Everyone wants to know more about the budget and here is some key information with a chart from the Heritage Foundation and a video from the Cato Institute.
In 2010, the U.S. spent more on interest on the national debt than it spent on many federal departments, including Education and Veterans Affairs.
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS (2010)
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Source: White House Office of Management and Budget.
The charts in this book are based primarily on data available as of March 2011 from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The charts using OMB data display the historical growth of the federal government to 2010 while the charts using CBO data display both historical and projected growth from as early as 1940 to 2084. Projections based on OMB data are taken from the White House Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The charts provide data on an annual basis except… Read More
Authors
Emily GoffResearch Assistant
Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy StudiesKathryn NixPolicy Analyst
Center for Health Policy StudiesJohn FlemingSenior Data Graphics Editor
Both Oppenneimer and Lizza have attacked Francis Schaeffer’s view, but the way to know his views best is to take time to watch his film series. I said that in my first post and I will continue to show all ten episodes of his film series “How should we then live?”
This is a series of posts concerning presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and her religious beliefs. Particularly I will be looking at the identity of Francis Schaeffer who Michele said had major impact on her views. I also would say that Francis Schaeffer was the greatest christian philosopher of the 20th century.
In 1979 I first watched the film series “How should we then live?” and it was so impressive to me that I returned to my high school with permission from my former teacher to view the series again. In fact, Mr. Brink would tell the seniors at Evangelical Christian School in Cordova, TN something to this affect: “I hope you realize how important this film series by Dr. Francis Schaeffer is. Here we have Everette Hatcher who is in college now, but he is coming back to see this film again because he knows how valuable it is.”
The best way to understand Michele Bachmann’s worldview is to watch the film series “How should we then live?” by Francis Schaeffer. I have provided a 30 minute episode at the end of this post with a written outline. In this film series the humanist worldview is seen as weak because it is not able to give adequate answers to life’s tough questions while the christian worldview can. Humanism has a finite base because it is limited to finite man while the Christian worldview is based on information provided by the infinite-personal God of the Bible.
_____________________________________
In today’s episode on the Middle Ages we see that the church moves away from the more conservative view of the Bible that the early church held to the Catholic view that put more attention on what the leaders of the Catholic Church thought.
Considered a Tea Party favorite, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) continues to garner positive reactions from conservative voters as she touts her pro-life stance and vows to repeal Obamacare.
(Photo: Reuters / Adam Hunger)
U.S. Congresswoman and likely Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann arrives to pays tribute to veterans on Memorial Day in Dover, New Hampshire May 30, 2011.
The 55-year-old has yet to announce her candidacy for U.S. president but is expected to later this month.
Bachmann was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and presently serves on the Financial Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. She also chairs the House Tea Party Caucus. Before becoming a member of Congress, she served in the Minnesota State Senate. She is a graduate of Winona State University and Oral Roberts University.
In a brief interview with The Christian Post, Bachmann discussed two issues that are near and dear to her heart – faith and family. She is married to Dr. Marcus Bachmann, a clinical therapist, and is mother to Lucas, Harrison, Elisa, Caroline, and Sophia.
CP: I understand you converted to Christianity as a teenager. Can you share more about that experience?
Bachmann: I was born into a Christian family and brought up in a Lutheran church. My faith has been the center point of my life, really, since I was a child, but at 16 years of age, I fully surrendered my life over to Christ. At that point, as a teenager, I began to grasp the concept of Christ’s true love and forgiveness.
CP: Are there any ministries, authors, or individuals who have contributed to your spiritual growth?
Bachmann: First of all, I would point to the teachings of Jesus Christ and to the Old and New Testaments. Furthermore, when my husband and I were in college we were influenced by Dr. Francis Schaeffer’s “How Should We Then Live?” He was one of the greatest philosophers of the last century. I also enjoy listening to Ravi Zacharias.
CP: You’ve been a stay-at-home mom and a working mom – a high-profile one at that. How do you juggle your current schedule and your responsibilities as a wife and mother of five?
Bachmann: I have to give credit to my loving and supportive husband of nearly 33 years, Marcus, through whom God has blessed me. I knew before I married Marcus that he would make a wonderful father, and he is. For the most part, we make our decisions, together as a couple and as a family, through prayer. We’ve made life decisions, from going to school, to starting a business, and to raising children after thought and prayer.
CP: You and your husband, Marcus, were foster parents for years. Did your Christian faith play a role in making the decision to assume that responsibility?
Bachmann: Yes, most certainly. We have broken hearts for at-risk kids. We were juggling toddlers already at home, but we saw another couple at church who were foster parents and we asked ourselves whether we could open our home and our hearts to foster children as well.
We never set out to take in 23 children, but children continued to need homes, so we continued to open our home to them.
Many children in the foster care system are often in the midst of a family challenge. Marcus and I sought to assist families during difficult times. We aren’t perfect people, nor are we a perfect family, but these children didn’t expect us to be either. They needed a loving home and care, and we tried our best every single day.
CP: You must be a strong proponent of Christian higher education, given that your law degree is from the former Oral Roberts University O.W. Coburn law school. Why did you choose that institution?
Bachmann: I am very supportive of Christian education, and it was my husband who actually encouraged me, as we were discussing law school options, to choose a Christian institution, and I agreed.
CP: If you choose to not pursue the presidency, what would you think about a Sarah Palinattempt?
Bachmann: Governor Palin is a friend and I know if she runs she will bring a unique background to the field.
How Should We Then Live 2-1
I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970’s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard to authority and the approach to God.” In my view we see a move from more conservative evangelicalism of the early church to the Catholic Church.
A. Social, political, and intellectual uncertainty.
B. General decline in learning, but monasteries were a depository for classical and Christian documents.
C. The original pristine Christianity of the New Testament gradually became distorted.
D. Decline of vital naturalism in art parallels decline of vital Christianity: positive and negative aspects of Byzantine art.
E. Music at time of Ambrose, later Gregorian chants.
II. The Church in the World: Economic, Social, Political.
How to be in the world but not of it.
