MercatorNet critiques Pullman's Golden Compass. The verdict: disorderly and confused, which is not much of a surprise considering Pullman has abandoned God.

An American's prayer for the New Year, from Ben Witherington.

Owen Strachan begins exploring a theology of ambition:

Christians have always struggled with the tendency to pit prayer and meditation on Scripture against action. Those who do so always lose. If we emphasize prayer to the detriment of action, we overspiritualize life and become passive. If we emphasize action to the detriment of prayer, we live as practical atheists. Neither option is sound, and both will lead to a damaged way of life. Far better to couple prayer with action, to bathe action in prayer, and so to live in a combination of trust and dependence.

Christmas Roundup:

• Dan Edelen on Christian contentment
• Michael Spencer: Three Stories
  
• Ben Witherington on C. S. Lewis and Christmas
• The Krusty Sage on... idiots
• And even a Christmas lolcat!
  

Here's a fascinating, well-written article about the worrisome decline of reading and the accompanying deterioration of the civilized mind. In addition to the disturbing social implications involved, I think the problem carries spiritual significance as well, given Christianity's emphasis on the Word and its legacy of ancient writings. The article missed this aspect, due to its evolutionary perspective, but it's very much worth reading anyway.

HT: A&LD

An excellent post from Ben Witherington, prompted by the Colorado shooting, about gun control and violence:

When you are afraid, it is 'shoot first, ask questions later', and behind all of this is the attitude that my life is more important than the life of the other person, especially the maniac with the gun. I disagree with this whole premise. Every person is a person of sacred worth, and every person is someone for whom Jesus died. Period.

Have a care and read the whole thing.


UPDATE: Greg Boyd weighs in.

The iMonk on the problem with real Christians:

So it is with being a Christian. I am one. I want to be one. I’m deeply aware of how often I’m not one. Simul justus et peccator and several other things.

VOM, Turkmenistan:

Baptist pastor Vyacheslav Kalataevsky has been denied permission to remain in his native town of Turkmenbashi, Turkmenistan. According to Forum 18 News, "Kakataevsky's visa application to remain with his wife and family was rejected by the Migration Service and he will have to leave the country. He is due to leave on a flight to Moscow on December 11." Officials have refused to explain the reason for denying the visa, Pastor Kalataevsky explained to Forum, "But of course it is linked to my activity as a believer. Everything that has happened to me since 2001 is related to that." Pastor Kalataevsky was released in November after eight months in prison. Pray for his family during this difficult time.

Just in from MercatorNet: two Australian intellectuals are proposing a "carbon tax" for newborns! Where will the madness end?

At the heart of this disdain for new human life is a lack of faith in our capacity to solve our problems.

Or an unwillingness to acknowledge the one who can.

Uganda is currently dealing with an outbreak of Ebola, and local Christians have set aside Wednesday to fast and seek the Lord. We received the news several days from a Ugandan brother who we met when he visited the states earlier this year. Pray for Uganda.

From A&LD: An interview with Philip Pullman, author of The Golden Compass Trilogy. Though Pullman is essentially an atheist, (why is it that atheists always look like that?) the interview is interesting as an inside perspective on the story, and sheds some light on Pullman's inspirations and worldview. Obviously, his rejection of God is disturbing. Also, I really don't understand how he can say this:

The Lord of the Rings is essentially trivial. Narnia is essentially serious, though I don't like the answer Lewis comes up with. If I was doing it at all, I was arguing with Narnia. Tolkien is not worth arguing with.

I think he has grossly underestimated Tolkien's work. 'Trivial' is the last adjective I ever thought I'd hear applied to The Lord of the Rings.

Brant Hansen of Kamp Krusty recently posted about the complex spiritual and psychological issues involved in taking antidepressants, and soon followed up with a second post. Michael Spencer (the Internet Monk) weighed in and added some links of his own. Interesting stuff.

Keeping tabs on Google Books:

In July 2004, Google began quietly scanning and digitizing Michigan's library. Five months later, in December 2004, the company officially announced the "Google Print for Libraries" project. (After the effort hit snags and received some bad press, it was rebranded "Google Book Search.") Google partnered with five major libraries--Michigan, Stanford, Harvard, Oxford's Bodleian, and the New York Public Library--in an attempt to scan the pages of 15 million volumes. These digital books would be kept and indexed in a Google database, which would be made available, for free, to the public.

