Veritas Rex

FOTF Supports Miss California in her Stand for Marriage

Dr. Dobson had Miss California on his program recently to support her as liberals attempt to pull every skeleton out of her closet in response to her nationwide support of marriage.  Ann Coulter makes a great point in her recent column.  "Christians aren't people who believe they are without sin; they're people who know they're sinners and are awestruck by God's grace in sending his only Son to take the punishment they deserve."

People are trying to demonize Carrie because of the mistakes of her past.  It seems to me this is solely motivated by the good she is attempting to do in the present.  
 

Beauty Pageant Contestant Takes a Stand for Marriage

Thank you Miss California!

Doctor Shocks Oprah with News of Ethical Stem-Cell Successes

Truth is King

Give up the TV and "Focus on the Family"

My wife and I recently took a three week hiatus from television. This is surely the longest stint in my life without this modern "luxury."  I've previously gone for a period of days at a time while consumed in work or perhaps on a camping trip. But a three week stretch is different, especially when you are otherwise going about life "as normal." We were  not camping and I was not "under the gun," working on any major deadline with my professional obligations.

A few quick observations.

1. Were we less connected to the world without TV? My answer here is no. We continued to be as connected as ever. We had Facebook of course. We stayed up on the news through our favorite columnists who we read on the web, and listened to FOX News and CNBC on XM Radio while driving.  Oh, and Veritas Rex!

2. Without TV we had more energy. What can make a person more slothful than a few hours of TV at night? During our three week stretch I had more energy and was able to jump up at a moments notice for physical activity

3. Without TV we had more margin. In the evenings, when typically the TV would be on, we're not distracted by Jim and Pam or Bill O. Instead, we could give our full attention to each other, and romping around with our son Jackson.

Modern day Truman Show uncovers hidden jewels

Michael Gerson has a brilliant article today on www.townhall.com.  Here is an excerpt:

"But there is a subset of this genre [reality TV] that accomplishes something unexpected -- using the camera to humanize rather than to mock. The cable network TLC specializes in what it calls the "docu-series," which places a camera in a home and rolls without intervention. Millions of Americans have gotten to know the impressively regimented Duggars, with 18 children and counting; the Roloffs, a family comprised of both little and average-sized people; and, above all, Jon and Kate Gosselin, raising twins and sextuplets of monumental cuteness.

One would imagine watching the daily lives of others to be tedious. But the mundane turns out to be fascinating, even radical. This season, the Roloffs experienced the death of a close family friend. It was shocking to see adults and children reacting on television with genuine, uncomprehending grief. All these TLC families take religion seriously -- also a rare sight on television. Though grief and faith are just about universal, they are nearly always hidden in our popular culture -- the massive things we are never allowed to see."

Check out the full article here.  It is so true that grief and faith (grief is often the doorway to a deeper faith) are nearly always hidden in our popular culture.  It's so sad.  The things that can set us free and give our lives meaning are often taboo; on the other hand, the things that will enslave us and bring us death are heavily promoted.  It reminds me of spiritual warfare that we often don't recognize, yet unknowingly struggle through.  Some ridicule it as superstitious folly.  Others ignore it.  Yet how else do we explain a culture that rejects that which brings life and embraces that which brings death?

"Religulous"

Bill Maher loves to stick his finger in the eye of people of faith.  Most recently, he has a movie out in theaters, "Religulous."  This movie basically makes fun of people of faith.  Dinesh D'Souza takes Maher to task as only Dinesh can do.  I think Maher should step up and fairly debate D'Souza on Maher's show as D'Souza requests. 

Why Bill Maher Made Me Laugh
Dinesh D'Souza
Monday, October 13, 2008

Bill Maher is a very irritating fellow. Now surely he would say that he irritates people because he is so iconoclastic, shattering entrenched orthodoxies with his rapier wit, but the truth is that Maher is offensive because he has an offensive personality. He seems chronically unable to wipe the smug arrogant smile off his face, which is especially galling because this arrogance is entirely unsubstantiated by intellectual ability.

Even Maher’s humor seems, well, gratuitous and condescending. His is not the wry, gentle wit of Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld. Nor does he exhibit the outrageous, side-splitting humor of George Carlin or Richard Pryor. Rather, Maher employs his trademark sneer to poke snide, sarcastic fun at people, usually people who are markedly less sophisticated or culturally established or economically well off than he is.

Fireproof was the #4 Movie This Weekend!!

From the makers of Fireproof:

One Amazing Weekend at the Movies!
You did it!

You made FIREPROOF the No. 4 overall movie in America this past weekend! In fact, if you look at per-screen average (and Hollywood does), you made FIREPROOF the second-leading per-screen film this weekend.

You puzzled Hollywood pundits and prognosticators. You boggled movie-based bloggers. You showed the movie industry that there not only is interest in good, wholesome films, but there is also an audience for them.

You made an impact. And in case you're wondering, people noticed. This is what USA Today said:

“The surprise of the weekend, though, was the Christian-themed Fireproof. Made for $500,000 and released on 839 screens, the Kirk Cameron drama did $6.5 million and took fourth place.

“Most analysts did not expect the film to crack the top 10, yet it enjoyed the second-largest debut this year for a film opening on fewer than 1,000 screens; the biggest was Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, which debuted to $31 million on 683 screens.”

After winning the championship game in Facing the Giants, Coach Grant Taylor asks the members of his football team, “What is impossible with God?” To a player, they all answered: “Nothing.”

Thank you for your overwhelming support FIREPROOF on opening weekend!