A. Generosity of early church.
B. Ambivalence in Middle Ages about material goods; asceticism and luxury.
C. Economic controls to protect the weak.
D. Emphasis on work well done.
E. Care for social needs: e.g. hospitals.
F. Meaning of Christendom; attendant problems. Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government.
III. Artistic Achievements
A. Close relation between church and society in art and life: e.g. reign of Charlemagne.
B. Basis of unified European culture laid by Charlemagne.
C. Birth and flowering of Romanesque architecture.
D. Birth and flowering of Gothic architecture.
IV. Links Between Philosophical, Theological, and Spiritual Developments on Eve of Renaissance
A. Aquinas’ emphasis on Aristotle.
1. Negative aspect: individual things, the particulars, tended to be made independent, autonomous.
2. With this came the loss of adequate meaning for the individual things, including Man, morals, values, and law.
B. Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard to authority and the approach to God.
C. Reaction of Wycliffe and Hus to theological distortions is prophetic of Reformation.
Questions
1. Summarize the negative and positive aspects of church influence in the Middle Ages.
2. “To speak of distortions of belief in the Middle Ages is to pretend that the church should have stood still when the apostles died. But we have to adapt to new circumstances and ideas. The medieval church did.” Comment.
3. Apply the particulars-universals discussion to modern circumstances. How do people repeat the same mistakes nowadays? Be specific.
Key Events and Persons
Aristotle: 384-322 B.C.
Ambrose: 339-397
Alcuin of York: 735-804
Charlemagne reign: c. 768-814
Crowned Emperor: 800
Romanesque style: 1000-1150
Gothic style: 1150-1250
St. Denis: 1140-
St. Francis: c. 1181-1226
Chartres: 1194-
Aquinas: 1225-1274
John Wycliffe: c. 1320-1384
John Hus: 1369-1415
Further Study
H. Fichtenau, The Carolingian Empire (1954).
Gordon Leff, Medieval Thought (1958).
C.S. Lewis, The Discarded Image (1964).
E.K. Rand, Founders of the Middle Ages (1954).
O. vonSimson, The Gothic Cathedral (1964).
R.W. Southern, The Making of the Middle Ages (1953).
E P I S O D E 1 0 How Should We Then Live 10#1 FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be led by an elite: John Kenneth […]
E P I S O D E 9 How Should We Then Live 9#1 T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads to Pessimism Regarding a Meaning for Life and for Fixed […]
E P I S O D E 8 How Should We Then Live 8#1 I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas) and Post-Impressionism (Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, […]
E P I S O D E 7 How Should We Then Live 7#1 I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act on his belief that we live […]
I have made it clear from day one when I started this blog that Francis Schaeffer, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan and Adrian Rogers had been the biggest influences on my political and religious views. Today I am responding to an unfair attack on Francis Schaeffer’s book “A Christian Manifesto.” As you can see on the […]
E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in Modern Science. A. Change in conviction from earlier modern scientists.B. From an open to a closed natural system: […]
E P I S O D E 5 How Should We Then Live 5-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Francis Schaeffer noted, “Reformation Did Not Bring Perfection. But gradually on basis of biblical teaching there was a unique improvement. A. […]
How Should We Then Live 4-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to how to be right with […]
U.S. Credit Rating Downgraded: Now They’ve Done It By J.D. Foster, Ph.D. August 6, 2011 Late on Friday, August 5, Standard & Poor’s (S&P) downgraded the United States credit rating from AAA, and really best in class, to AA+. In one fell swoop, S&P sent two separate and powerful messages. First, as The Heritage Foundation and […]
How Should We Then Live 3-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so many problems today with this excellent episode. He noted, “Could have gone either way—with emphasis on real people living in […]
How Should We Then Live 2-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard to authority and the approach to God.” […]
How Should We Then Live 1-1 Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why it fell. It fell because of inward […]
There is a simple problem for Florida. They are putting in a new offensive system and it rarely works well the first year. Also I hate their schedule. They have a non-conference against the University of Oklahoma who most magazines are picking as the best team in the country. An early season loss may not help the confidence of the young players on the Gator team.
Georgia is ready to roll this year. I think they have a great coach in Mark Richt. Some say he will get fired if he does not win big this year. However, with a record of 96-34 how can you fire that guy? Don’t forget that this is the SEC we are talking about here. I think also some people in the Georgia administration know what fine character this man has. I have been an admirer of his for a long time because he gets that character from Christ. Coach Richt is not bashful about proclaiming that he is a born again Christian (just like another famous Georgian). Below I have put an article about Coach Richt.
The Bulldogs have an important season opener against Boise State, and an even more critical SEC opener the following week against South Carolina. My pick to win the Eastern Division, Georgia plays the lesser lights from the other division.
Strengths: As a redshirt freshman, quarterback Aaron Murray completed almost 60 percent of his passes with an impressive 24-to-8 touchdown-interception ratio. The Bulldogs’ offensive line is experienced with three senior starters back, although none was an All-SEC pick last year. Georgia’s defense should be tough against the pass as all four starters return in the secondary. All-SEC kicker Blair Walsh is back for his fourth season and second team All-SEC punter Drew Butler also returns, so the kicking game could make a difference in close games.
Weaknesses: With A.J. Green now waiting out the NFL lockout and Washaun Ealey having been dismissed from the program, the Bulldogs must find new playmakers or else Murray’s efficiency will suffer. Their top returning receiver (Tavarres King) caught just 27 passes a year ago. Georgia also returns just one linebacker, a potential worry in a 3-4 defense. There’s also a warm seat on the sideline as coach Mark Richt can’t afford another 6-7 campaign if he wants to return for a 12th season in 2012
Florida
Returning Starters: 11, kicker
Strengths: Every starting running back and wideout returns for the Gators, as does senior quarterback John Brantley. A poor fit for former coach Urban Meyer’s spread offense, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound Brantley should thrive under QB guru and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. Although there are seven starters to replace on defense, it’s hard to imagine new coach Will Muschamp presiding over a below-average stop unit. And because of Meyer’s excellent recruiting, the program enjoys good depth.
Weaknesses: Four starters must be identified in the offensive line, which could make protecting the slow-footed Brantley problematic. Three-fourths of an outstanding secondary also used up their eligibility, something which early-season opponents such as Tennessee and Kentucky might try to exploit. Also, can Muschamp prove to his team and Florida’s demanding supporters that he has the chops to win games against the likes of Nick Saban, Les Miles and Gene Chizik – all national championship coaches who the Gators meet in three consecutive October weeks?
