The fact that Jesus spoke in parables was a fulfillment of Old Testament Scripture. "I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old— things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.” Psalm 78:2-3
“All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 13:34-35
According to the author, a parable is a true-to-life short story designed to teach a truth or to answer a question. The central point of the parable of the wheat and the tares is to not throw the good out with the bad. A farmer had sowed good seed in his field but while he and his men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. Had the farmer allowed his hired hands to tear out the tares, they would’ve also removed the good wheat. The farmer let them grow up side-by-side until harvest time. The tares were burnt and the wheat was stored. All details are relevant to the parable.
The Parable of the tares is explained by Jesus in Matthew 13:36-40. Matthew 13:40-43 should really put the fear of God into one’s heart.
40 “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
In my case I’ve neglected the eBay soapbox for weeks due to workload. Believe me the soapbox has far more tares than wheat when equating tares to those who are hostile to Christianity and the wheat to those who are at least a little more open-minded. I try to visit the soapbox often and respond to some of the more outrageous claims by the Christian bashers. Again, I am looking for the wheat existing amoung the tares.
On a personal note, we can work so hard trying to bring someone into the kingdom and then one comment can destroy all the effort. I saw this firsthand with friend #1 who seemed to be receptive to the Word until friend #2 told him he was going to hell if he didn't charge his New Age believes. Friend #2 is reminiscent of Matthew 13:33. This parable suggests that even a little sin (puffing up due to leaven) will ruin the whole, unlike the parable of the wheat and the tares where some is harvested.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Describe some of the different ways researchers can used Descriptive Statistics to deceive I604-6-2
Figures don’t lie but liars figure!
Misleading Descriptive Statistics include:
Using Average to Mislead
The experimenter may include at least one usually high or low score in test results to distort the average calculated with the objective of misleading those reading the test result.
The Semi-Attached Figure:
From the slides, "If you can't prove, demonstrate something else and pretend that they are the same thing. In the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind, hardly anybody will notice the difference. The semi attached figure is a device guaranteed to stand you in good stand."
This type of testing with rather slanted results is reminiscent of the testing that was done years ago with rats and soda containing artificial sweeteners. Yes the poor rats were adversely affected by the sweetener however they would have drowned before they could drink the amount of soda required to contain the corresponding amount of artificial sweetener .
Misleading Graphs:
Graphs can be presented in such a way to suggest misleading results. The example presented in the slides dealing with weight loss would be very deceptive if used in a commercial. Here the results were visually exaggerated by starting the vertical axis at ten pounds rather than zero.
In the lead up to the November election there many graphs produced showing which commercials had greater impact on a group of likely voters, etc.
Perhaps there should have been a greater predictor of how self-identified Born Again Christians would vote. As I understand, more than six million BAC did not vote for “Christian valves.”
Misleading Descriptive Statistics include:
Using Average to Mislead
The experimenter may include at least one usually high or low score in test results to distort the average calculated with the objective of misleading those reading the test result.
The Semi-Attached Figure:
From the slides, "If you can't prove, demonstrate something else and pretend that they are the same thing. In the daze that follows the collision of statistics with the human mind, hardly anybody will notice the difference. The semi attached figure is a device guaranteed to stand you in good stand."
This type of testing with rather slanted results is reminiscent of the testing that was done years ago with rats and soda containing artificial sweeteners. Yes the poor rats were adversely affected by the sweetener however they would have drowned before they could drink the amount of soda required to contain the corresponding amount of artificial sweetener .
Misleading Graphs:
Graphs can be presented in such a way to suggest misleading results. The example presented in the slides dealing with weight loss would be very deceptive if used in a commercial. Here the results were visually exaggerated by starting the vertical axis at ten pounds rather than zero.
In the lead up to the November election there many graphs produced showing which commercials had greater impact on a group of likely voters, etc.
Perhaps there should have been a greater predictor of how self-identified Born Again Christians would vote. As I understand, more than six million BAC did not vote for “Christian valves.”
Pick a Threat to External Validity, explain what it is and give an example I604-6-6
To quote Henry Virkler, “External validity refers to the researcher’s ability to generalize his or her findings from the research setting and sample to come to some broader population. Clearly research will have little practical use unless the findings will generalize into some real-world setting will find that some things that are threats to internal validity of an experiment are also threats to external validity.”
Threat #10 Novelty & Disruptions''New treatments generally produce hope in subjects, which may activate the placebo effect and disruption between the first testing and the subsequent ones.”
As the expression goes, “hope springs eternal.” When someone is facing his or her mortality perhaps due to terminal cancer he or she may try any and all treatments. I remember when Steve McQueen, the movie star, was dying of cancer. He went to Mexico for treatment that was not approved for use in the United States. He hoped this new treatment would save his life but unfortunately it didn't.
There often is a placebo effect when one starts on a new regiment of medication. The patient seems to improve possibly due to the optimism of the patient with the new meds. Add to that, a positive mental attitude is very important and can give an appearance of a temporary improvement. Many people turn to the healing power of prayer. I believe in miracles and I believe in the power of prayer. If it is God's will, the cancer will disappear. This will be due to the intervention of the Almighty and not due to the expectations of a new treatment.
Threat # 9 The Hawthorne Effect
Simply knowing that one is involved in an experiment may result in an invalid positive due to the subject’s desire to contribute, etc. As an aside and in my opinion the Hawthorne Effect can manifest after prayer treatment. A good friend of mine is very hard of hearing and was prayed over at church. Perhaps there was indeed some improvement as she did think so. However sadly she seems to me just as hard of hearing as ever. Having been the subject of prayer treatment I know there is the expectation that you’ll improve. After several people laid hands on me I felt pressure to not disappoint those praying for me. Actual, my neck did feel a little less painful…..
Added later:
Likely most times it is the Hawthorne Effect instead of a true healing. I managed to get enough time off from helping to care for my mother to return to my home in Arizona over the weekend. Sunday morning I went to the church I regularly attend when home, the First Baptist Church of Quartzsite, Arizona. Then in the evening I went to the local Assembly of God Church with friends. Last New Year's Eve I attended a midnight service at the Assembly of God Church and we closed out a lot of the prayer requests for 2011. Last Sunday evening The pastor passed out a number of prayer requests remaining for 2012 . Hopefully our prayers resulting in some healing. One of the prayer requests I was given was for healing from Fibromyalgia and in the other one the requester asked for healing for somebody who had hurt her child. I would suspect that this generous woman received healing herself from writing the request. As it turned out, the woman's father was in my prayer circle and he broke down in tears. We surrounded him with a circle of healing. Interesting how these things work out, a God thing.
Threat #10 Novelty & Disruptions''New treatments generally produce hope in subjects, which may activate the placebo effect and disruption between the first testing and the subsequent ones.”
As the expression goes, “hope springs eternal.” When someone is facing his or her mortality perhaps due to terminal cancer he or she may try any and all treatments. I remember when Steve McQueen, the movie star, was dying of cancer. He went to Mexico for treatment that was not approved for use in the United States. He hoped this new treatment would save his life but unfortunately it didn't.
There often is a placebo effect when one starts on a new regiment of medication. The patient seems to improve possibly due to the optimism of the patient with the new meds. Add to that, a positive mental attitude is very important and can give an appearance of a temporary improvement. Many people turn to the healing power of prayer. I believe in miracles and I believe in the power of prayer. If it is God's will, the cancer will disappear. This will be due to the intervention of the Almighty and not due to the expectations of a new treatment.
Threat # 9 The Hawthorne Effect
Simply knowing that one is involved in an experiment may result in an invalid positive due to the subject’s desire to contribute, etc. As an aside and in my opinion the Hawthorne Effect can manifest after prayer treatment. A good friend of mine is very hard of hearing and was prayed over at church. Perhaps there was indeed some improvement as she did think so. However sadly she seems to me just as hard of hearing as ever. Having been the subject of prayer treatment I know there is the expectation that you’ll improve. After several people laid hands on me I felt pressure to not disappoint those praying for me. Actual, my neck did feel a little less painful…..
