The Value of History

Here is another reminder of the importance of paying attention to what has gone on before. We can learn from our predecessors' experience and wisdom.

This article quotes John Ashcroft in a 9/11 memorial speech:

"Observation number two. The father of our Nation, George Washington, steamed open the mail in the fight for freedom. Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Delano Roosevelt monitored all communications across our borders, and Roosevelt interned over a 100,000 people, a third of them that were citizens of the United States of America. Neither Woodrow Wilson nor Roosevelt suffered domestic casualties."

A Great Tribute

It is thrilling to read the tribute in this article about legendary golfer and follower of Christ, Byron Nelson.

Over and over people comment on the way he conducted himself and the way he was respected by others.

I especially like this summation: "the thing that defined the man was _______"

What kind of influence are you having on those who know you? If they summed up your character, what would they say defined you?

"'Byron Nelson was a man who was at peace, a man whose life and entire being was filled with joy,' Nantz said. 'If you were lucky enough to come into his area, he passed it on to you. For all his accomplishments, the thing that defined the man was his faith, his goodness and his joyful heart and spirit.'"

Customer Service - just don't say no

The Bible says: "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." (Eph 4:29)

It struck me that Jesus wants the default attitude of his followers to be positive, and to leave the critical responses up to him. (He tells us elsewhere not to worry, that he will judge.)

These are hard instructions for me to follow, because I am good at evaluating, and like to point out when others need correction. But he is the Boss, and I am just his counter worker - like this illustration about McDonald's from Seth Godin's blog:

"When I was in business school, we did the McDonald's case. Part of our preparation was to go to the nearby McDonald's with a stopwatch and clipboard. We walked in the door and stood just long enough to get noticed. Boy did those guys hop to attention. Then we went to another McDonald's and performed the following experiment (please, please do not try this at home, just take my word for it). We ordered a milkshake and a Big Mac. Ate half the Big Mac. Drank half the milkshake. We put the Big Mac remainder into the milkshake cup and went to the counter, 'I'm sorry, I can't drink this shake, there's a Big Mac in it.' They gave us a new one.

Why?

Because McDonald's didn't want counter people making decisions about who to say 'no' to. It was worth the expense of humoring idiots like my study group for the brand power of knowing that counter people didn't alienate people on a sliding scale."

What's the Matter with Liberals?

They don't like the marketplace decisions people make when they have economic freedom, so liberals want to force everyone to make the right decisions with their money. (Conservatives, on the other hand, focus on moral decisions.)

"Their campaign [against Wal-Mart] is liberalism as condescension. It is a philosophic repugnance toward markets.... Liberals, aghast, see the choices Americans make with their dollars and their ballots, and announce -- yes, announce -- that Americans are sorely in need of more supervision by ... liberals.

Before they went on their bender of indignation about Wal-Mart (customers per week: 127 million), liberals had drummed McDonald's (customers per week: 175 million) out of civilized society because it is making us fat, or something. So, what next? Which preferences of ordinary Americans will liberals, in their role as national scolds, next disapprove? Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet?

No. The current issue of The American Prospect, an impeccably progressive magazine, carries a full-page advertisement denouncing something responsible for ``lies, deception, immorality, corruption, and widespread labor, human rights and environmental abuses'' and of having brought ``great hardship and despair to people and communities throughout the world.''

What is this focus of evil in the modern world? North Korea? The Bush administration? Fox News Channel? No, it is Coca-Cola (number of servings to Americans of the company's products each week: 2.5 billion).

When liberals' presidential nominees consistently fail to carry Kansas, liberals do not rush to read a book titled ``What's the Matter With Liberals' Nominees?'' No, the book they turned into a best-seller is titled ``What's the Matter With Kansas?'' Notice a pattern here?"

NBC slices and dices "Veggie Tales"

Sad, but not all that surprising, to read about the anti-religious editing at NBC.

Veggie Tales is a very popular Christian children's cartoon which has sold more than 50 million DVDs. Network TV wants to get in on the bonanza, but having signed up the program, they want to strip it of what has made it popular - its biblical values.

"This is one of those moments where you understand that networks like NBC are only talking an empty talk and walking an empty walk when it comes to the First Amendment, and 'creative integrity,' and so on. They have told parents concerned about their smutty programs like 'Will and Grace' that if they're offended, they have a remote control as an option. The networks have spent millions insisting that we have a V-chip in our TV sets. Change the channel. Block it out.

