Tolerance

In my studies to become a librarian I was made aware of many secular issues that I was not exposed to before. Without losing my biblical worldview, I think it was beneficial for me to be able to see things from a more worldly perspective. I'll never be able to reach anyone from the world if I do not respect them as people, and that includes respecting their worldviews, even if I do not agree with them--and I must know why I don't agree with them!

The Bible is my authority, not necessarily everything I've always been taught. It is important for me to think about and understand whether what I've always been taught is true, and to be able to defend it if it is true.

I learned a new acronym as I was studying library science: GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender). One argument that comes up between conservatives and liberals regarding these people is whether it is a personal choice or if they are born that way. First of all, Scripture clearly teaches that this lifestyle is unacceptable and sinful (read Romans 1:24-32 and Leviticus 18:22-23).

Coming from a conservative Christian mindset myself, I was always of the understanding that since it is sinful, it must be a choice--no one could be just born that way. However, I believe there is some objective evidence to support that individuals who live the GLBT lifestyle often have something physically different about them.

I would like to propose that the important question is not, "Is this lifestyle a choice ,or does it come naturally?"
Rather, a better question would be, "If a person is born that way, is it a sin?" The truth is, every human is born a sinner, with a sin nature or a bent toward sin. Therefore, just because a person is born with a leaning toward homosexuality does not make it acceptable to live that way. (Click here for several passages on the human sin nature.) Jesus Christ died on the Cross and rose again to pay for all sin, including homosexuality, and if you trust Him alone for your salvation, His Holy Spirit will enable you to overcome any sin.

It is also important to remember that all sin is equal before God, who is Holy. Yes, homosexuality is sin because the Bible says so, but it is not any more or less a sin than heterosexual relations outside of marriage, lusting, or telling a lie. No matter who you are, you are just as bad as everyone else, because all have sinned.

Everyone's in such a hurry!

I have been reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court on my lunch break lately. One thing I noticed about the story is that the protagonist is living in the 6th century for years, and doesn't seem to think anything of it. He never gives a thought about returning to his own time, but makes plans as if he expects to live there for the rest of his life, so he might as well make the most of it. In a way this reminds me of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy remain in Narnia as kings as queens for many years before returning to their own world.

I think in the past people had the mindset that, if you were to have any sort of an adventure, it would have to take a long time. People just don't think that way anymore. For one thing, everyone expects things to happen immediately, and we do everything in our power to make them happen as quickly as possible. Also, if you find yourself in the predicament of being somewhere you did not choose to be, the only thing on your mind is to get back to where you came from (e.g. Back to the Future). What happened to the attitude of : "Well, here you are; you might as well enjoy it"?

"I'm a Good Man, But..."

I'm a Good Man, But... is a devotional published by Regal Books in 1969 and edited by Fritz Ridenour. Each chapter focuses on a different life issue with biblical references from the Living Bible, illustrations from various sources, and open-ended scenarios to give the reader opportunity to think about it. Included in the illustrations are Peanuts comics used by permission.

Even though it is an older work, the content is quite applicable for today. (A reference to IBM cards reminds the reader how old it is.)

I would recommend this book, especially for young adults.

LC 75-96702
SBN 8307-0049-8

Review by David Dunkerton

The Oath by Frank Peretti

The Oath by Frank Peretti is a great story on its own, and it also has an excellent spiritual application. There is a dragon that is real in the story, but which is also a metaphor for the sin nature. The suspenseful writing makes it a thrill to read--quite a few characters do get eaten by the dragon, and that's always fun! The main character is not a Christian throughout most of the book, so he is not initially convicted for his sin, but the story shows the consequences of sin. True, most people who commit adultery are not eaten by a dragon, but remember that the dragon--while it is real in the book--is a metaphor for us.

Steve learns that not everything can be explained scientifically, but that does not make the intangible any less real. I would recommend this book to anyone. It's a great read whether you learn anything from it or not--but you just might learn something!

Review by David Dunkerton

"Weird Al" Yankovic - White & Nerdy

Someone else's perspective

As a Christian, and especially as a summer missionary with Child Evangelism Fellowship, I have always thought a lot about the unsaved person praying to receive Jesus Christ as his/her personal Savior. We usually call it a "profession of faith" because the prayer itself doesn't save you--you must first understand that you are a sinner and the Jesus died to take the punishment for your sin, and that He came alive again. Personally, my mom led me in the "sinner's prayer" when I was almost 5 years old, but I don't actually remember that day. Does that mean I wasn't really saved then or that it wasn't meaningful to me? No! It means most little boys don't remember what happened when they were 4 when they are 10 or older. I know I am saved and going to Heaven because of what Jesus did for me, and I accept it. I know the Holy Spirit is within me because I see how He works in my life.

