tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451208.post2452960693227252427..comments2024-01-10T04:13:52.959+08:00Comments on hush and listen: hand tiedkhalelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08393297492549664750noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451208.post-57724371126989839842007-04-24T11:39:00.000+08:002007-04-24T11:39:00.000+08:00.I was looking out the windowof my house one day ....<B><BR/>I was looking out the window<BR/>of my house one day and saw a<BR/>simpleminded young man who<BR/>lacked common sense. He was<BR/>crossing the street near the<BR/>house of an immoral woman.<BR/><BR/>He was strolling down the path by her<BR/>house at twilight, as the day was fading,<BR/>as the dark of night set in. The woman<BR/>approached him, dressed seductively<BR/>and sly of heart.<BR/><BR/>She was the brash, rebellious type who<BR/>never stays at home. She is often seen in<BR/>the streets and markets, soliciting at every<BR/>corner. She threw her arms around him<BR/>and kissed him, and with a brazen look<BR/>she said, "It's you I was looking for!<BR/>I came out to find you, and here you<BR/>are! My bed is spread with colored<BR/>sheets of finest linen imported from<BR/>Egypt. I've perfumed my bed with<BR/>myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come,<BR/>let's drink our fill of love until morning.<BR/><BR/>Let's enjoy each other's caresses,<BR/>for my husband is not home. He's<BR/>away on a long trip. He has taken<BR/>a wallet full of money with him,<BR/>and he won't return until later in<BR/>the month." So she seduced him<BR/>with her pretty speech. With her<BR/>flattery she enticed him. He<BR/>followed her at once, like<BR/>an ox going to the slaughter<BR/>or like a trapped stag, awaiting<BR/>the arrow that would pierce its<BR/>heart. He was like a bird flying<BR/>into a snare, little knowing it<BR/>would cost him his life.</B><BR/><BR/>***<BR/><I><BR/>There is a way which seemeth<BR/>right unto a man, but the end there-<BR/>of are the ways of death.<BR/></I><BR/>***<BR/><I><BR/>I made a covenant with my eyes<BR/>not to look with lust upon a young woman.<BR/></I><BR/>***<BR/><B><BR/>But I say, anyone who even looks<BR/>at a woman with lust in his eye has<BR/>already committed adultery with her<BR/>in his heart.<BR/></B><BR/>***<BR/><BR/><I>There is a time for everything,<BR/>a season for every activity<BR/>under heaven. A time to be<BR/>born and a time to die. A<BR/>time to plant and a time to<BR/>harvest. A time to kill and<BR/>a time to heal. A time to<BR/>tear down and a time to<BR/>rebuild. A time to cry and<BR/>a time to laugh. A time to<BR/>grieve and a time to dance.<BR/>A time to scatter stones<BR/>and a time to gather stones.<BR/>A time to embrace and a<BR/>time to turn away. A time to<BR/>search and a time to lose.<BR/>A time to keep and a time to<BR/>throw away. A time to tear<BR/>and a time to mend. A time<BR/>to be quiet and a time to<BR/>speak up. A time to love<BR/>and a time to hate. A time<BR/>for war and a time for peace. </I><BR/><BR/><B>Best wishes for continued ascendancy,<BR/>Dr. Whoami</B><BR/><BR/><B>P.S. One thing of which I am sure is<BR/>that the common culture of my youth<BR/>is gone for good. It was hollowed out<BR/>by the rise of ethnic "identity politics,"<BR/>then splintered beyond hope of repair<BR/>by the emergence of the web-based<BR/>technologies that so maximized and<BR/>facilitated cultural choice as to make<BR/>the broad-based offerings of the old<BR/>mass media look bland and unchallenging<BR/>by comparison."</B><BR/><BR/><B>P.P.S. Have you ever tried to explain<BR/>to a modern, secularized teenager or young<BR/>adult what's wrong with premarital sex between<BR/>two consenting adults? If you have, you<BR/>know the meaning of the word frustration.<BR/><BR/>The modern mind just doesn't seem capable<BR/>of grasping the concept that sex belongs<BR/>exclusively within marriage. That's not from<BR/>a lack of intelligence. It's simply because the<BR/>modern mind has been trained to think<BR/>otherwise: If two people want a sexual<BR/>encounter, and take steps to prevent the<BR/>occurrence of a third person -- an un -<BR/>wanted baby -- that makes the act morally<BR/>right. End of story.