Added later:
Likely most times it is the Hawthorne Effect instead of a true healing. I managed to get enough time off from helping to care for my mother to return to my home in Arizona over the weekend. Sunday morning I went to the church I regularly attend when home, the First Baptist Church of Quartzsite, Arizona. Then in the evening I went to the local Assembly of God Church with friends. Last New Year's Eve I attended a midnight service at the Assembly of God Church and we closed out a lot of the prayer requests for 2011. Last Sunday evening The pastor passed out a number of prayer requests remaining for 2012 . Hopefully our prayers resulting in some healing. One of the prayer requests I was given was for healing from Fibromyalgia and in the other one the requester asked for healing for somebody who had hurt her child. I would suspect that this generous woman received healing herself from writing the request. As it turned out, the woman's father was in my prayer circle and he broke down in tears. We surrounded him with a circle of healing. Interesting how these things work out, a God thing.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Describe the different ways the Fallacy of Appeal to Authorities can be committed. Where does the appeal to authority ultimately rest? Plus I601 I604-5-2
Fallacy of Appeal to the Authority of The pope:
Roman Catholics seem to hold the belief that papal authority is equivalence in authority to the Word of God. Plus, the current pope is said to be in a continuous line of popes going back to the apostle Peter based on, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 (KV) It would seem that the Catholics have taken great liberty with this verse. The apostle Peter never claimed to be the rock, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner” 1 Peter 2:5-7 (KJV)
Jesus said “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV) Popes throughout history have ignored this warning and have added chapters to the Bible and false doctrines such as of purgatory and the near deification of Mary.
The appeal to authority should ultimately rest with the ultimate authority, God and His Word !
Fallacy of Appeal to the Authority due to lots of letters following a persons name. In my opinion, no fallacy of appeal to the authority with either Dr. Meter or Dr. Erdmann.
I would rate Dr. Stephen Meyer as an authority on Intelligent Design and would not be concerned about quoting him to others. In addition to his DVDs I bought his book, “Signature in the Cell.” Dr. Meyer has about a hundred pages of supporting notes. Another book to finish reading someday…
I’d like to think that Dr. Martin Erdmann is not an authority on Transhumanism as his thesis is rather frightening. I would accept Dr. Erdmann as an authority due not only to his heavily documented work but also to history. In the last century the Nazis tried to play God with human beings by bizarre experimentation in concentration camps. It seems innate in mankind to want to fiddle with the natural order of things. We see that in Genesis with the Nephilim.
Time permitting to be continued with optional materials from I601:
The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery”, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards
Tom Horn, “The Pandemonium Engine”, Session 2 of “The Hybrid Age”
Because I consider it so important, continued with optional materials from I601:
The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery”, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards is both an informative and a difficult read. The movie is extraordinary!
The Anthropic Principle: according to Paul Davies “It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s number to make the Universe… The impression of design is overwhelming.” CETI & The Green Bank Formula is covered in CM’s teaching “Technology and the Bible.” Not only was this planet designed to support life, its place in the universe is unique in that it allows us to observe the universe.
Tom Horn, “The Pandemonium Engine”, Session 2 of “The Hybrid Age” was supplemental for “1601 Intro to Strategic Trend Briefings.” It was enough to make my hair stand on end. During the last week we covered transhumanism. This is from a I601 DQ:
“This following is just one slide from the teaching, “More than Human,” a teaching I recommend highly.
Changing Human Nature: A Futuristic Perspective:
· Transhumanism philosophy promotes the idea of human enhancement by technological means:
· Futuristic concepts like intelligence enhancement (up to 'super intelligence ')
· Techniques like genetic engineering, psychopharmacology, anti-aging therapies. neural interfaces, wearable/implantable computers, long lasting internal organ replacement, mental uploading and so forth
· Propagated from prominent positions like the US Nanotechnology Initiative and the Oxford University philosophy department.
The possibility of genetic targeting weapons has been suggested as well as combining humans with computers. Likely the military would like to have the Ultimate super warrior equipped with bionic parts. Viruses/diseases that would home in on a certain human genome are rumored to being developed.
Add to that there is ongoing research involving injecting human DNA into animal; Satan is alive and well and really promoting transhumanism.”
And from a few days ago, Medvedev Jokes About Secret Alien Files in The Moscow: "In footage recorded Friday after a television interview, the former president joked that each Russian leader gets two folders with information about extraterrestrials that visited our planet and stayed here."
Roman Catholics seem to hold the belief that papal authority is equivalence in authority to the Word of God. Plus, the current pope is said to be in a continuous line of popes going back to the apostle Peter based on, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 (KV) It would seem that the Catholics have taken great liberty with this verse. The apostle Peter never claimed to be the rock, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner” 1 Peter 2:5-7 (KJV)
Jesus said “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19 (KJV) Popes throughout history have ignored this warning and have added chapters to the Bible and false doctrines such as of purgatory and the near deification of Mary.
The appeal to authority should ultimately rest with the ultimate authority, God and His Word !
Fallacy of Appeal to the Authority due to lots of letters following a persons name. In my opinion, no fallacy of appeal to the authority with either Dr. Meter or Dr. Erdmann.
I would rate Dr. Stephen Meyer as an authority on Intelligent Design and would not be concerned about quoting him to others. In addition to his DVDs I bought his book, “Signature in the Cell.” Dr. Meyer has about a hundred pages of supporting notes. Another book to finish reading someday…
I’d like to think that Dr. Martin Erdmann is not an authority on Transhumanism as his thesis is rather frightening. I would accept Dr. Erdmann as an authority due not only to his heavily documented work but also to history. In the last century the Nazis tried to play God with human beings by bizarre experimentation in concentration camps. It seems innate in mankind to want to fiddle with the natural order of things. We see that in Genesis with the Nephilim.
Time permitting to be continued with optional materials from I601:
The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery”, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards
Tom Horn, “The Pandemonium Engine”, Session 2 of “The Hybrid Age”
Because I consider it so important, continued with optional materials from I601:
The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery”, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay W. Richards is both an informative and a difficult read. The movie is extraordinary!
The Anthropic Principle: according to Paul Davies “It seems as though somebody has fine-tuned nature’s number to make the Universe… The impression of design is overwhelming.” CETI & The Green Bank Formula is covered in CM’s teaching “Technology and the Bible.” Not only was this planet designed to support life, its place in the universe is unique in that it allows us to observe the universe.
Tom Horn, “The Pandemonium Engine”, Session 2 of “The Hybrid Age” was supplemental for “1601 Intro to Strategic Trend Briefings.” It was enough to make my hair stand on end. During the last week we covered transhumanism. This is from a I601 DQ:
“This following is just one slide from the teaching, “More than Human,” a teaching I recommend highly.
Changing Human Nature: A Futuristic Perspective:
· Transhumanism philosophy promotes the idea of human enhancement by technological means:
· Futuristic concepts like intelligence enhancement (up to 'super intelligence ')
· Techniques like genetic engineering, psychopharmacology, anti-aging therapies. neural interfaces, wearable/implantable computers, long lasting internal organ replacement, mental uploading and so forth
· Propagated from prominent positions like the US Nanotechnology Initiative and the Oxford University philosophy department.
The possibility of genetic targeting weapons has been suggested as well as combining humans with computers. Likely the military would like to have the Ultimate super warrior equipped with bionic parts. Viruses/diseases that would home in on a certain human genome are rumored to being developed.
Add to that there is ongoing research involving injecting human DNA into animal; Satan is alive and well and really promoting transhumanism.”
And from a few days ago, Medvedev Jokes About Secret Alien Files in The Moscow: "In footage recorded Friday after a television interview, the former president joked that each Russian leader gets two folders with information about extraterrestrials that visited our planet and stayed here."
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/medvedev-jokes-about-secret-alien-filTimeses/472785.html Joking or serious?