He is one of the most successful college football coaches in the country. Mark Richt, head coach of the University of Georgia, is one of only nine college football coaches with 60 or more wins in his first six seasons. During his six seasons with the Georgia Bulldogs, his team has won two Southeastern Conference Football Championships and three SEC Eastern Division Titles. The team also finished among the top ten teams in the country four consecutive years from 2002-2005. Despite his success as a coach and love of football in general, and University of Georgia football in particular, head coach Mark Richt has a greater love than football-as a Christian his first love is Jesus Christ. It may be because of his faith in Christ as God’s Son Who died on the cross to save the world from sin that caused him to act in the heavily spiritual sports movie, Facing the Giants, as he played head coach, Grant Taylor.
March Richt has been a success wherever he has gone. In high school at Boca Raton High School in Boca Raton, Florida, he starred as a quarterback (Playing quarterback was always his dream. He never dreamed of coaching.) . At the University of Miami he was the backup for future Pro Football Hall of Fame star Jim Kelly. As the offensive coordinator under Bobby Bowden at Florida State he coached quarterbacks Charlie Ward and Chris Weinke, who both won the Heisman Trophy, and helped coach two national championship teams.
Bobby Bowden means more to Mark Richt than helping him coach football, which led to his becoming the head coach of Georgia. It was because of Bowden that Richt became a Christian.
After a Florida State player was shot and killed in 1986, Bowden pointed to the seat the deceased player would normally sit in, before the murder. He asked members of his team if they knew where they would spend eternity if he died. Mark Richt didn’t like the thought and the next morning talked with Bowden. The Florida State great took a Bible and led Richt to Christ.
“I prayed to receive Christ that morning in his office,” Richt recalls. “And it changed my life.”
He says that since that time he thinks more about others. He began to think about serving his new Lord. He now has the peace he remembers seeing in a Christian college roommate he once had.
Mark Richt hopes that others will be attract to his faith because of his success. He also believes, however, that he still makes many mistakes and needs God’s forgiveness.
Mark Richt, the successful head football coach of the University of Georgia, says Jesus means “salvation…everlasting life with God…peace and hope, instead of despair.”
Edith Schaeffer also wrote books, and in 1977, Frank, an amateur filmmaker, directed his father in a 10-part documentary, “How Should We Then Live?,” in which Francis railed against the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, Charles Darwin and abortion. The series was a sensation among evangelicals. Ryan Lizza recently wrote in The New Yorker that seeing “How Should We Then Live?” had a “profound influence” on the future presidential candidate Michele Bachmann.
I will go into detail in later posts, but there are many errors in Ryan Lizza’s article. SCHAEFFER DID NOT SUGGEST IN THE BOOK “A Christian Manifesto” that we at the point in 1981 that we should overthrow the government because of abortion.
In this series of posts I will primarily be concerned with presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and her religious beliefs. Particularly I will be looking at the identity of Francis Schaeffer who Michele said had major impact on her views. I also would say that Francis Schaeffer was the greatest christian philosopher of the 20th century.
In 1979 I first watched the film series “How should we then live?” and it was so impressive to me that I returned to my high school with permission from my former teacher to view the series again. In fact, Mr. Brink would tell the seniors at Evangelical Christian School in Cordova, TN something to this effect: “I hope you realize how important this film series by Dr. Francis Schaeffer is. Here we have Everette Hatcher who is in college now, but he is coming back to see this film again because he knows how valuable it is.”
The best way to understand Michele Bachmann’s worldview is to watch the film series “How should we then live?” by Francis Schaeffer. I have provided a 30 minute episode at the end of this post with a written outline. In this film series the humanist worldview is seen as weak because it is not able to give adequate answers to life’s tough questions while the christian worldview can. Humanism has a finite base because it is limited to finite man while the Christian worldview is based on information provided by the infinite-personal God of the Bible.
The Tea Party caucus chair talks to CT about her potential presidential candidacy.
Interview by Sarah Pulliam Bailey | posted 4/14/2011 10:26AM
President Obama has cited Reinhold Niebuhr as one of his favorite thinkers and philosophers. Who do you look to for inspiration?
First of all, it would be to the teachings of Jesus Christ and also the Old Testament works by Moses. I also was influenced by Dr. Francis Schaeffer when I was in college. He was one of the greatest philosophers of the last century. But I also look to a number of different scholars. I like to read various other commentators. There are a number of people who I read.
It sounds like you’re leaning towards a presidential run. Are there certain things that you’re waiting to figure out before you take the plunge?
This, as you know, is a momentous decision. We are not entering into this rashly. We’re putting together a plan and a team, and we’re making our decisions based upon the resources that we have. We have not made the decision.
I know you will be speaking at Ralph Reed’s event in June and you have attended Family Research Council’s Values Voters Summit in the past. Are there any religious leaders that you’re looking to for guidance?
There are a number of Christian and Jewish organizations that I speak with in the course of my work. This decision about whether or not I run for office will be made in consultation with a number of people. I’m not calling any religious leaders in particular, but certainly my husband and I are making this a matter of prayer.
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The Roots of the Emergent Church by Francis Schaeffer
Francis Shaeffer – The early church (part1)
Francis Shaeffer – The early church (part 2)
Francis Shaeffer – The early church (part 3)
Francis Shaeffer – The early church (part 4)
Francis Shaeffer – The early church (part 5)
How Should We then Live Episode 7 small (Age of Nonreason)
#02 How Should We Then Live? (Promo Clip) Dr. Francis Schaeffer
10 Worldview and Truth
Two Minute Warning: How Then Should We Live?: Francis Schaeffer at 100
Francis Schaeffer Whatever Happened to the Human Race (Episode 1) ABORTION
Francis Schaeffer “BASIS FOR HUMAN DIGNITY” Whatever…HTTHR
Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970’s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first.
Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why it fell. It fell because of inward problems. We have many of these same problems today in the USA.
There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner life of the mind—what they are in their thought world determines how they act. This is true of their value systems and it is true of their creativity …
People have presuppositions, and they will live more consistently on the basis of these presuppositions than even they themselves may realize. By presuppositions we mean the basic way an individual looks at life, his basic world view, the grid through which he sees the world. Presuppositions rest upon that which a person considers to be the truth of what exists. People’s presuppositions lay a grid for all they bring forth into the external world. Their presuppositions also provide the basis for their values and their basis for their decisions.
