Bubble Letter O Coloring Pages
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Barth Nearly Broke My Back
yes, I nearly broke my back carrying this box of Karl Barth's 14 volumes Church Dogmatics from the post office to my car and from my car to my study.
I intend to join Prof Daniel Kirk blog reading club on Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics. We aim to finish reading the whole series in about 11 years!
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I intend to join Prof Daniel Kirk blog reading club on Karl Barth's Church Dogmatics. We aim to finish reading the whole series in about 11 years!
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Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
The Double Effect of Double Effect
George Weigel's discussion on the biomedical discussion of "double effect" is bringing us back to square one. He seem to first set up a straw man and then demolish it by setting the principle of primum non nocere, first do no harm, against the principle of double effect. His article is worth reproducing here in full. This is published in First Things,
What do you think?
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Clarifying “Double Effect”Feb 23, 2011George WeigelThe recent controversy over the termination of a pregnancy at Phoenix’s St. Joseph’s Hospital, which Phoenix bishop Thomas Olmstead determined to have been a direct abortion and thus a grave moral evil, has generated a secondary controversy over the meaning of the Church’s traditional moral principle of “double effect.” Some have argued—mistakenly, in my view—that what was done in Phoenix satisfied the classic double-effect criteria of Catholic moral theology.
The National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, an indispensable source of Catholic information and analysis on bioethical and medical ethical issues, recently issued a statement on the Phoenix case. The statement clarified the double-effect issue in language that people without any special training in moral theology or moral philosophy can understand, and is worth quoting at length:The principle of double effect in the Church’s moral tradition teaches that one may perform a good action even if it is foreseen that a bad effect will arise only if four conditions are met: 1) The act itself must be good. 2) The only thing that one can intend is the good act, not the foreseen but unintended bad effect. 3) The good effect cannot arise from the bad effect; otherwise, one would do evil to achieve good. 4) The unintended but foreseen bad effect cannot be disproportionate to the good being performed.
This principle has been applied to many cases in health care, always respecting the most fundamental moral principle of medical ethics, primum non nocere, “First, do no harm.”
The classic case of a difficult pregnancy to which this principle can be applied is the pregnant woman who has advanced uterine cancer. The removal of the cancerous uterus will result in the death of the baby but it would be permissible under the principle of double effect.
One can see how the conditions would be satisfied in this case: 1) The act itself is good; it is the removal of a diseased organ. 2) All that one intends is the removal of the diseased organ. One does not want the death of the baby, either as a means or an end. Nonetheless, one sees that the unborn child will die as a result of the removal of the diseased organ. 3) The good action, the healing of the woman, arises from the removal of the diseased uterus, not from the regrettable death of the baby which is foreseen and unintended. 4) The unintended and indirect death of the child is not disproportionate to the good which is done, which is saving the mother’s life.
In the wake of the Phoenix case, other Catholic hospitals have been asked what they would do in the rare and wrenching circumstance where continuing a pregnancy would put the lives of both mother and child at risk. The first answer usually given is the correct one: “We would try to save both lives.” But some have gone on to give a further answer: “But if that were impossible, we would save the life we could save”—by means, one assumes, of terminating the pregnancy.
This is not right. It violates the bedrock principle of “first, do no harm.” There is no moral casuistry that can justify doing the “harm” that is the intentional taking of an innocent human life—period. Attempts to justify termination in such circumstances by redefining the act of termination border on the Orwellian, further confusing the public discussion. (Recent horror stories from the Philadelphia abortuary should have taught us where the language of euphemism leads.) Furthermore, “we’ll save the life we can save” does not meet the standards of the principle of double effect, as outlined above.
The Catholic Church is one of the last major institutions defending the Hippocratic principle that the true physician’s first responsibility is to “do no harm.” Attempts to chip away at that Catholic commitment—by public authorities untutored in the meaning of religious freedom, or by theologians and philosophers advancing speculative views detached from clinical reality—damage the common good and impede the building of a culture of life.
George Weigel is Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
What do you think?
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Thursday, February 24, 2011
The Ehrman Project
Interesting that there is a website and project against Dr Bart Ehrman, appropriately named the Ehrman Project. Do visit the website.
Welcome to the Ehrman Project.
Dr. Bart Ehrman is raising significant questions about the reliability of the Bible. In an engaging way, he is questioning the credibility of Christianity. His arguments are not new, which he readily admits. Numerous Biblical scholars profoundly disagree with his findings. This site provides responses to Dr. Ehrman's provocative conclusions.
Anyone know whether there is a N.T.Wright Project?
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Welcome to the Ehrman Project.
