Twenty Items of Interest (v.7)

| February 21, 2008

1.  C. Michael Patton answers the question – What is Orthodoxy?.  He outlines what is considered to be Historical Christian Orthodoxy, Historic Protestant/Evangelicalism Orthodoxy, Roman Catholic Orthodoxy, and Eastern Orthodoxy.  This is an interesting post and it will help clarify for some of my readers when I mention historic Christian orthodoxy what that means.  Usually when I speak of orthodoxy I’m referring to it in that sense and not necessarily from the protestant/evangelical point of view.

2.  My new friend Isaiah posted over on his blog Joie de Vivre an account of a family victimized by the prosperity gospel.

3.  Are you a part of the problem?

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4YzpZJrcEg

HT: Awaiting Rain

4.  Sharia law gained an unusual ally in the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England, Geoffrey Rowan Williams, all while Denmark burns.  I think this is nuts, as does the New York Post.

HT: RedState

5.  Seth Barnes asks whether vulnerability is good or bad when it comes to pastoral leadership.  I personally think it is a good thing, because I believe that transparency leads to greater accountability, as well as, restoration and healing.  It also points people to Jesus rather than put those in leadership on a pedestal.  What do you think?

6.  Seth Barnes shares a story about a man raised from the dead in South Florida.  Awesome story!  Go God!

7.  Forbes lists America’s most sinful cities…. interesting.  The criteria they used is somewhat questionable.  HT: Smart Pastor

8.  A great post on capital punishment over at Parableman.

9.  Women seem to faint when around Barack Obama… it is strange because this seems to happen quite often.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhzkltz3ipI

HT: Joe Carter

10.  John Mark Reynolds posts on Obama’s intended restoration of the Great Society

Mrs. Obama has not been proud of being an American for her entire political life.

Her husband sees an America full of problems and promise.

Combine the two facts with his policy ideas and one begins to suspect that both Obamas long to return to the golden age of their childhoods. They long not for Camelot, but for Lyndon Johnson’s great society.

The problems of American, Obama implies in every speech, are caused by the failure of government to act on the promises Lyndon Johnson made in the sixties. He does not name Johnson, at least often, but he consistently emulates him with a modern social libertine twist.

The real vision of the Obama campaign is turning back the clock to the expansive domestic government action of the Johnson administration. Liberals have long agonized that the failure of the Vietnam War got this ambitious growth of government programs off track. Obama is trying to undue the agonizing (to the Left) Clinton proclamation that “the era of big government is over.”  (read the rest)

11.  Hey my youth pastor is a murderer… how about yours?  Strange, but true story of a youth pastor who takes responsibility for past sin and turns himself in to face the consequences.

12.  Clip from ER on their episode – “Atonement”.  It shows that liberal theology doesn’t hold weight for those struggling for answers to the questions they have about forgiveness.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNuSBGa1mLM

HT: A-Team

13.  At the risk of seeming like I’m beating up on Barack Obama (which I guess I am… oh well).  I need to share with you Jill Stanek’s blog post on Obama’s history of votes on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act in Illinois.  Pretty scary.

14.  JD Lusan on Twitter Therapy… interesting post on the benefit of social networking to mental health.  I use Twitter as well.  You can find me at http://twitter.com/shanevanderhart if you want to follow.

15.  A thief strikes again…  another argument that we should at the very least strive for excellence in ministry.

HT: Crummy Church Signs

16.  Michelle Malkin blogs on how to defend your neighborhood military recruitment center from anti-war extremists (she isn’t quite as nice in her terminology.  I share her disgust over what Code Pink tried to do in Berkeley.  Crazy, and least it seems as though the city council gained some sense.

17.  Of course I have to include the post on freaky liberal blog names.  Crazy.

18.  The New York Times ridiculous hit piece on John McCain.  No surprise that they have absolutely no proof.

HT: Brody File

Mary Katherine Ham thinks that it may actually rally conservatives around McCain, and listening to Sean Hannity (not a McCain fan by any means, I would say she’s probably right.)

19.  Dick Morris shares over at The Hill that Hillary has no one to blame but herself with these recent string of primary losses.

20.  They got it!  The Navy takes out an aging spy satellite 130 miles high.  The USS Lake Erie takes it out with one shot.  Very  nice!

