(considering) 8:28

Implications of the Sovereignty of God

recent posts

  • Wow, just…. wow. (off topic)

    I’ve been reading a book I got at the local Chapters Bookstore today (Ezra Levant, Shakedown: How Our Government Is Undermining Democracy in the Name of Human Rights, McClelland & Stewart, 2009), and came to learn some interesting things about my own province. At first, I thought the author had to be making it up, so I went to the House of Assembly Website to check on the Human Rights Code for my homeland, and found that Mr. Levant was in fact correct.

    Below is section 22.1 of said Human Rights Code, as listed today on the House of Assembly website:

    Powers of investigation

    22. (1) The executive director and a person appointed or designated by the executive director may, at all reasonable times, so long as it is reasonably necessary to determine compliance with this Act, enter a building, factory, workshop or other premises or place in the province

    (a) to inspect, audit and examine books of account, records and documents; or

    (b) to inspect and view a work, material, machinery, an appliance or article found there,

    and the persons occupying or in charge of that building, factory, workshop, premises or place shall

    (c) answer all questions concerning those matters put to them; and

    (d) produce for inspection the books of account, records, documents, material, machinery, appliance or article requested

    by the executive director or a person appointed or designated by the executive director.

    Now,  I readily admit that I am not a practicing lawyer, but my foggy memory of law school said that a police officer doesn’t have the right to enter a premises for investigation unless they can produce a warrant (something that the HRC at least notes for the copying of documentation in section 22.3 &4). That’s even if the question is one of criminal law. The only exception I remember is just cause based on the reasonable belief that a crime is in the process of being committed.

    So why do the human rights people in my province apparently have the right to perform warrantless investigations, demanding even the ability to compel response without the presence of a lawyer,  on private property for the sake of a quasi-judicial complaint, when the police can’t even do that when investigating (one would assume more egregious) criminal activity?

    I may need to write a letter to my MHA.

  • The sin of being Male, Single, Christian, and 34?

    11954316141208574182movie_genre_romance_patr_01.svg.med It usually takes time for me to respond to things (as no doubt the few remaining readers to this blog probably know). So it’s not surprising that as I listened to my ipod today, to a program that was “live” on radio about a week ago, I found myself needing to respond to something.

    The actual podcast was about North American demographic shifts and the (apparently lamentable) trend of people putting off marriage into their late 20s or (gasp) their mid thirties. The program also seemed to have a culprit for the problem, which is those shiftless, unworking, uncaring single Christian males.

    Of course, I actually somewhat agree. There is a problem when the vast majority of guys I know (Christian and otherwise) would much rather level the jewelcrafting skill on their undead mage instead of get social with the opposite sex and possibly begin a family with them when they’re in their late 20s. That said, there are some other facets of modern life that may be affecting the situation that isn’t based on the laziness or lack of courage in the typical Christian male.

    In the first place, it’s not a picnic being a single man in my line of work. It seems to me that protestants make the reverse mistake of Catholics when they expect their Church leaders to be married (apparently so that they can recruit the erstwhile mate into Church activity). The result is that, even if I want to be married (I do), there aren’t a lot of women lining up to be married to a (likely poor) pastor and have to face the judgement of a congregation week in and week out.

    This is especially the case if you are a guy who is attracted to (as I am) intelligent opinionated women. I honestly do not do well when the person I am spending time with has no desire to engage in conversation deeper than the weather, or how good she looks. It’s further complicated by the fact that a pastor needs to actually marry a fairly mature Christian, and if you’re of my theological ilk, one who would prefer that I work hard to be the main breadwinner.

    Culture in 21st century Canada is not positive to any of these requirements, and most of the women I know who meet some of these necessities, don’t meet others, and in the rare cases of a woman who reaches this age meeting all of those facets, they’re most likely called to ministry in a place that I am not (serious Christians seem to get serious about what God calls them to in life).

    So what am I trying to say? Sure, I agree that there are cultural problems leading to Christian guys putting off marriage, and there is a sense in which many Christian guys use the Christian moniker as a reason to be a wuss, but those aren’t the only reasons for a Christian guy to be single into his 30s.

    Christians are called to glorify God in all they do, and especially in marriage, which is a picture of the love between Christ and the Church (meaning a bad marriage preaches a false Gospel). Given that situation, and the shallowness of western Christian culture in many places, don’t be surprised if it takes us guys some time to find women they feel they can create a good marriage with, and that they are careful in finding one.

    Singleness is not evil, and it is not necessarily an example of a man unable to commit, or in an extended adolescence. Maybe it is just the way God has written that man’s life story to His greater glory.

    Soli Deo Gloria. 

  • Quote of the Day

    “A lot of young people grew up in a culture of brokenness, divorce, drugs or sexual temptation. They have plenty of friends: what they need is a God.”

    Collin Hansen, Quoted in Time Magazine, March 23, 2009.

  • Online Reading (Feb 20, 2009)

    Culture: Poet Laureate bemoans the lack of understanding of some of the basic founts of western culture.

    Finance: apparently people are worried that the U.S. government may start nationalizing banks. Given the new U.S. president, and the American stimulus package, should this be a surprise?

    Development: Despite our hopes that the internet would allow developing countries to take part in scientific development, a study finds that isn’t always the case.

    Free Speech: People are blowing this story out of proportion. Given the problems inherent in balancing rights with the public good, it’s not surprising some people make mistakes.

  • The Shoulders of Giants

    I’m generally seen as a reader. I’m one of those annoying people who actually likes to sometimes sit down and read a book cover to cover. But dear reader, I have a confession to make; I do not read nearly as  much as I believe I should. I have been recently picking my way through 3 books in addition to my Bible reading, and in many cases I am left, well, humbled. The writers of these books are brilliant, and even where I disagree, I have a sneaking suspicion that the arguments and ideas underlying what these people say are far more nuanced and well thought than my critiques of them.

    The reason I think I know this is simple, I am reading books that are generally time tested. People have (in some cases) found these books useful for years, and by slowly and carefully reading them, I am learning why. Dostoyevsky’s understanding of the human condition is far more searing than I had believed (and more current than most would want to admit), and Calvin’s philosophical rigour is far stronger than many of the present debates surrounding the theology that bears his name. I disagree with them, but I am richer for the time with them.

    These people are “giants” in their respective fields, and many say that we in the present stand on the shoulders of giants to see the world as we see it now. That is true, we have been brought to our present understanding by these great thinkers and writers (as well as many others), but I worry that my formerly (and even presently) superficial reading of each is somehow stunting my ability to see the world we have as their legacy. I can honestly feel the temptation to skim what I’m reading, or to judge them when they disagree, because they often question my own understanding. I keep wanting to take shortcuts.

    To truly stand on the shoulders of giants, it seems, my own understanding has a lot of climbing to do.

    GiantsKircher