I'll say more about him in a minute but I wanted to say this before you get bored of the post and move on (!).......something he said on TV recently really stopped me in my tracks: "When we are answering for our faith, we must answer the QUESTIONER not the QUESTION." He is so right. Figure out why the questioner asked that question; what touched that person, what motivated that person to care about asking that question? Answers can be given, but touching hearts is going to make the difference.
I highly recommend his autobiography (a fabulous read) and this book which has a section of Q&A that you won't want to miss. I believe none of his excellent books will disappoint you. He is THE BEST. As smart as they come, honestly.
Here is part of CAN MAN LIVE WITHOUT GOD? that I wanted to give as an example:
First, he quotes King Crimson (the rock group some of us remember...and some of us had drinks with :-)) "Knowledge is a deadly friend when no one sets the rules; the fate of all mankind I see is in the hands of fools." He goes on to say that the quote "...brings to my mind the touching reminder of a recent town-hall meeting after the city of Atlanta had experienced one of the bloodiest months of murder in its modern history. One after another, several of these hurt and victimized young people stood up and pleaded with their elders and politicians to 'please bring God and prayer back into our schools' while the city and civic leaders looked on helplessly, hoping that other, more socially acceptable solutions would be forthcoming. The heaviest price exacted from a society living without God is paid by its young people."
He goes on...that Dennis Prager once asked atheistic philosopher Jonathan Glover "If you were stranded at the midnight hour in a desolate Los Angeles street and if, as you stepped out of your car with fear and trembling, you were suddenly to hear the weight of pounding footsteps behind you, and you saw ten burly young men who had just stepped out of a dwelling coming toward you, would it or would it not make a difference to you to know that they were coming from a Bible study?"
No question about most of your answers, right?
"The Lord detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness." Proverbs 15:9
Buy a Ravi Zacharias book today! I promise you won't be disappointed and, in fact, you'll really be lifted up. He's utterly brilliant, he has clarity, he's a total academic, he loves God...Can you tell I'm a fan!?
Happy Sunday!
Z
67 comments:
Great read, Z! Great question at the end, too.
Have a great Sunday!
"We could have TONY BLAIR here and we'd only get 3000 on a weeknight.........we have 10,000 here tonight, what's up?"
-----------
Gives you an idea of how popular Blair is. Say goodbye to New Labor and good riddance.
"... would it or would it not make a difference to you to know that they were coming from a Bible study?"
--------
... or a community policing meeting.
Z - I belive that one thing we could use more of in our world are credible evangelists - ones that can reach people with the Message without coming across as if they are 'selling' something and will personally benefit from the deal.
~~~
I also thought - as I do often - that I must be in 'age denial.' I look at picture of a man or woman and think: Oh, that person is 'older.' Ravi Zacharias is a year younger than I am and my hair is as white as his. I guess I need to look in the mirror more often. :=)
Have a great Sunday, Z.
Brooke, isn't it? Thanks.
Ducky, you made me laugh out loud because that's exactly what I thought someone would say. You don't really miss the points when you try so hard to obfuscate, do you? It would be a kind of shame for you. :-(
Sue, he's more credible than credible.
Duncy
You can get Noam Chimpanzee or Norman Finkola and get lower turnout.
Around 1/8 of the people there would be to tell the commies to drop dead.
I have heard a sermon of Zacharias on my way to VT. There is a long stretch in Adirondack Park where all you get is NPR, A Christian Station and one that plays Polka Music. I heard the point of exclusion sermon. Naturally, I extended this flawless logic to the fundamentalist Marxist Duck who as a follower of a criminal conspiracy dedicated to the end of the US government is not American.
The college wouldn't give the students the choice of attending Noam Chomsky Beak it'd be mandated.
... where all you get is NPR, A Christian Station and one that plays Polka Music.
-----------
You forgot the country station but thanks for demonstrating the importance of NPR in rural communities.
Quote from:
The Beak Speaks
'The truth is it is the Beakerkins, Beamishes, Warrens,
AOW, Z and so forth who do each and every day without notice that make this nation great.'
