Intimacy4us

I have added the website, www.intimacy4us.com, to the list of blogs and websites which I check regularly. Each of the websites and blogs on the list contributes to the theme of this blog that Christians should be and are represented in every legitimate human field of endeavor and are “on the loose;” “ακωλητοσ” (“unhindered”).

www.intimacy4us.com  is a site for married Christian women which is dedicated to fostering and enhancing their experience of physical, emotional, and spiritual intimacy with their husbands.

Book Comment: Ethics Without God

Ethics Without God, by Kai Nielsen, admits that a reasonable person can be a Christian but adds that a reasonable person who has had a full education cannot be a Christian. So, though Nielsen goes out of his way to seem reasonable, in the end his judgement of Christianity and Christians is an insult. He rejects the basic assumptions of Christianity as unnecessary and illogical. He believes that secularization is inevitable "as we move away from a peasant society."

Nielsen rejects the idea that only religion, and more specifically Christianity, can provide a purpose in life. He agrees that a life with no purpose would be awful. He finds purpose in science, logic, and ethical behavior and says that Christianity has "incoherence" in it. Another insult said with a sweet smile.

"Perhaps we have even more reason to love each other if there is no God for then the only thing we have is each other."

Nielsen, Kai, Ethics Without God (Rev. ed.: Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY, 1990)

Film Comment: Getting Ready Morally

This 1951 black and white film, Getting Ready Morally, would invoke groans and eye rolls from modern audiences, but the points it makes are still as valid as ever. It was made, surprisingly enough, by the United States military. The concern of the film is with innocent young men being suddenly away from home and family and expected to cope with the almost total lack of restraints and guidelines of free unsupervised adults.

Anyone whose son or daughter "went wild" during their first semester at college knows the validity of this film. One of the main points is that one's parents aren't there to help the young man (remember, this is 1951) make the right choices so the right choices must come from within the young man, ie. personal responsibility. The film counsels choosing one's friends wisely and avoiding some people altogether. Finding a mentor is also important as is thinking about consequences before taking actions. As the narrator says, "When you choose the start of a road, you also choose the end."

XXXChurch

A little talked about problem within the Church is sexual addiction and/or addiction to pornography among Christians. Some Christians can barely say the word. Others wish it would just go away and leave them alone. Others can't believe that their beloved deacon might secretly spend hours on the Internet trolling for free pornography, feeling horribly guilty the entire time, but unable to stop.

The website, http://xxxchurch.com is a ministry to persons addicted to pornography and to persons in the sex industry who wish to get out. The site makes available free pornography filters for computers, support for those trying to break their addiction, and online classes for teens, men, women, spouses, parents, pastors, and churches.

The Chart Man

Gary B. Smith, on the Fox News Channel, is The Chart Man. The other financial commentators speak from their experience and intuitions; Smith does also, but he adds intense study of financial charts and graphs of seemingly every conceivable financial angle.

Some Christians are like Gary B. Smith, with charts and graphs and the ability to instantly recognize a Bible quotation and state its location in the BIble by book, chapter, and verse. Most of us aren't like that. We can talk intelligently about a certain passage in the Bible but don't ask us exactly where to find it. Ain't gonna happen.

Luckily for us, there are now thousands of commentaries, dictionaries, lexicons, concordances, devotionals, and sermon collections in printed form, and available on the internet are powerful search engines and translation programs. And the most important study aid of all, listening to the Holy Spirit as we read the Bible.

Another Light Bulb Joke

How many Jewish Mothers does it take to change a light bulb?

None.  My son, the schmendrick, never comes to see me anyway.

Secrets

Carrie Prejean, Miss California USA (2009), ran afoul of pageant judge Perez Hilton (a gay activist) when she answered his question about same-sex marriage by saying she supported traditional marriage. A firestorm erupted in which she emerged as a defender of traditional Christian morality. Then "the biggest mistake of my life" was exposed, a sex tape from years before.

In November 2009, Radaronline.com reported that there are an additional seven sex tapes and thirty nude photos of Ms. Prejean.
If the tapes and photos really exist this is greatly embarrassing for Ms. Prejean but also for the Church. Prejean presumably knew about all this and she should have known this would eventually come out.

“For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.” Luke 8:17

“Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?
 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”
Romans 2:22-24

Young Christians must remember that everything they do reflects not only on themselves but on the Church. Christians are forgiven but their pasts can still cause damage to the reputation of the Church. If there are damaging secrets hiding in the past it may be best to expose them preemptively, acknowledge them, accept the consequences, and move on.