idle banter

Ashes to Ashes...

2007-01-29T22:31:00.000+02:00

Dust to dust...

Flash poll

2006-12-22T20:51:00.000+02:00

Has the energy on this blog dropped because:

We've grown tired of visiting,
This blog has dropped (really far) down our online reading list,
The conversation has been cyclical and stagnant,
We've given up on idle banter, or
For no real reason

Does anyone still visit here?

2006-12-19T22:25:00.000+02:00

Ariaan Vlok @ Northfield

2006-11-30T22:28:00.000+02:00

Former apartheid-era Minister of Law and Order, Adriaan Vlok, renowned for his drastic measures to reduce unrest in 1980s, will be the guest speaker at Justice Sunday at Northfield, Benoni, this Sunday, 10h00.

In a recent act of contrition, Vlok made news by washing the feet of Rev Frank Chikane who survived a murder attempt under Vlok's watch.

If you're around this part of South Africa, see you there.

Is it helpful?

2006-11-07T10:30:00.000+02:00

If you've been around Northfield recently you would have noticed that the culture of the church has changed a bit. along with the new building and how it impacts the feel of the place, we have welcomed Stephen Holly into the church as the contemporary worship pastor. With heading up that role, he also preaches quite extensively. Stephen is a direct character of the charismatic fold who is bold in his preaching and worship leading. Northfield is not used to this. As a church we're used to just plain nice preaching and worship. Within the YA group I've begun noticing how they don;t come to church when Stephen is around. It's almost a if they would Rather rnot be challenged by him and go where it is a whole lot easier to be a Christan.

But I do think this trend has it's root in the theme of "if it is not helpful, leave it behind". We apply this thinking to so many aspects of our lives. I now wonder if it is useful that we only follow the useful stuff?

Teenagers vs Books

2006-10-08T09:19:00.000+02:00

Us Young Adults at Northfield now have a Bookclub, Yipee! I've never belonged to one before, so I really appreciate the opportunity to share what I read and allowing others to share....
Anyways, that's besides the point. I am appalled when I see how few young people, specifically teenagers, read. I don't remember a time in my life where I was not busy with some book. It was such an integral part of my youth, even though my reading material may have been rather shallow at times. Even the shallow reading helped develope a culture of reading.
It forces me to think how I was encouraged to read at a young age, but reading was so much part of my life that I needed little encouragement and I can't recall what got me reading. What troubles me is that I know the profound effect books have had on my life and that this generation is being robbed of that joy and opportunity.
How do we encourage this generation to read? If you are a reader, what contributed to that culture in your early years? ...or do we believe that the blogs, sms's and magazines our teenagers read, are sufficient?

Money, Money, Money?

2006-10-08T08:59:00.000+02:00

Ok, so there are unwritten rules on poverty in ministry. The larger church is riddled with pastors amassing much personal wealth and also stories of individuals who suppress all material desires for the sake of their ministry.

On sexuality, the same contradictions occur, but after listening to a very learned minister recently, we were invited to broker a peace deal between our spirituality and sexuality. I wonder if the same can not be said about our material desires.

Is it possible to reconcile materialism and spirituality to such an extent that they help each other or are the doomed to continue living as enemies? Do we need to redefine materialism as something which does not necessarily imply greed?

Grading people

2006-10-05T16:56:00.000+02:00

Ever wonder why we seemed to have erased from our collective memory the events of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in which over 73,000 people died, but yet can't get past the 3,000-odd associated with 9-11?

Scott Adams poses a plausible reason why this migth happen here. Could it be that some trgaedies are worse than others based on who was wiped out?

Your story ... part II

2006-10-01T22:10:00.000+02:00

Ok, that was 10 comments more than there should have been on a post. So, I'm now starting a new comment thread here for us to pick up from where we left off, to reorganise our thinking, whateva. But now, I'd like us to get practical:

A little while back in a cell group, I had someone tell the group (when we were discussing hearing God's voice) that they did not have a problem with that. Why? Because God spoke audibly to her. Not just spoke, but met face-to-face with her on a regular basis.

Yep, I can hear it already: the sound of your cynicism hackling up much like a porcupine's quills. Did I hear you say "looney tune"? Stick with me, this is a real example. In such an instance how does one get past, or deal with, or confront, or do what ever you need to do with the instantaneous cynicism we feel when confronted with a story (here I mean both a story told, as above, as well as a meta-Story of one's life) that is so absurd?

Death defying dyslexic spam

2006-09-22T14:28:00.000+02:00

Yep, tis true. Got this mail today:

Dear Sir/Madam
reply back to benfrank10@gamail.co.za
Good day, my name is FRANKLINE BENJAMIN. I just arrival in Johannesburg, South Africa few days ago. I really need your help to invest in South Africa.
I know you will be surprised to receive this mail, considering the fact that we don't know each other, However I got your contact details from the internet network search, before I precedes, I want you to know that I have
$5.8 million DOLLARS (five million eight hundred thousand dollars) with me as I am sending you this email deposited in a private security company as vault. Please don't be surprised.

Of all the celebrity death conspiracies, one has to wonder if Benjamin Franklin's conspiracy ever reached Elvis proportions. Thankfully, Ol Ben is safe and sound in SA desperately trying to find a vault.

This is the last birthday message I'm posting

2006-09-19T15:06:00.000+02:00

Happy birthday Pete ... for yesterday.

For the rest of you, Happy Birthay Wishes for Eternity ya'll

Your story is your story

2006-09-19T10:18:00.000+02:00

I'm a firm believer that your story is your story. As it is rooted in your experience and by virtue, your story is a simple retelling of your experience. It is not then a ventured opinion that is open for debate and scrutiny. When this understanding is in place, it opens room for everyone to learn from the stories they hear and to be touched by the significance of the story. When working with organisations and narrative I affirm this point. But in recent days there has been a news story that has made me question whether such reverence of experience is valid. It is the furore stirred up by Pope Benedict quoting a Byzantine leader who slated the impact Mohammed had on the world in spreading Islam.

The Islam community has lashed out at his speech and the inference regarding his belielfs on Islam. Their response, understood as a story, has been characterised by pain and hurt. As a Christian African Westerner (sho, a mouthfull) I have found myself believing that the Muslim world has just misinterpreted the quote and not seen it in the grander picture of what Benedict is trying to achieve: greater tolerance and acceptance. But then, in listening to an interview with a Muslim cleric on TV this morning about the issue, I wonder if I have fallen into the trap of subjugating the "story" the Muslims are telling us? For the Muslims, from what I can understand, the issue here is that Bendict did not distance himself and his personal stance from the content of the quote. By virtue of this not happening, his has covertly stated he is anti-Muslim. But, I do not know if I am right on this.

How do we really open ourselves to the messages and lessons behind stories? How do we open ourselves to another's story, no matter how different and imcomprehensible it seems to us?

Happy Birthday Sid

2006-09-10T20:19:00.000+02:00

26 today!

Scientology

2006-09-04T15:44:00.000+02:00

Have any of you read or delved into Scientology? The recent extravaganza surrounding Tom Cruise and his rumoured placenta-eating exercise with Kate prompted me to check it out.

Some resources:

Wikipedia - Scientology
The Church of Scientology
A site dedicated to Tom (a real goodie)

So, my question is this: as a philosophy, can Scientology be considered morally neutral and defensible?

I've tried to be neutral on this issue, but could not resist including this awesome pic of L. Ron Hubbard (the founder dude).

Pseudo tolerance

2006-09-04T15:33:00.000+02:00

While watching the first episode of Survivor South Africa last night, Sam and I wondered how the series would differ from the US version and whether we'd see a distinctly South African flavour come out of the tried and tested Survivor script and screenplay. At first we reckoned that we'd see how much more tolerant South Africans are of our fellow earth-inhabitants than those of our American compatriots.

I wonder?

One might suggest that because of our legacy as a country and the role prejudice has played post-94, we've developed a sincere and genuine acceptance and tolerance of each other as South Africans. Pre-94, aggression and open conflict with one another was pretty much rewarded by the system (regime) and of late the system change no longer rewards that behaviour. So, is the tolerance we see around us genuine or perhaps a pseudo form of tolerance to simply please the reputation(delusion) we have of oruselves as a forgiving and reconciliatory nation? In fact, I wodner if we as South Africans even know how to handle conflict?

Your thoughts please.

Legendary Croc Hunter dies

2006-09-04T15:22:00.000+02:00

Everyone once in a while someone walks on this earth and does things that the staunchest East Rand boytjies (not sure what the global equivalent is?) would never do ... stick their head into a crocodiles mouth ... for fun ... as a career!? Steve Irwin, the legendary Croc Hunter died today after being stung by a stringray while filming an underwater documentary.