~Sunday, August 28, 2011
Ten Years Ago
I have no problem with that.
Just don't forget that balance makes the scales from falling over.
@ Beakerin: Noam Chimpanzee
That's a good one!
Z: Zacharias sounds like a great guy. Thanks for introducing him to those of us who had never heard of him!
always an inspiration here Z!..Back from vacay and website all fixed!..xxooo..thanks for posting and caring hun.hugssssss!
Z, thanks for the recommendation. I'll check out. I think my grandson would be interested as well. A good idea for a Christmas gift for him.
Beak "I heard the point of exclusion sermon. Naturally, I extended this flawless logic to the fundamentalist Marxist Duck who as a follower of a criminal conspiracy dedicated to the end of the US government is not American."
What? You equate Zacharias and Ducky? What am I not grasping here?
Sue, please don't treat my readers like this...thanks. Maybe, if you read what he said Ducky did do after 9/11 (and since), it would help? Beakerkin doesn't make claims he can't back up.
Can you point out why you feel terrorists were courageous terrorists on 9/11? I'd like to hear about that.
You don't see how that might be upsetting to AMericans who love this country? Sort of like saying "That guy who killed your sister then committed suicide was really courageous." REALLY?
And what did I do after 9/11 and how would you know?
Back to Zacharias. He believes that the second law of thermodynamics disproves any theory of evolution. How can you reconcile that kind of blind ignorance with scientific inquiry?
Z - Don't treat your readers like that?
Don't you read your own blog?
Haven't you ever read how your readers treat others?
Z - I'm a reader of your blog, but when do you ever say to your commenters - don't treat my readers like that?
I believe one of your commenters called Ducky a Commie.
Is Ducky really a Commie?
Really?
z, for the record here's what I did after 9/11.
After a respectful period I picked up a gift basket and delivered it to the parents of a young man who died on Flight 11. He had helped out my father on occasion and I expressed my sympathies and thanked them for the respect their son had shown my father.
Now, if you like you can try to pry Beak's version (New Yorkers were the only ones who lost folks) out of his dementia.
Z - Certainly the 9/11 terrorists were horrible, heartless and despicable.
And had they bailed out before the planes hit the Towers then that would have been cowardice.
But they died along with the very people they were forcing to die.
They died for what they believed, even as misguided as they were.
I don't see how that can be called cowardice.
~~~
(btw - credit for the above has to be given to Bill, since I heard this from him and for which he lost his job - for speaking the truth that others couldn't handle)
Z
Zacharias talks about the point of exclusion of all faiths. In essence so long as you believe Jesus is the savior you are bound as an equal faith in his bounty. Most of us with the exception of the Duck share a common faith in Americanism, we respect private property, the right to be different and are linked by a common philosophy.
The Duck rejects that philosophy in favor of fundamentalist adherence to a warped death cult. In this manner he allies himself with every enemy of the USA seeking the violent overthrow of our government to create his communist heaven. If all
of us are killed in the process this is just a means to an end. As he rejects our history and values
he is beyond our common Americanism.
Now you and I may disagree on a policy, but as fellow Americans this is within the bounds of our Democratic traditions that he rejects for his rule by the self
proclaimed elite.
Sue
I have been blown up twice at the WTC. Have you ever smelled the burning evil death smell? Have you ever seen a body explode like a water balloon? I respect the brave folks who died trying to rescue others on that day and the innocents who died for merely going
to work. The far left 9-11 truthers
make a mockery of what I lived through twice and many of you saw on TV.
Most of us were trying to pick up the pieces of a shattered city. Amidst the fiery smell of burning
death most of us were wondering about who we would never see again.
I remember a defiant look of NYFD racing to join history as others of us ran from it. I was singing the Jewish song in preparation for
death. A proclamation of faith in the face of death is odd, but the words of messianic futures in Hebrew seemed as natural as breathing.
Amidst the smell of death the far left held an anti semitic hate fest in Union Square. They started
a series of familiar conspiracies while the buildings were still burning and I saw it.
As for the clown Maher. It takes no bravery to slaughter innocents
in Belsan at the WTC and so forth.
