Tuesday, November 28, 2006

$250,000


Not the original video which was pulled by YouTube

I thought I would present this quick article, as I am off to bed taking a break from my PhD revisions. Apparently the late Dr. Eugene Scott wanted $250,000 for his ministry. I have heard of this preacher before as the late Dr. Walter Martin criticized him for his use of foul language while preaching. I do not claim to always avoid the use of foul language, as in this frustrating world sometimes I do swear, but I prayerfully ask God for forgiveness and help to avoid wrong actions. I would have to agree with Dr. Martin's criticism of Dr. Scott, as from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, in Colossians 3:8, followers are told to get rid of abusive, or filthy as it says in the footnote, language. James, Chapter 3 states that the tongue can both bless and curse, and points out in verse 10 that cursing should not occur.

I think that this clip is both satirically amusing, as all this ranting and swearing seems to be largely about a plea for $250,000 and educational, since as observers we can see that this language, and more importantly the disrespectful tone he uses with his audience is not generally a good way to influence people with the gospel message. Some of my friends may satirically joke that this is how I would be if I was a preacher! Well, no I would have more restraint that Dr. Scott, but I do admit to calling people morons in the past, although it has often been in a joking fashion.:)

According to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Scott

William Eugene Scott AKA Dr. Gene Scott ™, August 14, 1929February 21, 2005, was a United States-based and world-renowned pastor/teacher/televangelist and author of thirteen booklets on various topics ranging from Christianity to the stamps of the Colombian States. During his long career Dr. Scott served as a traveling evangelist for the pentecostal Assemblies of God, served as the president of the Full Gospel Fellowship of Churches and Ministers International for nine years and served for a combined total of 35 years as the pastor for the non-denominational Protestant Wescott Christian Center and Faith Center. For the last fifteen years of his career Dr. Scott held weekly Sunday gospel services at the Los Angeles University Cathedral in Los Angeles, California.

Gene Scott graduated from Chico State in 1952 with a degree in history and stayed on for a master’s in social science. In 1953, Scott enrolled in Leland Stanford Junior's School of Education, where he analyzed Proof of the Resurrection for Professor Alexander “Lex” Miller, an agnostic. He earned his Ph.D. in Philosophies of Education in 1957. The subject of his 394-page doctoral dissertation was Neo-Orthodox theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. In 1992 he was the featured cover story for the Stanford Alumni Magazine and his obituary was published in the May/June 2005 issue of the same publication. While Scott held undergraduate degrees in other subjects, he did not have a degree in theology. After receiving his Ph.D., he briefly taught at Evangel College (now Evangel University), then assisted Oral Roberts in establishing Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. For many years he was a pastor in the Assemblies of God denomination before establishing his independent Protestant ministry.

Scott's broadcasts, which, despite his passing continue to be broadcast 24/7 via an Internet Stream, shortwave radio, and TV satellites, fall into two distinct categories. The first category is the broadcast of the Sunday service in a loose format, opening and closing with music from a country-rock band known as the Un-Band and followed by an hour long or more teaching lecture from the pastor. The second category is a broadcast of what Scott named the Festival of Faith. The Festival of Faith was a very informal, non-traditional broadcast which featured Scott sitting alone in a chair, often smoking a cigar or a pipe, telling jokes, reading books on both Biblical and arcane topics, interacting with the crew and volunteer phone operators (known as Voices of Faith), berating his staff and/or his congregation when he felt they were not responding with enough faith, and making remarks that were often considered to be quite off-color (for a pastor) by many listeners. He often spiced up his speech with what some would consider profanity, although his remarks, with very rare exceptions, were within FCC guidelines if not always within conventional churchgoers' guidelines of good taste. He also was well known for constantly engaging in the nervous habit of cleaning out his nose with a handkerchief while on camera (both during Sunday services and during the Festival of Faith), and for never using cue cards and fearlessly allowing dead air to make a point. These Festival of Faith broadcasts also featured Scott reading from books on UFOs, Demonology, The Great Pyramid of Giza, Earth mysteries, the lost tribes of Israel and similar viewer-grabbing topics. He quite often called out, "Am I boring you?" to which his staff and the volunteers responded, "No sir!” He frequently exhorted his viewers to "Get on the phone!" to make a monetary pledge and encourage him to keep reading and teaching.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Little Book of Dating: tip 2


I shall continue with my review of the book, The Worst-Case Scenario: Little Book for Dating.

