Christian Carnival--It's Finally Up-- No Really!

It is an honor to host this week's Christian Carnival. It is very, very late. To the submitters and readers, I offer my apologies. The flu struck me down this week and I am still recovering.

That out of the way, there are a wide variety of very interesting posts this week.

Sam at Uncle Sam's Cabin writes on The Book of Acts: Or how to start a riot in which she reflects on her study in progress on the book of Acts. [My most humble apologies to Sam for missing this post.]

As many of you know, Saturday marks the 22nd anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. The New Trommetter Times takes a look at More Pro-Abortion Lawsuits and decides that: It's great that we have a Pro-Life President who is willing to place limits on taxpayer-funding for abortions. But the pro-abortion side will always challenge any limits to a woman's so-called right to abortion. Nobody has a right to any government funded health care, much less abortions.

Adding more Notes in the Key of Life, Cindy tells us that, for her, January 22nd is particularly A Day to Mourn, as "the anniversary of Roe v. Wade happens to be the anniversary of the death of a baby niece."

A Penitent Blogger provides Encouragement from the letter to the Hebrews for those laboring on behalf of life and other causes in the name of Christ.

Exultate Justi, in Not only is the glass not half full..., provides us with a response to a piece on the Rocky Mountain Progressive Network's blog that turned into a more general discussion of abortion and adoption - from a strongly pro-life perspective.

In For in God's Image, Rebecca Writes provides a look at why human life has such significance to God, and what understanding that significance requires of us.

The Great Separation, in Arise Prophets of God, writes that despite the attack on the womb, "I am certain that there are people that God has and is raising up to proclaim His word to this world. I believe that we are beginning to see glimmers of God's plan in motion as a generation comes to adulthood in this electronic age of information's reign."

My Domestic Church, in Sister Consuelo-Tsunami- abortion and recovery, shares thoughts about different types of loss, grief and how we deal with them.

IntolerantElle pens a sobering post in Confessions of a Molech Priestess: Her response to an abortion doctor who believes she has "good reasons" to kill children. [Note: This post by Intolerantelle is not suitable for children and the links are not for the faint of heart.]

Tim at bLogicus, who worries whether a mere hour makes an entry late (please), shares his Perspectives on the Humanity of the Pre-Born: "According to the Bible, the pre-born's distinction from an adult is one of maturation, which is not a characteristic that adds value to the human kind. Therefore, those who are yet to be born are as valuable as those who are born and abortion or the destruction of an embryo is as much a crime as the murder of an adult."

blogma - dogma for the idle mind reminds us that abortion is traumatic for the survivor as well.

Dory of Wittenberg Gate is Remembering Tabitha Faith by sharing her thoughts while accompanying a friend as she chose a grave marker for a stillborn child.

Jim, who gives us a Nutt's view, sheds some light on submission in the light of Paul's discussion of that subject in Ephesians5:21-24.

King of Fools reflects on the tsunami from a Christian's perspective.

Leo of Notes provides some inspiring excerpts from the last chapter of Romano Guardini's "remarkable" book on The End of the Modern World.

Rick at Brutally Honest shares his thoughts on whether he's still an evangelical and provides his perspective on grace.

The task force for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Studies on Sexuality has produced its long-awaited report, which is almost as long as its name. At Weapons of Mass Distraction, Derek has reviewed the report and its recommendations, and determined that they boil down to this: "Do whatever you want."

Pastor Mark Daniels, of Better Living, who is a Lutheran pastor, shares his extended thoughts on the report, stating: "No one of us is sinless. But the Church should not be asked to change God's clear teachings in order to accommodate the preferences of anyone. I stew about what churches and pastors who, under the tacit approval of the task force's recommendations, defy the teachings of the Bible and the Church, and thereby possibly tar the good name and reputations of the rest of the ELCA."

Ales Rarus has his take on the report. He thinks that what we have is The Blind Leading the Blind: "The ELCA press release regarding homosexual behavior demonstrates that the Lutheran hierarchy cares more about group unity than orthodoxy. I've linked to a few reactions around the blogosphere and await comments from my readers."

Rodney from The Journey asks if we have turned Jesus into a champion of the moral cause rather than someone who wants to gently lift people out of their current situation and lead them onto something better?

At Viewpoint, Dick describes the quiet revolution that has been taking place in philosophy departments in universities across the country over the last quarter of a century. A large minority of philosophers today are Christian theists and some disciplines, such as the philosophy of religion, are almost exclusively staffed by Christian theists. One prominent atheist philosopher talks both about the situation and what, from his perspective, should be done.

Don at Back of the Envelope provides some guidance on Old Testament Law: the distinctions between the Moral, Civil, and Holiness Codes, and how you can tell the difference--and why the differences matter.

At Joe Missionary, Joe takes on the sensitive (especially to guys) topic of circumcision [collective male wince]. What is the biblical basis for it today...if there is one?