Most of the hijackers from what we
know did not even grasp this was a suicide mission only the pilots knew. We have many real warrior who
are brave heroes like Warren, Mustang, Big Bubba, FJ and Elmer.
The thought of butchering unarmed
civilians is abhorrent to any real warrior.
If you are seeking to advance or rationalize Marxist tyranny or create a theological utopia you are not American in spirit. I will
stick with Jefferson, Hamilton, T Roosevelt, Reagan and Lincoln and the Duck can have Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot.
Beakerkin - No one is trying to discredit you.
But we are approaching insanity here by all the untruths and mudslinging.
Bill Maher is a comedian, not a clown. And if you didn't have your head so far up your butt you would also be able to see that he is a genius.
Sue
I don't find the comments of Maher funny. I do not think those of us who saw truly brave men likely knowing they were going to die rescuing others would think that is funny. If you want to talk of bravery there is your place to start.
You should listen to Maher and Bill
Clinton deal with Truthers on you tube.
My city was attacked by religious lunatics on 9-11. They acted in a twisted perversion of faith as we know it. Christians, Jews and some Muslims feed the poor and serve the needy in accordance with their faith. The notion of committing a war crime against innocent civilians going to work on that day is abhorrent to any real person of God.
As for the bird brained Duck who teaches aspiring pornographers, he is a communist. The Duck and I have been having this conversation since 2004. His rationalizations of Castro and every enemy of America on the planet are well known. Z, Farmer John, Imp and Morgan have been dealing with the Duck since that time. Elmer, Warren and AOW have been dealing with him since 2006.
When Z talks about her readers she is talking about a well developed community that starts with myself and Warren and included Mr B, AOW and the others later.
The comrades in arms of the Duck were in Union Square that weekend
making familiar political mockeries of the dead. As for the dead the vast majority were at the WTC so they were residents of the tristate area.
The ultimate desecration of the sacred ground of 9-11 comes when the Ducks fellow commies abuse the area with inane anti semitic conspiracy theories. If you doubt these loons are Marxists ask them.
You can't ask Howard Zinn who lied about his affiliations, but he did sign a 9-11 Truth petition. You can ask Rabbi Snaglepuss Lerner about his love of Marx and he also signed a truther petition. Van Jones's political leanings are well known. You can ask Rosie ODumbell her leanings? The point about truthers is clear.
For the record the Duck has never
advocated truther crap. His comwads
do this fairly regularly.
Osama is dead and now it is time to get rid of the Egyptian dentist.
Duhkkky do you even know what entropy is?
And we all know the lefts links to the jihadis. Stop denying it and stop conflating skepticism of evolution with the rejection of all of science. You come across as a complete fool.
Sue, only a coward purposely murders thousands of defenseless people. It was a cowardly act.
Only a coward hides behind women and children for protection, while killing.
Only a coward blows up schools full of children, murders a family as they sleep, and plants a bomb then runs to bomb another day.
Only cowards and haters, stone women to death, and hang homosexuals.
These are the terrorists who Bill Maher, and evidently you, think are so brave.
Maher is an anti-Christian, anti-American fool.
To top it all off, he's so enlightened, his idea of a life is hanging out at the Playboy Mansion.
Uh yeah, utter genius.
Finally, he is a clown, and not a funny one either.
Btw, I, as are the rest of us, entitled to our opinions, as you are to yours. Have a nice day.
Is Ducky really a Commie?
Is the pope Irish?
He's a neo-Marxist, Max Weberian who blames Calvinists for all the woes in the world.
Some would call it Social Democracy...others just one card short of a full deck.
Pris - You are such a whiner.
I wish I could meet - face to face - and tell you to shove all your Republican nonsense up your ass.
I think you just did Sue
As for the bird brained Duck who teaches aspiring pornographers, he is a communist.
---------
Ah come on Officer Beak. I have a large film library, maybe 2000 films.
In that entire library I would say that two are explicit, Cavani's "The Night Porter" and Oshima's "Empire of Passion". Both films have a serious topic.
I subscribe to Sartre's contention in "What Is Literature" (I don't see why that can't be extended to other forms) that a work must have a moral center and it is our existential duty to find the center.
