Redskins 26 Cowboys 24

enough politics...onto something really important--The Redskins beat the Cowboys!

great day today; church at New Hope this morning with my family, then a reception for the current exhibit in our gallery, with artist Carl Lennartson.

worship tonight was good. we talked about the atonement--looking at four different models or theories, how none of them is complete on their own, and how a theology based on more than one model can change how we see God.

Here are summaries we looked at--taken from a variety of sources:

Models of Atonement

Christus Victor

Atonement is about the incarnation of Jesus into this world, and of participation and sharing in the suffering of humanity, taking them to the cross, so that God triumphs over evil and all of creation is restored and recreated.

Satisfaction

This model is grounded in the concept of personal honor found in the European feudal culture. Sin dishonors God. A price must be paid to satisfy God and restore his divine honor. The only penalty suitable to God was Christ’s obedience to death.

Moral Influence

Jesus’ self-giving love, expressed in his death on the cross, leads us to love God and love others fully, giving our lives back to God.

Penal Substitution

Christ, by his own sacrificial choice, was punished in the place of sinners, thus satisfying the demands of justice so God can justly forgive sins.

will they debate?

Great piece from Joe Garofoli of the San Francisco Chronicle about McCain's debate tactics.

McCain says he doesn't want to debate because this is a time for America to focus on the crisis, not politics--this whole strategy is a political tactic.

McLaren--Obama, pt. 2

Why I Am Voting for Obama, and Why I Hope You Will Too, Part 2

by Brian McLaren

watch this

Great clip from Stephen Colbert.

election stuff

Why I Am Voting for Obama, and Why I Hope You Will, Too 

by Brian Mclaren

some friends are challenging me to dig deeper and explain why I prefer Barack Obama in the upcoming election. To be honest, I don't have the time to explain it all in my words. Between church and the house and my kids, I'm lucky to find a few minutes here and there to blog.

My purpose in this blog is to express what I'm thinking and feeling and doing and pondering...I blogged a couple times about the unethical practices of the McCain campaign; a couple of my friends told me I shouldn't pay attention to that stuff, but look at the candidates and their platforms. 

Fair enough...but I also think how these men (and women) are campaigning says a lot about their character, and for me, that is an important factor...so for those of you who tell me I shouldn't complain and that I need to spend more time and energy explaining why I prefer Obama--sorry, that's just not the direction I want to go. 

It's my blog.  (this is me jokingly sticking my tongue out) There is enough written out there about all this, some of it slanted, but some of it very accurate. It seems clear to me, even from my friends who are challenging me--that we all prefer to read people and pieces that reflect our perspective, but that we tend to ignore or dismiss those that don't.

I'm trying to read a lot, from different perspectives, but not seeing much that changes my mind. The link above goes to an article I found myself agreeing with.

so...I'm glad to discuss, but I don't want this blog to be about the election. I just happened to post a couple times on stuff that struck me...the next post will probably be about fantasy football or attending a couple upcoming Washington Nationals games.

Thanks for reading! 

(Veritable--I disagree about your words carrying more weight anonymously...I'm more likely to listen if there is some level of trust...but I am curious and always enjoy a mystery. If you'll give me a clue; I promise to not reveal your identity publicly, since you want to remain anonymous)

how can people believe this stuff!

analysis of McCain tactics from the Post

I used to be very conservative; I usually voted Republican. I have shifted quite a bit, but I still think I can be pretty objective. But I am outraged at the lying and manipulation being done by the McCain campaign. It's embarrassing.

I'm trying to teach my daughter about the political process. what do I say to her, when people who claim to be Christians, and who should be setting an example for how we treat others, are committing such horrible acts?

lies

OK, I don't want to just write about the election...but I am really amazed at the dishonesty of the Republican ticket. I'm not saying the democrats are squeaky clean...but I haven't heard anything like this on their end.

Check out this from an article from the AP:

Republican presidential nominee John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, equated lawmakers' requests for funding for special projects with corruption on Wednesday even though Palin herself has requested nearly $200 million in so-called "earmarks" this year.

later on:

Palin routinely claims to have put an end to Alaska's infamous "bridge to nowhere," even though she supported the project during her gubernatorial campaign and turned against it only when it became a national embarrassment and Congress threatened to cut its funding.

In this article, we see how McCain drastically twists an Obama vote on sex education. Obama was voting for legislation that would give schools the ability to warn young children about inappropriate touching and sexual predators. McCain now runs an ad that says Obama wanted to teach comprehensive sex education to kindergartners--a gross distortion.

I am convinced that many conservative Christians in politics (ie. Palin, Bush and others) really believe they are on a mission for God. They are so convinced of the righteousness of their mission, that they have no problem lying to accomplish their goals. that's scary.

hypocrisy from the right

Check out this clip of Jon Stewart pointing out hypocrisy on the political right, from both politicians and media.