God did give us sexuality. He told Adam and Eve to multiply. He said a man and wife should cleave together and become one flesh. But, clearly, the Bible shows sexuality can be perverted by humans. The Old Testament shows many examples of this. And the law of the Old Testament gives long lists of sexual conduct that is prohibited. Guess what is one of them.

Alarminly, Paul portrays homosexuality as God giving the depraved over to their own devices. It makes it sound like the bottom of the barrel, as if you don't get there until you otherwise have lost your way completely. It is ironic, then, that Robinson and others could claim to have a real relationship with God, who himself views that lifestyle as depraved.

Of course, the church is full of sinners. But, sinners who are converted and transformed by the power of God are supposed to put off the old self of sin and put on the righteousness of God. To be a bishop, a leader of believers, one must live an exemplary life. And he should be doctrinally sound. Robinson is neither, and revels in it, as does some of his flock, who brag about him.

The Episcopal church must decide what it will be. Will it be the Corinthian church, bragging about its broad mindedness, tolerating a man living in open and notorious sin? Paul condemned it. God will condemn it again.

The Fort Worth Star Telegram ran a nice piece today on the conflict in Episcopal circles over the ordination of homosexual priests. The story was by Tim Madigan. He used the contrast between local bishop Jack Iker, a conservative, and Gene Robinson, who is about to be ordained in New Hampshire. Iker, of course, opposes the ordination, citing 2000 years of church history and the Bible. Robinson cites nothing except his emotions.

Anyone who has looked at the issue knows the Bible lands rather hard on homosexuality. Paul wrote "Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For the exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire towards one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. See Romans 1:24-27 and it goes on further.

The church in general has held to this view, as Iker says, for about 2000 years without serious question. Only as the homosexual movement has gained steam in the U.S. in the last few decades has this become debatable.

Robinson originally married and had two daughters. He divorced and left his family to live the homosexual life. He eventually moved in with another man.

Robinson is quoted as saying: I don't believe in a God who would give us the gift of sexuality, then tell an entire class of people not to utilize or benefit from that.

The problem is, if God is God, Robinson does not get to define him in Robinson's image. If he does not believe in God, he should not be a minister. For what we have as God's word plainly says God does not approve of homosexuality. The God Robinson believes in is not in the Bible.

The economy continues to perk up. It grew 2.4% in the second quarter. Keep up the good work, Mr. President.

I guess my spammer got tired. No spam today.

Yea, Blogger is back up. I was posting like mad today, then the system went down.

When Bob Hope’s wife asked him where he wanted to be buried, he said “surprise me”. You gotta love the guy.

The man arrested for killing Baylor basketball player Patrick Dennehy is already laying the groundwork for an insanity defense. He says he was hearing voices. Why is it “The Voices” never say “don’t do it, it’s wrong”?

Everyone has an issue. Now we have nude bikers. They had their first rally in Tennessee. And, of course, the first thing they had to say was, this isn’t lewd, it’s just natural. Here are a couple of thoughts. First, do you know how hot those seats get? Second, since almost all bikers ride in costume, doesn’t this defeat the whole purpose? I mean, no bandanas, no black leather, no boots, means no biker. Third, ewwww. Fourth, at least it guarantees no one else wants to sit on your bike.

Last night I saw a show about an interesting motorcycle. It was supposed to be the fastest. I can’t remember the name. It had Japanese characters on the faring. It would go 190 mph. They showed this guy hunkered down on a gold one, riding through curves and accelerating down the road. They didn’t show him hitting oil on the road and falling and sliding 17 miles at that speed, being reduced to the cole slaw. They also didn’t show him slamming head first into a truck like one of my friends. So, it looked fun.

