Disqus - Latest Comments for BuckeyeDon

Re: The gospel for gun-loving Christians

BuckeyeDon — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 12:04:40 -0000

Re: The Moral Collapse Of The Republican Party

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 09 Jul 2016 20:24:36 -0000

"...there comes a point at which principle really does come before party; that the good of the nation should come before partisanship..."

Author Paul Miller ought to contemplate that the Republican Party surrendered this principle long before they started coalescing around Trump--about eight years ago, in fact, when they refused to acknowledge Barack Obama as the legitimately elected president and set out to obstruct him at every turn and blame him for every problem.

Re: Should Churches Be Allowed to Meet in Public Schools?

BuckeyeDon — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 11:45:25 -0000

Mitch:
My question was at least partly intended to be rhetorical, but since you answered, I would agree overall. I would also agree that religious groups should be allowed to use public buildings (such as schools) for their services so long as other suitable places are not available, so long as all groups are potentially given equal access--including, yes, groups that 'conservative' evangelicals might not like, so long as the religious group in question does not use the public space to launch proselytizing efforts, and so long as their use doesn't interfere with the public use that the building was intended for.

Interesting that you mention not having crosses or banners in the polling space. While we don't have crucifixes, icons, or crosses in the fellowship hall where the polling is set up on election days, the hall is where we hang all the old confirmation class banners!

Re: Should Churches Be Allowed to Meet in Public Schools?

BuckeyeDon — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:49:33 -0000

Hmmm. Should local boards of elections, then, be allowed to use churches as polling places? Our church is rented out to the B of A every election.

Re: The Spiritually Viral Hunger Fast

BuckeyeDon — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:39:26 -0000

Dave wrote: "Key words; 'In our past...' Time to get over it."

""The past is not dead. In fact, it's not even past."--William Faulkner

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 15:10:27 -0000

I believe that we are only responsible for our own personal actions and, through our elected representatives, for the actions of our own government. We are not responsible for the Mexican government's actions. To me it doesn't matter (as far as my personal response is concerned) what the Mexican government does or doesn't do. And especially for us as Christians, we are responsible to treat the stranger and sojourner as we would treat one of our own. To me that's the bottom line.

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 06:29:25 -0000

I don't have evidence one way or the other regarding what the Mexican government is doing or not doing, but since you are the one making the accusation the burden of providing evidence is on you.

Arguing that the publication your link refers to "proves" that the Mexican government is complicit in encouraging its citizens to leave is rather like the argument that teaching adolescents about condom use is encouraging them to be promiscuous. In other words, it's not convincing, especially since, in both cases, safety seems to be the primary motivation.

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:59:37 -0000

Happy new year to you and yours as well!

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:59:22 -0000

Suzanne, do you actually know that the Mexican government is doing nothing to try and make sure its citizens have opportunities so they can stay in Mexico and that the US government is doing nothing to help the Mexican government in that regard, or are you simply assuming that they aren't? Just because many Mexicans have felt that the only opportunity they have is to try and eke out an existence in the USA doesn't mean that the Mexican government is wishing for that. You make a broad assumption here.

Also, do you know that illegal migration across the US border is down significantly, and that many undocumented immigrants have left the US? The recession is to blame for that; however, it makes me wonder if a significant amount of the current bellyaching over illegal immigrants is for the purpose of inflaming, spreading propaganda and demagoguery, not for encouraging informed debate.

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:50:26 -0000

Yeah, I'm nuts.

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:59:21 -0000

I still don't think you are completely following what I am saying. The grain subsidies that the US government dole out to farmers make corn cheaper than it would otherwise be. These low prices make it difficult for Mexican farmers to grow corn and sell it for a profit. This is the result of US government policy and has nothing to do with actions of the Mexican government.

NAFTA makes it worse primarily because farm products can be sold across the border without paying tariff and also because US agribusiness corporations can move their operations across the border, further undermining local food production and further displacing Mexican farmers. But the root of the problem is the US government subsidies.

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:27:33 -0000

Mexico has nothing whatsoever to do with US agriculture policy--specifically grain subsidies that undercut corn production in Mexico. NAFTA only exacerbates this problem.

