score for religious people!

thanks to arthur c. brooks for writing up his research in a new book called Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism. here's a clip from a beliefnet article:

The book's basic findings are that conservatives who practice religion, live in traditional nuclear families and reject the notion that the government should engage in income redistribution are the most generous Americans, by any measure.

Conversely, secular liberals who believe fervently in government entitlement programs give far less to charity. They want everyone's tax dollars to support charitable causes and are reluctant to write checks to those causes, even when governments don't provide them with enough money.

not surprizing to christians, since pure religion consists of helping orphans and widows in their distress james 1:27

careful what you listen to

Gin thu neuere leuen alle monnis spechen, Ne alle the thinge that thu herest stingen. (_Proverbs of Alfred_, c1300)

believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear. i wonder if that goes for what we read as well. it's quite frightening to see what books are out there claiming some kind of expertise on a subject, when looking at the author's credentials shows that they aren't formally educated in it...
beware what may be lurking in the prose you read. it may do your brain more harm than good!

an athiest not to be taken seriously

a while back the topic of sam harris and his thoughts on religion came up at a blog i was frequenting. the blog post linked a youtube clip of him speaking at a convention. he made a comment that totally took a verse of the bible out of context and made a wild claim about christianity. i made the point that someone who is willing to stand up in front of people, pose as an authority on a subject, and then speak about something he a) knows nothing about, or b) is purposely misrepresenting is not to be taken seriously. the blog author has gone off the web, but i hope that he will read these responses to mr. harris' latest book specifically aimed at christianity.


ps - also at the end of the above link are some points about mr. harris' previous work.

is work worth anything?

read this, think about it. whatever you do, do it as for the Lord.

pax

thinking out loud

i have been wondering to myself, as of late, what is the use of this blogging thing anyways. is it a public journal? a place for me to put my ideas; to bounce them around off of random people that come traipsing though?

again i wonder if it is all very egocentric; a strange sort of group navel gazing. now that i think of it, that last comment is directed at a certain type of blog. there are blogs that i read and appreciate that focus on a specific topic. and family news blogs are a blessing in our dispersed age.

maybe those that blog are the ones that have eshewed gathering at the village pub or coffee house to swap stories, and engage in conversation to hash out our ideas.

and so for today, that is what i will conclude. for me anyways, my blog is my conversation with you the random reader who may sit in your chair, or on your sofa, and engage with me in witty debate, a search for truth, or appreciation of what beauties God has blessed our day with.

pax