In the nicely titled Living Psalm 23, Julie, the Happy Catholic, provides her testimony of how God has changed her life.

With the perspective granted by his View from the Pew, Warren discusses two important issues -- the inaugural prayer (and our friend Mr. Newdow whose life goal is to prove Andy Warhol correct), and the alleged creationist stickers on textbooks in Atlanta.

As an aside, I suspect that Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell's inaugural benediction today will stir up a bit of a buzz in the next few days. Now that was a prayer. (And I can't seem to find it on the internet at the moment, although I've heard a number of audio clips on radio.)

The Bible Archive, writing about Persecution, Perserverence and Assurance, and asks: Why bother to be godly if, in the end, you'll be promised more persecution?

In Sanctification - The Mediated Life, Brad, of 21st Century Reformation continues his series on sanctification. Having described the life of prayer, Brad is now describing the experience of living in God's presence. Brad describes the path to the Morally Beautiful Life as living out of a conscious orientation of the heart toward Christ in the midst of our daily life. He calls this orientation, "The Mediated Life".

...in the outer... explores more than just interesting blog names by exploring Showing Mercy to the Poor: not just the materially poverty stricken, but those who are poor in other ways as well. The poor, according to my pastor, is someone who has no means to give back to you. I applied this definition to include more than those who are merely incapacitated by their lack of material resources to give back and asked what it means to be really free to give and not expect anything back.

At 3:17, in This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased, Mark explores why Jesus lived here for 33 years before going to the cross. And what does it mean practically for us?

Our always intrepid reporter Mark sends another one of his Notes From the Front Lines and says "I Think I'm Gonna Be Sick . . ." After that disclosure, he gives a hearty thumbs-down on some of the latest trends in Christian publishing/marketing, particularly a new Bible "dressed up" as one of those "women's magazines." (Having just survived the worst case of the flu that any human on earth has ever had to suffer, I can empathize, Mark.)

Pastors and Adult Sunday School leaders will want to pay close attention to Diane at Crossroads. She tells gives tips on how you can have The Exciting Adult Sunday School Class, noting that although the adult Sunday School class may be the most boring hour on Sunday mornings, it's actually possible to make it the most exciting hour by changing our approach.

Phil of Another Man's Meat has been dreaming again, noting somewhat syllogistically that Dreams Are For Dreamers in Phil's homage to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream.

In God and the Tsunami Redux Drew at Darn Floor responds to William Safire's column in the New York Times, taking a look at the Tsunami in light of the Old Testament book of Job. Drew also manages to prove that some Packers fans at least are capable of writing, which had been in question.

Bonnie of Off the top (who wins today's award for the best interchangeable url blog name) is a bit of a CS Lewis fan. In C. S. Lewis and "The Way": abandoning the concept of value she continues a review of The Abolition of Man, delving into Chapter 2, "The Way," in which Lewis explains the inescapability of the Tao.

In Allthings2all, Catez asks: Is Western Civilization Worth 2 Cents?. The post comments on recent discussion in the blogosphere and asks "Is Western civilization worth 2 cents?" The answer is simple and surprising.

Mark at Pseudo-Polymath Looking at the 1st Century as he begins blogging his way through N.T. Wright's Jesus and the Victory of God. (Note to Mark and Joe, this post constitutes 50+ visits as far as I'm concerned. I'm done until March.)

Our very own personal trainer discusses the blogging pastor and asks: Are churches going to require their pastors to blog? Some current blogging pastors think so. What are the real benefits and detriments of blogging for pastors? Here is a short summary. [If blogging pastors pass the hat online are they blegging or are they simply asking for a bloffering?]

We are given A Physicist's Perspective by David, who writes about some of the smaller issues, like Evolution and Scripture: Part I, A Summary of Some Biblical Teaching. David is launching a series dealing with the issue of origins: What does the Bible say about how we got here? How do we reconcile that with science and the theory of evolution? The post deals primarily with the fact that a particular form of theistic evolution is inconsistent with the teaching of Scripture. David notes that later posts will deal more with possible ways to understand Scripture and science at the same time (without rejecting either); links to the rest of the series are provided from this post.

Ralph the Sacred River is Translating Ebenezer and provides some random thoughts that begin with a hymn and end in ancient translations.

Marla, C.S. Lewis of the internet, Swoffer, of Proverbial Wife, offers the surprising subject of C.S. Lewis on the Emergent Church: "While reading his book on prayer, I discovered unexpected insights about churches past and future..."

Next we have an announcement of a new apologetics site, Weapons of Warfare and an
explanation of principles and the need for apologetics. Welcome!

What qualities do the Scriptures say we should look for in our leaders? Dory of Wittenberg Gate (which needs to win a site graphic award somewhere), shares her thoughts on the Biblical Qualifications for Leadership. (Dory is also kind to sick people who miss their posting deadline!)