Kudos to Steve.

Read the reports here at The Australia Zoo and CNN.

Not abortion again?!

2006-08-24T12:07:00.000+02:00

I have had a number of encounters and conversations around abortion over the past few weeks. It seems to be one of those issues that keep popping up in a range of debates, ranging from economics and morality to theology and pshycology.

Maybe you have a story or a belief to share, I'd be keen to hear

God in Time?

2006-08-21T17:00:00.000+02:00

Time as a concept, is nothing other than the rate of change. Change, is measured in terms of a period of time. If these assumptions are true, then it would mean that where time does not exist, change does not occur. Similarly, where there is no change, time will not pass. - (no credible references for these assumptions, unless my twisted mind counts as one)

I used to believe (without thinking) that God is on the same time continuum as us humans, that He is bound by the rules and restrictions of time. But, if God existed before the beginning of time, He may very well exist outside of it. If this is so, He exists in all time all the time. This is supported by the fact that God is the same today, tomorrow etc. If God is not in time, how do we explain His change, or does He change at all? If God is in time, He too would not know the future and have no control over how things turn out, or would He?

Maybe a helpful analogy; assume our lives to be like a river. We see the river banks and scenery as we pass by and flow into the ocean. God, on the other hand sees the whole river at the same time, he sees it flowing into the ocean, he sees it at its point of origin.

Northfield Young Adult/ iChurch devotionals

2006-08-01T07:11:00.000+02:00

Chris Dawson runs a site called iChurch that has news and links to various resources for churches, mostly in Gauteng. Among the many resources available on the site, I want to point out the devotionals in particular. Kiera Wilkinson and her team at Northfield have been working on these daily devotionals for a few months now. Each month's devotionals follow a theme- starting today, the theme is truth, with the focus being the Apostle's Creed. The devotionals are available on paper from Northfield (at the 6:30 service), on iChurch here and also by e-mail if you fill in the form on the iChurch page.

hmmmm?

2006-07-13T16:59:00.000+02:00

An interesting thought:

1) It is not possible for something to create itself, and...
2) God created heaven and earth (Gen1:1), or...
3) God created "Spiritual" and "Physical", therefore...
4) God is neither Spiritual nor Physical as both were created by Him, therefore...
5) Could it be that Jesus is God in the Physical realm and the Holy Spirit is God in the Spiritual realm?

waiting for your comments before I take this assumption further...

Some pics from our engagement hols

2006-07-06T21:32:00.000+02:00

Cape St Francis Lighthouse & Sardinia Bay

Windswept Sam and I - Dube & Mole

Dube's Mini-Me - Pezula

so it seems

2006-07-05T18:55:00.000+02:00

that without a hint of the spectacular or the unusual, we lose interest and conversation dries up...

why are we so slow to recognise the benefits of the slow, steady, plodding kind of method to growth?

i've actually posted this quote before...

The essential thing in 'heaven and earth' is that there should be a long obedience in the same direction; there results, and has always resulted in the long run, something which has made life worth living." -Friedrich Nietzsche

blog bible study

2006-06-13T14:18:00.000+02:00

IN the light of recent discussion on this blog, I would like to invite Herc to share with me in some bible study. WE have been wrestling with issues like healing, theology, simple faith, postmodernism etc.
Herc, perhaps we could find some common ground if we focus our different "approaches" on a passage of scripture and consider how we each interpret the passage.

Acts 3:1-11 records a dramatic incident of healing in the New Testament. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts on the significance of this passage for us today. I also have some thoughts to offer...

How about we share our various views and interpretations of this passage in conversation and see where that leads? Would you like to start or should I?

to look or not to look

2006-06-08T12:03:00.000+02:00

yesterday i was parking at the Spar and a women caught my eye. she wasn't young, but she was dressed nicely. actually she was looking quite sexy for a woman older than myself. I had a second glance. and she noticed me looking.

I wasn't gawking. just galncing. but she noticed nevertheless. she looked down. carried on walking past the front of my car. looking a little self conscious.

I didn't mean to cause her to feel self-conscious, and yet I felt a little guilty. Should I be "looking" at women in that way?

And then as I drove out of the parking lot, I thought to myself, "but what she was wearing wasn't designed to hide her body. She was wearing clothes that clearly highlighted her appearance!" So then, should I feel guilty that I noticed her. Isn't that exactly what nice clothes are designed to do?

How do we balance these two values: I want to be a respectful person who doesn't embarass people by focussing on their body at the expense of what they have to say/contribute etc. I also sense that our bodies are sexual, beautiful etc... and we want them to express something attractive? I want to affirm a person who looks attractive without embarrassing them...

any thoughts?

Left Behind: the game

2006-05-30T15:27:00.000+02:00

There are some pretty strange things on the net. Some good, some bad, and some just plain weird. Falling into the last category is this game- LEFT BEHIND : Eternal Forces.

Wage a war of apocalyptic proportions in LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces - a real-time strategy game based upon the best-selling LEFT BEHIND book series created by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. Join the ultimate fight of Good against Evil, commanding Tribulation Forces or the Global Community Peacekeepers, and uncover the truth about the worldwide disappearances!
...
· Conduct physical & spiritual warfare : using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world.

· Recover ancient scriptures and witness spectacular Angelic and Demonic activity as a direct consequence of your choices.

So, a Christian-themed game that they are hoping might get a 'T'rating (suitable for those older than 13) where, amongst other things, you get to shoot unbelievers and the 'lukewarm'.

An LA Times article has this to say:

One of the series' authors, Tim LaHaye, said the game had the potential to communicate ideas such as salvation to people who might not think of themselves as particularly interested.

"We hope teenagers like the game," LaHaye said. "Our real goal is to have no one left behind."

Thoughts?
(I'll throw my 2 cents in a little later)

relatively speaking

2006-05-30T00:57:00.000+02:00

I remember once using the analogy of aircraft navigation: the electronic navigation systems used to refer to one or more beacons (whose positions were known) in order to calculate position, speed, direction etc. Modern technology probably uses GPS to determine these things, although the analogy holds: it's the certainty of a reference point that enables a calculation of your relative position.

is the analogy true of our lives? what is your "reference point" in the journey of life?

I am a racist

2006-05-25T14:04:00.000+02:00

I am listening to the audiobook version of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, and really enjoying it. Blink is about thinking without thinking. About instinct. About the unconscious computer that drives our actions below the surface of comprehension.

I highly recommend it.

Gladwell is half black. His mom is Jamaican. In the book, as he unpacks the unconscious associations we have developed as a result of snippets of life experience that sometimes go so far as contradict in entirety our conscious values, he picks up on a Harvard-generated psychological test called the IAT. The Implicit Association Test.

From the site:

It is well known that people don't always 'speak their minds', and it is suspected that people don't always 'know their minds'. Understanding such divergences is important to scientific psychology.

This web site presents a method that demonstrates the conscious-unconscious divergences much more convincingly than has been possible with previous methods. This new method is called the Implicit Association Test, or IAT for short.

Many years ago, Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote: "Every man has reminiscences which he would not tell to everyone but only his friends. He has other matters in his mind which he would not reveal even to his friends, but only to himself, and that in secret. But there are other things which a man is afraid to tell even to himself, and every decent man has a number of such things stored away in his mind."

These lines from Dostoyevsky capture two concepts that the IAT helps us examine. First, we might not always be willing to share our private attitudes with others. Second, we may not be aware of some of our own attitudes. Your results on the IAT may include both components of control and awareness.

There are IAT's for Age, Sexuality, Gender and Race to name a few. The tests take less than ten minutes to complete. Upon taking the test himself, Gladwell was mortified to learn from the results that he had a moderate preference for WHITE people. And to fully appreciate and understand his experience, read the book.

I took the test. I showed a strong preference for White people. There are only three levels - slight, moderate and strong.

What should I infer? Well, the following lines on the site are helpful:

Can (or should) people use this test to make decisions about others? Can one, for example, use this test to measure somebody else's automatic racial preference, and use it to decide that they should or should not serve on a jury? We assert that the IAT should not be used in any such way. Especially at this early stage of the IAT’s development, it is much preferable to use it mainly to develop awareness of one’s own and others’ automatic preferences and stereotypes. Using the IAT as the basis for making significant decisions about self or others could lead to undesired and unjustified consequences.

We hope you have been able to take something of value from the experience of taking one or more of these tests. Looking to the future: We shall periodically revise the IATs that you can sample at this site. We shall also continue to update the information that the site provides on developments in psychological understanding of the unconscious or automatic roots of thought and feeling.

