"Sex for the Motherland"

This startling story from the British Daily Mail describes a seemingly government sponsored anti-democracy youth movement in Vladimir Putin's Russia. It's not just about sanctioned teen sex, but that's an interesting part of a more ominous tale.

Remember the mammoths, say the clean-cut organisers at the youth camp's mass wedding. "They became extinct because they did not have enough sex. That must not happen to Russia".

Obediently, couples move to a special section of dormitory tents arranged in a heart-shape and called the Love Oasis, where they can start procreating for the motherland.

With its relentlessly upbeat tone, bizarre ideas and tight control, it sounds like a weird indoctrination session for a phoney religious cult.

But this organisation - known as "Nashi", meaning "Ours" - is youth movement run by Vladimir Putin's Kremlin that has become a central part of Russian political life.

The story is worth checking out. It describes this event with 10,000 Russian youths in attendance and the fascist, racist, God-less politics behind it. The author cites a poll revealing that a majority of Russian teens now believe Stalin did more good than bad. The folks behind the event (and other Russian youth movements like it) would like to see a return to those "glory days."

Scary stuff, especially when you start considering an alignment between Russia and the ever-stronger China. Fortunately, our hope for world peace still springs from a source beyond our world, and not from the nations choosing it for themselves.

(HT: The Point)

Tonight on Teletubbies

Having only ever watched two or three episodes of the toddler show "Teletubbies," I assumed it was just a series of random clips in which not much happens -- that little kids just enjoy the passing shapes, colors, sounds, and that creepy laughing sun-baby.

Boy, was I wrong. Perusing TVGuide.com, I realized I was missing all kinds of things actually happening in any given show. Those tubbies do more in 30 minutes than I sometimes do all day. Somebody was very thorough when putting together this description of the episode "Picking Mandarins."

Po counts to eight and Tinky-Winky explores the color orange. In Spain, boys pick mandarin oranges and put them into crates. Then they sit under the trees and eat some of them. And in Teletubbyland, Dipsy leaves his hat behind, but when he comes back to find it, the Noo-Noo has cleaned it up. Then, children buy different types of vegetables and the Teletubbies dance a tiptoe dance.

Might have to Tivo that one. I do love oranges.

Fear of Spiders Saves Teen

That's what the headline of this AP news story should have read. Instead it says, "Teen Claims Spiders Alerted Her to Fire." They just keep spreading more of that old spider propaganda: "Spiders Are Our Friends." I think it should now be clear to everyone that the media is biased in favor of spiders.

The story describes how 18-year-old Danielle Vigue's innate dislike for spiders sent her running from hers to her sister's room when a herd of the eight-legged mini monsters invaded her space while fleeing from a fire in the attic (that they probably set). That spider-avoidance instinct saved her life.

I know. You're thinking what all my friends and family keep telling me -- that my fear and loathing of spiders (including the one with the weird white markings that I killed in the kitchen last night) is not rational and healthy. It's a little immature. Blah. Blah. Blah. But let me ask you this? Have you really looked at spiders, lately? How could they not be evil? People are always saying, "But they eat other annoying bugs!" Liking eating bugs is a noble quality or something.

And what lesson does Ms. Vigue take from her near-death experience? "I will never kill another spider again." Does she not see that if she'd been a lover of spiders and had blissfully faded back to sleep when a bunch of them came over to snuggle that she would never have left her room. NOT liking spiders was the right move for her.

Isn't it the right move for us all?

World's Fastest Internet

When I woke up this morning, I wasn't jealous of a 75-year-old Swedish woman. But now . . .

Lothberg's 40 gigabits-per-second fiber-optic connection in Karlstad is believed to be the fastest residential uplink in the world, Karlstad city officials said. In less than 2 seconds, Lothberg can download a full-length movie on her home computer — many thousand times faster than most residential connections, said Hafsteinn Jonsson, head of the Karlstad city network unit.

If I could have 40 gigs/second Internet, I would be happy to be 75 and live in Sweden. You?

Ten Beautiful Experiments

The real thrill of science -- the thing that gets us going as grade schoolers with lab coats and safety goggles and test tubes -- is the experiment. How do we know for sure that the thing we think it true is really, really true? Let's test it! Finding the right experiment to answer the right question is a creative act that reveals hard science, especially physics, as high art.

That's what makes this list of the ten "most beautiful physics experiments" (as compiled by physicists) so much fun. (It's also worth bookmarking for future research paper source material.) And it's not just the beauty of the experiment that's breathtaking, it's also the way each experiment brings into sharper focus the mind boggling orderliness of God's stunning universe.

Awesome Archeology

It's always exciting when yet another new archaeological find supports the historical accuracy of the Bible. In this case, it's a completely non-Biblical reference discovered on an ancient "receipt" at the British Museum.

