Wonderful Matters

I can't keep it in. I have to put up a good rant in a post about The Hunger Games . A long time ago my best friend came up with an honor for movies that really stink up the place. It's called the Slap Shot award after watching the Paul Newman film about ice hockey that had him squirming in his seat it was so bad. This happened to me tonight watching The Hunger Games . I was squirming the entire evening. I didn't leave because I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I stayed for the agonizing duration. I'd actually heard that there were some profound insights in it and interesting things to think about. I discovered that there were none. It wasn't enlightening or edifying in any way. Oh what about Katniss caring so much about her sister that she's goes in for her, that's kind of a Christ-figure kind-of thing to do? Yeah, but so what -- any film can have that, and lots do. Eh. I will say that there was the idea about the way the World Syste...

I was browsing in a bookstore today, and happened upon last week's edition of Newsweek. The cover featured a picture of a modern-day urban working class Jesus hittin' the streets. The title blazing across the middle of the page: "Forget the Church, Follow Jesus, by Andrew Sullivan." I haven't read the piece, but knowing a bit about Newsweek, and knowing a bit about Andrew Sullivan, I can pretty much tell you what's in it. Let me guess. It'll talk about how the Christian church, or any organized religious institution (don't want to be ecclesiastically insensitive now), is just not meeting the needs of people. It'll say that we just need to get back to the Jesus who told us about love and peace and equality and democracy and really touched us with transcendent meaning. Most likely he included some conciliatory stuff to assuage the worries from that group of Jesus appreciators, and some other niceties to appease this other group of Jesus affeciona...

Found this brief review by Paul Craig Roberts of a book that pulls no punches in speaking of Cain's Administrative Authority as all about human sacrifice, here referred to as something I've often called it: value extraction . Nothing much to say about it, except to draw attention to a work that merely elucidates the reality of World System activity. I should add, however, the disclaimer that I don't in any way censure what the World System does, as so many do including Mr. Roberts (from the smattering of what I've read of his). I only point out for purposes of understanding. Radical Selfists rant and rail against it as if they can change it, Devout Romanists defend with all sorts of casuistry, often the two intertwine to cause great confusion only to give richer voice to those who pull them further under their thumbs. I merely encourage readers to consider the Kingdom approach . To observe it with insightful understanding, pray for those immersed in it in whatever ...