Bottom line - I am a racist. But I am a self-aware racist. Not that that makes me any better, but I want to be better. I want to change that score.

I wonder if this was a helpful exercise? What were your experiences?

Do we have to be nice?

2006-05-25T09:26:00.000+02:00

In recent (not so) idle banter on this blog, we have traded some hurtful punches. Perhaps some of the learned ones can give us a technical defintion, but in my view, every constructive argument requires 3 players. 2 extreme views and one holding the views in tension and creating a middle space. What happens if no-one takes up the mantle of referee? Will we just slug it out in an attrition fest as is happening in Iraq now where no middle ground has been created?

2nd question: Are there not some arguments that require less kindness. For instance, Ronald Reagan almost single handedly brought the communist empire to its knees through an unkind, often insulting, pursuit of democracy. The empire fell., not because of Post Modernists.

Nelson Mandela and others went as far as planting bombs to 'argue' their point. It was necessary, without it, we may not have the democratic freedom we enjoy today. This would not have happened if they had constantly doubted and questioned their cause. Should they have considered the possibility that they are supposed to be oppressed?

If we chat to a peadophile, we won't open ourselves up to the possibility that he is right, instead, we will argue with much gusto.

Hitler was not stopped by those who are sensitive and considerate, he was stopped by people prepared to insult and hurt him in defense of a cause. The war was won by those who had a firm and intolerant steadfastness.

For post modernist who 'considers' a new possibility, there's someone who created the possibility though dogged determination and belief in a 'fundamental' idea. It seems to me that PM's are similar to vultures in that they will gladly enjoy the leftovers, but lack the courage to do any of their own hunting. PM's are the world's passangers, the ones who observe, feed off the risk that others took and then bask in the wonderful possibilities that exist.

Is it therefore, not inevitable, that some of our arguments are meant to be 'hurtful' and that we can't expect to Always Be Nice AND Stand for what we believe

Does Jesus still heal today?

2006-05-15T09:47:00.000+02:00

What a week we've had at Northfield. A week of healing, led by Mike Endicott (below). We witnessed miraculous healing, even I was used as an instrument of healing. Never before have I felt Jesus' power and presence more acutely. My theology has shifted over the past week and I feel like a child in a candy store once again. Yes Aiden, I know, I have also gone all Jesus Freaky!

For too long we've been mushy, wishy washy, cautious and 'intellectual' Christians who, when confronting suffering, prays that the 'victim' is comforted in their time of need. We have been so scared of praying for healing to a living, breathing, loving, risen Christ. Over this past week we did exactly that and many were healed, tumors disappered (x-ray evidence), lame walking out of their wheelchairs, literally hundreds of stories, miracles.

Read John 14:12-14 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

The Gospels are littered with many such promises. Either these promises are empty ramblings by a madman or they are the Word of God. This past week we experienced the latter 1st hand, so no post-modern argument will make me see it for anything less than that. If we live in expectancy of these promises, God delivers. PM will just question the interpretation and ambiguity of JC's words and slow down the process of acceptance of this absolute, again distracting us from the real conversations we need to be having.

Post Modernism will tell us to not read Jesus words so literally, for too long I listened to that and I forgot that the Gospels are for simple people, not theologians, not philosophers, there is no need to explain away the absolute truth that exists for us in black and white, in fact red. Christians have more reason to fear contrived, 'sensible', comfortable theology than anything Islam can throw at us (see my comments under Post Modernism vs me)

post-modernism vs me

2006-05-11T08:52:00.000+02:00

In many conversations in recent months, I have been heartened by the demise of post-modernism. The philosophy (what I know of it) makes me just slightly nauseas. Post-modernism is leading us to a place where we'll lose some or all identity. My main objection to this philosophy is that it claims there are no absolutes. By saying that, it is stating an absolute, so it proves that absolutes do in fact exist. If that is the case, everything can be absolute.
My faith requires of me to hold certain principles and historic events as ABSOLUTELY true. If I start messing with these absolutes, I mess with my faith, my identity and who knows what else. I have a record on this blog as a postmodernophobe. Post-modernism is causing confusion among Christians, it has affected our morality and it has diluted God's Word, it's 'realism' has diminished the mysticism of our God.
I accept that PM countered the - and eminated from the fascism and neo-fascism of the 20th century, but we've gone too far, it may be time for the pendulum to swing back a bit, but I suspect that as long as fundamentalism exists, PM's will consider it their duty to argue against absolutes. Sadly, they haven't realised that their relativism is fueling the very fundamentalism they're fighting because PM is becoming a form of fundamentalism like any other. Al-Qaeda is not fighting other faiths, it's fighting a secularism which was produced by post-modern trends. So too, conservative evangelicals are fighting the secular fundamentalists and not Muslims, etc.I suspect all faiths fear secularism more than other faiths.

Inviting 'real' post-modernists to comment...

Either way, this will be interesting!

2006-05-08T10:25:00.000+02:00

Today is J-Day. Judgement is expected within hours.

Are we prepared for the consequences? A guilty verdict could unleash some serious tribal and political warfare, violent and otherwise, our former dep prez will spend a minimum of 10 years behind the slammer. An innocent verdict will vindicate the conspiracy theorists and cause a deep sympathy for the man accused wronly, this could propell him into Tuynhuys in 3 years time.

This reminds me of the late 80's, early 90's, every day events had the potential for civil war or miracle. Let's live on the edge again, just for old time's sake!

My personal opinion, for those fans who are interested... I won't be surprised by either a guilty or an innocent verdict. Both sides made a strong case. I don't think Zuma is guilty of rape, instead I think there should be a law against culpable indiscretion (having sex with someone who can destroy your reputation and career ala Clinton) or gross ignorance (have a shower after intercourse with an HIV+ person and you'll be ok) or even bizarre cultural beliefs (... it's a sin to leave a woman when she's 'primed' and 'ready')

Personally, I predict that we'll have to wait for the corruption case to put an end to his presidential ambitions...

dating system awry

2006-05-05T07:37:00.000+02:00

I hear a lot of people blaming global warming for how late the rainy season has come/stayed this year. I reckon global wamring is a farce. Instead, it is due to a faulty Roman dating calendar system. They buggered up when postulating that a year's cycle had 365 days in it. So, I reckon they're at least 1 days short, which explains why our seasons are awry ... after a couple thousand years, summer will seem later and winter later as well.

Still no change .. .except the bill

2006-05-02T17:57:00.000+02:00

At R123 a day, I'd estimate this genius is in for a parking bill of R14760.

Turner & Hooch, Cast Away, Gump, Green Mile ... makeup

2006-04-28T08:31:00.000+02:00

It is a rare occasion when one gets to witness the intellect behind the face of a Hollywood actor. Tom Hanks has written a brilliant article in the New York Times that journeys the 17 movies and 20 years that he and his make-up artist, Danny Striepeke, walked together. Having now worked together for the last time on The Da Vinci Code, Hanks pays tribute to the man who constructed his Gump, Cast Away and Turner & Hooch personas.

Read it here (simple, free registration required)

Technorati : danny+striepeke, new+york+times, tom+hanks

Rev Fun

2006-04-27T09:50:00.000+02:00

Social experiment

2006-04-23T09:49:00.000+02:00

We've all used the line "just an idea, use it, don't use it" when offering someone a suggestion inspired by the ever-famous Fiat Palio TV add. Remember .... "Nice! Nice! Is that all you can say ... is nice?!" But are we really offering a suggestion, or is it a instruction disguised as such?

Option A
Yes, I've used the line, but genuinely feel my suggestion is altruistic, and that the uptake of the aforementioned idea is totally seperate from the value fo the suggestion in itself

Option B
Yes, I've used the line, and alas, the world would be a better place if the world would just realise how important my ideas are.

The gospel of judas

2006-04-22T11:10:00.000+02:00

The dust has barely settled in Christian circles regarding The Da Vinci Code and its questionable claims on the sanctity of Jesus and his relationship with Mary Magdalene. In the last few months a new controversy has emerged, that of the Gospel of Judas.

In brief, the Gospel of Judas is an ancient Gnostic manuscript, discovered in the 1970s, that appears to be an account written by Thomas of Jesus' interactions with Judas Iscariot. The transcript portrays Judas as Jesus' beloved disciple, and unlike the New Testament gospels does not provide a narrative account of Jesus' life. Instead it is a collection of sayings and conversations between Jesus and Judas.

