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Written by Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 September 2010

There’re a few things I think the world would be better off without. Wouldn’t it be great to ring out the old year and leave these things behind with 2006? Here’s my list:

The Iraq War. Sure, I know this is unrealistic, but we’re dreaming here, OK? No matter what one’s political philosophy, surely we can agree that we wish either the war was over or, more to the point, our soldiers and sailors were home.

Saddam Hussein. Personally, he’s history. Let’s hope his legacy is also history. He left us with one last ludicrous image, a mass murderer carrying the Koran and mouthing religious statements on his way to the grave.

Vitriolic Partisan Politics. The Founding Fathers knew there would always be factions, and in some sense this fact is a strength of the American republic. But the disappearance of gentlemen politicians like Gerald R. Ford has not been good for our democratic polity. In their stead, we’ve witnessed the emergence of politicians who confuse disagreement over ideas with disrespect of persons. These politicians on both sides of the isle loathe one another. This cannot be and is not good for the country.

Poster Boys for Poor Sportsmanship. France’s World Cup Zinedine Zidane, NBA’s Allen Iverson, MLB’s Barry Bonds, Dallas Maverick’s owner Mark Cuban, Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks, NFL’s Terrell Owens, Olympian embarassment Bodie Miller, perennial poor sportsman Coach Bobby Knight.

World Poker Tour. This isn’t about competition. It’s about gambling, greed, and a gullible audience.

“Truthiness.” This new word for an old problem—not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth—describes “authors” James Frey, O.J. Simpson and “publisher” Judith Regan, and Harvard undergraduate Kaavya Viswanathan. It also describes political “spin.

“Oh My God!” Is this the only phrase television and film writers know for demonstrating surprise? I, for one, am tired of hearing this phrase constantly on television programming, even from the mouths of children. From a Christian perspective, this is using the Lord’s name in vain and a violation of the third of the Ten Commandments. TV and movie writers, “Get a clue. Find a new phrase indicating surprise or concern.”

E.D. Commercials. Am I the only one weary of erectile dysfunction advertisements? O.K., we know this physical condition exists and that products like Viagra and Cialis, to name only two, are made to address the problem. So why do we need to keep hearing about it on nighttime television?

Voyueristic, Self-indulgent “Reality” Shows. Enough with hearing about everyone’s feelings. I watch television to escape and be entertained, not to live through the problems of someone else’s life, especially immature, narcissitic people.

Celebrity Worship. This is an old one, but wouldn’t it be great to leave behind in 2006 the lives and foibles of TomKat, Brangelina, Britney Spears and Fed Ex, Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Ritchie, and Paris Hilton? Does what these people do really matter?

Soft Porn in Mainstream Advertising. No one can say with a straight face the sex saturation is not the primary, regular, and overwhelming mode of presentation in virtually all mainstream advertising. I venture to guess that any given man alive today has through media seen more female flesh than any one hundred men a century ago, even men faithfully married for sixty years.

Same Sex Marriage Debates. Who, even one generation ago, would have believed there would come a day when this kind of immorality would be openly discussed, embraced, and even promoted? I do not wish to deny any person, no matter what their sexual choices, their citizenship rights to life, liberty, safety, or opportunity. On the other hand, I see nothing good coming to a culture that legalizes sexual perversion.

“Evangelicals” as a New Political Word. Since the 2000 presidential election, “Evangelicals” has become a media term for any religiously devout Protestant who holds to so-called traditional views of morality. Such “Evangelicals” who hold such views are no longer considered part of a long heritage of American Christian beliefs but rather representatives of some strange new “fringe,” Far Right, or otherwise extremist group. I think this is an unfair and an inaccurate characterization and I am weary of being labeled improperly.

