The Monday Tour: 2/27/06

Catez Stevens looks at "Share the Love: City on a Hill or Salt of the Earth?"

There is a tension that can develop between two different aspects of the Christian life. Should we be the city on the hill or the salt of the earth? Should we be a very separate group of people removed from others and wait for people to come to us - or should we be sprinkled out in the world like seasoning making a difference in our particular circles? Of course the obvious answer is both, but we don't always find the balance of both so easily. As Christians we are going through a spiritual process which is called sanctification. We are forgiven, not perfect, and we are being perfected. We bring some of our imperfection to the way we view things and the way we sometimes communicate things.

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Ashley at Intellectuelle posts "On Christian Education". Any liberal arts teachers in the crowd?
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Education week I guess: Bryce at The Lion Rampant with "C.S. Lewis on Reading"
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In this thread at Baghdadee there is speculation about who bombed the Samarra shrine. One prominent theory: the "Reichstag" theory.
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Tyler writes a really interesting post (I didn't join the fun) at Habakkuk's Watchpost: - when I am about to give up on Tyler he always gets interesting: "God's Changing Hand". I don't even have to warn you about the language.
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There are two very good shrine updates at Iraq the Model . One gives the actual damage from the riots afterwards; the other an idea of whodunit.
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Parableman thinks South Dakota and the four other states are "Jumping the Gun on Abortion"
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Rick Moran looks at "Iraq: The Bullwinkle Factor". The Boy who cried wolf is another good analogy.
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Teresa, a 2nd year law student, "Answer to the High Court Question": she agrees with Parableman above - the Supremes will strike down the South Dakota abortion law and uphold Roe.
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Where Ben has noticed that Alicublog has ". . . Eyes, but Do Not See". Thanks Ben
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Last week Jan was talking about Pure Sex - now its "Smart Sex". She quotes this:

"I think the key is that everyone wants to matter, especially to their sex partners. We have created a world in which we treat sex as a private recreational activity, with no moral or social significance. But when sex is a recreational activity, my partner becomes a consumer good. And we all know what we do with consumer goods that cease to satisfy: We get rid of them. In this world of consumer sex, it is socially acceptable to use other people. But no one really wants to be used."

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Carl and Hillary? What will Bill say (or what can he say?) about "Sen. Clinton Says Rove Obsesses About Her"
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Austin Bay Blog has a series of internal Al Qaeda letters that have been declassified here (Somalia). A whole list is here
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I ran out of gas by the time I got to the last Christian Carnival. Go read the posts. They are good. Next week