searching the sunsets

Face of Betrayal Book Review

This book reminded me a lot of an old car I used to own: not very sexy, kind of boring and reliable. It got me where I was going and that was about it. This book isn’t bad. It also is not what I would call good. It just is.  It sort of seems like a James Patterson women’s murder club “wannabe.”

On the negative side, the characters are a bit wooden and I just wasn’t brought to care about them too much. They didn’t grab my attention.

The plot is fairly well conceived, and there is honest conflict in this book. The ending has a decent twist at the end. The problem was I saw it coming.  I realize that one of the author’s works or worked for Fox News but in the book, CNN is actually blamed for being a 24-hour news source. Isn’t that also true of Fox?

In the end, this book will entertain you a little. It will get you through the points of conflict and resolve itself.  It’s also the type of book you could put down and never pick up again with no problems. It makes a nice summer book. It does come with a study guide for book clubs and a Bill O’Reilly interview.

What Do You Think?

Where do feelings come from?

Is it Only Your Body if You're a Girl?

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the story of the 13 year old boy who has cancer and will most likely survive if he has chemotherapy. The one hitch is that he doesn’t want Chemo. He has the belief that the Chemo will kill him. I imagine that belief is erroneous. If you haven't heard about it, you can read more here.

His parents have decided to agree with him and citing “religious beliefs” they wish to try alternative methods of treatment. From my comfortable, non-stressed because I’m not in their shoes seat, it seems to me that they are making a bad choice. The government has stepped in and told the family that this 13 year old has to get chemo or he will be removed from his home and put into foster care.

What is interesting is that he has been quoted as saying to the judge that he doesn’t want Chemo, and that he would fight anyone who tried to give it to him.  

The court’s have decided it is not his choice. I want to know why not? If he was a 13 year old girl, he would be allowed to have an abortion because it’s her body. In some states, she wouldn’t have to inform her parents. In all states, she could petition the state to circumvent her parents if they didn’t support her decision after informing them.  The argument being that it’s her body and she should be free to do what she wants to do with her body.

So why can’t Daniel do what he wants to do with is body? Why can’t he refuse treatment?  What gives the government the right to tell him has to have chemo? If the government can’t tell a 13 year old girl that she can’t have an abortion because she’s not old enough to really understand what she’s doing¬¬¬—because telling her that would be inhibiting her freedom, why can’t it give that freedom to a 13 year old boy?

Is it only your body if you have a  uterus? Let me be clear, I find the entire “it’s her body” argument to be extremely unconvincing and irrelevant but this post isn’t about that. This post is about the seeming contradictory stand that our government has taken. It seems that the government is more concerned with forcing parents to raise children by the standards of the State than it is concerned about ensuring personal rights. 

The court’s decision seems duplicitous. I realize that there are people who will say that the court is saving the kid’s life and that he will probably ultimately thank them. That argument cuts both ways. Maybe the baby that isn’t allowed to aborted will grow up and thank the court’s that they weren’t allowed to be aborted.

Daniel and his parents desire seems unwise and wrong to me. The court’s decision to impose it’s will seems very Orwellian.

What Does This Mean?

The other day I was eating breakfast with a friend of mine when he asked me if I knew what a certain passage meant. He quoted it to me and I told him that I was thinking he might be misquoting it. He assured me that he was pretty close to accurate. Yesterday, I went to my friend Wayne's new coffee shop.While I was there I looked up the phrase and sure enough, my friend had the majority of it right. I called him and told him I found the reference. He asked me what it meant. So now, I pass that question off to you, my remaining 12 readers. Specifically we are talking about the part that is in a different color and is in bold.

Matthew 18:19-20

19Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them."

Listening to a story

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Shotgun Golf--Now this is funny

The Tour That Takes Me Nowhere (Don't Stop Believing by Mike Wittmer)

Today, there is a concerted effort across much of blogdom to highlight a book by a professor of mine. Mike Wittmer's second book is called Don't Stop Believing the subtitle is Why Living Like Jesus Isn't Enough.

Before I talk about the book, you can find Mike's blog here.

It was interesting when I told my friends that I was reading this book. Many assumed that he would take a few pot shots at my church. He does not. Many thought he might be overhanded, overstating his case a little too much. He didn't do that either. In fact, this book is a pretty balanced book.

The essential question that Wittmer asks is, "What is more important, what you believe or how you live?" Read the book and get his take on it. I think most people I know will enjoy this book. I'm not sure if I agreed with everything and no I won't get into that (I still have him for one more class).

The book is well documented and the research impeccible. In my opinion there seems to be a little too much attention focused on just a few members of the conversation and perhaps the focus could have been broader.

All in all, if people are truly interested in the conversation (and I'm not always sure that those who say that actually mean it) this is an excellent book to get one started. Wittmer's call to balance is necessary for everyone who will come down on differing sides of this discussion and many others.

I know These aren't exactly posts...

I know these aren't exactly posts, but come on they're so dang cute.

Great Quote # 89

"When I see a deer, all I see is dinner on 4 legs."
~Phyllis Tickle (Who tells me she's now a fishaterian"

I honestly have been laughing all week every time I think of this.

Study break