Massive controversy surrounds the documents. Since their discovery they have been traded on the antique black market for millions. Over the decades, the manuscript had not been meticulously handled: some single pages may be loose on the antiquities market (one half page turned up in Feb. 2006, in NYC), and the text is now thought to be less than three-quarters complete. A group of translators and historians have attempted to translate the transcripts from the original Coptic language and piece together coherently the pieces that are missing. Their attempt can be read here from the National Geographic. For an account of how the documents emerged, read it here from the NY Times.

From a faith perspective, thanks to Wikipedia as a source, the controversy lies in the claim that Judas acted as he did in order that mankind might be redeemed by the death of Jesus' mortal body - this being a consistent Gnostic belief. For this reason, they regarded Judas as worthy of gratitude and veneration. In this theory, it is suggested that Judas, who in common with the other disciples looked for a temporal kingdom of the Messiah ("the anointed one"), did not anticipate the death of Jesus, but wished to precipitate a political crisis and hasten the hour of triumph, thinking that the arrest of Jesus would provoke a rising of the people who would set him free and place him on the throne. In support of this, they point to the fact that, when Judas found that Jesus was condemned and given up to the Romans, he immediately repented of what he had done. These theories are at odds with those of mainstream church doctrine as derived from canonical scripture. In a nutshell, it is contended that Judas acted on Jesus' instruction to "betray" him.

As the document is only ¾ complete, one has to question how authoritative it is despite the fact that the academic world does not question is authenticity. Like many conspiracy theories of late, the Christian world gets spun into madness as people who were once secure in their faith in Jesus suddenly have to embrace a paradigmatic shift in our faith. A brief read of the transcript leaves one feeling that much is missing from the text where important detail is needed to consolidate a stand on the document.

A few stark observations from a brief reading: Jesus laughs maliciously at his disciples often for their ignorance; Jesus refers regularly to cosmology and the role of the stars in the lives of the disciples; Jesus takes regular leaves of absence from his disciples to visit a generation that is superior to that of the disciples. Taken out of context, these observations seem ridiculous. So, my recommendation is that you read the document to make your own observations. Oh, before you decide to comment on the Gospel of Judas, do read it. We Christians are so good at slating things we have never read.

Technorati : gospel+of+judas

Google in 20 years

2006-04-19T16:45:00.000+02:00

Bring out those conservatives

2006-04-18T21:09:00.000+02:00

One of my favouritist bloggers is Scott Adams at his Dilbert Blog. If Stylek looks for some challenging depth to blogging, why not check out his latest blogs on religion, Christianity, Islam and interpretations of the bible.

Koran Translations, Non Prophet Organization, (this is a damn good challenge for us dithering Christians) Respecting the beliefs of others and Uh-Oh.

Don't bother commenting on his blog ... you'll be washed away in a sea of senseless commenting idiots. How about posting them here, right on idle banter.

I'm back ...

2006-04-13T17:26:00.000+02:00

... after a forced 2-week sabbatical due to my pc dying on me. Thanks to ...

welcome!

2006-04-10T13:07:00.000+02:00

Stylek, good to have you on board! I might just visit this blog a bit more often now..

PS. Chuck Norris wears Stylek pajamas!

Happy Birthday Dube

2006-04-02T21:32:00.000+02:00

Seeing as you're so far away, and Aids and I are having some trouble getting hold of you on your cell, this seemed like the next best option.

Hope you had a good day.

We miss you, friend.

Best advert of late

2006-03-31T09:01:00.000+02:00

Chuck Drives an Isuzu.
http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/

Who should be shot next ...

2006-03-31T08:31:00.000+02:00

this guy should be!

I am becoming more and more intolerant of unions and their bosses who seize every opportunity to invoke industrial action. Cosatu are now filing to hold a strike around the appropriation of the R20b dedicated to the development of Guatrain.

Their argument is that goverment should rather redirect that money from developing new infrastructure towards the upgrading of Metrorails already existing infrastructure. The reason: Gautrain will only benefit the rich, upgrading metrorail will benefit the poor.

Has this dickhead forgotten that Gautrain is being built for 2010, so that our gazillions of international spectators can be transported safely and comfortably from JIA to their hotels and stadiums? How the hell should we expect them to use metrorail?

So, R20b should be rather spent on improving transport for the poor, nevermind the knock-on economic benefits to thewhole countryby having our international guest looked after? Perhaps this guy should use his time to rather improve the performance of Metrorail staff so that their service improves instead of organising opportunistic strikes that severly hurt our economy. He clearly comes from a generation where you get what you want by uprising ... move on bru. Your shallow, same old same old communist strategy does not improve the lot of your members!

Can we strike against unions?

Ghost in the Machine

2006-03-29T14:46:00.000+02:00

Fellow banterers,

Sorry for my quietness, I know you've all suffered horribly for my pre-occupence, but rest assured that this is no lazy bunny.

I'm feeling extremely bleak after reading StyleK's comments about our lack of contribution over the last while, I think this is a great space and I've thoroughly enjoyed our chats but have been so unfairly burdened with real work over the last while (which reminds me - hey Steyn you owe me one buggar) that I haven't seen the wood for the tress.

See some of the fruits of my labour at www.avovision.co.za and www.sortedspot.com as random examples :)

Here's to more banter.

By the way, who the heck switched on the Google ads again? Pete?

Still here ...

2006-03-27T17:37:00.000+02:00

Johannesburg International Parkade ... episode 2! Whoever skipped the country 2 months ago, still has not come back!

You strike a woman, you strike a rock

2006-03-21T16:38:00.000+02:00

i am challenged to hold many different views together in tension... One example.

I have been shocked by the actions of some Zuma supporters, who have been burning pictures of the complainant, and shouting "burn the bitch". I find their actions deplorable.

And yet, I also find myself irritated with people who criticise them, when suBtly behind their criticism is a latant racism... a kind of "it's what you'd expect from them" tone.

So I have been rather quiet in voicing my criticism, opting rather to avoid being lumped in with the majority of self-righteous opinion.

But this morning I read an article by Pregs Govender, published in the M&G, which to my mind raises the enormous problems that our society face with regard to the struggles and challenged facing women. I recommend it to both women (who need to stand alongside fellow women who are being abused) and men (who need to choose how they position themselves with regard the the struggle)!

You will find the article here

The truth...

2006-03-15T09:24:00.000+02:00

Following the carnage of Sunday's final ODI cricket match, the truth is slipping out.

Here's how we really won that match...

And then, the genius of Zapiro...

Hello People

2006-03-14T12:17:00.000+02:00

Hi there all you long lost Northfield People!!! (Ok, so I'm the long lost one, but hey...)
Just a quick heads up for anyone who is interested in worship and sacred living - I have just launched a new worship resource site Sacredise - www.sacredise.com. Feel free to check it out and please spread the word to anyone else who might be interested.
Also, linked with the site I have set up a new blog here at blogger.com - it's http://sacredise.blogspot.com. Again, please feel free to join in and spread the word!

I look forward to connecting with you all online from Knsyna (with my view of the Heads!!!) both here on idel banter and on my sites.

Blessings - and chat to you soon.
John

I long for you

2006-03-12T21:49:00.000+02:00

30 years on ...

2006-03-12T11:50:00.000+02:00

Yesterday I sat as a judge at the Gauteng contest of the annual Anglo American Sowetan Young Communicators Award. Hosted at the Apartheid Museum, 30 years since the Soweto uprising on June 16th 1976, young talented speakers have come from English 2nd Language schools to battle it out for a spot at the National Final in June. As a 26-year old white male, it is my first visit to the museum and the first time I have heard participants of the 1976 riots speak publically. Murphy Morobe, one of the convicted organisers of the uprising spoke of his experiences in Soweto some 30 years ago.

The riots started as what was meant to be a peaceful protest against the institution of Afrikaans as the medium of education in black schools. Interestingly, the police were handling the protest fine until a 2nd group of protestors arrived late, thus sandwiching the police. What happens when you corner an animal? Well, the ensuing shooting resulted in one of the most famous deaths in South African history. Hector Peterson was one of the youths killed in a spray of gunfire as the police desperately attempted to escape. What followed was one of the bloodiest and chaotic times in South Africa's history as riots sprung throughout the country. Thousands of people were killed throughout the country before the year was out. Today though, the organisers, particpants and those kille din the riots are revered as people who significantly challenged the unfair regime of Apartheid.