Poor Cell Phone Etiquette. I use a cell phone—regularly. I don’t use it standing immediately beside another person. I don’t use it loudly in restaurants. I don’t generally interrupt meetings with others to take cell phone calls. I was actually in a funeral home recently, talking to another man in the line waiting to pay respects to the deceased and extend condolences to family members. The man felt his phone ring, took it out and looked at it, then said “Excuse me” and proceeded to interrupt his conversation with me and conduct business on the phone in the funeral home waiting line. That one was over the top for me—and this fellow is a nice guy. But he’s addicted to his phone.

What would you like to leave behind in 2006?

© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2006

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.

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Written by Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 September 2010

Justice has been served to former Iraq President and dictator, Saddam Hussein. The method? Capital punishment.

At about 6:00 am Baghdad time Saturday (10:00 pm EST last night), Hussein was executed by hanging. He was convicted in Iraqi courts of ordering the 1982 deaths of some 148 Iraqis in Dujail. He is also considered responsible for the brutal deaths of literally tens of thousands of Iraqis during his reign, including a chemical action against northern Kurds resulting in upwards of 100,000 deaths.

It’s early, but so far the world’s reaction is some form of “Good riddance” or, as we sometimes say in America, “It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.” So far, no one has lamented the use of capital punishment. But someone will.

It’s difficult to express outrage or even concern for the state-ordered death of a man like Saddam Hussein without sounding like a wimp, a “flaming liberal,” or worse, a sympathizer. By the same token, it’s difficult at times to express support for capital punishment, even for an evil mass murderer like Hussein, without sounding like a warmonger, a “redneck conservative,” or worse, a blood thirsty religious fanatic.

One traditional argument “for” capital punishment is that it acts as a deterrent to future crimes. Opponents of capital punishment often ably demonstrate that this goal isn’t always realized. On the other hand, it’s not necessarily cynical to observe that at least the convicted and executed individual will commit no more heinous crimes.

This is the case for Saddam Hussein. He’s dead at 69. He’s no longer a threat to the well-being of the Iraqi people. Since you cannot execute a person more than once, perhaps it is small justice to the multitudes he murdered, but it is justice nevertheless. He had his day in court, was found guilty, and was sentenced. His sad record is now complete.

Certainly the death of any human being is an occasion for sadness. No less so for Saddam Hussein. His life was not simply a waste. It was destructive. He chose evil over good, and that is a sad fact that did not have to be. So of course we shouldn’t enjoy another person’s death. But death is not God’s ultimate concern.

Biblical teaching supports capital punishment for murder (Genesis 9:6, for example), because evil exists. Capital punishment is one key way God empowers human government to establish order and justice so that we may enjoy life and liberty. What ultimately matters is not that capital punishment is always a deterrent to future crime. Rather, what matters is that God made human beings in his image and murder is a direct transgression against the Sovereign God. Capital punishment serves notice that God exists and that evil does not reign supreme.

Saddam Hussein will not be missed. His demise closes a cruel chapter in Iraq history and further liberates the Iraqi people to forge a future without Hussein’s brand of evil. In this instance, capital punishment accomplished what it was divinely ordained to accomplish. Justice.

© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2006

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.

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Written by Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 September 2010

The shift from the “Spirit of Christmas” to the “Spirit of New Years” always bothers me. The first focuses upon love, family, the Christ child, gifts, warmth, and well-being. The latter focuses, at least in popular culture and media, on hard-partying, alcohol consumption, pushing the limits, and excess. And this abrupt shift all takes place within a week.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a party-pooper—or at least I don’t think I am. I’ve gone to my share of New Year’s Eve parties, and I’ve enjoyed the fun, friends, and fellowship. But I’m not impressed with people who want to let it all hang out in an overnight effort to develop a historic hang over. What’s it really mean to hammer yourself this way? It’s like these people have had enough of giving to others and now they want to live, live, live for themselves. New Year’s Eve as portrayed in media always feels to me like “Narcissism run amok.”

