And the snow came down down down…

Okay,  normally I don’t like saying things political, but I can’t help myself this time.

IT IS FREAKING COLD OUT!!!

Okay, so that means little, but the fact of the matter is that many places are having record cold winters. Not just Washington State (where I reside). Texas had an unusual snow fall. Bagdad last summer had snow (explain that to me). Chicago is having extremely cold weather. Everywhere I hear about is having unusually cold weather. The only people having unusually hot weather are the global warming advocates who think everything is going to burn up.

Now, the excuse I hear about the cold weather is that the polar ice caps are melting so we are feeling the cold leaving the earth’s poles. That’s nice, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. Al Gore used computer generated images for his film or just took clips from other fictional movies. There are no instruments to measure all of the ice in the arctic and antarctic. As a matter of fact, in the 1990s they closed down a lot of the Siberian measuring stations. The global temp. spiked at the time. I bet the average temp. would go down if they reopened those stations.

Well, okay, I went on my little rant about global warming. I hope you don’t mind. If you are interested further though, here are some good vids on global warming and Al Gore’s movie. You’ll have a hard time believing it after you hear this guy talk.

Oh yeah, and this is also a good link: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=57605

Christmas Carols

Going caroling is relatively a lost art these days. In the past few years, my church college group has gone caroling in some nursing homes. This year, we will be going to an apartment building. You don’t see mahy people braving the cold to do that anymore.

So, if you are reading this, what is your favorite Christmas carol? Every year, I find another that I like, not one I’ve never heard before, but one that kind of grows on me, if you understand my meaning.

Anyway, Merry Christmas and I hope you get to sing a lot of Christmas carols this season.

Christmas Traditions

Christmas is right around the corner and everyone is going in every direction to buy gifts, decorate, buy Christmas trees, plan parties, send cards, and many many more things.

Well, I’d like to ask you all about Christmas traditions. We just got a tree today and that in itself is a tradition not unfounded in the Bible, but actually prophesied by Isaiah.

For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off. -Isaiah 55:12-13

What sorts of traditions do you have during Christmas? Do you know the origins of them? Maybe you would not mind sharing some with us. Perhaps it will help many of us with our own celebrations this year.

Thanks to all for visiting and Merry Christmas!

Atheism: is there sufficient morality?

In my discussions with atheists, the issue of morality comes up an awful lot. Many of them claim that ethics and morality is relative to society or the individual or they say it is “culture-dependant.” They mean that morality changes over time and that it is not absolute. What may be “right” for one person or one culture may not be “right” for another person or culture depending on the time, place, and technology.

As a Christian, my morality is and must be based on the Bible because it is an unchangeable concrete foundation for all morality and ethics. The thing about that is, though, that man is fallen. For anyone to deny that man is fallible and corruptable, they are either a lyer or just plain stupid. It is everywhere. We see it in the news everyday. We hear about it on the radio. We often times witness its horrors first hand. Even ourselves, we are corruptable and tend toward bad behavior.  I do not think this fact is disputable.

That being said, it is of utmost importance to me as a Christian, to share my faith in Christ, the only means I see for hope of a more perfect, good, and holy existence, not in this world by trying to create a utopian society, but after death.

For the atheist, though, I do not understand why they feel the necessity to challenge Christians. If they are right, what difference does it make? People will eventually die and that is the end of it, no matter how much money or pleasure you amase to yourself in this world. However, if the Christian is right, would it not be advisable that as many people as possible come to faith in Christ?

If there is no God and people believe in Christianity or some other religion, what ultimate difference does it make? But, if God does exist and people do not believe in him, we are all in a lot of trouble since we decided not to follow God’s morality, but our own or some culture’s morality. In either case, as a religious person, and I believe as a Christian, I will always have the upper hand.

To depend on a changing morality, one that either changes over time or is relative to the person or culture creates a delema when one wants to challenge someone else’s actions. As a Christian, with an unchanging moral foundation, I do believe I have the right to challenge others on their behavior.

This is not to say that everything must be exactly the same between cultures and people, but that there are certain underlying principles that all people must abide by. Those are moral principles. Not everything deals with morality and so it is wrong to treat everything as though it did (i.e. some people, and even some Christians, seem to think trivial things such as going 1 or 2 miles over the speed limit is a moral issue). Some things are advisable, but not all things are moral.

A few musings on relationships

I just had a revelation today. Something has puzzled me for some time now. Many people tell me that I am very serious or even scary. This made little sense to me since there are so many occasions in which I have been silly, sometimes even out right ridiculous in my behavior. Even my little brother imitates the strangeness occasionally (and he’s funnier and weirder than I am). How these two things both happen to me I could not figure out. Often times I would think “How weird do I have to be for people to not think I am serious all the time?” Well, now I believe I have the answer.

