James Watkins on polygamist cult, midwest earthquake, American idols, . . . and more

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"Humor is the opposite of despair," Conrad Hyers
heavy topics with a light touch: 4.08.08

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. . . polygamist cult and more
This edition's heavy topics with a light touch:

• Bible number one in "America's ten favorite books"

• Clinton and Obama face faith questions, McCain ducks
• Eleven years of "heavy topics with a light touch"

• Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

• Happy Birthday, Hannah and Micah!

• Happy Earth Day!

• Idols "Shout to the Lord"?!

• IRS Form 1040-a (Schedule 1) Table 4 Slot b . . .

• Last edition's heavy topics with a light touch

• Midwest all shook up by 5.4 quake

• Polygamist cult: multiple wives, multiple issues

• Teaching in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne

• Top ten most popular sites at jameswatkins.com

• While media obsesses on papal visit, politics . . .

• Why didn't I cover Pope's visit to United States?

WRAPPING PAPER FLIES AS HANNAH AND MICAH OPEN THEIR GIFTS

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
happy birthday, hannah and micah!

Wrapping paper was flying as we celebrated Hannah and Micah's third birthdays. What a wonderful party with all the extended family at Faith and Mike's house. (I'll get more pics online, but first, a couple major writing and editing deadlines.)

Earlier Wednesday, April 23, 2008
happy administrative professionals day!

While working at a publishing house, we executives could be gone for days at a time and the company would continue operating just fine. But if any administrative professional was gone for more than an afternoon, the house collapsed. So, my best wishes go out to all the administrative professionals who keep business, well, in business!
• Top ten differences between secretaries and administrative professionals

Tuesday, April 22, 2008
happy earth day!

God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them
    reflecting our nature
So they can be responsible for the fish in the sea,
    the birds in the air, the cattle,
And, yes, Earth itself,
    and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."
God created human beings;
    he created them godlike,
Reflecting God's nature.
    He created them male and female.
God blessed them:
    "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!
Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air,
    for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth" (Genesis 1:26-28 MSG).

Monday, April 21, 2008
why didn't i cover pope's visit to united states?

Good Jim asks himself, Why didn't I cover Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States? (Good Jim tends to be loving and gracious.)

Bad Jim answers himself, I think I'm still miffed at his comments that Protestant's faith is "defective." (Bad Jim tends to be petty and judgmental.)

While I respect the Pope's strong stand on moral issues (pro-life, pro-family, etc.), I strongly disagree with many of the Catholic church's beliefs that seem to have no biblical grounds, especially his July 2007 pronouncement that, and I quote, "Salvation is only available through the Catholic church." (That burned to the ground many of the bridges Pope John Paul II had built between Protestants and Catholics.)

• My protest of the Pope's pronouncement
• My agreement with Catholics on Mere Christianity
• The Christian Post's analysis on how Protestants and Catholics differ

Friday, April 18, 2008
while media obsesses on papal visit, politics . . .

The American program director for HIV/AIDS programming for World Hope (my favorite development organization) called the office to report, "There are food riots here in Port-A-Prince [Haiti]. They started in Les Cayes and we understand that five people were killed. Rioters are now surrounding the palace demanding the president do something. We are all trapped in the World Hope: Haiti office. The Internet has gone down. So we will try to stay in touch via the cell phone for as long as we can."

So while the media obsesses on the papal visit, politics and midwest quake (see below), some real news is breaking in the Caribbean. Thanks for praying.
• Support World Hope
• My report on World Hope's HIV/AIDS work in Zambia
• Report on Haiti crisis from International Herald Tribune

Earlier Friday, April 18, 2008
midwest all shook up by 5.2 quake

I was awakened at 5:38 EST this morning with the windows rattling and our waterbed undulating (I love that word but I rarely get to use it in conversation). A 5.2 earthquake had struck southern Indiana. No injuries or property damage are being reported, but you would think by Midwest media coverage, the earthquake was apocalyptic!

Actually, the New Madrid Seismic Zone, located in southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, western Tennessee, western Kentucky and southern Illinois is the most active seismic area east of the Rocky Mountains. Because the faults are buried under 100 to 200 feet of soft soil, the movement is far less obvious than in, say, California where the ground is composed of rock.

In fact, the New Madrid Earthquake on February 7, 1812 was the largest ever reported in the contiguous United States. The quake was estimated at 8.0 and caused church bells in ring in Boston and sidewalks to crack in Washington, D.C. It also created Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee and caused the Mississippi River to temporarily flow backward.

So, earthquakes are not uncommon in the Midwest, but I�m not sure this little temblor deserves the coverage it�s receiving.

