Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Reading the Newspaper today

As I read the local newspaper today, I had a myriad of reactions.

I read about Parents arrested for sneaking kids into better schools. I am left to wonder at the turf war and power struggle over who gets to teach, and where the children are going to go. It seems to me that it is a stinging indictment of a school when people are willing to risk this sort of law-breaking to get their kids out of it.
I understand that here in SLC, for now, you may send your child to whatever school you choose, to get them to. But that the teachers union is seeking to change this.
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There are several articles about whether 'mormons' are Christians. The most recent torch tossed on this fire coming from one pastors endorsement of one presidential candidate, and attack on another at that time.
I understand that according to most apologetic theory, there are three types of christian.
The doctrinal christian who believes in the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth, and his ability to perform miracles, the most important of which being the atonement wherein he took upon him the punishment of our sins, died, and was resurrected: what congregation attended is secondary to this.
The historic christian who counts himself such because he is part of a congregation who can trace its organizational roots to the church formed by Jesus, and left with Peter in charge: this is regardless of what is believed doctrinally, and what is felt about the potential divinity of Jesus.
The third type of christian believes the principles taught by Jesus are sound and good: what congregation, and what is felt about the potential divinity of Jesus is of minor importance.


Some will carry this further to say that their pet doctrine or dogma must also be included to a person to be counted.


This as premise, I ask, which definition of christian is this particular pastor referring when he says that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are not christian?
How does he know this?


For myself, I will do my best to not judge, and leave the decision of whether a person is a disciple of Jesus, to the individual and Jesus himself.
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Pot-shaped candy alarms parents I for one will not seek this candy out, nor will accept it if it is ever offered. Looking at the dope on the package label, he looks stoned. No thank you.
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Christians under siege in post-revolution Egypt One thing in this article that caught my attention was the comment that "Copts shared in the euphoria of the 18-day revolution that ousted Mubarak and like so many other Egyptians their hopes for change were high. Mainly, they wanted to be on equal footing with Muslims."
To the best of my knowledge, any nation that is ruled by Muslims, tends to treat any other religion as second class, at best. God's blessings to these people, but don't hold your breath for any recognition of equal footing from the radical Muslims in particular.
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Breaking the 10,000-hour rule is about learning, and how to learn. In reading this I am left to wonder at some topics that I have been able to learn quicker than others, and that I have learned quicker or slower than others. "...the dominant culture of teaching and coaching in our culture is too directive...There’s too much telling and advocacy, and not enough questioning and aided discovery....Result: We don’t learn how to learn. We look to (others) as the repository of answers, when instead we need to develop the ability to self-regulate and self-adjust and to become relentless problem-solvers."
Some things I have learned how to learn. I have self-taught myself several different computer programs.
Other things I have not. I have been taught much in college level math, to a per-calculus level, but could was not able to comprehend what the instructor was trying to instruct in calculus.
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The last news item that keeps doing the rounds, and which I have commented already on are the 'Occupy' mobs protesting for the fun of it. I have yet to really comprehend what these people are trying to accomplish, and am dubious as to whether they really know themselves.
I have one idea of what they could protest that is a real important issue to the US today: occupy the NBA Arenas, and protest the cancellation of the start of the season and the deadlock between the rick players, and the wealthy team owners and organizations.

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