The James Ossuary - a Clever Fake?

An interesting article in Time magazine examines how the owner of the James ossuary, an ancient (60 A.D.) container of the bones of the brother of Jesus, the Apostle James, came to be accused of forgery. Interesting. Not sure I liked the science vs. belief angle from the author, Nina Burleigh. The conclusion one should supposedly derive from this article is that The Faithful are the real dupes, while The Doubtful and Skeptical are vindicated in their skepticism.

As Burleigh describes it, the debate over the authenticity of these sacred items pitted scientists against believers. She writes: "The faithful - those who believe in a higher, supernatural power that leaves a material record of itself for man to literally hold and behold - must also confront and grapple with the painful presence of doubt."

The facile criticism of evangelicals hardly veils the suspicion that People of Faith somehow depend on physical evidences for their faith, and that when they don't have them the faithful become the gullible. Another problem with this line of thinking is that science is somehow devoid of such faith impulses and is by definition skeptical in the arena of belief. How sad.

But the owner of the ossuary - being tried in an Israeli court - is innocent until proven guilty, and the trial is nowhere near finished. So, this is a lot like calling the game over at halftime. We'll see.

Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Obama - No friend of Israel in the Middle East

The New York Post reports that the Rev. Jesse Jackson is suggesting that the Obama administration's foreign policy will tilt against Israel in the Middle East. Is his opinion of President Barack Obama's foreign policy a preview of things to come for America and the region? I'm not sure what to think. Knowing that Jesse Jackson would like Obama's foreign policy to shift against Israel doesn't mean that it will. We'll have to wait and see. Rev. Jackson is claiming Obama as "family" so perhaps he has some insight. Or perhaps it's his wishful thinking.

But by the afternoon Jackson was already denying the report from the NY Post. Either way, Obama will have his hands full. The next flashpoint may be just now lit. An old, abandoned synagogue has been reopened just 100 meters from Temple Mount and the Al Aksa Mosque.

Apologia, etc.

So my nephew attends this Anglican/Episcopalian high school and he's taking this Bible course on New Testament. I figure that's a good thing since the Bible is the one of the pillars of Western Civilization. But then he tells me before we're heading off to church that his Bible instructors are telling him that the Bible was written by man, so therefore it has mistakes and errors in it. And I thought to myself, "Why is Western Civilization in general and America specifically, backpedaling from the onslaught of rest of the unbelieving world?" You know why? Because they're steadliy aimed at the erosion of the foundations of the social order: the Bible. And y'know who's leading the way? The so-called leaders of Chirstianity! This verse sums up the matter I suppose:

Ephesians 2:1-3
And you has he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

The children of disobedience are not the ordinary, everyday heathen. The ordinary heathen are already under the curse of the Law. They are doing what their nature tells them to do. They obey the world, the flesh, and the Devil. The disobedient are the ones who are supposed to be on the Lord's side but who are set against the Lord's covenants. They are the people who have been taught the rudiments of godliness. They are the people who ought to know better but whose minds are set on spreading the latest flawed biblical criticism to impress their students, etc., etc.

Yeesh!

I wanted to scream when I heard my nephew tell me this. So I said to my 10th grade nephew, after gathering my composure, the next time you're in class ask your professor this:

"Professor, if the Bible is flawed because it was written by men, by your own criteria - your telling me this is a verbal opinion written by men , isn't it? How do I know you're not wrong? You're a man - they were men. And there's another thing that puzzles me, prof. The Bible claims it was written by men led of God to say what it says - but you're not claiming to be led by God in saying what you're saying. So why wouldn't I believe the Bible's testimony rather than yours? It's got 2,000 years of living, active support and use. You're quoting biblical critics from only 200 years ago, right? I do want to be on God's side, professor. What should I do?


The scholarly support for inerrant autographs is virtually substantiated. The Bible we have is solid, sound, and is everything it says about itself. Why? Because Jesus thought so, too.