“As a man thinketh, so is he,” is really most profound. An individual is not just the product of the forces around him. He has a mind, an inner world …
Most people catch their presuppositions from their family and surrounding society the way a child catches measles. But people with more understanding realize that their presuppositions should be chosen after a careful consideration of what world view is true …
It is important to realize what a difference a people’s world view makes in their strength as they are exposed to the pressure of life. That it was the Christians who were able to resist religious mixtures, syncretism, and the effects of the weakness of Roman culture speaks of the strength of the Christian world view. This strength rested on God’s being an infinite-personal God and his speaking in the Old Testament, in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, and in the gradually growing New Testament. He had spoken in ways people could understand. Thus the Christians not only had knowledge about the universe and mankind that people cannot find out by themselves, but they had absolute, universal values by which to live and by which to judge the society and the political state in which they lived …1
Apathy was the chief mark of the late Empire. One of the ways the apathy showed itself was in a lack of creativity in the arts. One easily observed example of the decadence of officially sponsored art is that the fourth-century work on the Arch of Constantine in Rome stands’ in poor contrast to its second-century sculptures which were borrowed from monuments from the period of Emperor Trajan. The elite abandoned their intellectual pursuits for social life. Officially sponsored art was decadent, and music was increasingly bombastic. Even the portraits on the coins became of poor quality. All of life was marked by the predominant apathy.
As the Roman economy slumped lower and lower, burdened with an aggravated inflation and a costly government, authoritarianism increased to counter the apathy. Since work was no longer done voluntarily, it was brought increasingly under the authority of the state, and freedoms were lost. For example, laws were passed binding small farmers to their land. So, because of the general apathy and its results, and because of oppressive control, few thought the old civilization worth saving.
Rome did not fall because of external forces such as the invasion by the barbarians. Rome had no sufficient inward base; the’ barbarians only completed the breakdown — and Rome gradually became a ruin.
It is important to realize what a difference a people’s world view makes in their strength as they are exposed to the pressure of life. That it was the Christians who were able to resist religious mixtures, syncretism, and the effects of the weaknesses of Roman culture speaks of the strength of the Christian world view. This strength rested on God’s being an infinite-personal God and his speaking in the Old Testament, in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, and in the gradually growing New Testament. He had spoken in ways people could understand. Thus the Christians not only had knowledge about the universe and mankind that people cannot find out by themselves, but they had absolute, universal values by which to live and by which to judge the society and the political state in which they lived. And they had grounds for the basic dignity and value of the individual as unique in being made in the image of God.
Perhaps no one has presented more vividly to our generation the inner weakness of imperial Rome than has Fellini (1920-) in his film Satyricon. He reminds us that the classical world is not to be romanticized, but that it was both cruel and decadent as it came to the logical conclusion of its world view.
A culture or an individual with a weak base can stand only when the pressure on it is not too great. As an illustration, let us think of a Roman bridge. The Romans built little humpbacked bridges over many of the streams of Europe. People and wagons went over these structures safely for centuries, for two millennia. But if people today drove heavily loaded trucks over these bridges, they would break. It is this way with the lives and value systems of individuals and cultures when they have nothing stronger to build on than their own limitedness, their own finiteness. They can stand when pressures are not too great, but when pressures mount, if then they do not have a sufficient base, they crash-just as a Roman bridge would cave in under the weight of a modern six-wheeled truck. Culture and the freedoms of people are fragile. Without a sufficient base, when such pressures come only time is needed and often not a great deal of time-before there is a collapse.
C. Answer approached through consideration of the past.
D. Any starting point in history would be good; we start with Rome because it is direct ancestor of modern West.
II. Rome: The Empire Triumphant
A. Size and military strength of Empire.
B. Imperial sway evoked by Aventicum (Avenches), Switzerland.
III. Rome: Cultural Analysis
A. Greece and Rome: cultural influences and parallels.
1. Society as the absolute, to give meaning to life.
2. Finite gods as ground of accepted values.
B. Problems arising from Roman culture.
1. No infinite reference point as base for values and society.
2. Collapse of civic ideals therefore inevitable.
C. Results of collapse of ideals.
1. Dictatorship of Julius Caesar a response to civil disorder.
2. Firmly established authoritarian rule of Augustus.
D. Characteristics of regime introduced by Augustus.
1. Claim to give peace and the fruits of civilization.
2. Care to maintain facade of republican constitution.
3. People ready to accept absolute power in return for peace and prosperity.
4. Religious sanction for emperor-dictators: the emperor as God.
E. Christian persecution
1. Religious toleration in the Empire.
2. Christians persecuted because they would worship only the infinite-personal God and not Caesar also. They had an absolute whereby to judge the Roman state and its actions.
F. Viability of presuppositions facing social and political tension.
1. Christians had infinite reference point in God and His revelation in the Old Testament, the revelation through Christ, and the growing New Testament.
2. Christians could confront Roman culture and be untouched by its inner weakness, including its relativism and syncretism.
3. Roman hump-backed bridge, like Roman culture, could only stand if not subjected to overwhelming pressures.
IV. Rome: Eventual Decline and Fall
A. Growth of taste for cruelty.
B. Decadence seen in rampant sexuality and lust for violence.
C. General apathy, as seen in decline in artistic creativity.
D. Economic decline, more expensive government, and tighter centralization.
E. Successful barbarian invasions because of internal rot.
V. Conclusion
There is no foundation strong enough for society or the individual life within the realm of finiteness and beginning from Man alone as autonomous.
Questions
1. Dr. Schaeffer claims that, through looking at history, we can see how presuppositions determine events. Does his discussion bear this out and, if so, how?
2. How can a survey of Roman history in one-half hour be either useful or responsible? Discuss.
3. “History does not repeat itself.” —The parallels between the history of Rome and the twentieth century West are many and obvious.” How may these statements be reconciled?
Key Events and Persons
Julius Caesar: 100-44 B.C.
Augustus Caesar (Octavian): 63 B.C.-A.D. 14
Declared Pontifex Maximus: 12 B.C.
Diocletian: (Emperor) A.D. 284-305
Further Study
Here, as in succeeding suggestions for further study, it will be assumed that if you want to devote a great deal of time to a topic you can consult a library or a good bookstore. Suggestions given below are made on the basis of relevance to the text, readability, and availability.