I really don't find the left too enamored of Tarantino, Michael Bay and the action hacks but you can set me straight.
I'm quite certain that my attitude would restore substance to our arts and I try to teach that idea.
And that moral center is a moving target.
Sue
Let me explain the difference between my Republican BS and your ignorance.For the record I am a traditional liberal. However, real liberals were nationalist who supported America in the cold war. They were tough on communists were patriotic.
At the time I could register to vote the Democractic party was in the process of aiding the Soviets in the Cold War. Anti Communism was passe in the party of Gomer Kerry and Chris Dodd who treated Daniel Ortega as more important than their constituents. Did we mention these clowns were butchering Indians. Thus I joined the GOP in the big tent where sometimes I am called a RINO.
I may differ with Z or AOW at times but they recognize I am every bit as patriotic as the rest of the crew. Each and every day I serve my country with pride.
Listen to Elmer's description of the Duck. Commies tend to lie about who they are. We were told for years Arthur Miller was a mere
liberal. In fact he was a communist
and you can go down the list.
Ducky
Comparing you to a pornagrapher is
a serious insult to all those hard working professionals. They work harder than you and are probably not compensated well due to the glut of material.
The comment was that your students aspire to be porn directors. Ask how many of your students would shoot a porno for $60 an hour?
Apparently, the Duck does not posses a copy of Tobacco Road.
Relative, arbitrary and capricious
That's what makes you far more dangerous than any Calvinist Duhkkky
Tomorrow you may or may not want to put Breitbart in a body bag. Go ahead and stick that wet finger in the wind duhkkkster
Can man live without God. Well yes i suppose, but then he falls prey to evil as we have seen so often.
Thanks for pointing me to that post on Silverfiddle's blog Z. I've posted my thoughts on it.
No Elmo, it makes me alive rather than an automaton.
Sue, "shove all your Republican nonsense up your ass."
You're finished here. Thanks.
It's been all I could do to keep ignoring some of your comments and chalking it off to.......whatever. But, this is it.
Take your Bill Maher worship somewhere else, too..that loathsome ass who hit on 18 year old girls at Loyola Marymount College every time he spoke there, inviting them to HIS HOTEL ROOM and demanding the students provide him with BOOZE in the 'green room' is nobody I could admire. When I told you about that, you had no problem with it. That says a lot.
by!
Ducky, who cares what you did after 9/11? Beak knows exactly your sentiments..
And by the way, PLEASE don't read Zacharias; He's a Christian and it's nothing I'd recommend to you, trust me.
Beak; Zacharias is a Christian.....brilliant, intellectual, articulate beyond belief, and he bases his faith on amazing things which have happened to him. He also loves America very much.
What? I'm through here and you are letting Ducky stay.
How fair is that?
Ducky's here said...
No Elmo, it makes me alive rather than an automaton."
That's hilarious....anybody who doesn't agree with you's now an AUTOMATON!? OH, you big open minded liberal, you :)
Z - After all the comments you have allowed - especially from Beamish - you deleted my Pope comment?
Wow!
Sue, Ducky disgusts me....
you're absolutely right...it's not fair. But, it's my blog.
Your tone is even snider and more personal than any of his. I don't want it here.
I've been accused of unfairness before; I don't care ONE BIT.
I don't want to hear BILL MAHER hero worship, I don't want my readers told anything about their 'asses' (i'm pretty sure DUcky never has)
But, you're right...and Ducky was banned for about a month lately; it'll happen again, trust me.
Z - Maybe you are mad because Bill hasn't hit on you?
Pope comment and whatever else was there....absolutely.
Ya, nobody bashes Catholics here...EVER. Even after Catholic Ducky goes to idiotic extremes to bash Christianity... I'll never 'go there'..
Yes, Sue...that ugly little soulless man. Wow, this said more about you than even I'd thought.
thanks, you're done.
Sue..stop.
I'm deleting a lot of this mess...It's disgraceful and this is my place and it's going.
Z - Please. I'm going away until Wednesday.
Give me a chance to redeem myself.
Z
Lets go onto Zacharias and 9-11 and Beakerkin.
Zacharias talks of Christianity as inclusive. If you accept Jesus as your savior than you are accepted as an equal in the eyes of Christ.
I find it amazing that as I ran on 9-11 I sang a song of faith in the belief in Messianism. The Song is an affirmation of faith that eventually the messiah will come but it may not be today.
People do not grasp that Judaism does indeed have a messianic component. It is this aspect that the Judeo Christian nexus starts.
If we were to purse an aboriginal
Christianity perhaps it would look
like something out of the Ministry of Zola Leavitt.
I find the concept of messianism before death preferable to the other proclimation of faith Hear O Israel .....In this day and age most of us are monotheists anyway so in my book it doesn't have the profound meaning when first uttered.
If you wish to see the song just google Ani Maamin and it should come up.
Sue
The Duck has much more experience at this. Do remember that when I am not swatting him around he is somewhat interesting. You can see interviews with him on film vs the colorful nudist Sonia.
The point is that the Duck is not a cartoon. Yes he has some really bad ideas. Try not to sound one dimensional.
As for Mr Beamish this is the greatest blogger that ever lived. He embodies patriotism with a dose of comedy and really amazing history.
I am trying to find the classic Beamish bit where he kicked KKK butt. I did that also, but with Beamish it is pure comedy.
" Each and every day I serve my country with pride."
Thank you and welcome back. I'm beginning to fear there are far few of us left.
Sue said:
Z - I belive that one thing we could use more of in our world are credible evangelists - ones that can reach people with the Message without coming across as if they are 'selling' something and will personally benefit from the deal.
In the Bible I read, Sue. Christ left that job to you......and me. And I must say, you're doing a bang up job of it too!!
"Z - Maybe you are mad because Bill hasn't hit on you?"
YUP.....I was right. You are an ignoramus. How dare you say something like that to a woman who's still grieving? You and ducky ought to get together and raise / make.....something. Like Fooking poisonous mushrooms?
Sue, committing suicide is cowardly no matter how you look at it. It displays the fear of facing reality. On top of that to kill innocents while taking your own life is the height of cowardice.
That displays a fear of "what if". Most of all it displays displaced anger in the highest form.
Those who "committed" suicide on 9-11 and killed all the innocents along with them displayed not only cowardice but anger.
Had they simply blown themselves to pieces as individuals there would be no difference in the definitions I submitted. Anger and fear of facing what they cannot is no excuse for suicide and murder. And yes they committed murder, which is the height of cowardice.
Anyone who murders another, does so for their own gain, whether personal, political, social or economic. They do so either out of a sense of entitlement or arrogance of thought. They murder, or cause to murder, others, without a second thought, without remorse, and without emotion. They act and talk brave. But in the end, always in the end, they are cowards; fearful of their own life.
Now to the main subject. Ravi Zacharias is exceptional. The man carries more knowledge in his little finger than many so called evangelist can pack in their palaces and automobiles.
His message "Can Man Live Without God will go down as even a greater sermon than R.G. Lee's sermon, "Pay Day Someday."
And to the question presented by his Sermon: No, and it is exemplified by those who commit suicide and especially those who insist on taking others with them when they go. They served no god but self.
For some reason Duhkkky also thinks that skepticism has no place in science.
...Odd...
I forgot Sue...to describe duhkkkster you have to sprinkle in a little liberation theology...the stuff of Sandinistas.
No Elmo, it makes me alive rather than an automaton.
and to be alive I must think like you. Ah...to be alive is to be so hubristic as to speak out of both sides of your mouth....
think for yourselves he says...as long as you think LIKE ME....
Sorry duhkkky the baloney detector went off the first time you opened your mouth
I realize the whole faith, love and hope thing really throws you off but do try.
James 1:6
But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Your moral center isn't based on anything solid. You have no foundations.
on the flip side duhkkky
While we're discussing skepticism...
Why don't you make like Huxley and declare God dead. That way we can tell all the theologians to go to hell.
I was an automaton before I became a Christian duhkkky. But I was a product of the public school system...talk about robots.
