Insurance
Insurance
It's mid-October and all is well. The market took a minor little dive, but heck, it's still over 10K. Many companies, and governments have passed into the fiscal year 2000, and the lights are still on. So everything's going to be alright, right? Maybe.
In the minds of some people I have placed myself squarely in the Gary North camp on the Y2K issue, and in the minds of many Gary has joined the lunatic fringe. But here is the same Y2K advice that I've been giving since before most of you heard of Y2K. Ready. Here we go. Make preparations in such a way that if nothing bad happens you won't find yourself ruined. See when I start with "Make prepara- tions..." all ears turn deaf, and all eyes blind. I didn't say "Run for the hills." I didn't say turn all your assets into hard currency. I didn't say start budding callouses on your heart so that you'll be emotionally ready to blow away your hungry neighbors with the AK-47 I didn't tell you to buy.
The counsel I gave, and give, was and is the same counsel I gave people before I heard about Y2K. I argued that the stock market is grossly overvalued, with price to earnings ratios off with the Mars explorer. I argued that it is good to get out of debt, with corporate and individual debt now easily surpassing the debt of the federal government. I argued that hard currency is a good hedge against inflation, and can't really hurt you in terms of deflation. I argued that is is a good and healthy thing to minimize your dependence on outside producers, that raising chickens and growing vegetables, and not spending half you life in traffic had financial and spiritual benefits. So does buy food in bulk, which also has health benefits. And I still mean it. And if nothinng bad happnes, nothing bad will happen to you for following that advice. And if you don't die you don't get mad at the insurance salesman. Is that so crazy?
The Art of the Dance
The music is playing again, and conservatives are once more being played. On a wall in a museum in Brooklyn is a nasty painting of the Virgin Mary, complete with the dung of jungle animals and cut out pictures of private parts. The Republican Mayor of New York, he of the liberal Yankee Republicans, to be distinguished from the liberal southern Republicans like Newt, George W and Brother Jeb, has promised to try to cut off the $7,000,000 in funding the museum receives from the city. And all the Republicans said, "Amen." We can't have government funds going to fund art that offends the regular people. Why, those regular people vote for us.
Meanwhile, the Democratic liberals have wrapped themselves in the First Amendment. We don't want any of that censorship stuff around here. And so the Republicans show once more why they earn the name, "The Stupid Party." Been there, done that. Same dance, different song.
You wanna look smart? Try giving a sound argument. The issue is not the funding of offensive art; the issue is the funding of art. Where is the party responding to stories like this saying, "We've turned and twisted this Constitution every which way but we still can't find word one in here about taking money from some people to pay for art for other people."
The government has no more business writing checks for the Precious Moments Collection that we evangelicals prefer than it does supporting this latest version of porn for dollars. It doesn't matter. It's like arguing after the Oj trial that, "You know, we've got to stop letting guilty black men get away with murder." How about we stop letting anybody got away with murder? Wouldnt that be better?
The real obscenity is not dung and dirty pictures, but is that the government would steal $7,000,000 from citizens for anything but defending them. What kind of art they support with it doesn't really matter, does it?
Hits and Misses
You should know that your favorite dynamic duo, Bob & Larry Boy attended a pastors' conference in Moscow, Idaho hosted by those wild and crazy guys that produce Credenda/Agenda magazine. What a trip! If you have ever thought about going you really should. The readers of this ministry are so down to earth that it will surprise you. I knew that these guys were smart and on the ball, but what blew me away was the hospitality and approachability of all the speakers and staff.
Many who criticize the wonderful work that these men do would be ashamed of themselves after they met them and realized the compassion and zeal that drives them to do the things they do. Moscow could possibly be the next Geneva. The leadership and people there have this incredible notion, (please sit down, you are not going to believe this), that the Bible is to be studied and applied! There seems to be no hesitation among them to act on revealed truth. It is truly amazing.
After one of the sessions where "Christ-likeeness" was emphasized, the inevitable question was asked as to how the sarcasm of some areas of Credenda/Agenda magazine could be justified. Doug Wilson, the editor, sighed deeply, (an indication that this inquiry/criticism was a recurring one), then responded by jumping from the podium onto the questioner's table and wailing on him with a copy of Calvin's Institutes! (No, not really. Had you going though!) Actually he went on to explain that any survey of Jesus' dealings with knuckle-heads in Scripture is proof enough that foolishness doesn't deserve the nicety it receives. I think this is an important point to reiterate. If we are to imitate our Savior in the areas of love, understanding, and kindness ... are we not also obligated to incorporate in our dealings with others His sarcasm, righteous anger, and sharp wit?
Please. None of you camel swallowing, knat strainers need reply.