TOPIC: Child's Play from Dawkins

By Tom Gilson

Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion, has been a New York Times bestseller for more than twenty weeks. Why so popular? Dawkins is the professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, and in some ways he is remarkably well suited for a job like that. His writing is marvelously clear and engaging. His early book, The Selfish Gene, an explanation and defense of evolutionary theory, has been called the best popular-level science book ever written. He leads the “Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science” and calls his website “A Clear-Thinking Oasis.”
He pointedly contrasts his own rationality with what he calls religion’s irrationality. His attacks on religion are shrill. For example: through one full chapter of The God Delusion, he maintains that teaching religion to children is child abuse. This is not just an arresting figure of speech, an exaggeration to make a point; Dawkins soberly compares religious upbringing to sexual abuse, and finds religion the worse of the two. The famous scientist supports this with no systematic data, just a few pages of anecdotes, stories of people who suffered at the hands of ill-advised religious education. Stories like that, sadly, can be found; but what do they represent?
If religious training is thought to be child abuse, an obvious scientific hypothesis follows: Children with religious upbringings should show some of the symptoms that are typical of abused children. These symptoms are well known. They include fear, panic attacks, eating disorders, depression, low self-confidence, irritability, difficulty relating with others, substance abuse, and so on. Not every abuse victim experiences most or all of these, but outcomes like this are typical. If a religious upbringing equals abuse, there ought to be signs that something like this happens to children of religious families.
There is data to test such a hypothesis. It was published well before Dawkins’ book, so he had ample opportunity to know what science had to say. Christian Smith, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, led a massive, authoritative study called the National Study of Youth and Religion. The results were published in the 2005 book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Eyes of American Teenagers (with co-author Melinda Lundquist Denton), published by Oxford University Press (yes, that’s Dawkins’s university). It is the best study of its kind to date.
This study sorted its 3,290 participants into levels of religious involvement: the Devoted, the Regulars, the Sporadic, and the Disengaged. Because America’s predominant religious groupings are Christian, the “Devoted” and “Regulars” were predominantly Christian — Protestant and Catholic. Therefore these results can fairly be taken as relating specifically to Christianity. (Results for other religions are hard to determine from the data.)
The closer teenagers were to “Devoted” rather than “Disengaged,” the less they engaged in these negative behaviors:

• Habits: Smoking, drinking, marijuana use, TV watching, pornography use, “action” video game use, R-rated movies
• At school: Poor grades, cutting classes, getting suspended or expelled
• Attitude: Bad temper, rebellious toward parents
• Sex: Early physical involvement, including number of partners and age of first sexual contact.

Those more “Devoted” on the scale showed more of these positive outcomes:

• Emotional well-being: Satisfaction with physical appearance, planning for the future, thinking about the meaning of life, feeling cared for, freedom from depression, not feeling alone and misunderstood, not feeling “invisible,” not often feeling guilty, having a sense of meaning to life, getting along well with siblings
• Relationships with adults: Closeness with parents, number of adults connected to, feeling understood by parents, sensing that parents pay attention, feeling they get the “right amount of freedom” from parents
• Moral reasoning and honesty: Belief in stable, absolute morality; not pursuing a “get-ahead” mentality; not just pleasure-seeking; less lying to parents and cheating in school
• Compassion: Caring about the needs of the poor, caring about the elderly, caring about racial justice
• Community: Participation in groups, financial giving, volunteer work (including with people of different races and cultures), helping homeless people, taking leadership in organizations.The findings are overwhelming.

On page after page, chart after chart, on every one of the ninety-one variables studied, the closer teens were to the “Devoted” end of the scale, the healthier their lives were. These are the results of Dawkins’ “child abuse.” This is what he complains is so bad for children. H. Allen Orr wrote, “[Dawkins] has a preordained set of conclusions at which he’s determined to arrive. Consequently, [he] uses any argument, however feeble, that seems to get him there.” In other words, he sees just what he wants to see. It’s ironic — that’s what he accuses believers of doing.
What can we conclude? This study suggests (though its methods cannot prove) that growing up Christian is a very good thing. Concerning Dawkins and his book, we can easily see that his attack is falsely based. We also see that this “rational” scientist ignored science and clear thinking to make the point he wanted to make. Twenty weeks a bestseller. For those who bought the book and found it persuasive, this should provide serious doubts about its credibility. (Other reviewers have found flaws on a similar scale throughout the book.) For followers of Christ who have been concerned about the bluster raised by books like this: This, like other baseless attacks, will pass. The Christian faith has stood for a long time; it will withstand this, too.
This article was originally published in the Hampton Roads Daily Press.

TOPIC: Good casting is true present in entertaining `Ultimate Gift'