I have been reading Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist 1 by Michael J. Fox. It is a very interesting read, and I feel that I have much more understanding and respect for stem cell research. Part Three of the book is titled "Faith," and I was very interested in what the actor who played Marty McFly had to say about his personal views. He is a faithful husband and loving father who seems to be generally moral, and he believes in a higher power who is looking out for him, but he apparently never saw the need to accept Jesus as his Savior from sin. Growing up he had a friend named Russ who came from a Christian family. Here is an excerpt from the book:

"He reminded me that during a New Year's party, 1972 into 1973, in our friend Rusty's basement, I had accepted Christ as my personal savior. Myself, I was a little fuzzy on those details. I remembered that I had a deep and spiritual interest in Rusty's rapidly developing big sister Karen, a born-again herself and a major player in the crusade to win eighth-grade souls for Christ. Anyway, it seemed to have had more of on impression on Russ over the years than it did on me."

It made me kind of sad to read that, but everyone has to make a personal decision. Maybe Michael will come around, but being a relatively good person doesn't cut it--salvation comes through Christ alone!

1 Fox, Michael J. Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist. New York: Hyperion, 2009.

Chosen

Green Lantern is different from other superheroes because he wasn't born with superpowers or aspired to become a hero--he was chosen.

Kal-El (a.k.a. Clark Kent, Superman) was born on the planet Krypton shortly before it was to explode, so his parents Jor-El and Lara sent him to Earth where they knew he would have special abilities because of the yellow sun, Sol. They wanted him to be a hero on Earth and carry on their legacy. Because of his powers he knew what he was meant to do. He could be compared to Moses or Elisha, or even as a type of Christ.

Bruce Wayne (a.k.a. Batman) saw his parents killed right before his eyes when he was a young boy, so he devoted himself to bringing justice to Gotham City. He worked hard to make himself a superhero, and he might be compared to a scribe or Pharisee.

Hal Jordan was a test pilot, which was a pretty cool job, but he had no aspirations to be like those "capes." It was the Green Lantern ring that chose him and gave him the power to be a superhero. Now this is just an analogy, so don't take it too seriously, but those of us who have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior were also chosen in God's eternal plan and foreknowledge to live for Him, and we have the Holy Spirit to empower us to carry out God's will for us.

"They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:8b-9 NLT)

Guess what! Season 10 is the last season of Smallville!

Apparently Tom Welling spilled to some people that season 10 is going to be the last season of Smallville, and I guess he's been given a hard time about it, but it's not like it's any secret. Smallville has already been going longer than anyone expected it to, and it can't go any longer because it's time for Clark to be Superman! I suppose Clark could go a few more years without being called Superman, but he was supposed to be able to fly when he was 18, and he's already 23 and still not flying. When they made the "No Flights, No Tights" rule when the show started in 2001, I don't think they expected it to still be running 10 years later. They probably didn't anticipate including other members of the Justice League, either, but that was a great decision. Superman without other superheroes is kind of boring, but he's a great leader for the others because he is the conservative one who brings balance to the team.

I am a loyal fan of Smallville, and I've been watching it ever since I saw "Bo Duke" was playing Jonathan Kent. I think it would be great if the show continued with Clark as Superman working with the rest of the JLA, but it can't be Smallville any longer than another season, because Metropolis is his city. Smallville is just where he grew up, and he's all grown up now!

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I have been learning about the importance of a credit report, and it reminds me of my salvation. Even though I, like you, have sinned, Jesus Christ paid for my sin with His death on the Cross, so now there is no sin on my record. Anything done through me by the power of the Holy Spirit is credited to my account. My record is clear no matter what, but I want to live to match my record!

Someone said that the Bible says God will not hold it against you if you did not have a chance to know about him, but I'm pretty sure the Bible does not say that. God does not send anyone to hell--we are all already going to hell because of our sin, and only by accepting Christ's sacrifice for sin are we saved from hell to go to heaven. God has revealed himself to the world through his creation, and the law of God is written on our hearts (i.e. we know right from wrong), so there is no excuse. I believe the punishment for those who have heard the gospel and rejected it is greater than for those who never heard it, but only those who have accepted Jesus Christ alone for there salvation will go to heaven--so it is very important for those of us who know him to share the gospel with the whole world!

True Story!

I understand that the products you buy at Walmart are more likely to break, even if they are the same brand, than the same product bought anywhere else. For instance, Mongoose is a good brand of bicycle if you buy it in a bike shop, but the ones sold at Walmart are lower quality. In addition to that, the people at Walmart who assemble the bikes are not professional bike assemblers, so good luck.

I bought a watch at Walmart almost 2 years ago and I really liked it and had no problem with it, until this weekend. A friend of mine who used to work at Walmart was explaining how scientists at Walmart take otherwise good brand name products and figure out ways to make the ones at Walmart cheaper. Just as she finished saying this, my watch spontaneously broke apart beyond repair! What's up with that?!? I guess I'll just have to look at my cell phone to know what time it is until I find a place that sells quality wristwatches.