<BR/><BR/>May I recommend Jennifer Roback<BR/>Morse's new book, SMART SEX:<BR/>FINDING LIFE-LONG LOVE IN<BR/>A HOOK-UP WORLD, is so<BR/>refreshing. Morse, one of the clearest<BR/>thinkers I know, takes deadly aim at<BR/>the idea of "morally neutral sex" -- and<BR/>she does it in a logical and compassionate<BR/>manner. Having once believed in "morally<BR/>neutral sex" herself, Morse understands<BR/>the thinking behind the idea. She deals<BR/>with concepts like "reproductive freedom,"<BR/>"recreational sex," and "consumer sex,"<BR/>and shows how they're not only morally<BR/>bankrupt, but also anti-social.<BR/><BR/>Morse explains that the problem with<BR/>these views of sex is that they focus on<BR/>the individual. For example, the theory<BR/>of "reproductive freedom" teaches us<BR/>that everyone who wants a child is<BR/>entitled to have one, and that those<BR/>who don't want children should be<BR/>able to have sex without ever having<BR/>to face the possibility. When nature,<BR/>or our spouses, or our own children<BR/>get in the way of our "reproductive<BR/>freedom," we therefore feel entitled<BR/>to trample on the rights of others to<BR/>get our own way.<BR/><BR/>Morse recalls the time when she was<BR/>so desperate to get pregnant, that she<BR/>and her husband considered using a<BR/>sperm donor. That was when she<BR/>started to realize, "Having a baby<BR/>through a sperm donor would have<BR/>changed the relationship between my<BR/>husband and me in a fundamental way . . . .<BR/>The baby would be my project with<BR/>my husband along for the ride. . . .<BR/>And what about the baby? Do I have<BR/>a right to treat a baby as a project of mine?"<BR/><BR/>This confronts the conventional thinking<BR/>where a person, Morse writes, treats<BR/>relationships as if they affected only<BR/>herself. And that's where the objection<BR/>to premarital sex comes in. Advocates<BR/>of premarital sex often act as if their<BR/>sexual experiences are all about them -<BR/>selves and no one else. As Morse puts it,<BR/>"When we engage in consumer sex, we<BR/>do not fully consider the impact of our<BR/>actions upon others. Consumer sex is<BR/>focused inward, on personal pleasure,<BR/>not on the building up of the community<BR/>of the family."<BR/><BR/>In short, the sexual revolution taught us<BR/>to think of our sex lives as our own<BR/>property and our own business, and<BR/>nobody else's, even though other<BR/>people are obviously involved. To<BR/>use sex this way is to treat it as the<BR/>opposite of what it was meant to be:<BR/>a destroyer of relationships rather<BR/>than something that builds them. </B>Professor Howdyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189934292678757335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8451208.post-64347416628561984132007-04-24T11:38:00.000+08:002007-04-24T11:38:00.000+08:00.BAD NEWS: For in it the righteousness of God is r....<BR/><B>BAD NEWS:<BR/><BR/> For in it the righteousness of <BR/>God is revealed from faith to <BR/>faith; as it is written, "The just <BR/>shall live by faith." For the wrath <BR/>of God is revealed from heaven <BR/>against all ungodliness and <BR/>unrighteousness of men, who <BR/>suppress the truth in unright -<BR/>eousness, because what may <BR/>be known of God is manifest<BR/>in them, for God has shown <BR/>it to them. <BR/><BR/>For since the creation of the <BR/>world His invisible attributes <BR/>are clearly seen, being under -<BR/>stood by the things that are <BR/>made, even His eternal power <BR/>and Godhead, so that they are <BR/>without excuse, because, <BR/>although they knew God, <BR/>they did not glorify Him as <BR/>God, nor were thankful, <BR/>but became futile in their <BR/>thoughts, and their foolish<BR/>hearts were darkened. <BR/><BR/>Professing to be wise, <BR/>they became fools, <BR/>and changed the glory <BR/>of the incorruptible <BR/>God into an image made <BR/>like corruptible man -<BR/>and birds and four -<BR/>footed animals and <BR/>creeping things.