By Roger Moore / Orlando Sentinel

If you ever wonder why we still call them "movie stars,'' look no further than The Ultimate Gift. It's a parable, a slight movie about a poor rich boy who has to learn the meaning of work, thrift, selflessness and faith from his richer-and-deader-than-Midas grandfather. Casting the right dead grandfather and "names'' in some supporting roles never paid off better.
This latest and most entertaining offering from Fox Faith, the religious-themed arm of 20th Century Fox, has James Garner as the charming old man whom his greedy, mean-spirited relatives watch on video as he tells them what he's willed to them. Bill Cobbs (Night at the Museum) is the crotchety old attorney presiding over this will reading. Lee Meriwether (Barnaby Jones) is his longtime assistant. And after grandpa's dispensed with his other heirs, he gets around to announcing a series of tests for his estranged, spendthrift grandson, Jason (Drew Fuller), all leading up to The Ultimate Gift. The 30-ish jerk Jason is packed off to spend time with Gus, an old Texas pal of grandpa's.
If you've ever needed to pass life lessons on to a ne'er-do-well, you could do a lot worse than Brian Dennehy. He does more with a wry shake of the head than most actors can manage in a soliloquy. One last casting coup -- the sickly little girl who must teach Jason selflessness and faith? She's Abigail Breslin, the Oscar-nominated pageant dreamer of Little Miss Sunshine, much more interesting here.
The movie sends Jason on a series of executor-monitored quests -- to work on a ranch, give up all his money and possessions to see who his ``true'' friends are, to South America where his father died, to learn the lessons grandpa, who wasn't on speaking terms with him, didn't get around to teaching him. "I made a lot of mistakes with you,'' grandpa Garner says. "The only way to make it up to you is to not give you anything."
It's enough that Garner, Breslin, Cobbs and especially Dennehy show up in this. They class up the movie, and while a little more sass would've made Garner's character more memorable, it's enough that he brings a couple of generations of good will to the part. Fuller is perfectly obnoxious as Jason, but never a caricature.
You get the sense that this Michael O. Sajbel film -- he also did the passable religious epic One Night With the King -- spent its money wisely. Faking Texas and Ecuador in North Carolina (where this was filmed) saved cash. Who cares if their ''jungle'' is just trees covered in North Carolina kudzu? They used what they saved there for cast and soundtrack songs. B.B. King, Bob Dylan and Patsy Cline underscore the action.
The faith element here is kind of shoe-horned into the last act of the movie. But The Ultimate Gift manages to be funny and moving, and several steps above the Hallmark Channel pabulum that Fox Faith has mostly rolled out up until now.

TOPIC: Continuous Media "Snacking" -- Bite Size Entertainment for an Attention-Deficit Age

Source: AlbertMohler.com

Just a few decades ago, educators and other observers were warning that the American attention span was growing dangerously short. Serious political debate had been sacrificed in favor of "sound bites." Educators reported that students had difficulty maintaining focus on a subject -- even for just a few minutes. Well, it now looks like those minutes may be turning into seconds. WIRED magazine reports that younger Americans now constitute a culture of media "snacking" and "bite size" entertainment. Apple Computer's iTunes service sells music by the song -- not just the album. YouTube and similar Internet sites offer films and movies that often last a minute or less.
As WIRED reports:

Music, television, games, movies, fashion: We now devour our pop culture the same way we enjoy candy and chips - in conveniently packaged bite-size nuggets made to be munched easily with increased frequency and maximum speed. This is snack culture - and boy, is it tasty (not to mention addictive).

More:

Today, media snacking is a way of life. In the morning, we check news and tap out emails on our laptops. At work, we graze all day on videos and blogs. Back home, the giant HDTV is for 10-course feasting - say, an entire season of 24. In between are the morsels that fill those whenever minutes, as your mobile phone carrier calls them: a 30-second game on your Nintendo DS, a 60-second webisode on your cell, a three-minute podcast on your MP3 player. Like Homer Simpson at the all-you-can-eat seafood buffet, we are capable of devouring whatever is in front of us - down to the plastic crustaceans - and still go fishing for Colbert clips at 3 am. (Mmm... truthiness.) But not all munchies are created equal. This 12-page menu lists the tastiest - and tiniest - offerings.

Several factors have been blamed for the shortened attention spans. Many blame television for the problem, noting that the pace of television programming and the structure of eight-minute segments between commercials trains the mind to expect shorter attention demands. But, if television shortened the national attention span starting decades ago, the Internet and its massive media expansion seems to be producing an even shorter attention span. All this may be great for the marketers, but it spells further challenge for educators, parents, and preachers. How will people be able to listen to a serious biblical sermon if their minds are set to pay attention only for a few minutes -- or even less?

TOPIC: Survivor!Source: DanLtoons.com

Playing games is fun... BUT playing the wrong kind of games, in the wrong places, is dangerous. Run the race well. Play fair and enjoy your blessings. Be a peacemaker, not a war monger. Speak the truth in love. Never compromise the Word nor its meaning. Those are ways to be a "survivor".

TOPIC: The Sope-Bocks Takes a Turn
Over the past three years The Sope-Bocks has been online, it has pretty much been a blog about "whatever" -- whatever I was thinking about... whatever I read in the news... whatever was the topic of the day on the Internet... whatever.
During the past few months, I've been praying about direction in my life -- purpose. I've asked God for direction in all areas of my life. To me, at least, it seems that more than one area of life has a definite direction (though those matters are not discussed in my blog). One part of my life that can be discussed is the direction of The Sope-Bocks. As I look over the articles and posts that have caught my eye or raised by eyebrows, I find that The Sope-Bocks has taken a turn towards topics on Christianity and how believers see the world -- along with how the world sees us.
I make no bones about it. My postings are based on my own beliefs. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong -- and don't mind being corrected. Just remember that my faith in God and the Bible are unshakable. And just for the record, I'm happy to offer a blog with a decidedly conservative Christian slant. Lord knows there are very few of us with the 'nads to stand the heat from liberals, atheists and all of the other worldly forces that attack us for our points of view.
If you're a conservative Christian, and you read The Sope-Bocks regularly, I thank you. If you're a left-winger who happened upon The Sope-Bocks and want to choke me for my posts, I thank you. IOW, I welcome you -- no matter who you are or what POV you represent.
My sole goal is to make you THINK and consider the ideas presented herein -- whether your conclusions are in agreement or in vehement opposition. One thing I ask is that you don't label me beyond what I have labeled myself. Offer me and my "soapbox" the same courtesy I offer anyone else. The truth in love, is my motto -- Speak the truth in love (even when that means being firm). No compromises. No apologies. THANKS for being a part of The Sope-Bocks.

