The Monday (er, Tuesday) Tour: 2/21/06

Christian Carnival CIX posts:

• Jeremy Pierce at Parableman continues to deal with John Piper's "Christian Hedonism" with "Moses and Paul: Christian Un-Hedonism".
• A reflection on meditation in "Meditate on This"
• Light Along the Journey examines the radical paradigm shift implied by

  1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

  in "The Radical Paradigm of Thankfulness" Part 1 and Part 2

Again, I self-limit myself to three posts from the Carnival to highlight - and there were so, so, so many more I could have listed.
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Hannah Im continues to catch my attention. First, my wife loves Biscotti and here is a recipe.

Next, she asks for help for what is going on in Northern Uganda where

A paramilitary group using Christian terminology and satanically twisted Christian theology is kidnapping thousands of children (congressional estimates are 20,000-50,000 children), forcing them to mutilate and murder their own parents and other children, and abusing them in unthinkable ways. It sounds too incredible to be true, but it is well-documented and has been going on for years.

She has links for more information, and action if you wish.
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For some interesting pseudo-science being taught to our children in schools today go here (HT: Parableman.) We must stop this now.
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An amazing story about the power of God: "When the Spirit is Willing" (HT: Sun Comprehending Glass)
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Joe Carter at Evangelical Outpost weighs in (well) on "Embracing Naomi: Dobson and Reciprocal Beneficiary Contracts":

Some conservatives and libertarians may see no need for the government to expand the definition of civil unions in any manner. But the political reality is that the change is inevitable. The issue is no longer when civil unions will be recognized but what form they will take. (The Colorado bill is competing with a domestic partnership proposal from Democratic lawmakers.) By desexualizing the issue we preserve the government’s purpose (a social institution that brings stability to our society) without endorsing behavior that many of us consider immoral.

Besides, why should we extend social and government benefits to a group based on sexual orientation while excluding others who are equally worthy? Why extend civil unions to the lesbian couple down the street but not reciprocal beneficiary contracts to the elderly sisters who live next door?

The State doesn’t create marriage; it only recognizes its value. It has no authority to redefine the term to make is more inclusive. Marriage should be reserved for the intimate, exclusive, sexually complementary relationship of a husband and a wife. The State also doesn’t create civil unions. But when stripped of any sexual connotation and reserved for binary, dependent, committed relationships, the State should recognize their value.

Also, "Pro-Choice, Anti-Science: Informed Consent and Post-Abortion Health Risks".

And to make the Street Prophets crowd happy again: "Civility and the Coulterization of Conservatism"

"Conservatism is dead and Ann Coulter is its corpse.

That was my initial reaction to hearing Coulter’s latest semi-racists jibe: "I think our motto should be post-9-11, 'raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'"

Admittedly, I’m being a bit hyperbolic. While suffering from decrepitude, conservatism isn’t exactly dead. And though she possesses the same pallor and stench, Coulter isn’t exactly a corpse. But the two appear to have formed a symbiotic relationship of decay."

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Well, leave it to Jan at the View from Her to just get all … all … well all SEXUAL for God's sake (that was sincere and not swearing) with two posts: "The Bible, Sex and a Song". I gotta quote this

"…from the fourth chapter of the Song of Solomon:

_Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my garden that its fragrance may be wafted abroad.
Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its choicest fruits._

Oh, behave!"

and: "Pure Sex" .
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I need a cold shower. Next week.