California Federation of Teachers! New CFT animated FallaciesI I604-5-8
| "California Federation of Teachers! New CFT animated video explains economic inequality, need for wealthy to pay fair share of taxes. Tax the Rich: An animated fairy tale" http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S6ZsXrzF8Cc I posted the following on my Facebook wall: “I'm currently taking an online course in Analytical Thinking. As a result, a really poorly thought out propaganda item such as the animated clip showing a rich man urinating on the non-rich really resonates with me, NOT. I thought I'd post it on Facebook along with a list of the fallacies that are presented in this animated feature. However, the list of fallacies grew and grew. I now have an excellent essay to submit for my class in Analytical Thinking.” Update: I watched the clip again and this version removed the yellow stream. Perhaps due to all the publicity FOXNEWS gave it. Fallacies of Relevance - Errors that Don't Address the Issues Appeal to Force/ Fear – “Arguing for a position on the basis that negative consequences will follow if a person does not accept the position. Accept this argument or I'll beat you up!” Union thug policies you think? Argumentum ad Hominem – “An argument that says "reject whatever he says because he is a bad person:" In this case that “bad rich person.” The recent election and the methodology of discrediting Governor Romney because of his wealth is a great example of the use Argumentum ad Hominem against the rich. Consensus Gentium - Accept this because the majority of people believe this is true. This is similar to Appeal to Popularity. It is based on the notion that if the majority believe something is right, it must be right.” Start the brainwashing with young childred! Inappropriate Authorities Straw Man - When a person misrepresents his opponent's position and then proceeds to refute that misrepresentation: The fallacy is that it doesn't refute what the opponent actually believes. In my opinion rich people are in favor of education. Add to that, education assures a qualified workforce. Red Herring - Accept this argument because the other subject is interesting, funny, witty, etc.: The fallacy is that this simply evades the question by changing the subject and then proceeds as if the point had been made. Our current administration has demonized success! Nothing Buttery - "Argues that something is "nothing but" some aspect of it: This fallacy is that it reduces a many faceted question down to a single point." The Marta here is that the “Rich don’t pay their fair share.” More Evolution Fallacies Bifurcation I False Dilemma - Bifurcation means to divide something into two parts: The fallacy of bifurcation occurs when someone asserts that there are only two options open to someone when in reality there are more than two. Implied that either the rich pay their fair share and the schools, etc. get funded or the Rich don’t pay their fair share and these services don’t get funded. Appeal to Emotion - "Attempting to persuade using emotion: The fallacy is obviously that you can't base truth on emotion." Added Later: Lee Doren of "How the World Works" posted an informative critique of the "California Federation of Teachers! New CFT animated video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f6FZGjF8OA Fallacies continued.... Other Informal Fallacies Apriorism – “A priori is starting with a conclusion: To start out with conclusions first (a priori) and then use them to decide whether to accept certain facts is the wrong way around." So here the starting conclusion is that “The rich don’t pay enough.” Dismissal – “Adopting an attitude of superiority and dismissing an argument by stating something like "I won't dignify that with an answer." The fallacy is that while sometimes effective politically, it does nothing to change or challenge the facts." Progressives often seem to be looking down their noses at the crass capitalists. Humor or Ridicule – “Using humor to ridicule or distract the audience's attention or to ridicule the person or the argument of another: The fallacy of course is that while humor and ridicule may draw a positive response from one's audience, it is not a substitute for reasoned analysis and argument.” A cartoon with a rich man urinating on the non-rich is an extreme example. Meaningless Claim – “When a person makes claims that by their nature, are impossible to verify or refute: Meaningless claims occur because someone uses vague or ambiguous language.” I heard conservative commentators ask a lib what percent of my income you consider fair to tax. Rarely is a direct answer offered. Oversimplification – “Treating a situation as if it contained only a few relevant factors, when in reality, it contains many. Part of the problem of oversimplification of a situation is that we deprive ourselves of important information necessary to fully understand it.” Could a relevant factor be the questionable quality of teacher due to the protection of the union? Poisoning the Well – “Laying down an insult and saying that it applies to anyone who would be so foolish as to disagree: The fallacy is that they arbitrarily label all evidence from a different position as unsound, but with no logical basis for doing so.” Why is it whenever someone wants to either raise more taxes or impose a union demand that children are always the alleged recipient of the benefit? If for one minute you disagree, then obviously you hate all children. Special Pleading - When a person expects his opponent to abide by a particular standard when he himself does not, i.e., a double standard: The fallacy is that both should be held to the same standards. |
Choose one or more fallacies used by Evolutionists, describe what fallacy is involved and what argument you would use to refute it? I604-4-7
The Big Bang Theory, Also known as something from nothing.
Dr. Stephen Hawking is the author of the best seller, "In A Brief History of Time." A few years ago he said that "The question is: is the way the universe began chosen by God for reasons we can't understand, or was it determined by a law of science? I believe the second. If you like, you can call the laws of science 'God', but it wouldn't be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions." I would suggest that the fact that the severely disabled Dr. Hawking is still alive is due to the God he doesn't believe in.
Disjunctive Syllogisms from week two (Two Terms)
The universe is either self-caused or caused by a Creator
It is impossible for the universe to cause its own existence (something from nothing)
Therefore, the Universe is caused by a Creator
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
The fact that there have been hundreds of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible verifies its truth. God says that in the beginning he created the heavens and the earth and that is good enough for me.
The Fossil Record:
Is the fossil record that depends on the Geologic time scale correct? But does not the fossil record allow geologists to date and compare rocks across geological time?
Circular Reasoning, "begging the question":
Strata are dated by the fossils
then....
Fossils are dated by the strata.
It is counterintuitive that you would determine the date of a fossil by the rock it is found in and then date the rock by the fossils found in it. Add to that there are images of petrified trees standing upright through geological strata. Fish fossils nicely laid out in rock suggest a flood. Then there is Mt. St. Helene developing lots of strata in a few decades after it erupted.
Old Earth:
The second law of Thermodynamics is concerned with entropy, a measure of disorder. In accordance with the second law of Thermodynamics the entropy of the universe increases. However, the entropy of the earth decreased during the six days of creation One of the few times entropy seems to be reversed is in the mother’s womb; however, here the baby is drawing on its mother’s body as it develops.
There is so much about the age and properties of the universe in the Bible, to quote just a few:
Isaiah 64:1 says space can be torn
Psalm 102 says space can be worn out like a garment
Job 9:8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea
Added Later:
Dr. Stephen Hawking is the author of the best seller, "In A Brief History of Time." A few years ago he said that "The question is: is the way the universe began chosen by God for reasons we can't understand, or was it determined by a law of science? I believe the second. If you like, you can call the laws of science 'God', but it wouldn't be a personal God that you could meet, and ask questions." I would suggest that the fact that the severely disabled Dr. Hawking is still alive is due to the God he doesn't believe in.
Disjunctive Syllogisms from week two (Two Terms)
The universe is either self-caused or caused by a Creator
It is impossible for the universe to cause its own existence (something from nothing)
Therefore, the Universe is caused by a Creator
Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
The fact that there have been hundreds of fulfilled prophecies in the Bible verifies its truth. God says that in the beginning he created the heavens and the earth and that is good enough for me.
The Fossil Record:
Is the fossil record that depends on the Geologic time scale correct? But does not the fossil record allow geologists to date and compare rocks across geological time?
Circular Reasoning, "begging the question":
Strata are dated by the fossils
then....
Fossils are dated by the strata.
It is counterintuitive that you would determine the date of a fossil by the rock it is found in and then date the rock by the fossils found in it. Add to that there are images of petrified trees standing upright through geological strata. Fish fossils nicely laid out in rock suggest a flood. Then there is Mt. St. Helene developing lots of strata in a few decades after it erupted.
Old Earth:
The second law of Thermodynamics is concerned with entropy, a measure of disorder. In accordance with the second law of Thermodynamics the entropy of the universe increases. However, the entropy of the earth decreased during the six days of creation One of the few times entropy seems to be reversed is in the mother’s womb; however, here the baby is drawing on its mother’s body as it develops.
There is so much about the age and properties of the universe in the Bible, to quote just a few:
Isaiah 64:1 says space can be torn
Psalm 102 says space can be worn out like a garment
Job 9:8 He alone spreads out the heavens, And treads on the waves of the sea
Added Later:
| Pat Robinson of the Christian Broadcasting Network/ 700 Club fame has stepped into it once again this time with his fellow Christians rather than with his usual detractors. He said during his TV show that he believes in an old Earth because dinosaurs were on the earth before man. However, in the Book of Job God tells Job: “Look at Behemoth, which I made along with you and which feeds on grass like an ox. What strength it has in its loins, what power in the muscles of its belly! Its tail sways like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are close-knit. Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like rods of iron.” Job 40:15-18 (NIV) Also, human footprints have been found in close proximity to dinosaur prints. So is Pat’s statement due to “The fallacy of Appeal to Popularity? Accept this because it has popular appeal: The fallacy is that the truth of the proposition is not addressed at all. It's based on the notion that if many people believe something is right, that notion must be right.” He does have a large following. Or could it be “Consensus Gentium. Accept this because the majority of people believe this is true: This is similar to Appeal to Popularity. It is based on the notion that if the majority believe something is right, it must be right.” Again, Pat has the Christian Broadcasting Network/ 700 Club |
The lighter side of analytical/ creative thinking I604-4-8
Now and then I like to put my brain on vacation either by solving a “Word Search” in the weekly Pennysaver or by playing a few games of Spider Solitaire. Although I claim this is relaxing my brain I realize that with either one I'm doing quite a bit of what might loosely be labeled analytical/ creative thinking.