In aiming to conquer the land and people a regime uses some non-violent means to achieve this: 1 - it takes away a peoples language, 2- it then limits the ability to mass mobilise. The June 16th riots erupted in protest to the medium of education becoming Afrikaans - an language largely inaccessible to the learners of the day. These riots were mobilised in the schools - 20year old matriculants amassed thousands of students for the protests. But then, subsequent to the initial riots, the government shut down the schools. The people could not gather collectively to make the enxt move. As a late Xer I was not even born when these riots erupted. So much has changed, but I do not even really know it. The world I live in and the changes that happen are assimilated into my lived experience without even a reference point of what the world used to be.

However, the 12 contestants today resonated in a collective memory of the 1976 riots. Some lost parents and some lost grandparents. But none experienced it first hand. It begs the question: how does one convey the meaning and memory of such events as the generations move on? Some events have inthemselves the power to do so e.g. the Holocaust. I'm sure Apartheid will do the same.

As a judge it was a privelege to be included in this retelling of our history. It was also a great privelege to award the top spot to a Grade 11 Learner from Filadelfia Special who despite severe physical disability and speach empediments, inspired the audience to a standing ovation with his wit, eloquence and depth of thought ... oh, he's a damn good speaker as well. Just goes to show, physical limitations do not necessarily have to hinder a good public speaker. His words were slurred and it took him a minute to get onto the stage. But for a prepared speach and impromptu speach he had the audience "sitting at his feet".

In the coming months South Africans will comemorate and celebrate the events of 30 years ago. Today, we heard leaders of tomorrow. 30 years ago, a few youths changed the landscape of South Africa's history. Who of today's young voices will change the future?

Come on Guy

2006-03-09T20:14:00.000+02:00

If you've been flipping through the (welfare TV) channels on a Tuesday night at about 10pm, you would have come across a pair of poorly dressed fools with fake 'staches ... in fact their shorts are tighter than Naas' were when he first burst onto the Currie Cup scene.

Corne and Twakkie are the hosts of The Most Amazing Show (phonetic, with Cape Town accent: The Moooost Amaaaaazing Shoooow). On a low budget Caravan Park set, Corne and Twakkie spoof local accents, celebrities and South African culture ... in general they put on a poor show of terrible comedy, unrehearsed skits and a jaccuzzi that doubles up as the guest couch. These guys are bad, really bad. Digesting their comedy will take more than a few stiff whiskey's between 6pm and 10pm before they come on air.

BUT I cannot get enough of these "guys" ... they have me in stitches on Tuesday nights and also between 10am and 11am on Zuraida Jardine's 5fm show as The Love Captain distills his guru-like advice for lovers, with a sick twist. Go ahead, take apart my fine appreciation for comedy and class ... say what you will, these "guys" are the best ... guy.

Ag ...

2006-03-01T17:18:00.000+02:00

I didn't vote today. Do I suffer from Apathitus?

discrimination?

2006-02-18T23:58:00.000+02:00

i heard today that a friend of mine will be excluded from her graduation ceremony on the grounds of her sexual orientation. She is in a long-standing, committed same-sex relationship. She studied for a year at a Christian Seminary and gained the highest marks in her class. Late in the last semester, she was challenged by a fellow student and then "outed" by a informal discipline committee. In their most recent communication they "compromised" to allow her to received her certificate, but stated that she would not be allowed to attend graduation unless she publicly announces that she has changed her theological stance on the issue of sexual orientation.

she will probably not challenge this ruling. she would probably not have attended grad in any case - because of the way she was treated in the last few weeks at the college. She said to me that she was sad, then angry.

Important for me, though, is the realisation that this issue is not an issue for the future. It's here. "We" are in it.

Some people have been challenging my liberal (I call it "open") theological stance, on the basis that the church is losing it's moral voice. Friends. When I call for openness toward people in same-sex relationships, I'm not asking for a wishy-washy acceptance of "whatever". I'm calling us to a radical commitment to the values that Jesus embodied: to stand beside gay and lesbian people will not require wishy-washy theology and a rejection of biblical standards. On the contrary, it will require faith in the teaching of Jesus ("blessed are the persecuted") and a radical commitment to the grace and love that Jesus embodied. Perhaps our greatest criticism will (sadly) come from those who also profess to follow Christ. But then, the world we live in loves to hate the minority, the poor and the disempowered. Am I becoming "worldly" in my ethics?

Where will Jesus be standing when the words fly over this one?

Mrs Klump

2006-02-06T17:16:00.000+02:00

I nominate ...

Herceules, Hercules, Hercules for his inspiring spelling of "everything" in this comment. Anyone remember Mrs Klump getting off on Hercules in the Nutty Professor?

Enlighten me

2006-02-02T15:28:00.000+02:00

Excuse my ignorance on the topic, I'm no expert, but from my limited exposure to Generation Theory, I am a bit disillusioned.

It does seem that this 'theory' has become gospel to some. As interesting as it is, I am not sure it deserves such blind loyalty. There are literally millions of 'theories' about everything from generations to sexes to races, but none of them can claim to be more than a theory.

My problem is that I now hear that the Gen Y's are the ones to accomodate, the special ones, the saviours of this evil world. A few years ago, it was the X's and before that the Boomers. Each time a new generation is born, we direct all our blame at the older generation. In the process, the Boomers and Silents are getting a bit of a bum deal. Are they considered too old to be relevant and therefore of no value? I would think the Silents have a lot to offfer. They were the ones who experienced the pain of war, depression and poverty. They were they ones who financed, managed and perpetuated the industrial revolution to get us this far, surely they aren't now worthless? They weren't angels, but in my opinion, neither are the Y's or any others. Generation THEORY lays the burden of proof and tolerance at the door of the older generations, as though they must make way for the new and accept that their time is up. I don't necessarily agree, but then again, maybe I don't know enough, enlighten me!

Everest summiteer speaks @ Northfield

2006-02-01T15:38:00.000+02:00

Sibusiso Vilane summited Everest in May 2005, after having conquered Kilimanjaro and the Himalayas in 1999 and 2002, becoming the first South African to summit Everest twice in two attempts, using two different routes. Returning home to his beloved game ranging, Sibusiso continues to speak all over the country, encouraging all of us to attempt our own Everest, touching people everywhere with his warmth and humility.

Thursday 30th March 2006
Northfield Sanctuary 18h30
R40 per ticket

Email me if you would like to book a ticket

Technorati : sibusiso vilane

Where to leave your car when skipping the country

2006-01-28T14:34:00.000+02:00

Jo'burg International Airport parkade: E-Class Merc, 1-inch dust, 3 x flat tyres, explicit finger-grafitti, 1 x bank-breaker parking bill ... anyone skipped the country lately?

why did God make women?

2006-01-26T10:04:00.000+02:00

did God make women to be companions to men? (or did he make humans to be companions to each other?)

and when a child is born, is it the primary role of the woman to nurture that child? or should a wife be encouraged and free to return to her place of employment?

the woman I am married to is currently wrestling with the question of whether it's ok to return to work now that our son is nearly a year old.

Da Vinci and Satan

2006-01-21T17:32:00.000+02:00

Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code has rocked the Christian community. Whether you're phased by the take on Jesus' life, or you just don't care ... you have to admit that the book was a remarkable piece of writing. Most people I know who have read it finished it in a matter of days.

And now the movie is due for worldwide release on 19.05.06. You'd notice from previous posts that I'm interested in how movies based on books compare to the books themselves. After seeing the trailer for Da Vinci code (see it here, Quicktime and Broadband needed) I'm looking forward to a comparison in the Narnia range.

Oh, out of interest: the majority of people who condemn the book have not even read it. This was true at an evening we had last year where Tom Smith enlightened us about the book, as well as in Mike's July 2005 post. The reaction was also true of Salman Rushdie's(1988) Satanic Verses when in 1989 Islamic states wasted no time in bannig the book.

Aside: how do we make a stance against an issue if we have not experienced the issue firt hand? Some issues to think about: homosexuality, drugs, rape, murder, etc.

hODi woCo!

2006-01-18T11:10:00.000+02:00

hODi woCo has arrived!

Last night at 7pm, 17 January, 2006, the Young Adults of Benoni ate, sang, drank, worshipped, listened, prayed, sat, asked, loitered and talked their way into a new year and a new vision.

Our vision:

turning the house of God into the

Home of God

This Home will be supported by four pillars:

Hospitality (ho) - Creating a welcoming environment - Val Strombeck

Worship (wo) - Opportunities to encounter God - Pete le Roux

Discipleship (di) - Getting to know God - Kiera Wilkinson

Community (co) - Getting to know one another - Stacey Venter

Support us as we serve you

Watch this space for upcoming events!

young adults exec

youth@nfmc.org.za

The meaning of life

2006-01-08T13:42:00.000+02:00

I took this photo while standing barefoot in the ankle deep mud after a serious downpour. Standing there and looking out over the mountains and the sunset... made me ask myself all those complicated questions like "What the hell am I actually doing on this planet?"