Dr. Bart Ehrman is raising significant questions about the reliability of the Bible. In an engaging way, he is questioning the credibility of Christianity. His arguments are not new, which he readily admits. Numerous Biblical scholars profoundly disagree with his findings. This site provides responses to Dr. Ehrman's provocative conclusions.
Anyone know whether there is a N.T.Wright Project?
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Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Is it Dangerous to Pray the Jesus Prayer?
The Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer newsletter answers the question.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner” or just “Lord, Have Mercy”
Watch the Movie Now!
“Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer” book
by Dr. Norris J. Chumley coming April 5th from HarperOne
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“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have Mercy on Me, a Sinner” or just “Lord, Have Mercy”
Some of our FaceBook friends have been discussing whether or not the Jesus Prayer is safe for “ordinary” people to practice. Is it OK to say it if you are not a hermit, monk or nun? Are there any dangers? Is it necessary to have a Spiritual Guide?
For answers, we look to the practitioners of the Jesus Prayer in some of the world’s oldest active monasteries, and to the spiritual guides we met while filming and writing. Please see the "Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer" movie and book for more information.
DVD’s shipping February 28!Sister Maria at Agapia Monastery in Romania described the prayer rope a novice nun receives when she is tonsured (officially accepted into the community, with vows) “They say ‘take brother or sister. Take this Sword of the Holy Spirit’ and always wherever you go and walk, or when you eat and so on, and even in your sleep, always recite this prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have mercy on me a sinner.” Father John asked her if ordinary people could pray the Jesus Prayer. She said, “Of course, everybody could. I heard spiritual fathers, famous spiritual fathers, even by radio say everybody should recite this prayer. Why not?” Dr. Norris Chumley asked her about the key points in the Jesus Prayer. Sister Maria explained, “the key, the soul of the prayer is repentance. If you repent yourself it is the beginning… repentance is a resurrection. Repentance is the beginning until the end, repentance, repentance!”
Others, such as Father Ephraim, the Abbott of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos, in Greece, cautioned us about the necessity of a spiritual father or mother. He made the point that it is OK to occasionally say the Jesus Prayer, but that continued recitation of it, in combination with breathing exercises and special postures (that of a hesychast, or tonsured monk or nun) must be done with guidance. He said in affect “it could be dangerous to try to be a monastic outside a monastery.”
Benedicta Ward, an historian of the religious life, tells us, “The monks went without sleep because they were watching for the Lord; they did not speak because they were listening to God; they fasted because they were fed by the Word of God. It was the end that mattered, the ascetic practices were only a means.”
It is in this spirit that many monks and nuns today believe the practice of the Jesus Prayer is something that ought to be undertaken with expert guidance—and this presumes a monastic context where the novice can call upon the advice of someone who is deeply grounded in the spiritual life, who can steer the novice around the spiritual pitfalls that lie along the way. The monks and nuns have encountered people whose zeal perhaps exceeded their wisdom, who would accept no guidance in the delicate mental and ascetical paths that make up a spiritual psychology, and so they are reticent about encouraging inexperienced souls to begin a life of intense prayer.The late Archimandrite Teofil, the Starets or Spiritual Guide of Brancoveanu Monastery in Romania rather rebelliously taught us that anyone can practice the Jesus Prayer. He explained that it is not Jesus Christ’s prayer, but a prayer used by His followers, and possibly first uttered by an Apostle. He went on to say that the purpose of the Jesus Prayer is “to make a link between prayer and mind, between mind and heart, between the power that thinks and the power that loves. So the mind that goes down into the heart is not an activity of the human being, it is a work of God. What we are doing is that we pray to God for the unity of our own being, the whole being.”
Both Father John (an Orthodox priest) and Dr. Norris practice the Jesus Prayer, but not as monks, and not employing the breathing and posture techniques advocated for monastics by such saints as St. John Climacus, St. Symeon the New Theologian or St. Gregory Palamas. It might be of interest to you to research their writings on the subject of the Jesus Prayer, as well as in the “Philokalia.” There are several good books on the Jesus Prayer, such as “The Way of a Pilgrim,” author unknown, “The Art of Prayer,” compiled by Igumen Chariton, “On the Prayer of Jesus” by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, and a recent book, “The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God” by Frederica Mathewes-Green.
Watch the Movie Now!
“Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer” book
by Dr. Norris J. Chumley coming April 5th from HarperOne
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Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dallas Willard's Sense of Ministry
I find this comment by Dallas Willard on his homepage of his website very relevant.
There is a great collection of his articles and recordings on Dallas Willard's website
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My sense of ministry is to judge the lay of the land for your times and shoot where the enemy is. The enemy in our time is not human capacity, or over activism, but the enemy is passivity - the idea that God has done everything and you are essentially left to be a consumer of the grace of God, so the only thing you have to do is find out how to do that and do it regularly. I think this is a terrible mistake and accounts for the withdrawal of active Christians from so many areas of life where they should be present. It also accounts for the lack of spiritual growth, for you can be sure that if you do not act in an advised fashion consistently and resolutely you will not grow spiritually.