Re: Where is my Mother? The Injustice of a Broken Immigration System

BuckeyeDon — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 08:02:53 -0000

Suzanne, do you realize that one of the major problems in Mexico that has led to peoples' migration here is US agriculture policy? Thousands of Mexican campesinos have been driven off their land because US government grain subsidies, coupled with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allow corn to be sold in Mexico at a much lower price than the campesinos can produce it. Voila! We now have a dispossessed, desperate population that that is willing to risk anything--including the dangers of crossing the US border--to try and provide for their families.

And of course, NAFTA has also allowed huge US agribusiness companies to set up shop in Mexico, further displacing people and depressing prices for staple foods.

It is disingenuous to blame the problem on failures of the Mexican government to take care of their own when policies of the US government have directly led to the problem.

Re: How to Add Some More Green to Your Christmas

BuckeyeDon — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 09:11:27 -0000

The solution is simple: we have to stop burning fossil fuels. How do you propose we do that?

Re: How to Add Some More Green to Your Christmas

BuckeyeDon — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 09:10:52 -0000

1. Did you know that the scientists in the so-called climategate incident were vindicated in two separate investigations, one conducted by the University of East Anglia where the data was housed and another conducted by the British Parliament?

2. Given your final comment, do you know and understand the difference between climate and weather?

Re: How to Add Some More Green to Your Christmas

BuckeyeDon — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:34:55 -0000

Wyomingite, you don't think that climate scientists have thought about something as obvious as the sun as a possible source for earth's atmospheric warming? Do you think they don't know how to do their jobs or that they're stupid or something?

Guess what--the sun was one of the first things they examined, and they ruled it out as a cause of earth's warming. Why? Because the evidence simply doesn't point to the sun as a cause. One example: if the sun were the cause of earth's atmospheric warming, one would expect that the earth's upper atmosphere, being closer to the sun and less dense than the lower atmosphere, would warm up more, and more quickly, than the lower atmosphere. But that's not what has happened. In fact, the upper atmosphere has gotten colder even while the lower atmosphere has warmed. This is totally inconsistent with the sun as a possible cause of the earth's warming, but it is entirely consistent with the concentration of carbon dioxide in the lower atmosphere as a cause (by trapping heat in the lower atmosphere, carbon dioxide prevents the heat from escaping into space and warming the upper atmosphere).

Oh, and also, the sun's total energy output hasn't been changing significantly while the earth's atmospheric temperatures have warmed.

So the sun is assuredly not the cause of global warming and climate change.

Re: This Advent, Embrace a Doubting Faith

BuckeyeDon — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:52:48 -0000

So true, Squeaky!

I thought the heart of Nadia's sermon here was the idea that, since we're all in this together, we are to bear each others' burdens, including our doubts. She's absolutely right that our culture's extreme individualism puts an equally extreme burden on each of us. So many believe that faith is strictly an individual thing. How many times have you heard someone say, "If he/she only had enough faith, he/she could be healed or find a job or whatever (fill in the blank)." I think Nadia is saying that we are all responsible to hold each other up in faith, especially when the doubts come, because they will come.

Of course, there are voices in our society today arguing that any withdrawal from our culture's extreme individualism is tantamount to collectivism. Nadia's voice is a refreshing alternative to those voices.

For a modern example of a "pillar of faith" who struggled intensely and for years with doubt, read Mother Teresa's Come Be My Light.

Re: This Advent, Embrace a Doubting Faith

BuckeyeDon — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 21:56:27 -0000

It seems that, in quibbling about whether or not John was experiencing doubt in prison, most of the comments here have completely missed Nadia's main point, which may be found in the paragraph that begins, "You see, there is no shame in unbelief." Note especially the third sentence of that paragraph.

Re: A Green Christmas: 5 Realistic Ideas for Celebrating the Season

BuckeyeDon — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:00:51 -0000

Your question applies to yourself, Joe-Allen. I do not judge you; if you don't want to celebrate Christmas, or Advent, that's fine with me. As Paul wrote, both those who don't observe and those who do observe do it to the Lord.

But why do you judge those who wish to observe Christmas or Advent? Paul is clearly speaking here about Christians like yourself who think they have a duty to tell other Christians what to do and what not to do. He clearly says don't do it. So I'm reminding you of what Paul said (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) so you would lay off your brothers and sisters and stop criticizing them.