But when it comes to religious programming -- programming that doesn't even mention Jesus Christ -- just watch the hypocrisy. Instead of telling viewers to just change the channel if they don't like it, or put in a V-chip for Bible verses, they demand to producers that all that outdated old-time religion has to be shredded before broadcast.

It's truly sad that this anti-religious hypocrisy would emerge. Today, no one in network TV fears what the children are watching -- unless it makes them think about God."

Americans' Four Visions of God

Although 91.8% of Americans say they believe in God, there is a lot of room for difference in what they mean by "believe" and by "God."

Baylor University has recently conducted the most extensive survey of American religious beliefs. They found belief in God falling into four views:

31% The Authoritarian God
24% The Distant God
23% The Benevolent God
16% The Critical God

"Still, says Baylor's Christopher Bader, “you learn more about people's moral and political behavior if you know their image of God than almost any other measure. It turns out to be more powerful a predictor of social and political views than the usual markers of church attendance or belief in the Bible.”"

Still, I don't like any of these labels for the God I worship, who is much bigger than labels.

Family Movie Night

Here's a VERY favorable review of the new movie Lassie, along with a list of the some great movies for young viewers. Most of them I haven't heard of, but I now want to get them for family movie nights.

"Director Charles Sturridge has brought Lassie back to the screen, and it's likely that many moviegoers are rolling their eyes, writing it off as just another disposable kid-flick about wisecracking critters.

But think again. Lassie isn't just better than the other films currently being marketed for all ages. It's a rare work of substance, simplicity, and grace that deserves to be mentioned among the best features crafted for younger viewers in the last twenty years, including Mike Newell's Into the West, John Sayles' The Secret of Roan Inish, Alfonso Cuarón's A Little Princess, Agnieszka Holland's The Secret Garden, Carroll Ballard's Duma, and Andrew Davis's Holes. Some critics are using the word 'classic' even though it's only just arrived.

Sticking to the basic plot of Eric Wright's 1940 novel Lassie Come Home, this film returns Lassie to the context of the original novel, where her adventure leads her from the home of the Carraclough family in a Yorkshire mining town to a vast estate in Scotland."

People Love Passion

We had a moment of silence on Monday for one of our heros, Steve Irwin. My family loved his shows and movie and were thrilled they got to meet him at the Singapore Zoo this year. We were stunned and saddened by news of his death.

We really couldn't believe it! How could he die? He was indestructable. He was an inspiration for all of us to be a little more adventurous. Now I guess we will all go back to playing it a little bit safer. Even Steve Irwin wasn't invincible.

What made him so appealing to us? He had tons of charisma and showed us adventures we didn't even dream about.

But I think it was how passionate he was about life that attracted us and millions around the world. Wouldn't you love to be half that enthusiastic half the time?

We'll miss the raw Stevo. Check out this article for a good protrait of him.

"'I can travel through life just being me. 'Cause, deadset, the secret of our success is just havin' raw Stevo.' "

Gays must change, says archbishop

Glad to read these words by Rowan Williams, the leader of the world's Anglicans.

"The revelations came in a newspaper interview last week in which the archbishop denied that it was time for the church to accept homosexual relationships, suggesting that it should be welcoming rather than inclusive. 'I don't believe inclusion is a value in itself. Welcome is. We don't say 'Come in and we ask no questions'. I do believe conversion means conversion of habits, behaviours, ideas, emotions,' he told a Dutch journalist.

'Ethics is not a matter of a set of abstract rules, it is a matter of living the mind of Christ. That applies to sexual ethics.'"

Who's Paying Taxes

Interesting stats from the IRS:

"First, the new data show that the bottom 50% of Americans in income--U.S. households with an income below the median of $44,389--paid a smaller share of total income taxes in 2004 (3.3%) than in Bill Clinton's last year in office (3.9%). That 3.3% is the lowest share of total income taxes paid by the bottom half of earners in at least 30 years, and probably ever. The majority of American families with an income below $40,000 pay no income tax at all today, and many of them also get a welfare subsidy from the Earned Income Tax Credit that effectively offsets much of what they pay in payroll taxes."

Another interesting point, seemingly contradicting those who don't think the rich are paying their fair share:

Richest 1% earn 19% of US income, and pay 37% of taxes. In other words, twice their share.

The richest 5% earn 33% of US income and pay 57% of US taxes.