TOPIC: Are They Playing Fair?
The Jihad against Pregnancy Care Centers

From Breakpoint.org

The picture on the cover of Time magazine shows the palm of a woman's hand. Placed within it are four tiny rubber fetuses. The magazine title and subtitle proclaim, "The abortion campaign you never heard about: Crisis pregnancy centers are working to win over one woman at a time. But are they playing fair?" Well, it depends on who you ask.
Time has some positive things to say about the nation's 2,300 pregnancy resource centers. These clinics offer alternatives to abortion, information about fetal development, and material help for women who choose not to abort.
But sad to say, Time also repeated a number of myths perpetrated by the abortion industry and its advocates. For example, Time suggests that pregnancy resource centers, while willing to help mothers during pregnancy, are indifferent to their financial needs after their babies are born. Not true: Pregnancy care centers often form long-term relationships with women, offering economic and other help years after the baby is born.
Time also quotes abortion advocates who claim that crisis pregnancy centers lie to women and traumatize them in an effort to coerce them into giving birth. Interestingly, Time did not quote any women who said that this had happened to them. The only people quoted were abortion advocates. Even more telling are polls of those who use pregnancy care centers: One conducted by the Family Research Council revealed that women by overwhelming numbers had only positive things to say about how they were treated.
So where are all the women who think they were treated badly? Planned Parenthood leader Christopher Hollis tells Time that pregnancy care centers play a "dangerous game with women's lives." I have a question for Mr. Hollis: How many women have been killed by pregnancy care centers? As far as I know, the answer is zero. Unfortunately, abortion clinics cannot make that same claim. Just ask the families of the women who have died at the hands of abortionists.
Are pregnancy care centers playing fair? That depends on where you stand. Clearly, the abortion industry thinks it's not fair that women are increasingly choosing childbirth over abortion. They think it's not fair that pregnancy care centers tell women the truth about the physical, emotional, and spiritual after-effects of abortion. They think it's not fair that pregnancy care centers are equipping themselves with ultrasound machines that allow women to see their tiny, unborn babies in action: a boy sucking his thumb, or a little girl turning somersaults.
America's abortion rate is at its lowest point since 1993. Clearly, the abortion industry is running scared. Pregnancy care centers —--with compassion, mercy, and the truth-- —are changing the hearts of abortion-minded women. As Christians, we know that we will be attacked for exposing evil to the light of day. During the latest rounds of attacks on pregnancy care centers, we need to be praying for and supporting those on the front lines of the abortion wards— -- people who are saving innocent lives one baby at a time.

TOPIC: If James Cameron Were Honest About His "Discovery"
By Father Jonathan Morris / FOX Fan
This week “Titanic” director James Cameron and Canadian television director, Simcha Jacobovici stood proudly at the New York City library to announce the release of a new book and documentary called “The Tomb of Jesus.” They claim to have uncovered the remains of Jesus and his family, including Mary Magdalene, (Jesus’ supposed wife) and their child, Judah. If he were honest, this is what Mr. Cameron would have said to the press:

“My dearest friends in the media, Thank you for being here. I must admit, I am pleasantly surprised so many of you have come.
Our public relations company had quite the challenge to convince you our commercial projects were headline-worthy. After all, what we are peddling is pseudo-science based on old and discredited news. But we obviously hired the right company. They came through on their promise that you wouldn’t remember, or wouldn’t care, that when this tomb was discovered twenty seven years ago, the Jewish archeologist in charge of the investigation, Amos Kloner, determined it was not the tomb of Jesus and his family and that, in fact, it is unlikely Jesus and his relatives even had a family tomb.
To think that not a single respected archeologist from the Holy Land region is willing to go on record that our claims are true, and still you are here with us today, is mind-boggling. How can we thank you enough?
We really got scared when people like Joe Zias, who spent 25 years as an archeologist at Rockefeller University in Jerusalam, called into question our integrity. I think he said publicly “Simcha has no credibility whatsoever.” And even though the great archeologist, Amos Kloner, tried to rain on our party when he said, “The claim that the burial site has been found is not based on any proof, and is only an attempt to sell,” you were not deterred. You are here, and we are so happy!
By the way, did you hear our book is now in the top five of Amazon.com? Amazing! I am thinking about doing some other projects where I set science — even pseudo-science — up against religion. I think I’ll release them during the annual “slam Christianity season” — Lent and Easter — featuring a New York City press conference.
We’ll win every time. Christians will be quiet. They won’t set cars on fire or blow anyone up, precisely because they believe in the Resurrection, that Jesus’ way of peace is better. They will, however, get nervous because they don’t really know much about their faith and will buy the book and watch the show.
This brings me to the real point of today’s press conference. Today is my day for revenge. When I received my Oscar for best director a few years ago, I looked out into the crowd and proclaimed, “I am the king of the world”. That’s what I felt on that day and I wouldn’t have said it, if I didn’t believe it. But some of my Hollywood colleagues have looked down on me ever since. They thought I was exaggerating. As my movie credits prove, I’ve been sidelined since that day. But when I found the two-thousand year old scribblings on a tomb wall and, with the help of mathematicians, extrapolated that Jesus’ tomb was not really empty, that he may not have risen from the dead, as two billion people believe today, I realized how true my Oscar’s acceptance speech really was. It was kind of prophetic, I guess.
The real king of the world — James Cameron — calls into question the King of Kings. So don’t forget to buy our book and watch the Discovery Channel on March 4th.”

TOPIC: Take the 'Jesus Family Tomb' Coverage Challenge and Win

What media outlet did the worst job covering the Talpiot tomb news?

Source: ChristianityToday.com

The only thing more ridiculous than filmmakers' claims that a tomb outside Jerusalem once held the bones of Jesus of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, a son of Jesus, and other family members is some of the media coverage those claims have garnered.
It's hard to top James Cameron when he says things like, "This is the biggest archeological story of the century. It's absolutely not a publicity stunt." But some media outlets seem to be trying hard to do so. Here's a sample, from Nashville's WKRN, which began its report:

For many mainstream or traditional Christians, the belief that Jesus was resurrected from the dead is essential to their very faith[,] so hearing that scientists have used DNA samples to prove that his remains were once in a buried stone casket, if true, would cause them to re-think most everything they have ever believed. In response, many Christians refuse to listen.

While we're pretty comprehensive in surveying the mainstream media, there surely will be even better gems than this. So it's contest time...

What media outlet has the most credulous,
exaggerated, or otherwise wacky report
on the "tomb of Jesus"?