I do like the idea of New Year’s Resolutions, though. As an educator, I get this opportunity more than once per year, at the beginning of the Fall Semester and again at the beginning of the Spring Semester. But for most people, New Year’s is the time when we think about what we’d like to change about ourselves and our lives. Insofar as people take this opportunity seriously I think it’s a good practice. I’ve known people who set out to change their professions and did. I’ve known people who’ve made resolutions to lose 10 or 20 or 30 pounds and did. I’ve also known some people who’ve set spiritual goals, some publicly shared and some privately held, but each to good effect as these folks learned to trust God anew with their “issues.”

One way I’ve tried to keep the Christmas spirit alive into the New Year is to use this week to reflect upon who during the past year has made the most positive impact upon or contribution to my life. Who helped me when they did not have to do so? Who corrected or mentored or invested in me? Who gave to me with no expectation of return? Who, aside from my family, cared about me in a way that I wish I more consistently cared about others? Who really made a mark on me this past year?

When I identify these few people, maybe no more than three or four, usually but not always men, I write each one of them a one or two page hand-written thank you. I’ve done this pretty consistently for about twenty years. I’m not saying this to draw kudos or because I think this small act makes me special. I say it because it’s been a very good “discipline” for me, reminding me that I do not achieve alone, that I do not contribute alone, that I do not succeed alone, and that I want to be like the one leper out of ten who returned to thank the Lord Jesus for healing him, not the nine who lived ungratefully.

If you become oddly saddened by the mad and maddening rush of the New Year, I recommend this practice of reflection and thanksgiving to you. It will uplift your spirit. It will uplift others’ spirits to whom you write, and it will extend the Spirit of Christmas into the New Year.

© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2006

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.

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Written by Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 September 2010

The passing of a former president of the United States always brings with it a host of memories and feelings for the American people. This is especially true for me in the December 26 death of President Gerald R. Ford, at age 93 years, the nation’s longest-living former president.

I never met President Ford, but I’ve felt a kinship to him throughout my adult life. On August 8, 1974, President Richard M. Nixon announced he would resign effective the next day. On August 9, 1974, the nation’s first unelected Vice President, Gerald R. Ford, became the nation’s first unelected President, and on August 10, 1974, Sarah and I were married. So for a young man interested in politics and in a certain young lady, it was quite a weekend. The 895 day Ford Administration paralleled the formation of our new family.

Years later in 1991, Sarah and I moved our family of four (three boys and a girl like the Fords) to President Ford’s hometown, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Not long after this I made my first of many visits to the Gerald R. Ford Museum downtown, and during the ensuing sixteen years I grew to appreciate the values in this community that formed “Jerry Ford”: a strong work ethic, integrity, frugality, patriotism, commitment to faith and family, and a respect for individual liberty and achievement.

I remember one of the key words of the Ford presidency, “candor.” President Ford used it often and so did others. In the wake of Vietnam and Watergate, it was what the nation yearned for, and President Ford embodied the concept. Two other words come quickly to mind regarding President Ford: courage and character. It took personal and political courage to pardon former president Nixon September 8, 1974, and though this decision contributed to the loss of the presidency in 1976, time rewarded President Ford with the affirmation of the American people.

Now President Ford is remembered for his character. He was a man of principle who quietly tried to do what is right. I’ll always remember him as a humble hero.

© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2006

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.

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Written by Rex M. Rogers

Published: 06 September 2010

David Anderson and Brent Zuercher, Letters Across the Divide: Two Friends Explore Racism, Friendship, and Faith (2001). This book is what its title indicates. It’s a series of letters between a White and a Black man, both Christians, wrestling with differing perspectives on race and racism in America. Their different views come from their different upbringings and subcultures, not theology. In fact, their biblical understanding and the values that develops from it are remarkably similar. What they are trying to do is apply their faith to everyday life. It’s a good exercise and they do it well. Whatever your race or ethnic background, you can learn something from this text. It promotes understanding and, therefore, their greater goal, genuine respect and friendship.

