Opus 2013-400: The End Is Always Near

If the world is going to end it had better hurry.

Remember last year and the hoopla over the end of the world?  There were two big end of the world prophecies that year.  One was a “protestant” Christian variety with bill boards everywhere giving a specific date.  Those of us who are Bible reading Christians would have patted them on the head and got on with life but the signs were too far off the ground.

And the pagans got into the act.  They were worrying about the Mayan or Aztec calender.  It was supposed to predict that the end of the world would coincide with our 2012.  The kids at school were really worried about this one.  It is kind of like Cinco de Mayo, a big deal here but nothing where it came from.  I tried to explain it was the end in the same way that we get a new calendar every year.  The only difference is that their calendar went for a few thousand years.

It is now a year later and we are still here.  I could quote Jesus on no one knowing the date.  Be ready and you won’t have to worry about it.

Of course the debacle of Obamacare and the intrusion of the NSA might end the world as we know it but it can’t be any worse than when the Mongol hoards came streaming out of the west.  Life went on, it was just that everyone became slaves in the process.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-399: Firsts: Appleseed Project

What kind of things do your children drag you into?

For some people it is probably soccer practice or a dance recital.  My kids are too old for that so they need to work harder.  This year during the Christmas break my son took me to a workshop of the Appleseed Project.  After two days of hustle I am willing to admit I may be getting too old for some things. 

The goal of the workshop is to teach the basic fundamentals of rifle marksmanship.  They let you use any type of rifle in some of the sessions.  The one we attended was limited to .22 rifles.  The targets are placed 25 yards down range and sized to simulate firing at 100 yards.  The day begins, as all training with firearms begin, with safety.  They repeatedly go over the importance of safety.  It is priority number one. 

The shooting begins with thirteen rounds fired at a target with five targets of differing sizes.  This gives a benchmark to measure the skills learned over the two days.  From there it is two days of loading and firing from different positions.  My son and I had a good time.  He showed his skill.  I demonstrated my lack. 

At my age moving from a prone position to a standing position is hard on the bone and muscles.  I am really stiff but it was a good experience.

Check it out on line if you are interested.  They will work with you on equipment.  One family was a mother and her two children.  I was the oldest but there was quite a mix. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-398: Headlines: Or Not, Since It Involves Global Warming, or Not

A headline caught my eye on Drudge, entitled, “'Global warming' scientists trapped in expanding Antarctic ice...”  It might give you a few laughs.  It will also confirm the continued and obvious bias of the media. 

It seems that an entrepreneur who makes money on the global warming scam was on a trip to gain more “scientific” data about global warming.  If you read the article you will see that it points out that his ship got stuck in the growing ice cap of the Antarctic.  You may miss the fact that it is summer there.  That is the funny part.

The frustrating part is that the purpose of the voyage is completely covered up by the media. 

Welcome to modern journalism.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-397: The Continuing Debacle

The deliberate federal destruction of our health care system has not hit me hard yet, but I know the pain is coming.

The initial increase in cost is real but not crippling for me and mine.  Yet.  If you want a brief overview of the hidden costs that are already being passed on you can read this article I found linked from the Drudge Report entitled “New Obamacare Fees coming in 2014.” 

I cringe when I read about all the people losing their coverage.  I rage about people who were in the midst of treatment and were dropped because of Obamacare and the confusion it is creating.  I imagine the pain of dramatically increased costs that are being reported. 

And I know that it is coming to a health plan near me, soon.  Since I am a teacher the Progressives in government will hold off dragging me down because they consider the teachers’ unions to be their big supporters.  They, or we, are.  Most teachers are with the welfare classes who believe that someone else will pay the bill for the government largesse they receive.  I am not so naive, but then I don’t believe in global warming, that the government cares about me or that Obama is a Christian. 

What do we do?  We do the obvious:  Vote, write, speak out.  I am concerned that those may not be enough.  The damage has been done but there is more coming.

I am concerned about the insight that people get the government they deserve.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-396: Discernment Watch: Holiday, What Holiday?

We are still in that mysterious time period called the “Holiday Season.”  The radio has a never ending series of advertisers coming on and wishing people a wonderful “holiday season.”  The one that caught my attention was the Martinelli family, the bottlers of sparkling cider, wishing everyone a happy holiday season and a happy new year.  I am confused.  I ask, “If you separate New Years from the holiday season, what holiday could you possibly be celebrating?”  Hanukkah is past.  Ramadan was in July and August.  Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, was in November.  Groundhog day is in February. 

I finally went to Wikipedia and found quite a list.  It seems that there is much to celebrate if you are a pagan. 

So for the pagans of the world, Happy Holidays.  That is still a religious greeting.  For those who follow Jesus, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-395: Discernment Watch: New Is Not Always Better

It seems that apps and pads are part of the dumbing down processes.

The first article I saw referenced on Drudge yesterday had to do with the danger that electronic devices provide to children.  You can read it yourself if you have young children or are thinking of a gift to someone who has young children.  It discusses the pros and cons of toddlers being introduced to touch screen technology.  It discusses the dangers as well as the promises.

The concern that kept coming up was that the touch screens put them out of contact with real people.  It focused on how the devices limited the interaction with adults, which is an important part of education.  Historically, a major part of a child’s education came from the conversations they joined or listened to with adults.  The concept of being locked in a room with 30 other kids the same age, kept physically inactive and fed one subject at a time is the product of modern assembly line education, not our traditional culture.  This concern kept coming up in the article. 

One of the real problems with the new technology is that same problem that TV presented:  It becomes a baby sitter that allows parents to opt out of raising their children.

Read the article.  You might want to ask yourself, “Do I want my children to turn out like George Washington who had almost no formal education or the current heart throb of young teens who was raised on TV and cell phones?”

Shop accordingly.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-394: Benevolent Shiny

 Be thankful for the crass commercialism of the Christmas season.

My car was in the shop so I was driving my wife’s machine.  This confined me to listening to the radio instead of pod casts.  An advertisement caught my attention.  The item up for bid was a new TV with colors four times as clear or some such nonsense.  Since I am a bit color blind and can’t see very well at my age it doesn’t make any difference to me.  Their goal was to get people to rush out and buy the latest technology.  New.  Shiny.  It seems so sordid but I am not sure I have a problem with that.  Here is my reasoning.  The sooner everyone runs out and wastes their money on high priced technology the sooner it will come down in price and be in my price range. 

I don’t need it.  I won’t buy it until it gets cheap.  Even then I will wait for my old one to wear out.  But the day will come when I am ready so go for it.  Meanwhile you have my permission to buy, buy, buy.  Sell, sell, sell.  The more you spend the sooner it will get into my range.  By then I might be ready.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-393: Is It a Nominative or Genitive Christmas?

What did the angels really say to the shepherds?

The controversy was brought about at the Christmas Eve service last night.  The translation on the screen had a modern text of Luke 2:14.  It came up again as we read through the Christmas story at home.  Most people are familiar with the King James.

(Luke 2:14 KJV)  Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Modern translations say it in a different way.

(Luke 2:14 NAS77)  "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."

To the casual reader this is no big deal.  Actually it shows a difference of theological understanding about salvation and how God interacts with each of us.

The difference goes back to the Greek.  The KJV uses what is called the Textus Receptus or Majority Text.  This Greek text has the largest number of manuscripts, thus “majority.”  Most modern translations use the group of texts that are thought to be older but not as common.  The words are the same in Greek but the tenses are different.  The Majority Text has the nominative case and the other the genitive case. 

What difference does it make?  Does the peace of God extend toward all mankind or does He reserve it for those that please Him?  If you are one who lives in obedience it applies both ways.  If you are one who likes to thumb your nose at God or wants to put off getting your act together it is important to believe that God extends His peace to everyone regardless of our behavior.

This came up in one of Alistair Begg’s sermons.  He was talking about Jesus calling Matthew, “Follow me.”  Begg was making the point that Matthew was a tax collector and thus outside the fold.  He was one of a hated class that was known for their selfishness and greed.  Begg, a Calvinist, was making the point that God can chose whoever He wants, which of course is true even to non-Calvinists.

But what were the conditions that made him pick Matthew.  Tax collectors were notorious, true.  Was Matthew just another greedy Roman foil or did Jesus sense an openness in Matthew that wasn’t in the others?  I doubt if He picked him because he was a stinker.  Personally I think that Matthew may have been one of those rare honest tax collectors.

Are there people that Jesus called that said “No.”  We don’t have a list of them but there were people who seemed to be ready to follow but pulled back.  Think of the ones who wanted to go bury their parents and such. 

If God has preordained each of us in our response then it doesn’t make much difference which translation you use.  If you are expected to respond then it follows that the peace of God is extended to those who please Him.

Merry Christmas. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-392: Monday Pulpit: Fate or Lord?