Word Search:
Problem/ goal, to find all 15 words in a matrix of letters
Peruse the 15 words buried in the 15 by 15 letter matrix.
Keep in mind that the words can be oriented top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left or on the diagonal.
Look for the easier to find words that have double letters like collection and seldom used letters such as Z.
Next look for the longer words as they seem to stand out in the matrix
While searching for the longer words be alert for the shorter words as often they will seemingly “pop” out.
When all 15 words are found, word search is finished.
Spider Solitaire:
Spider Solitaire deals cards into ten columns four of which are six cards deep and six are five cards deep. There is a remainder of 50 cards to be death 10 at a time as the bottom card on the 10 columns. I set the game up as medium difficulty using two suits and “unrestricted undo.” There is a “help” hot key and an “undo” hot key. The first objective is to “empty out” a column as then any card can be moved to the open column.
The goal is to arrange all of the cards in suits in descending order from king to ace. As a suit is completed it is removed from the playing area.
First study the playing area.
Move the cards into suits in descending order as able.
First and best choice when only one card meets the criteria of being able to be moved to a given card of the same suit do so.
My first job after college was with a container company in a group called Container Concept Development. As an aside, one of the containers that I worked on literally took off as it was used as an in-flight coffee can on 747s for years.
One day our group was brainstorming a project having the acronym NCF short for "non-cut foot." This was in the early days of pull tab metal containers. People would be at the beach, remove the pull tab and throw it in the sand. Other beach goers would step on it and cut their foot.
So what to do with the tab after it was pulled off the can? Well as stated in our reference notes, no suggestion should be criticized or overlooked. You can imagine my chagrin when later in the technical report I saw my “tongue in cheek” suggestions listed. One was to supply a stick of bubblegum with the container so the buyer could chew the gum and stick the tab to the can. The other was to have an edible tab that you would pull off and eat. I don’t remember what other suggestions I or anyone else made but for some reason, this brain storming section really sticks (a pun) in my mind.
The problem was solved years later by making the pull tab non-detachable.
Word Search:
Problem/ goal, to find all 15 words in a matrix of letters
Peruse the 15 words buried in the 15 by 15 letter matrix.
Keep in mind that the words can be oriented top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right, right to left or on the diagonal.
Look for the easier to find words that have double letters like collection and seldom used letters such as Z.
Next look for the longer words as they seem to stand out in the matrix
While searching for the longer words be alert for the shorter words as often they will seemingly “pop” out.
When all 15 words are found, word search is finished.
Spider Solitaire:
Spider Solitaire deals cards into ten columns four of which are six cards deep and six are five cards deep. There is a remainder of 50 cards to be death 10 at a time as the bottom card on the 10 columns. I set the game up as medium difficulty using two suits and “unrestricted undo.” There is a “help” hot key and an “undo” hot key. The first objective is to “empty out” a column as then any card can be moved to the open column.
The goal is to arrange all of the cards in suits in descending order from king to ace. As a suit is completed it is removed from the playing area.
First study the playing area.
Move the cards into suits in descending order as able.
First and best choice when only one card meets the criteria of being able to be moved to a given card of the same suit do so.
Where there are two of more cards that can be moved to a given card of the same suit first click on one, undo, and click on the next until determining the best move.
Repeat these steps now placing a card of one suit over a card of the other suit.
Use the help key to check for any moves overlooked.
Once all allowable moves are completed, deal another ten cards.
Repeat until all cards are either in suits or the game is lost.
End of game.
The Lighter Side of Brain Storming:
Project/ problem to solve, NCFMy first job after college was with a container company in a group called Container Concept Development. As an aside, one of the containers that I worked on literally took off as it was used as an in-flight coffee can on 747s for years.
One day our group was brainstorming a project having the acronym NCF short for "non-cut foot." This was in the early days of pull tab metal containers. People would be at the beach, remove the pull tab and throw it in the sand. Other beach goers would step on it and cut their foot.
So what to do with the tab after it was pulled off the can? Well as stated in our reference notes, no suggestion should be criticized or overlooked. You can imagine my chagrin when later in the technical report I saw my “tongue in cheek” suggestions listed. One was to supply a stick of bubblegum with the container so the buyer could chew the gum and stick the tab to the can. The other was to have an edible tab that you would pull off and eat. I don’t remember what other suggestions I or anyone else made but for some reason, this brain storming section really sticks (a pun) in my mind.
The problem was solved years later by making the pull tab non-detachable.
Create a Syllogism, or a series of Syllogisms, that you feel prove(s) a particular belief you have, (doctrinal, political or otherwise). Then do the following: .... I604-3-1
Categorical Syllogism
All those who curse(d) Israel are cursed by God A
Hitler is in the group of those who cursed Israel A
Hitler is cursed by God A
Three terms; God, Hitler and those who curse Israel
Middle term - Those who curse(d) Israel
Valid figure 1
Mood AAA
I cannot believe how many hours I spent on three little statements. And after all that I'm not at all sure that I'm correct in the above. So after struggling for days with the concepts covered in week three I feel that it's okay to poke a little fun at myself.
All women with blond hair are airheads
Sally is among those women having blond hair
Sally is an airhead
So the three terms are women with blond hair, airheads and Sally
The middle term is women with blond hair
Figure 1
My mood - not good, that of the Categorical Syllogism I hope is AAA
All those who curse(d) Israel are cursed by God A
Hitler is in the group of those who cursed Israel A
Hitler is cursed by God A
Three terms; God, Hitler and those who curse Israel
Middle term - Those who curse(d) Israel
Valid figure 1
Mood AAA
I cannot believe how many hours I spent on three little statements. And after all that I'm not at all sure that I'm correct in the above. So after struggling for days with the concepts covered in week three I feel that it's okay to poke a little fun at myself.
All women with blond hair are airheads
Sally is among those women having blond hair
Sally is an airhead
So the three terms are women with blond hair, airheads and Sally
The middle term is women with blond hair
Figure 1
My mood - not good, that of the Categorical Syllogism I hope is AAA
Write your own original Type A Proposition similar to "All human beings are Mortal," then obvert the original, convert the obversion, then obvert the resulting sentence which is the contraposition of the original sentence. I604-3-3
In my opinion, the recent election in America was a real indicator of how far into sin America has sunk. I've often say that Pres. Obama stands for the trifecta of things that God hates:
· Abortion (murder) of the unborn
· The acceptance of homosexuality by voter approval of same-sex marriage
· Throwing Israel under the bus.
The liberals ran a very divisive campaign playing the race card, the phony war on women and rich vs. the poor. The continuing mantra of the Democrats was and still is that rich do not pay their fair share of taxes. Actually the rich pay a disproportionately high percentage of the taxes collected each year. Should the entire income of the rich be taken it would only sustain our government for a short time. The problem with our country is an administration totally out of control rather than not enough taxes being collected.
A few disclaimers, I'm not sure what is considered a rich person in America today. Years ago was anyone earning over a quarter million dollars a year. I believe that it's been raised but I'm not certain to what. We hear about the 1% who have most of the money and the rest of us are the 99%. In my way of thinking, one of the great ills of America now is coveting what others have. For me, God’s love is enough.