Entries (use their feedback form) are due by Friday, March 9. The winner will receive a one-year subscription to Christianity Today (or one of our sister publications) and a copy of The Tomb of Jesus (the tie-in book to the Discovery Channel "documentary").
The winner will be determined purely at the whim of one or more editors here at CT. So don't take the contest too seriously. We hope you're not taking the documentary too seriously, either.

TOPIC: Yet Another Teacher Caught Were Her Pants Down
Teacher accused of sexually abusing students

Source: FOX Carolina.com

An upstate middle school teacher is accused of sexually abusing several students. Allenna Williams Ward was a teacher at Bell Street Middle School in Laurens County, South Carolina. Administrators became aware of Ward's alleged activities when notes between her and students surfaced at the school. On and off for the past year, Clinton police say Allenna Ward has been having sexual relations with five young boys.
Ward was an English teacher at Bell Street Middle School in Clinton, and all of her alleged victims are students. One eighth grader we spoke to told us this was the first he had heard about it. Marctavious Hill said, "It was shocking to me that a teacher would do that at our school, it's very surprising."
In a press conference Wednesday, Chief of Clinton Police John Thomas told reporters he is also shocked and dismayed. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and the families. It's very disturbing that this kind of thing is going on," said Thomas. According to police, Ward sexually abused the boys in various places throughout Clinton, SC:

• the Bell Street Middle School
• in a parked car
• the Clinton Motel
• behind the Clock Restaurant
• the Laurens City Park

Chief Thomas said, "There could be more victims, more arrests, right now we don't know." We went to Ward's home to hear what her husband has to say about his wife's alleged actions. There we were met by her father-in-law who seemed very upset. FOX Carolina's Lidia St. Mark asked him, "Are you shocked about all of this?" He replied, "I'd like for you to leave please."
In an emergency school board meeting, board members voted unanimously to fire Ward. Superintendent Dr. Laura Koskela said, "It's overwhelming for all of us, it's just so sad so many regrets that we have for our community."
Ward has 11 charges against her ranging from criminal sexual conduct with a minor to performing a lewd act on a minor (IOW, she performed oral sex at least six times on one or more of the boys). If convicted and she receives the maximum sentence, she could spend the rest of her life behind bars. Ward is being held on a $110,000 bond. [End of article]

This story is being reported everywhere from CNN to Kansas City Crime blogs, to the Boston Herald. Warrants show Ward is charged with five counts of second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor and six counts of lewd acts on a minor. The incidents occurred between December and earlier this month. Ward's attorney, Donald Hocker, didn't want to talk about the case Thursday, according to a woman who answered the phone at his office.
The ordeal started for Mrs. Ward when a note was found (last week) by several students who felt it was inappropriate and turned it over to Bell Street Middle School principal Maureen Tiller.
Tiller turned the note over to the school district office, where officials contacted police, Koskela said. Clinton Public Safety Director John Thomas, who was involved in the local investigation, decided to contact SLED. "Teachers are supposed to be role models as well as being those people who take care of and protect our children," Thomas said. Ward was placed on administrative leave with pay last week and fired after an emergency school board meeting Wednesday, officials said. At the onset of the investigation, Ward sent a text message to one of her victims' cell phone (though we do not know the content of that message).
Last year, an elementary school teacher in school district neighboring Clinton was charged with having sex with an 11-year-old male student. A trial date for Wendie A. Schweikert has not yet been scheduled.
Clinton, SC, a town of about 10,000 people, is about 60 miles northwest of the state capital, Columbia. Allenna Ward's teacher webpage on the Laurens County School System's website has been removed, as her phone extension (#4010). Her picture is also gone from the site. I was able to dig a little and found the following information:
Allenna Williams Ward is a 2001 graduate of Clinton High School and a 2005 graduate of Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Science in Middle School Education . She taught 7th grade Language Arts. Allena's school email address was ajward@laurens56.k12.sc.us. I seriously doubt any email sent to this address will be answered, but they will likely be read by the police. ;-) BTW, she and her husband live on Compton Road in Clinton -- very near other Ward family members.

TOPIC: I'm gonna DIE -- I just know it!
I am going to die soon. I just know it. Over the past several months I have learned that my risk of heart attack or some other death causing ailment has increased exponentially -- for several reasons.

First, I removed the sugary drinks from my menu -- and started drinking diet colas. Then, I found out that diet drinks have aspartame in them. Next, I got rid of the diet colas and started drinking water w/ Crystal Light and a small packet of Splenda (to sweeten the taste). Then, I read that Splenda has bleach in it -- and may be to mutagenic substance. Now, I pretty much drink plain water or 100% fruit juice. After all, high fructose corn syrup (from most juice beverages) is bad for me, too.

I used to eat a few fried foods (like shrimp, clams & fish), along with cooked vegetables, a few breads/pastas and most red meats. Boy, was that putting me at great risk of death. Fried foods generally contain saturated fats. Seafood has mercury in it. Fish is not even safe unless it was raised on an organic sea-farm. Vegetables have pesticides in and on them. Breads and pastas are full of carbohydrates, which make me fat -- and raise my risk for heart disease. Red meat is full of steroids, fat and other unfriendly molecules.
So, I turned to chicken, "farm fresh" vegetables and fruit. BUT, those are bad for me, too. The chicken we eat in America is raised by farmers who pump the birds full of steroids, hormones and/or antibiotics. "Farm fresh" vegetables are fertilized with the waste of the animals that are full of the steroids, ad nauseum (literally). Fruit is full of sugar, which again helps make me fat and raises my already skyrocketing triglycerides.
My last chance to live was to use dietary supplements (antioxidants, vitamins, etc) and eat as little as possible -- and only baked/broiled white meat, lots of raw veggies and freshly filtered water, of course. Today, I read a WebMD article that tells me I'm gonna die. WHY? The headline reads: "Antioxidant Supplements Up Death Risk". The article goes on to cite an increased risk for people who take certain vitamins & other supplements.
That's just great! Everything I eat or drink is bad for me. Supplements -- the little pills are supposed to help ward off those evil free radicals and grimy molecules chomping on my cells -- are now deemed killer caplets. I guess I'd better increase my insurance benefit, pick out my burial plot and start looking for a cheap suit to be buried in. At the rate things are going, any meal could be my last. I'm gonna DIE. I just know it!

