Mastermind of First Twin Towers Attack Claims to have Converted to Christianity

Yes, that's right. Ramzi Yousef claims to have converted to Christianity while in solitary confinement in a federal prison in Colorado. I don't believe it for a minute. Read about it here. The "60 Minutes" report Drudge refers to sounds very interesting. It will air this Sunday, 10/14, 7:30-9:00pm.

The Letter Itself: Contents

Although it runs 29 pages, the letter itself is much shorter. Here is a description of its contents:

The addressees: page 1

Summary and Abridgement: pages 2-3

"A Common Word Between Us and You": pages 4-16

(I) Love of God (pages 4-10)

Love of God in Islam

Love of God as the First and Greatest Commandment in the Bible

(II) Love of Neighbour (pages 11-12)

Love of Neighbour in Islam

Love of the Neighbour in the Bible

(III) Come to A Common Word Between Us and You

A Common Word

Come to a Common Word!

Between Us and You

Notes (which contain much discussion): pages 17-21

List of Signatories: pages 22-29

Muslim Clerics Call For Peace

This is still a developing story, but apparently an international group of Muslim clerics has written a letter to Christians calling for peace. I haven't yet read the letter, but I've posted below a link to it. In any case, this will be, it seems to me, an important moment in the interaction between Islam and Christianity/The West. Here are links to the article:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23416235-details/Muslims+tell+Christians%3A+

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,301116,00.html


Here is the link to The Cambridge Inter-Faith Programme, which sponsored the letter:
http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/cip/

Here's the link to the letter itself (29 pages!):
http://www.divinity.cam.ac.uk/cip/documents/COMMONWORDFINAL091007_000.pdf

I hope to have some response to this letter soon.

Ken Burns's "The War"

Last night we finished watching Ken Burns's new documentary series called "The War." My fascination with that era of history continues unabated; I could have watched 20 more hours of it. There is so much from that time that is meaningful for me personally, even though I wasn't born until 20 years later (1963).

Generally speaking, I liked this series, though I didn't think it matched his series on "The Civil War." I was regularly moved to tears watching that series, and he seemed to do something there that had never been done. I felt a connection with those people - both North and South - that I had never felt before, and I'm someone who is interested in that era. I felt like there was something magisterial, something masterpiece-like about that series, and as I watched it I harbored doubts that he would ever be able to get out from under the shadow that that presentation would cast over all his future work. His other series - on jazz music and baseball, I think - held no interest for me and I ignored them. However, I wouldn't miss "The War" for anything! (His next series is on the national parks!)

I certainly learned things, and several times I was moved emotionally, but I didn't think the series as a whole matched his work on "The Civil War" or other pieces of work on this time of history, like "World at War," "Band of Brothers," and the like. I don't think I'll buy it, though I'm tempted to look at the book, and I would love the cd of music!

Moving from the documentary series itself to what the series covered, I have several comments.

1. With breath-taking awe, I am still deeply moved by the magnitude of the struggle that was WWII. When we see what was at stake, and how much effort had to be expended, the entire struggle terrifies and inspires me. How did the world get to such a point? Why would men attempt such evil schemes? Why do people cause so much suffering? I look back at the mid-20th century in the same way I look at a rattlesnake at the zoo. I am simultaneously drawn toward it and repelled by it.

2. Because of the magnitude of the struggle, I can begin to understand the profound confidence that post-war generation had. They had faced the greatest evil of all time and had won. What could possibly challenge or threaten them now? I can only imagine the levels of confidence, self-assuredness, and deep appreciation for what is good in a culture. It is dizzying. Massive, national "high-fives" all around!

3. I am staggered by the kinds of loss(es) our culture endured. Five thousand here, 18, 000 there, 4,500 again - these numbers were peppered throughout the series. What must it have been like to lose so many people? And I can't help but contrast these kinds of losses with the meagre losses we have faced so far in Iraq/Afghanistan. Now, of course, I don't mean to minimize any single individual's death in our contemporary conflict, and I know our military families are making great sacrifices; I don't mean to deny any of this. But when you look at what our culture endured - at what the American "body politic" absorbed - I can't help but appreciate more what that generation did, and I can't help but disrespect the hollow, whining voices of protest today. We are at war; men will die; but we must win. Our collective memory is too much of Vietnam and too little of Normandy.

