based on a true story

My daughter Agnes (10 days old)

Photo taken by; Rose Korol

Frank Schaeffer is the son of the late theologian and author, Dr. Francis Schaeffer. He has left his childhood faith(Evangelical Christianity), and work with his father for a different path and faith (he has converted to the faith of the Orthodox Church). He shares some of his thoughts via different media in some of the links below. I have read most of the stuff his father wrote and was at one point drawn to much of his thought. I find it interesting to hear how his son today distances himself from much of what his father believed and taught. He is a strong critic of the new atheists like Richard Dawlins, Sam Harris,Christopher Hitchens etc and the evangelical right in the States. The critique is actually towards the strong fundamentalism he sees in both of these ways of faith, and the dangerous consequences fundamentalism creates.

Frank Schaeffers blog and his homepage.

A radio interview with Frank Schaeffer

A few months back I wrote about the difference between the american Justice system and how we think and act here in Europe. Both the above video and the Time article below proves my point in that blogpost.

My point was; The Justice system in Europe seeks to rehabilitate more than punish. While in the states , revenge or true justice in relation to crime is the goal.

Time magazine ran a story of a new prison facitlity close to my home in Norway.  Its goal is to give prisoners a humane and good experiance even in a place regarded as the last resort and a place where no one should want to end up.

A couple quotes that give an idea of what the place is all about:

“Many of the prisoners come from bad homes, so we wanted to create a sense of family,”

“Our goal is to give all the prisoners — we call them our pupils — a meaningful life inside these walls.”

Imagine a world where every prison was like this one, and every prisoner was treated the way they are in this one.

Should prison only be used to punish in accordance to ones crime or can it also be a place of rehabilitating and giving respect and dignity back to those of us who get the least of it. Statistics from Norway prove that treating the outcast, hated and fellon with dignity and love actually gives us à much safer and healthy society!

Creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson challenges the way we’re educating our children. He champions a radical rethink of our school systems, to cultivate creativity and acknowledge multiple types of intelligence.

Watch the whole thing, its good!

A beautiful little movie from Amnesty!

Peter Rollins brings his Insurrection Tour to a close in Brooklyn, New York. As always he asks some good questions and brings ideas and thoughts to the table that might be worth contemplating for a minute or two.

Listen to him here.

or watch him below;

Peter Rollins at Baylor University from Peter Rollins on Vimeo.

A fun little intro

Without equivocation or hesitation I fully and completely admit that I deny the resurrection of Christ. This is something that anyone who knows me could tell you, and I am not afraid to say it publicly, no matter what some people may think…

I deny the resurrection of Christ every time I do not serve at the feet of the oppressed, each day that I turn my back on the poor; I deny the resurrection of Christ when I close my ears to the cries of the downtrodden and lend my support to an unjust and corrupt system.

However there are moments when I affirm that resurrection, few and far between as they are. I affirm it when I stand up for those who are forced to live on their knees, when I speak for those who have had their tongues torn out, when I cry for those who have no more tears left to shed.

Peter Rollins on his blog.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

This poem is attributed to Martin Niemöller .

Fremmskrittspartiets Siv Jensen wants to forbid medical aid to refugees and other foreigners without legal documents. Once again she proves what much of her world-view is founded on:the creation of “fear of  the other” and borderline fascism. Shame on you and the 30 prosent of Nowegians who support you!

Martin Rowson in the Gaurdian says it all. The $100m ‘loan’ from the World Bank to Haiti could be paid off like that by a fraction of the banking bonuses paid out on top of enormous salaries. Sickening.

I hope for a happier new year to you all, despite the horror the above reminds us all of. (thanks to Kester Brewin for posting this on his blog)