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Sarah Palin, Crude Language & Crass Culture

January 29th, 2011 | 1 Comment

Definition of CRASS a : gross ; especially : having or indicating such grossness of mind as precludes delicacy and discrimination b : being beneath one’s dignity <crass concerns of daily life>  Synonyms: common, coarse, crude, gross, ill-bred, illiberal [archaic], incult, insensible, low, lowbred, lowbrow, raffish, rough, rough-hewn, roughneck, rude, rugged, tasteless, uncouth, uncultivated, uncultured, unpolished, unrefined, vulgar Antonyms: civilized, cultivated, cultured, genteel, polished, refined, smooth, tasteful, ultrarefined, well-bred   Sarah Palin sure has a way of bringing out the crassness in not only other people, but also herself.  This week alone, there are multiple examples of crass behavior involving the former Governor of Alaska.  What does it say about our culture that crassness has become so common place and accepted?   In response to President Obama’s State of the Union address, Sarah Palin was interviewed by Greta Van … Read entire article »

Filed under: Civility, Culture

SWBTS vs. TBA: Silence Is Deafening & Defining

January 27th, 2011 | 5 Comments

What’s that you hear?  Crickets.  As in, no sound at all.  As in ”no comment.” The sounds of silence – emanating from the normally loquacious, but apparently public relations challenged leaders at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas — are positively deafening.  And, perhaps defining. Since the news of Southwestern’s legal “threat” to take back property that the seminary had previously leased – and then deeded — to Tarrant Baptist Association, officials at Southwestern have been quiet.  Mums apparently the word.  Perhaps on the advice of legal counsel, no one at this SBC entity has given any public comments regarding the tug-of-war going on between the Seminary and the local Ft. Worth area association of Baptist churches.  Not even a gracious, “We’re working to resolve this matter in a way that advances the Kingdom and that ultimately brings honor and … Read entire article »

Filed under: Christianity, Religion, Southern Baptist Convention, Uncategorized

Brazilian Grills & My Sunday Night Conversion

January 22nd, 2011 | Add a Comment

When it comes to food, I know what I like.  Or, at least I thought I did until this past Sunday night.  Driving to Albuquerque to attend a quarterly meeting of the Executive Board of the Baptist Convention of New Mexico, I got a call on my cell phone from one of my church members who was also on his way to the Land of Enchantment’s largest city to drop off his son for the start of Spring Semester classes at UNM.  Earlier that day, we had made plans to meet for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants. “How about Tucanos,” he asked.  “It’s a Brazilian grill located in downtown Albuquerque.”  I told him that sounded great and that I would meet them at the restaurant at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday night.  Now, anyone … Read entire article »

Filed under: Food, Reviews, Travel

Southwestern Seminary’s Assault on Autonomy

January 20th, 2011 | 10 Comments

Article IV. Authority: While independent and sovereign in its own sphere, the Convention does not claim and will never attempt to exercise any authority over any other Baptist body, whether church, auxiliary organizations, associations, or convention. (Constitution of the Southern Baptist Convention) I suppose it depends on what your definitions of “never,” “attempt,” “exercise,” and “authority” are.  It seems the latest assault on local autonomy comes courtesy of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, a wholly owned entity of the Southern Baptist Convention. According to published reports in Associated Baptist Press (here and here — you will look in vain to find “reporting” on this issue from Baptist Press), the Tarrant Baptist Association received a letter from Southwestern Seminary informing the Association (the association in SWBTS’s backyard) that it was in violation of its 1997 affiliation agreement, and … Read entire article »

Filed under: Christianity, Law, Religion, Southern Baptist Convention

Rush Limbaugh’s Right: Leftists Hate Truth

January 13th, 2011 | 9 Comments

The truth is the great casualty.  And what do you think the target is when people begin to say, “We’ve gotta dial back this heated rhetoric?”  Truth is the great enemy to the Democrat Party.  Truth is the great enemy to the American left.  They have to wipe out truth whenever they can and wherever they see it, because truth is not them.  Rush Limbaugh (transcript from 1/12/11 broadcast, here) Truer words have never been spoken.  Well, on second thought, maybe they have.  Not that Mr. Limbaugh’s words were untrue — they were true and spot on — but, there was One who not only spoke the truth, but is Truth personified.  I’m pretty sure that trumps Rush Limbaugh.  And, since Rush likes to remind his listeners that he possesses “a talent on … Read entire article »

Filed under: Christianity, Civility, Politics, Religion

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