• What makes news "news"? (Following Virginia Tech shootings)
• "Earthquakes might be sign of End Times," Pat Robertson

Monday, April 14, 2008
clinton and obama face faith questions, mccain ducks

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama faced tough questions at the Compassion Forum held at Messiah College Sunday. John Meacham, Newsweek editor, and Campbell Brown of CNN asked such questions as "Why does a loving God allow suffering?"

Senator Clinton answered, "I don�t know. I can�t wait to ask Him." She added, "For whatever reason it exists, it�s a call to action."

Senator Obama was asked about his comments that "bitter" voters in Pennsylvania were "clinging to guns or religion." He answered that faith is "a bulwark, a foundation when other things aren�t going well" and that, as a "devout Christian," he wasn't "demeaning" his faith.

Presumptive Republican candidate, John McCain, was invited to join the forum but did not attend.

• Transcript at CNN
• Your reactions to their answers

Later Monday, April 14, 2008
irs form 1040-a (schedule 1) table 4 slot b . . .

If you're one of the thousands of taxpayers who are frantically trying to complete your Form 1040 before tomorrow night's midnight deadline, here's some helpful advice. Quit reading this column! Get to your local post office for the fifteen different forms you'll need to send your checking account balance to Washington. Simpler yet, just send them your checkbook.
• Click for my proposal to eliminate the IRS

Saturday, April 12, 2008
eleven years of 'heavy topics with a light touch'

Yikes, a lot has happened since jameswatkins.com went online April 12, 1997:
• The final Seinfeld episode
• President Clinton's Impeachment: The Musical
• Harry Potter and The Prayer of Jabez
• Y2K and millenium madness
• "Reality" TV
• 9/11 and numerous school shootings
• The rise and fall of Britney Spears
• The not-so-gay same-sex marriage debate
• A second war in Iraq
• Hurricane Katrina
• The births of grandchildren Micah, Hannah, Nathan and Kaylah
• And much, much more!

Wednesday, April 10, 2008
idols 'shout to the Lord'?!

Last week on "American Idol," Dolly Parton sang "Jesus and Gravity" and this week the incredibly popular vocal contest concluded the show with eight contestants in white singing "Shout to the Lord." It's one of my favorite worship choruses, but . . .

Is it possible for "idols" to praise the Lord?

Is this pimping a sacred song for ratings?

Or, as the apostle Paul would write, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice (Philippians 1:18).

• Watch it on YouTube
• Respond to it at ThinkChristian.net

Tuesday, April 9, 2008
bible number one in 'america's ten favorite books'

An online poll by Harris Interactive surveyed 2,513 U.S. adults between March 11 and 18, 2008, and discovered America's "Top Ten Favorite Books."

1. The Bible
2. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
3. Lord of the Rings (series) by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling
5. The Stand by Stephen King
6. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
8. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
9. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
10. Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

And, so, some thoughts on:
• The Bible
• The Lord of the Rings
• The DaVinci Code
• Harry Potter
• Angels
• Demons
• My top ten list
• Ten of my books which did not (sigh) make the Harris list

Tuesday, April 8, 2008
polygamist cult: multiple wives, multiple issues

In the past few days, nearly 400 women and children were removed from the polygamist compound of Warren Jeffs. (The cult leader and self-proclaimed "prophet" was convicted and imprisoned in 2007 for arranging under-age marriages.) A 16-year-old girl called Child Protective Services to allege she was forced to marry a 50-year-old man and father his child.

It seems an open and shut case. But in 2006, a Newsweek article headlined "Polygamists, Unite!" reports on "polygamy activists emerging in the wake of the gay-marriage movement." It predicts, "Polygamy rights is the next civil-rights battle."

Yikes! The issue of multiple wives raises multiple issues:
• How do people get entrapped in cults?
• Is polygamy being unfairly judged in a "sexually free" culture?
• Where should "tolerance" end?

Later Tuesday, April 8, 2008
teaching in indianapolis and fort wayne

I'll be teaching at two American Christian Writers' conferences April 12 and April 18-19. And the best part, neither of them involve standing in security lines, having an American flight cancelled or being pinned down in the middle seat! These are great opportunities to learn the basics of publishing.
• Indianapolis, Indiana: April 12
• Fort Wayne, Indiana April: 18-19

Tuesday, April 1, 2008
march's top ten sites

March (February)

1. Home page / blog (1)

2. Top 25 Christian Web sites (—)

3. It's Sunday, but Jesus is coming (—)

4. Women in ministry issues (4)

5. "I just want to die" (3)

6. Top ten reasons I'm not divorcing my wife (2)

7. Dealing with death and grief (10)

8. The hidden habit: masturbation (5)

9. Is it a life or a choice? (7)

10. One nation under the Supreme Being of your choice (6)

And finally . . .
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