For some time now, and it seems to be getting more so as I get older, I have been very closed to others in the way I feel and/or think. Although I can display silly behavior sometimes, my heart is not necessarily in it. I do not express myself through my silliness like a lot of people do. It is interesting to me, but in some ways it worries me as well. Although I can talk to people, I do not really express myself that often. This kind of closing myself probably makes people uncomfortable, even when I joke and play around. It is kind of sad.

But, this leads me to another thought on emotions and guys. Several people have done unscientific studies trying to figure out the emotional patterns, strengths, weaknesses, and so forth of boys with the premise that boys actually are more emotional about things than girls are. From what the studies witnessed (but remember that they are unscientific) it seemed that although girls express themselves more, boys actually do have stronger emotions.

One study I saw done in my sociology class was with a particular family whose father was gone (I forget if he was military or if it was something else). The girls and the mom cried (or expressed themselves in some way) about it initially, but they soon got over it. The boy in the family did not react at all to the event except that he would not talk to anyone about it. The people doing the study had to figure out a way to get the boy to talk. They soon found that the boy felt the most comfortable playing with Legos, so they gave him some Legos to play with and set him by the back door so that he did not feel exposed. Then, they talked to him about his dad leaving. What they found out was that he felt extraordinarily sad about it, far beyond any of his sisters. Soon, through this kind of chit chat, they were able to develop a way for the boy to express his feelings to his mom while playing with a basketball.

To me, this is amazing. Although I do not know of any studies done scientifically on the subject, I honestly believe their premise to be true a lot of the time. Guys are meant to be strong protectors according to God’s design for them and perhaps that is one of the reasons they do not express their feelings often, but they are also very emotionally attached to things and unfulfilled when alone (remember God creating Eve). With sin’s curse however, it seems that this has caused a lot of problems in that feelings are stuffed or never find an appropriate outlet and guys either become very closed and angry or they use the wrong things to express themselves. This plays over into the relationships between men and women, but unfortunately with the curse, men often choose the wrong way to express themselves with a woman.

For me, I do not know what I will do. Honestly, there is very little safe outlet. In many ways, it seems in the foreseeable future that any opportunity for me to marry someone I love and hold dear is closed, which means that I cannot find release of my emotions in that realm. As for people I respect and trust who I can partly share my emotions with, outside of my own immediate family, I could probably count them on one hand or maybe using a couple fingers on the other if I am lucky. Fortunately, I have Christ and he can and has released many people from the chains sin has over them and even as a guy, I can have comfort in that he knows my deepest feelings, thoughts, and so forth and that I can always express myself to him. Guys, even a woman cannot set you free or fulfill you until you know Christ as savior. It is that simple. We would forever express ourselves in the wrong manner if it were not for the example and saving grace of Jesus Christ. Praise God for his love!

If you read all of the way through the post, please do not leave until you have commented. I would be extremely interested to know what your thoughts are on this subject, especially on the studies about guys and their emotions. Thanks for stopping by and reading.

College edumacation

So, I’ve spent the last few years at a community college and it is about time to apply to a four-year. Well, over the summer and into the fall, I have been considering which college(s) I want to apply to. Originally, I had my hopes set on the University of Chicago (fabulous place) to study economics, but, alas, they do not accept community college credit. So, the other options were Hillsdale and the University of Washington Seattle. UW Seattle would definitely be an easier choice for me (or so I thought) since it is in state, a public institution, and the business program I am studying at community college would transfer directly to the school without any difficulty. It is also cheaper. However, it appears that I have a really good chance of getting into Hillsdale and although it is semester based (whereas I am currently quarter based), my classes would transfer very nicely and I would not have to go there any more than two years taking no more than five courses a semester. Sweet!!!

So, why am I telling you this? Well, partly so that you can rejoice with me for my great success recently (the Lord has been pouring his blessings on me), but also to talk briefly about community college. Now, from what I understand, I happen to be in a very good community college, but from my experience, community college is not a waste of time. In fact, it could be a life saver for many homeschool (and public and private schooled for that matter) students (as I was) transitioning to a more secular rigorous academic institution. Also, I heard a statistic (which I believe is likely to be true) that said community college students aiming to get a four year degree actually have a much higher success rate (along with maintaining a higher GPA) than students going directly from high school into a four year college or university. Honestly, you cannot go wrong starting at a community college (unless you are going to University of Chicago). For me, I initially wanted to major in history because I love history, but let me tell you that studying something for fun and studying something academically are two very different things. I quickly found out that I liked studying economics and not history so much (although I still study it on my own time). I never would have guessed in my wildest imaginations before I went to college that I would like economics and that it would be my major.

