Dr. Whitehead: Donkeys Rock

"I have suffered a great deal from writers who have quoted this or that sentence of mine either out of its context or in juxtaposition to some incongruous matter which quite distorted my meaning , or destroyed it altogether."

--Alfred North Whitehead

"Saul replied, 'He assured us that the donkeys had been found.' But he did not tell his uncle what Samuel had said about the kingship."

--1 Samuel 10:16

Teen Sues Record Companies

Interesting story about a 16-year-old counter-suing the record companies suing him for pirating music.

Robert Santangelo is being sued alongside his sister, who is 20, allowing the case to be brought into federal court. Five different record companies are suing the family, alleging that Santangelo's piracy dates back to 2001. The teen is fighting back, saying the plaintiffs "have engaged in a wide-ranging conspiracy to defraud the courts of the United States."

We'll be curious to see how this turns out, but it seems like a stretch. Too many of us have decided that if something is possible (getting "free" music on the Internet), then it must also be just fine. What do you think? Should artists be allowed to "own" and sell what they create -- or should anything that can be digitized be passed around for free online? If record company lawyers got a hold of your PC, would they be able to make a pirating case against you? How does your faith in Jesus play into this question?

Got My Mind on My Money . . .

According to a Yahoo news story reporting on a recent study published in Science Magazine:

. . . folks with money on their minds are less helpful, less considerate and less willing to ask for assistance or engage with others than those who have not been preconditioned to money.

The study, based on nine experiments conducted in different parts of the U.S., involved priming some subjects with conversation about money matters while leaving others alone. When then given seemingly "random" opportunities to be helpful, the money-thinkers were less likely to get involved. One researcher described it as "social cluelessness," adding, "The intention wasn't to be selfish or mean; they just didn't see that they had a role in this person's life."

It raises a good question: How often do we have our money on our minds? In the article, a researcher offers a common misquote of something Paul wrote: "Money may not be the root of all evil, but it might be the root of some indifference."

Of course, what he really said was, "The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." (1 Timothy 6:10) This study supports the biblical idea that too much focus on money turns our hearts and minds away from focusing on better things like "loving our neighbors as we love ourselves."

Of course, we've got to think some about money; we all need it. It's no sin to have a lot (or a little) of it. So how do we find the balance in keeping a healthy attitude towards money without losing our compassion for other people? A man named Agur recognized the problem in himself and asked God for help with this prayer from Proverbs 30:8-9:

Give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the LORD ?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.

For more about finding contentment apart from money, check out Paul's famous "love of money" teaching in its full context in 1 Timothy 6:6-10.

Death Clock

A recent round of news stories about the world’s oldest living people got me thinking about how long I would want to live. The “oldest people” all seem to be around 115. I can’t imagine wanting to be that old (and tired and frail and bed-ridden).

According to Genesis, early life spans neared 1,000 years old. When it became clear, though, that given that kind of time, humanity can accomplish great evil, God chose to set man’s days at a “hundred and twenty years.” Over the centuries, that seems to have become the upper limit for modern human life. DeathClock.com will cheerfully report how long you can expect to live, statistically speaking. They even count down the seconds while you watch.

These days, when someone dies under the age of 30, most people describe it as a tragedy. Some call God unfair for allowing it to happen. “Why didn’t this person get a full, rich life?” Such a statement reveals how little we’re all willing to settle for. Would living as a relatively healthy person with a comfortable lifestyle to the age of 80 qualify as a full, rich life? Would that be good enough?

Moses (who made it to 120) didn’t think so. He described the duration and quality of life most of us can expect: “The length of our days is seventy years -- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10) Life on this sin-diseased planet absolutely sucks in comparison with the endless riches, meaning, and joy of heaven. Whether we die at seven or seventy, God never intended for this life to be the one that counts. That’s why He offers a way home through Jesus.

What to do until we get there? Moses suggested counting: “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12) That ticking “death clock” should motivate us to start living for the life that really matters.

Strategic Travel

A deep one from the late comedian Mitch Hedberg:

I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've traveled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down.

PW TV

Say, have you clicked on that PlanetWisdom TV link in the left Home page nav bar? Do it now! It's a page full of cool, silly, and just plain odd PW-related vids that have found their way onto YouTube. The oddest may be "Journey to the Center of David Crowder's Goatee" (pictured here). Rarely will you find such deep cheesiness and jaw-dropping special effects combined with surprise celebrity cameos in church youth group video. It helps to have Mark for your group leader.