Not all the books will necessarily agree at all—or in all details—with Dr. Schaeffer’s presentation. But as in the general conduct of life, so in matters of the mind, one must learn to discriminate. If you avoid reading things with which you disagree, you will be naive about what most of the world thinks. On the other hand, if you read everything—but without a critical mind—you will end up accepting by default all that the world (and especially your own moment of history) thinks.
J.P.V.D. Balsdon, Life and Leisure in Ancient Rome (1969).
E.M. Blaiklock, The Christian in Pagean Society (1956).
Samuel Dill, Roman Society in the Last Century of the Western Empire (1962).
E.M.B. Green, Evangelism in the Early Church (1970).
Plutarch, Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans: A Selection (1972).
Virgil, The Aeneid (1965).
Film: Fellini, Satyricon (1969).
In about A.D. 60, a Jew who was a Christian and who also knew the Greek and Roman thinking of his day wrote a letter to those who lived in Rome. Previously, he had said the same things to Greek thinkers while speaking on Mars Hill in Athens. He had spoken with the Acropolis above him and the ancient marketplace below him, in the place wherethe thinkers of Athens met for discussion. A plaque marks that spot today and gives his talk in the common Greek spoken in his day. He was interrupted in his talk in Athens, but his Letter to the Romans gives us without interruption what he had to say to the thinking people of that period.
He said that the integration points of the Greek and Roman world view were not enough to answer the questions posed either by the existence of the universe and its form, or by the uniqueness of man. He said that they deserved judgment because they knew that they did not have an adequate answer to the questions raised by the universe or by the existence of man, and yet they refused, they suppressed, that which is the answer. To quote his letter:
The retribution of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Because that which is known of God is evident within them [that is, the uniqueness of man in contrast to non-man], for God made it evident to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived by the things that are made [that is, the existence of the universe and its form], even his eternal power and divinity; so that they are without excuse. [Roman 1:18ff.]
Here he is saying that the universe and its form and the mannishness of man speak the same truth that the Bible gives in greater detail. That this God exists and that he has not been silent but has spoken to people in the Bible and through Christ was the basis for the return to a more fully biblical Christianity in the days of the Reformers. It was a message of the possibility that people could return to God on the basis of the death of Christ alone. But with it came many other realities, including form and freedom in the culture and society built on that more biblical Christianity. The freedom brought forth was titanic, and yet, with the forms given in the Scripture, the freedoms did not lead to chaos. And it is this which can give us hope for the future. It is either this or an imposed order.
As I have said in the first chapter, people function on the basis of their world view more consistently than even they themselves may realize. The problem is not outward things. The problem is having, and then acting upon, the right world view — the world view which gives men and women the truth of what is.
E P I S O D E 1 0 How Should We Then Live 10#1 FINAL CHOICES I. Authoritarianism the Only Humanistic Social Option One man or an elite giving authoritative arbitrary absolutes. A. Society is sole absolute in absence of other absolutes. B. But society has to be led by an elite: John Kenneth […]
E P I S O D E 9 How Should We Then Live 9#1 T h e Age of Personal Peace and Afflunce I. By the Early 1960s People Were Bombarded From Every Side by Modern Man’s Humanistic Thought II. Modern Form of Humanistic Thought Leads to Pessimism Regarding a Meaning for Life and for Fixed […]
E P I S O D E 8 How Should We Then Live 8#1 I saw this film series in 1979 and it had a major impact on me. T h e Age of FRAGMENTATION I. Art As a Vehicle Of Modern Thought A. Impressionism (Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Sisley, Degas) and Post-Impressionism (Cézanne, Van Gogh, Gauguin, […]
E P I S O D E 7 How Should We Then Live 7#1 I am thrilled to get this film series with you. I saw it first in 1979 and it had such a big impact on me. Today’s episode is where we see modern humanist man act on his belief that we live […]
I have made it clear from day one when I started this blog that Francis Schaeffer, Milton Friedman, Ronald Reagan and Adrian Rogers had been the biggest influences on my political and religious views. Today I am responding to an unfair attack on Francis Schaeffer’s book “A Christian Manifesto.” As you can see on the […]
E P I S O D E 6 How Should We Then Live 6#1 I am sharing with you a film series that I saw in 1979. In this film Francis Schaeffer asserted that was a shift in Modern Science. A. Change in conviction from earlier modern scientists.B. From an open to a closed natural system: […]
E P I S O D E 5 How Should We Then Live 5-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Francis Schaeffer noted, “Reformation Did Not Bring Perfection. But gradually on basis of biblical teaching there was a unique improvement. A. […]
How Should We Then Live 4-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer makes three key points concerning the Reformation: “1. Erasmian Christian humanism rejected by Farel. 2. Bible gives needed answers not only as to how to be right with […]
How Should We Then Live 3-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer really shows why we have so many problems today with this excellent episode. He noted, “Could have gone either way—with emphasis on real people living in […]
How Should We Then Live 2-1 I was impacted by this film series by Francis Schaeffer back in the 1970′s and I wanted to share it with you. Schaeffer points out that during this time period unfortunately we have the “Church’s deviation from early church’s teaching in regard to authority and the approach to God.” […]
How Should We Then Live 1-1 Today I am starting a series that really had a big impact on my life back in the 1970′s when I first saw it. There are ten parts and today is the first. Francis Schaeffer takes a look at Rome and why it fell. It fell because of inward [..
It is clear to me that Tim Tebow is trusting in the Lord and he does not want to get discouraged by the world’s negativity. However, I do not think that he believes that if you have faith then you will become rich and everything you do will bring success as the world thinks of the word. Jeremiah was called the “weeping prophet” and he was killed but he was successful at getting the warning out to God”s people about the coming time of judgement.
Anugrah Kumar of the Christian Post Magazine had a fine article that I wanted to share with you.
Before his second professional season has even begun, naysayers are questioning his confidence that relies on his Christian beliefs.
CBSSports.com national columnist Gregg Doyel recently analyzed Tebow’s interview with Denver Post and said the way he equated his love for God in heaven with tangible rewards on earth amounted to blasphemy. The interview was prompted by reports that Tebow might not begin the season as Denver’s starting quarterback.
Doyel’s analysis angered Tebow’s fans. “Dude, your article bothers me. You know dang well that you painted Tebow as a religious nut-job,” complained one Daniel Liebman. Doyel Friday responded to what he described as “hate mails” from “Tebow fanatics.”
