Janelle and I have taken up our most expensive hobby to date. Thanks to Uncle George’s generous $1,200 gift, we purchased a new camera and a host of additional trinkets. Here are some of my favorite shots so far. (more…)
I was made aware of this issue a few years ago at an event sponsored by our church. According some of the stats shared with us. Atlanta, GA the number of city for child sex trafficking in the United States and is third in the world. But it seems like law enforcement is trying to do something about it. Check out this video to see the latest advances made by law enforcement.
To prepare for the variety of philosophical perspectives that I will encounter at GSU this coming fall, I’ve decided to read and reread some of the philosophical texts that either explain the basic philosophy of existential Thomism or critique modern philosophy from a Thomistic perspective. On the top of that list is Two Logics by Henry Veatch. Two Logics is Veatch’s attempt to prove that there are two radically different logics—one for the sciences and one for the humanities. The problem, however, is modern analytic philosophy seeks to addresses issues in the humanities using the logic of the sciences, namely mathematics. The result is a logic and philosophy that does not give us any knowledge of “what” things are. We cannot know the essences or natures of existing things. To be sure, Veatch is one of my favorite philosophers to read. Not only is he philosophically sharp as a tack, but he is also a brilliant and entertaining writer. So it is not unusual for me to sit for an hour or two, “listening” to Veatch parse difficult concepts. I don’t even understand much of what he is saying! But I don’t mind hearing it!
Anyway, while reading Two Logics last night, I can across an interesting footnote which highlights the ultimate danger of the analytic position. He writes:
…given a logic which does not permit of one’s saying what a thing is, this is bound to affect one’s entire understanding of the way things are and the way the world is. p.35
This statement got my intellectual wheels turning. If the logic one employs to do philosophy (or theology for that matter) can radically alter one’s understanding of the way things are and the way the world is, then it is important to make sure that one is employing the right logic. This means, if one is going to philosophize (and theologize), that he needs to take the time to examine his logical presuppositions. But this step is often overlooked in many popular philosophical and theology conversations. In some instances, laying this philosophical groundwork is viewed with a certain disdain. It gets in the way of real philosophy and theology. After all, the end of philosophy is not thinking about acting. Why not place our focus on how we are to treat others? Why not maximize our time by discussing how men are to interact in a free, democratic republic? And when it comes to theology, if God wanted us to think about logic, He would have put it in the Bible. But all these questions presuppose that one is properly able to think. If one is not thinking correctly, he will not be able to discuss ethics for discussion requires that both parties are able to articulate their ideas about morality. The development of ideas requires logic. If one is not thinking correctly, he will not be able to discuss social and political philosophy because, once again, logic is required. And theology (and understanding the Bible) presupposes that one is able to think. One cannot understand without thinking well.
So what am I saying? I don’t know…Just kidding. I’m saying that those of us who are serious about issues regarding philosophy and theology should take the time to make sure we are using the right intellectual tools for the job. Where you begin determines where you end.
A few days ago Michael and I went to Kroger to get meat and fixings for hamburgers. When we came out of the store, there was a quarter-page flyer on the windshield advertising an upcoming “Prophetic Gathering.” For an unspecified amount of money, one could spend a weekend with four of todays most powerful and anointed, living prophets (and prophetesses). I think the modern prophetic movement presents devout believers with a serious challenge. As dedicated followers of Christ, we live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. We clinch to it. It is the air we breathe. Without it we die. So when someone purports to receive and deliver messages from God, we are eager to hear him. But not everyone who claims to hear from God actually does. The Bible is clear that there will be false prophets who seek to deceive (2 Peter 2:1-3). This problem was, to some extent, minimized in the Bible because those who claimed to deliver messages from God were confirmed by the miraculous. Moses parted the Red Sea. Elijah called down fire from heaven. Peter and Paul raised the dead. But modern prophets don’t have this confirmation. How then should we determine who is actually a prophet and who is a charlatan? Since the Bible admonishes us to tests all things and hold on to only that which is good, I thought I’d write some of my thoughts on testing. Feel free to add (or argue with) to my list. (more…)
So, my Lakers lost in a big way last night. I guess I have to take Coop to lunch.
For years now, Tiger has been called the Michael Jordon of golf, but with the news of his double stress fracture, I think it is safe to say that he is the paragon to which all others must be compared.
By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer 21 minutes ago
Tiger Woods will miss the rest of the season because of surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee, an injury he has been dealing with the last 10 months despite winning nine of 12 tournaments.
Woods also said he suffered a double stress fracture of his left tibia while preparing to return to the PGA Tour last month, which forced him to miss the Memorial and was the source of his pain at Torrey Pines when he won the U.S. Open.
He had arthroscopic surgery April 15 to clean out cartilage in his left knee, bypassing ACL surgery with hopes it could get him through the 2008 season. But going 91 holes for his 14th career major made it impossible to play any longer.
“Now, it is clear that the right thing to do is to listen to my doctors, follow through with this surgery and focus my attention on rehabilitating my knee,” Woods said.
Woods was last seen in public late Monday afternoon walking with a pronounced limp across Torrey Pines toward the parking lot, the U.S. Open trophy in his arms. Upcoming surgery makes his 14th major title even more staggering — despite the stress fractures, he managed to win a U.S. Open that required 91 holes over five days.
Woods played only seven times worldwide this year and won five of them. He will miss a major championship for the first time in his career and will not be available for the Ryder Cup in September.
From time to time I get email responses to my posts regarding Barack Obama. Most of the emails from black readers say thinks like, “How can you not vote for Obama? He’s the fulfillment of the dream! When a brotha finally has a shot at the highest office in the land, you shoot him down.” Another constant argument is that an Obama presidency will uplift and invigorate the black community. It will give hope to millions of the disaffected black youths who believe there is a racial goblin lurking in the shadows of America’s dreamscape whose only job is to keep us in darknesses, rarely letting us see light. Obama is the ultimate ghost buster. (more…)
So I have a new hobby. I’ve started watching movies with the director’s commentary. I don’t know anyone besides my dad that does this. I’m sure there are some movie buffs out there who do this, but it has been a great. One is able to glimpses into the worldview of a director. For example, did you know that all of the Fast and the Furious movies were heavily influenced by the Western genre? At the beginning of the first film, we see three black Civics moving in to hijack an eighteen wheeler. This is the classic stagecoach hijacking scene. The director of the film is also a Buddhist. This explains why Vin Diesel’s crew is taken out by the truck at the end. The director sees this as an example of karma. The next commentaries on my list are Fight Club, Heat, and the Whole Nine Yards.
Though God has not blessed us with children yet, we have already spent some time thinking about their future education. We definitely believe that home school is an option. “But what will you do for physical education,” you ask. Here’s my first choice.
The term metaeconomics refers to the intersection between economics and ethics. It looks at economics through the lens of moral, human agents. Thinking about these issues is definitely needed today. But when I think of the term metaeconomics, I don’t think of the intersection of economic theory and ethics, but the objectivity of economics and morality. I ask the question, “How does one ground the principles of economy?” I think the discuss of the intersection of these to disciplines is of little use unless this question is answered first. If economic principles such as the law of supply and demand are merely human constructions, then they don’t really exist and we are not subject to them. We can create economies in which supply and demand issues don’t exist. If incentives play no real role in our economy reality, then why bother arguing about welfare and welfare reform? Just create a system that completely avoids the man-made concept of incentives. I think much of the economic/morality debate completely ignores the philosophical suppositions that are brought by the debaters. We talk past and around each other, never answering the other’s questions because we don’t even know what is being asked.