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.

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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

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.

With Reverence and Awe

“The Bible does teach that God has promised to bless the means of grace that he provides in worship in a way that he has not promised to bless anything else…To take the Word, sacraments, and prayer for granted—in other words, to disregard public worship as something to be added on to personal devotions or small-group fellowship—is to trivialize worship and put ourselves at risk…The means of grace are part and parcel of Christian worship. We worship to praise God and to give Him the glory that he alone deserves. And in worship, through the means of grace, God is also at work, extending his blessing to his people, and transforming us into his image.” D.G. Hart and John R. Muether

Disadvantages of an Elite Education

"Our best universities have forgotten that the reason they exist is to make minds, not careers.

William Deresiewicz, former professor at Yale, has written an excellent article critiquing the pitfalls and shortcomings of an "elite" education.

Quotes from Children of Men

In The Children of Men, P.D. James describes a particular church as “a place where silence was more than the absence of noise.”

Later, she rightly describes true cultural change:

“No government can act in advance of the moral will of the people.”
Julian said: “Then we will have to change the moral will. We have to change people.”
Theo laughed. “Oh, that’s the kind of rebellion you have in mind? Not the systems but human hearts and minds. You’re the most dangerous revolutionaries of all, or would be if you had the slightest idea how to begin, the slightest chance of succeeding.”
Julian asked, as if seriously interested in his answer: “How would you begin?”
“I wouldn’t. History tells me what happens to people who do. You have one reminder on that chain round your neck.”
She put up her distorted left hand and briefly touched the cross.

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