Beakerkin, that is amazing that you were singing that lyric; it's like Jesus is with you now... before you're conscious of it.
I believe in the New Testament (and Old, of course), so I do believe (as Ravi does) that Christ was on earth and did die and went to heaven.
Anybody can believe what they want to but Ravi's only saying his truth from what he's read (and felt and seen, apparently).
The Bible is all Christians have to go on; no other word is Gospel....so, it's either we believe what it says or we don't...And, in that case, we can be called anything we'd like to be called but it's not CHristian.
I can't tell you how many Messianic Jews I'm meeting...more and more and more; exactly as prophesied in the New Testament...believers who do believe now that Jesus was 'the' Christ and will come again.
And yes, I know Judaism has Messianic components; a big one; Jews just don't believe that Jesus was 'the' Christ.
I forgot vain when describing your morality duhkkky.
Z
9-11 was a very strange time and I believed my time was up. There was panic in my heart as the images that I can never forget raced into my mind. Yet from somewhere, the song came to me naturally as I raced away.The words in Hebrew came quite naturally as if they were planted there in my mind for a reason.
In reality none of us were in real danger. However, none of us knew that at the time. We were likely in greater danger from all the panic. Nobody knew that the buildings would fall largely on themselves.
Faith in the face of evil. The best of man and the worst of man in one episode. There were plenty of us that ran that day. Ordinary people bearing witness to history's greatest hate crime.
Beak...beautifully said, very beautifully, thanks for that.
I find it fascinating that the song came to you at a time like that...He's knocking on your door, BEAK :=) (heh heh!)
For decades, Dennis Prager strikes me as a decent man, but I get so sick of his dumb analogies.
Of course, I would feel better if what I thought were hoodlums were coming from bible study. Just like I would feel better if I saw a man with a gun pull out a badge.
Of course, if I were an abortion doctor, I might not feel so relieved. So it depends.
"I would feel better if what I thought were hoodlums were coming from bible study."
Not a chance my friend Net....they'll be coming from a "liquor barbecue" in NYC as 42 People were Shot In NYC Over Holiday Weekend...and then Chicago tried desperately to keep up...."7 Killed in Chicagoland...". I guess they're better shots in Chicago.
Then...the "cheef"....."The "Prez" is taking the advice of a thug union "leader", the spawn of the dead Jimmy Hoffa."?
It appears to me that the "cheef" has taken the advice of.....not only hoffa...but Tony Soprano?
Is he a complete asshole...I'm thinking? Has he just declared war on 1/2 of Americans? Is this what the "cheef" organizer really desires?
I think so. No repudiation of the comments re the TParty. No leadership from the pulpit of the "cheef".
Is he so far left that he desires war on America? Is he approving of Mad Maxines comments too?
She says"...GO TO HELL" to millions of Americans? She's starting something....she'll never be held accountable for. But she has no idea what she..the racist POS she is...has started.
net, observant/faithful Christians and Jews who follow Scripture don't kill anybody, including abortion doctors. Judgment is not ours.
Prager is a very good man and, on the recommendation of myself and Mr. Z., has made much more Conservative at least 2 of our friends who finally gave him a listen.
Imp, I, too, believe Obama has missed MANY teaching moments. He should be speaking out against the flash mobs (like the Philly mayor did so well, I could have kissed that guy!)..etc.
I don't know, but it seems like the HOPE and CHANGE some thought was coming has become nothing but MORE problems than EVER. Would that Mr Obama speak out as an American, not a Black American hopeful of keeping his base in line.
El Bros: Ducky a Max Weberian? Are you sure you don't mean Thornstein Vebleinian? Or maybe I'm just dropping these names to sound smart. Hope it's working.
bftm
Max Weber believed the Protestant work ethic was to blame for Capitalisms ills. He was a neo-Marxist.
Hence duhkkkys truther like delirium over Calvinism
Duhkky fails to realize that our sinful nature has no ideological or denominational boundaries. He often accuses us of being 'white washed sepulchres' when we already have acknowledged our guilt and accepted the payment. I guess its hard to shrug off that Catholic guilt.
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