4. Massive evil movements inflict inevitable and irreparable damage on the world; it happened once (actually, many times!) and will happen again. In fact, I think it is happened right now. Certain "things have been set in motion that cannot be undone," I think is how Gandolf put it. When Hitler began to move, and was not stopped, there were certain things that were simply going to have to be done, and I think the same is true today. The march of militant Islam, unchecked by governments and nations, consistent accomodation, temporary peaces - "Peace in our time!" - will demand a definitive rebuttal, culturally, intellectually, and maybe even militarily. Maybe that is why I am so fascinated by the WWII era; it looks so much like our own.

5. I knew about the internment camps for Japanese Americans, but I had minimized their evil, either intentionally or in error. But I could not escape from the shame and embarrassment the discussion of these camps roused; I was grieved. I can understand the motivation that led to these camps, but cannot agree with it. The character of the Japanese American community I saw throughout this whole sordid affair challenged me. Despite being so deeply wronged, many Japanese Americans served so selflessly and fought so bravely. They won my respect.

Well, there is so much more I could say, but this post is already too long. One more thought: I long once again for a strong, robust, confident, morally clear America.

Meet the kid who is allergic to everything!

As many of you know, my family - including me - suffer from all sorts of food allergies. But, check out this poor kid! Read about him here. Tyler Savage is his name, and he can only eat chicken, carrots, grapes, potatoes and apples.

I feel for you, Bro!

Mother Teresa - "Come Be My Light" - Introduction

I've been trying to read Mother Teresa's "Come Be My Light," a collection and discussion of her letters, but with all the great stuff going on, like PBS's "The War," my son's football game, other kids activities, and my chest infection last week, I just haven't had time or strength.

I finally have a few moments which I hope to spend by beginning my discussion of this important book.

Mother Teresa's "mission statement," says the book is:

If I ever become a Saint -- I will surely be one of 'darkness.' I will continually be absent from Heaven -- to light the light of those in darkness on earth" (:1).

The book is an exploration of Mother Teresa's interior life (:2), not a theological study. The author/compiler Brian Kolodiejchuk focuses on three important aspects of her life. 1) A private vow she made while a nun; 2) mystical experiences prior to the founding of the Missionaries of Charity; 3) her experience of many years of spiritual darkness.

The book is structured around these three aspects. First (chapters 1-2), we read of her initial devotion to Jesus and her internal life. Second (chapters 3-7), we read of her "call within a call," i.e., after her devotion to missionary work, she received, she believed, from Christ a more narrow call, namely to found a new mission. This time of her life was apparently characterized by experiences of particular inspiration (I haven't read these chapters yet). Finally (chapters 8-13), we will read of what it cost Mother Teresa to obey this "call within a call."

Some Random Comments:

1) Brian K. (:4) mentions Malcolm Muggeridge's observation that Mother Teresa glowed with a kind of "luminosity," yet at the same time, suffering intense spiritual darkness privately. I find it amazing that this follower of Jesus did not understand that her public perception did not match her own internal experience. I wonder if there is some kind of spiritual principle at work here. Does God hide from a believer the aroma of Christ that s/he might be spreading? Is there something that would perhaps detract from the glory that redowns to Christ if the believer had a clear understanding of how her/his life testifies to God's grace? If so, perhaps we should be slower to doubt God's work in our lives.

2) I was struck by one statement she makes in a letter to her spiritual director. She asks for all the documents she had given to him in which she had expressed her deepest thoughts. She writes, "I want the work to remain only His" (:5). I admire this passion to bring credit to God alone.