I think George Bush should consider getting one. Because, you know, lots of people think he is too conservative and stodgy. (I’m not one of these, by the way.) You know, he opposes gay marriage and wants to limit it to the way it has been done for thousands of years. Also, he wants to go after bad guys around the world. In 2003, this is stodgy. He does not play the saxophone or show up on late night television. He doesn’t have sex with young interns in the hallway or have old girlfriends show up in nasty magazines. But, think of him showing up at some town for a speech on this fancy, gold motorcycle. How could you accuse him of being too conservative? He would roar up at 190 mph in matching leathers and a helmet and deliver a speech. Not nekkid, though. That would be just too much.

The Texas Democrats have dropped to number two on the Hall of Shame list for this week. Number one has been assumed by Donna L. Walker of Topeka, Kansas. Donna called the parents of a young girl who vanished in 1986 and told them she might be their missing daughter. She wasn’t and she knew it. It was a hoax. What would lead a person to such shameful, vile behaviour. The parents, of course, have gone from stunned to devastated. How could you do this to someone? I am trying to think of a punishment for this woman that could possibly be appropriate, and, so far, I can’t.

The Spammer is still at it. If only the Texas Democrat Senators worked this hard. I thought maybe Wortec, the Spammer, had fallen down on the job, as I only had 140 e-mail from them when I left for the day. But, they worked hard into the night. So, guess what, we have a new record! They sent a total of 219 e-mails to me yesterday advertising DVD Magick Pro. I think the record might fall again today, though, because they are starting out strongly. By 9:45 am I already had 101 e-mails.

I just has a thought. What if it is secretly the Democratic Senators who are sending the e-mails. I mean, what else do they have to do? They are sitting up in a hotel in New Mexico eating huevos rancheros and drinking coffee. They're probably bored, right. They probably have a state issued lap top and their in the lobby madly e-mailing their critics. Probably also inviting lobbyists to come up and buy them lunch. It's gotta be hard buying your own lunch when you aren't used to it. The hotel staff told the paper the way they knew the Senators were there were they saw all these people walking around with their hand out.

California is engaged in a recall. Texas needs a recall, too. We need to recall the Democrats to their jobs in the Legislature. Thanks, Dems, for making us look like a banana republic by running off to other states while you are supposed to be working. I know we don't pay much, but you're stealing our money. Come home, quit whining, and go to work. So, while Canada tops my Hall of Shame Country List, the Texas Democratic Senators top my Hall of Shame Individual List so far this week.

But, the Republicans in the Senate and the Light Governor aren't far behind. Use the tools you have, and force the legislation. So far, this has been close to a total failure. You should all have to send your salaries back and go get real jobs.

I'm up to 140 e-mails received today from the slime balls at DVD Magick Pro. That makes 351 for the last two days. I expect to get a ransom note at any time, saying "Either buy this software or we'll spam you to death."

Good post today by David Heddle on the value of the Old Testament. David says he is back to blogging. I hope so. His articles are always well thought and well written.

But, the Good News is: the air conditioning is back on! (Stop for shouting and dancing) I slept so hard last night I could hardly get up this morning.

And The Prize Goes To: Wertec International PLC, operating as DVD Magick Pro. Whoever these idiots are, they won the prize yesterday for the most spam I have ever received. 211 total e-mails. But, hold on! They are going for a new record today. Already they have sent 88 e-mails to my box. It's a shame, though, that these people live such sad and pathetic lives that they have nothing else to do but send out a lot of e-mails. It's enough to bring tears to a glass eye. Even Sarte would find their existence less meaningful than theirs.

The Little Woman called to say we all got letters from the College Daughter, who is in Colorado working at a camp. Bet she is cooler than we are. I miss her so much! I got spoiled with her being home, even though I seldom saw her more than an hour or two per day. But, we had some good talks. And there were a few times she put her head on my shoulder. I hope the camp understands what a treasure she is and treats her accordingly. She will cast light wherever she goes.

The air conditioner guys are at the house! That is the good news. The bad news is, they say if they have to get a part to fix it, it will have to be tomorrow. Off to Mom's house!

We've hit 155 on the spam count.

Lance Armstrong has True Grit. What a thrill to seem him get up after a fall and charge up the mountain. What an accomplishment to win 5 consecutive Tours. The Ullrich challenge was certainly tough. Americans have a genuine sports hero in Armstrong and should celebrate him with a ticker tape parade.