Tony Campolo, 20 Hot Potatoes Christians Are Afraid to Touch (1988). Tony Campolo’s book, and therefore the issue he considers “hot,” are dated, but this is still an interesting book. Campolo is well known for his edgy speaking, ministry, and teaching. He is a Christian sociology professor turned moderate-to-liberal Christian activist, one who challenges conservatives to think carefully about their assumptions and sometimes too glib responses to intractable social problems. Some of his “hot” issues, like the challenge of AIDS, Christianity and homosexuals, and are evangelicals too pro-Israel, are still very much in the mix of contemporary concerns. You may not always agree with Campolo; I didn’t. But you will find him thought-provoking. Some of his issues have faded, which is a lesson in itself, but his desire to apply his faith to his politics is admirable. The book’s question and answer format is a good technique.

Ted C. Fishman, China, Inc.: How the Rise of the Next Superpower Challenges America and the Word (2005). This book is sort of a “The World is Flat” focused just on China. It is a fascinating book describing China’s mind-boggling numbers, like the projected 300M people moving to cities in the next fifteen years, meaning China must build an urban infrastructure equivalent to Houston every month; the 320M Chinese under the age of 14 years; the fact that there are an estimated 320M or more people in China who are not counted by demographers, more than the population of the USA, so the Chinese population is close to 1.5B; that there are more speakers of English as a second language in China than speakers of English in the US and that there are more people in China using the Internet than use it in the US, and much more. China’s emergence as an economic giant—growing at almost 10% per year—is already affecting America, so Americans are past due in becoming more knowledgeable about China and the opportunities and possibly threats, economically and politically, it represents.

Thomas L. Friedman, The World Is Flat (2006). Friedman is a New York Times “Foreign Affairs” journalist, so this long and wordy book keeps your interest describing one interesting technological, economic, or demographic development in the world after the other. The premise of the book is that computer, communications, and transportations technology are knocking down old barriers around the world and are simultaneously creating a level playing field for all people. This level playing field is the “flat world” in Friedman’s terms and it portends an incredible surge in innovation, not just from the American Yankee, but now even more likely from East Indians, Chinese, and others. It means that Americans must become better educated, learn to compete in world economies, develop more innovative ideas, and in essence create products and services heretofore not known. And the flat world is affecting more than economics. It’s influencing education, religion, politics, and culture. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand a paradigm that helps make sense of the changes taking place around us.

Lou Holtz, Wins, Losses, and Lessons: An Autobiography (2006). I like biographies and autobiographies—not about celebrities but about people who matter. Coach Lou Holtz is certainly a celebrity, but I also think he matters. I followed his college football coaching career for years, but the more I read about him in this book, the more I liked him. He is a devout Catholic, lives his life based upon an overt commitment to God, prayer, and family, and is as far as I could tell a man of integrity. This is also a good leadership book, for it is packed with examples of how he taught and led teams of people to accomplish goals greater than they at first thought they could reach. While this book is about college football and, as the title suggests, the story of wins and losses is told, there are a lot of lessons here too.

Doro Bush Koch, My Father, My President, (2006). President George H. W. Bush’s daughter, Doro, writes engagingly and, as you would expect, warmly, about her father, the 41^st President of the United States. This book, the author’s first, is interesting, includes a lot of anecdotes that until now have not found their way to the printed page, and is, in a word, enjoyable. “41,” as they call him now, used to be called “Mr. Resume.” President Bush’s record of accomplishment, beginning with heroic WWII flying experience through his years as Vice President and President are amazing. He’s lived a rather incredible life and whatever one thinks of his politics, this book shines a light on a caring, loyal man who possessed ambition both to serve his family and his country. I highly recommend this book.

© Rex M. Rogers - All Rights Reserved, 2006

*This blog may be reproduced in whole or in part with a full attribution statement. Contact Dr. Rogers or read more commentary on current issues and events at www.rexmrogers.com or follow him at www.twitter.com/rexmrogers.