TOPIC: IRD Promotes 'Amazing Grace' -- Criticizes Jesus Tomb Documentary

From christiansunite.com

The entertainment industry should take a cue from the success of the film "Amazing Grace" and direct its efforts toward faith- affirming productions instead of those that tear down religious faith, according to Institute on Religion & Democracy President Jim Tonkowich.
Tonkowich's comments were directed at a new documentary program airing on the Discovery Channel featuring artifacts that allegedly debunk central Christian doctrine. This past weekend, the film "Amazing Grace," about the life of British abolitionist William Wilberforce, appeared in the box office top 10, despite being in only limited release. IRD President Jim Tonkowich commented:"In a time when people struggle with the discouraging realities of war, poverty and injustice, the entertainment industry should be seeking to uplift rather than tear down."
"The Discovery Channel's program is an absurd venture into irresponsible conjecture that appears to be designed to tear at the fabric of the faith and hope of billions worldwide. This controversy is not about a silly documentary that will be quickly forgotten. Rather, it is about recognizing religious faith as legitimate, credible and beneficial to society. Much like the DaVinci code, the documentary promises a tantalizingly alternative view of Biblical events, but ultimately offers little more than groundless speculation. An ossuary labeled "Jesus" is about as specific to Christ as a chunk of wood that is claimed to be a part of the Ark. This program about Jesus' alleged tomb is little more than a cynical ratings ploy that deserves to be buried with all of the other fantastical claims that arise about the "real" Jesus this time of year."

The Institute on Religion and Democracy, founded in 1981, is an ecumenical alliance of U.S. Christians working to reform their churches' social witness, in accord with biblical and historic Christian teachings, thereby contributing to the renewal of democratic society at home and abroad.

TOPIC: Hollywood to Host International Prayer Event for Christians in Entertainment
An international prayer event will take place in Hollywood for Christians involved in the entertainment industry. Led by London members of Artisan Initiatives and a team from the Hollywood Prayer Network, the event will encourage people to pray for the industry, all the Oscar nominees and for Hollywood itself. The prayer event will be held during the Oscars weekend Saturday 24 February at the Hollywood Presbyterian Church from 6pm-9pm (PST).
Recently, Hollywood star Jennifer Hudson raised the bar of Christianity in Hollywood as she celebrated her success in the week leading up to the Academy Awards at her family’s church. The Oscar-nominated Dreamgirls’ actress said: “I’m not having no club party; I better have a praise party.” Hudson, 25, headlined a gospel concert, “An Evening of Praise With Jennifer Hudson”, accompanied by the acclaimed Soul Children of Chicago.

Source: ChristianToday.com

Speaking of Hollywood...
Top Hollywood Filmmakers Share Desire for Faith-Based Movies
Some of the biggest behind-the-scenes names in Hollywood film production have shared their dream to make more faith-based movies that eschew violence for violence sake and instead embrace great spiritually uplifting stories with positive content. Movieguide, an established family guide to movies and entertainments in the US, brought top producers and filmmakers in Hollywood together to share their thoughts on faith-based moviemaking at two special Movieguide Panels, reports Assist News.
"I want to do something that I can be proud of, that my children can be proud of," said panel member Leo Severino, formerly with the Producers Guild of America and the Fox Networks Group and first-time producer of Bella, a family-friendly Christian movie that became the surprise winner of the Audience Award at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival in September, 2006. "Good stories with good content. Beauty, art and morality go together,” he said during the panels, held at the recent Screenwriting Expo 5 in Los Angeles and sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation. Severino pointed out that filmmakers spend huge amounts of time working on perfecting the colour and lighting of each shot but challenged, “How much time is spent on the moral content of a movie?"
The founder of Movieguide and author of So you want to be in pictures, Dr Ted Baehr, led the panels. "People want to see good news at the movies. People don't want violence for violence sake,” he said, adding that China and Muslim countries, which represent at least 50 per cent of the world’s population, do not allow sex or violence in their movies or on TV.
Joel T. Smith is a writer, producer and distributor who has worked on the TV movie Merlin and the TV series Tarzan. "There's a universality to Christian ethics that can be appreciated by many people," he said. "Christian products have universal themes that people in Spain, Germany and Scandinavia can relate to."
Dr Baehr also pointed out that films with morally and spiritually uplifting content and with positive Christian values and elements enjoy the greatest success at the box office. "People want good to triumph over evil. The average person wants to see people with hope." Smith said, however, that it was pointless to criticise the Hollywood studio executives for their overriding interest in money. "You don't criticise a tiger for having stripes," he pointed out. "Ninety per cent of independent movies don't make money [but] the Internet will open channels that aren't there just yet."
Dr Baehr ended with a core message for writers, producers and filmmakers who dream of making more faith-based films. "Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever,” he said, citing Daniel 12:3 and Ephesians 5:1-3 of the Bible. He continued: "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people." Dr Baehr said: "Don't stoop to conquer.”
Other panel members include: Will Davies, Rob Hudnut, David Sams and Casey Wolfe.