Well, all of that just to say to you high school students (especially if you are homeschooled) that you should consider going to a community college first, even if it is just for a quarter or two, to see what you like and don’t like. I would warrant that many times you will find an interest in something you would not have realized and you will find a dislike for something you thought you loved. Things are not always as they seem and that is important for us to realize sometimes (but then again, who listens to me? ). I guess a lot of it depends on what you value. If you want the extra prestige of going directly into a four year school, then go ahead, I’m not going to stop you. However, if you don’t mind humbling yourself a little to try a community college, you may find that it was one of the wisest educational decisions you have ever made. Unfortunately, I’ve known a lot of people who snub their noses at community college. If this is you and you think my advice is ridiculous, then do what you think right, but some of these same people I know who snubbed their nose look back and wonder if they would not have been better off starting at a community college.

Okay, so I may sound a little overbearing on this topic, but I’ve had a lot of very critical people think it was a big mistake for me to go to community college, but time and time again, I have seen them proven wrong not only for myself, but also for dozens of other people I know and proven right for very very few.

I’d like to also say something about K-12 at this point, but I’m running out of time. I’ll have to discuss that at a later time. Until then, God bless.

~Jahothanan Schlauberhoffen

IOUSA

I found this to be interesting. In late September, I made a trip to Chicago and with my uncle who lives out there drove to Michigan to visit Hillsdale college. While I was there, I sat in on an Intro to Microeconomics class and the instructor mentioned this film. I took note and looked it up when I got home. It will likely be very interesting to see. I look forward to viewing it.

Reading and reviews

Recently, I have been devoting more time (of which I seem to have very little) to reading and writing potential reviews for my new blog, which I am trying to get off the ground.  (I would appreciate your help doing that). So far, I have been focusing on the book “Do Hard Things,” but I also have to finish a review of Martin Luther’s “Bondage of the Will,” which I read during the summer. I think, while considering youth in America and particularly Christian youth, that striving to be well read is something that we should all endeavor to be. I especially recommend being well read in old books and old Christian books on both history (mostly through biographies) and theology/doctrine/ philisophical thought. Too much of our culture has driven people to short attention spans and fast paced ways of life because of our new technology and mediums such as the internet, TV, and so forth. It would be good for us to slow down a bit and enjoy, while also learning and developing our skills and knowledge, a good book, some intellectually stimulating conversation, and generally more interaction with real people, face to face (look whose talking you say? since I’m writing a blog? Well, this is the only way to reach you folks, so I feel obligated, but for real, I have been devoting more time to real things, real people and not so much to digital).

I apologize for not writing a good post on a hot topic lately, but like I mentioned before, I have been trying to get my other blog going, so I haven’t been able to devote quite as much time to this one. I will hopefully have a good post coming up though concerning education and Christians’ obligation to educate their own. Keep looking back! God bless.

Book Reviews

The difficult part about writing book reviews on a blog is that you can only read so many books so fast and write reviews about them. People in our fast paced world like things done right away and quickly. Perhaps that is one of the main reason’s people have not read books like they have in the past.

Right now, I a reading a book (mostly because most other folks my age are reading it and talking about it) titles “Do Hard Things” by the Harris twins. I once heard their dad give a sermon. I can’t say that I was particularly impressed by it or his sons’ books. Josh Harris’ either. Although, I guess I should be careful as these people are very popular and I don’t intend to make enemies among fellow homeschoolers and such. However, I do think that they, at the very least, leave something to be desired.

Anyway, I figured I needed to say something today. I’ll probably say more about my impressions of the Harris’ in later posts and especially as I read this book. Maybe I’ll light some fires and we’ll have some lively discussion. Then again, maybe I won’t. We’ll see. Hopefully I can build up some excitement for my review which i hope to post in the next few weeks.

Book Review: “Refuting Evolution”

This spring quarter, I am taking a chemistry class and so as it is drawing to an end I thought I would read this particular book, knowing that the author, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati, is a highly accomplished chemist as well as a creationist. The book is, however, not really about chemistry, but about refuting the claims of a book produced by the National Academy of Sciences titled Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science.

Personal feelings about the book: Generally, I enjoyed it. It is easy to read and understand (possibly readable in a couple hours) and would be good for someone without a very great understanding of science (although such an understanding would help, I think). The book keeps things logical and attempts to explain whenever possible the science in everyday terminology; although, often the scientific jargon is necessary, but this is rarely a hindrance to the reader.