HT: Adam Housley

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Category: Twenty Items

About the Author ()

Shane Vander Hart is the founder and editor-in-chief of Caffeinated Thoughts.  He is also the President of 4:15 Communications, LLC, a social media & communications consulting/management firm.  He is a communications director for American Principles Project’s Preserve Innocence Initiative.  Prior to this Shane spent 20 years in youth ministry serving in church, parachurch, and school settings.  He has also served as an interim pastor and is a sought after speaker and pulpit fill-in.  Shane has been married to his wife Cheryl since 1993 and they have three kids.  Shane and his family reside near Des Moines, IA.  You can connect with Shane on Facebook or follow him on Twitter and Google +.
  • Guest

    Thank you for helping to highlight the plight of the Parker family and exposing these false teachers for what they are.

    I heard the ER clip on Way of the Master Radio once but watching it is a different experience altogether, lol! And the freaky liberal blog names… Woah! Reading them is like going through a course on Cussing 101.

    Shalom!

  • Sicarii

    Thank you for helping to highlight the plight of the Parker family and exposing these false teachers for what they are.

    I heard the ER clip on Way of the Master Radio once but watching it is a different experience altogether, lol! And the freaky liberal blog names… Woah! Reading them is like going through a course on Cussing 101.

    Shalom!

  • Sicarii

    Thank you for helping to highlight the plight of the Parker family and exposing these false teachers for what they are.

    I heard the ER clip on Way of the Master Radio once but watching it is a different experience altogether, lol! And the freaky liberal blog names… Woah! Reading them is like going through a course on Cussing 101.

    Shalom!

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for linking to the sinful cities deal at my site.

    I agree with you about the criteria being a little weird for judging the cities, but I suppose you had to do something other than opinion.

    On McCain…it is just beginning. My perception is that Republicans let the media choose their candidate. I think we are going to see story after story about his judgment and ethics. He got a free pass in the media for years because he would be critical of Republicans. Now that he is on the verge of an historic matchup vs a woman or African-American, the free pass will be gone and a questionable picture of his character will emerge. I actually think that McCain was the least electable of the candidates the Republicans had. The media gave us a picture of a “strait talker” but that picture will systematically be taken away. When the media removes that image, all one has left is a cranky old man.

    Thanks again for the link. I started subscribing to your blog and read your stuff every week.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for linking to the sinful cities deal at my site.

    I agree with you about the criteria being a little weird for judging the cities, but I suppose you had to do something other than opinion.

    On McCain…it is just beginning. My perception is that Republicans let the media choose their candidate. I think we are going to see story after story about his judgment and ethics. He got a free pass in the media for years because he would be critical of Republicans. Now that he is on the verge of an historic matchup vs a woman or African-American, the free pass will be gone and a questionable picture of his character will emerge. I actually think that McCain was the least electable of the candidates the Republicans had. The media gave us a picture of a “strait talker” but that picture will systematically be taken away. When the media removes that image, all one has left is a cranky old man.

    Thanks again for the link. I started subscribing to your blog and read your stuff every week.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for linking to the sinful cities deal at my site.

    I agree with you about the criteria being a little weird for judging the cities, but I suppose you had to do something other than opinion.

    On McCain…it is just beginning. My perception is that Republicans let the media choose their candidate. I think we are going to see story after story about his judgment and ethics. He got a free pass in the media for years because he would be critical of Republicans. Now that he is on the verge of an historic matchup vs a woman or African-American, the free pass will be gone and a questionable picture of his character will emerge. I actually think that McCain was the least electable of the candidates the Republicans had. The media gave us a picture of a “strait talker” but that picture will systematically be taken away. When the media removes that image, all one has left is a cranky old man.

    Thanks again for the link. I started subscribing to your blog and read your stuff every week.

  • societyvs

    I read the one about the ‘pinko’s’ and their protest of military recruiters – I have to say if I had to side with one or the other – I personally detest the war in Iraq so maybe I am a ‘pinko’. All in all, it’s just a bunch of people who think war is the answer and enjoy painting people with their personal brush of fear (albeit – this time they are pink).

  • societyvs

    I read the one about the ‘pinko’s’ and their protest of military recruiters – I have to say if I had to side with one or the other – I personally detest the war in Iraq so maybe I am a ‘pinko’. All in all, it’s just a bunch of people who think war is the answer and enjoy painting people with their personal brush of fear (albeit – this time they are pink).

  • societyvs

    I read the one about the ‘pinko’s’ and their protest of military recruiters – I have to say if I had to side with one or the other – I personally detest the war in Iraq so maybe I am a ‘pinko’. All in all, it’s just a bunch of people who think war is the answer and enjoy painting people with their personal brush of fear (albeit – this time they are pink).

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