Sunday the pastor was talking about a Christmas presentation he had attended that was based on a choir singing Christmas music.  It was a secular group so they were pleased at the number of genuine carols that were sung.  They were surprised at the attention to detail.   He mentioned one song that Frank Sinatra made famous, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” which has the words, “If the fates allow.”  He said that the original was, “If the Lord allows,” and those were the words they sang in the program.  

I was totally unaware of this political correctness in a song I have listened to and sung for years.  It would seem that the war against Christmas has roots that go a long way back.  If you remember your Greek mythology, the fates were three old crones that determined the course of history.  You messed with them at your peril.  That is paganism.  Christianity relies on Almighty God for its confidence in the future.  We believe in blessings, not luck.

So have a blessed, Merry Christmas, even if the fates don’t want to allow it.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-391: A Peasant and His Palate

I am going to have to accept the fact that I do not have a discerning palate. 

This comes to mind because recently I was forced to go to instant coffee if I wanted coffee.  My coffee maker was acting like a smart phone and trying to tell me to do things that may have been moral but were impossible.  How can it claim to have no water in the reservoir when it was half full?  It was kind of like Social Security in reverse. 

So I dug out my emergency supplies and boiled some water.

My observation was that the instant coffee was not as bad as some of the cheap brewed coffee I have had over the years.  It was different.  It was distinct.  It was drinkable.  If that observation makes me a Philistine in your eyes, so be it.

I wonder how much of the criticism is based on elite arrogance rather than true taste.  Remember, millions like sushi.  Many swear by menudo and caviar.  Some people eat their steak rare.

If that is discerning, then I will forever remain a peasant.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-390: Standardized Testing Is Not the Problem

Standardized testing is too important to be left in the hands of educators.

The term is thrown around as if the people speaking know what they are talking about.  Standardized Testing is a tool that has been developed carefully and normed over a large population.  That means that the questions of the test are tested themselves to see if they are written correctly, clearly articulated and produce the desired result.  They should show what is desired to be tested.  This takes time and money. 

A standardized test cannot be thrown together by a bunch of people who have a political agenda.  Well, it can, and it is, but then it is not really a standardized test.  It is a social engineering tool.

A standardized test must then be administered correctly.  It must be given with a uniform time scale and the same preparation opportunities.  It is best at measuring real knowledge if there is no special preparation.  The current excuses for standardized tests are sometimes administered by substitutes and in widely varying surroundings.  In California we not only dedicated much of our teaching time to reviewing for the tests, we have a rating system on the State Content Standards that told us what would be the most likely questions asked.  With these “preparations” a better score did not mean better teaching or learning but good guessing on the things emphasized in review.

A standardized test must be interpreted correctly.  On my district we have been given tests that were prepared by people who used different textbooks and vocabulary than we had in class.  They asked questions that were not included in what we were covering.  We were then told to take the results the next year and use them to modify our teaching on a different group of students.  You don’t give someone apples to make a cherry pie and then tell them to use the result to make plum pudding. 

Most people who evaluate the results don’t know the difference between percent and percentile.  They don’t know the norm base or how to compare things.  For instance, if the entire country went down by 50% in their scores but your school only went down 25% you would look like you were the shining light of the educational system.  This kind of measurement simply compares you to the rest of the mob, not to a standard scale.  It is useful if understood and pointless in ignorant hands.

When used properly and interpreted correctly standardized tests can be useful tools.  Since neither is usually the case I find them a source of distraction and a waste of time.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-389: CCC: Testing Credibility

If kids score poorly on a test, throw away the test.

That seems to be the attitude in education today.  Part of the switch to Common Core Curriculum (CCC )is to not only rewrite the tests given but to change the format entirely.  After a year of listening to propaganda about the CCC, I still have no idea what they mean by the new tests.  There are words that keep coming up about them, technology, cooperative, project based, inquiry and such.  These are all buzzwords in education that mean whatever the educators want them to mean. 

Turn back the clock.  When I was in high school we took something called the Ohio State Test.  We lived in California and we took the Ohio State Test.  It was a test that was normed nation wide and was widely respected.  I could not find any reference to in when I Googled it.  Maybe they have changed the name.

We were not warned ahead of time.  There was no extended time of review and test preparation.  We just showed up and took the tests.  At the time I was basically a “B” student.  I was too smart to get C’s and too lazy to get A’s.  My wife and kids came across my test scores recently.  They were shocked that my average score was the 97th percentile.  For those of you who are not into statistics, that does not mean I got 97% of the questions right.  It means that I scored better than 97% of the people who took the test. 

Yes, I was smarter than the average bear.  That is not my point.  My observation is that I scored very high on genuine standardized tests but only had a “B” average.  Today we have schools full of kids with “A+” averages that score low on dumbed down tests.

Welcome to modern education.  It is a world of dumbing down and social promotion.  It is a world where they talk of rigor and refuse to fail.  It is a world of raising the bar but lowering the bar holders.

I question whether it is the students or the adults that are dumber today.

I am sure that CCC will fix all this, aren’t you?

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-388: Heresy or Revival?

I don’t know if it is heresy or not but I invite you to join me in personal communion.

I am developing a morning ritual.  On work days I am in such a rut that the people at Panara sometimes have my order ready and on the counter before I get through the door.  I always get a section of baguette and a small coffee.  I can count the calories and it satisfies me through the first part of the morning.  I then spend some time in Bible study and I am ready to go to work.

I have a hard time with just praying over meals.  It becomes so mechanical.  It doesn’t always reflect my real sense of gratitude to God.  One day when I picked up my chunk of bread and began to break it apart I saw the hands of the elders breaking the bread for communion.  I said to myself, “If this is an action from the last supper, why not make it a part of the Daily Breakfast?” 

I have begun to begin each morning by tearing off a small section of bread and reminding myself of the words of Jesus.

(Luke 22:19 KJV)  And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Breaking the bread brings to mind why I am thankful and what I am most thankful for.  I also pause over the cup.

This may also become an empty ritual that becomes mechanical.  When that happens I will find a fresh way to remind myself of the daily grace I need and receive.

Catholics could do it in the Protestant sense of a memorial without taking away from the sacrament of the Eucharist.  Protestants could take it with the Catholic thought that God would use it to extend some grace for the day without surrendering the belief that it is symbolic.

If it doesn’t make you a heretic, feel free to join me.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-387: Headlines: If It Looks Like a Pogrom and Hacks Like a Pogrom...

I am off today for a visit to a doctor.  Nothing serious.  It gives me time to read the headlines and respond a bit.

On Drudge the big headline involves the Duck Dynasty “controversy.”  I put the word in quotes because it is really not shock over vulgarity but a pogrom over faith.  When a man who is used to speaking clearly is asked a specific question, don’t be shocked when he actually answers straight.  Phil Robertson used correct language to describe body parts and correct theology to evaluate the question of could and should.  For this A&E tries to spank his hands.

I rejoice to see the families response today.  The Drudge Report links to an article in something called “The Hollywood Reporter.” 

I confess, this is the only way they could get me to read anything in this publication.  According to them the family is pulling together and acting like Christians rather than be intimidated by the thugs in the media.  The article included the words I wanted to hear,

“The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E's decision.  We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word.”

Good for them.

I shortly stopped reading after that because most of the article was a repetition of all the vitriolic attacks of the anti-Christian voices of the country.

Pray for this family.  Pray that they would be faithful.  Pray that they would maintain a position that will encourage the rest of us to live our faith instead of cowering in the shadows of paganism.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-386: Guilt Free

I feel some guilt but I am fighting it.

I have not posted much lately.  It happens.  I hear people explaining it all the time.  Get over it.  This is supposed to be fun, not drudgery.  We write because we are compelled to do so from something in us.  We write even when no one is reading.  That is the opportunity presented by the net.  When I start looking at all the things I want to say and have not gotten to I struggle with guilt, but I get over it.  I am sure you have a life.  So do I.  Life has strike outs as well as home runs.  Enjoy it and when you get a chance, share a bit of it.  Or not. 

Guilt free posting, an idea whose time has come.

Merry Christmas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-385: On the Street: What Are They Celebrating?

How long can our culture war on Christmas and still celebrate it?

As I walked into Panera, a bakery/restaurant chain, I noticed the latest poster by the door.  It was very colorful and eye catching and said, “Jolly and joyful.”  That was all.  Why?  About what?  It demonstrated the current schizophrenia of our culture on Christmas.  People have this idea that we should celebrate but don’t want to admit the reason for the season.  What does a company that has bread and coffee as main offerings have to be joyful about?  Is it because I came back?  That doesn’t seem to be worth a poster campaign.