TOPIC: Charlotte Christian Groups to Educate Public About Homosexual Activists
Three years ago the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the world's largest pro-homosexual group, moved its annual "Carolinas Gala Dinner" to Charlotte, North Carolina. To coincide with the pro-homosexual event next weekend, area conservative Christians are sponsoring a five-day lecture series on the radical agenda of homosexual activists.
Dr. Michael Brown is director of the Coalition of Conscience, a self-described network of church and ministry leaders, business and education leaders, and Christians from "every walk of life," based in the greater Charlotte area. He says the goal of the lecture series is not to debate the HRC, but to inform the public about the goal of homosexual activists. "We are praying and hoping that light will shine in darkness," Brown observes. He says the Coalition's desire is that "clarity will rise in the midst of confusion, that truth will go forth, that healthy discussions will be triggered in the workplace and the churches."
The Coalition of Conscience spokesman says Christians have a biblical mandate to speak the truth about homosexuality, in love and boldness. He feels the public needs to know what homosexual groups really stand for so "that believers will know how pervasive the radical activist homosexual agenda is, from the schools to the business places to the media and even to the churches." Christians need to know what is coming their way from the radical homosexual activists, Brown contends. "They also need to know that homosexual men and women are people who need the Lord, just like everyone else," he says; "that homosexuality is not the worst sin mentioned in the Bible -- that Jesus died for all of our sins alike."
The Coalition's lecture series -- which is free and open to the public -- runs from February 19-23 at the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte. Brown says he anticipates the possibility that the event will be picketed by homosexual activists.

Source: ChristiansUnite.com

The Sope-Bocks: What this article doesn't mention is the outlandish, but true agenda of the HRC and other groups like it. Their goal is to normalize sex between adults and children, especially men and young boys. In fact, the HRC has joined forces with NAMBLA (North American Man-Boy Love Association) to promote gay pedophilia as a normal and natural means of expressing sexual behavior.
If you don't believe me, research it for yourself. The evidence, along with statements from BOTH groups is publicly available on the Internet and in their literature. I will not reference the websites because I vehemently oppose the behavior of homosexuality and everything the HRC and NAMBLA stand for.
Folks, they goal of these groups is to control our children for their promiscuous sexual deviancies. If the public isn't aware of the truth, they will fall prey to this agenda -- and our children will suffer for generations to come. It's not about love and relationships, it's about S-E-X.

OnThisDay: February 15th
1879 - Congress authorized women lawyers to practice before the US Supreme Court
1922 - Marconi began regular broadcasting transmissions from Essex, England
1929 - St. Valentine's Day massacre in Chicago, IL.
1933 - US President-elect Franklin Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt
1944 - 891 British bombers attacked Berlin
1950 - Walt Disney's "Cinderella" released
1964 - The Beatles' album "Meet the Beatles!" went to #1 & stayed #1 for 11 weeks
1971 - After 1200 years, Britain abandoned 12-shilling system for decimal system
1984 - 500,000 Iranian soldiers invaded Iraq
1989 - Soviet military occupation of Afghánistán ended
1995 - Dow Jones closed at a record 3986.17

TOPIC: FOX News & Anna Nicole Smith
I sent the following email to Neil Cavuto of FOX News today:

Neil,
I feel like I’m watching a new network. Instead of FNC, your network’s coverage looks more like the ANS (or ANuS) channel lately. Face it, Anna Nicole Smith was a loser. She would never have become famous if she hadn’t bared all for the young perverts in Playboy, then married a dying billionaire (J. Howard Marshall) for his money. Only her family would care that she died *if* there wasn’t a huge sum of money for everyone to battle about. Anna Nicole Smith (or Vickie Lynn Hogan) would have ended up where most women with her morals and lack of character end up – prostituting themselves; having children out of wedlock; hooked on drugs – and eventually dead from an overdose (suicide or murder).
Wait! That’s exactly what happened. Never mind...

It's not that I didn't like Anna Nicole. It's just that she never showed one ounce of anything other than self-indulgence and destructive behavior. I feel very sad for Dannielynn, her infant daughter. I don't feel sorry for Smith, though. FWIW, I believe her former close friend who said that Howard K. Stern is after the money -- and always has been. I also believe that Larry Birkhead is Danni-lynn's father. Why would Anna have told her friend Birkhead is the father if Stern actually fathered the child? It doesn't make sense.

Furthermore, Stern was present (or very close) by when J. Howard Marshall, Smith's husband, died; when Daniel, her son, died and when Anna Nicole herself died. Although some accounts conflict, Howard K. Stern didn't lift a finger to help when ANY of the three passed from this earth into eternity. In fact, more than one account has Anna Nicole screaming at Stern -- saying things like, "You let it happen!" and "It's your fault!" after her 20-year old son, Daniel Wayne Smith, was found dead in the Bahamas. No matter what, there was enough suspicion that a hearing was scheduled for March 26. I guess Smith's death removed that obstacle, huh?
Smith's "flagrant" sexual relationship with Bahamian Minister of Immigration, Shane Gibson, is also on record now. A former Prime Minister had recently said Anna Nicole Smith was not a fit person to become a citizen of the Bahamas. Yet, Gibson fast-tracked her citizenship request personally. Yet another example of poor moral character and Smith prostituting herself for favors and money.
This is a sad story. It's not one that needs to be glamorized in the news, though. All we need to know is that Vickie Lynn Hogan (aka Vickie Marshall) ended up where many women who live her kind of life end up. And the people who pretend to care the most are only the ones who see $$$ signs in her casket and the orphaned child left behind.

TOPIC: Don't forget Valentine's Day tomorrow...

Source: TheBackPew.com

TOPIC: Privacy Is A Thing Of The Past
The following article reminds me that I have NO privacy any more, and should no longer have a high expectation of privacy. As the system administrator for my company's network, I have the task of monitoring security. Part of that job is reading security bulletins, etc. Every week, I receive security newsletters with short blurbs about this company or that university losing laptops with umpteen thousand names and other assorted personal data on them. That's bad enough. BUT, when the FBI -- the Federal Bureau of Investigation -- loses more than 150 laptops into "the great abyss", I realize that privacy is a thing of the past.