To be honest, I feel a bit goal-less at the moment. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be striving for. I mean, I don't like the typical joberg goal of "more money, more stuff, cooler car, bigger house" I've finished my studies, which was my goal for most of my life. I'm financially stable, I have a house thats well on its way to being paid off. A car that works, even though it is a "panzer" ;) So, now what?

Do you guys have goals? Something you aim for?

Your call may be recorded

2006-01-04T15:13:00.000+02:00

Typical automated answering services tell us that out call may be recorded for our benefit (or quality reasons).

What the hell for?

hODi woCo!

2006-01-03T14:17:00.000+02:00

14 days to go!

16 days to go...

2006-01-01T23:29:00.000+02:00

what if...

2005-12-27T09:59:00.000+02:00

what if everytime I say "Fuck", I give R100 to a worthy children's charity?

God's Debris

2005-12-23T16:31:00.000+02:00

Most of you would know of/have heard of Scott Adams as the Dilbert cartoonist. Scott's Dilbert Principle has profoundly affected management culture in the last decade, so much so that Adams was voted the 12th most influential management thinkers in the world. Not only is Adams an great cartoonist, but he is also a proliferic writer. His blog generates unbvelieble amounts of traffic and has some wonderful content.

I've downloaded his free ebook, God's Debris. Although not a claimed theologian, Adams has written a deeply profound "experiemtal philosophy" book that deals with the existence of God through a "thought experiment". Yes, yes I can hear you gagging at the thought of reading another damn book that claims God exists. This one is really different! Adam's starts off by assuring you that you've never come across thinking like this in relation to God ... and he's right. God's Debris is a monumental mind-fuck ... oops, did that slip out?

Read it and you'll probably feel the same.

Technorati : scott+adams dilbert god's+debris

Shirley Phelps

2005-12-23T16:10:00.000+02:00

So, the podcast interview with Westboro Baptist's Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of founder Fred Phelps, happened yesterday. I was disappointed that we didn't get to hear from Fred himself, but his daughter made up for it by dealing with Craig Gross and Mike Foster in the most condascending, brash, arrogant, incisive and defensive response to an interview I've yet heard.

Not surprising was the fact that their stance on gay folk, America, Sweden, Canada, priests, everyo other church except theirs, dead soldiers, 9-11, Katrina and suicide bombers is justified by Scripture. Man, this chick knows her Bible - all out of context IMHO. Kudos to Criag and Mike for keeping her on the line as long as they did ...

Things went pear-shaped when Shirley justified calling Mike and Craig a cocktail of dumbass', jackass' and fools as wholesome references made in the Bible. Oh yes, in her opinion, God definitely hates ... and ~~cannot~~ does not love everyone. God's wrath is real and is not redeemable by God's grace i.e. our entire generation is doomed to hell. Of note is the fact that WBC has membership of 90-odd - lets do the math: Fred Phelps has 13 kids, 55 grandchildren and 1 great gran-child. Add in a few husbands and wives and you've arrived at the golden 90 ... the total number of people eligble for heaven and the reason Jesus died on the Cross!

It really got hilarious when in wishing her a merry Christmas, Shirley denounced Chirstmas as a pagan, soul-damning ritual. Hence ~~Westboro~~ The Phelps Family don't celebrate such family time, but instead consider great family QT to be picketing at dead soldier's funerals.

hODi woCo

2005-12-23T10:12:00.000+02:00

hODi woCo!

25 days to go, are you ready?

Westboro Part 2 & 3

2005-12-21T17:51:00.000+02:00

I'm really beginning to wonder if these guys are for real. I found out today about other sites that Westboro Baptist are involved with: www.priestsrapeboys.com & www.smellthebrimstone.com - the best are listed on the links page (you have to check these out!)

Be sure not to miss the Dirty Little Secrets podcast this week when they interview Fred Phelps of Westboro on the topic. If you miss it, email me and I'll get it to you.

Technorati : westboro+baptist

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

2005-12-21T17:50:00.000+02:00

It is not often that I sit in a cinema and see a movie trailer that convinces me immediately that the movie is a "must see". It did however happen when I saw the trailer to CS Lewis' The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Already being a fan of Lewis' apologetic writings, I have only heard good things about his childrens fiction, especially his Chronicles of Narnia.

And so I read The Magician's Nephew, the first of the Chronicles. Next in line is TLTWATW. Suffice to say I am chomping at the bit to get to a theater on the 23rd December when the movie opens here. But Lewis and the upcoming move have not gone without their fair share of criticism.

Lewis wrote predominantly in the 1940s and 50s. These were times where the social conscience was turned towards issues of war, pain, death, family, society and moral obligation. Some of his works that characterise this time are the Screwtape Letters and The Great Divorce. Even in Mere Christianity- a profoundly apologetic work - you can pick up how his context informed his writings i.e. his concept of marriage is very traditional. The role of women is also distinctly 50's-ish. Hence Lewis has been criticised for being racist, misogynistic and prejudicial.

For me, this raises the issue of timelessness and applicability of post-biblical Christian writings. The assumption, by and large, of biblical writings is that their application to our context is timeless i.e. what was written then, into a specific historical context, is particluar to our context today - bar some allocation for changes in history. But how can we assume this when it is so clear that post-biblical writings need to be read while keeping in mind that the context may not apply to us. What makes the biblical texts different. I can't accpet the argument that it is because they were Spirit inspired - is the same not true of post-biblical writings? And if a context does not apply to us, how do we glean wisdom and insight from the content?

At a deeper level I suppose this is about what makes up canonical writing and what doesn't.

Can you spell HOMOPHOBIA?

2005-12-15T13:43:00.000+02:00

I've wondered for long now whether God has the capacity to hate. But thanks to www.godhatesfags.com I now see the light. I found this page especially enlightening, while this one really clarified things for me.

Cheers

2005-12-15T09:21:00.000+02:00

As we all shut down for the festive season, let me be the first to wish all of you a very Cherry Mistmas and Yew Near!

A call to discernment

2005-12-14T08:11:00.000+02:00

The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty - Abraham Lincoln

Teamwork

2005-12-13T16:05:00.000+02:00

I need your help finding the 74 bands in this graphic:

If you need a bigger view, go here.

Filed in: mike

Last chance to confess your identity

2005-12-09T09:41:00.000+02:00

E-mail me if you want to order an Idle Banter t-shirt, as soon as you can.

Humour gives you wings

2005-12-05T15:12:00.000+02:00

This brought me a good laugh! Hope it does the same for you.

The Clone Wars

2005-12-02T21:20:00.000+02:00

Picked up on this (hilarious) Scott Adams post, from The Dilbert Blog. Scott is the creator of the uber-successful Dilbert cartoon strip.

I don’t have to tell you that there are plenty of good reasons to want your own clone:

a. Spare parts.

b. Slave labor.

c. Decoy in case of assassination attempts.

d. Source of excellent practical jokes on the spouse.

e. Reasonable doubt when you kill someone.

And that’s not even counting if you’re gay. But on the other side, there’s really just one reason you can’t have your own clone: It’s immoral. Sure, it’s illegal too, but that’s mostly because it’s immoral, so it’s really just one reason.

I always wonder who gets to decide what’s immoral when it comes to brand new things that aren’t anything like old things that we all agree on. It’s exactly this sort of question that makes me unfit to hold any kind of elected office. I always lean toward the practical approach that doesn’t make a good sound bite. For example, my political platform would include “Let’s make a few human clones just to see if any of them become soulless zombies intent on eating our flesh before descending to the bowels of Hell.” See what I mean? It makes a crappy bumper sticker.

The big question with clones is how they get their souls, assuming souls exist. If God gives them brand new souls, then they aren’t actually clones at all. They’d be fundamentally different. But it also makes God more of a soul gumball machine than the omnipotent creator of the universe. The scientist who makes the clone would, in effect, be controlling God by making him pinch out another soul to inhabit the clone. That’s disturbing on many levels, not the least of which is the way I phrased it.

But maybe your clone gets half of your soul, say 10.5 grams worth. That would suck too. I have enough trouble dancing with the little bit of a soul I allegedly have. If you cut that in half, I’m polka dancing.

If each of your clones has a new and different soul, but everything else is the same, we’d probably start assigning letters to keep them straight – A,B,C, etc. And that suggests the one best reason to not clone yourself: Everyone would call you an A-soul.

