Monday, August 25, 2008

Quotes from Augustine's On Christian Teaching

“For we ‘walk by faith and not by sight,’ and faith will falter if the authority of Holy Scripture is shaken; and if faith falters, love itself decays. For if someone lapses in his faith, he inevitably lapses in his love as well, since he cannot love what he does not believe to be true.”

“For it is the instinct of a corrupt mind to covet and claim as its due what is really due to God alone. This kind of self-love is better called hatred. It is unjust because it wants what is beneath it to serve it while refusing to serve what is above it; and it has been very well said that ‘the person who loves injustice hates his own soul’ (Psalm 11:5).”

“For the treatment of human beings God’s wisdom—in itself both doctor and medicine—offered itself in a similar way. Because human beings fell through pride it used humility in healing them. We were deceived by the wisdom of the serpent; we are freed by the foolishness of God. But just as that was wisdom yet was foolishness to those who despised God, so this so-called foolishness is wisdom to those who overcome the devil. We made bad use of immortality, and so we died; Christ made good use of mortality, and so we live.”

Must Read

Pithy, Short. Interesting article.

PS Note the six-word prayers.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Pre-Teens and Violent Films

The Los Angeles Times has a disturbing article that cites a study tracking the alarming number of pre and young teens who watch violent films. Considering I never saw an R-rated film until my sophomore year in college, I can only imagine the effect of those images on developing minds. In addition, the article doesn't consider the language and sexual content usually connected with such films.

Reagan on the Economy

"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
--Ronald Reagan

Friday, August 8, 2008

Ignoring Music

David Robertson has written an interesting article about the concert experience in the age of music as commodity. While I don't agree with all of his conclusions, he makes some interesting points as well.