<BR/><BR/>Therefore God <BR/>also gave them up <BR/>to uncleanness, in <BR/>the lusts of their<BR/>hearts, to dishonor <BR/>their bodies among <BR/>themselves, who <BR/>exchanged the truth<BR/>of God for the lie, <BR/>and worshiped and <BR/>served the creature <BR/>rather than the Creator, <BR/>who is blessed forever. <BR/>Amen. <BR/><BR/>For this reason God <BR/>gave them up to vile <BR/>passions. For even <BR/>their women exchanged <BR/>the natural use for what <BR/>is against nature. Likewise <BR/>also the men, leaving the <BR/>natural use of the woman,<BR/>burned in their lust for one <BR/>another, men with men <BR/>committing what is shameful, <BR/>and receiving in themselves <BR/>the penalty of their error which <BR/>was due. And even as they <BR/>did not like to retain God in <BR/>their knowledge, God gave <BR/>them over to a debased mind, <BR/>to do those things which are <BR/>not fitting; being filled with all <BR/>unrighteousness, sexual immorality, <BR/>wickedness, covetousness, <BR/>maliciousness; full of envy, <BR/>murder, strife, deceit,<BR/>evil-mindedness; they are <BR/>whisperers, backbiters, <BR/>haters of God, violent,<BR/>proud, boasters, inventors <BR/>of evil things, disobedient <BR/>to parents, undiscerning, <BR/>untrustworthy, unloving, <BR/>unforgiving, unmerciful; <BR/>who, knowing the righteous <BR/>judgment of God, that those <BR/>who practice such things<BR/>are deserving of death, <BR/>not only do the same <BR/>but also approve of <BR/>those who practice them.<BR/><BR/>We know these laws are <BR/>good when they are used <BR/>as God intended.<BR/><BR/>But they were not made <BR/>for people who do what <BR/>is right. They are for people<BR/>who are disobedient and <BR/>rebellious, who are ungodly <BR/>and sinful, who consider<BR/>nothing sacred and defile <BR/>what is holy, who murder <BR/>their father or mother or<BR/>other people.<BR/><BR/>These laws are for people <BR/>who are sexually immoral, <BR/>for homosexuals and slave <BR/>traders, for liars and oath <BR/>breakers, and for those who <BR/>do anything else that contradicts <BR/>the right teaching<BR/><BR/>GOOD NEWS:<BR/><BR/>For the wages of sin is death, <BR/>but the gift of God is eternal <BR/>life in Christ Jesus our Lord.<BR/><BR/>***<BR/><BR/>The United States government <BR/>has just released a nation-wide <BR/>survey on Americans' private <BR/>sexual habits. The NEW YORK <BR/>TIMES describes it as disclosing<BR/>"surprising numbers for same-sex <BR/>activity."<BR/><BR/>Surprising is the right word, but not <BR/>in the way I suspect the NEW YORK <BR/>TIMES means.<BR/><BR/>The study was done by the National <BR/>Center for Health Statistics, part of <BR/>the Centers for Disease Control and <BR/>Prevention. Among other statistics, <BR/>the study indicates that only about <BR/>4 percent of men and women consider <BR/>themselves to be homosexual or bisexual.<BR/><BR/>Indeed, among men ages 18 to 44, <BR/>90 percent call themselves heterosexual, <BR/>2 percent homosexual, 2 percent bisexual, <BR/>and 4 percent something else. Among<BR/>women, 86 percent are attracted only <BR/>to men, and 10 percent "mostly" to males.<BR/><BR/>In both cases it is a long way from the 10 <BR/>percent that the homosexual lobby has<BR/>advanced for years. We are told that <BR/>homosexual behavior is simply a choice <BR/>and that we're bigoted if we do not <BR/>believe it to be the norm. But any time <BR/>you look at statistics and find less than <BR/>10 percent engaging in a particular <BR/>activity, it is contrary to the norm. <BR/>The norm is what the 90 percent does.<BR/><BR/>There are profound social consequences <BR/>here. If sexual orientation is a choice,<BR/>then we're free to choose. But this study <BR/>implies that we're wired a certain<BR/>way, for heterosexual relationships.<BR/><BR/>As philosopher J. Budziszewski says, <BR/>there are some things we "can't not <BR/>know."<BR/><BR/>One of those things is that we're <BR/>biologically made a certain way: <BR/>males one way and females another. <BR/>That's the way the world works, <BR/>and it's the only natural way to <BR/>conceive children.<BR/><BR/>And when you go against the way <BR/>the world is made, you're going <BR/>against the grain of the universe. <BR/>And no amount of propaganda <BR/>or clever marketing, which is<BR/>what it is, can change the <BR/>unalterable facts of the natural <BR/>moral order. <BR/><BR/>It's time we recognize that and <BR/>stop being bullied by special interests.<BR/><BR/>But whether we should have spent <BR/>the money this way or not, we do <BR/>now have the report. It does show <BR/>us something that needs to be <BR/>understood in American life.<BR/>It has a profound impact on the <BR/>political and cultural debates of <BR/>our day in ways that I'm sure does <BR/>indeed surprise the staff of the <BR/>NEW YORK TIMES. </B>Professor Howdyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12189934292678757335noreply@blogger.com