Ok, so Scott makes light of a pretty serious subject - www.human-clone.com is an interesting site that tracks the human clone debate. Some interesting reading. Apparently Pope Benedict XVI is quoted as saying that human cloning is a greater threat to humanity than weapons of mass destruction.

I don't think cloning is a possibility - I think it is an eventuality. It will happen in our lifetimes, it's just a matter of when and where.

What is your stance? Are you pro or no? Scott, although in jest, asks an interesting question - what happens when a body is created with no soul?

Would like to hear your thoughts...

Go with the 'fro

2005-11-30T16:25:00.000+02:00

Those of you who know me know that hair does not fall amongst my already dwindling list of attractive physical features. My hair sucks.

I was born with dark, straight hair, which soon evolved into an impressive mop of platinum blonde curls (goodness knows how), which straightened out a bit and succumbed to the Eighties' half-mullet half-brushcut pandemic, only to settle on a temperamental middle path (aaargh) come high school. My hair has always grown low down in my neck, like a pseudo-yeti, and does a cow's lick right at the bottom, kinda like a crop circle below my left ear. On top of all that, it curls.

So forthe past 6 years or so I've been shaving it on a number one, letting it grow again to around a five (maximum), shaving it back again and so on. This oddly therapeutic self-shearing exercise has served me reasonably well, seeing as I was successfully married during its tenure.

However, I face a new challenge these days. Hair fashion has evolved - long and shabby is in. Cool. Except that my long and shabby = dodgy white boy afro. This is strange to me. I would assume that God, in all his / her wisdom, would've created me with hair that looked good au naturale (no preservatives or additives), regardless of length. No such luck.

So where does this leave me? Not sure. I am desperate to re-invent the Stopforth do. But at the same time I have a small stash of dignity to protect. Plus, it's hard selling social software to a CEO that is sniggering under his breath at my dodgy mop.

Then again, part of me says "stuff it" - wear it like I want it, and screw the masses.

Then again, maybe not.

The-sin-that-must-not-be-named

2005-11-30T14:26:00.000+02:00

One can't help but notice the lack on conversation on the blog since we've refrained from idle slander. So, here's my attempt to spice things up again.

In our quest to wrestle with real faith issues, the one issue we haven't touched on is that of porn. This has not been suprising when we consider the role shame plays in this delightful temptation. It is not a subject addressed from the pulpit. It is not one covered at family braai's on a Sunday. And it is definitely not addressed in our faith community - to a significant extent as least. And so I have come across 3 general approaches to porn (I have included websites as references):

1 - It is a scourge and should be spat upon. See Blazing Grace.
2 - It is a struggle we all live with, but we should nonetheless confront its habbit forming nature. See Pure Online.
3 - It is a problem that we need to face, in conversation, with an element of fun to stop us from getting too bogged down by it. Check out XXXChurch - I really like these guys: they balance a really serious approach with some great fun, innovation and relevance.

I suppose you might be able to categorise these approaches into conservative, moderate and liberal takes on the subject. These are typical distinctions on any subject, and I'm not sure they are useful.

* So, what is your approach?
* Should we see porn as a problem?
* What harm does it do in comparison to alcoholism?

PS: Ladies, you're included in this discussion as well.

Firefox 1.5 is here- and why you should be interested

2005-11-30T06:42:00.000+02:00

Firefox 1.5 was released today-click here or on the image on the left to download it. Firefox is an Internet browser (like Internet Explorer) that has several very useful features. I must admit to being sceptical the first time I tried it out, but I soon found that the new features are pretty convenient and I now find Internet Explorer frustratingly clumsy. Here are some of the things I love about Firefox:

5 reasons to download Firefox
1. It's free and open source- basically this means that it belongs to you once you download it- no fiddly licenses, no registration, no demo period. And you're free (and encouraged) to pass it on to your friends.
2. Tabbed browsing- if you browse multiple windows at once, you can have them as tabs in your browser rather than seperate windwos cluttering up your taskbar. And to open a link in a new tab, just middle-click on it!
3. Pop-up blocking- On the whole, Firefox has dramatically fewer pop-up ads than Internet Explorer- so you don't have to worry about offers for Online Casinos or college degrees
4. RSS feed support- If you like to keep up to date with blogs and news sites, then this feature is for you. When you arrive at a site that has an RSS feed, you will see an orange icon to the right of the address in the address bar. Clicking on this link will let you add what Firefox calls a 'live bookmark'- a list of links that updates itself automatically when new articles are posted to the site.
5. You can run it from a flashdrive! If you find that Firefox works for you, you might be frustrated about a machine you are using that doesn't have it. If so, Portable Firefox is the solution- this version will run from a flashdrive, and can store all your bookmarks and preferences so that you have the same Internet experience wherever you go (Search for 'portable firefox' from the Firefox download page to find the newest version)

van de Laar Farewell

2005-11-29T10:51:00.000+02:00

2 drummers, 2 bassists, 2 keyboards, 6 guitars, 14 vocalists ... one almighty blast!

I admit, it was me all along...

2005-11-28T20:08:00.000+02:00

UPDATE: Please e-mail me with your T-shirt size if you want a shirt. I hope to place the order next Monday. Final cost will be confirmed once I have numbers

If you have been waiting to reveal your secret identity, this is the perfect way- with the Idle Banter official t-shirt. If we have enought interest we will go ahead with these- they look like costing about R50- leave a comment saying you are interested or not as the case may be.

Maranatha!

2005-11-28T16:17:00.000+02:00

"Maranatha" is an Aramaic word found in I Corinthians 16:22. It is translated, "Our Lord, come!"

In his song "Maranatha," Michael Card sings:

Maranatha is a cry of the heart

That’s hopeful yet weary of waiting,

While it may be joyful with the burdens it bears,

It’s sick with anticipating.

To long for the promised One day after day,

And the promise that soon He’d return.

It’s certain that waiting’s the most bitter lesson

A believing heart has to learn.

Maranatha. How desperate we are just to see Your face!

Maranatha. To finally fall in Your strong embrace!

A trumpet, a call, and that will be all,

Though it’s not yet the hour, the minutes are ticking away.

A pennie for your thoughts...?

Urban Trash

2005-11-28T08:55:00.000+02:00

Gotta love this guy - Jeremy Nell. Check out his toons at Urban Trash.

Gay rights

2005-11-25T16:40:00.000+02:00

Thabo Mbeki

2005-11-25T16:12:00.000+02:00

I'm not particularly fond of politics - nor do I keep myself abreast of what is happening. But of late I have been subscribing to Thabo Mbeki's weekly, personal, newsletter. This weeks edition addresses the Zuma issues (yes, yes, I know ... yawn) within the fold of the ANC leadership.

Some excerpts from it:

* By no stretch of imagination could these statements be read as expressing a hostile or malicious attitude towards the Deputy President.
* both the ANC and our Alliance were deeply divided, in a manner and to a degree that threatened their very survival;

Sunbscribe to his letter here http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/anctoday/subscribe.html.

This is why ...

2005-11-24T10:56:00.001+02:00

I believe Jesus told parables as opposed to "telling it like it is":

Many great religions started of with a person of high moral worth who tells stories that convery those values in a memorable and moving way and which are also capable of being understood at many levels. A few hundred years later the theoloans arrive and life then becomes more complicated.

Dave Snowden

Aiden's Preso

2005-11-23T19:23:00.000+02:00

Introduction

Trevor Hudson introducing Aiden - being far too kind I think :)

Aiden has a masters degree???

Aiden has picked a "hot potatoe", but this is about respectful conversation and sharing.

*Applause*

Expectations are important.

Aiden's bluetooth clicker is on the blink.

Idle Banter clips - yoo hoo.

Aiden checking out what we know about Islam - seems we have a knowledgeable crowd.

We need courage as well as the inclination to consult, and profit from, the "wisdom traditions of mankind" - E. F. Shumacker

Curiosity and Introspection

7 Dimensions

Practical - acts
Experiential - tangible physical experience - fruits if the Spirit
Narrative - stories through the holy texts
Doctrinal - formal beliefs system
Ethical - sense of right and wrong
Social
Material - objects of religion

History

Abrahamic - same roots as Christianity
Monotheistic - Allah
Islam Arabic for "to be free and safe" - same root as Shalom
Active meaning is "surrender"
Geographical centre is Mecca
Islam is quite a "young" religion
Muhammed seen as the "seal" of the prophets - last of a line of prophets sent by Allah (Jesus being one of them) - tlerance for Christian discourse in Islam
Messenger of God - tradition defines him as infallible

My fingers are flippin' tired...