At our school we will be having a “winter program.”  We have a “holiday tree.”  What holiday?  We will be leaving for two weeks for a “winter break.”  Why two weeks?  Does the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” come to mind?  If it was a winter break it should be for three months because that is how long winter is.  It should celebrate with the sacrifice of virgins on an altar.  That would be closer to the pagan tradition than “stockings hung by the chimney with care.” 

It is Christmas.  That means it is the day that the Roman Catholic church chose to celebrate the daily worship mass with the emphasis on the birth of Jesus, the incarnation.  It was part of a year long teaching curriculum that includes Trinity Sunday, All Saints Day and Pentecost.  Our culture used to celebrate the birthday of our King. 

Remove Christ from Christmas and you have no special reason to be joyful and jolly is still just a character trait.

Merry Christmas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-384: CCC: A Federal Trojan Horse

When you are right, you are right.  When others agree, they are right.

I was catching up on back issues of The Washington Times, National Weekly and came across an article about the Common Core Curriculum (CCC) entitled, “Common Core protests show no signs of slowing.”  I have the hard copy, November 25, 2013 on page 14.  It can be found on line but not without at least a guest registration.

In the article it quotes Dennis Van Roekel of the National Education Association speaking as if this Common Core idea were some grass roots effort by governors, business and educators to improve the quality of teaching across the country.  I remember this being stressed when CCC was beginning to be pushed on the teachers at our school.  It was flatly stated that this was not a federal program.  It was really a wasted declaration since most of the teachers in this nation are firmly in the Obama/Progressive camp anyway and would have not problem with a federal take-over of education.  It was offered to shut up people like myself.

It is a typical Progressive lie.

The article starts off by calling it “the Obama administration-backed Common Core education reforms.”  That could be just an editorial comment but it is backed up with the information that $4.35 billion was offered to the states to bribe them on board.  Keep in mind that where Federal money flows, Federal control follows.  Later in the article it says,

“Although adoption of Common Core was voluntary, states that rejected the standards were considered effectively ineligible for federal stimulus funds tied to President Obama’s Race to the Top initiative.”

Sounds like federal coercion to me.

At present the battle to make schools into a tool of the socialist state is almost over.  The Progressives (socialists, communists, liberals, Democrats, elitests) are ready to declare total victory. 

After they finish with the state clone factories they will come after private schools and home schoolers. 

As someone once said, “People get the government they deserve.”

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-383: Born Again to Adoption

Most people are familiar with the Biblical term “born again.”  It is mocked and dragged through the mud.  I even remember seeing a used car commercial calling their cars “born again.”  It is genuinely Biblical.

(John 3:3 KJV)  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

We should not get too hung up on the exact wording.  The actual literal translation would be “born from above.”  The idea of again comes from the understanding of Nicodemus, the man talking with Jesus.  He clearly understood the meaning to be a second birth.

(John 3:4 KJV)  Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

There is another term that conveys the beauty of this new birth.  It is found in the concept of adoption.  If you think of Jesus words to mean “born from above” instead of “born again” then the idea of adoption fits very well and adds a richness to the change that takes place.

To understand this we need to think in Roman terms of adoption, not current vogue.  The modern concept of adoption focused on people who are infertile going through the process of looking for a child to make our own.  They are looking for a baby.  The Roman concept was the adoption of adults. 

For the Roman it was not a matter of being childless.  It was a matter of having worthy children.  If you did not have children who measured up you could go out and pick someone who would make a good son and adopt him.  You picked someone who was worthy and the other person agreed to the relationship. Your natural born children became second place.  During the time Rome was a growing and strong empire this is the way the emperors chose their successor.  When they went back to their first born, the empire began to decline.

One of the common teachings among Christians is that God is seeking us and we are to respond.  This fits in very well with their understanding of becoming a child of God by adoption.

Since you might think being “born again” is corny, let’s make the question, “Have you been adopted?”

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-382: New Terms: LIV and LIB

/Does the “LI” stand for “largely ignorant” or “low information”?

Does it make any difference.

You may have noticed the appearance of a new acronym, LIV.  It stands for “low information voter.”  It is an attempt to play nice.  It is an effort to take a group of people that would normally be called ignorant and make it sound like just a minor issue.  It is not a minor issue.  It is a matter of lazy.  That is major.

There is a difference between stupid and ignorant.  Stupid is something you can’t do much about.  It is a material limitation.  Ignorant is something you can do about.  Being stupid does not keep you from being successful in life or from making a contribution.  Being ignorant can be deadly to you and to those whose lives you mess up because you are not paying attention.

In the church we have LIB’s.  I am submitting that this stands for “low information believers.”  We have a growing mass of people who call themselves Christian who don’t have a clue to what it means to be a follower of Christ. 

I am not talking about people who disagree with me on theology.  Attentive, focused people can disagree on interpretations and emphasis.  I feel they are wrong.  They know I am wrong.  We both know why we are right.  I am talking about those who accept the latest fad or blatant heresy from the pulpit or the pages of a book.  I am talking about pew sitters who live lives in conformity to Abercrombie and Fitch rather than the Sermon on the Mount.  I am talking about people who can’t tell the difference between a quote from Benjamin Franklin and the words of Jesus.

This is the sin of sloth in action.  In this day and age of internet sources and multiple translations there is no reason to be ignorant of what God has said, no reason except sloth.  In politics it can make us uncomfortable and costs us a lot of money.  Sloth can cost us our freedom and limit our choices.  In theology the results are eternal. 

We cannot afford LIV’s or LIB’s. 

Check your own house to see if it is in order.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-381: The Welfare Prince and the Minimum Wage

How much are you worth?

In my eighth grade history class questions were asked about the minimum wage.  It was stimulated by the media attention to the fast food industry and all of the people there agitating for a minimum of $15.00 an hour.  California is on the band wagon but what do you expect from a Socialist state?

I shared that the documentation is clear.  Every time you raise the minimum wage, jobs are eliminated.  I pointed out that the fast food industry is already toying with the idea of automation.  If they are forced to pay unskilled burger flippers $15.00 and hour then they will get rid of the burger flippers and change counters and go automated.  The technology is already available.  All that is lacking is the incentive.  Jobs for young people will become more scarce.

So far, so good.  It was a teachable moment.

I illustrated my point with a corner convenience market that I know about.  It is a small, one-person operation.  It is near a school.  The owner of the market might be willing to pay some kid $5.00 an hour for a couple of hours a day to come in and move boxes, sweep floors and such.  I pointed out that a junior high student could work two hours a day after school and come off with $50.00 a week. 

So far, so good.

I had not bargained for the Welfare Prince in the front row.  It only took him a few second so say it would not work for him.  He needs at least $100 a week.  After another moment’s thought he said even that would not be enough.  And of course he thought he was too good to do that kind of work anyway.  This is in eighth grade.

He was serious.  He really thinks that he is worth it and needs it. 

And you wonder why the Democrats keep winning elections.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-380: CCC: Someone Else Gives a Warning

I don’t know if you have done any reading at The American Thinker website.  It has a lot of interesting essays, mainly political but on other topics at times.  I came across one that was looking at the Common Core Standards (CCC).

This post, called “Throwing Gasoline on a Fire” gives a fuller analysis than I have done so far.  I may repeat what it says over time but this is a good look from another source. 

Check it out if you are concerned about education.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-379: Why Did That Car Miss You?

Have you had any squeakers lately?

In one of his sermons Alistair Begg shared how people keep asking him to stop thanking God for sparing them another day in his prayers.  They seem to be getting tired of being reminded about the providence of God.  From there my mind when into tangent mode.

In my mind I asked, “Why does God spare us and give us so many blessings.”  We have just come through the official Thanksgiving season.  I don’t know about you but I am in a perpetual Thanksgiving season.  I am very much aware of the blessings that God pours out on me and mine.

What is the purpose of God’s blessings?  We tend to get our focus wrong.  We tend to think that God is blessing us so that our lives will be full of joy and peace.  Many of us are just doing our own thing and God is just a vitamin pill or crutch which makes life go smoother.  We tend to think of God as being there for our benefit and forget who is the Creator and who are the created.

Why does God allow the Holy Spirit to convict us, save us by grace through faith, intervene daily in our lives and have angels protect us?  It isn’t so you can coach your daughter’s soccer team.  That may be part of His plan for you but it is because that soccer team is part of His greater outline for the universe, as hard as that is for some of us to believe. 

As we move through Advent and approach Christmas use the time to remind yourself of why that Baby had to be born.  Take a few moments and read through some of the Christmas Carols.  Notice how much they talk about a sinful and fallen world.  Notice the emphasis on why Jesus became flesh and dwelt among us.

Accept that God gives you blessings and respond with love and a greater commitment to allow Him to use you for His glory. 

Merry Christmas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-378: 12/7 and 911, Lessons

It almost slipped by me.  This is the “Day that shall live in infamy.”  But it doesn’t seem to be living in our memories.