[I recognize this is the second post from Wittenberg Gate. Dory is not pulling a fast one. Her second email clearly asked me to pull the above post in lieu of the abortion post. I neglected to do so. The mistake is mine, not Dory's. Since it's already published, I'm going to leave both.]

As we know, Jeremy of Parableman does not speak in parables. Justice Scalia is not known for his either. Writing on Scalia's Rhetorical Skill, Jeremy focuses in on an argument from Justice Scalia for a particular view on jurisprudence. Christian apologists would do well to learn the rhetorical move he makes. He speaks the language of those he's trying to convince by pointing out an example of something they wouldn't want to allow. His own examples would have been very different.

Coyote is Sounding the Trumpet and finds Traditional sexual attitudes scarce among campus
conservatives: "I explore why traditional sexual attitudes are so scarce among campus conservatives in general, giving examples from Cornell."

In his perch atop The Rooftop Blog, James Jewell posts on the Inauguration and the Nature of Man, discussing that "the inauguration is a very real function of transferring power and it is a symbol of two of the pillars of American stability—representative democracy and the rule of (constitutional) law. These pillars have remained because the founders and our ancestors understood the nature of man. They built into the Constitution protections against the inclination of human beings to grasp at power and to work for personal rather than common good."

Semicolon gives us a quick review of Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand and a list of some of her other favorite nonfiction books.

At Randomness, Dawn Moon posts about faith and love,and other things she experienced on a recent trip.

TRUTH BE TOLD provides a little pop quiz and subsequent rant on the misguided attempts to thwart racial profiling based on misleading and obviously skewed research and emotional rhetoric. I touch on how racial profiling can assist with preventing terrorism in this city and country as well as in fighting crime. I also discuss the attitudes of most blacks regarding this subject.

Stacy at MediaSoul cries--Bloggers Needed!: "The purpose of this entry is to let everyone know that bloggers are being used now to promote movies online. The film industry is trying out bloggers because they don't want to be left behind. So this is an opportunity to get YOU involved in promoting the upcoming DVD film release of In the Face of Evil a film about President Reagan."

At Times Against Humanity, the question is asked Is the Curtain Closing on Roemer's Sideshow?: "Any widening of the Democrat Party's tent in terms of pro-life Democrats and their views is apt to be a carnival sideshow: big on promise and short on delivery. The candidacy of former Indiana Representative Tim Roemer for chairman of the Democratic National Committee is just another act."

Last here but first in our hearts: In Lost Sheep, our fearless leader Nick of Patriot Paradox, who is under the misimpression that sending me a post two days past deadline makes it late (you'll have to try harder than that Nick), posts some personal thoughts on his spiritual life of late, which has been a bit of a desert experience.

We all go through the desert Nick, even titans of the faith such as Mother Teresa. It's not always mountaintop but the desert makes you appreciate the mountaintop all the more.

That's it for this week. Next week's Carnival will be held at Digitus, Finger & Co.

Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. by an Iranian Immigrant

The Wall Street Journal online features a moving column (free registration required) by an Iranian Immigrant, who began to be reconciled with her new home through the words of Dr. King:

Today, in the distant corners where terror is raging, many teenagers hold views on America similar to those I once held. The enemy has an arsenal, but also a narrative. According to that narrative, the world's superpower represents only one race, and its history is a single tale of intolerance, arrogance, and domination. The war against this enemy is impossible to win without defeating that narrative. To tell American history in its entirety is to disprove the fabrications about who an American is. To tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement is to tell the story of how arrogance was made to give way to justice by none other than a man who advocated peace. Against the grim and infallible image that is painted of America, this will be a truer portrait: colorful and human.

We still have a long way to go in race relations in this country, and we should not minimize that. We should also not minimize, however, that we have come a long way from the dark days of slavery, Jim Crowe and segregation. To fail to recognize our progress would be to fail to recognize the sacrifices of those like Dr. King, who gave their all for the dream.

the evangelical outpost Blog Symposium--Winners

The evangelical outpost has announced the winners of its first quarter blog symposium. There are many interesting essays writing from a variety of different perspectives. This has been an interesting experiment in how blogs can extend the discussion from print media--allowing print media and online media to work together.

I Have A Dream--Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Words that are as stirring today as they were 42 years ago:

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

We will not be satisfied
until justice rolls down
like waters and righteousness
like a mighty stream!
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today! [Crowd roars.]

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers....I have a dream today! [crowd roars]

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together!

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day!

This will be the day...this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning. "My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring," and if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

[King continues above continuous and rising applause and cheers.] So let freedom ring! From the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire, let freedom ring. From the mighty mountains of New York, let freedom ring, from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that.

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain in Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and mole hill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring, and when this happens...when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"