Stormbringer's Thunder

No, I'm not planning on going anywhere. But I've been thinking about my final moments. Don't worry, I'm not going to get morbid on you. It's just that since my father died almost fifteen months ago, I've thought more about such things. I don't want my last words to be something hurtful shouted in anger, even if the recipient richly deserved them. Nor do I want them to be something inane, like, "I, uh...huh...what?" It's unlikely that my last words will be from the stupidity hall of fame, such as, "I bet this will be a world's record!" Of course, there's not much point in going around worrying about it; whatever happens, happens. The best I can do in that regard is to simply watch my speech and ask for God's help in that regard. Just as a side note, the last words of atheists are often full of fear. No, not all of them. It's just that there is quite a contrast with the last words of Christians . I'm not trying...

Buon giorno. I like an argument as well as the next guy. No, not the kind that we have now , with put-downs, contradictions and vindictiveness. The kind I like is the "classical" argument, with presenting positions, proofs, rebuttals and the like in a structured environment. These are stimulating and have intellectual value. It is indeed unfortunate that those have to be scheduled and do not happen spontaneously. Modern arguments are a waste of time, especially in certain situations. With the boss With the police With your spouse With your children With your spouse's children And so on, and so on... The worst argument is with Satan. That's right, you heard me, Poindexter! What, you think you've never argued with the devil? Well, when you know what is right and you talk yourself out of doing what is right, that is one place. Another is when someone is trying to convince you to do something that you know is wrong when you already know what is right ...

First, I have to tell you where this Weblog is going overall. I do not know. The primary purpose is to be multi-faceted with an occasional emphasis on political matters. I will not specialize in those (or in other things) because I believe that it would get boring to both you and to me. Regular readers may have noticed that there have been some changes in my subject matter and writing style. That is because there have been changes in my life, and I am returning to my Christian roots. A renewal, so to speak. Some things must be changed, others given up, still others need to be brought into my life, or at least, given more priority. Nobody should expect me to be a shining example of saintliness because I still have a long, long way to go. Also, I am making up for some lost time, getting good Bible teaching and letting the political input wait for a while. It won't be forever, but I do not feel that I should be making time for that. People who read my articles for political content, d...

Neil's place of employment has been a source of articles for me on what is wrong with Big Corporate America. Mind you, I have nothing against big corporations or the rich, because poor people cannot provide jobs. I object to arrogance and stupidity in high places, however. The very rich and the very powerful tend to get arrogant and act stupidly. It's almost humorous, except that they hurt people and tell them that they are helping them. In this case, Neil's huge employer had a presentation for the employees. (You know, the "human capital" that gets used up and then discarded.) There was a list of the benefits that are given. In order to pad the list and make themselves into heroes, the bosses listed "benefits" that are required by law in the first place, and also benefits that are given by practically any sizable employer (such as having Christmas off). In other words, Neil wanted to ask (but did not dare), "So what are you doing that's diffe...

Buona sera. No, I'm not going to be serious on you. Just a bit of pondering that was too long for yesterday's grouping. I like many kinds of music. My main choice is rock. There are so many sub-categories and styles, sometimes I wish people would take Billy Joel's remark to heart and say, "It's still rock and roll to me". Even so, I suppose some of the categories are useful. When I want to listen to Christian rock, I don't want to find my way through raunchy stuff until I get there. One category that kind of grinds my gears is "alternative". Alternative to what? It's still rock, isn't it? Sure, there's a style difference from "mainstream" rock. But then, rock itself is supposed to be non-traditional and rebellious. Also, "alternative" is what the 1970s and 80s punk and New Wave evolved into. (Yes, I said "evolved". In this case, the term is valid.) But I have some news for you, Buttercup. The "classi...

I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience. And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true. — Carl Sagan Buona sera. I was going to go for something lighter, but Lee Strobel fueled more thoughts in me about evolution and random chance. I have always been amazed when scientists and anti-theists will say ridiculous things like the Carl Sagan (rhymes with "pagan") quote at the top. They will claim that belief in God is not only irrational, but that it takes away the wonder of the universe. Let me ask you something: Which is sillier, to investigate the way God has performed his wonders, or to investigate the dead ends of a philosophy that is based entirely on random chance? When a biochemist examines the intricacies of, say, a single cell, he or she is faced with astonishing complexity and evidence of design. And yet, there are people who b...

Buon giorno. Today's visit will not be loaded with references and proofs. Instead, it will be a philosophical discussion to spur mental activity within people who are actually capable of rational thought. This was sparked by Lee Strobel's book, The Case for a Creator. An atheistic journalist with a background in law, Strobel tells of his discussions with extremely qualified scientists and how he lost his faith in atheism. Yeah, Zeke, I know that's what you're afraid of, but carry on, anyway, willya? The Case for a Creator goes against my grain in that it takes an old earth view, and I am a young earth Creationist and Catastrophist (read: global flood at the time of Noah). But he still manages to bring up some extremely powerful evidences against random chance and evolutionism. This is not an actual book review, and I want to make it clear that I'm putting my words in here as well as Strobel's words. In my own thinking, scientists are rejecting establ...