For those who didn’t pay attention, this is Pearl Harbor Day.  On December 7, 1941 a swarm of Japanese planes appeared over Honolulu and proceeded to pound the warships of the United States into hazards to shipping.  The issue was not that we were attacked.  The issue was that we were not at war.  At that precise moment Japanese diplomats were meeting with the American government to discuss relations and peace. 

It should have not come as a surprise.  People who are into conspiracy believe that Roosevelt knew the attack was coming and did nothing.  Some say he was deliberately prodding the Japanese hoping to bring about such a response so he could have an excuse to go to war.  I have not tried to dig into either but in hindsight I think it was necessary that we get involved and the American people were asleep about their place in the world.  I can understand Japan’s anger over being held down by the imperialists of Europe.  I can understand German anger over the way they were treated after World War I.  The problem is that each allowed itself to be subverted by leaders who were evil in methods and goals. 

Are the Japanese evil as a people?  No.  Are the German people any worse than the rest of the world?  No.  But in both cases they became accomplices in extreme actions of murder, torture and destruction. 

Much of the same can be said about September 11, 2001 and its results.  Conspiracy theories abound.  Anger is understandable.  A few led and continue to lead the masses into atrocities.  The American people were asleep. 

We have gone back to sleep.  The war of terror by evil people continues.  At present the leadership in that war is held by Muslims of Arab extraction.  They are not alone.  We need to wake up.  We need to do the homework to separate the evil from the submissive.  We need to separate the sheep from the goats.  We need to remove those who allow evil to run their lives.

Will we wake up?  I don’t see it happening.  It sometimes takes great pain to drive people to actions.  I pray that you and yours are not at the wrong place and the wrong time when the wake up call is issued.  I pray we wake up as a nation in time to survive.

Ignoring evil does not make it go away.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-377: Batman, Stainless Steel, Righteousness

As I continue to work through the book of Proverbs I come across illustrations about purifying metals and smelting and removing impurities.  The clear teaching is that we are called to live moral and upright lives.  It also seems clear to me that such a life is possible.

The Calvinist, or as they prefer to be called, Reformed, branch of the Christian family likes to harp on no one being righteous.  They love to quote Isaiah

(Isaiah 64:6 KJV)  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

They ignore other passages in Isaiah such as,

(Isaiah 3:10 KJV)  Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.

They ignore how we are constantly called on to be righteous and we are called righteous.  This creates a cognitive dissonance in me.  When I do a simple word search on “righteous” and “righteousness” in the Bible I find clear teaching that it is not only possible, it is required.

Think of the process of producing stainless steel.  It starts as red or orange dirt or rock.  The valuable iron is separated from the dirt and dross.  Then the refining really begins.  When you refine iron into steel and make it into stainless steel it becomes an alloy that really resists rust.  That is our condition when we have been sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  Stainless steel is mainly the element iron, but it has added elements to transform it and change its response to water.  In the same way our inner core has been transformed.  We now have a natural resistance to rust, or in spiritual terms, sin.  Does that mean that stainless steel will not rust?  No.  It can still happen if you abuse it enough but it means that it will resist rust.  Does that mean that the righteous cannot sin?  Same answer.

Don’t settle for less than resistant to corruption.  Don’t worry if you are not perfect in all ways.  God works with real, live people in real, live situations.  He has the patience and love to melt, mold or wait depending on what is needed.

This might be a good place to remind you about the verses of the Christmas carols that are often skipped.  Here is the third verse of “Joy to the World.”

No more let sin and sorrow grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground.
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as the curse is found.

As Robin might say to Batman, “Holy Righteousness!”

Merry Christmas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-376: CCC: A Goal That Is Not a Goal

The Common Core Curriculum (CCC) continues to work its way into the nation’s schools.  Just as Barak Obama was very clear in his goals if you were listening, the CCC also says things that go over our heads.

The website makes this impressive, yet deceptive, statement:

“Building on the excellent foundation of standards states have laid, the Common Core State Standards are the first step in providing our young people with a high-quality education. It should be clear to every student, parent, and teacher what the standards of success are in every school.”

This does not represent reality or intent.  For years California has had the “excellent foundation of standards” that this speaks about.  I am most familiar with the history standards.  Since I am a human being, I would make minor changes to include and exclude, but on the whole the content standards I have been given to cover are a job well done.  They needed no changes except tweaking for personal preference. 

Notice I said “needed.”  In our faculty meeting this week we were told that we would not be testing on those standards any more and that at the end of the year they would be gone.  In other words, the “excellent foundation” is being thrown away.  It is being replaced by, drum roll please,...nothing.  That’s right, nothing. 

If you take the time to go to the site you will find that they only have English Language Arts and Mathematics standards.  When asked, we have been told that science and history will be somehow folded into the other standards.  This is the bold step forward we are facing.

It does not sound like progress to me, but then I am not a Progressive. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-375: Ode to Old: “It’s Too Late, Baby!”

I am running out of time.

What got me going on this was a comment by my son as we were driving to church.  We touched on some plan or dream that he had expressed somewhere in the past and his response was, “I’ve got to get around to that.” 

It occurred to me that I don’t have much time left to get around to a lot of things.  When you get to a certain age you begin to look at the lead time in order to reach a goal.  There is a learning curve for everything and the time needed to develop the skills and contacts needed for success.  When you get to retirement age it is a little late to decide you are going to do something that takes twenty years to develop expertise. 

I have reached the age that I must admit that if I haven’t got around to it yet, I probably won’t.

That means to develop new goals.  Keep working on the strengths I have.  Plan with optimism but not foolishness. 

I have an eternity ahead but I have the feeling that the choices I will have then will dwarf my imagination on my best day. 

Something to regret.  Even more to anticipate.

Happy Eternity.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-274: Discernment Watch: Tradition Is Not Necessarily Fact

I am tired of hearing people tell me where the tradition of Santa Claus comes from.

This is not a “Bah!  Humbug!” moment.  I love the Advent season and Christmas.  I started playing the music after pie on Thanksgiving.  I already feel the joy.  My problem is the extreme lengths people go to trying to justify their traditions as if they are sacred doctrine.

Sunday I attended church with my son.  They were having a service that they called “The Hanging of the Greens.”  It was the churches answer to variety shows.  It was broken up into segments focusing on each of the traditional decorations of Christmas:  Wreaths, trees, poinsettias, nativity, etc.  Each segment had a reading that gave the background for the item.  Then they had some kind of musical presentation.  Interesting.  Not necessarily true.

I have been around long enough to hear multiplied versions of all the different traditions.  They are usually presented as the results of research and are the true reason we do ________.    I want people to accept these as entertainment and inspiration, not as the last word in truth.  No one really knows where the Santa Claus story comes from.  No one really knows who lit the first Christmas tree. 

On the other hand there are the facts.  In the fulness of time, God became man.  He was born of the virgin Mary and named Jesus.  He came to go to the cross and die for our sins.  He came to be resurrected and give us the assurance of eternal life.  He will come again.  Those are not cute theories or pleasant inspirational stories.  Those are truth.

Learn the difference and enjoy all of the season.  Remember it is not a sin to eat a veggie burger and be satisfied as long as you don’t claim it is the same as the real thing.

Merry Christmas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-373: Monday Pulpit: Creation vs Evolution

We are out of town and visiting a church we like.  It isn’t big but it is solid.  The pastor is working through the book of Exodus and was looking at the plagues.  He commented on how the magicians of Pharaoh started off matching the miracles of God but after a few successes realized they were out of there league.  They retired from the competition but that did not slow Pharaoh down. 

In passing he talked about how modern science has been trying to claim that life came forth from the primeval ooze spontaneously.  Although they cannot duplicate it in the lab, they believe it.  Although they cannot prove it, they believe it.  In the lack of all evidence ,they believe it.  They believe in the miracle of life as an accident.  Then the pastor used a phrase that caught my attention.  He said they believe in miracles without the Miracle Giver.

Think about it.  Science concedes that there is not enough time for evolution to have taken place, yet they still believe.  They cannot duplicate the process, yet they believe.  Ultimately they come back to faith in some basics.  Their faith is rooted in denying a creator. 

Christians believe that life came into being.  They can’t explain it in a laboratory either but they still can explain how it happened.  They propose that there was a Creator.  They have faith in the existence of something that cannot be proven in a lab. 

Both ultimately rely on faith.  Which one is more rational?

(Isaiah 1:18 KJV)  Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

I submit that the problem non-believers have is not the lack of reason but an unwillingness to admit the second part of the verse.  They refuse to admit that they are sinners and need a savior.

Is the problem pride or probability?

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-372: On Preachers and Judges

What do preachers and judges have in common?