Also not to be missed: El Matlocko from last year's promo video and an ancient 70s sit-com style conference video -- with costumes and rollerskating and Mark's wife Jade!

Super-secret bonus: Here's a Skit Guys El Matlocko video outtake that didn't make the page. Warning: Turn off your smell-o-vision before viewing. —CDL

Will Smith: "Divorce Not an Option"

Interesting quote about marriage and divorce from Will Smith during a Pursuit of Happyness interview on thunderstruck.com:

When Jada and I got together, that period in our lives, there’s no reason for us to be successful in our relationship. There was a whole lot of obstacles lined up for us not to make it. And to me, even on that small level, we always say that divorce can’t be an option. Because if you allow divorce to be an option, there’s absolutely one day you’ll check that box. So it’s audacious to remove it as an option. It just isn’t an option. That’s not one of the choices that we have, no matter what happens. And that type of audacity is what it takes to make things successful.

The Number 23

I haven’t seen it, so I don’t know much about the worldview issues in the scary-looking new Jim Carrey movie The Number 23. From the trailer, it basically looks like Carrey is either psychotically obsessed with the number or his connection to the number represents some spiritual connection to the devil.

Either way, New Line is marketing the film, in part, by trying to get potential viewers to start freaking out about that number in their own lives. (And, strangely, to start drinking Dr. Pepper. Coincidence?)

I clicked on a web-page widget for the movie that asks you to put in personal info (name, address, pets, etc.). I entered a bunch of bogus data and, shockers, it’s all related to the number 23. Except, of course, it’s very silly. Check out how the number 24 is oddly mathematically connected to 23. Spooky!

Your first name is Douglas. D is the 4th letter in the alphabet
4 = 2 * 3 - 2

Your middle name is James. J is the 10th letter in the alphabet
10 = 2 + 3 + 2 + 3

Your last name is Whatnot. W is the 23rd letter in the alphabet
The number 23!

The last four digits of your cell phone is 6458. 6 + 4 + 5 + 8 = 23.
The number 23!

The number of siblings you have is 2.
2 = 2^3 - 2 * 3

The number of pets you've had is 1.
1 = 2 * 3 - 2 - 3

You and I and New Line’s marketing interns all know that any relationship these numbers have to our own lives is completely coincidental. It’s exactly how horoscopes usually work: tell people a few general things that might happen for them on a given day and if one or two come close, they’ll start to believe that coincidence is the same as real supernatural guidance.

I was surprised to learn from a nationwide survey commissioned by WisdomWorks a few years ago that 79% of teens had consulted a horoscope, 53% thought they “might be true," and 24% (!) said horoscopes are probably mostly true. What’s the big deal? Our spiritual enemy uses things like horoscopes to a) get us to start trusting in false spirits and b) to trust less in God for our spiritual direction. Whether the info is simply bogus or demonically-inspired, why give Satan that kind of influence in your life?

Want to dig deeper into this topic? Check out Mark’s book Don’t Buy the Lie. You’ll find the key to sorting supernatural truth from deception on page . . . 23! (Really. Look it up.)

Archeology & the Bible

If you ever wonder what kind of real-world evidence exists to support the historical accuracy of the Bible, you're going to dig this PDF from Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, an Old Testament prof at Gordon Cromwell Theological Seminary. He lists the Top 15 Finds from Biblical Archeology, complete with great pictures and a little history about the site's connection to specific Scriptures. It's a little technical, but guaranteed to bolster your confidence in the trustworthiness of the Bible.

For instance, this image is of a scrap from something called the John Rylands Papyrus (John Rylands Library, Manchester, UK), a bit of an ancient manuscript that includes John 18:31-33. The big deal? At the time it was discovered, some scholars insisted that the book of John was written long after the disciple named John would have died. However, this papyrus is dated at around 125 A.D. and was found far enough away from Israel (in Egypt) to show that it could well have been written in John's lifetime. Check out the PDF for more cool finds.

Casual Sex Con

London's Times Online has an article from Dawn Eden, a former rock journalist and sex groupie. She describes how she bought into the cultural lie that unattached "free" sex should just be the norm for women looking for a good time and, eventually, true love. Instead, her experiences left her empty and brittle.