3) A final issue to think about, at least, is the ethics of publishing the letters and documents of someone who had no desire to have them published, and in fact, specifically requested that they NOT be published. It is true that some people who attempt to look "humble" are in fact not so humble; Mother Teresa's life certainly argues against that interpretation. Others are genuinely humble, but don't understand that their exprience(s) could benefit many, many other believers. Those in authority in Mother Teresa's case decided something else: she belonged to the Church, not just to herself. I wonder if she would have agreed. Do YOU agree? In what sense do we as individual believers "belong to the Church?" How would we live differently if we really believed that?

ALL IN ALL, NOT A BAD WEEKEND!

OSU Buckeyes, 30; Minnesota Gophers, 7.

USC Gamecocks, 38; Miss State Bulldogs, 21.

Cleveland Browns, 27; Baltimore Ravens, 13.

Perhaps sweetest of all:

AZ Cardinals, 21; PITTSBURG STEELERS, 14.

I am such a happy man when the Steelers lose!

More on the Jena 6

Joe Carter, over at The Evangelical Outpost, has posted a list of primary documents dealing with the whole Jena 6 situation, i.e., various witness statements and court documents. Here's the link. This is very helpful. Both Joe and I agree that the MSM reporters are not doing their jobs. However, Joe posted a pretty opinionated piece earlier in the week. Read it here. One of my big concerns is that when we "white folk" look like we are unwilling to admit the presence of racism, we lose credibility. We have to take claims of racism seriously. On the other hand, we need AA leaders to realize that not every accusation of racism is legitimate. Let's not react with emotion; let's get the facts and put them together. Joe's post helps us do that, but he is pretty much only addressing the issue of the guilt of one of the black guys; Joe has not put together a "narrative of events," including how many of these recent events are directly linked. We're still waiting for that.

Wright Gets It Wrong

Read this analysis of Bishop N.T. Wright's perspective on global terrorism, especially w/re:to the US led coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. For all his positive contributions to Biblical studies, he stumbles badly, in my opinion, on this issue. Read it here.

Ken Burns's "The War"

I'm so enjoying Ken Burns's documentary on PBS this week called, "The War." Not quite up to the standard of his "The Civil War," but certainly well done. The focus is not so much on the historical details of how the war was prosecuted, etc., but on the impact the war had on families, cities, and culture here at home. I cried last night when we found out that Babe Ciarlo was killed in Italy. I also had no idea how extensive the internment camps for Japanese Americans were; in once sense, I can understand the concern, but I felt ashamed of our country. So many of those people loved their country and were willing to fight for it. Hinds sight certainly is clear, isn't it? The whole period was such an emotional time, yet our country seemed to rally together in a common cause against evil. Why can't we do that again? Is it not clear that we are fighting evil? Do we lack the will power? Do we simply not want to be inconvenienced?

Tonight's episode: "Pride of Our Nation" - about, among other things, D-Day.

Ahmadinejad

It was a bad idea to invite this guy to Colombia University. However, maybe some good things came out of it, like people began to see how kookie he is. I think the president of the university really stepped in it. First, he made an ill-advised invitation. Then, after he started getting flak for it, he tried to redeem himself by subjecting the leader of Iran to a 15-minute verbal harangue. I felt embarrassed for ole Mahmoud, despite what I think of him. It was simply in poor taste to invite someone to be a guest of honor then not treat him like one. It was, IMHO, more of a reflection on the inability of President Lee Bollinger to admit the mistake. I think Mahmoud was right to say that in Iran they don't insult guests of honor.

The Jena 6

The Jena 6

I'm a bit sick of people spouting off on this issue without full knowledge of the facts. Racism is too sensitive an issue to use heated language when it is perhaps not necessary. From what I've heard, these are the facts: 1) there is a "Whites Only Tree" in Jena (what is up with that? Hello?); 2) some black guys purposely sat under it (I would too, if the "Whites Only" thing is serious); 3) some white kids hung nooses from the tree in response (not a very funny gesture, in my opinion), and did get in trouble for it, but not very severe trouble; 4) some black kids beat some white kid to within an inch of his life and got in serious trouble.