Alistair Begg got my juices going with some comments on preachers.  He observed that many pulpits today are filled with preachers who are up there to tell people what they want to tell rather than what God has to say.  It is very easy to fall into that trap.  When I was preaching weekly it was very easy to start off with something that was on my mind, some pet peeve, and look for verses that backed what I wanted to say.  I am glad to report that usually the Holy Spirit was on the job and got me back to the word as my source, but the temptation and tendency was always there. 

Another pressures is to say what you think people want to hear.  That was never my problem  but I know how often it happens.  The pressure to pipe down or speak in a “seeker friendly” way is real.  I still laugh about the guy who said that the pastor’s sermons made him feel like a sinner.  He was complaining when he should have been complementing. 

Both of these tendencies are paralleled by our judges today.  We have activist judges who want to ignore the words and meaning of the Constitution and substitute their own opinions and preferences.  They really don’t care what 2000 years of law and wisdom has said.  They know better.  We are seeing this in regard to marriage and the right to bear arms. 

In other cases we see where people who were thought to be solid in their opinions and values stab us in the back with strange decisions like chief justice Roberts has done.  They seem to want people to like them rather than respect the law. 

In both cases the people compromising have a low view of the documents.  The errant preachers ignore the Bible.  The ego-centric judges seem to forget that there is a Constitution.  In both cases our culture and society receive body blows that are doing untold damage.

Pray for revival.  Vote for change.  Speak up for survival.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-371: Firsts: Popcorn for Breakfast

Being acquainted with grits and steel cut oats, popcorn begged to be admitted to the club.

When I stay with my son I experiment in the kitchen in ways that would drive my wife frantic with anxiety.  Popcorn is not exactly a major risk but what about for breakfast? 

With bulk popcorn and a microwave it is possible to turn out a reasonable amount of cereal in a reasonable amount of time with no oils or additives.  We put it in bowls, added milk, sweetened to taste and gave it a whirl.  It was declared a winner.

If you try it, be careful to get the unpopped kernels out of the mix and chew carefully in case you were not perfect.  Maybe this is old news to you, but it is new to us.

Does anyone know how they get puffed wheat and rice?  I have tried wheat in the microwave and all it does is burn.  There are still uncharted shores to visit.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-370: Firsts: Shopping on Thanksgiving

Did you violate the spirit of the holiday by going shopping? 

I do not mean did you have a medical crisis and need to get a prescription.  What I am referring to is the merchants’ making the monumental decision to open their doors on Thanksgiving.  This is one of those watershed moments that begin to change a culture.

There were two holidays that were still sacred, even to the profane.  Even those who do not believe in God celebrate Thanksgiving and those who believe Jesus is a silly children’s story get into the Christmas spirit.  Now one of those becomes just another shopping day, another finish-your-dessert-so-we-can-get-to-the-sales moment.

Have you ever complained about the materialism of Christmas?  Have you complained about the commercialism that markets Santa Claus and wise men?  Did you go shopping yesterday?  Were you tempted?  Would you have gone if no one would know?  Then welcome to the world of hypocrisy. 

If there were not so many stores that opened I would call for a boycott.  I have not heard yet, but I hope the day was a miserable failure.  I hope that the American people were horrified and repelled.  I hope they stayed home and enjoyed family and friends.  I hope but have little assurance.  I do know that if the people who called themselves Christians had refused to participate the day would have been a failure.

If this was a success then expect the same on Christmas.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-369: Why Me?

I hope you have a happy thanksgiving. 

It is so easy to fall into the trap of focusing on the struggles, failures and shortfalls of our lives.  I do it often enough but by making it a habit of starting every morning with, “Good morning, Lord” I start off on the right foot.  I am working on meditating and writing on Proverbs at the beginning of every day.  Between the spoken words and the studied Word it puts a spring in my step.

Today is the big pause that refreshes.  If you don’t have a personal faith I guess you can be grateful for the previous generations that have built our world.  I can do that and also see the hand of God in the general peace and prosperity I am surrounded by.

I often wonder, “Why me?”  Not in sorrow and complaint but in wonder and gratitude.  I could have been born in the middle of the chaos of the French Revolution, the Mongol invasion, Haitian slavery, the Black Death.  I could have been born in a poverty stricken third world country controlled by a crazy tyrant.  Without pride or arrogance, I can be grateful and continue to wonder, “Why me?” 

To that I add thanks.

Will things fall apart in the future?  Will sickness or poverty come?  Will tragedy stalk my footsteps?  Maybe.  I hope that I still trust my God and know a spirit of thanksgiving.  Remember that when the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving in the new world, they had suffered tremendous losses.  Yet they were thankful.

“Why me?  Thank you, Lord!”

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-368: Heresy 101: Sinful Use of Music

I have just a word of warning for those of you who are on the verge of giving in to temptation:  Don’t play your Christmas music yet.  It is not allowed before Thanksgiving.

I am sure that everyone who is mature agrees and is standing strong.  Christmas music before Thanksgiving is wrong.  You may see sales in the stores.  You may be getting adds already.  I understand that stores are planning on opening on Thanksgiving.  I even saw a Salvation Army kettle outside a store yesterday.  That does not make it right.

It is not allowed before Thanksgiving.

In case you think I am being too hard, I will allow you the flexibility of deciding whether you must wait until the day after Thanksgiving or if you can begin after dessert.  In no case should it be before dessert.  Be strong.  Take the high road.  Resist temptation.

Have you already succumbed to the siren call?  Then perhaps some sort of penance is due.  Maybe you can listen to rap music for the afternoon or perhaps country would punish you enough. 

Remember:  No Christmas music before Thanksgiving.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-367: Basic Beliefs: God Is..., Part 3 of 3

In addition to being spirit and light we see that God is love.

(1 John 4:8 KJV)  He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

“Love” here is the Greek agape.  It is a type of love that the world does not accept.  It is summarized in I Corinthians 13 where the KJV calls it “charity.”

We hear a lot about love in our day and age.  It is portrayed as something of great value.  It is said to be lacking.  It is supposed to be a panacea for all that is wrong with our world.

The problem is that the “love” that the songs, posters and counselors talk about is not agape love.  The “love” of the songs is basically lust and physical gratification.  The “love” of the posters is spineless accommodation to narcissism.  The “love” of the counselors is self centered. 

Agape love is summarized in patience, kindness, forgiveness, self sacrifice.  It is a commitment, not an emotion.  Agape love is what is sometimes called “tough love.”  It makes hard choices and does not make excuses.  When correction is needed, it corrects.  When punishment is needed, it punishes.  But it always acts this way for the improvement of the target.  It is full of encouraging hope based on reality.  It is not about the lover or lovee feeling good.  It is to make good.

It might help if we said “God is agape” rather than “God is love.”

So.  God is spirit.  God is light.  God is love.

Something to think about.  Something to believe.  Someone to follow.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-366: Basic Beliefs: God Is..., Part 2 of 3

God is spirit, not material. 

There is a second declaration that the professor  brought to our attention.

(1 John 1:5 KJV)  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

So we see that God is light. 

Here again we see a place where we need to suspend our literal, physical understanding.  Our common understanding is that God is “a” light.  We think in physical terms and that works well up to a point.  Light reveals.  Light gives life.  Light helps us see our steps.  These are all good applications which are true, but God is more than that.

We are not talking about God being a stream of photons or energy which could be measured if we had a big enough meter.  That is a characteristic, an attribute not an essential essence.

In this verse it is contrasted with darkness.  Other places we see this distinction.  Isaiah gives some contrasts.

(Isaiah 5:20 KJV)  Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

(Isaiah 42:16 KJV)  And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

You see the division of good and evil, bitter and sweet, crooked and straight.

John gives it as a mindset.

(John 1:5 KJV)  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

(John 3:19 KJV)  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Paul points out that light and darkness cannot be joined.

(2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV)  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

I think that we are talking about the righteousness of God, the holiness of God or the purity of God. 

Anyway you want to slice it, to me, the light is the place to be.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-365: Basic Beliefs: God Is..., Part 1 of 3

Years ago in a seminary class the professor stated that there are three categorical statements about God in the Bible.  These are in addition to the attributes stated or implied.  These are statements that begin, “God is....”  When I did a search for “God is” in my software I came up with 169 hits.  Most of them are simple statements like “God is giving to us.”  Those obviously don’t fit this category.  Others are more subtle like,

(Deuteronomy 4:31 KJV)  (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

I want to look at the three statements given by that professor.  Interestingly they are all from the writings of John, the last writer and the one with the most time to reflect.  This is not intended as a required doctrinal statement explaining God.  It is simply a look at some of the basics.

The first statement,

(John 4:24 KJV)  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

First, lets deal with the translation.  In the KJV and other older translations this describes God as “a” Spirit.  Modern translations drop the indefinite article and simply have “God is spirit.”  Greek does not use the articles the way we do.  The definite article, “the,” is used sparingly and seems to indicate emphasis.  The indefinite articles, “a” and “an,” do not exist in Greek so anywhere you see them they are added on the opinion of the translators.

