Category Archives: Everyday Life

Topics related to the world we live in

Dear Dave – Part 1

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Laurance W. LongIn 1982, my grandfather responded to a letter from “Dave,” asking him to dispense some of his knowledge on monetary matters.  In upcoming posts, I will share portions of my grandfather’s response.  Here’s the intro:

February 5, 1982

Dear Dave,

From time to time a number of folk have suggested that I reduce to writing some of my views about money. The idea appealed to me, but I have always questioned my ability to produce quality material, from the standpoint of both content and expression. I’m no expert in money or writing.

However, your letter (with a $10 bill) has sort of put me on the spot. I can’t accept the $10 lest I then be under obligation to give value received. But neither can I just return the money and say, “Sorry, no dice.” At the very least, I ought to be willing to put some of my ideas on paper for a friend. So . . . here goes.

Baby Doe

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In 1982 a baby boy was born in Bloomington, Indiana with Down Syndrome and a malformed esophagus. Rather than perform surgery to repair the esophagus, the baby was left to die of starvation and dehydration.

In 1984 Steve Taylor released his Meltdown album with the song Baby Doe lamenting the decision.

Unfolding today, A miracle play, This Indiana morn.
The father–he sighs, She opens her eyes, Their baby boy is born.
“We don’t understand, He’s not like we planned,” The doctor shakes his head.
“Abnormal” they cry, And so they decide, This child is better dead.

I bear the blame. Believers are few, And what am I to do?
I share the shame. The cradle’s below, And where is Baby Doe?

A hearing is sought. The lawyers are bought. The court won’t let him eat.
The papers applaud, When judges play God. This child is getting weak.
They’re drawing a bead, Reciting their creed, “Respect a woman’s choice.”
I’ve heard that before, How can you ignore, This baby has a voice.

I bear the blame. Believers are few, And what am I to do?
I share the shame. The cradle’s below, And where is Baby Doe?

Where will it end?

It’s over and done, The presses have run, Some call the parents brave.
Behind your disguise, Your rhetoric lies, You watched a baby starve.

I bear the blame. The cradle’s below, And where is baby

The judge who ruled that no one could intervene with the parents’ decision to let their child die was Judge John G. Baker. He is up for a retention vote this year. Unfortunately, only those in southern Indiana get to vote on his retention, but if that includes you, I urge you to vote NO on the question of retaining Judge Baker.

For more info:
http://www.irtl.org/judicial-retention/
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/retrieve/Narrative/QQ/p-nid/86

Richard Mourdock and Rape

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There is absolutely nothing extraordinary about Richard Mourdock’s view regarding pregnancy as a result of rape1.  What is extraordinary is that in a country where 70+% identify themselves as Christians2, the view that only God can create life is thought to be extreme.

The use of a pronoun allowed some to accuse Mourdock of saying that God intended the rape to happen, but he was clearly referring to the life that is created in all pregnancies, regardless of how that pregnancy came about.  Human beings cannot create life.  A human can fertilize an egg, which is the means that God uses to create new life, but it is God who brings the new life into existence.

Unfortunately for our country, orthodox Christian views are becoming increasingly marginalized.  Despite the overwhelming majority who claim to be Christians, espousing actual Christian views in public is now seen as a negative.  Although I voted for Rick Santorum in the 2012 Republican Primary, I perceived that he was unlikely to win a national race for President because too many people were turned off by his strong commitment to his faith.  His religious affiliation wasn’t the problem, it was his religious fervor.  I fear that the same will be true of Mike Pence if he runs for President.  Mike Pence will be our next Governor, because he is a superb candidate, Indiana is a conservative state, and he has a weak opponent.  John Gregg has tried to paint Pence as an extremist, which is ridiculous, but I fear that in a nationwide general election, enough people may buy into such accusations to keep him from winning the Presidency.  I hope I’m wrong, and I hope Hoosiers have enough sense to ignore the media’s attempt to stir up controversy around Mourdock.

 

  1. “I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God, and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” cbsnews.com ↩

  2. pewforum.org, gallup.com ↩

Bad at Umbrellas

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It turns out that I’m not very good at using an umbrella.  Actually, it’s not so much the using of the umbrella that gives me difficulty, it’s finishing using the umbrella where I run into trouble.  It was raining this morning, so I walk from my car to my office building with my umbrella over my head.  I successfully navigate through the external walking gate, twisting the umbrella sideways to get it through the narrow gate, with minimal rain falling on me.  I do the same at the entry door, making it safely inside the building with my hair and clothing still dry.  Now safely indoors, I no longer need the protection of the umbrella, so I push the little button on the handle that causes it to close.  Only problem–the umbrella is still over my head.  All those raindrops that the umbrella has captured now come cascading down on me.  This is not the first time I’ve done this.

Combating Semi-Pelagianism

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Some thoughts from Arminian theologian Roger Olsen about what other non-Calvinists should (and shouldn’t) believe:

[M]ost American Christians, including most Baptists, are semi-Pelagian, not Arminian and not merely non-Calvinist.

A classical Arminian would never deny that Adam’s sin resulted in the incapacitation of any person’s free will.  Classical Arminianism strongly affirms the bondage of the will to sin before and apart from prevenient grace’s liberating work.

[C]lassical Arminianism agrees with Calvinism that a sinner is incapable of making the right decision without the influence of God’s prevenient grace.

Classical Arminianism says there is no point in salvation where the sinner-being-saved is autonomous. Arminius talked about it in terms of “instrumental cause” and “efficient cause.” God’s grace is always the efficient cause of any good that we do. Our free will, enabled and assisted by God’s grace, is the instrumental cause of conversion.

[C]lassical Arminianism affirms the necessity of supernatural assisting grace for any good that a person does including the first exercise of a good will toward God.

[W]hat we should all be criticizing is the rampant popular semi-Pelagianism of American folk religion.

taken from Roger Olson’s blog and comments at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rogereolson/2012/06/thoughts-about-“a-statement-of-the-traditional-southern-baptist-understanding-of-gods-plan-of-salvation-“