Understandably, some people are getting pretty worked up about this, but reactions based on insufficient information are not helpful. In an ideal world, our MSM reporters would get the information right and inform the public. Unfortunately, I think most reporters have an agenda and hear/see/report what fits with that agenda.

I wonder: are all these events linked? Was there some other reason the white kid was beaten? What really happened to the white kids? Was there an attempt to deal justly with all these various situations? Were blacks and whites involved at every level of decision making about consequences/legal issues? There may very well be some bad racial stuff going on here, but we need to be very careful not to inflame things when that is not called for.

I'm Sick!

For the last week or so, I've been battling a cold that turned into an upper respiratory infection. Yesterday I went to the doctor and got some serious medication. Already, within 24 hours, I am beginning to feel better. I have some things to post about, but it will have to wait another day or two. Thanks to my readers (all 10 of them!) for their patience.

Birthday Money!

OK, so how did I spend that birthday money? Although my birthday is in July, I only recently got around to spending it. Here's what I bought:

1. _The Sand Pebbles_ (dvd)

I've already written about this movie - awesome!

2. _10th Anniversary_, the Statler Brothers (cd)

I'm an "uber-fan" of the Statlers, especially their older stuff, with Lew Dewitt in the group. Not many cds left from that time (1969-1982).

3. _The Drama of Scripture: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story_, by Craig G. Bartholomew and Michael W. Goheen.

A great book dealing with the "drama of redemption." I had a copy of this book, and read it, but then gave it away to a student. Excellent preparation for teaching "Progress of Redemption" (someday).

4. _Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the "Saint of Calcutta"_, by Mother Teresa and Brian Kolodiejchuk.

I plan to read this through, do some comparing of Mother Teresa with Amy Carmichael, and hopefully write a few meaningful posts on the subject.

Browns win "Shootout at the O.K. Corral"

Yesterday the Cleveland Browns beat the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that must have been every offense's dream: 51-45. The two teams combined for 96 points and 1,085 yards of offense! To be honest, I don't care what happened, as long as we got the win. I wish it had been against Pittsburgh, though. The victory would have been much sweeter.

Why Do I Like "The Sand Pebbles?"

Last week, I finally spent my birthday money from my parents. I'll write later about what else I ordered, but one of my purchases was the newly re-released movie, "The Sand Pebbles," starring Steve McQueen. I actually tried to buy it last spring but couldn't find it. I'm glad I couldn't, because this re-issue includes two discs, a picture booklet and some still photos. Cool!

I remember watching this movie as a kid with my dad. I will simply never forget the final scene - "Jake Holman" stares down death. The last 20 minutes or so of this movie are simply amazing. This week, as I've watched and re-watched the last 1/2 hour, I've asked myself why? Why do I break out in chills everytime I watch it? Why do I hold my breath, even though I know what is going to happen? There's a beauty, almost like a ballet, in the final scenes. The stakes are high, but the acting, the plot, and the screenplay all coalesce into a masterpiece.

Three of my favorite themes are intertwined in these final moments: romantic love, religious commitment, and military bravery. The end of the movie showcases self-sacrifice, fear, love, bravery, faith, death, safety, defiance, forgiveness, stubbornness, idealism, realism, hope, and disappointment. I almost feel like I'm watching an old Greek tragedy, with characters coming on at various times to play their parts, but all for the singular purpose of achieving a great dramatic experience. Few movies I see nowadays can capture so much in such a short period of time. If you haven't seen "The Sand Pebbles," do so.

Kathy Griffin's God

Commedian Kathy Griffin recently won an Emmy - for what I don't know - but her acceptance speech has caused quite a stir. Here's what she said:

"A lot of people come up here to thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. [...] This award is my God now!"

Many other accounts of the speech mentioned a "lewd reference," or something like that, but never said what it was. The quote above from FOXNews deletes the "lewd reference," but last night on Bill O'Reilly's show he played the whole quote. Between the brackets (above) she said, among other things, "Suck it, Jesus!" You can read a FOXNews article about it here. Well, this is certainly something to think about, isn't it?