The theological point here is that the eternal God is not a physical being.  When the Son came to earth he was “incarnated.”  That means He crossed a line and took on the physical nature of human beings without giving up the divine nature.  In essence though, it means that we are not to think of God in physical terms. 

There are numerous figures of speech in the Bible that are used to teach us about God.  They help us to understand bigger lessons.  There are times when the word picture is clear in our minds and seems to indicate that God is physical.

(Mark 16:19 KJV)  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

But if God is not physical, He does not have hands.  It is just as powerful to accept this as a metaphor and learn from it.  Everything is the Bible is not to be taken literally.  How do you know?  Paraphrasing the realtor who asked what was most important, “Three things:  Context, context, context.”Try to understand the Bible in the context of the Bible. 

For example.

(Psalms 91:4 KJV)  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

Does that mean that God is a chicken?  If you insist that everything is totally literal that is your declaration.  If you accept that this is a metaphor, then don’t insist everything is literal.  Accepting the inspiration of the Word is not the same as demanding a literal interpretation.

More could be said but the first point is that God is Spirit, not material.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-364: Did You Forget to Vote? Good!

We need fewer voters.  If you forgot to vote last election you probably should not have been voting anyway.

Think about it.  What is required to vote?  You must be 18.  You are supposed to be a citizen.  You have to register.  That is about it.  Are you good with that?  I’m not.

I would like to see a higher bar for voting.  I would like some minimum requirements.  It should be in reach of all concerned citizens and out of reach of the lazy fool.  The problem is that I can’t think of much that would not eventually be abused.

Most people are afraid of this idea because historically it has usually been implemented as a method of oppression.  That is definitely a valid concern.  For instance, after the American Civil War some Southern states were trying to find a way around the Federal law designed to give the freed slaves political clout.  One idea was a literacy requirement.  You needed to be able to read and write.  Sounds reasonable.  But some freed slaves had learned to read and write.  Others were learning.  The “solution” was to give different tests to black citizens than were given to white citizens.  Blacks would be given extremely hard tests; whites, a simple one.  A reasonable requirement became a tool of manipulation and racial oppression. 

Most of the standards I can think of could be misused just as easily.  Most attempts at reform can bring greater problems if misused by people of not good-will.  Think of the times one political party has implemented reform and had it abused by the next president or a new Congress.  I would not hesitate to give George Washington or Calvin Coolidge certain powers that would give me nightmares if Carter or Obama had the reins.  We do need to think about it.

What would I like to see?  How about a simple test before you got your ballot.  A few simple questions.  Who are your current senators?  Name one political party besides the Republicans and Democrats.  How long does the president serve?  How many states are there?  Name one issue the candidates differ on and where they stand.  I am open to honest suggestions.

I would also like to see people who do not own real estate be barred from voting on property tax and bond issues. 

People receiving checks from the government not related to jobs should be barred.  Possibly all government employees should be banned because of conflict of interest.  That would include teachers like me.

Ballots should only be in English and the voter should be able to read them.

Photo ID should be required.

Should we implement any of these?  It would be worth a try or at least a discussion if we could do it without someone yelling “racist” because they don’t have a better objection.  We also need to keep in mind that Carter happened.  Obama is happening.  Tread with care.

Do you have any honest, better ideas?

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-363: CCC: What about History and Science?

Everything I looked at in the Common Core Curriculum (CCC) was written for two disciplines:  Math and English/Language Arts.  It you go to the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) section you find I am not the only one wondering.

From the FAQ section

“Q.  Are there plans to develop common standards in other areas in the future?

A.  CCSSO and NGA are not leading the development of standards in other academic content areas. Below is information on efforts of other organizations to develop standards in other academic subjects.”

It then list multiple groups that are theoretically working on science, “world languages,” and Arts.  There is no mention of history, government, economics or any of the related subjects.  It says that the “states are developing the Next Generation Science Standards.”  Maybe.  If the government subsidies hold out.

Since most of these people are from the left I am not sure I want them developing standards for history anyway. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-362: The Zombie Times

I am at the point in life where I will not even read the L.A. Times if I find it free.

If I were stuck on a desert island, and there was a kiosk offering the L.A. Times, and I had plenty of change and no where else to spend it, would I bother reading it?  Not unless I wanted some fantasy or light fiction. 

It came to me why I find the Times so unsatisfying.  I don’t like fantasy as a genre.  Fantasy has little contact with reality.  It is so irrational that it offends my attempts to suspend reality.  It manipulates plot lines with Deus ex Machina moments.  On occasion I can find an author that does it well, but they are few and far between.

Zombie movies are the same.  I don’t have enough imagination to believe in the walking dead.

One of the reasons I don’t like the L.A. Times is because I don’t like fantasy.  But then the L.A. Times is a good example of the walking dead.  It can’t seem to be killed.  It has no visible means of support.  It infects and kills all it touches.

Run for the hills.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-361: CCC: Out with the Classic, in with the Mediocre

One of the complaints I have heard about the new Common Core Curriculum (CCC) is that it is throwing out the use of literature in teaching and substituting boring selections taken from practical sources such as operator’s manuals and travel brochures.  Based on the “literature” that has become standard in education I am not sure that is a bad thing. 

What they don’t tell you is that they are also taking out the literature part of English.  Actually they deny it by saying that they still allow literature.  The truth is that it becomes a junior partner.  I just sat in a training session where the new jargon was introduced.  We now speak of “Informational Texts.”  Here is a portion of what was presented,

“Students read a true balance of informational and literary texts.  Elementary school classrooms are, therefore, places where students access the world - science, social studies, the arts and literature - through text.  At least 50% of what students read is informational.”

If you are bored and need something to do you can see the entire packet that was downloaded from the internet at the following site.

Notice two important phrases, “true balance” and “at least 50%.”  How do you define “true balance?”  What is the opposite, “false balance?”  And people assume that “at least 50%” means about half when it could also mean 95%.  This way of writing is designed to make you feel comfortable and leave them free to do whatever they want.

A quick glace at the examples they gave showed that they all came from personal journals of period pieces that left a lot to be desired in the quality of the writing.  Primary sources are important in teaching but who chooses the primary source.  The personal letters of someone’s Aunt Sophie are not necessarily as important as a letter by Thomas Jefferson.  It turns out that well known writers and classic literature need not apply.

I am afraid that a primary reason history is not emphasized is the same rational that has removed classical literature.  If you know your heritage and the struggles of the past you are harder to control in the future.  They give you a foundation to anchor you as you stand up for the important issues of life.  Without that knowledge you are trying to keep your head above water in the rapids of liberal jargon.

Progress is a wonderful thing, if you are a Progressive.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-360: The Nanny State: Now Saving You from Transfats

I usually don’t finish my coffee when it is decaf.

I can’t explain it.  I am not such a connoisseur that I taste a big difference.  I don’t notice it until later but when I am driving if I am drinking regular coffee I finish it before I arrive.  If it is decaf I always have some left over.  There is something that does not satisfy.

A recent headline has been that the government is moving to remove trans fats from our foods.  All the logic is good.  Trans fats are bad for us.  Trans fats damage our health.  So remove them.  And they promise it won’t effect the taste of the food.  Right.  And we can all have great health care with no increase in cost.  Just let the government take care of you.

When the government removes the trans fats you will see another decline in the economy.  It will be subtle and you won’t see the connection so let me point it out.  The food will not taste as good.  It won’t be terrible.  You can’t put your finger on it but you buy less when you eat out and you eat out less often because it just doesn’t satisfy you.  As a result the income of the food industry declines.  Profits go down.  People are laid off and cut back.  Fewer taxes are paid.  The spiral continues.

Will it improve our overall health?  I doubt it.  Most people will substitute other foods that give them the satisfaction they got from the trans fats.  They will not substitute raw broccoli for french fries.  They will probably go to bacon.  The problem isn’t the food but how much of it we eat and how much exercise we get in between. I have noticed that when I buy a low calorie food I end up eating more of it. 

The government means to do well.  That is the curse of the Progressive.  They are from the government and they are here to help you.  What they don’t allow for is the law of unintended consequences.  We see it all the time.  For example, when people stop smoking, they eat more.  They replace lung cancer with heart attacks and strokes.  There is always cause and effect.

People need to be taught to be responsible for their actions.  They do not need a bigger nanny state to give us an authority figure to manipulate and work around.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-359: On the Street: Blue Lights and Red Lights

Don’t tell me that writing tickets won’t slow down crazy drivers.

It happened again.  I was reminded of how if we would simply enforce the laws and rules it would make a dramatic difference.  You see it everywhere and ignore it. 