Okay, it's official. Canada has moved into the number 3 spot, behind only Germany and France, as nations who have become utterly stupid and should not be allowed to address the outside world. Canada is considering legislation that will brand the Bible as hate literature because it opposes homosexuality. The Koran is ok, however, as it only advocates killing Christians and Jews, not criticizing people who like to have sex with their own gender. Meanwhile, protesters in Montreal vandalized a McDonalds to protest globalization. Here is a thought, if you don't like globalization, what business is it of yours if Malaysia wants a McDonalds? Why should Canadians get to say who gets to eat a Big Mac?

The erstwhile protestors also gratuitously damaged a BMW parked on the street. I couldn't quite figure that out. Was it that they thought the owner was a Globalist? Or because the car was German? Or, because it was there? What if the car was owned by a fellow antil-Globalization guy? Then you hurt your own. Is this all because there are lots of French people in Canada?

Of course, the Air Conditioner guys still haven't arrived at the house.

I'm up to the 137th e-mail received today from DVD Magick Pro. If you are interested, they have a website at www.blitzwave.biz. I found out who they are. It is a company in Hong Kong named Wertec International PLC. I e-mailed them and complained. Then received 5 more e-mails. I have also complained to their registration sponsor and to SpamCop. So, we'll see.

Up to 116 e-mails from DVD Magick Pro from 238388@bigfoot.com. Their website is appropriately named: blitzware.biz.

By the way, is it legal to copy a DVD? Don't they come up with the scary federal law message at the beginning? Maybe I should notify somebody.

If you do know these folks, please e-mail me at lthompson@tarrantcounty.com.

The air conditioning is still off. The repair company used by the warranty company says they will have someone out today between noon and 5pm. It has been off since Wednesday night. My gracious mother put us up over the weekend. When we called the company to see if they could get out sooner, the person said “Well, it isn’t a matter of life and death is it?” They have all been so rude and unhelpful, I want to say yes, either get out here or I’m going to kill someone. But, in today’s atmosphere, that would lead to interviews with the boys in blue.

I’m still being spammed by DVD Magick Pro. They sent 36 e-mails Sunday, and have already sent 100 today. Does anyone know these folks?

A warning about home warranties: they don't contract with enough service people! Our air conditioner is on the blink, but they cannot get anyone there until Monday. It is 150 out there! I have called, and I can get someone out to the house, but they won't pay for it unless it is their contractor. Pray for cold air.

The Baby comes home today from Student Council Camp. Yeah! She has been gone over 2 weeks with her church trip and this. I have really missed her. To make it worse, I was at church yesterday and ran into her former Sunday School teacher, who went on and on about what a great kid she was and all the neat things she had done. That only made me miss her worse. She is really the sweetest child. Look for us at Starbucks tonight.

"...[we] uncovered vast unknown, undeclared uranium enrichment progammes in the billion dollar range and documentary evidence of an advanced nuclear weapons development programme. This is a direct and flagrant violation of Iraq's non-proliferation pledge." Hans Blix in 1991 speech to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Blix was director of the International Atomic Energy Agency from 1981 to 1997, in charge of overseeing inspections of Iraq's nuclear program. Iraq hid this advanced nuclear program from Blix and the IAEA during his whole tenure. It was discovered only after the first war. Blix admits "It's correct to say that the IAEA was fooled by the Iraqi's."

Let's all sing that refrain from the Who song: We won't be fooled again!

Some drink deeply at the fountain of knowledge; others merely gargle.

A zoo in Argentina has turned a polar bear purple. You can see a picture on Yahoo News or AP Photos. I wonder if they call him Barney.

There has been another outbreak of stupid in Germany. A poll shows one third of Germans believed the U. S. staged the 9-11 attacks. The French may be arrogant and conniving, but this indicates a mental defect of huge proportions. The Germans should check their water for toxic chemicals. Everyone in the world should immediately exclude the Germans from any deliberations that require rational thought. If they keep this up, I may dislike them even more than the French. No, not really.

I keep getting spammed by a guy selling software to copy DVDs. I've gotten well over 100 e-mails from this guy. He must think it is fun, because surely he doesn't think he'll wear down my resistance and make me buy them. I've contacted his e-mail providers and complained. Earthlink was very responsive. MSN keeps telling me they need more information. If he spams me again from MSN, I may just forward them all to them and see if that is enough information.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. As Hillary Clinton has used her husband's fame to further her political fortunes, she now has been caught up in the backwash of his bad behavior. Remember Gennifer Flowers? She came forward during the first presidential campaign to claim an affair with Mr. Clinton, complete with more details than a Southern Baptist ever needed. Now she has filed suit againt Mrs. Clinton, claiming she orchestrated a smear campaign against her. The judge is allowing the suit to proceed. It is filed in federal district court in Nevada.

I have to give Mrs. Clinton credit for bravery. I don't think I could show my face in public if my spouse had done half the things hers had admitted to. She not only goes out in public, she trades on it. I guess that is what she and Ms. Flowers have in common.

Canada is showing an unusual amount of backbone over the death of Zahra Kazemi. The Iranians are upset that Canada is upset that the Iranians beat her to death for being a reporter. It's a thing Arab countries do. They kill people, imprison them without trial, torture them, then get upset if you notice. Canada has protested the murder, evidently done by some branch of the Iranian police. Iran has now demanded that Canada withdraw their ambassador. (The ambassador is probably saying "Yes! A return to air conditioning and bathing!") More and more attention is being focused on the sorry state of affairs in Iran. Let's hope Canada keeps its backbone and continues to apply attention and pressure on this branch of the Axis of Evil.

Not a lotta bloggin’ goin’ on, I know. I’ve been out of town, then trying to catch up at work. Actually, I had a long post yesterday that disappeared into cyberspace.

Last week, the Little Woman and I went to the Hill Country with our good friend, Mike Pullin. Mike arranged for us to use a cabin owned by one of his relatives. It was out in the middle of no-where, surrounded by live oak and other trees. Thanks, Mike.

The Hill Country is God’s gracious gift to Texans. It is beautiful, especially to a West Texas boy used to dusty plains and tumbleweeds. The landscape rolls from hills to valleys to canyons. Limestone juts out of ridges, hollows into caves, and channels clear, cool water in streams and rivers all over the area. Live Oak trees abound, along with Yaupon and Agarita and prickly pear. Deer and other wildlife abounds. Thanks, God, for giving it to us and letting us enjoy it.

Yet another sign that things are different in France than the USA. Lance Armstrong and other riders in the Tour were stopped today by protesters. The race officials held that to be a normal race incident and refused to adjust their times. A protest is a normal race incident? I guess so in a country where the unions often strangle normal life, letting garbage pile up, and where teachers overturn cars and stop traffic on highways. Oh, but the French are sophisticated, you see. We Americans do not understand that is a better way of life.

The last two days have been weird. Yesterday, I found a forged identification card in my office indicating that someone masquerading as a janitor had been in. Nothing is missing, but we are investigating. Yesterday afternoon, someone hacked my computer and deleted a whole directory. It was done, not from my terminal, but from someone on the network. Then, today, a company has been spamming my e-mail all day with advertisements for software the copies dvd's. I gotten 60 or so by now. The same company spammed me from Earthlink a few weeks ago. Today they are coming from msn, although the address on the e-mails has been doctored to appear to come from aol. I contacted msn to complain. It all reminds me of one of my favorite adages: just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you.

Al Qaeda now claims credit for attacks on American troops in Iraq. This might make it hard for those who say the President never proved contacts between Iraq and Al Qaeda.

Speaking of people that don't like America, try the Socialist Republic of Oregon. A school in Ashland is refusing to fly the American flag because it might offend people. State law actually requires the flag to be flown at schools, so, in addition to being flagrantly un-American, they are violating state law. Next time the left says we really love America, we just want changes, tell them, if they can't even fly the flag, they can't claim to be patriots.

Jeffrey Jones, the character actor, in his case for taking nude pictures of a minor: I'm sorry that this incident was allowed to occur. Such an event has never happened before, and it will never happen again. I hate this kind of talk. Notice the passive nature of it. He never says I'm sorry I did this. Rather, an incident was allowed to occur. The judge should not take a plea based on this statement, as it does not assume responsibility. He should be required to say "I'm sorry I did this vile, sorry act. I won't ever do it again. If I do, kill me."

This is depressing. Cost of Government Day is now July 11, 2003. That is how long you have to work to pay your taxes and such, before you start earning money you can spend. Give me a break. We need a Republican president! Oh, yeah, well.

On this, the second anniversary of student uprisings in Iran, we hope and pray for freedom for that ancient country. In 1979, those deluded people traded the devil they knew for the devils they did not know. Since that time, the smallest of freedoms have been denied to the very people that brought the mullahs to power. Now, students again are rising in protest. Politicians have begun to question the repressiveness of the regime. Even some religious figures believe the anvil of oppression should be lifted.
But, such advocacy comes at a high price. Suppression is common. Arrest is no surprise. Death always lurks for those who oppose the religious leaders. Students were threatened with massacre if they protested today in honor of the anniversary. But, there is no other way. No country has ever been liberated without the loss of blood and life. Our own freedom was bought with blood. And not just that of famous patriots revered in history books. But by farmers and shopkeepers who took up rifles and threw themselves into the breach between the oppression of England and the compelling love of freedom that beat in the hearts of their friends and families.
One grand patriot recognized it. He had been a shopkeeper, then a farmer, then a lawyer. He said “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Patrick Henry thus launched himself into the fight. Will the desire for freedom burn this bright in the breast of the Iranians? Time will tell. But we wish them well.

How bad is it in school nationwide? Less than one half are proficient in reading. Among seniors, 82% are not proficient in science. Among 8th graders, more than 40% cannot understand general information from science. About 40% of them cannot search for specific information in reading material. About 20% of black students are proficient or advanced in reading. For whites, it is about 34%. Makes you want to join the NEA, doesn't it. And they wonder why people are flooding to private schools. If you are Black, you should definitely support vouchers for private schools. Forget the NEA nonsensical objections. Support vouchers, take your kids to the hardest private school you can find and try to reverse this trend. A Black child who cannot read will not make it in the adult world. And all the affirmative action in the world won't save him.

From the "duh!" category: The president of the National Education Association acknowledges that the union is left-wing politically and 90 percent pro-Democrat. I would only add, "and bearing a large part of the responsibility for the sad state of our schools".

Gephardt's reactions are symptomatic of an illness in our country. He wants to be president so badly, and wants the Republicans to fail so desparately, that he will criticize anything. If the president says "it's a beautiful morning", Gephardt will stand in front of the cameras and say "the President should spend less time spouting off cliches and more time cleaning up the environment". The fact is, the President is trying to make America more secure. He is doing that at home and abroad. And we want to be more secure, do we not? No longer can we sing "Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears", for we have cried long and hard for those killed in New York City, and for their surviving families, after a brutal attack.

I have not heard any plans from Mr. Gephardt. I have heard plans for the stabilization of Iraq from the administration, and plans for the protection of our Country. Although the Democrats claimed the war in Iraq would take away from the war of terrorists (as if they were not part of the same battle), that has not been the case. But you do not hear Mr. Gephardt mention that, do you? There have been no other attacks on American soil, despite all of the plans and attempts. Michelle Malkin points out that more than 20 al Qaeda members have been arrested in our country. More than 100 others have been convicted of terrorism related charges. Over 500 people have been deported and hundreds have been prevented from entering the country. We constantly hear of plots foiled abroad with U.S. assistance, suspects arrested, and lives saved. Thank you Mr. President and all involved.

Also, thank you to all who served or serve in Iraq and around the world in the causes of our country. As the song says "O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved, and mercy more than life. America! America! May God thy gold refine, till all success be nobleness and every gain divine! May God bless and keep every one of you and may he fill our hearts with gratitude for you. And may our leaders have the grace and courage to work for the benefit of this grand country more than their own ambitions.

Herr Gephardt is also taking issue with the President's "bring 'em on" comment. Gephardt says "we should be focused on a long term security plan that reduces the danger to our military personel." We are, Dick. We call it the campaign to re-elect President Bush.

So it seems they found this Nazi in Michigan. He's been hiding in a stairwell. He only came out to volunteer to work for Dick Gehphardt. When DG said he would overrule the Supreme Court with executive orders, the Nazi came out and volunteered to carry out the orders.

Speaking of Nazi insults, the Italian Prime Minister, who is the current president of the EU, called one of the Germans a Nazi. The German, a socialist, was highly insulted. These are the same guys that called our president Hitler. I guess it takes one to know one in Germany.

You have probably heard that our friends the French have removed the American flags and emblems from the Normandy museum. The rumor today is that France has hired Baghdad Bob to be the official spokesman of the republic. His first statement in his new capacity: No Americans died in the liberation of France, in fact no Americans were here at all. France did not need liberating. France was luring Germany into a trap and waiting for the right moment to spring it on the unsuspecting Nazis. But the war unfortunately ended and Germany withdrew to avoid repurcussions and France never had the opportunity to act.

"I do not come into this pulpit hoping that perhaps somebody will of his own free will return to Christ. My hope lies in another quarter. I hope that my Master will lay hold of some of them and say, 'You are mine, and you shall be mine. I claim you for myself.' My hope arises from the freeness of grace, and not from the freedom of the will."—Charles H. Spurgeon

Vancouver, Canada, will host the 2010 Olympics. Does this come with some guarantee they will let all the contestants in? Given their recent actions, you would have to worry if the Africans and Columbians could get in. But, maybe that is only if they are religious. We'll have to ask.

"Last week's Supreme Court decisions, allowing states to use racial preferences to promote blacks and striking down the Texas anti-sodomy law, testify to three decades of failure of Republican presidents to restore that court to constitutionalism. " Those words of Pat Buchanan point out the frustrating truth that our appointed judges have not stayed true to those who appointed them or to the American people. The Court continues to be left of middle America, despite appointments by Republican presidents. Of course, Bush Sr.'s appointment of Souter was a washout and everyone knew at the time that Souter was no conservative. But, neither was Bush Sr. O'Connor has become at least a moderate if not worse. All in all, the Court is a disappointment to conservatives and to most Americans.

Happy Canada Day. On this special day, what are our tolerant, liberal neighbors to the north doing? They are denying visas to Lutherans. The Lutheran World Federation plans to have its 10th Assembly in Winnipeg. However, Canada has denied visas to 25 of the delegates. Most of these delegates are Lutheran Bishops, mind you. Those denied are mostly from Africa, with one from Columbia, and, oddly enough, the Czech Republic. The reason for the denial: the government is afraid the Lutherans will stay! Now, you could understand a liberal and secular country like Canada not wanting to be overrun by a bunch of religious people, even for a few days. But, of course, the reason is the national origin of the applicants. The Swedish and German Lutherans are not having any problems.

It also turns out that the Canadians did this same thing for World Youth Day. Around 6000 young people were denied entry into the country for the visit of the Pope. Again, many of these were from Africa. So, can we infer that the Canadians are more tolerant in word than in deed?

The reason I say it is odd that the Canadians are refusing a visa to the Lutheran delegate from the Czech Republic is that dozens of Canadians are in the Czech Republic for the meeting of the Olympic committee. It seems the Czechs are more hospitable than the Canadians.

Some threats have been made to cancel the Assembly due to the exclusions. This would be embarassing, because the postal service in Canada is issuing a stamp to commerate the meeting. Maybe it should feature a picture of Africans being denied entry into the country.