FBI lost 160 laptops in last 44 months
by Nate Anderson
How many laptops does the FBI lose? The Office of the Inspector General (or OIG; it's a part of the Department of Justice) sought to find out back in 2001, when it did an initial audit of the Bureau's losses of both weapons and laptops. The findings of that first audit were bad enough that the OIG began a follow-up on it, the results of which have just been released. The good news is that losses are dropping. The bad news is that they're still happening, and the FBI doesn't know if secure information is entering the wild. When the initial audit was completed in 2002, the FBI was losing 3.82 functional weapons a month (training weapons were going missing at an even higher rate of 5.07 each month). [That's an avg of 54 FBI weapons hitting the streets EVERY year.] Laptop losses were even worse, with 10.71 disappearing every thirty days. [That's 129 laptops lost per year.]
The new audit shows significantly better numbers: only 1.09 functional weapons and 2.64 laptops were lost each month, and losses of training weapons dropped all the way to 0.41. While the OIG applauds the work that the Bureau has done so far, they still raise questions about the loss rate and about the FBI's procedures for handling such events.
Losing guns isn't a good thing, but losing laptops can be just as bad, especially when they contain classified information. Unfortunately, the OIG determined that the FBI doesn't even know which of its computers contain such information. "Perhaps most troubling," says the report, "the FBI could not determine in many cases whether the lost or stolen laptop computers contained sensitive or classified information. Such information may include case information, personal identifying information, or classified information on FBI operations." Laptops can also contain goodies like the software that the FBI uses to make its identification badges, a copy of which was installed on a laptop stolen from the Boston Field Office in July 2002.
In the 44 months that it took to complete the new audit, the FBI lost 160 weapons and 160 laptop computers—a massive improvement over the 354 weapons and 317 laptops lost during the first 28-month-long audit. In any organization the size of the FBI, equipment is going to be lost, misplaced, or stolen, so perfection is not to be expected. [Says who?] The substantial progress made by the Bureau is encouraging, but the OIG still claims that the FBI "has not taken sufficient corrective action on several recommendations contained in our 2002 audit report."
To help them fix the problems, the OIG has thoughtfully offered 13 more suggestions. For example, the FBI has to make sure that a form FD-500 is filled out that describes the contents of every laptop computer, and it needs to do a better job of making sure that employees leaving the agency return FBI property.

A couple of pointers. IF you have a company laptop, make sure to encrypt the files. Also, take a moment to put your laptop bag in the trunk of your car. It's an easy target sitting in the backseat, even in a backpack or case. And for goodness sake, DON'T have automatic login set for ANY computer you use. I realize passwords aren't a huge block for hackers, BUT they do provide some protection for prying eyes and the crackheads that steal anything for a fix.

TOPIC: Who's Who in Debunking Darwin? You Might Be Surprised!

Source: WorldNewsDaily

The list truly is a "Who's Who" of prominent scientists in the world today, and now another 100 ranking leaders have added their signatures to a challenge to Darwin's theory of evolution. It's for those who have reached the epitome of their fields, but still are questioning the validity of the Darwinian philosophy and want to put their concerns in writing.
The names include top scientists as MIT, UCLA, Ohio State, University of Washington, University of Pennsylvania, University of Georgia, Harvard, the College of Judea and Samaria, Johns Hopkins, Texas A&M, Duke, University of Peruglia in Italy, the British Museum and others. "Darwinism is a trivial idea that has been elevated to the status of the scientific theory that governs modern biology," said Michael Egnor, a professor of neurosurgery and pediatrics at State University of New York, Stony Brook, and an award-winning brain surgeon who was picked as one of New York's top doctors by "New York Magazine."
The list includes representatives from the studies of chemistry, biology, dendrology, genetics, molecular biology, organic synthesis, quantum chemistry, bacteriology, astrophysics, mathematics, geriatrics, entomology, economics, biochemistry, physics, electrochemistry, nuclear engineering and is available at www.dissentfromdarwin.org. It's maintained by the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture. The list represents the most educated people in the world from all branches of science with one thing on common – agreement with the following statement: "We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged."
"We know intuitively that Darwinism can accomplish some things but not others," said Egnor, who has signed the statement. "The question is what is that boundary? Does the information content in living things exceed that boundary? Darwinists have never faced those questions. They've never asked scientifically, can random mutation and natural selection generate the information content in living things."
John West, associate director of the Center for Science & Culture, said more scientists than ever before are "standing up and saying that it is time to rethink Darwin's theory of evolution in light of new scientific evidence that shows the theory is inadequate. Darwinists are busy making up holidays to turn Charles Darwin into a saint, even as the evidence supporting his theory crumbles and more and more scientific challenges to it emerge," West said.
The list of signatories also includes member scientists from National Academies of Science in Russia, Czech Republic, Hungary, India (Hindustan), Nigeria, Poland and the U.S. Many of the signers are professors or researchers at major universities and international research institutions such as Cambridge University, Moscow State University, Chitose Institute of Science & Technology in Japan, Ben-Gurion University in Israel.
The organization assembling the list said "the public has been assured that all known evidence supports Darwinism and that virtually every scientist in the world believes the theory to be true. Public TV programs, educational policy statements, and science textbooks have asserted that Darwin's theory of evolution fully explains the complexity of living things." However, the documentation actually reveals that in recent decades, "new scientific evidence from many scientific disciplines such as cosmology, physics, biology, 'artificial intelligence' research, and others have caused scientists to begin questioning Darwinism's central tenet of natural selection and studying the evidence supporting it in greater detail."
"The scientists on this list dispute the first claim and stand as living testimony in contradiction to the second," the website says. The list was launched in 2001. The list is for scientists who have a Ph.D in engineering, mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry or one of the other natural sciences who agree with the statement on Darwin, officials said.
There's a separate location called www.DoctorsDoubtingDarwin.com for medical doctors who have similar concerns. Members of the Discovery Institute submit articles and analyses for dialogue through seminars, conferences and debates, and they produce reports, articles, books, congressional testimony and films to spread the Institute's ideas. "The point of view Discovery brings to its work includes a belief in God-given reason and the permanency of human nature; the principles of representative democracy and public service expounded by the American Founders; free market economics domestically and internationally; the social requirement to balance personal liberty with responsibility; the spirit of voluntarism crucial to civil society; the continuing validity of American international leadership; and the potential of science and technology to promote an improved future for individuals, families and communities," the group said.