The scope has changed in the intervening years. Initially Google planned to scan the 15 million books in six years. That projection was revised upwards to more than 20 million books, and the New Yorker recently reported that Google is now aiming to scan at least 32 million books, besting the number of titles in the largest bibliographic database, WorldCat. It hopes to finish within ten years. As one Googlehead told the New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin, "I think of Google Books as our moon shot."

The whole thing is quite similar to what is happening to the music industry, right down to the copyright lawsuits.

A blogger poses the question - Who would Jesus bomb? - and pretty much gives the standard answer: the bad guys.

Christians through the centuries have avoided both pacifism and militarism: holding to a "just war" concept that killing is never good but is sometimes best.

"Never good, but sometimes best." Just think about that for awhile.

(HT: Kingdom People)

An interview with Leland Ryken about the ESV Literary Study Bible that he co-authored with his son.

The C. S. Lewis foundation on the role of beauty within science:

It would appear that beauty functions as sort of handmaiden to the truth in the process of discovery. She either ushers one into the presence of her master, or testifies to our place in the presence of greatness. If that be the case, then it might also be the case, as Chandrasekhar suggests in his work, that a mind trained or gifted with a strong aesthetic sense, one that can recognize beauty when she is revealed, is one that is particularly equipped to make the sorts of discoveries that form the foundations of our most profound and productive understandings of the universe. In other words, those who know beauty when they see it will be the best physicists.

Yes, divorce is ugly:

I pray for you, my children, that you will all see with the eyes of eternity—that through the trials and tribulations of life—specifically marriage—you will never have the shade of a doubt that, from all eternity, God planned for you to be with the one you have pledged to be faithful to. Guard your hearts and never allow the slightest strain of, “Well, maybe”, or “What if”, to enter your minds. Your unconditional commitment to your marriage, based on a total conviction of God’s sovereignty in bringing you together, is its greatest strength!

The Yosemite Triple Crown

The complete video is up!

VOM, India:

CHHATTISGARH STATE - On November 19, Hindu militants attacked a church, tied up and beat the pastor unconsciousness, and burned down a recently constructed church building in Manduwa in Chhattisgarh State, India. There are no reports on the present condition of Pastor Sudharu. The Hindus accused the church of being involved in the conversion of tribal people in the region. According to reports, missionaries in this remote area face regular threats from Hindu militants. Pray for the continued witness of this church. Pray for healing for Pastor Sudharu as he recuperates from the assault.

Examining the scientific grounds for the social and psychological effects of birth order. I'm basically a textbook case: smart, conscientious, bossy, and melancholy.

I thought the part about older siblings developing their knowledge by teaching the younger made a lot of sense. Teaching is the best way to learn.

Ben Witherington: Is God a narcissist?

God it would appear is not merely a glory grabber, but rather a glory giver.

HT: Michael Spencer

VOM, North Korea:

In September, the National Security Service of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced the arrest of several "foreign spies" and "native citizens working for a foreign intelligence service." VOM sources say those arrested are Christians and not spies. VOM sources have identified the following nine Christians who have disappeared and are believed to have been arrested by government authorities: Mr. Chul Huh (34), Mr. Chun-Il Jang (39), Mr. Myung-Chul Kim (36), Ms. Young-Su Jin (32), Mr. Nam-Suk Kang (48), Mr. San-Ho Kang (36), Mr. Suk-Chun Suh (29), Ms. Mi-Hae Park (30) and Ms. Young-Yae Lee (37). The whereabouts of these individuals is unknown. It is possible they have already been tried and executed. Pray the loved ones of those arrested will find peace in the fact that God works all things for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose. Pray that North Korea's leaders will come to repentance and faith in Christ.

Mortimer Adler on How to Mark a Book:

I contend, quite bluntly, that marking up a book is not an act of mutilation but of love.

(HT: Tim Challies)

Some thorough coverage from National Geographic on the current situation in Bethlehem:

"It's easy to think of Bethlehem as the center of the world," says Mayor Batarseh. "This can't be a place where calm never exists. If the world is ever going to have peace, it has to start right here."