The Democrats’ mantra
Rich American don’t pay their fair share of taxes Implied Universal Negative or Type E
To express the above in greater detail:
Rich American belong to the group of people who do not pay their fair share of taxes Original Statement Type E
No rich American belong to the group of people who pay their fair share of taxes Obverted Statement Type A
Some of the group of people who do pay their fair share of taxes are not rich Americans Converted Statement Type O
None of the group of people who pay their fair share of taxes are rich Americans.Contraposition Statement Type A
I then changed the Type A Proposition to:
All rich Americans are in the group of people who pay their fair share of taxes Original Statement Type A
No rich Americans are in the group of people who do not pay their fair share of taxes Obverted Statement Type E
The group of people who pay their fair share of taxes includes rich Americans Converted Statement Type I
Not paying their fair share of taxes is not by all rich Americans Contraposition Statement Type O
I don’t know what percentage of rich people pay what the libs call their fair share, and what do the libs pay.... In my opinion, most people pay as little in taxes as absolutely required by law. However at this point I'm calling the above my best effort and I am going back to reading more of the book, "Let us reason together: an introduction to logical thinking."
· Abortion (murder) of the unborn
· The acceptance of homosexuality by voter approval of same-sex marriage
· Throwing Israel under the bus.
The liberals ran a very divisive campaign playing the race card, the phony war on women and rich vs. the poor. The continuing mantra of the Democrats was and still is that rich do not pay their fair share of taxes. Actually the rich pay a disproportionately high percentage of the taxes collected each year. Should the entire income of the rich be taken it would only sustain our government for a short time. The problem with our country is an administration totally out of control rather than not enough taxes being collected.
A few disclaimers, I'm not sure what is considered a rich person in America today. Years ago was anyone earning over a quarter million dollars a year. I believe that it's been raised but I'm not certain to what. We hear about the 1% who have most of the money and the rest of us are the 99%. In my way of thinking, one of the great ills of America now is coveting what others have. For me, God’s love is enough.
The Democrats’ mantra
Rich American don’t pay their fair share of taxes Implied Universal Negative or Type E
To express the above in greater detail:
Rich American belong to the group of people who do not pay their fair share of taxes Original Statement Type E
No rich American belong to the group of people who pay their fair share of taxes Obverted Statement Type A
Some of the group of people who do pay their fair share of taxes are not rich Americans Converted Statement Type O
None of the group of people who pay their fair share of taxes are rich Americans.Contraposition Statement Type A
I then changed the Type A Proposition to:
All rich Americans are in the group of people who pay their fair share of taxes Original Statement Type A
No rich Americans are in the group of people who do not pay their fair share of taxes Obverted Statement Type E
The group of people who pay their fair share of taxes includes rich Americans Converted Statement Type I
Not paying their fair share of taxes is not by all rich Americans Contraposition Statement Type O
I don’t know what percentage of rich people pay what the libs call their fair share, and what do the libs pay.... In my opinion, most people pay as little in taxes as absolutely required by law. However at this point I'm calling the above my best effort and I am going back to reading more of the book, "Let us reason together: an introduction to logical thinking."
How do you see interpret Genesis 12? What actions are you taking? 502-5-3
When I think of Genesis 12 the first thought is of God's promise bless those who bless Israel and curse those who curse Israel. Delving a little bit deeper, “The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)
We know from Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 that Abraham did not leave immediately. Abraham left the land of the Chaldean's and settled in Harran until the death of his father before following God’s directions. God made a promise to Abraham and was still true to his word even though Abraham tarred. From this I understand that we can depend on our awesome God and His forgiveness even when we dither. We have until we draw our last breath to accept salvation. In Paul’s words, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (KJV)
As for Genesis 12:3, eventually there will be the Sheep and Goat judgment. “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:32-33. I’m thankful that I’ll be coming back with Jesus rather than standing in judgment as He separates those who survived the Tribulation into sheep and goats.
Is various KI classes we have had discussions about the Third Commandment involving being an ambassador for God rather than profanity. In my often stated opinion, as a nation the United States is under God’s judgment for our treatment of Israel as evidenced by extreme weather and out-of-control violence. I agree with CM, "God means what he says and says what he means." So in my small way I’m getting the truth out concerning the blessings Israel provides to the world and providing a little practical cold hard cash to her. I often use Facebook to share articles about Israel and the many ways Israel has blessed the world in the medical area as well as demonstrating the maximization of the utilization of her resources.
We are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and I do. Prayer is the strongest weapon we have in our arsenal, one that I use. Comments about yesterday's ceasefire to follow.
We know from Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7 that Abraham did not leave immediately. Abraham left the land of the Chaldean's and settled in Harran until the death of his father before following God’s directions. God made a promise to Abraham and was still true to his word even though Abraham tarred. From this I understand that we can depend on our awesome God and His forgiveness even when we dither. We have until we draw our last breath to accept salvation. In Paul’s words, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 (KJV)
As for Genesis 12:3, eventually there will be the Sheep and Goat judgment. “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” Matthew 25:32-33. I’m thankful that I’ll be coming back with Jesus rather than standing in judgment as He separates those who survived the Tribulation into sheep and goats.
Is various KI classes we have had discussions about the Third Commandment involving being an ambassador for God rather than profanity. In my often stated opinion, as a nation the United States is under God’s judgment for our treatment of Israel as evidenced by extreme weather and out-of-control violence. I agree with CM, "God means what he says and says what he means." So in my small way I’m getting the truth out concerning the blessings Israel provides to the world and providing a little practical cold hard cash to her. I often use Facebook to share articles about Israel and the many ways Israel has blessed the world in the medical area as well as demonstrating the maximization of the utilization of her resources.
We are told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and I do. Prayer is the strongest weapon we have in our arsenal, one that I use. Comments about yesterday's ceasefire to follow.
Arutz Sheva 7 Op-Ed: Gaza is Beslan: "They Love Death, We Love Life" 502-5
Op-Ed: Gaza is Beslan: "They Love Death, We Love Life"
“There is a gap wider than the ocean between the way Israelis look at life and the way the Hamas - and not only the Hamas
I grew up under the ominous cloud of the Cold War. We had one thing in common with the Russians, neither side wished to be exterminated in a nuclear confrontation. Mutually assured destruction kept both sides pretty much at bay.
The Islamic foe is so different. Commercial jetliners were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Only the courageous actions of the passengers on Fight 93 prevented a fourth jet from crashing into either the U.S. Capital or the White House. The al-Qaeda terrorists no doubt expected after their fiery death they would be welcomed by 72 virgins and Paradise. Imagine their surprise when instead they were meant by God's judgment.
The following are just a few comments made by the followers of Mohammad and the Quran:
Hamas MP Fathi Hamed, addressing Israel, said, “We desire death more than you desire life".
That SS Death Heads' cry is the root of the conflict in Gaza and in the Middle East.
"We are going to win, because they love life and we love death," said Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah in the same vein.
Usama bin laden. We love death, the US loves life.
"The Americans love Pepsi-Cola, we love death," explained al Qaeda operative Maulana Inyadullah.
Back to the Op-Ed: Gaza is Beslan: "They Love Death, We Love Life," who can forget the tragedy of Beslan? From Wikipedia, “The Beslan school hostage crisis (also referred to as the Beslan school siege or Beslan massacre) of early September 2004 lasted three days and involved the capture of over 1,100 people as hostages (including 777 children), ending with the death of over 380 people.”
DQ#1 What do you think about Pascal’s famous dilemma regarding God? Try rewriting it from an Atheist’s point of view, starting with “If God exists I have everything to lose by not believing in him…” I604-2
I’ve been working for the last two days on my final in Genesis part two as avoidance behavior to completing the second discussion question due this week.
Could it truly be as simple as follows?
If God exists I have everything to lose by not believing in him.
And if God does not exist, I have nothing to lose by not believing in him.
Either God does exist or he does not exist.
Therefore, I have everything to lose or nothing to lose by not believing in God.
I did take a little time to play in the eBay “Sandbox” chat room where most members are new agers, agnostics, atheists or Christian bashers. There are other Born Again Christians who post, just not too many. One of threads recently started is titled “Why do we need God?” So naturally I posted Pascal’s dilemma. Most members skipped over it to bloviate on their views as to whether or not there is a God, god or goddess, etc.
One of the more reasonable chat room members replied “I used to think like Pascal. But then I started to wonder... if God exists and is omniscient then He knows I'm only choosing faith as the best odds for whatever awaits me in the great beyond.
Then I started to wonder... what if God gets pi$$ed off when people choose belief in Him ONLY because it's the best hand in a crap shoot as opposed to genuinely believing?
