Confessions of a Recovering Pharisee

[Seattle Times]

A Day of Silence inside Mount Si High School meant to show support for gay and lesbian students erupted in noisy protests outside.

More than one-third of students didn’t show up for classes Friday. Principal Randy Taylor said 495 out of 1,410 students weren’t at school, including 85 athletes whose parents had asked that they be excused for their personal beliefs.

About 100 people joined the Rev. Ken Hutcherson, a prominent anti-gay-rights activist, in prayer and song that questioned the dedication of a school day to what they said was a controversial political cause.

Snoqualmie police placed yellow crime-scene tape between Hutcherson’s supporters and about 40 counterdemonstrators, including some former students, who tried to drown out the pastor by beating drums and chanting, “Go home.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

I will remain silent…

What do you think?

[Christian Post]

Actress Kate Walsh, who plays a doctor on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy” television series, is receiving criticism from pro-life advocates for faulting abstinence education for the rising pregnancy and STD rates among teen girls.

Walsh, a member of the board of advisors of Planned Parenthood, attended a congressional briefing on sex education on Capitol Hill on Thursday, during which she advocated cutting out all government funding for abstinence education, according to the D.C.-based Family Research Council.

Walsh also took her sex education campaign to airwaves on Friday’s CBS The Early Show, where she told co-anchor Julie Chen, “Abstinence-only is not working. It’s a $1.5 billion program over the last ten years that has, quite frankly, failed.  She attempted to link abstinence-only education to the rising STD rates among teens by citing the recent Center for Disease Control statistics which showed that at least one in four teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

The actress called for more government spending on sex-ed, noting that private foundations and parents should not be trusted sources.

Walsh, whose “Grey’s Anatomy” character engages in activity like sexual romps in the hospital closet on the show, also revealed her take on abstinence, saying that to expect

“everybody to remain abstinent is just – it’s like asking them not to grow.”

Read about it here.

[From me]

Kate, you play a doctor on TV but you have no idea what you are talking about.  There is only one way to prevent STD’s!  Abstinence for singles and monogamy for married couples.  There is no other full proof way!  People like her just want to justify their behavior by making God’s plan to sound old fashion or outdated.

What do you think?

I’ll admit up front that I’ve been guilty of resorting to name calling when I couldn’t come up with something of substance to say. I was wrong. I’ve become a better learner by just closing my mouth & listening.

This weekend I “googled,” yahooed,” & “technoratied” the military ministry, my parents & “God’s basic training” & was amazed at the trash that was on many blogs & chat rooms. It seems that very few were interested in the truth. These sites were Atheists, seperatists & yes some Christian ones. I responded with the facts on a dozen or so.

Well most of them couldn’t handle the facts so they resorted to profanity, Bush bashing, military bashing & name calling?  Of course this type of behavior isn’t limited to any group.  Christians are guilty of this too.  You see it in politics daily.  If you can’t win an argument or you have nothing worth saying call someone a:

• Liberal
• Right-winger
• war monger
• moderate
• fundamentalist
• fundy
• etc….

So the lesson I learned is this- if you don’t have solid facts or substance call people names & add a few profanity ladened  adjectives  That way no one can figure out that you have nothing of substance to back your claims.

What do you think?

Yesterday started off like most days that I have. I enjoyed spending the weekend alone with my wife. My parents spoke at our church’s Father-son and Mother-daughter lunch on Saturday and took Jacob and Hope home to Columbia, SC. Cassandra was scheduled to pick them up yesterday morning @ 11:00 AM half-way between Columbia and Charlotte.

I’m a planner and live by my Franklin-Covey Software on my Palm Treo. But I learned years ago at their seminar to expect interruptions. Of course the Bible tells me that in James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

That was one of the first passages of Scripture I memorized as a child. It has been my life. In fact, I know that if I’m not having opposition of some sort I’m not serving God to the fullest. I’m convinced that Satan doesn’t need to bother those who aren’t living for him.

Anyway, While I was studying Cassandra called and asked me if I would go pick up Jacob and Hope because her back was acting up again and she couldn’t drive. I said sure because I knew I could study on the way down and get them back home and be in the office by 12:30 at the latest to prepare for Sunday’s message.

I drove down to Exit #65 in SC and was waiting for my Dad, Jacob and Hope to meet me at McDonalds (not to eat!) when a man and his girlfriend hit me up for $$. They made me feel very uncomfortable so I went inside the McDonalds because I was afraid they might try to rob me. A half-hour later my dad arrived with my kids and we packed up and I was right on schedule. I decided to stop and get gas in Rock Hill, SC because they have cheap gas ( can you believe that I am considering $2.83 a gallon cheap?). Right before I pulled off I ran over something on I-77. I didn’t think much about it until a lady at the Raceway gas station told me my front tire was flat. It wasn’t just flat it was to the rim.

I put some air in it but heard air oozing out so I drove to the Pep Boys across the street to get it fixed. They said it would be 45 minutes so Jacob, Hope and I went to the Pizza Hut across the street and ate from the Buffet. I don’t like Buffets because I always feel I have to get my money’s worth but after speaking on Gluttony Sunday I was good and ate a salad.
After eating we went back to Pep Boys and my car was still not ready. We ended up waiting 2 hours total. Thankfully I didn’t have to buy a new tire. I drove the kids home and drove back to the church to get some studying done. I stayed much later than normal to make up for lost study time.

I’m convinced of this–God must be planning something big this week in my life or the church. Anytime I have Murphy’s Law days I know that Satan doesn’t want me to do something for God’s glory. We are passing out ice cold water bottles this Saturday and I’m speaking from Colossians 3 this Sunday about work. I’m not sure what is going to happen but I look forward to seeing God move!

What about you? When you experience opposition do you see God in those time?

[UPDATE]

I guess there is a lot of spiritual warfare going on this week. I just got off the phone with Wells Fargo regarding the leased van I turned in 2 months ago that was 10,000 miles under the allowed miles and I had to settle with them for “excessive” wear for money I don’t have. Do not lease from Wells Fargo!!!!

God must really love me!