brett’s morning blend (15may12)

The question of the day is this:  Why do so many people write “Mother’s Day” instead of “Mothers’ Day?”  

The apostrophe seems to be in the wrong place at least 90% of the time.  I suppose I would understand if one were giving his mom a card that belongs only to her; then it could (accurately) be Mother’s Day.  But when we’re talking about the holiday itself, or when people are using it in advertisements and the like… that clearly should be Mothers’ Day.  Am I right?

And now the links:

brett’s morning blend (04jan11)

The Gender Debate: Women in Church Leadership

Interesting discussion over at The Gospel Coalition on complementarian versus egalitarian views of church leadership.  The writer is a complementarian and wonders if scripture isn’t enough — on its own — to settle the discussion.

Homosexuality and Derek Webb

Stephen Altrogge writes about Webb’s recent interview in the Huffington Post.  He talks about homosexuality, sin in general, and reaching out to the lost.

How to Write About Africa

This is one of the best satire pieces I’ve read on Africa.  I’ve included below several of the essay’s tips on writing about Africa.  [Each is a direct quote.]

• Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans.
• Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these.
• In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country.
• Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can’t live without her.
• Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West.
• Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa.

Bacon Healed by Jesus

image courtesy of jesusneedsnewpr.net

Obvious Scientific “Discoveries”

Scientists were paid money in 2010 to “discover” that waitresses with bigger breasts get bigger tips.  Others were paid to find that little boys tend to like playing with cars while girls prefer dolls.  Oh, and lest we forget, performance-enhancing drugs enhance performance.

Only the Coolest “Game” Ever

This engineering / woodworking site offers visitors a free online test to determine how good you are at eyeballing right angles, midpoints of lines, and the like.  It’ll take you 3-4 minutes total, and your score is measured in average units of error (low scores are better).  I probably shouldn’t brag, but (in seven games) I scored a 2.17 on my first try, my best was a 1.76, and my average was a 2.07.  See if you can beat me….

 

freedom for… all?

image courtesy of photobucket.com

While holding my daughter on this July 4th morning, I turned to BBC’s news broadcast.  There on my television I saw a special on the homosexuality laws in neighboring Uganda.  Now I don’t claim to understand a great deal about these laws, but they seem to go something like this:

• Any individual caught in a homosexual act will be imprisoned for life.
• Any individual caught in an “aggravated” homosexual act will be sentenced to death.  [These seem to be forced or paid homosexual acts and the like.]
• Any individual “aiding and abetting” homosexual behavior can get up to seven years in prison.  [This law seems quite vague.  Can a doctor prescribe medicine to a known homosexual, or is that considered contributing to his lifestyle?  What about a family member of a homosexual -- is failure to hand a relative over to the police considered promoting that relative's illegal lifestyle?]

Today is American Independence Day.  Now, listen closely…  I pledge my allegiance to God, and not to a nation.  I know the United States is far from perfect, and I’m not so naive to believe she’ll ever reach perfection.  Our leaders do a lot with which I disagree, and there are some decisions they’ve made of which I’m ashamed.  But I am so incredibly thankful that I am a citizen of a country that offers freedom to each and every citizen, a nation who values individual rights and honors personal choices, a republic that strives to treat all people equally regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation, or sexual preference.

I know this may not be a popular post among some.  But it is my belief that those who would disagree would seek to take away personal freedoms in an attempt to enact laws based on their own religious ideals.  I don’t believe the government should be in the business of legislating morality, but rather that it should seek to protect life and liberty in any and every situation in which another individual’s life and liberty is not at stake.

I don’t condone homosexuality, but neither do I approve of taking away that choice.  Just as I don’t encourage greed — but want to allow others the opportunity to seek happiness through big houses, expensive cars, and holding millions of dollars in the bank.  I don’t think they’ll find it, but they are certainly entitled to try.  I don’t want a law banning pianos from church buildings, sprinkling from baptism, the virgin Mary from prayers, or Allah from our nation.  Nor do I want a law that limits kissing to those of us who find females attractive.

As I held my daughter this morning and watched BBC news, I prayed that she will respect the choices of others and be gracious to them.  I prayed that she will always honor God and do what is right.  I prayed that she will be a light in a dark place, letting her good deeds prompt others to worship God.  And I prayed that she will never believe it honors God to coerce obedience to him by passing laws, legislating morality, and limiting the freedoms of others.

It is troubling to me that many, who would fight long and hard to prove God has given mankind freedom of choice, would then seek to not grant that same freedom to others.