“I didn’t paint him as a religious nut-job. Tebow’s the one holding the brush. I just hung his art on the wall and asked you folks to take a look,” the columnist said.
“Your article on Christian faith is extremely offensive,” wrote another fan, Chance Jones. “I have forwarded my thoughts to many individuals at CBS Sports and will no longer be a customer.” Doyel listed the responses sent by Tebow’s fans followed by a statement defending his analysis.
While Tebow is not known to have responded to criticism, he posted “Joshua 1:19” on his Facebook page Friday. The verse, which reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go,” alluded to the charge.
Debi Albritton, a fan commented, saying, “Your faith and your continued show of faith even against all the naysayers is a testament to all Christians. May God bless you and continue to strengthen you against all the adversity you receive!”
Doyel’s article juxtaposed views that suggest “Tebow will never be a good NFL quarterback,” with his confidence in God for his success. “He doesn’t believe it. Which is fine… But check out the reason why he doesn’t believe it,” the sports columnist continued.
Then Doyel quoted Tebow as saying, “Others who say I won’t make it are wrong. They don’t know what I’m capable of and what’s inside me. My family and my friends have been bothered by what’s gone on, and I tell them to pay no attention to it. I’m relying as always on my faith.”
“He’ll make it in this league – for the Bible tells him so,” Doyel remarked. “From the outside it looks like Tebow equates his love for God in heaven with tangible rewards here on earth. And that’s more than wrong. It’s blasphemy.” However, Doyel claimed he had nothing against Tebow or his God and that he considered him the nicest person he had ever met.
Collin Hansen, editorial director of The Gospel Coalition, in a blog Friday, commented on the controversy involving Doyel and Tebow.
“I’m not sure if Doyel knows what blasphemy is, or the seriousness of the charge he’s leveling against Tebow,” Hansen commented. “Tebow could be saying he relies on his faith to withstand criticism and pressure, not that he finds assurance in his future as a starting quarterback because God loves him.”
However, Doyel agrees Tebow’s life has been “grandiose.”
“He was the best high school player in America. The best college player in America, and one of the most accomplished players – one Heisman, two national titles – in history. A first-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos in 2010.”
At college in Florida, Tebow frequently wore biblical verses on his eye black. In the 2009 Bowl Championship Series, he wore “John 3:16” on his eye paint, reportedly causing 92 million people to search the verse on Google. Later, Tebow switched to “Proverbs 3:5-6,” again causing 3.43 million searches of the verse together with “Tim Tebow.”
Republican presidential hopeful Jon Huntsman took a swipe at his rivals and warned his party against rejecting science in an interview that will air Sunday.
“I think there’s a serious problem. The minute that the Republican Party becomes the party — the anti-science party — we have a huge problem,” the former US ambassador to China told ABC television’s “This Week.”
Earlier this week, Texas Governor Rick Perry, also running for the nomination, called man-made climate change a “theory that has not yet been proven.”
He added that “there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects.”
Shortly after Perry’s comments, Huntsman, who has been lagging in the polls, scored big on Twitter when he wrote: “To be clear, I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”
At least 3,600 people on the micro-blogging site ‘retweeted” Huntsman’s claim over the next 24 hours, making it the most repeated comment by a Republican White House hopeful in 2012, according to the 140elect.com website.
Huntsman told ABC that if Republicans opt for a stance that “runs counter to what 98 of 100 climate scientists have said,” they will find themselves “on the wrong side of science and, therefore, in a losing position.”
Despite his impressive resume as a successful Utah governor and Obama’s well regarded ambassador to China, Huntsman has yet to catch fire with Republican primary voters looking for a standard-bearer in the November 2012 elections.
Huntsman has drawn considerable media attention, but has been polling inside the margin of error in most surveys.
If the rankings are any indication, the national title race could be a scramble.
No. 2 Alabama, one of a record eight Southeastern Conference teams in the preseason poll, wasn’t far behind OU, receiving 17 first-place votes and 1,439 points.
No. 3 Oregon got four first-place votes, No. 4 LSU received one and No. 5 Boise State got two.
Florida State was No. 6, the Seminoles’ best preseason ranking since starting the 2004 season at No. 5.
Heisman Trophy favorite Andrew Luck and Stanford were No. 7.
Rounding out the top 10 are Oklahoma’s Big 12 rivals, Texas A&M (No. 8) and Oklahoma State (No. 9), andNebraska (No. 10), in its first season in the Big Ten after leaving the Big 12.
No. 16 Notre Dame is ranked for the first time since early November 2009.
As for Oklahoma, no matter where it lands in the preseason, it always expects to make a run at a national championship in the end. It hasn’t won it all, however, since 2000.
That’s when coach Bob Stoops led the Sooners to their seventh AP national title in his second season in Norman. Since then, Oklahoma has lost three BCS championship games.
The Sooners have won the AP national title four times when they were preseason No. 1 (1956, 1974, 1975 and 1985). The last time they started a season top-ranked was 2003. That season, they lost the BCS championship game to LSU.
“We’re very matter of fact,” Stoops said this week. “All we think about is doing the work.
“We’re also very aware we’re not much different than about 12, 15 other teams that’ll be competing for it that have legitimate chances to win it. What are we going to do differently to separate ourselves?”
Having the combination of quarterback Landry Jones and receiver Ryan Broyles is a good place to start.
Jones passed for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns last season, his second as a starter, and Broyles was his favorite target. The senior had 131 catches for 1,622 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Jones was forced into a starting role two years ago as a redshirt freshman when Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford went down with a shoulder injury. That was a tough season for the Sooners, who started ranked third but finished it 8-5.
Bradford was one of several key players Oklahoma lost to an injury that season, and Jones wasn’t the only underclassman who played a bigger role than expected.
“Now two years from that they have benefited from the maturity and the experience gained from being on the field at an early age,” Stoops said. “Our (offensive) line was young and now two years later they’ve got experience and some maturity to them. Same with Landry Jones. Same with Ryan Broyles.”
Earlier this month, Sooners fans must have had flashbacks to Bradford’s injury when linebacker and leading tackler Travis Lewis hurt his left foot in practice. He likely will miss at least the first four games, including a road trip to Florida State on Sept. 17.
“It’s a big blow to us, there is no denying it,” Stoops said.
Oklahoma has also been coping with the death of linebacker Austin Box, a would-be starter who overdosed on prescription painkillers in May.