Pick up lines to avoid

First of all, why should one use pick up lines? I think an honest, confident approach is better.

Hey I lost my number, can I have yours? page 67.

Are you okay? That must have been a long fall from heaven. page 67.

Both of those lines are funny and lame.

On a related issue, I received an email today from a woman that contacted me through a Christian website. For the sake of some context I will add that she lives many thousands of miles away on another continent! She asked what I thought about free sex. I stated something along the lines of the following.

I suppose if I really believed in free sex I would spent my Friday and Saturday nights in Downtown Vancouver at clubs until I found an attractive young woman to ask me home. That would be physically pleasurable, but by God's guidance I place spirituality, and intellect above sexuality in romantic relationships, although mutual attraction is important.

I don't believe in free sex, but I realize in our free society people have the right to indulge in it. My thinking is that free sex is contrary to a spiritual, intellectual, and committed marriage relationship, and is therefore largely empty and a waste of time. Free sex is also not a Biblical concept as can be seen from studying Scripture.

J.T. Mueller notes that in Scripture 'adultery' is any voluntary cohabitation of a married person with any other person other than a lawful spouse. The Bible in places also designates this as 'fornication' as in 1 Corinthians 5:1. Mueller (1996: 15).

MUELLER, J.T. (1996) ‘Adultery', in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Little Book of Dating: tip 1


Last night at the 40th birthday party of Chucky and Philosophy Man, I won a book entitled, The Worst-Case Scenario: Little Book for Dating. The authors state that some of the book can be reprinted in the context of a review, and so this is a review. It is a humourous, entertaining book and I wish to paraphrase some of quotes. Perhaps you can consider purchasing the book.

How to determine if your date is a con artist

The book states that one should be concerned about a date that misses meetings, changes plans, avoids a discussion of life history, frequently receives mysterious phone calls, and asks for a loan or short-term investment. page 9.

Sounds like good advice...

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Pardew vs. Wenger



According to: http://www.soccerway.com/news/2006/November/8/wenger-pardew-to-explain-to-fa/

Wenger, Pardew to explain to FA

Written by: Michiel van Blommestein

LONDON, Nov 8 (Sw) - The FA has charged both Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew for their bust up during last weekend's West Ham vs Arsenal game.

The incident took place when West Ham's Marlon Harewood scored the winner right before full time. Pardew's celebrations visibly irritated Wenger, who lashed out at West Ham's manager.

Wenger refused to shake hands with Pardew afterwards, and left without addressing the gathered press.

The FA will now look into the matter, and are planning to charge both coaches with improper conduct.

Pardew has since apologised to Wenger for his conduct. The Managers' Association are currently mediating in the conflict.

The West Ham board are adamant about Pardew's innocence in the tussle. "Alan Pardew has the full backing of the board with regards to this charge, which will be defended vigorously," said Paul Aldridge, the managing director to the BBC.


I can relate to the events in this somewhat humourous clip, which could be considered a satirical look at football. Like Arsene Wenger, I hate to lose. As a child I was not very confident and not as successful as I should have been. As a result, if I failed in some type of sport or game I could not handle the loss well. However, as a young adult God has guided me to be somewhat successful, and quite successful academically, although I do not quite have my PhD as of yet, and I am not a professor, although I believe this shall happen.

Learning how to handle failure and defeat is an important lesson in life. As I continue to study the Bible, and theology I realize daily that I am a finite, and sinful person, like every other person who has ever existed other than Christ who was both infinite God, and finite man without sin. Since I am finite, the best I can do is ask for God's help in all things, and understand that I am average at many things, and excellent at a few things, therefore if I have done my intellectual and physical best in a sport or game I need not become too angry if I fail or lose somehow. I was not on the sideline so I do not know if Alan Pardew was acting like a sore winner or not. However, I despise the actions of sore winners more than sore losers, but even if a person acts like a sore winner in my life, I should realize that I have trusted in God and done my best as a human being who is both finite and sinful.

I appreciate the New Revised Standard Version translation of James 3: 2 where it states:

For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.

I too make mistakes, some of them moral, because of sin, and others because of limitations as a finite being. I can therefore expect failure in life, although I hate it. Thankfully God is there to guide me in his will despite my mistakes.