the LORD.II Kings 2:24 - Boys mocked Elisha for being bald. He cursed them and 2 female bears came out of the woods and killed 42 of the children. Respect your elders; fear God. That is pretty strong language, and I reckon it is that way for a reason.“When a foreigner lives with you in your land, you must not oppress him. You must regard the foreigner who lives with you as the native-born among you. You are to love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.Treat foreigners as though they are natives of your land. Your ancestors have been foreigners at some point as well.“You must not act unfairly in measurements of length, weight, or volume. You are to have honest balances, honest weights, an honest dry measure, and an honest liquid measure; I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.This is why many Jews were such good business men and hated for their success. They were to deal fairly.You must keep all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the LORD.”Be holy because our God commands it. Clarke - MANY difficulties occur … [they were] perfectly well known to the Israelites. In other words, we may not fully understand the law (probably because we do not perfectly understand the culture) but they were understood when the words were given. We have many commands that have been to us and they are plain in how we are to obey them. Do we?

Closing

James 4:13-17 (NET):

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into this or that town and spend a year there and do business and make a profit." You do not know about tomorrow. What is your life like? For you are a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes. You ought to say instead, "If the Lord is willing, then we will live and do this or that." But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows what is good to do and does not do it is guilty of sin.


Slow down in this world and really see the people who surround you. This is what we are called to as followers of God (Leviticus 19:18).

**Ecclesiastes 12:13,14** (WEB):

This is the end of the matter. All has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil.

A Ring Finger?

There is a video on YouTube with over 100,000 views which attempts to explain why married couples should wear a wedding ring on the “ring finger.” Someone that I know posted a link to a copy of it recently and it leaves a few things to be desired:

While it is interesting, they do not explain why we don’t wear a ring on our thumbs to represent ourselves living in our parents’ house. We do not wear a ring on our pinkies to represent the children living under our roofs. Why do we wear a ring then?

It turns out that the wedding rings have a different origin, the “vena amoris” (“love vein”). This is how it is said on Wikipedia:

According to tradition in some countries (derived from Roman belief), the wedding ring is worn on the left ring finger because the vein in the left ring finger, referred to as the vena amoris was believed to be directly connected to the heart, a symbol of love, the left side being probably since the heart is on the left side of the body.

[Another page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vena_amoris) says this:

The earliest use of jewelry to signify a bonding was often literally chains and bracelets. This evolved to the use of the symbolic ring. In ancient Egypt, the Sun and the Moon Gods were feared and worshipped. A ring was a symbol of these spirits, both of whom were also related to the home and hearth. The endless circle showed the eternal nature of the bond, while the open center was meant to be a doorway to things unknown.

That explanation makes a little more sense. Incidentally, I tried what the video above shows. I can separate my ring fingers. Does this mean that I am doomed to get divorced? I'm also now worried that when I eat a donut it will launch me into the great unknown.
Maybe rings aren't the end of the world.

Jokes in Intelligence

West Germany secretly recorded jokes from communist Eastern Germany. The reason was similar to that of the Grimm brothers when they collected folk tales (it grants a view into the mindset of the people that does not appear in academic circles). Now those jokes have been released:

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0%2C1518%2C655123%2C00.html

"What would happen if the desert became communist? Nothing for a while, and then there would be a sand shortage."

Chernobyl, incidentally, wasn't an accident, another joke went. It was just a Soviet program to X-ray its population.

As we try to restrict more how people act, talk and think, it might be good to remember the last joke quoted in the article:

"There are people who tell jokes. There are people who collect jokes and tell jokes. And there are people who collect people who tell jokes."

Keep collectin’. Things will fall eventually and it won’t be pretty.

• «
• <
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• >
• »