Parallel universes: The materialist's comfort in the face of death

If you want to get a good idea of the best way materialists have to deal with the otherwise nihilistic implications of their philosophical system, take a look at this clip from the movie " Rabbit Hole". I find it interesting how the boy makes the assertion that the notion of parallel universes are 1. infinite and 2. well evidenced by science. The truth is that 1. parallel universes are not infinite (as a matter of logical deduction) and 2. have absolutely no evidence for them whatsoever. ...

March 29, 2011 · 2 min · Wes Widner

God just needed another little angel so he took her

Have you ever been in a small group where someone has uttered something like the couple in the video above? Papering over a deep tragedy with answers that were not only paper-thin but actually damaging if closely scrutinized? I have. And like the grieving mother, I’ve also felt like an ass when I couldn’t stomach it anymore and decided to call everyone to examine the implications of what was actually being said. ...

March 28, 2011 · 2 min · Wes Widner

A journey to flatland

It appears that Rob holds what Francis Schaeffer described as a two story model of knowing where in the upper story we have faith (what Bell calls “3D objects”) and the lower story which contains science, reason and all that jazz. So how about it? Is it possible for a person living in flatland to know, with any degree of certainty, anything about 3D land? Are we forced to make a blind “leap of faith” into the upper story? ...

March 24, 2011 · 1 min · Wes Widner

Whale farming

Quite a while ago now a friend of mine and I were discussing the subject of nature preservation and wildlife conservation. This was around the time that Japan was in the news again for running over an anti-whaling vessel. During our discussion I made the point that I believed that proper wildlife management takes into account the desires of the free market. In the case of Japan, that market appears to include whale meat. So it would seem that if we really wanted to see the whales protected we should make sure someone is responsible for them. ...

March 22, 2011 · 1 min · Wes Widner

A word on bullies

The schools exacerbate the problem of bullying by their stance that all fighting is wrong. The first time I came into contact with my wife was when I was in the 8th grade and she in the 7th. Her house had just burned down and a group of kids were picking on her because her clothes smelled like smoke. I didn’t know any of that at the time, all I knew is that a girl was getting picked on and that wasn’t right so I told her bullies (2) to stop it and when they didn’t I bitch slapped the leader and dared him to continue picking on the girl. ...

March 22, 2011 · 1 min · Wes Widner

Something to keep in mind when thinking about welfare rights and abuse

A friend of mine posted an article the other day which declares “Minnesota Republicans To Outlaw Poor People Having Money”. In the ensuing discussion I made the following observation: There is a fundamental fact that keeps getting overlooked when we talk about the issue of welfare. And that is that the money in question is not theirs. It was not earned. It is a gift, given by taxpayers. One might even consider it to be a loan, an investment into their, and by extension, society’s, future. And just like any other loan, the borrower, that is the taxpayers in this case, have a right to make sure it is being used for its intended purposes. ...

March 21, 2011 · 2 min · Wes Widner

Rob Bell's uncertainty

“We are speculating after you die” that seems to leave no room for assurance of salvation. It robs the gospel of its very essence. Hope. But then later he said “what interests me is what matters, what interests me is what’s true”. Wait, what? Are we serious about our search for knowledge or aren’t we? James would like to know If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. -James 1:5-8 ...

March 20, 2011 · 2 min · Wes Widner

What Do 'Pro-Choice' Protesters Really Think About Abortion?

It needs to be pointed out that their attitude towards sex as a sterile, recreational activity unconnected with any biological consequences combined with their view of children as parasites are not unique. These are the predominant views of our society, pushed in all facets from politics to education to entertainment. The future looks very bleak for any children produced and raised in the homes the people above will provide (when they choose to provide it, of course). One protester even had a sign “would you trust me with a child?” ...

March 15, 2011 · 1 min · Wes Widner

Book review: Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte

I’ve been fascinated with Gilbert Keith Chesterton for quite a while. But the most I’d known of him before now had been his memorable quotations. So when I signed up to review books through BookSneeze.com, I jumped at the chance to review Defiant Joy: The Remarkable Life & Impact of G.K. Chesterton by Kevin Belmonte. Kevin does a good job of providing a high-level overview of GK Chesterton though a survey of his works. The book begins with a telescopic view of Chesterton’s family and early life and quickly moves into G.K.’s literary career. ...

March 9, 2011 · 2 min · Wes Widner

Margaret Sanger's failed population gamble

In this interview with Mike Wallace circa 1957 Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, laughs at the notion that the earth could sustain the then-current human population growth. Mike Wallace cited a claim made in a study done by James Bonner a California professor who claimed that the earth could sustain a 1/3rd rise in human population in the next 50 years. 1/3rd was apparently considered a large number. Sanger, based on Malthusian notions, said the idea was absurd and that unless something were done right then to cull the human population explosion, we would face massive starvation and other calamities within 50 years. ...

March 1, 2011 · 1 min · Wes Widner