more Katrina blog info

This site is a huge index of bloggers trying to communicate from the settings of where Katrina has hit along the Gulf coast.

http://www.artsjournal.com/aboutlastnight/archives20050828.shtml#102347

Katrina response #1

Here is the link to the blog Kaye's Katrina Hurricane Blog which is from a woman in the midst of the present situation.

Also, here is a link to the historic United Church of Christ Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi which I fear has been badly hit, but we don't know yet. I'm sure the people who it serves, predominantly low-income people are serverly hit, and probably make up most of the deaths of Biloxi.

You can probably get the best updates via the United Church of Christ web site disaster relief page.

Here are some other good web sites about the situation and possible ways to help in the relief:
Josh Britton
James
unapologetic

Robertson issues death warrant

It sounds like Pat Robertson is issuing death warrants like the radical terrorists who claim to be Muslim clergy. Pogo strikes again! - "We have met the enemy and he is us."

response to Bob

My friend Bob Robinson left a good comment on my previoius post about intelligent design and the Darwinian theory of evolution. I am following up on that comment:

Bob, I wouldn't disagree with you that Darwinian theory of evolution is from a modern context. What I find interesting, though, is that there are connectiongs being made among science and poetry and faith. Brian McLaren does this and introduced me to John Haught of Georgetown Univeristy. His major books are "God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution" and "What is God: How to Think of the Divine".
Here is a bio on him
http://www.meta-library.net/bio/jh-body.html
and an article entitled "Theology and Ecology in an Unfinished Universe.:
http://www.nd.edu/~ecoltheo/abstracts_haught.htm

What I find is that the intelligent design community is abandoning this faith foundation totally to try to "fight" evolutionary theory on its terms. I do find that there is a lot more imagination coming out of portions of the scientific community these days.

letter to Time magazine on intelligent design

The most recent issue of Time magazine has "Evolution Wars" as the theme of it main piece. I sent a letter to the editor about that article and the issue:

God is always "in" the classroom. To even suggest that a law about "intelligent design" would put "God back in the classroom" is an affront to God. Ironically, those who claim that they are the "Christian" portion of this debate, are demeaning the reality and power of God in the way they are presenting some of the foundations of their arguments.

If "intelligent design" is to be presented in the classroom as the President said, so that students can learn "both sides", then I would believe that he would support also that both "sides" should be presented in health or biology classes about birth control and abstinence.

For me, the bottom line issue is that "intelligent design" folks are perverting the wonderful poetry and vision that the Hebrew people and their writers brought to the two creation narratives of the book of Genesis. This is really an attack on the ancient tradition of how God has revealed his truth to us and is subverting it to human control and power so that a certain group of humans can claim they know the "truth" over the rest of their fellow creatures. If they want to punch holes in the Darwinian theory of evolution scientifically, then use the scientific method. Don't misuse Hebrew scripture to do this. I wonder, did God bring the world into being intelligently or creatively? Poetry, the art of storytelling and faith lead to an amazing creativity which there seems to be little of among the intelligent design folks.

letter to the Editor on Darfur

Here is a letter to the editor I sent to the Akron Beacon Journal which they published recently:
The Beacon Journal has offered the best in the historical nature of news leadership by the full page editorial on the genocide in the Darfur region of the Sudan in the July 15, 2005 paper! We citizens have heard our leaders talk about the Darfur for over a year. But yet the necessary actions have not been taken. The killings, growing starvation and disease is simply spreading death and destruction throughout the region. So, since the President, the U.S. Congress and the U.N. have delayed, it falls to us to lay down the "law" and demand action. The present generations can't say we don't know. We all know now of Rwanda and Bosnia. Write anyone you can to demand action. Send financial support to groups like http://www.oxfam.com/ to aid them in their mission to help the survivors, even as their own lives are at risk. Oxfam America, 26 West Street, Boston, MA 02111. Again, thank you BJ! I have posted your editorial in a prominent public place for others to learn from the direction you have given us.
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Here is the link to the original editorial.

the dog days of August

Well, I've been back two weeks from my annual wonderful vacation at my in-laws in Crossville, TN. Been doing a lot of catching up on things I have been behind on for over a year.

After an early morning shower, the day heated up and the humidity was unbearable. But the day was a wonderful day. Today at the church we had one of our "famous" family yard sales where we just set up tables in the front yard and families bring stuff, put it on the tables, and sell it. We did it as a fund-raiser for Kids Hope USA which we will be starting as a ministry over the coming year. The spirit among the folks from our church was great. And we sold over $850 worth. We also had a lot of good fellowship and connection with the folks who came to shop and buy.