Inspired by a True Story

The Meat We Eat

  Rod has this interesting post today commenting on something I've been thinking about for the last few months: the moral status of meat eating.

The biblical understanding of the killing of animals for meat seems almost entirely neglected in most Christian circles, but there is in fact quite a bit in scripture about this issue.

For example, the killing of animals to eat is always a sign of the fall. That is why God gives permission for it only after Adam and Eve's expulsion from the garden. Before this, they are given the fruit of the trees to eat. Whether you take the early Genesis stories literally or not, the point remains.

Also, the cessation of predation of all kinds is a sign of the coming of God's eschatological kingdom. You know, all that lion lying down with the lamb business.

I'm not saying eating meat is immoral. But at least as far as the writers of scripture were concerned the killing of animals for food is a tragic consequence of man's rebellion.

"Conservatives" who think animals can and should be killed cavalierly are a long way from the biblical understanding of animal death. Their position is rooted more in libertarian self-assertion than in any real commitment to a scripturally-informed world view. If this were not the case, they would know that killing animals for food is a tragedy we must sometimes engage in, not an activity we are meant to celebrate.

Ezra Levant and Freedom of Speech

I had the chance recently to speak to a group of college students about issues raised by the two videos below.

In them, Ezra Levant, the editor of The Western Standard, a conservative Canadian magazine and Web site, is giving his answers to questions put to him by a government inquisitor.

Levant had been called before the tribunal because his magazine dared to reprint the cartoons, originally published in a Danish newspaper, that sparked rioting by some Muslims across Europe in 2005.

The editor here gives an impassioned argument for freedom of speech. But, that's not what was most striking to some of the young people I was with.

More than a couple of them had real sympathy for the inquisitor. They seemed to be unable to get beyond the fact that Levant seems to be "mean" to her. It was hard for them to see any larger issues at play.

They didn't evince much understanding of the fundamental liberties Western democracies have long recognized.  For some of them, Levant's failure to be "nice" was a bigger threat than the encroachment on his rights he is resisting.

Woodlief on the Church

I thought Tony Woodlief's comments here were helpful in light of some recent discussion on this blog.

Woodlief begins with a description of a friend on the brink of divorce, then writes:

We could catalog the causes in the failures of recent decades: rising divorce rates, the proportion of children born without a father in the home at 25 percent and rising, a generation of men reared by the fantastically self-obsessed Baby Boomers, a culture that elevates personal satisfaction over all other standards.

In the face of these trends the Church has proven largely impotent, such that the practice of faith has become marginalized and atomized. Churches have little authority to discipline members or their children. If you aren’t happy with your pastor’s tie color, let alone any discipline your session might try to mete out (assuming you’re in a church with that kind of conviction and mettle in the first place), there are any number of congregations happy to receive you with no questions asked. It is the Burger Kingization of Christianity: have it your way.

The consequence, too often, is every man for himself. I have another friend who was on the brink of divorce, who practically begged the elders and seeming leaders in his church for help, with barely a phone call in return. That church is planting churches. They’re thriving, at least according to whatever meaningless measures we apply to church growth. Our buildings and finances seem far stronger than our spines, than the bonds that are supposed to unite us one to another.

The Brainiac Family

Years ago, I knew a home school family who had at that time just three kids, I think.

One day, I asked the oldest one who was about nine years old what he was learning in school. I expected him to tell me he was learning the names of the states and their capitals. Instead, he looked up at me and said:

"I'm translating the book of John from the original Greek."

Since then, I've become more aware that home schooling sometimes tends to promote high and early achievement.

This funny video I've seen floating around the net captures the stereotype well.

Another Audio Find

I've put some time lately into listening my way through the back episodes of Wormwood, a contemporary radio drama.

The acting is sometimes weak, but the production quality is excellent and the story is good enough to keep me engaged. I regularly find myself intrigued about what will happen next.

It's definitely not old-time radio drama. The story is edgy and dark. Some if the content is less than tame. Still, if you like a creepy audio experience from time to time, Wormwood offers a good return on your listening investment.