My first thought was one of saddness. This is a deluded person, at a variety of levels. Forget the theological angle, I'm just thinking of the personal angle, and the cultural angle. What does this say about her as a person? If she chooses not to believe in Jesus, fine; but does she have to insult those who do believe? It strikes me as cruel, mean-spirited, and certainly unnecessary. She could have made her point very clearly without the added offensive language.

Culturally, what does this say about her understanding of American culture, and even of some people who watch her shows? She just looks deeply out of touch to me. Even hard core Hollywood party-ers, many of whom have religious backgrounds, save a bit of respect for Jesus, the man on the cross.

And what does this say about the purpose of Ms. Griffin's life? Besides idolatry, hmmm, the words "shallow," "hollow," "surfacey," and "lame" all come to mind.

I did not feel any anger toward Ms. Griffin - sadness, pity, perhaps...but no anger.

Second, the whole thing struck me as false bravado. She's trying to look iconoclastic and in-your-face, which she definitely was, but from people who follow this man - the man on the cross - she probably doesn't have much to worry about. Sure the Catholic League will scream and yell a bit, but she will most likely suffer no repercussions for her comments. So, really, did she do anything risky? Well, if you believe in Jesus, yes, that was risky (but on the other hand, he sure is quick to forgive, isn't he?). But if she really wanted to be gutsy, try saying those things about Mohammad or Allah. That might take a bit of courage. People who say far less than what she said end up dead. But, for whatever reason, I don't think she or anyone else in Hollywood will say things like that.

Interesting...

See some discussion on Worldmagblog here.

A Collection of Random Thoughts

9/11: I still have a hard time believing 9/11 really happened - not in the sense of "Did it happen or not?" but in the sense that "I can't believe that happened!" When I stop and think about it, I get upset all over again. How could people do that? Why would people do that? I also wonder how they were so successful. I did not see either plane hit the towers, but I was in the student center at CIU watching in horror as the towers came down. How could some people still believe that we are NOT a country at war?

The General: Speaking of war, I am very impressed with General David Petraeus, and I can't believe that fellow Americans would go so far to trash his testimony before he even gives it. Perhaps one may disagree with him (and Ambassador Crocker), but if the war in Iraq is one of the most important issues of the day, shouldn't we at least listen to the opinions of the two men who know more about it than anyone else on the planet? Read a great analysis of the general's comments here.

Brittany: Girl, what happened to you? Where did you go wrong? I remember when you were an innocent, cute little teenie-bopper enjoying deserved success for some catchy songs - but look at yourself! It's not funny anymore - it's really, really sad. Please, go home and get some help. Living your life out of the center of the country's attention is really not that bad. There's much more to life. Please, sweatheart, would you do that for us? (Isn't there anyone in this girl's life who has the credibility to do some intervention? Do we all have to watch as she slowly self-destructs?)

Kevin Everett: Buffalo Bill's tight end Kevin Everett will probably never walk again, and still may not even survive his cervical spinal injuries sustained in Sunday's opening game. How tragic - it just makes me sick.

Cleveland Browns: Yeah, we got our rear ends kicked Sunday, 34-7, at the hands of the devil - er, I mean, the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's a good thing we Clevelanders don't like the Browns because they win; we love them because they are the BROWNS!

Morality and Presidential Politics

Here's another good discussion of religious issues in the public arena, this time with reference to presidential politics. Lauren Green writes on FOXNews.com about the interplay between a candidate's morality and their qualifications for office. Although I don't agree with everything she says, she at least writes with sensitivity. She even cites Pastor Tommy Nelson! "Will the '08 election be maimed by politicians' personal failures?," she asks.

Poignant Words from a US Soldier in Iraq

Got this from Hughhewitt.com. This colonel makes good sense, IMHO. I especially like his criticism of our Congress for not giving any inspiring words to the Iraqi government. What would this congress have said to our own first Continental Congress back in 1776? ANYTHING to encourage our Founding Fathers? I think the truth of the situation is that this congress does not WANT the Iraqi government to succeed, because if it does, GWB might actually get some credit. In any case, read the quote, then link to Hughhewitt.com (above) to read the whole thing.