Now I'm taking the chance that (if God exists) He will more value my being honest with Him and with myself by admitting "I don't know" and not trying to force myself into "believing" something about which I have nothing to go on, out of a selfish idea that I want to 'up my odds'."
This chat room member and I have debated the existence of God before. It is for members like him and the lurkers who visit the chat room but rarely post that I continue to play/ post in the sandbox, an interesting mission field.
As for what I think about Pascal’s famous dilemma regarding God, it's a good tool to get someone's attention. Even if one equates belief in God to buying fire insurance, there is an admission of the likelihood of there being a God. In my humble opinion, once you profess even a halfhearted belief in God the Holy Spirit will start its work.
Could it truly be as simple as follows?
If God exists I have everything to lose by not believing in him.
And if God does not exist, I have nothing to lose by not believing in him.
Either God does exist or he does not exist.
Therefore, I have everything to lose or nothing to lose by not believing in God.
I did take a little time to play in the eBay “Sandbox” chat room where most members are new agers, agnostics, atheists or Christian bashers. There are other Born Again Christians who post, just not too many. One of threads recently started is titled “Why do we need God?” So naturally I posted Pascal’s dilemma. Most members skipped over it to bloviate on their views as to whether or not there is a God, god or goddess, etc.
One of the more reasonable chat room members replied “I used to think like Pascal. But then I started to wonder... if God exists and is omniscient then He knows I'm only choosing faith as the best odds for whatever awaits me in the great beyond.
Then I started to wonder... what if God gets pi$$ed off when people choose belief in Him ONLY because it's the best hand in a crap shoot as opposed to genuinely believing?
Now I'm taking the chance that (if God exists) He will more value my being honest with Him and with myself by admitting "I don't know" and not trying to force myself into "believing" something about which I have nothing to go on, out of a selfish idea that I want to 'up my odds'."
This chat room member and I have debated the existence of God before. It is for members like him and the lurkers who visit the chat room but rarely post that I continue to play/ post in the sandbox, an interesting mission field.
As for what I think about Pascal’s famous dilemma regarding God, it's a good tool to get someone's attention. Even if one equates belief in God to buying fire insurance, there is an admission of the likelihood of there being a God. In my humble opinion, once you profess even a halfhearted belief in God the Holy Spirit will start its work.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Most of what you see about Israel in the press are myths and perversions of reality. Give some examples of how the press depicts Israel as the aggressor and the oppressor BTE 502-04-2
First, one of the many groups that presents the truth about Israel: Prager University: The Middle East Problem
Why is the Middle East Problem so intractable? Dennis Prager, nationally syndicated talk show host and best-selling author, answers that question in this thought-provoking video course.
Hal Lindsey made a very informative video titled, “The Israeli Palestinian Conflict: Myths and Facts."
As an aside, between 2006 and 20I0, the U.N. Human Rights Commission condemned Israel in 20 of its 25 resolutions. It seems that we truly are in the days when good is called bad at bad is called good.
Sometimes when I defend Israel I’ve had people counter with Israel’s firing on the Liberty ship. I'll confess I didn't know near enough about it but I never really thought Israel would intentionally fire on a ship from the U.S. CM’s teaching about this ship compromising Israel’s military positions, as Paul Harvey would say, “And that folks is the rest of the story.”
As for the press demonization of Israel; where to begin? It seems to me hardly a day goes by that Israel isn't being condemned for protecting herself from missile strikes. However, when I searched the Internet for anti-Israel articles most of what I found was by bloggers. Even a CNN news clip, “Israeli assault on Gaza-bound flotilla leaves at least 9 dead” seemed more balanced then I remembered, redacted?
Evangelical church groups are disregarding God's covenant with Israel and are voicing the demand that Israel give back the "Occupied land." Christ at the Checkpoint has a Manifesto and point five is, “Any exclusive claim to land of the Bible in the name of God is not in line with the teaching of Scripture.”
An article published in 2007, “Coalition of Evangelicals Voices Support for Palestinian State.”
Currently Israel is responding after hundreds of missiles were fired into Israel from Gaza. No surprise here:
CAIRO — Egypt has asked the United States to push Israel to stop its offensive against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, warning that the violence could "escalate out of control."
As the United States has its lame stream media, Israel has the publication Haaretz. Having read liberal articles I was pleasantly surprised to find mostly supportive reporting today perhaps due to the escalating clash with Gaza.
It was reported that four children were killed by Israel bombs. Golda Meir made this comment more than half a century ago. It is as true today as then. “Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.” (Statement to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., 1957)
Arutz Sheva 7 Minister: We'll Hit Them Till They Say 'Enough' BTE 502-04-8
Min. Moshe Yaalon says "We will put an end to this. We will not maintain restraint."
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/161973
Minister Moshe Yaalon (Likud) said Sunday that Israel does not intend to maintain restraint in the face of the intense rocket attacks from Gaza.
"If the terror organizations do not cease their fire we will be prepared to toughen our response as much as necessary, until they say 'enough!'," he said.
After listening to CM's teachings on the “Betrayal of the Chosen” I’m reminded of the old expression “Keep your enemies close and your friends even closer.” I've known that through the years we have not been a very good friend to Israel. At least at the birth of the nation, then President Harry S Truman recognized the state of Israel. Also years later President Nixon provided some very much needed help to Israel as prophesied by his Quaker mother years before.
In the several days following the above, events are unfolding so rapidly between Israel and Hamas that it is difficult to find a conclusion to this DQ.
“Hamas says 'gates of hell opened' as Israel kills military leader in Gaza”
“Ahmed al-Jabari's assassination in missile strike marks 'start of broader operation' that may involve ground troops, says Israel.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/14/israel-assassinates-hamas-military-chief
Israel has launched a military operation to eliminate militants and weapon sites in the Gaza Strip, killing the commander of Hamas's military wing, in a move with potentially serious repercussions beyond its borders.
The assassination of Ahmed al-Jabari in a missile strike in Gaza City was the "start of a broader operation", according to the Israel Defence Forces, which it named Operation Pillar of Defence.
“Israel launched a military operation to eliminate militants and weapon sites in the Gaza Strip, killing the commander of Hamas's military wing, in a move with the potential to trigger action beyond its borders.”
Than today, “Israel Changed the Rules of the Game,” Yoav Limor Writing in Israel Hayom
“The response came on Wednesday, after a few days of stormy weather that prevented action. In hindsight, the unfavorable weather conditions played into Israel’s hands. On the one hand, the government’s inaction elicited scathing criticism for forsaking the residents of the south, but it bought Israeli leaders some time to put on a show that convinced Hamas that the latest round was drawing to a close. Hamas let its guard down, expecting calm, and allowed its leaders to come out of hiding. This provided an opening to Israel to make its move and embark on its campaign."
http://blog.standforisrael.org/articles/israel-changed-the-rules-of-the-game
The Israel withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 was done in the hope that this would lead to peace. Rather than peace the withdrawal provided a nearby missal launching pad. Land for peace has never resulted in any lasting peace as the hated towards Israel is embedded in the Islamic psyche. Let us not forgot that the United States ”encouraged” Israel to withdraw from Gaza and that withdrawal seems to have coincided with Hurricane Katrina.
Added later:
Israel is getting very proactive in protecting herself. Our administration says that "There will be no daylight between the United States and Israel." I don't have any confidence in Obama and I suspect that neither does Israel. Actually I expect that Israel likely will make a preemptive strike against Iran in the wake of the presidential election. I think that May, 2011 when Obama "suggested" to Prime Minister Netanyahu that Israel return to the 1967 boundaries the Prime Minister could see the writing on the wall.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-meeting-with-obama-netanyahu-rules-out-israeli-withdrawal-to-1967-borders/2011/05/20/AFSWQx7G_story.html
Levin: Bill to Annex Judea and Samaria is Ready
"MK Yariv Levin (Likud), chairman of the Knesset’s House Committee, told Arutz Sheva on Wednesday that he has a bill that calls to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria that is ready to be submitted for Knesset approval.
Levin said that if the Palestinian Authority goes ahead with its statehood bid at the United Nations, he will submit his bill for approval immediately after January’s election.
"Regardless of the Palestinian move we should have applied sovereignty long ago," said Levin, "but the unilateral move by the Palestinians is a good time to do so."
Sounds reasonable to me, however, the liberals will demonize Israel even more.
