Palin-tology

Does Matt Damon really think Governor Palin's (United States Vice Presidential nominee) views concerning dinosaurs will be a problem “because she's going to have the nuclear codes?”

.

I'm tempted to say that he should stick to acting, but I won't, because by that same token, I should stick to... whatever it is that I do. He is entitled to his own opinion. But I honestly wish there were something I could do to change his mind. I still appreciate his acting skill and enjoy his movies.

.

May I clear something up about “creationists?” First, they are not all the same. Some are pacifists, and some are aggressive. Some believe in a literal 6-day creation, and some believe in another interpretation that is less literal. I'll say up front that I take the account literally and believe creation is thousands, not millions or billions of years old.

.

Why would any semi-rational person believe in a literal 6-day creation? Is it because they listen to everything that comes from a particular pulpit without questioning? Believe me, pastors get lots of criticism from their parishioners and just because they say something, doesn't mean that the folks in the pews will blindly follow. Please give us credit for being just a little more discerning.

.

And me, am I a creationist because that is how I learned the story of beginnings? Nope. I was brought up to believe the Big Bang and Darwinian Evolution. After coming to faith in Jesus, I eventually swung over to the camp of Theistic Evolution before finally shaking off the missing links for a plain understanding of the Genesis account.

.

Is it bad science? Well, that depends on how you measure good or bad science. If good science is agreeing with the status quo, then I choose to be bad. It matters more to me to know what is real. What actually happened? It matters NOT whether the truth is universally agreed upon, or understood. If it really happened a certain way, then it did. This is not a survey where the most common or pleasant answers wins, we are looking for historical fact.

.

Can I tell you what I think? Well, I'm gonna, anyway. God created the universe and loves people who are not worthy of Him. Evolutionary theories were created by people who have a problem with God. Darwinians believe in the incredibly hostile idea of survival of the fittest. Christian creationists believe that God created the world, and we are supposed to take care of it, and tell God's story until he comes back. Really now, who is more dangerous with nuclear codes?!

.

(Normally I avoid political commentary, but this was not about one party or the other, it was whether a biblical creationist could hold a high office.)

one stood out

A flock of birds was playing one morning. They were dashing back and forth in unison. If it was only one bird, we'd call it random, but they were in a pretty tight formation, like a carefully choreographed performance. What caught my eye was the bird on the far right. It was a white pigeon, while the rest were all dark. I was hoping for a picture, when all of the sudden, the light turned red, and they posed for me on the wires. Silly pigeons, they're facing the wrong way. Oh well, at least they're not like Martin's bad birds who go around whacking people with a stick. Do you see what I'm talking about in my picture, how the one on the far right stands out?

.

This is not intended to be a political forum, but if anyone wants help with the current US Presidential candidates... if one has not stood out from the others, I might have something helpful for you. Someone forwarded this link to me. It's a survey called Select A Candidate from Minnesota Public Radio.

.

The survey does not tell you who to vote for. It simply tells you how the candidates line up according to your own preferences. Check it out.

capitol idea

.

This photo was taken at a mall in Kentucky last week. There were no protesters in sight. Have you heard the debate in Wisconsin about what to call the 35-foot fir tree, displayed at the state capitol? It seems that people are offended whether it is called a "Christmas" tree or "holiday" tree.

.

I dunno, people. It looks like a Christmas tree, with all the lights and decorations, and presents, and even a choo-choo that encircles it. By common definition, it's a Christmas tree.

.

Does that make it religious? I don't think so. To most people, this symbol has everything to do with Santa Claus, and not the Messiah's birthday. Ergo: it is not really religious, despite the name.

.

It all seems so wasteful to me. Are tax dollars paying for those discussions? Don't they have any real problems to solve? In my own opinion, the matter can instantly be settled by either party with just one word: "Whatever."