Scientific validity: Sarfati did an excellent job with his research, obtaining resources from both the evolution camp and the creation camp to validate his argument. He has footnotes on the majority of the pages referring to journals, articles, books, and so forth. He is fair enough to admit when the evolutionists are correct in their science, but shows constantly how it does not contradict the creation model. In many ways, this book is not conclusive about the science, but one must remember that he is only rebutting Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science and is not dealing with a single scientific topic. For instance, Sarfati writes briefly about radiometric dating (pages 107-110), but does not provide the complete scientific data that has been obtained on it. Rather, and to his credit, he directs the reader in an addendum to John Woodmorappe’s book The Mythology of Modern Dating Methods. Mainly, Sarfati is attempting to prove that “Facts do not speak for themselves, but must be interpreted according to a framework” (p.135). On this, he does an admirable job.

Content: Sarfati uses nine chapters covering the following topics to prove that conclusions on scientific data are reliant on interpretation (The topics are put in my own words, not Sarfati’s):

1. Bias as something both creationists and evolutionists have.
2. Natural selection.
3. The “missing links” in the fossil record.
4. The “missing links” and falsely claimed links from dinosaur-to-bird evolution.
5. The “missing links” and falsely claimed links from mammal-to-whale evolution.
6. The “missing links” and falsely claimed links from ape-to-man evolution.
7. Astronomy and the theory of relativity.
8. Dating methods.
9. The legitimacy of intelligent design.

As this book is refuting Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science, it refers to the work quite often and deviates from its content only on occasion (as on page 76). One aspect of this book that is refreshing is that it deals with particular claims one by one and not so much with vague generalities. Often in debates over creation vs. evolution, general claims are made in attempts to prove/disprove the other sides arguments while throwing the factual scientific data out the window. In this book, some of these generalities are addressed, but always in correlation with quoted claims about the data (and rarely are generalities given).

Throughout the section dealing with the “missing links,” Sarfati provides many pictures (both artistic renderings and photographs) of the “link” being addressed or the fossil being discussed. This is helpful, not only as a picture for the unscientifically minded people, but also to show what is being presented in school classrooms and in textbooks as fact. Ken Ham, in the forward of the book, points out that many of the text books and information that teachers and professors have is wrong or outdated (p.9-10). Sarfati mentions that Haeckel’s drawings of different embryos are still used in the classroom even though they have been proven false. Sarfati shows that most science teachers and the public in general is highly misinformed about the scientific data.

A few theological matters: A few things concerning the beliefs of some Christians attempting to make evolution and the Bible compatible (theistic evolution) must be said. Sarfati states that “A God who ‘created’ by evolution is, for all practical purposes, indistinguishable from no God at all” (p.22). He explains that for evolution to happen within the first six days of the creation week (or as some would say, millions of years) it means that death, disease, and sin would have to be present in the world before the fall, contradicting the message and basic assumption of the entire Bible.

On a related note, Sarfati makes the claim that the first six days of the creation week were literal days (p.22). Some Christians (and some I highly respect) seem to think that there is no evidence for that and say that it could have been a period of time. I see no reason for such a belief as it does not contradict reality unless one were to hold to an evolutionary viewpoint. Again, some of these Christians also deny evolution, which causes me to wonder why a literal six day interpretation is rejected. This is something that I have not figured out.

Conclusion: In general, I recommend this book for everyone (and especially for self-identified unscientific people). It is particularly good for Christians and those who will be dealing with the subject of evolution in school classrooms. It may, however, not be very fulfilling to those who are looking for a more in depth consideration of certain issues, but I still recommend reading it at least once.

Teachers and professors who are willing to look critically at the facts and not write the book off just because it is creation based, should definitely read it. However, I do not think it is a particularly good evangelistic book to give someone unless they really seem open to the creation ideas and the gospel.

My favorite part (Spoiler warning):

“Many news agencies have reported (June 1998 ) on two fossils found in Northern China that are claimed to be feathered theropods (meat-eating dinosaurs). The fossils, Protarchaeopteryx robusta and Caudipteryx zoui, are claimed to be ‘the immediate ancestors of the first birds.’

“The two latest discoveries are ‘dated’ at 120 to 136 million years while Archaeopteryx, a true bird, is ‘dated’ at 140 to 150 million years, making these ‘bird ancestors’ far younger than their descendants!” (p.61).

Book Information: Sarfati, Jonathan Ph.D. Refuting Evolution: A Response to the National Academy of Sciences’ “Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of Science.“ Master Books, Inc., (Arkansas: Green Forest, 1999).