Write a serious Sorites that is made up of all true statements and comes to a valid and true conclusion.I604-02-2
I based the following on Jonathan Cahn book, “The Harbinger: The ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's Future” released 2011-09-03.
"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." Isaiah 9:10 (KJV)
Israel (Nortern Kingdom) worships idols and is warned by the prophets
The prophets are ignored by an Israel who does not have ears to hear
An Israel without ears to hear is defeated by the Assyrians
A defeated Israel is a defiance Israel
A defiance Israel says we will rebuild
A rebuilt Israel fall falls again never to again be a nation.
I brought America into it as an aside as I understad this to be Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's thesis. America is replicating the defiance of the northern kingdom. We have turned away from God and made idols out of our celebrities, bigger homes and such. Rather than a concluding statement I left the ultimate destiny of America rather open-ended.
"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." Isaiah 9:10 (KJV)
Israel (Nortern Kingdom) worships idols and is warned by the prophets
The prophets are ignored by an Israel who does not have ears to hear
An Israel without ears to hear is defeated by the Assyrians
A defeated Israel is a defiance Israel
A defiance Israel says we will rebuild
A rebuilt Israel fall falls again never to again be a nation.
There is a message for America In the book the Harbinger. We started out as a very God centered and blessed country. I always like to point out that we have mastered the trifecta of abortion on demand, same-sex marriage and throwing Israel under the bus. It is my prayer that it is not too late to salvage our country. While I think the above example of the Northern Kingdom follows the rules of the course the one below dealing with America takes a few liberties.
America has turned/ is turning away from God
God has commandments we are to live by
The Commandments are ignored by a defiance America
A defiance America watches as her towers fall
The fallen towers inspire the still defiant America
An inspired defiant America has defiant leaders
Defiant leaders vow we will rebuild America
A rebuild America experiences an economic collapse in 2008
An economic collapse in 2008 results in major political changes
Major political changes give power to a very liberal administration
A liberal administration encourages a dependent, immoral society
A dependent, immoral society votes for four more years of the same
Added later:
Corby, thank you for your very constructive criticism and I have to agree, I implied the concluding statement rather than stating it.
So if I understand what you're saying I should have added a concluding statement to the effect that "Israel worshiped idols and was ultimately destroyed."I brought America into it as an aside as I understad this to be Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's thesis. America is replicating the defiance of the northern kingdom. We have turned away from God and made idols out of our celebrities, bigger homes and such. Rather than a concluding statement I left the ultimate destiny of America rather open-ended.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
What is Compartmentalism and how does it work? What is the main problem with it? I604-01-3
Compartmentalism is to separate into distinct parts, categories, or compartments. One of the sources that I looked up talked about Compartmentalism as being akin to schizophrenia. In medical terms Compartment Syndrome is a condition in which a muscle swells but is constricted by the connective tissue around it, which cuts off blood supply to the muscle. I understand that this constriction causes considerable physical pain. I suspect that when we compartmentalize our lives it causes us emotional pain.
Compartmentalism often is the modus operandi for many Christians, being totally committed to Jesus inwardly but not so much so in public. One of the criticisms that I've made about Christians is that so many form prayer groups and Bible studies where they reinforce each other almost to the point of it being a Kumbaya moment. Now before I get criticized for that statement let me say that in my opinion, small groups are the future of the church. I have belonged to a number of Bible studies and prayer groups, however and again in my opinion, more Christians should move beyond their comfort zone and be more aggressive in their witness.
There is the compartment that holds my love for Jesus and the Word of God. I'm ashamed to admit the years I hid Jesus in my little Christian compartment because I didn't have the courage of my convictions and didn't want to Cause dissension. Now I have such a sense of urgency that I stopped worrying about stepping on people's toes for the most part but then time to time I still confine myself in my little compartment. I'm finding that the more I grow in knowledge about the Word and how its validity is reinforced through courses at KI the less I confine my witness to my little compartment. I work at being watchman on the wall and kicking the sides out of my compartment.
And then there's the compartment in my life called family duty. In January of this year I gave up a fulfilling life to come and help care for my mother for an indefinite period of time. In the family duty compartment of my life I'm very conflicted between love and duty to my mother and wanting my own life back. I have to manage a positive attitude for my mother. On one hand I'm less than happy and on the other I feel very guilty for being unhappy. I suspect that this is having an adverse effect on my health. I passed the Biblical age of three score and 10 last year and I’m a polio survivor for 65 years.
As I compartmentalize my Christian life and family duty I internalized the stress of being so conflicted. That said, it is wonderful to know that I have God to depend on. While God is the main thing that is getting me through this trying time, KI certainly is a major support.
Compartmentalism often is the modus operandi for many Christians, being totally committed to Jesus inwardly but not so much so in public. One of the criticisms that I've made about Christians is that so many form prayer groups and Bible studies where they reinforce each other almost to the point of it being a Kumbaya moment. Now before I get criticized for that statement let me say that in my opinion, small groups are the future of the church. I have belonged to a number of Bible studies and prayer groups, however and again in my opinion, more Christians should move beyond their comfort zone and be more aggressive in their witness.
There is the compartment that holds my love for Jesus and the Word of God. I'm ashamed to admit the years I hid Jesus in my little Christian compartment because I didn't have the courage of my convictions and didn't want to Cause dissension. Now I have such a sense of urgency that I stopped worrying about stepping on people's toes for the most part but then time to time I still confine myself in my little compartment. I'm finding that the more I grow in knowledge about the Word and how its validity is reinforced through courses at KI the less I confine my witness to my little compartment. I work at being watchman on the wall and kicking the sides out of my compartment.
And then there's the compartment in my life called family duty. In January of this year I gave up a fulfilling life to come and help care for my mother for an indefinite period of time. In the family duty compartment of my life I'm very conflicted between love and duty to my mother and wanting my own life back. I have to manage a positive attitude for my mother. On one hand I'm less than happy and on the other I feel very guilty for being unhappy. I suspect that this is having an adverse effect on my health. I passed the Biblical age of three score and 10 last year and I’m a polio survivor for 65 years.
As I compartmentalize my Christian life and family duty I internalized the stress of being so conflicted. That said, it is wonderful to know that I have God to depend on. While God is the main thing that is getting me through this trying time, KI certainly is a major support.
Why should we love the Torah? BTE 502-03-5
One of my first KI classes Was Spiritual Disciplines One and it made a lasting impression on me. I remember Dr. Dan Stolebarger talking about the early followers of Jesus who turned the world upside down, oh that we would once more.
The story I remember so well was that after the Rabbi handed out copies of the Torah to his five year old students he would put a dollop of honey on it. He would have the children taste the honey; Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" This would of course make a very lasting impression upon his young students.
So why should we love the Torah? The Torah has given us the history of the early Jewish race and good moral principles to live by.
First there's the creation story with the fall of man and the hope of redemption through the seed of the woman.
We learned of a society that had become so evil that God wiped it out with the exception of eight people, Noah, a righteous man, and his family. Through the story of the Tower of Babble we learned that when God says go and populate the world he means it. "And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." Genesis 11:6-7
Thousands of years later America now embraces many practices prohibited in the Bible. Our World Trade Towers came down and instead of taking this as a warning to repent, we defied God as did Israel; "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." Isaiah 9:10. The book "The Harbinger: The ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future" by Jonathan Cahn is a fascinating and timely read.
The history of the patriarchs is captivating. In Jacob’s and Joseph's time, the Jews went into Egypt as a family and came out as a nation. Moses certainly had his hands full and shows us that even this exemplary man could blow it at the last minute. Moses had to wait until his meeting with Jesus on the the Mount of Transfiguration to gain entry into the promised land.
Jesus said that Moses wrote of him thereby eliminating any question about the validity of the Torah. Wonderful as the Torah is, we Christians are not under the law. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
So many wonderful stories in the Torah, so many lessons to learn and so few words allowed in this exercise.
The story I remember so well was that after the Rabbi handed out copies of the Torah to his five year old students he would put a dollop of honey on it. He would have the children taste the honey; Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" This would of course make a very lasting impression upon his young students.
So why should we love the Torah? The Torah has given us the history of the early Jewish race and good moral principles to live by.
First there's the creation story with the fall of man and the hope of redemption through the seed of the woman.