And by the way, the fact that the festival was co-opted from a pagan festival is irrelevant because Christians don't observe it for the same reasons that the pagans did. It's time for you to leave Christians who find meaning in this festival alone.

Re: A Green Christmas: 5 Realistic Ideas for Celebrating the Season

BuckeyeDon — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:17:57 -0000

For Joe-Allen Doty:

"Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.

"One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

"For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."
--Romans 14:4-10, emphases mine

Re: That Thieving Christ and Advent

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 08:34:58 -0000

Correction: they missed the first two and almost missed the third. I haven't read it for several years.

Re: That Thieving Christ and Advent

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 07:41:54 -0000

Nadia, thank you very much. I always enjoy your thoughtful columns here. Too bad this one was marred by negative comments and nitpicking about the Advent season.

Your comment, "I’m pretty sure that when we think we know what to look for we often miss what we were meant to find altogether" reminds me of CS Lewis' The Silver Chair, where the two children, Eustace Scrub and Jill Pole, missed all three of the signs that Aslan gave them to help them find and rescue the missing Prince Rilian.

Re: WikiLeaks and Government Responsibility

BuckeyeDon — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 07:36:28 -0000

I agree, Patricia; however, I would add that it's really the government's responsibility to ensure that private correspondence remain private. The fact that Wikileaks was able to secure these allegedly secret communications points to the need for government to do a better job at securing such communications.

Furthermore, in line with what Julie wrote, I cannot help but recognize a bit of sovereign, divine intervention in this whole affair, given that it does reveal our government's "committing injustices [and] betraying the ideals of our nation." A taste of humble pie isn't a bad thing for our nation to experience. After all, among other things, God is in the business of "bringing down the mighty and scattering the proud in the imaginations of their hearts."

An aside: I have read that Wikileaks' next revelations will be coming from one of the megabanks. Bank of America is the rumored target. That ought to be very interesting.

Re: Preparation for the Poor: Why Climate Funding Can’t Wait

BuckeyeDon — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:00:35 -0000

:-)

Re: Preparation for the Poor: Why Climate Funding Can’t Wait

BuckeyeDon — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 19:20:57 -0000

Weather refers to the specific atmospheric conditions in a given place at a given time. Weather is quite variable, which is one reason why it's so difficult to predict. (Nevertheless, weather forecasters do a much, much better job of accurately predicting upcoming atmospheric changes than your "can't predict the weather for tomorrow" comment would suggest.)

Climate, on the other hand, refers to long-term trends in atmospheric conditions, not specific place-and-time conditions. We speak, for example, of the earth's having eight or nine climate zones. One example is the so-called Mediterranean climate, characterized by mild winters and hot, dry summers; most of the rain in a Mediterranean climate falls during the winter. In addition to the Mediterranean region itself, this climate characteristic can be found in southern California, parts of Chile, South Africa, and parts of Australia.

Climate, historically, is not variable; the characteristics of a particular climate zone are well known and do not normally vary significantly from season to season. This is one reason why the fact that we've observed changes in climate, clearly caused by an increase in atmospheric CO2, is so significant. Since climates have been so stable, the changes we've been experiencing are so noteworthy: melting glaciers, increased droughts in some areas, increased torrential rainfall in other areas, etc. Given the changes in atmospheric CO2 levels, along with changes that have already been observed, allow scientists to make long-term predictions with a relatively high degree of accuracy.

I live in the eastern deciduous forest region of North America. Historically, our climate region is characterized by relatively humid conditions throughout the year, four clearly delineated seasons, warm to hot summers, cold winters, and relatively even distribution of precipitation throughout the year. In recent years, however, I have noted several changes in the local climate from what we experienced, say, thirty years ago. Summers have been drier, hotter, and less humid. Rainfall seems to be concentrated more during the colder months, and rainfalls tend more often to be heavy, torrential downpours rather than the more gentle rainfall events we used to have. The growing season (the number of days between the last killing frost of spring and the first killing frost of autumn) has been extended by at least two weeks over the last thirty years. It's getting harder for me to get my autumn garden crops to grow because of dry, hot conditions in late summer and early autumn, something we had not experienced in earlier years.

Those like me who have been paying attention to what has been happening with our local climatic conditions have no doubt that the climate scientists are right--earth's climates are changing.