Many in Congress are now labeling the Government a failure and calling for the ouster of the elected PM. This is not helpful and is flies in the face of all the principles that we profess about self determination. We dont have a say about the decisions of the Iraqi Electorate whether we agree or not. The other thing that really gets me is the failing grade slapped on the GOI by our Congressmen. Only 3 of 18 measurable items are counted as successful, even though the Adminstration had many more as successes. But what if we applied the same standards to our congress, A congress that has a history of over 200 years, a congress that has many experienced memberes who
have served for decades, what would their grade be. Have they solved the tax problem, the tort problem, the health care problem. Have they even addressed seriously the immigration problem, and there are many, many more failures of our elected, long existing and experienced congress. In my opinion they fail. Yet they grade a fledgling elected government trying to form a united country after decades of oppression during war and mark it a failure. Where is their support for an allied government that we helped launch. What great words of wisdom and significant examples do they provide, none. We are out here trying to do the impossible and making
headway and our elected officials undercut us at every turn. We pull out and all the success, all the progress made will disappear in intentionally incited secterian violence supported as much from outside Iraq as from inside. Success in the Middle East and in the War on terror is centered on success in Iraq right now. This is the battlefield chosen by our enemies not us. We fight here becasue they come here to over throw an elected government to kill Americans and to try to create another radical Islamic state from which to grow and attack Wastern Civilization and Western Nations.

Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith: a Grab Bag of Responses

The response to the Time magazine article about Mother Teresa's crisis of faith has elicited responses from nearly every quarter. I've gathered links to a wide variety of perspectives, including Catholic - a seminary professor and a discussion list - Evangelicals - a seminary president and several prominent scholars and thinkers - a philosophy professor, a liberal Christian, two atheists, an editorialist, and even an essay on an Islamic website. Let's not forget the name of the book that is causing all the stir. Here's the bibliography: "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light" (Doubleday: 2007), by Mother Teresa and Brian Kolodiejchuk (ISBN-10: 0385520379; ISBN-13: 978-0385520379). You can order it from Amazon.com.

I've checked all the links, so they should work. I'm still fascinated that so many people are fascinated with this story. Here's the list, with a few comments:

The original article in Time magazine, entitled "Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith," by David Van Biema, is found here.

Here's an essay in the conservative journal "First Things: The Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life." It is entitled “The Dark Night of Mother Teresa,” by Carol Zaleski.

I begin a list of responses by Evangelicals with one of the guys of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola: “Why Was Mother Teresa Sad?” by Fred Sanders.

Rick Phillips' response, “Mother Teresa’s Redemption,” is found here.

Al Mohler's response, “Trust Christ, Not Feelings,” is found here. See also his blog.

Chuck Colson responds with, "Suffering Servant: The Letters of Mother Teresa."

Rod Dreher, editorialist for Dallas Morning News, responds here.

NT/Jesus scholar Scot McKnight has a good discussion on his blog, "Jesus Creed." Here's the link.

Christian pastor/philosopher/professor Phil Steiger of Colorado Springs, CO, responds here.

Liberal Christian theologian Willis E. Elliot responds with an essay entitled, "Faith + Doubt = Progress."

Prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens offers criticism of Mother Teresa and the Roman Catholic Church with an essay entitled, "Teresa, Bright and Dark."

“Mother Teresa – The Scandal of her Faith,” by Dr. Anthony Lilles, Academic Dean, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver, CO, responds directly to Hitchens.

America's favorite "village atheist," Sam Harris, responds with an essay called “The Sacrifice of Reason."

I have three good discussion lists. First, Netscape. Then Catholic Answers Forum. And finally, Crosswalk had a good discussion, but now the link I had to it is dead. Try searching Crosswalk.

The interesting Islamic response is from Muslimmatters.org. Read the essay, with responses, "What to Make of Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith."