With the heat we have here this time of year the two water bottles I carry aren't enough for a long ride. I like this guy's solution. Works on several levels.One of the unexpected benefits of the new water point is great air conditioning. They had to take out the AC unit to get to the water pump which means they had to recharge the system when they put it back in. I'm not sure that's a benefit that removes the sting of that repair bill but it is nice to back the fan off from its highest setting.
Adding a 1/2 cup of rice to Al's 2 cups of food (twice daily) seems to make a big difference.
Here's a pic I took of Al the other day. Can you figure it out?
He's sleeping (with his eyes open) and has his feet against the wall. That's an area rug "behind" him. Almost looks like he's running, huh?
We had a road runner in the back yard the other day but I couldn't get a pic of him before he took off. Don't know if he saw Wiley E. somewhere.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. We'll have communion early in the service and it will be done in light of our look at 1 Cor. 11 last week. I wish we had an environment more conducive to the weightiness of the observance but God's people can get it right, even in a dance studio. We just have to work a little harder at it. For music as we celebrate the Eucharist I'm using a version of "Amazing Grace" done by the Soweto Choir off of the album "Bemba Praise." Outstanding.
Amnesty International is upset with Saudi Arabia. They just executed a criminal, which in that country is done by beheading. After the execution they sew the head back on the body and display it on top of a pole for several hours.
The criminal had been tried and convicted of kidnapping an 11-year old boy, raping him and then killing him. When the boy's father showed up looking for his son he too was murdered.
So what has Amnesty International upset? That they executed the man, at least according to this account.
A.I., of course, considers any use of capital punishment a grievous violation of human rights. Many Christians agree, understanding Christ's statements about murder and about forgiving those who sin against us as a repudiation of the Mosaic Law's instructions to put certain criminals to death. Alas, that view doesn't square with the OT text or with the standard rules of interpretation re. the teachings of Christ. (In each relevant context he's speaking to individual behavior, not the conduct of the state.) Nor does it take account of Rom 13 where Paul says Bod's will is that we obey our rulers because the govt. doesn't bear the sword without purpose.
But what caught my attention about this story was the display of the man's body after his execution. Interesting. I wondered why A.I. didn't object to that, and maybe they did and it just didn't get into this story. But the guy was dead, so the worst that could be said is that it desecrated his body. If you oppose capital punishment, the issue of desecration an executed body is secondary.
Genesis 11 tells us that the objective of capital punishment is justice. That's important and needs to be the focal point of any proponent's argument. But it can also have value as a deterrent. I remember my grandmother saying that if we executed those convicted of capital offenses within a week of their conviction (allowing for a full appeals process) it would be a much more effective deterrent to others who might be tempted to commit the same crimes. But years, decades on death row create a disconnect between crime and punishment. A public display of the body would also aid that deterrent value.
This may surprise you: the OT guidlines included the display of the executed criminal's body. See Deut. 21:22 as an example.
Certainly the exonerations that have come as a result of DNA evidence give us pause. We need to continue to critique our justice system and procedures. But there are cases where no reasonable person could argue with an individual's guilt. And while there may be issues related to accurate reporting of statistics, the rate of violent crime in Saudi Arabia in miniscule compared to ours.
Hmmm.
Adding a 1/2 cup of rice to Al's 2 cups of food (twice daily) seems to make a big difference.
Here's a pic I took of Al the other day. Can you figure it out?
He's sleeping (with his eyes open) and has his feet against the wall. That's an area rug "behind" him. Almost looks like he's running, huh?We had a road runner in the back yard the other day but I couldn't get a pic of him before he took off. Don't know if he saw Wiley E. somewhere.
I'm looking forward to tomorrow morning. We'll have communion early in the service and it will be done in light of our look at 1 Cor. 11 last week. I wish we had an environment more conducive to the weightiness of the observance but God's people can get it right, even in a dance studio. We just have to work a little harder at it. For music as we celebrate the Eucharist I'm using a version of "Amazing Grace" done by the Soweto Choir off of the album "Bemba Praise." Outstanding.
Amnesty International is upset with Saudi Arabia. They just executed a criminal, which in that country is done by beheading. After the execution they sew the head back on the body and display it on top of a pole for several hours.
The criminal had been tried and convicted of kidnapping an 11-year old boy, raping him and then killing him. When the boy's father showed up looking for his son he too was murdered.
So what has Amnesty International upset? That they executed the man, at least according to this account.
A.I., of course, considers any use of capital punishment a grievous violation of human rights. Many Christians agree, understanding Christ's statements about murder and about forgiving those who sin against us as a repudiation of the Mosaic Law's instructions to put certain criminals to death. Alas, that view doesn't square with the OT text or with the standard rules of interpretation re. the teachings of Christ. (In each relevant context he's speaking to individual behavior, not the conduct of the state.) Nor does it take account of Rom 13 where Paul says Bod's will is that we obey our rulers because the govt. doesn't bear the sword without purpose.
But what caught my attention about this story was the display of the man's body after his execution. Interesting. I wondered why A.I. didn't object to that, and maybe they did and it just didn't get into this story. But the guy was dead, so the worst that could be said is that it desecrated his body. If you oppose capital punishment, the issue of desecration an executed body is secondary.
Genesis 11 tells us that the objective of capital punishment is justice. That's important and needs to be the focal point of any proponent's argument. But it can also have value as a deterrent. I remember my grandmother saying that if we executed those convicted of capital offenses within a week of their conviction (allowing for a full appeals process) it would be a much more effective deterrent to others who might be tempted to commit the same crimes. But years, decades on death row create a disconnect between crime and punishment. A public display of the body would also aid that deterrent value.
This may surprise you: the OT guidlines included the display of the executed criminal's body. See Deut. 21:22 as an example.
Certainly the exonerations that have come as a result of DNA evidence give us pause. We need to continue to critique our justice system and procedures. But there are cases where no reasonable person could argue with an individual's guilt. And while there may be issues related to accurate reporting of statistics, the rate of violent crime in Saudi Arabia in miniscule compared to ours.
Hmmm.
1 comment:
If those were bottles of Fat Tire Ale maybe he wouldn't have to worry about getting a flat cause he'd always have a an extra Fat Tire. He might not be able to instal it on his bike but after the fifth bottle, he wouldn't care.
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