Jesus frequently used the Scripture as the proof text from which He both substantiated His view, as well as refuted the improper views held by others. He relied on Scripture for what it was--the very Word of God. While it is true that Christians do not have the same Divine authority as the Son of God, and while we often overstep our authority here (unfortunately, even grossly so at times), this benefit is also extended to us. Based on Jesus' example, we can likewise build our position on the truth of Scripture, and use it as our Guide for evaluating other positions. A key aspect here, as already emphasized, is that this approach allows us to show the truth of Christian theism to unbelievers, even when using critical methods.


It is no wonder the Anglican church is having the problems it is having with the Enemy hammering continually at its gates.

Community Organizers register the Dallas Cowboys

Voter registration fraud alleged in Nevada. The offices of the Association of Community Oranizers for Reform Now (ACORN) have been raided by state investigators of Nevada. The allegations of voter registration fraud were made in part due to the entire starting lineup of the Dallas Cowboys showing up on the registration rolls in Nevada. Looks like there is more of this type of fraud coming out of the investigation. ACORN is the activist organization that Barack Obama used to represent as an attorney in Chicago. Stanley Kurtz wrote an article that shows Obama's ties to that group - deeper than what was first thought - a group Kurtz says is as radical as Code Pink or Move On.org.



Gal.6:7
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.


You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
- Abraham Lincoln

Ein Volk! Ein Reich! Ein Jungend! Ein Fuhrer...Obama!

Frau Goebbels, the wife of the nefarious Dr. Josef Goebbels, was in love with Adolf Hitler. She was an idealist, and the Third Reich was her Millenium. There was nothing she would not do for her ubermensch, Hitler. So when it became clear in the very last days of the Reich that Hitler would commit suicide in his underground bunker, she sobbed, "My children are too good to live in a world without National Socialism." Touched by the loyalty of the Goebbels family and before he was to retire to his private quarters, Hitler granted them a private audience where the six young children sang a beautiful Fatherland lullaby to "Uncle Hitler". They were later poisoned in their beds by Frau Goebbels. This is sourced from Joachim Fest's phenomenal book, "Inside Hitler's Bunker".

The following video brought that episode to mind:




Then there's this video. I'm not sure what to make of it but that it is a youth "step" dance done with Obama as the inspiration of hope for these urban boys. But the uniforms, the camouflage pants and gold boots, complete with militant attitude and fist salutes smacks of fashion plated Hitler Jungend. The Fruit of Islam also comes to mind, as does the S1Ws - if you will permit me a humorous digression. Check it out:



But isn't this the stuff that's supposed to happen in other countries? Aren't these the activities and marks of a flawed civilization? The cult of political personality has arrived in America - ubiquitous, all-powerful, strong, yet inspiring and idealistic. Kinda like...Adolf Hitler before anyone knew what he was really up to. Are we sure, really, that we know what Obama's all about? I'm just asking.

You see, we never were taught to sing songs to or about Lincoln, Jefferson, Washington, Madison, or Teddy Roosevelt when I was in school. It was generally thought to be un-American to exalt our leaders like kings or saviors - else we'd have been fine with George III. But even if we had been asked to sing, those men deserved national acclaim even before they became presidents. Still, they were men; they merely presided over the Congress and didn't rule over them. So if change was gonna come, it would take a whole host of leaders to do it. So my question is: What's Obama done to deserve this kind of passionate belief in his ability to change things in our country? What are his change ideas? There's gotta be more to it than what we've seen and read of him. Obama is not Jesus, after all. But I fear his converts - and this nation - may be too far down the road to discern truth - even if something dastardly were found out.

But....

Matt 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.

Gorbachev...back in town?

Why is it significant that Mikhail Gorbachev is back in the news? Not entirely certain, but perhaps it has something to do with the end times. I mentioned him in an earlier blog. Just noticing things, y'know?

Jackie Mason...telling it like it is...no to Obama!

A funny video from Jackie Mason decrying the Sarah Silverman video in which she states that if Barack Obama doesn't win the presidential election, she'll blame the Jews.





I can only pray and hope that America wakes up. She was not raised up by God to be like other nations. She is related to Israel by faith - and as such, she is a covenant nation. I have heard the debates, the arguments, and the rhetoric. Alea acta est.