Muhammed, illiterate at 40, was divinely empowered to capture the Qur'aan over the next 23 years - the perfect, infallible, complete Word of God
Hadith followed - the record of Muhammed's sayings

After Muhammed died, community of believers split. Ali - Shiite. Abu Bakr - Sunni. Persists to this day. 90% Sunni, 10% Shiite.

5 Pillars
There is no god but God and Muhammed is the Messenger of God

Prayer (salah) - 5 daily prayers
Fasting (saum) - Ramadan - 10th month of the lunar calendar
Alms - compulsory tax - social upliftment of the underprivileged
Pilgrimage (hajj) - re-enactment of Muhammed's journey between Mecca and Medina

Islam in South Africa

Growing force in SA

Understanding Muslims

Expose generalisations
Appreciate the practical, external expressions of faith
Highlight the Islamic emphasis on community life
Make personal contact with Muslim communities and individuals

Jihad

"Striving or struggling in the way of God"
Greater jihad and lesser jihad
Greater - working out our faith
Lesser - descending into violence under threat

Jihad of the heart/soul
Jihad of the tongue - truth
Jihad of the Word
Jihad by the hand - physical actions
Jihad by the sword

Dar al-Islam (land of Islam)
Dar al-Harb (land of War)

IS THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY UNDER ATTACK? Lesser jihad is justified under Koran law in this case.

Conservative

Moderate

Extremist / fundamentalist - the 10%

There is division in the Islamic community.

9/11 first US atack on home soil. US had supported extremists before this against enemies outside of the US.

Media coverage of Islamic extremist attacks contribute to the problem - all we are seeing is a miniscule violent representation of a much greater, peaceful group.

As Christians:

Let us remember our history
Faith is a unifying principle
Does one faith carry the lead?
Don't all religions lead to God?

How do we relate to people of other faiths?

3 main attitudes that see all other faiths as

A preparation for the Gospel of Jesus
Perilous
Missed the third one - dammit

*More applause*

Questions and Answers

Eric: What do Muslims think regarding Satan? Heaven is called paradise, hell is hell. By appeasing Allah, you qualify for entry into paradise.

Alan: Non-interest bearing banking system within communities? Not sure, but wouldn't be surprised...

John: Al Quaeda's role? The Taliban are Shiites - extreme Shiites who believe their Islam is the only Islam. Their Islam is under threat by the Western world and the rest of the Islamic community. Al Quaeda is a militant branch of the Taliban.

Trevor: Freedom of worship in Islamic states for non-Islamic worshippers as opposed to other states? Other faith worship is not permitted in Islamic states. Is it a hinderance to allow for freedom of worship in South Africa?

Terence: Any verses in the Koran prophesying or stating that Islam should or will propegate world religion leadership status? not aware, but be aware of the Great Commission

Sue: Is the 2023 prediction (leading religion) based on numbers or appeal? Not sure, but it is probably both. It is just a forecast at current growth rates.

Denise: Islamic attitude with regards to Islamic approach to women (possessions, treated badly) and human rights? Depends on the sect in Islam, as well as the political / religious history of the region. It is becoming increasingly more common that women are being given the option to choose. John highlights that our own faith is patriarchal in certain respects. Shift in our faith and possibly in the Muslim faith too, but once again the media is our greatest influence. Pete wants to highlight the role of culture as opposed to religion.

Arthur: Is the Shiite sect growing in popularity? Yes, on one hand - the anger is growing, but that doesn't mean Sunni's might not grow more militant. The two aren't mutually exclusive.

Alan: Paul grew into Christianity working out of Judaism? Are we strongest in our weakness?

Dave: We need to differentiate between Islam as a religion and Islamic believers. Differentiate between the human entity and the religious entity. Is Islam "diametrically" opposed to Christianity?

Battery running flat.

This is Mike signing out.

what are the marks of spiritual maturity?

2005-11-23T12:28:00.000+02:00

an extract of an email I wrote this week to a freind...

i would encourage everyone to pursue a growing maturity of spirit. i measure my maturity like this:

a) how easily am I offended (by words, actions, things)? the more easily offended, the more work i need to do, the more grace I need to receive!

b) by my ability to embrace cpomlexity, tension, lack of closure, uncertainty, etc...

How does a company grieve?

2005-11-23T11:32:00.000+02:00

This has been a terrible week for our company - TGS. Starting off with an employee having a psychiatric breakdown at work, then dismissing an employee and finally today, getting news that one of our Sales guys, Sabelo, was killed in a car accident.

How does a company process these events? How do we grieve?

Barely 30mins since the news people are laughing and seemingly back to their tasks without too much grief being expressed. Perhaps this is a defense mechanism? Perhaps the passing of a colleague is a distant passing - not like that of a family member? Perhaps we're all struggling internally? Perhaps we're fine - after all, the job has to get done.

As an HR Manager this is a first for me. I'd like to hear any suggestions as to how we, as a collective, might remember him and honour his life as a way of grieving.

what will happen to "the Word"?

2005-11-22T14:06:00.000+02:00

do you think that there will be a need for the Bible in heaven?

if so, what might it's usefulness be?

if not, do you think the spiritual path is a journey is from reliance on the Bible towards greater independance, and therfore no need for an "outside/imposed" authority?

how shall we interpret this?

2005-11-21T10:56:00.000+02:00

Stats have questionable value, because they can usually be used (manipulated?) to prove almost anything. Still, they're interesting to consider. I've been tracking hits on the Idle Banter site. Last week we slumped to an all-time (well, 6 week) low... with only 4 new visitors and only 114 page loads. (a page load is counted every time you open any page on the Idle Banter site, our highest being 890 hits in one week.)

I post these stats for your consideration, but they bring to mind something Dirk said a few days ago...

I feel that the character of the blog has changed somewhat. Initially we had a lot of discussion about faith and about things that really interest me, but now everytime I want to write a post my mind is just a blank.

I think our discussion has lost it's soul. I think we've all been drawn into self-absorbed silly banter. Our earlier conversation threads included challenging conversation that absorbed different views and allowed participants to really engage. I think that the participants enjoyed encountering new perspectives, even if they seemed (at first) difficult to accept.

I've decided to read more selectively and not to open comment pages on posts that don't invite more mature content...

Google Adsense earnings are...

2005-11-18T15:51:00.000+02:00

...up to $1.10.

Go team.

94.7

2005-11-18T08:19:00.000+02:00

So... who's doing it? What time are you going for? Or am I the only sucker on idle banter? ;)

I'm going for 4 hours, but it is my first time so, not sure how plausible that goal is. Dube, you'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit spastic on Sunday night!

Life in the margins

2005-11-16T15:26:00.000+02:00

I'd like to point you to 37 days. Here Patti explores the question: what would I do if I had 37 days to live (read here for Why 37 days)? A recent posting of hers, Always carry a pencil, raises the metaphor of books and margins in life.

From a narrative perspective, I was hooked. Her metaphor of life in the margins highlights the fact that there is wealth in the margins. Think about it - we write meaningful stuff in the margins of a book! And so much so when it comes to the margins of our lives.

Regulation

2005-11-15T15:30:00.001+02:00

I am at a crossroads. As the "Groot Meneer" of this blog (according to some), I have done my best from day one to resist the temptation to moderate comments at idle banter, for fear of excluding conversation or creating a "clique"-y environment.

We continue to grow at an alarming rate - believe it or not, their are hundreds of people reading idle banter every week. So we must be doing something right. But at the same time, I have found it increasingly frustrating watching anonymous contributors offer nothing but negative, sarcastic and manipulative jabs. That's ok for a while - I have really enjoyed having it out with some - but at the same time I get the sense that all there is to this blog is negative back and forth.

So in line with my recent experimentation explosion, I would like to change the comments configuration at idle banter to allow for participation of registered users only. That means you can still use an alias, but you will have had to register at Blogger.com for a unique account. This way we will stop the hijacking and spammy stuff going on.

I am also aware that I may be horribly wrong. Perhaps the appeal of this space is fundamentally rooted in the arguments we have. Maybe disallowing anonymous contributions will chase people away. Who knows?

I need your input here - in keeping with my idealistic democratised approach to social software. Let me know what you think...

Check it out folk ...

2005-11-15T15:30:00.000+02:00

http://dreambrokers.tribe.net/

Adsense

2005-11-15T13:29:00.000+02:00

Anonymous reckons I am lying about this blog's adsense earnings, claiming we have already reached R 100.

Well, here's today's Adsense report for the month of November.

Could you tell me, Anonymous, what I am missing out on?

Dirk & Herc

2005-11-12T19:33:00.000+02:00

Where are you guys?