“He’s very close to so many guys and … it wouldn’t be right to brush it to the side,” defensive coordinator Brent Venables said. “We’re trying to move forward and deal with it as best we can.”
The SEC has won five straight BCS title games and has plenty of candidates to make it six.
“We want to come out and win a national championship, to be undefeated,” Alabama safety Mark Barron said. “Every time we step out on the field, one of our motivating factors is to be special.”
The Big Ten placed four teams in the rankings with Wisconsin (No. 11), Michigan State (No. 17) and Ohio St. (No. 18) joining Nebraska.
With No. 21 Missouri, the Big 12 had four teams, too.
The Pac-12 had three teams, with No. 25 Southern California joining Oregon and Stanford.
The Atlantic Coast Conference placed two teams (Florida State and No. 13 Virginia Tech), as did the Mountain West Conference (Boise State and No. 14 TCU)
The Big East, which finished last season with no ranked teams, had one team in the preseason poll, No. 24 West Virginia.
Notable by its absence is Texas. Coming off a 5-7 season, the Longhorns are missing from the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 1998.
For now, ranked or not, every team is chasing Oklahoma.
“Who doesn’t want to be No. 1?” Sooners cornerback Jamell Flemming said.
The Sixty Six who resisted “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal (Part 17)
This post today is a part of a series I am doing on the 66 Republican Tea Party favorites that resisted eating the “Sugar-coated Satan Sandwich” Debt Deal. Actually that name did not originate from a representative who agrees with the Tea Party, but from a liberal.
Rep. Emanuel Clever (D-Mo.) called the newly agreed-upon bipartisan compromise deal to raise the debt limit “a sugar-coated satan sandwich.”
“This deal is a sugar-coated satan sandwich. If you lift the bun, you will not like what you see,” Clever tweeted on August 1, 2011.
Washington –Congressman Phil Gingrey (GA-11) today issued the following statement after the passage of S. 365, the bill to provide for an increase in the debt limit.“I commend our leadership for so steadfastly pursuing a deal that results in spending cuts that exceed the level of the debt ceiling increase. Since Republicans took over the House, the tenor in Washington has changed from how much are we going to spend to how much are we going to cut. This is a victory in and of itself for the American people.
However, I am firmly committed to the principles of Cut, Cap and Balance, and while this bill moves the ball in the right direction, it does not make the debt ceiling increase contingent upon passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment. It further concerns me that tax increases could come into play as the newly created commission formulates its proposal and that the Department of Defense could be disproportionately affected by the process of sequestration. While I applaud some aspects of this agreement, I believe that this is the time to amend to our Constitution to finally force Washington to live within its means—and I encourage my colleagues to continue their efforts to advance this principle.”
Marcus Lattimore ran all over the Gators in the Swamp on November 13, 2010, for a school-record 40 carries for 212 yards and three touchdowns en route to a dominating 36-14 South Carolina victory and SEC Eastern Division Championship. With his additional 31 receiving yards, Lattimore single-handedly outgained and outscored Florida (226 yards of total offense, 14 points). *Spurs Up Top 15 Moments of 2010-11: #6* Blog Post:http://bit.ly/TopMoments6
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I think that Steve has the talent to do something special this year at South Carolina. I think the SEC East is down this year and SC may win it easily and even get 10 or 11 victories this year. Then he may retire, but maybe not. (Harry King thinks the East may be better this year but I have my doubts how much better.) Harry King has rightly put Marcus Lattimore on the Heisman watch list.
Kentucky is a basketball school and I know that they have been to 6 straight bowls for the first time in school history, but I am predicting a losing season for them. In 2007 they won 8, then in 2009 won 7 and last year 6. Do you see a trend here? The SEC is just too tough and somebody wins and somebody loses.
Strengths: With nine starters returning on defense, including tackling machine Danny Trevathan at linebacker, the Wildcats should have one of the SEC’s top stop units. Five players with starting experience are back in the secondary, so it should be difficult for opponents to consistently throw the ball. Four offensive linemen are back, giving Kentucky the chance to establish a solid ground game. Wide receiver La’Rod King notched 36 receptions as the No. 2 target behind Chris Matthews, five for TDs.
Weaknesses: While the O-line should be a source of satisfaction, someone has to step up and throw the ball, run the ball, catch the ball, etc. The Wildcats have to replace their leading rusher (Derrick Locke), top passer (Mike Hartline) and top receiver (Matthews). Not to mention their best athlete in Randall Cobb, who could play anywhere on the field and often did. If junior QB Morgan Newton, who started occasionally as a freshman, can’t adequately replace Hartline, Kentucky’s good defense could be wasted.
South Carolina
Returning Starters: 13
Strengths: Start with Marcus Lattimore, who may be the SEC’s top running back. Coach Steve Spurrier rode the gifted freshman to 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns last year as the Gamecocks won the East Division. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery caught 88 passes for 1,517 yards and nine scores, showing why he’ll play on Sunday in the future. Ellis Johnson’s defense returns two All-SEC players in DE Devin Taylor and CB Stephon Gilmore, and could derive instant help from DE Jadaveon Clowney, considered the nation’s top high school player last year.
Weaknesses: Will perennial knucklehead Stephen Garcia ever get it? Dealt the fifth suspension of his career in the spring, Garcia isn’t a certainty to return to the program fulltime. If he’s not allowed back—Garcia was permitted to attend voluntary workouts in June—many bets are off with the offense as there is no other QB in the program ready to take over. South Carolina also has to replace two defensive linemen and WR Tori Gurley, but it doesn’t have to worry half as much about those positions as it does about Garcia’s off-field decision-making.
The Gators unveiled bronze statues of Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996) and Tim Tebow (2007) during halftime of Saturday’s spring game.
The statues depict Spurrier passing, Wuerffel poised to throw and Tebow running with the ball.
Tebow says that’s fine with him. He says “you have to change it up. We can’t all be throwing.”
Spurrier thanked his alma mater in a videotaped message shown on the replay boards; he was in Columbia, S.C. for the Gamecocks’ spring game. Wuerffel and Tebow were on hand for the presentation. It was Tebow’s first public appearance at Florida Field since his Pro Day in March 2010.