Just for the record, we don't require hard evidence to take God at His Word. But but bits of hard evidence provide encouragement in a culture always eager to challenge our faith, as well as opportunities to continue the conversation about the reliability of the Bible with unbelieving friends.

Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the tablets, Prof Jursa suddenly came across a name he half remembered - Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, described there in a hand 2,500 years old, as "the chief eunuch" of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Prof Jursa, an Assyriologist, checked the Old Testament and there in chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah, he found, spelled differently, the same name - Nebo-Sarsekim.

Nebo-Sarsekim, according to Jeremiah, was Nebuchadnezzar II's "chief officer" and was with him at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC, when the Babylonians overran the city.

The tablet is dated to the 10th year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, 595BC, 12 years before the siege of Jerusalem.

Evidence from non-Biblical sources of people named in the Bible is not unknown, but Nabu-sharrussu-ukin would have been a relatively insignificant figure.

"This is a fantastic discovery, a world-class find," Dr Finkel said yesterday. "If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed? A throwaway detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power."

(HT: Evangelical Outpost)

Shhhh . . .

Here's a proverb to tape to your bedroom door for your siblings and parents -- or to hand out to your "morning people" friends at camps and retreats. It's wisdom is even more deeply felt during the summer and on Saturdays.

If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.

--Proverbs 27:14

As a rule, all blessings before, say, 8 a.m., should be quiet ones. Sincere nods are even better. Who says the Bible isn't practical?

What Hath Harry Wrought?

I'm guessing that's the only time ever I'll use the word "wrought" in a blog title.

Expect our review of the new "Harry Potter" film any minute now. I'd say this one fills its slot in the ongoing saga pretty well, but I'd love to get your opinions.

After sitting through 46 previews before the film, it became obvious to me that Harry has "wrought" a whole lotta movies about kids with magic powers who live in mystical lands and do battle with or discover other magical/mystical creatures, villains, or adventures.

The trailers I remember were for "The Golden Compass," "Enchanted," "The Water Horse," and something about a kid who travels through time as yet another "chosen one" destined to adventure against the forces of evil and save the universe.

I'm guessing this glut means we're all about to start losing interest in fantastical, epic tales that involve magic and witches and creatures. Whether that's true or not, I still think it's a good idea sift every story we take in through the filter of our biblical worldview -- no matter if that story contains elves, princesses, or talking cars. That's why we're still doing movie reviews after all these years, to encourage students to work at thinking biblically about entertainment.

Meanwhile, I'm voting for a new glut of movies about talking cars. How about you?

Run! (Not that way)

"All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why."

--James Thurber

Agreed. The Bible offers lots of wisdom about all three:

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." (Psalm 119:32)

"The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10)

"Woe to those who rise early in the morning to run after their drinks, who stay up late at night till they are inflamed with wine." (Isaiah 5:11)

"What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?" (Isaiah 10:3)

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:31-33)

"Then he said to his disciples, "The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. Men will tell you, 'There he is!' or 'Here he is!' Do not go running off after them." (Luke 17:22-23)

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. . . . Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly." (1 Corinthians 9:24)

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you." (Galatians 5:6-7)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1)

Are Mormons Christians?

We're hearing more and more about Mormonism in the last few years. Much was made of the fact that the popular-with-youth-groups film Napoleon Dynamite was written, directed by, and starred Mormons. Popular-with-conservatives talk show host Glenn Beck has strong connections to Mormonism. And, of course, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a Mormon.

It makes sense then that more people are asking, "Are Mormons Christian?" Orson Scott Card, a Mormon sci-fi writer who wrote one of my favorite books says, "Yes!" Dr. Albert Mohler, an Christian teacher and head of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary says "No!" They're engaged in a "blogalogue" debate over at the spiritual/religious (but not Christian) site beliefnet.com.

Here's a breakdown of their debate so far from Christian Post. Most evangelical Christians (including us) would state without hesitation that Mormons (members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) are not Christians because they reject key biblical teachings about Jesus.

Want specifics about the differences between Mormons and Christians? Here's a great, one-page breakdown from gostudents.net. And this apologetics site from the North American Mission Board gets extremely specific.

Does all this mean Christians should not vote for Mitt Romney because he's a Mormon? Not necessarily. I've already expressed enjoyment for movies, books, and commentary from folks with a Mormon perspective. And I've voted for lots of unbelievers for public office. It's only a big deal to me from the biblical perspective of reaching out in love to Mormons with what I believe is the real truth about Jesus Christ.

What's your take?

Ratatouille Vid

Our review of Ratatouille went up today. Check it out here. (And look for a review of Transformers in the next day or so. So many new movies right now!)

Here's a cool Pixar hype vid for Ratatouille on YouTube about the challenge of making computer-generated images of food look yummy (and not weird). It worked on me! I was ready to make a reservation at the restaurant in the film by the time the credits rolled.



(HT: kottke.org)