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Sunday, December 12, 2004

Jesus on Gay Marriage Here is an interview with Jesus. Apparently he really did have much to say about homosexuality. (Via Jesus Politics.) Good to see Jesus setting the record straight, so to speak: If you read my teachings on the spiritual cause of homosexuality, you will discover that homosexuality was not created by God, and therefore it is not a natural or necessary part of creation. Because of the Law of Free Will, a nation has a right to create civil laws that recognize homosexual marriage or in other ways seek to normalize homosexuality. Yet can a nation truly make a free choice without understanding the inevitable consequences of its actions? How can you exercise freedom of choice if you do not have a proper understanding of the consequences of your choices? Throughout history, God has attempted to give people an understanding of the consequences of their choices. This has been done through a variety of spiritual teachings that describe the Laws of God. I am aware that many religions, such as the Catholic Church, have perverted these teachings and created a culture based on fear and judgment. I am aware that many truly spiritual people recognize the fallacy of this judgmental approach, and therefore they have become accepting and tolerant. Yet I must tell you that being overly tolerant is as incorrect as being overly judgmental. Only the middle way between the two extremes will give you the proper balance and understanding. 3:39:57 PM  Permalink  comment []

Famous atheist now believes in God Famous atheist now believes in God: "SouthFlorida.com, FL -... the 1950 article'Theology and Falsification,' based on a paper for the Socratic Club, a weekly Oxford religious forum led by writer and Christian thinker CS ... ::" (Via theology News feed.) This one's been all over the place lately. And it's true: a leading atheist philosopher has stated that scientific evidence does point to the existence of god. But it's not really god in any sense that most religions mean when they use the word: At age 81, after decades of insisting belief is a mistake, Antony Flew has concluded that some sort of intelligence or first cause must have created the universe. A super-intelligence is the only good explanation for the origin of life and the complexity of nature, Flew said in a telephone interview from England. Flew said he's best labeled a deist like Thomas Jefferson, whose God was not actively involved in people's lives. "I'm thinking of a God very different from the God of the Christian and far and away from the God of Islam, because both are depicted as omnipotent Oriental despots, cosmic Saddam Husseins," he said. "It could be a person in the sense of a being that has intelligence and a purpose, I suppose." 3:34:51 PM  Permalink  comment []

Skygazing Dept. Skygazing Dept.: " 'Comet Machholz (C/2004 Q2) has been nearing Earth for weeks and now it's bright enough to see with the unaided eye. Look for it in the southeastern sky a few hours after sunset: sky map. The comet looks like a fuzzy 5th-magnitude star near the feet of Orion.' (spaceweather.com ) " (Via Follow Me Here....) 12:43:14 PM  Permalink  comment []

'Beverly Hillbillies' singer dies at 93 'Beverly Hillbillies' singer dies at 93: "Jerry Scoggins, who sang The Ballad of Jed Clampett, which introduced the comical clan on The Beverly Hillbillies, has died. He was 93. He died at his home Tuesday of natural causes, the Los Angeles Times reported." (Via USATODAY.com Life - Top Stories.) 12:22:39 PM  Permalink  comment []

Robert Johnson is Still the King The Trickster picks up on the Robert Johnson passage in Dylan's Chronicles, and writes an astute little essay about Johnson and the notion of "authenticity" that is sometime used to put down Johnson and others (including Dylan), when what really matters is art, not authenticity. Authenticity is useful for historical reasons, and can have its own pleasures, but art is what matters: the artist transforms. Robert Johnson certainly transforms. 12:14:56 PM  Permalink  comment []

© Copyright 2005 Steve Michel.