Free Comic Book Day

I know I'm a little behind, but today was the first time I ever went to a comic book store on Free Comic Book day, so I didn't really know what to expect. Would I have a choice of any one comic book for free, would there be a selection of free comic books to choose from, or could I get lots of free comic books? It turned out to be a combination of B & C--there was a table on which there were a lot of free comic books to choose from at one's leisure, but the rest of the comic books in the store you still had to pay for. There were also discounts on used comics, but it's too much work to sift through them all. I got a good selection of free issues that I wouldn't have taken if they weren't free, and I bought a few new issues, too. It was a fun experience!

Let's go save the world!

A lot of my friends and family members like to play games like "World of Warcraft," "Axis and Allies," and "Age of Empires," but for some reason I never got into those games. I was thinking about why that is, and about the kind of things that I like. My first passion is to follow Christ and live to please Him, and in that to be a good husband for Angie, but I know that most of my friends and family share that kind of passion. One can be a Christ-follower and still fantasize about conquering the world if he/she is into that, but that's not really me.

I really like superhero comic books, mostly DC Comics, because for the most part these are heroes who want to save the world, but they will not kill the bad guys. I came to the conclusion that it is my desire to save the world, not to conquer it. Either way, that's a lot of responsibility!

The truth is, I'm the one who needs saving, and Jesus is my Savior. [Read ch. 7 of Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.] I'm actually pretty useless on my own, but Jesus Christ died on the Cross to take the punishment for my sin, so I am no longer guilty. He came alive again, defeating death, so He can give me the power to live for God's glory. When I try to do things in my own strength I mess up every time, but when I give up God will use me. (Sometimes He still uses me when I mess up because He is that great, but it is better when I give myself to Him!)

Paul was talking about how he had a weakness that he wanted God to take away from him, but 2 Corinthians 12:9 reads, "Each time he said, 'My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.' So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me." (NLT)

As I said, I'm useless on my own, but God is powerful enough to use me when I yield to Him. (Still, it's fun to imagine I have superpowers and can save the world!)

Honor the king

"My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?" (Proverbs 24:21-22 ESV)

Even though in the United States of America we call our Commander-in-Chief the "President," for all practical purposes he is our king. Whether or not we agree with everything he does or if all his motives are godly, God has appointed him to be our leader for the present time, so it is not for us to rebel against him. We have the right to state our views and convictions, and it does make a difference, but we are obligated to obey the law. The only time to disobey the law is when it requires us to disobey God, and for now we are able to live godly and obey the law. Sure, people get away with things that are ungodly, but they must stand before God for the choices they make.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

Blankets is a graphic novel by Craig Thompson that is marketed to young adults and is in the Young Adult section of our library, but I decided not to put this review on the Young Adult Book Reviews blog, because I do not think it is really appropriate for teens. It is about a young man who grew up in a fundamental Christian home and how he dealt with worldly influences and personal decisions. It is a well-written story, and I found that I could identify with much of what the protagonist was going through. Unfortunately, he ultimately made the wrong decision, but every individual must decide for himself/herself, so it is a very real story. I would say the reader must use great discretion because the book is perhaps too real in places (i.e., there are some drawings of naked people), but it does address some good things to think about, so I thought it was still a valuable read. I was 29 when I read it, and I don’t think I would have been ready for it when I was any younger, so be warned. However, be careful not to dismiss everything because of certain elements you find inappropriate. In other words, don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. Young people, let your parents censor what you read, because they are your parents!

Review by David Dunkerton

Heroes 2.1.10 "The Wall"

I've been a fan of Heroes ever since the show began a few years ago. I don't like it as much as Smallville or Chuck, but it's about people with superpowers, so how could I ignore that? I liked how Pastor Trent Kirkland introduced his overview of Revelation on Sunday with comments about why people like superheroes. Whether it's the Greek gods or the Justice League, people like imagining heroes who are kind of like them, but more powerful. Superheroes are flawed individuals, and even though they defeat the supervillains one day, the supervillains always come back to pose another threat. From the beginning people have tried to make God into their own image, but God is Holy, without fault and totally different from us. Jesus is the only Hero who will completely and finally defeat the enemy, and that is what Revelation is about.

Last night's episode of Heroes, "The Wall," stood out to me as having a great message. Peter had gotten a glimpse of a future in which Sylar, a super-powered killer who had murdered Peter's brother Nathan, had a part in saving thousands of people. The story itself is complicated, but Peter and Sylar were trapped in Sylar's mind and couldn't get out. There was a brick wall that they knew they needed to break through, but no matter how many times they hit it with sledgehammers, nothing happened. Through this we see that Sylar had repented and didn't want to be a killer anymore, but Peter felt he could not forgive him for killing his brother. In time Peter admitted that Sylar was no longer a killer, and it was implied that he had forgiven him. The next time Peter hit that wall it started to break apart! That was a clear message that it was his unforgiving spirit that kept him trapped, but after he forgave Sylar the wall was broken.

Superman 2010