Traffic was flowing well.  Suddenly the freeway came to a halt and began to creep.  What stopped everyone?  Was a car stalled?  Was there an accident?  Were young people running across the freeway in protest of the Florida shooting?  No.  All we had was one motorcycle cop sitting on the side of the road with his blue lights showing in the darkness.  He had not pulled anyone over.  He wasn’t using a radar gun.  He was just sitting there.  He was probably trying to figure out where to go to get coffee and donuts. 

As soon as we got past him traffic picked up again.  The flow returned.  Don’t tell me enforcing the speed limit would not slow people down.  If two blue lights can stop American drivers then just think what a few red lights would do.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-358: The Theology of Obesity

Why are Bible believing Christians so fat?  Okay, so they are not all overweight, but like the rest of the American population obesity is a problem.  Part of it comes from the Christian heritage that the nation used to have.  The common person on the street isn’t aware of it but their weight problems go back to a point of Protestant theology:  We live under grace not law. 

Christians believe that Jesus, the Son of God, died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins.  This payment is extended as a gift from God to those who believe His death was enough to pay for their sins.  There is nothing we can do to earn forgiveness through our efforts or work.  It is a gift freely given by God.  It is grace.

(Ephesians 2:8 KJV)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Well and good in theology but it becomes a problem when we extend that thinking to our diets.  We tend to think that because our sins can be washed away because we believe, then maybe that chocolate chip cookie will be forgiven too if we believe it to be true.  It is not unusual at a church potluck to overhear someone say “It’s Sunday.  That casserole doesn’t have any calories.”

So we indulge in food and we get fat.  Unfortunately when it comes to food we are under law, not grace.  If we are overweight, blame it on the Protestant Reformation.  It is all the fault of Martin Luther and John Calvin.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-357: CCC: Another Battle Lost

Is homework now another dinosaur of education?

We were at a meeting with a parent.  I was asked about homework for my class and was explaining that my assignments are all long term.  I work my eighth graders through the process of research ending with a 5-10 page term paper.  There is always something to be doing but progress is checked every few weeks in the form of note cards, outlines and such.  As I was explaining this I said what I have often said to try to reinforce other teachers, “It isn’t like math that has homework every night.”  To my surprise the math teacher said, “Not under Common Core.” 

I did not have time to follow up the discussion but what I got from it is that with the new Common Core Curriculum in math the students do not have homework every night.  I can hear the children cheering now. 

This is another example of how the forces of dumbing down are winning battle after battle.  This is another one of the conflicts that has been waged in education.  A growing pool of parents and teachers have been trying to do away with homework assignments.  They feel like it puts too much stress on the student and of course “everyone” knows that it doesn’t do any good.  My response is that of course it doesn’t do any good if the students don’t do it.

I am sure that there is a very good explanation for the change.  I am sure that they can quote studies and position papers.  I am sure that you can be made to look ignorant because you don’t understand the latest jargon.

It is like telling weight lifters that they don’t need to lift weights.  It is part of the syndrome that believes you can eat what you want and lose weight.  It is the fantasy that we can have total, high quality health care for everyone and lower the costs.  It is believed by the same people that believe the billboard about the new car that gets 108 MPG.

I guess education is just catching up with the rest of society.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-356: On the Street: More Violence Coming

If you don’t have a gun you might want to buy one.

We should soon have the Norwegian Pagans rioting in the streets.

Why?  I am glad you asked.  Recently I noticed a billboard for a new movie called “Thor.”   In case you went to public school let me point out that Thor is a Scandinavian god.  I believe he is associated with of thunder but it is probably more than that.  You can check it out at Wikipedia if you want more.

Remember how the Muslim community responded to pictures of Mohammed?  It was almost worldwide chaos.  How many were killed?  My question is, “Will this perpetuate a wave of mass murder and suicide bombers by Norwegian Pagans?”   That is what the Muslims do.  What is good for the goose is supposed to be good for the gander.

Maybe we should start to worry about the response of the pagans.  Maybe we should ban the movie.  Maybe we should require the producers and actors to attend diversity training workshops.

I am going to check the bars on my widows and make sure my baseball bat is handy.  Maybe I can hang a hammer on the front door in solidarity.

Maybe I can get on with life.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-355: Old and Young: Simple Words Are Not Always Simple

It is so easy to forget how ignorant today’s students are.

Last week I was going over the Bill of Rights and trying to get the students to understand their importance.  I was working through the First Amendment to the Constitution and reviewing the five basic rights given there.  I ran into a problem when I casually asked them what was the “press.”  I wanted to go on to a discussion of the modern application to internet.  My question was simply to set up the next step.  I wanted to hit them where they live so they would begin to see that the issues of liberty did effect their lives.  I quickly realized I had a problem.  All I was getting was blank stares. 

They had no idea what the Bill of Rights meant by “the press.”  Later in the day I got some comments about people who take pictures but no one seemed to know what us older folks take as simple information.

It is so easy to assume that people understand basic ideas and vocabulary.  It doesn’t work that way with the generation being taught by post moderns.  Words mean what you want them to mean.  Anyone who has ever worked on a car knows what a ratchet wrench is.  My eighth graders have been using the word for a year and a half.  I still don’t know what they mean by it but I get the impression it isn’t good.  Every time I pull out my ratchet wrench I just get peals of laughter.  The word means what they want it to mean.

Press means nothing because they don’t want it to mean anything.

I realize that educators bear some of the blame but these same children have spent even longer in the presence of their family.  Does anyone do anything but text and rap any more? 

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-354: Headlines: Media Breakthrough, Media Blindness, part 2 of 2

The media still has trouble connecting the dots. 

I mentioned a “news” story on the radio.  I did not tell you what the fuss was about.  The Beautiful Voices reported that economists were surprised by the recent report on job creation.  They were expecting the numbers to be down but they were up.  That is no surprise since most of these projections are arrived at by tea leaves and dart boards.  Economists tend to overemphasize their importance and accuracy.

What was amusing was the reason they thought the numbers should be down.  They said something to the effect of “due to the government shut down.”  They assumed that the government being shut down would lower the number of jobs created.  Poor Progressives.  Sorry Socialists.  Lobotomized  Liberals.  Deluded Democrats.  They think that the government is the source of jobs. 

I think it is obvious.  The government being shut down is the reason more jobs were created.  I can’t explain it like an economist does, with charts and graphs, but I can make a simple statement:  More government, less jobs.  Less government, more jobs. 

Maybe we should try it again.  Let’s shut down the government and watch the recovery.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-353: Headlines: Media Breakthrough, Media Blindness, part 1 of 2

Things must be really bad, the media is noticing.

When I turned on the radio yesterday morning to check the traffic the lead story was the economy and the new jobs projected.  Let me start with the second thing that jumped out at me.  This is the breakthrough.  It was the most startling because it seemed like the media heads and voices might be actually paying attention.  Nah, probably just a fluke.  It came when they quoted the government statistics on job creation and then inserted something that sounded like, “...if you can believe the numbers the government is giving us.”  At that point I felt like a character in The Music Man who said, “I think she’s got it.”

It is a miracle when a member of the Biased Class recognizes something that the rest of us have known for a long time.  The government lies.  This current administration has set new levels of low when it comes to lies. 

Congratulations.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-352: The Jets, Mark Driscoll and P.J. O’Rourke, part 3 of 3

The Jets:  “Deep down inside we’re just no good.

Mark Driscoll:  “The Bible says, ‘You are bad.’”

How does P. J. O’Rourke get into this discussion.  He is not known for his theology so, to be honest, I don’t think he knew he was agreeing.  Based on the things he finds funny and his coarse vocabulary I find it hard to imagine that he has any serious Christian beliefs.  I still enjoy reading his spin on society and culture.  When I found one of his old books recently at a used book sale I bought it and began reading.  To my surprise I found that he agreed with the Bible.  He puts it in political terms but the philosophy is the same.

“Neither conservatives nor humorists believe man is good.  But left-wingers do.  They think man’s misbehavior is caused by a deprived environment, educational shortcomings, and improper bonding within the family unit.  They believe there are people so poor they can’t pick up their yard.” p. xv

So there you have it from three diverse sources.  It makes a difference.  I determines how you think our broken culture can be fixed.  Individually, eternity is in the balance.  Culturally, it is a question of survival in a way that preserves liberty.

O’Rourke, P. J.  Republican Party Reptile.  New York:  The Atlantic Monthly Press, 1987.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-351: The Jets, Mark Driscoll and P.J. O’Rourke, part 2 of 3

The Jets confessed,  “Deep down inside we’re just no good.”  Society disagrees.  Mark Driscoll agrees.  In a podcast titled “Jesus Preached the Gospel,” breaks it down this way.  This was typed by listening so the punctuation is mine.  I may get a few words off, but it is close enough for understanding.

