Jim Zabel, Iowa Broadcasting Legend, Dies at 91

24 May

http://hawkcentral.com/2013/05/23/jim-zabel-iowa-broadcasting-legend-dies-at-91/?source=nletter-top5

Jim always seemed like a genuinely friendly and enthusiastic guy. I enjoyed his Sunday evening show with Jim Walden a lot when I had a chance to listen. My heart goes out to the Hawkeye Nation. This is like Cyclone Nation losing Pete Taylor.

Jim Zabel in 2007.

Larry McMurtry’s “Walter Benjamin at the Dairy Queen – Reflections at Sixty and Beyond” Never Gets Old

24 May

I’m listening to it again (for probably the 4th time). It’s my favorite book and each time I listen to it it’s almost like I have never heard it before. It’s about reading, writing, book scouting, bookselling, and McMurtry’s recollections of growing up with pioneers in rural Texas. A fabulous, magical book.

http://www.amazon.com/Walter-Benjamin-Dairy-Queen-Reflections/dp/0684870193

Indonesia Weighs Curbs on Sex, Magic

24 May

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324010704578414273631917186.html

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Why Calvinism? Why TULIP?

24 May

From oldlife.org:

http://oldlife.org/2013/05/giving-a-whole-new-meaning-to-church-universal/comment-page-2/#comment-85755

Erik Charter

Posted May 24, 2013 at 10:08 am | Permalink

Tom – And now your surrogate Erik Charter’s reflexive appeal to “Calvinism” and TULIP is much more problematic if not embarrassing to your theology, Darryl. Every Christian should want everyone saved by Christ’s sacrifice, if he truly loves his neighbor as himself.

Erik – How is what every Christian wants or doesn’t want relevant? Last I checked Christianity was a revealed religion. We don’t get to shape it into what we want (unless we become theological liberals).

My point on election is that I think the Bible clearly teaches it. Once you accept election then limited atonement follows if the Trinity is truly unified and God is sovereign over all things. Most Christians accept neither because it is unacceptable to them a priori. They start with the idea that these doctrines can’t be true and then interpret Scripture in light of that. It’s an ass-backward way to interpret the Bible. If God is not sovereign I’ll just take up Golf on Sunday mornings.

Monty Python – Philosophers’ World Cup

23 May

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92vV3QGagck

 

Pope Francis – Universalist in Chief

23 May

http://oldlife.org/2013/05/giving-a-whole-new-meaning-to-church-universal/comment-page-1/#comment-85627

“The Lord created us in His image and likeness, and we are the image of the Lord, and He does good and all of us have this commandment at heart: do good and do not do evil. All of us. ‘But, Father, this is not Catholic! He cannot do good.’ Yes, he can. He must. Not can: must! Because he has this commandment within him. Instead, this ‘closing off’ that imagines that those outside, everyone, cannot do good is a wall that leads to war and also to what some people throughout history have conceived of: killing in the name of God. That we can kill in the name of God. And that, simply, is blasphemy. To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy.”

“Instead,” the Pope continued, “the Lord has created us in His image and likeness, and has given us this commandment in the depths of our heart: do good and do not do evil”:

“The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! And this Blood makes us children of God of the first class! We are created children in the likeness of God and the Blood of Christ has redeemed us all! And we all have a duty to do good. And this commandment for everyone to do good, I think, is a beautiful path towards peace. If we, each doing our own part, if we do good to others, if we meet there, doing good, and we go slowly, gently, little by little, we will make that culture of encounter: we need that so much. We must meet one another doing good. ‘But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist!’ But do good: we will meet one another there.”

Sean’s (hilarious) comment:

“Quick, somebody get a list of all the popes who sent armies off to Jerusalem. It’s a hermenuetic of continuity/reform but without rupture. Somebody else grab the authority spectacles to see where in the paradigm of RC binding authority that the phrase; “To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy.” falls in the spectrum of mortal blasphemy, venial blasphemy, pastoral consideration blasphemy, we really mean it blasphemy, signed in the papal office while wearing the fisherman’s ring blasphemy, we were just throwing back a few and talking blasphemy……………”

The Lost Novelist – “Farther and Wilder,” Blake Bailey’s Bio of Charles Jackson

22 May

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/books/review/farther-and-wilder-blake-baileys-bio-of-charles-jackson.html?pagewanted=1&nl=books&emc=edit_bk_20130419

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