"Fools mock at sin, But among the upright there is favor."

We don't use the word 'mock' in our everyday language, so in the past, I have tried to picture someone 'mocking' sin. That is, until I read this article.

There are people who don't follow Christ, and then there are those who actively denegrate all that is Christian. The article is an example of the later. Mark's clear hatred of all that is traditionally Christian astounds me. It is incredible to see how almost every article he writes seeths with contempt towards Christians.

While he is usually spouting off his opinion, I give him credit for at least 2 things:
1) He often cites interesting facts that challenge my thinking. In fact, Mark's article on Gay Marriage with its references to polygamy in the Bible motivated me to investigate the subject for my own sake.
2) He uses an unbelieveable amount of adjectives to paint his word pictures. (sometimes these pictures are not very pretty though) If nothing else, I learn some new words when reading his stuff.

I continue reading his work from time to time to be challenged in my thinking, but I must say that it takes a strong stomach to read (and see through) such intense 'mocking' of many things I hold true.

Fallacy or Poison?

I have yet to see the "End of the Spear" movie, but from the looks of the trailers, it seems to be very promising.

I did learn in the last few days that there is no shortage of controversy over the actor Chad Allen who plays Nate Saint in the movie. He is openly gay and seen by many in the homosexual community as a role model. On learning this information, the initial reaction by some goes something like this:
1. Chad Allen (who plays Nate and Steve Saint) promotes the homosexual agenda
2. Chad plays a leading role in the movie "End of the Spear."
3. Therefore, the movie promotes the homosexual agenda (maybe indirectly) and is poisoned.

To some degree, this particular reasoning seems to be an instance of the 'composition fallacy,' which is the idea that a particular property of a part must be a property of the whole.
Greg Koukl and Al Mohler point out that both the actor who played Eric Liddell in "Chariots of Fire" and Sir Ian McKellen who played Gandalf in Lord of the Rings are homosexual actors in movies with Christian themes. With that new informatoin, thinking back on those movies, my impression is unchanged. We usually judge movies on the quality of the acting and storytelling, not the sinful personal lives of the actors.

That said, others argue and I agree that it was a very poor choice on the part of the producers. Chad Allen's role causes unnecessary distraction and confusion at a time when there is an ongoing fierce cultural battle between Evangelical Christians (at whom the movie is aimed) and those promoting Homosexual acceptance.

The risk is also there that some will see this as a validation of the Gay lifestyle by the Christian community. Chad's face, at the moment, is associated with both Christian Missions and Homosexual rights. Because Homosexuals are looking for inclusion in Christianity and not vica versa, this is certainly more detrimental to Christian causes than Homosexuals'.

I'll go watch the movie, but it is disappointing to have such controversy surround a seemingly great film project.

Al Mohler wrote a very good analysis of the debate on his blog.

This is my Father’s World

Recently I downloaded (legally from iTunes) a rendition of "This is my Father’s World" performed by Fernando Ortega. It has become one of my favorites - I think the music and lyric combination is both beautiful and moving:

This is my Father's world,
And to my listening ears
All nature sings and round me rings
The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world,
I rest me in the thought
Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas,
His hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world
The birds their carols raise.
The morning light, the lily white,
Declare their Maker's praise.

This is my Father's world
He shines in all that's fair;
In the rustling grass, I hear Him pass,
He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world,
O let me ne'er forget:
That thought the wrong seems oft' so strong,
God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world,
The battle is not done
Jesus who died shall be satisfied,
And the earth and heaven be one.

It Was Not This Way From the Beginning

I sat next to a woman who was reading a women's magazine, and as she flipped pages, I couldn't help but notice some of the article titles:
- Why I left you
- Divorce is on!
- Nick and Jessica call it quits (or something like that)

It perplexed me how many people seem to enjoy studying the divorces of others. Divorce as portrayed in this casual way, seems to be likened to changing tires on a car - a common, necessary evil, but no big deal.

Later, I watched a movie that depicted a different image of divorce. The central woman character was shown in the midst of a divorce process, and throughout the movie we see her encountering the following situations:
- Bitter legal battles
- Financial Shortfalls
- Confused and Insecure Children
- Fearing being taken advantage of
- Pain from rejection and hopelessness

This moved me with compassion for plight of those who are in this situation (especially children). Whether a divorce is justified or not does not change the fact that it leaves a lot of people hurting emotionally and financially.

The Most Surreal Moment of my Life

We sat in my dorm room watching movies, ate at Burger King, and played tennis on the college team together. He is from South Africa and I was from Auburn, AL at the time. Just a couple of regular collge kids. We parted ways in 1997, but kept in touch sporadically.
Time passed, and it was 7 years later before I saw him again...Here...


This is the Siebel Open in San Jose, CA - He's on the left and that's Andre Agassi is on the right. For non-tennis players, I think this would be similar to seeing a good friend from college acting in a movie opposite Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, or any other internationally known celebrity. The experience is difficult to put into words. Surreal. Bizarre. Incredible.