There is a great collection of his articles and recordings on Dallas Willard's website
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Scripture is Electric
All scripture is inspired, but some of it is electric. The power of the Holy Spirit hums in the lines so thrillingly that you hardly dare to touch them. For me, the first chapters of Ephesians and Colossians spring to mind, especially the verses where Paul shows us Jesus Christ in his supremacy. God gave his one and only Son as "the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10). But Paul sets that mighty work inside a mightier one. With trumpets sounding in his soul, he exclaims that through Jesus' sacrifice, God was pleased "to reconcile to himself all things" (Col. 1:20) as part of a still mightier plan for the ages when God will at last "gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth" (Eph. 1:10).
Cornelius Plantinga Jr. is president of Calvin Theological Seminary.
Paradigms of Spiritual Formation
evangelical piety turns upside down the medieval paradigm of a pathway to God. There the journey of faith began with purgation, moved to illumination, and finally, ended in unification, that is, union with God. In the evangelical understanding, we begin with union with Christ (the new birth) and move through Word and Spirit to illumination and the process of sanctification until, at last, in heaven we see Christ face to face
Timothy George
For All The Saints: Evangelical Theology and Christian Spirituality, p.4
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Organizing bathroom clutter
This is one of the organizers I chose for my bathroom organizing project, love it!
If you have health issues that prevent you from reaching down into cabinets than this is for you. If you like an organized bathroom than this is for you.
Most organizing tips are for those who want a clean room who don't have mobility issues whether temporary or permanent the tips I give are for folks who need to be able to access their things in lower cabinets that they may not be able to reach but that said anyone looking to organize can benefit!
Will have to take pictures of my recent bathroom organizing project and post them, I love organizing it brightens my psyche. Had to organize out of necessity, had knee surgery and arthritis flare couldn't bend down to get things out of cupboards in the bathroom, so I put everyday products on top of my counter and it looked messy. Went to Container store and bought organizers with handles, small lightweight ones that I could pick up, We put things in them that I use most often and placed them back into the cupboard, I also bought pretty colored organizers and put makeup in one, larger bottles in another, smaller tubes in another. Now when I leave the items on top of the counter the counter looks cleaner and I can put the things away off the counter when visitors come.
It helps when you have someone who can advise and help with the project, I am fortunate to have a daughter who is a pro at cleaning and organizing!
We than put the most used items in small lightweight organizers with handles and put them back into the bottom cabinets for easy access. Leaving me feel more independent.
The Container store offers more organizing tips here .
- Cabinets and drawers: For bathrooms with limited shelves or cabinet space, install a wall-mounted rack, or use a rolling cart or trays or baskets to hold personal toiletries. Using their own shower totes or organizers, family members can store their toiletries in their bedrooms and carry them to the bathroom when needed. Use drawer organizers, and assign one to each family member for storing personal toiletries and accessories.
Organizing bathroom clutter
This is one of the organizers I chose for my bathroom organizing project, love it!
If you have health issues that prevent you from reaching down into cabinets than this is for you. If you like an organized bathroom than this is for you.
Most organizing tips are for those who want a clean room who don't have mobility issues whether temporary or permanent the tips I give are for folks who need to be able to access their things in lower cabinets that they may not be able to reach but that said anyone looking to organize can benefit!
Will have to take pictures of my recent bathroom organizing project and post them, I love organizing it brightens my psyche. Had to organize out of necessity, had knee surgery and arthritis flare couldn't bend down to get things out of cupboards in the bathroom, so I put everyday products on top of my counter and it looked messy. Went to Container store and bought organizers with handles, small lightweight ones that I could pick up, We put things in them that I use most often and placed them back into the cupboard, I also bought pretty colored organizers and put makeup in one, larger bottles in another, smaller tubes in another. Now when I leave the items on top of the counter the counter looks cleaner and I can put the things away off the counter when visitors come.
It helps when you have someone who can advise and help with the project, I am fortunate to have a daughter who is a pro at cleaning and organizing!
We than put the most used items in small lightweight organizers with handles and put them back into the bottom cabinets for easy access. Leaving me feel more independent.
The Container store offers more organizing tips here .
- Cabinets and drawers: For bathrooms with limited shelves or cabinet space, install a wall-mounted rack, or use a rolling cart or trays or baskets to hold personal toiletries. Using their own shower totes or organizers, family members can store their toiletries in their bedrooms and carry them to the bathroom when needed. Use drawer organizers, and assign one to each family member for storing personal toiletries and accessories.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
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