Thanks to Instapundit, who really put me out there, and my own surfing, I’ve found some link-worthy bloggers. Here’s a sample:
Check out D.C. Thornton, who owns guns and refers to himself as an American, not “African-American.” Now this man, I like. He’s a libertarian with a small “l”, but that’s OK. He’ll come around!
I’ve been to King of Fools blog before, but I don’t think I ever mentioned him.
Ryan’s (Head) baby started screaming when he saw a picture of Kerry. Coincidence?
Anthony has some cute pictures of his daughter over at The Useful Arts. I knew about his blog but hadn’t linked to it, either.
I’ll post more good sites later. And as you can guess, many other sites linked to me, but I’d rather not provide a forum via my blog for such views.
Best Google Search of the Week That Led To My Blog: “kerry wolf in sheep’s clothing”
Is the Kerry stuff still going on? Fresh comments!
Update: Imago Veritatis, reformed theologian.
Dennis Prager explains what “Judeo-Christian” means and why it makes America unique among all the nations:
The United States of America is the only country in history to have defined itself as Judeo-Christian. While the Western world has consisted of many Christian countries and consists today of many secular countries, only America has called itself Judeo-Christian. America is also unique in that it has always combined secular government with a society based on religious values.
Prager articulates what I tried to when discussing whether the U.S. was called to uphold “Christian” values. His column is a good starting point for those who may want to delve further into the history and meaning of “Judeo-Christian.”
That was a wild ride! When I sat down the other day to draft the post on John Kerry’s misuse of James 2, I had no idea it would generate this much attention. The word of God is indeed powerful!
I was surprised — but pleased — by the onslaught of commentors and detractors. Based on the comments I’ve read from people on my own blog and other sites that took issue with my post, I stand accused of using the Bible to support a “conservative” position, when what I actually did was show that Kerry took James 2 out of context to support his opinion that George Bush is not “compassionate,” however one defines the word.
While I could have been clearer and more precise, I suspect some would still take issue with my assertion. Most critics responded with a barrage of philosophical arguments about government’s role in helping the less fortunate. My point, however, was that government social programs are not “fruits” of salvation. That’s it! That is my assertion. But no matter how clear you are, some will always come away with a different interpretation, just as they do with the Bible.
For example, most critics missed my point that James 2:14-17 does not pertain to governments. What Kerry implied in his “sermon” was that because George Bush is a Christian, he should be spending more of your tax money as a display of his “good works,” thereby proving his Christian compassion. That’s flat out unbiblical nonsense.
I’ve hit the stratosphere of the blogoshere: Instapundit linked to my “Kerry quoting Scripture” post.
HobbsOnline elaborates.
Speaking in a black church yesterday (time to rethink that tax-exempt status), John Kerry implied that “our present national leadership” is lacking in compassion because some people don’t have jobs and teenagers are killed in drive-by shootings.
“The scriptures say, what does it profit, my brother, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? When we look at what is happening in America today, where are the works of compassion,” preached Kerry.
What he’s getting at is that faith without works is dead. While I don’t expect Kerry or the liberal media to know what’s in the Bible, I do expect him to have the decency to seek counsel from clergy before he starts using scriptural references on the campaign trail.
The pastor at New North Side Baptist Church probably sat there nodding his head, saying, “Amen” along with the rest of the congregation while Kerry misapplied the word of God in transparent references to President Bush.
The passage Kerry took out of context is James 2:14-17:
What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James wrote his epistle to Jewish believers, “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,” exhorting them to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience,” one of my favorite verses.
Blog “Discoveries”:
Rae over at A Likely Story is having an interesting time with The Right Christians, a “Christian” site I visited once. Once was enough.
Dissecting Leftism links to and comments on news stories and other bloggers.
Check out Blue Goldfish/Surface. The name alone makes it worth a visit.
When I first appeared on the Watcher of Weasels as “link-worthy”, I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing. It is good. I think.
I joined in on a discussion at PoliPundit.com:
“There was this documentary on the Discovery-Times channel about streets named after Martin Luther King. The filmmaker, an African-American, bemoaned the fact that the streets tend to be in poverty-stricken black neighborhoods. Sprinkled between liberal shibboleths on “fighting” for “civil rights” were images of the American flag upside-down.And that’s when it struck me just how low the “civil rights” movement has sunk.
A hundred and fifty years ago, this filmmaker could have written a book opposing slavery. Fifty years ago, he could have made a documentary attacking racial segregation. Now all he can “fight” for is renaming a street? The great civil rights battle of the 21st century is changing street signs?”
Although Dean’s World is a liberal site, I think it’s worth noting that the author says the world needs more voices like mine. Considering that my blog is not politically correct, Dean is certainly true to his liberal ideals: Tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
Having my picture taken with Star Parker was the highlight of the forum yesterday at the Cato Institute. I’ll post it as soon as I have it developed (yes, I still have an old-fashioned 35mm). I didn’t realize I had only one exposure left, so I didn’t get to take pictures with John or Debra.
The forum was moderated by Casey Lartigue, formerly of Cato, and the panelists were Star Parker, John McWhorter and Debra Dickerson. Each discussed different ways of addressing the “black problem.”
Star made a distinction between the working poor and the underclass. In all honesty, whenever we’re talking about the poor in the black community, we’re referring to the underclass, a group caught up in the cycle of dependency, poverty, illegitimacy, crime, drug use, underemployment and other pathologies.
Star said the biggest problem in black America is the collapse of the family, through which shared experiences and values are passed down from generation to generation. Sadly, one of the most important things children growing up in broken homes are not exposed to is commitment to marriage.
To go a step further, I say that because children in such homes don’t (or can’t) learn the value of commitment to marriage, their ability to develop commitment in other areas is weakened.
Once again Thomas Sowell has done good work. In his latest column, Rattling The Chains, he comments on Brown University President Ruth J. Simmons and her “slave trade” committee’s quest to uncover the Ivy League school’s connection to slavery:
Dr. Simmons said that the idea of appointing a committee to look into Brown University’s past came to her because she is a descendant of slaves and the building in which she works was built with the help of slaves. Unfortunately, there are descendants of slaves all over the world, and they are every color of the rainbow.Slavery was an ugly, dirty business but people of virtually every race, color, and creed engaged in it on every inhabited continent. And the people they enslaved were also of virtually every race, color, and creed.
A recently published book titled “Christian Slaves, Muslim Masters” by Robert Davis shows that a million Europeans were enslaved by North Africans between 1500 and 1800. Nor were they the only Europeans enslaved.
I added my two cents earlier this month, so I’m throwing in a dollar’s worth this time.
“Teachers Come Up Short In Testing”
In Philadelphia, students aren’t the only ones struggling to pass tests.
Half of the district’s middle school teachers who took tests to become certified as highly qualified under the federal No Child Left Behind law failed, district results show….
Philadelphia teachers failed the test at a far greater rate than those in the rest of the state. Excluding Philadelphia, 77 percent of the 2,905 teachers statewide passed, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education. One-third of the teachers statewide who failed work in Philadelphia.
Support school choice!
Moving On?
Blogger has served me well for four months while I attempted this blogging thing, striving to write thoughtful and well-written posts. I’m thinking of moving on to TypePad, a much more versatile web tool.
There are so many things I want to do that I can’t do well with Blogspot. For an example of TypePad’s blogging tool, check out Baldilocks’ blog. Stay tuned!
