How emasculating

Mob Robs Convinience store

What this indicate to me:

• Our society(namely our inner cities) has reached a point where there are few who would uphold the law.  They are forced to obey it by compulsion.  While there are always those elements in a culture, they should be in the minority.
• That personal-protection is seen as duty of law enforcement.  This quote bothers me greatly

  The inclination might be to try to stop it. We don't want people to do that. We want store employees to be witnesses to shoplifting, not victims of assault, says Skoogman.

  And certainly not enforcers of justice. The understanding is that insurance will cover it so let the wrong be done. What does insurance cost? What will it cost? An 8-shot Maverick 88 cost around $200 with some shells. Are we going to be corralled in these stores like animals? Just a few at a time?
• Of course this mob will not likely be "reformed" by our "justice" system, so they will likely move on to murder mobs and rape mobs in the future. It renews my desire to get a concealable 9mm which can take high capacity mags: Keltec P11, Glock 26, Ruger SR9c, Springfield XD.
  

XM25--Gamechanger

U.S. SOLDIERS LOVE THE ARMY‘S NEW ’PUNISHER’ SMART WEAPON

I was struck by the term "game-changer." The game is changing frequently these days, the game of power projection affects the games of politics and economics. This development will make the entry level for warfare higher. Its ability to injure encourages the use of body armor(expensive) and requires the receiving end to have advanced medical logistics (extremely expensive). The fact that it is man portable and squad level firepower negates many of the advantages insurgents have. I pray I am never on the insurgent side.

Satirical infomercial--Eat your Poop!

Eat your BLEEP would be even funnier. A fake infomercial that highlights the crazy arguments health peddlers use. Perhaps investigative reporting that cuts to our fake infomercial. Good looking people eating brown stuff. It would be great to travel to one of these pristine areas and see what health problems they have (doubtless vaccines will come up). The truth about microwaves. Toxic realities. Talk to actual nutritionist at major universities. What does the infomercial sell. A special chair with a plate attached (well made unlike the other guy's chair--oo Hand crafted by the Amish) I just need a budget...and a little more fleshing out.

Arminianism and Pacifism

Reflecting on a recent discussion, I wondered if there was a connection between free will and not wanting to take a life (pacifism). Carrying Arminian theology to a logical end, you would not want to kill anyone because you might be sending them to Hell before they heard the Gospel. A Calvinist could be confident that if he was the means of sending someone to Hell that person had no chance of salvation anyway because he had been passed over by God. Why should be careful to not take life for personal gain or carelessness? Because that is what is taught in the Bible. We need not add reasons. God commands are enough. We should fear God and not the consequences of our actions.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28 ESV)

The destruction of the soul is something which God claims for himself. We need to fear offending God by taking a life in a way he forbid and not fear condemning someone to hell. It continues to amaze me how theology affect our actions and outlook.

Beating the inheritance tax

HOw are my boys going to provide for their families in the days to come? With the decline and death throes of democracy, wealth with be hard to acquire and hard to keep. One thing I can leave them is relationships and reputation. Prov 22:1. That means I need to be confident, friendly, and outgoing. Shucks.

What Paul was thinking....

...about the Thessalonians.

"Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness." 1 Thess 2:1-3

Is Paul laying out as eschatological principle for all time or is he writing a letter to the Thessalonians? Is the Bible written to us or for us? Reading Doug Wilson, I have taking his counsel to not immediately ask "How does this apply to me?" but what was Paul saying to the church? He was concerned about the church being shaken and alarmed by a certain teaching. He presents an argument to refute that teaching. He is actually reminding them of this argument which he presented in person (2 Thess 2:5), likely quoting Daniel to them. He is reminding them to be faithful to scripture and to wait for God to fulfill his promises, which include in this case, the Destruction of the (standing) temple.

What would they think?

So when Paul write the Thessalonians

"Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God."

and there is a standing temple, wouldn't they think that it is the existing temple of which Paul is speaking.

Futurist would say that we have not seen this yet, that it will take place in a temple yet to be built. So years later, did the Thessalonians, when they saw the destruction of the standing temple, release they hadn't seen this man of lawlessness. Did they reason "Well, we didn't see this guy so I guess God will build another temple at some point in the future. He did it in the past."

I doubt it. This was the temple that the Messiah was presented in, taught in, etc. I think this passage has application to the people to whom it was written.