We learned of a society that had become so evil that God wiped it out with the exception of eight people, Noah, a righteous man, and his family. Through the story of the Tower of Babble we learned that when God says go and populate the world he means it. "And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." Genesis 11:6-7
Thousands of years later America now embraces many practices prohibited in the Bible. Our World Trade Towers came down and instead of taking this as a warning to repent, we defied God as did Israel; "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars." Isaiah 9:10. The book "The Harbinger: The ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future" by Jonathan Cahn is a fascinating and timely read.
The history of the patriarchs is captivating. In Jacob’s and Joseph's time, the Jews went into Egypt as a family and came out as a nation. Moses certainly had his hands full and shows us that even this exemplary man could blow it at the last minute. Moses had to wait until his meeting with Jesus on the the Mount of Transfiguration to gain entry into the promised land.
Jesus said that Moses wrote of him thereby eliminating any question about the validity of the Torah. Wonderful as the Torah is, we Christians are not under the law. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV)
So many wonderful stories in the Torah, so many lessons to learn and so few words allowed in this exercise.
Since we know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, what armor do we have against deception? What part do you believe "reason" plays in this? I604-01-7
One of the most interesting books that I have read that deals with great deception was written by a committed atheist, Ayn Rand. Ms. Rand was the author of “Atlas Shrugged”, a book published October 10, 1957 that is very prophetic of today. I first read Atlas Shrugged decades ago and have read it a number of times since.
One reason I bring up a book written by an atheist is that over the years I have argued with people about this book. Instead of having a reason based discussion about Ms. Rand’s political philosophy and support of capitalism, her distractors would bring up the fact that she was rumored to be an admirer of William Edward Hickman, a convicted murderer. Even in the 2012 election a reach too far was this comment, “Mark Ames: Paul Ryan's Guru Ayn Rand Worshipped a Serial Killer Who Kidnapped and Dismembered Little Girls.” It is my theoty that had Ayn Rand been exposed to the KI hink tank she likely would have changed her outlook on Christianity.
From my Facebook post the night of the election:
This week I started another class through the online Koinonia Institute (KI), titled "Analytical Thinking". KI is a Christian think tank that is very helpful in my goal to be a better Christian apologist. Tonight I was watching the election returns with one eye on the TV and one eye on a book I'm reading for the analytical thinking course. I learned a new phrase; ad hominem. From the book "Discerning Truth by Jason Lisle:
"Ad Hominem: The phrase ad hominem is Latin and means “to the man.” The fallacy is so named because it directs an argument against the person making a claim rather than the claim itself. The critic hopes that people will reject his opponent’s claim simply on the basis that there is something objectionable about the person making the claim."
Reading this was like having a light switched on in my brain; in my opinion, the phrase Ad Hominem speaks for itself. Governor Romney was unfairly demonized as being a rich white man out of touch with the average person. At a time when our country is facing high unemployment, horrific debt and an exploding Middle East the red herring was the war on women; code for unfettered abortion. Ad Hominem, it worked on Governor Romney just as it did on Ayn Rand.
In America we voted in an administration that supports same-sex marriage, abortion on demand and throwing Israel under the bus. As I said before, we really hit the trifecta this time.
In my opinion, we are to witness for Jesus and pray, pray, pray. We are to be watchman on the wall and “Put on the whole armour of God." We are very fortunate to have KI where we can learn to be the best Christian apologists possible. We have the tools to hold our own in discussions with the minions of the enemy and stay on topic.
Added later:
Hi Lois, I too had decided long ago who I would vote for in the election. I'm still in having a hard time understanding why Obama was reelected. Some of the talking heads have said that the Republican party needs to be more engaged with minorities. I seem to remember one Governor who implemented workfare rather than welfare. Rather than a handout, give people a hand up and then before long they're supporting themselves and their families. Now it looks like this is old-fashioned thinking. Personal responsibility seems to be falling by the wayside.
In watching the videos I was taken by the quotation "For every unconfessed double standard there is a solid single standard behind it." This certainly was the case with the vast majority of the media. Well, Obama is in for another four years so what we can do is pray to God for the best outcome. In the final analysis it's in His hands not Obama's.
Added later:
Hi Lois, I too had decided long ago who I would vote for in the election. I'm still in having a hard time understanding why Obama was reelected. Some of the talking heads have said that the Republican party needs to be more engaged with minorities. I seem to remember one Governor who implemented workfare rather than welfare. Rather than a handout, give people a hand up and then before long they're supporting themselves and their families. Now it looks like this is old-fashioned thinking. Personal responsibility seems to be falling by the wayside.
In watching the videos I was taken by the quotation "For every unconfessed double standard there is a solid single standard behind it." This certainly was the case with the vast majority of the media. Well, Obama is in for another four years so what we can do is pray to God for the best outcome. In the final analysis it's in His hands not Obama's.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Arutz Sheva 7 Netanyahu: I Will Attack Iran Alone if Necessary 502-03-8
Written for class early on election day hours before the polls closed:
The United States now has an administration that has thrown Israel under the bus. The outcome of today's election is very, very significant both to the United States and to Israel. I've often posted about disasters here in the United States that seem to coincide with our pushing Israeli to give up land and God pushing back. And as for Israel, should Obama be elected today will that push Israel more towards a preemptive strike on Iran? Should Governor Romney be elected Obama still has two months to do lots of damage during the lame duck session.
In a recent speech at the United Nations in September, PM Netanyahu called for a “red line” to prevent Iran from reaching its nuclear ambitions. He used an illustration of a bomb with a lit fuse as a visualization of the threat to Israel from Iran’s atomic agenda.
Although Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu’s family is not of the Tribe of Issachar, it would seem they could be. Chronicles 12:32 “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that hath understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” PM Netanyahu’s father passed recently at the age of 102. Ben-Zion Netanyahu was a professor of history and author who insisted on “the need for eternal vigilance in defense of Jewish rights.” One Netanyahu son is the PM of Israel, another, Iddo, is an author and a third, Yonatan, was killed leading the raid on Entebbe. A family who understands the times, I would say so.
Back to the topic:
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahupromises that by the time his term is over, Iran will not have a nuclearweapons program.
The United States now has an administration that has thrown Israel under the bus. The outcome of today's election is very, very significant both to the United States and to Israel. I've often posted about disasters here in the United States that seem to coincide with our pushing Israeli to give up land and God pushing back. And as for Israel, should Obama be elected today will that push Israel more towards a preemptive strike on Iran? Should Governor Romney be elected Obama still has two months to do lots of damage during the lame duck session.
In a recent speech at the United Nations in September, PM Netanyahu called for a “red line” to prevent Iran from reaching its nuclear ambitions. He used an illustration of a bomb with a lit fuse as a visualization of the threat to Israel from Iran’s atomic agenda.
Although Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu’s family is not of the Tribe of Issachar, it would seem they could be. Chronicles 12:32 “And of the children of Issachar, which were men that hath understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.” PM Netanyahu’s father passed recently at the age of 102. Ben-Zion Netanyahu was a professor of history and author who insisted on “the need for eternal vigilance in defense of Jewish rights.” One Netanyahu son is the PM of Israel, another, Iddo, is an author and a third, Yonatan, was killed leading the raid on Entebbe. A family who understands the times, I would say so.
Back to the topic:
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahupromises that by the time his term is over, Iran will not have a nuclearweapons program.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/161749
This is also covered in The Times of Israel founded editor David Horovitz:
“Netanyahu vows to stop Iran, even in defiance of the United States”
“TV report details assassinations and sabotage in Israel’s decade-long battle to thwart Tehran, traces ups and downs of coordination with Washington; Olmert slams PM for ‘spitting’ in Obama’s face.”
Headlines from other sources include“Olmert Plans Comeback to Challenge Netanyahu.” What I remember of Olmert is that he seemed to want to give Israel land away when he was PM. Also, he was convicted of corruption, fined and given a year suspended sentence. Now Olmert plans to challenge PM Netanyahu in the January elections, moved up from next October. And the liberal Haareyz Digital Digetal Edition has an article, “Run, Olmert, run” with the rhetoric “If ex-PM Ehud Olmert chooses to confront Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, he will have demonstrated that, confronted once more with a conflict of interest, he chose the national interest – to attain the two-state salvation for Israel.” Now where I've I heard such bloviating before?
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