“Therapy has overtaken theology....A therapeutic model begins with this assumption:  You’re basically a good person.  And what is holding you back is the sins of others and the nature of the culture.  So what we need to do is encourage you to love yourself; to love yourself, to embrace yourself so that you could maximize your goodness. 

“The Bible says, “You are bad.”  A completely different assumption.  And you don’t need to just embrace yourself, you need to become a new self.  You don’t need to just accept who you are, you need to have God change who you are.  And what you need is not to just feel better.  You need to be new.

“And so it is a very different set of assumptions that are working for having to deal with the human condition.  So a Christian will come along and say, ‘Let’s talk about repentance.’  Whereas a non-Christian will come around and talk about something other than repentance.  Do you love yourself?  Do you have a high self-esteem?  Do you feel good about yourself?   You know, are you actualizing your potential?  Do you know how good you really could be? ....  It’s not centered on God as the standard of holiness and right and wrong.  It’s centered more on my feelings and my vision for my life...”

A lot of words.  Too many modern pastors do not accept this clear teaching of the Bible.  Driscoll did not surprise me.  What surprised me was the agreement of P. J. O’Rourke.

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-350: The Jets, Mark Driscoll and P.J. O’Rourke, part 1 of 3

It is a great day when you find three radically different sources agreeing.

First, we have the Jets.

If you are old enough you remember the musical, West Side Story.  One of the musical numbers has the Jets singing to Officer Krupke.  They dance and sing about how so many experts have tried to figure out why they are such hoodlums.  After going through all of the explanations that have been given for their anti-social behavior by psychologists and social workers they came to a timeless conclusion.

“Deep down inside we’re just no good.”

Today that is rejected.  Then it was obvious.

One of the foundational concepts that has molded our culture is the view of the nature of man.  Is man basically good or bad?  If he is good, why do things go bad?  If he is bad, can he become good?  How?  These questions are at the root of our social institutions and are ignored by most people.  We don’t want to deal with it.  It strikes too close to home and might demand changes in us.

The United States as a nation was founded on the basic idea that man was evil and needed God’s intervention to do good.  That is why we have checks and balances in the Constitution.  The current cultural leaders in education, science, the arts and government reject that founding philosophy.  They believe that man is good naturally but has been corrupted by society.  By society they mean people who disagree with them.  That would be me and, I hope, you.

If you are a Christian then you have no choice really.  You must believe that man is sinful.  It is a clear teaching of the Bible.

(Romans 3:23 KJV)  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The Jets knew it.  Do You?

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-249: On the Street: End Times Evidence

I think I am going to invest in bean sprout futures.

Recently I was driving to work and pulled up behind a Porsche.  I don’t fit in them and would not want the cost of maintaining one, but I thought I could admire them from afar.  What was unusual was the model name displayed below the Porsche name.  It said, “Panorama S Hybrid.”

Porsche has a hybrid?  What is the world coming to?  I have always associated Porsche with performance and power, not with electrical outlets. 

I think it is time to close up shop and go home.  It looks like they have won.  In the future the Indianapolis 500 will no longer be a race to see who is fastest but a contest to see which battery pack lasts the longest.  Instead of beer and hot dogs they sell herbal tea and tofu.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-248: Links: Political Parties Do Make a Difference.

Check out this post at Gorges’ Grouse.  It involves the Senate almost voting to give away the Second Amendment to the Constitution.  Make sure you check the party affiliation of the people voting to turn you over to the one world government.  Notice that the only one’s who do not have a “D” by their name have an “I” which probably should be “S” for socialist.

You say it doesn’t make a difference who you vote for?  Guess again.

Vote the suckers out.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-247: Religion and Culture: Paganism Comes Out of the Closet.

We have survived another Halloween.  I noticed a lot more lights around the neighborhood.  It almost felt like Christmas except the colors were different.  I vaguely remember reading about how the spending on Halloween is growing exponentially.  It is becoming one of the most expensive holidays on the calendar.  I overheard a conversation in the store about how more adults seem to be getting involved.

I think it is appropriate that Halloween take on the trappings associated with Christmas and assume the lead in our holiday celebrations.  We have embraced paganism as a nation and a culture.  It is only appropriate that the peak pagan pageantry become what we look forward to.

Brace yourselves as the pagan values continue to work their way through our daily lives.  Both Christmas and Halloween have the appeal of children and parties.  Both are celebrated by people who believe and understand and by those who enjoy the fun and games.  The similarities stop there.  Christmas for believers involves the incarnation and the beginning of the salvation process.  It’s key words would be joy and hope.  Halloween for believers involves death and fear.  One if staffed by angels and lambs.  The other is full of demons and ghosts.  In one you put out cookies and milk as a gift in the other you offer blood and zombies. 

Halloween this year fell on the day we put out our trash for collection.  I had it on the street before I was reminded of the day.  I removed it from the path of temptation.  If the holiday was Christmas I would have put it out a day late because the trash men had spent the day with their families.  On Halloween I hide it because the celebrants were spending the day with their wannabe families.

The zombies are a growth industry.  Welcome to the future.  I have no fear of the long view of history but I am concerned about what the ignorant of our society are molding.

Happy All Saints Day.  Advent is coming.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-346: The Up’s and Down’s of Loads

As I was listening to a sermon by Mark Driscoll he commented on how in the last year their website had downloaded 25 million sermons.  Even when divided by 365 that is an awesome number.  It comes out 68,493 a day.  That is encouraging. 

What makes me sad is that it means there are a lot of people out there who are not being preached to in a meaningful way.  Too many pastors are giving public service messages or self-help lectures and ignoring the eternal Word of God.

We will not have revival in the church unless we hear more of what God has said.  We will not have a renewal in America unless we have revival in the church.  Sad to say, if America is lost as a force for right, the world will become an even more ugly place.

(Romans 10:14 KJV)  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

If you have a real preacher, treasure him.  If you don’t, try to help him.  Pray for revival.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-345: CCC: Poor Children

It tends to shock me the way kids react when I say, “You poor child.”  I am reflecting on their general lack of common sense or preparation.  I am not making a statement about their financial situation and yet invariably that is the way they take it.  Part of this is simply immaturity.  Children tend to think in concrete terms.  They are not capable of abstract thinking or associations.  Educators tend to forget this.  Part of the push for the coming Common Core Curriculum is based on ignoring this reality.  They want to push Collaboration, Creative Thinking, and......... but they forget the simple lessons we all learned in Psychology of Education 101.  Piaget showed that your cognitive ability must reach a certain development before you can think certain ways.  At middle school very few children are ready for this.  The sad truth is that many will never be ready. 

The second reason is that the students have a very limited vocabulary.  This can be related to many causes:  TV, texting, parents, rap music and such.  The only one I have any control over as a teacher is the education part.  In education we keep talking about rigor and high standards and then order the text books dumbed down.  We complain about low test scores and the answer is to change the test.  We say they can achieve their dreams and lower the bar.  I will do what I can in my room to fight that trend but it is a losing battle and the dinosaurs are on their way out.  We will be replaced by the warm fuzzy mammals.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-344: Plow and Crown: Energy Serfs and Water Peasants

My friendly neighborhood philanthropist was excited recently.  He had been at a meeting with people who were concerned about alternative energy and water conservation.  They were planning to bring lessons on this to our public schools.  They were developing a curriculum and planning a strategy.  He was really excited about this.

Being the curmudgeon that I am I began to list all of the important knowledge and skills that the kids don’t have:  They can’t read and understand, they can’t do simple math, they have no sense of history, they cannot write complete sentences, they have vocabularies that are anorexic.  I could have gone on but I could tell by his face that it was not what he wanted to hear.

I also pointed out that all of the solutions being brought forth involved cutting down and cutting back.  Everything proposed meant lowering our standard of living and stifling expectations.  It was a philosophy of defeat and retreat instead of “Can do.”

The elites want to steal our American birthright from us.  We were a nation that met the future as a challenge and reached down inside to find solutions that lead to a better life not compromises that kept us stagnant.  We had a faith in the future based on a faith in God and the reality of His blessings. 

Now we are becoming a nanny state that requires the wise leadership of the anointed few.  We are becoming a nation of serfs and peasants.

My solution to the energy and water problems is to get the government out of the way and allow the genius and entrepreneur mentality of the American people to emerge again and find answers that will move us forward not lock us in.  If we are running short of energy then it might make sense to drill for more oil instead of making it illegal.  It might mean building new power plants and refineries instead of increased regulation and taxes on what we have.

Of course if we move forward and have opportunities the masses might be reminded that they are responsible for their own lives and futures.  That would mean they don’t need the Progressives (Democrats, socialists, communists, elites) to guide them with their awesome wisdom.

More energy not more recycling.  More water not more unwashed bodies.

homo unius libri