But in all that casual sex, there was one moment I learnt to dread more than any other. I dreaded it not out of fear that the sex would be bad, but out of fear that it would be good. If the sex was good, then, even if I knew in my heart that the relationship wouldn’t work, I would still feel as though the act had bonded me with my sex partner in a deeper way than we had been bonded before. It’s in the nature of sex to awaken deep emotions within us, emotions that are unwelcome when one is trying to keep it light.

On such nights the worst moment was when it was all over. Suddenly I was jarred back to earth. Then I’d lie back and feel bereft. He would still be there, and if I was really lucky, he’d lie down next to me. Yet, I couldn’t help feeling like the spell had been broken. We could nuzzle or giggle or we could fall asleep in each other’s arms but I knew it was play acting and so did he. We weren’t really intimate — it had just been a game. The circus had left town.

The whole thing is worth a read for her breakdown of the wrong ideas about sex she learned from her mom and her culture and how hard experience (and newfound faith in Christ) taught her to reject those ideas and embrace a healthier, more satisfying life of chastity. Her new book is caled The Thrill of the Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On.

Another article from the Observer describes her participation in a debate in a Manhattan bar on the issue of saving sex for marriage.

You First

"There are two types of people--those who come into a room and say, 'Well, here I am!' and those who come in and say, 'Ah, there you are.' "

--Writer Fredrick L. Collins

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

--Paul in Philippians 2:3

Save a Snowflake . . . Forever

Have you ever fallen in love with a beautifully intricate snowflake on your window pane only to have it break your heart as it melted away to a tear? Turns out, you could have saved that flakey relationship with just a bit of superglue and a little patience. Popsci.com tells you how.

If only we'd known . . .

Spidey's Worldview

If you ever read our reviews of Spider-Man or Spider-Man 2, you might remember we dug both films for more than just all that cool superhero action. Director Sam Raimi gave a lot of screen time to developing his characters and the super-sized worldview issues they're forced to grapple with.

In the first outing, he gave meaning to Spidey's motto: "With great power comes great responsibility." The next film went deeper, showing the consequences for Peter P. of NOT using his power to serve others, as well as the high cost of making the sacrifice to do the right thing. Without ever being preachy, Raimi and Co. made the heroic case that the life worth living is often a hard one.

Due up in '07 is Ep. 3. The Jan/Feb issue of Premiere has a great extended article about the May 4 release. In addition to even more stunning battles, flights through the city, and two new villains—Sandman and a black-clad evil Spidey called Venom—can we expect more messages in the mix? Check out this paragraph: "Although Sandman and Venom have exciting and frightening powers, Raimi says it's their complex motivations to do evil that matter most. 'I wanted to humanize the villains. Because it's really the story of Peter Parker learning that we're all sinners, and none of us are right or wrong.' "

Hmm. We're all sinners, but none of us are wrong? In spite of that apparent contradiction, I can't wait to see black Spider-Man, the promised new train battle (underground), and how Raimi deals with the BIG issues of sin, revenge, and forgiveness.

Google Maps + Bible = Cool

Yet another cool Bible geek web research toy this week: BibleMap.org

Just enter a book and chapter and then click on any of the place names in that text (English Standard Version) to pull up a Google satellite map of the area. Here's a screen cap of modern day Gibeon, where God promised Solomon anything he wanted. Solomon asked for wisdom and received from God a "a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you." (1 Kings 3:12)

Go. Play. Zoom in and out on the Holy Land. It's neat. (H/T: Between Two Worlds)

Apple iPhone: Just the Beginning

Covetousness alert! As I type these words, iPhone mania is sweeping the globe. It’s a phone! It’s an iPod! It’s a web browser! It’s an e-mail client! That scary look you’ve seen in the eyes of your geek friends since yesterday afternoon accompanies the urgent mantra repeated over and over under their breath: “Must. Get. iPhone.” Too bad. Even those with the dough won’t be able to get their mits on one until sometime this spring. Someone is going to have a aneurism. Seriously.