Further reading:
Tornado in A Junkyard: The Relentless Myth of Darwinism (book)
Intelligent Design vs. Evolution - letters to an atheist (book)
Evolution's instability highlighted by new study (article by Ken Ham)
2 billion years added to age of universe (article by WND)
What are Darwinists so afraid of? (article by Jonathan Witt)

QOTD: Never, never, never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter. The statesman who yields to war fever must realize that once the signal is given, he is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events. -- Sir Winston Churchill

TOPIC: NBC's Heroes - How do you stop an exploding man?
I am a big fan of NBC's new drama series, HEROES. The plot twists and turns and zig-zags all over the place. The characters, created by Tim Kring, are interesting and the story-telling is superb. I haven't enjoyed a TV series this much since Quantum Leap aired.
Unless you've been living under a rock since this past September, you've probably heard something about Heroes. Since there literally dozens of fan sites, I won't bore you with the details. What am I doing with this post if offering *my* list of specials -- the characters who have powers. This is the most complete list on the Internet. In fact, some of the Heroes forums' members have taken my list and either copied it or adapted it into "specials lists" with varying amounts of detail. Nonetheless, I'm proud to offer the most complete Heroes specials list available. BTW, I host this list on my favorite Heroes forum, titled appropriately, Heroes-Forum.com.
The List is regularly updated HERE. Without further adieu, the most complete "specials" list from the NBC televisions series, Heroes:

Edit version: 03.06.07

Updated List of "Special" People:
Brian Davis - New York, NY (deceased)
Gabriel Gray - New York, NY (aka Sylar)
Claire Bennet - Odessa, TX
Peter Petrelli - New York, NY
Micah Hawkins - Las Vegas, NV
Name Unknown - Barstow, CA (deceased)
James Walker - Los Angeles, CA (deceased)
Theodore "Ted" Sprague - Los Angeles, CA
Charlene "Charlie" Andrews - Midland, TX (deceased)
Sarah Ellis - (aka Eden McCain) Los Angeles, CA (deceased)
Shanti Suresh - India (deceased)
"the Haitian" - Haiti
Hana Gitelman - Missoula, MT
Claude "Raines" - New York City, NY
Meredith Gordon - Kermit, TX
Dale Smither - Montana (deceased)

Original Computer List:
Felipe Acorra - (deceased) (or Felipe Acera - Tapei)
D.L. Hawkins - Las Vegas, NV
Byron Bevington - Marshfield, VT
Niki Sanders - Las Vegas, NV
Daniel Buzzetti - Greeley, CO
Isaac Mendez - New York, NY
Tracy Chobhan - Frostburg, MD (or Tracy Chobham)
Nicholas Datre - (deceased)
Paula Gramble - Monteith, IA
Curtis Hovsopian - Grant Pass, OR
Nathan Petrelli - New York, NY
Noel Menzles - (deceased)
Penkala Burton - Albert Lea, MN
Teresa Hue Pham - Shreveport, LA
Matthew Parkman - Los Angeles, CA
Hiro Nakamura - Tokyo, JP
David Berman - New York, NY
Leonis Pinkham - (deceased)
Adam Soo Hoo - Kailua, HI
Linda Tavara - (deceased)
Norman Ventris - (deceased)
Sparrow Redhouse - New Mexico
Amid Halebi - Los Angeles, CA

Partial names seen on computer list:
Michelle Valcan
Candace Wilmer
Harry Fletcher
Ethan Kint... - (deceased)
Abu Aswan (- Cairo, Egypt)
Frank Cavanaugh - (deceased)
Diego Vel... - (deceased)
Jess Murph... - (deceased)
Sue Lander...
Pam Green... (or Pan Green - deceased)

Specials List from Dr. Chandra Suresh's files, (NBC) map & notebook:
13yo Colombian Female - Maraba, Brazil
22yo Malaysian Female - Palu, Indonesia
Sanjog Iyer (Male) - Mandras, India (or Sanjop Iyer)
87yo African Female - Botswana
??yo American Female - Connecticut, USA (Red hair, 1978)
??yo American Male - Mexico (Transportation)
??yo American Female - California, USA (Blonde hair, 1988)
Rebecca Finder
Arthur Dowland
Zane Taylor - Virginia Beach, VA (deceased)
Elena LaCarte

Possible "Specials" or "Heroes":
Molly Walker - Los Angeles, CA

Pictures/pinpoints on Suresh & Sylar maps:
= Pictures: =
20ish Female - Canada
50ish Male - South America
20ish Female - Vietnam (South Pacific Airlines employee)
30ish Female - Northern Greenland
Dark-skinned Female - Texas
30ish Male w/ glasses - New England area
= Pinpoints: =
NOTE: Some of the pinpoints are clearly in bodies of water.
Therefore, pinpoints do not necessarily indicate the location of "specials".

"Non-specials" who are now deceased:
- Multiple "Linderman hinchmen" (Murdered by Jessica)
- Mrs. Walker (James Walker's wife / Murdered by Sylar)
- Mr. Deveaux (Simone's father / Died of illness)
- Two police officers (FBI HQ / Murdered by Sylar)
- Aron Malsky (Linderman attorney / Assasinated by Jessica)
- Simone Deveaux (Accidentally killed by Isaac)

Names in BOLD are "heroes" we've met.
Info in BROWN taken from NBC's Chandra Suresh map.

PROVEN: The computer screen does NOT show the entire list Chandra Suresh had compiled.
HOW: 1) Mr. Bennet enlisted Eden McCain to remove Claire's name from Suresh's "list".
2) We saw Chandra Suresh's notebook, listing unnamed persons not shown on the computer generated list that Mohinder found.
3) Mohinder Suresh tells Nathan that Peter is on "the list", yet we do not see Peter's name on the computer screen.
4) Mohinder Suresh tells the FBI agent (on the phone) that James Walker is on "the list", yet we do not see his name on the computer screen.

Watch Heroes on NBC each Monday night at 9:00pm ET -- and again Fridays at 7:00pm on SciFi Channel.