CBN.com – THE QUARTERBACK WITH THE MIDAS TOUCH
Known as the quarterback with the Midas touch, Danny Wuerffel received the highest honor bestowed on any college football player in 1996—The Heisman Trophy. He holds no less than 32 National, Conference and School Records and maintains a legendary status as one of the greatest college football players ever to play the game.
As well as his athleticism, Wuerffel maintained high academic standards and was celebrated for his personal integrity. But with all of his fame and success, Danny has used his position to give back in all the communities that he has lived and played in as a football player. And his dedication to his faith in Jesus Christ is what has anchored his life.
In 1997, Wuerffel was drafted by the New Orleans Saints. In spite of his outstanding achievements and the national attention he received as a result, Wuerffel seemed unfazed by his success. “You know, the world just pounds the message into your brain that if you make enough money and if you’re successful in your field, that’s all you need. But you can ask just about anybody who’s been successful–somehow there always seems to be a longing for something more. I believe we were made to find fulfillment in our relationship with God,” he explains. “When we look for it in other places, we come up empty.”
Wuerffel got a head start in his search. “I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home. My father is a chaplain in the air force and my mother has always been active in the church. From the time I was very little, I didn’t question God’s existence, because we talked to Him every time we ate a meal. He was a very real part of our lives. So as I grew up and went into high school and then college, the question was not ‘Does God exist?’, but ‘To what extent?’ What part does He play in my life? What does He want from me? What is my relationship with Him supposed to be like? Those were the questions I wrestled with.” In college, out on his own for the first time, Danny began to take a good hard look at his faith. He started studying the Bible for himself and searching for answers to his questions. “From all different angles, God was really drawing me to himself and saying, ‘This is the time to get serious!'” Wuerffel recalls. “The biggest change was my understanding of myself in relationship to God. The more I understood how awesome God is, the more I realized how wretched I was. It’s a humbling experience to realize what your own nature is, to look at yourself and see selfishness and pride and the attitude that you can just do your own thing. Sometimes it was at subtle levels. Other people might not have noticed it, but I could see it.”
While everyone around him was awed by his talent and promise, Danny realized his need for a Savior and decided to surrender his life completely to Jesus Christ. A decision that changed his life forever. No matter what happened in his career — whether he won the Superbowl or sat on the bench — he determined to live his life to bring honor to God. “There’s a verse in Proverbs 3:5-6 that says ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.’ My desire is to acknowledge Him in all my ways — in my marriage, in my family, in football– in whatever I’m doing!” he exclaims.
In February 2004, Danny decided to retire from professional football to work in New Orleans with Desire Street Ministries, dedicated to one of America’s toughest and poorest neighborhoods. “It’s difficult to say goodbye to a dream,” he told the press. “At the same time, I’m thankful that I’m not leaving because I have to.” His wife Jessica admits that since Danny retired from football and joined the ministry, she doesn’t miss the crowds and fans that came with his fame. Danny is also a popular speaker, sharing how his experiences playing football have helped shape his life.
DEVASTATED BY KATRINA
Located in the heart of New Orleans, Danny’s home and ministry, Desire Street Ministries, were completely destroyed by the hurricane. They were forced to relocate to Niceville, Florida where they are up and running a boarding school. Many of the children they worked with in New Orleans are finding their way to the school, now their home. They also have staff on-site at the facility in New Orleans working on cleaning and renovating the facility. “As I reflect on the past six weeks and look again at the flooded images of the ministry facility and my home, I’m once again faced with the reality of the devastation of this storm. And yet in the midst of all these images, through God’s grace, I’ve found my eyes “fixed” on something different,” Wuerffel says. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 “In the past, that verse often encouraged me to not worry about throwing an interception or losing a football game. How trivial that seems now. God is doing a new thing as a result of this storm…a big thing. I’m not sure exactly what it is or what it’s going to look like in the end, but I’m certain he’s doing something significant. Sometimes, though, it’s just hard to see it while it’s happening.”
Through the storm and its aftermath, God continues to do incredible things. “It hasn’t been an easy six weeks, but I’ve personally seen God triumph over every major obstacle, one after another, and my personal journey of faith has never been more vibrant,” Danny proclaims
I am going to preview all the SEC teams in the next few weeks. I want to start off with Alabama and Arkansas. Earlier I really thought that Arkansas was going to be very special this year. However, after losing our star running back Kniles Davis for a year with a injury just a few days ago, I am starting to wonder if we can do it without him. Harry King in his article, “Do poll voters note injuries?” Arkansas News Bureau, August 18, 2011,said that the injury to a player like Davis would mostly likely cost the Razorbacks a higher ranking
This is the way I view it. Kniles is the guy who can ice away a victory with his hard running in the fourth quarter. I remember when UT had that great running back in 98 that cut through the Arkansas defense the last two minutes of the game like a hot knife in butter. ARKANSAS WILL MISS HIM DEARLY.
I think Arkansas will finish in the top three in the SEC West and maybe do better than that because of the unbelievable receivers!!!
I was at a Applebys the other night in Boston, MA and I was watching the New England Patriots play at Tampa. There was a lively group there watching the game. I got to leave after my meal but I could not resist speaking to the obvious vocal leader of the Pats’ fans. I said,”I am from Arkansas and I wonder if you know about Ryan Mallett who is the backup quarterback for New England.”
He responded, “I am Rudy (not his real name) and these are all my friends…. I love Ryan Mallett. He threw several touchdowns last week and he will be the quarterback of the future.” Later Rudy said that he had been a football and basketball star in high school and was offered lots of money to play pro baseball, but got mixed up in drugs and alcohol and now he is a plumber.
I told him I was glad that he was clean now and I gave him a tract from Chick called “The Happy Hour.” I have put it below.
Today I got to visit with a fellow named Tyler who is a student at Alabama. He is a sophomore at Alabama. He actually attended the Alabama at Arkansas game last year in Fayetteville. That is one of the few games that I could not get a ticket to. This year Alabama will be very good again. I have visited with a lot of people from Alabama this year and I have told them all the same thing. “The national championship will leave the state of Alabama this year finally but it will not leave the SEC.”
Alabama’s defense is the best and if they get the offense going then maybe the national title will stay in Alabama for a third straight year. Harry King like many other journalists have picked Trent Richardson as one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy.
Net Interest Spending Will More Than Triple Over the Next Decade
Entitlements Will Consume All Tax Revenues by 2049
The Daily Hatch 