Anne Rice

Anne Rice quit being a Christian because she refuses to be anti-gay, anti-feminist, etc.

Why does being a Christian mean you have to be anti-gay, anti-feminist, etc.?

That's a false dilemna.

God didn't say everyone has to have the same views about everything. That's in the book of Romans. Paul said to make up your own mind with a good conscience.

My Bible study teacher has used this quote several times: "In essentials unity; In doubtful things liberty; But in all things love."

There are truths that one should hold fast to. But there are matters in which it won't do to take rigid positions. With time and wisdom we might learn to discern between the two, in the meantime, be charitable!

Oh, and avoid labels.

Tribute to John Keel

I was sad to learn about the death of John Keel, author of The Mothman Prophecies. In that book John Keel gave an excellent account of the nature of the UFO phenomenon: inexplicable, deceptive and sinister. I remember The Mothman Prophecies as an objective, open-minded and well-reasoned book. I've had a high regard of John Keel since.

This is a link to a Tribute to John Keel: http://lamarzulli.wordpress.com/2009/07/15/a-tribute-to-john-keel-by-stephen-yulish-phd/

Quote on "Beauty"

"Beauty, which I admit to being in pursuit of, is an extremely suspect word among many in the art world. But I don’t think you can get along without it. Beauty is the confirmation of meaning in life. It is the thing that seems invulnerable, in some cases, to our touch. And who would want to do without beauty? There’s something perverse about ruling out beauty. It’s not only in nature, incidentally. It’s in people."
- Robert Adams

http://www.pbs.org/art21/slideshow/?slide=1329&artindex=174

World Economic Outlook in Apr 08

Today's headlines on the world economic outlook:

BBC News reports "World 'could see 70s-style slump' ": Singapore's investment agency GIC has warned that the world is in danger of sinking into the worst recession in 30 years if swift action is not taken. ... "We could be facing a recession which is longer, deeper and wider than any recession we have encountered in the last 30 years," said GIC's Mr Tan.

AP reports "30% of economists believe [US] economy will shrink in first half of year": THE odds the United States will fall into its first recession since 2001 are rising sharply. Thirty per cent of economists now believe the economy will shrink in the first half of this year, up from 10 per cent who thought this in January, according to a survey being released on Monday by the National Association for Business Economics, known by its acronym Nabe. 'That's a striking difference,' said Mr Ken Simonson, chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America and the Nabe's point person on the survey. The tone of the overall survey, he said, was 'extremely gloomy.' Under one rough rule, if the economy contracts for six straight months it would be considered in a recession. Many economist and the public believe we are in one. Even Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke recently acknowledged, for the first time, that a recession is possible.

BBC News also reports "[UK] Economy 'facing painful slowdown' ": The UK economy is set for a "rapid, painful adjustment" over the next two years, according to an influential economic forecasting group. Growth will fall from 3.1% in 2007 to 1.8% this year and 1.5% in 2009 unless the government acts decisively predicted Ernst and Young's Item Club .

However, REUTERS reports "Asian stocks firm at closing [today] as credit fears ease": ASIAN shares powered to their highest in more than seven weeks on Monday as financial firms rallied on hopes that the worst of the credit crisis is over, and the dollar gained against the Japanese yen. ... 'The market is clearly trying to say that the worst of all these subprime and credit issues are now out, so we can move on,' said Mr Greg Goodsell, equity strategist at ABN AMRO. 'But it remains to be seen whether that is really the case. It's hard to be conclusive that there aren?t further write-offs out there in the financial sector.'

Svalbard "Doomsday" Seed Vault

BBC News reports that the Svalbard International Seed Vault opens on 24 Feb 08.

See the article: Life in the cold store

The vault will store seeds so that crops can be re-grown in the event of a global catastrophe.

If the authorities have made these provisions, what other provision have they made to ensure there will be people around to plant the seeds after the great disaster? So I think the existence of this vault gives some credence to a report I read that several countries have built underground bases to shelter some of their population from an impending global disaster.

See this article: A letter from a Norwegian politician

Could this be the scenario foreseen in the Book of Revelation (Rev 6:12-17)?

I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. The sky receded like a scroll, rolling up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?

1940s ET Autopsy Account by USAF Flight Surgeon

This is a link to the first part of a series of YouTube audio files about a 1940s extra-terrestrial autopsy. Linda Moulton Howe presents excerpts from her interview with Ronald SeCoy who recounts what a USAF flight surgeon who witnessed the autopsy told him. The whole presentation is fascinating but what I found particulary noteworthy was that the flight surgeon who had been a Catholic lost his faith in God after the experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxF3cn5UZQ4

If you are a Christian don't dismiss "aliens" and UFOs as nonsense because there is a lot of stuff out there that supports their existence. Do some research and you will see.

If you are convinced that they exist don't let that undermine your faith because there are many fellow believers who are reconciled to this.

If you are a Christian and you are also convinced that UFOs are a true phenomenon, hold fast to the Word and the Truth and don't compromise with New Age beliefs.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

There is a movie coming up in Feb 08 by Ben Stein called "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed". It is a non-religious challenge to the scientific establishment which is biased toward Darwinism, and a call to honest, open-minded inquiry.

Ben Stein says on Darwinism / Evolution:

"Maybe we would have a new theory: We are just pitiful humans. Life is unimaginably complex. We are still trying to figure it out. We need every bit of input we can get. Let’s be humble about what we know and what we don’t know, and maybe in time, some answers will come."

I hope this movie will prove to people that evolution is really only a theory with very little scientific merit.

Here is a link to the movie's website: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/