As an old veteran of Apple goodies, let me offer two words of wisdom. First, It’s always wrong to support your tech habit by stealing from your mom’s purse, especially when you’re 30. (Don’t ask.) Two, if you’re one of the first to get an iPhone, you’ll only regret it six months later when Apple releases iPhone 2.0. According to a reliable source inside Apple, the NEXT iPhone will add even more features. Like what? Well, don’t tell anyone you heard it from me, but here’s what next year’s iPhone will do:

* Play movies in 3-D
* Scan for life signs
* Teleportation (two year Cingular contract required)
* Cure cancer
* Make a nice latté

Of course, by that time, we’ll all be paying our taxes directly to Steve Jobs. But is that such a bad thing? Until then, try not to think about the iPhone. It can’t possibly be as overwhelmingly cool as it looks. Right? (Please say “right.”)

Biiible Timeline

Maybe you've seen this, but it's new to me and guaranteed to stoke the Bible geek in you.

Biiible.com is a Google-happy interactive Bible search site with some cool, basic Bible study tools (maps, various translations, etc.). But the thing that blew me away was this searchable timeline. Ever get confused by when, say, Moses lived as compared to King Solomon? Just type their names into the timeline search engine and up pop the dates.

FYI, some very approximate dates to keep your Bible history sorted in your head (no web site needed):

About 4,000 B.C.: Adam
About 2,500 B.C.: Noah
About 2,000 B.C.: Abraham
About 1,500 B.C.: Moses
About 1,000 B.C.: David/Solomon
About 1 A.D.: Jesus is born

Trade Your Soul for a DVD?

A group calling themselves the Rational Response Squad is conducting the Internet equivalent of an alter call -- in reverse. Walk the aisle to your nearest video camera and upload a clip of yourself saying "I deny the Holy Spirit" on YouTube, they suggest. Why? To get a free DVD called "The God Who Wasn't There" and to go public as a true believer in unbelief. It's atheist evangelism, and plenty of people are going forward to proclaim their freedom from belief in God.

More specifically, they are "denying the Holy Spirit." They're mangling the meaning of Mark 3:29 to get followers to mockingly "damn yourself to Hell." The passage says, "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." But if you read the whole chapter, you'll see Jesus wasn't just describing a phrase that would give someone a one way ticket to hell (even as a joke). He was responding to people suggesting His obvious supernatural power was from Satan, essentially denying that He is God's Son. So, yes, to deny that Jesus' power comes from God is to deny He is the Savior. It's not about one big unforgivable sin someone might stumble into; it's about rejecting Jesus. Without Him, there is no forgiveness.

The Rational Response Squad is missing the point that Jesus was rationally responding to people who could not rationally deny His supernatural power. They witnessed the miracles for themselves, but they still could not bring themselves to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God.

While I think they're foolish and self-deluding, you've got to admit this group has made a serious commitment. It takes a lot of faith to hold on to the idea that everything in the universe we can't currently explain and don't fully understand absolutely must have a purely natural explanation. I think my faith in salvation from the loving God who is far smarter, stronger, and wiser than myself makes a lot more sense.

Steering Wheel Beat Box

It's not easy to find something guaranteed to be fun for the user and utterly annoying for everyone within hearing range. This Japanese steering wheel beat box, complete with animal sounds and gun shots, should do the trick. Warning: Remove before heading to the DMV for your driving test.

A Life That Matters? Anyone?

According to a report in the New York Times on the Census Bureau's 2007 Statistical Abstract, what college freshmen want out of life has changed in the last 35 years. In 1970, a whopping 79 percent said their number one priority was to develop a "meaningful philosophy of life." Whoa. Seventy-five percent(!) of today's college newbs are more interested in making bank, deciding that their first goal is to be "very well off financially." Ouch.

According to the richest, wisest guy that ever lived, lots of your friends are headed for a giant letdown: "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income." (Ecclesiastes 5:10) Read the whole book of Ecclesiastes to find out what his "meaningful philosophy of life" was. You might also check out a copy of Mark's book on Ecclesiastes called Living a Life That Matters.

God's Peace

In the Old Testament book of Isaiah, we're given a strange promise in chapter 26, verse 3 - "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts you."

Now what does that mean in practical terms? How can we learn to trust God in such a way that no matter what happens, we won't lose our cool?

Well, it starts with knowing the Lord better - and knowing that he can be trusted. The major proof we have of that comes from what Jesus did for us on the cross - dying for our sins and rising again to give us new life. And as we spend time with the Lord in prayer and by reaching his Word, the better we'll understand and accept the perfect peace that only he can give.