Since that point (he lost to Agassi), my friend Wesley Moodie has gone on to beat several top 20 players and win Wimbledon Doubles in 2005.

And today, I read that having won his first match at the Austrailian open, he'll be playing Andy Roddick next. Wish I could be there - Go Wes!

Awesome

The outside dimensions for the main building of Solomon’s temple measured about 90ft by 30ft wide and 45ft high – A good size building, but not staggering. I imagine it to be close in length and height to the Williams Chapel at Redwood Chapel, but about half as wide. Then I read this passage:

1 Kings 6:19-22
19 He prepared the inner sanctuary within the temple to set the ark of the covenant of the LORD there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty wide and twenty high. He overlaid the inside with pure gold, and he also overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 Solomon covered the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold. 22 So he overlaid the whole interior with gold. He also overlaid with gold the altar that belonged to the inner sanctuary.

I think there was some gold in Solomon’s temple. Its difficult to figure out what wasn’t overlaid with gold. I count 6 references to gold overlay in the space of 3 verses. The Williams Chapel or anything else doesn’t seem to compare anymore. But it goes on:

28 He overlaid the cherubim with gold.
30 He also covered the floors of both the inner and outer rooms of the temple with gold.
32 And on the two olive wood doors he carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid the cherubim and palm trees with beaten gold.
35 He carved cherubim, palm trees and open flowers on them and overlaid them with gold hammered evenly over the carvings.

In the inner sanctuary, Solomon built a pair of cherubim. These were not little doll-like statues - They stood 15 feet tall and had a wingspan of 15 feet. One wing of each cherub touched opposite walls and their other wings touched each other in the middle of the room. Oh, and they were covered in gold. If that’s not awe inspiring, I have no idea what is.

Inflation

After dinner this evening, I was wandering the halls of the hotel which housed the restaurant, and noticed an interesting display.
In a glass case were breakfast, brunch and dinner menus from various years in the 1940s. Compared with today, I didn't notice any difference in the types of food, but the prices stood out:
- $1.00 Ham and Eggs
- $2.25 Filet Mignon
- $1.00 Catch of the Day

With inflation we now pay 10-20x those prices. I wonder if 60 years from now (when I'm 88), a filet mignon will be $300-$400. I suppose its okay if wages rise at the same rate. If not, we would be in big trouble, although many parts of the world experience just such out of proportion inflation.
Apparently its the Federal Reserve's job to keep inflation in the US under control. For everyone's sake, I wish them all the best.

To buy or not to buy

A decision to rent or buy a home must take into account a lot of often confusing variables – interest rates, income tax rates, rental rates, credit scores, and real estate market dynamics. Understandably people need help, and perhaps because I like this stuff, I am sometimes asked for advice on these matters.

In hearing casual conversations about purchasing a personal home, I find that most people ask the wrong question – How do I buy a house? That answer is a basic function of adding the principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and maintenance payment requirements. Is there enough income, cash and credit to cover the expense? Then you can buy a home.

The more important (and interesting) question is – Should I buy a house? Most people assume the answer is “If you can, you should.” To justify such a recommendation, I frequently hear statements that sound something like this:
- “You should buy a house, because at least you will be keeping some of your money”
- “I just hate throwing away money on rent each month”

In a market that has low home prices and relatively high rents, some of these sentiments may be true. But where I live and in many other markets, high home prices and relatively low rental rates makes buying vs. renting a much more complex decision.

Here’s why:
1) Let’s say $400,000 will buy a 2 bed/2 bath condo.
2) To rent this condo will cost ~$1,500 in a good area.
3) Assume 5% ($20,000) down, 6% on 1st mortgage, 7% 2nd mortgage, 30% Income Tax rate and 1.1% property tax, $250 HOA
4) Pretax, the condo will cost $2934.41/month. After the 30% tax deduction, the cost will be $2239.41.
5) The $2239.41 is the number to compare with rent, since rent is not deductible in most cases.
6) Of the $2239.41, $367.74 is principal that builds the owner’s equity.
7) $2239.41 - $367.74 = $1871.67 which is the amount the condo owner is “throwing away” each month. The renter "throws away" $1,500.
8) On a monthly basis, the condo owner is “throwing away” $371.67 more each month than the renter. This is ~$4,500/year.

From an investment standpoint, the main benefit the owner has over the renter is the appreciation of the condo’s value. If the prospective buyer is confident the house will rise in value by at least 2-3% annually (which is not guaranteed by any means), buying is the right way to go. Otherwise, renting is a great choice, not just a concession or settlement.

Misunderstanding this concept causes the following confusion:
- People who own homes believe they are saving something they are not
- People who don’t own homes think they are losing something they are not

Bottom line? The monthly "throw away" is often higher for home owners than renters. Renting, especially in the short term, is often more cost effective than buying.

I have confidence

I've noticed that successful people are very confident. I see this in top athletes and business people. I think of Vince Young from Texas. Or World #1 Tennis player Roger Federer. Larry Ellison. Donald Trump. All of them are very confident in their abilities - it shows clearly in the way they walk, work, and the things they say. And other people are drawn to confidence.

At the same time, we usually put off by arrogance. Arrogance is an attribute of villians not heroes. And we are drawn to people that are humble.

However, in an attempt not to be arrogant, many people have taken on a false humility characterized by self-doubt and self-deprecation.
Here's why:
1) Confidence is often defined as having self assurance that one's ability is equal to or better than a competitor.
2) Confidence can lead to arrogance if not kept in check.
3) Therefore, humility is often defined as presenting one's self as inferior in ability to others, so as to avoid arrogance.

This is a faulty definition of humility. Humility is not the opposite of Confidence. The real antonyms are:
- Humility and Arrogance (Pride)
- Self-Doubt and Confidence

I don't think this is new - it seems that the Bible commends humble confidence in the term 'meek' - something to aim for, not avoid.

People Names

In browsing the web looking for ideas on names for our coming son or daughter, I realized something a little bit silly about the world we live in.

What are some of the titles of Books that list names?
- Cool Names: for Babies
- Best Baby Name Book in the Whole World
- Name That Baby!: Every Parents Guide to Names
- The Baby Name Wizard

My question is: What is a 'Baby Name'?
Is this a name for the child when they are an infant? Does the baby get an adult name later in life? This is a bit puzzling.

Anyway, I'll keep looking for male or female, age irrelevant names.

Chasing the Wind

The guy who built this mansion must have been a real bigshot. No one builds a 17,000 square foot home just to put a roof over their head.

I read today that the new owner - Steve Jobs - wants to tear down the huge building to make room for a newer house. However there is opposition from Historical groups who want the house to be preserved. After all that the house meant to its original owner, it is now the source of a court battle to tear it down.

I am certainly tempted from time to time to dream about bigger houses and nice cars, but I am also reminded how temporary and meaningless these things really are. Fame and fortune are both elusive and fleeting.

Fortune: "Naked a man comes from his mother's womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand."

Fame: "There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow."

Autobahn Ausfart

When I drove over the border from Austria into Germany in July 2004, it was a dream come true. Driving on the Autobahn, a road with no speed limits, captured my imagination from elementary school. Of course, in my dreams I was driving a Red or Yellow Porsche or Ferrari - not a Blue 1.4Liter Opel.

I saw a show on the History Channel about the Autobahn. One interesting fact is that though there are no speed limits in most places, it is actually safer than American roads. Contrary to conventional wisdom, .72 fatalities per 100 million vehicles are reported on the Autobahn vs. .84 fatalities per 100 million vehicles on US roads. Some suggested reasons for this:
- ~$2000 for a license
- German Cars are designed for high-speed driving with tighter handling (BMW) and exceptional saftey (Mercedes)
- Drivers in Germany tend to focus on driving when driving: For a long time German cars did not even include cup holders

One interesting point was that the Autobahn was commissioned by Hitler in the 1930s and He presided over its opening, Later, when the Autobahn was mostly empty because of the price of cars, Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche to build the Volkswagen.
A few of the innovations first seen in the Autobahn were:
- High Speed on-ramps
- 4 lane divided highways for speed and saftey
- Overpasses to avoid intersections
- 27" concrete for durability
- Level roads: Maximum of 7' vertical change for every 100' of road
- Long curves for highspeed turning

The Autobahn became the model for American and other modern roads built after WWII, but it is still the best and safest public road to legally drive over 100mph.

I'm Famous (Actually Infamous)

Heidi and I had a great breakfast with good friends of ours who all had the day off. Dinner is the most common meal to share, but I find that the breakfast table with friends is a great way to start the day.

Today, I was also reminded again that for better or worse, I've become famous (or infamous) for my research and conclusions on polygamy. I can live with that reputation, but I hope even more to be known as someone who searches for truth no matter where it leads.

What is it Like?

Sitting at a family gathering, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. Young or old, male or female - many people use the word 'like' as some kind of weird simile. A normal simile such as "That car whines like a sick dog" is a figure or speech usually used to compare a familiar thing with something less familiar. But here are some examples of the alternative usage and some questions I would have:

Its like around the corner from...How is it like around a corner?
There was like a big sign...Was it a big sign or like a big sign?
I was like "I can't believe that..." Did you say that statement or resemble it in some way?

Of course 'like' used in this way is bad grammar, but I know have caught myself using it many times. It sounds strange when I listen to myself.

As I said, this is not generational or gender specific. Maybe it is uniquely Californian. I've either lived in or visited most regions of the US and heard some of the distinctive accents and words from each. If I picked up a little Southern Drawl in Alabama why not like some Californian lingo too?