Da Wings

I have to... HAVE TO... post this...



Yeah, baby...

Dilbert and the ECM

You know... I'm beginning to see greater and greater correlation between ECM-speak and Dilbert...

Two Killer Posts

First, from The Blog Of Which We Do Not Speak, this, and then from Master Chris Elrod (TM), this.

'S'all I have time for right now. At my day-job-to-support-my-habit, filling out paperwork so that I can hopefully get paid. And then get formula & diapers. Both of which it turns out are worth several orders of magnitude of their equivalent weight in gold. And cost as much.

And are worth it.

Peace out.

More Pics of my Little Hockey Puck

'S'been a while, so to break the monotony of no posting, here's some pics of my baby boy.

While I was working at my day-job-to-support-my-habit, my lovely and gracious wife, taking the Bible's admonition to "train up a child in the way he should go" took our son to an exhibition hockey game with the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings were signing autographs... you know; sweaters (...that'd be "jerseys" for the un-hockey-ed masses who might not otherwise know), sticks, books...

My boy was born with a club foot. As part of the treatment, he wore a cast for the first five weeks of his life. My wife, when she got to the head of the line for autograph signing, handed our boy over so the players could sign his cast.

This pic is of Tomas Holmstrom penning his John Hancock on my boy's cast.

Five other wings, including Ozzie and Lilja also got their names immortalized on my boy's cast.

After the signing, wife and son enjoyed the exhibition game.

Myth and the ECM

Over yonder on the WordPress mirror of this blog, I've been interacting with an ECMmer regarding Chris Elrod's recent series of blogposts. Said ECM individual mentioned that Chris' writings were entertaining but confused the important issue of the "pre-easter jesus" and the "post-easter jesus" - the PreEJ being the historical Jesus, and the PostEJ being the mythical Jesus.

Among the other things that ECM Mike stated, was this:

It appears that the real core of our disagreement can be traced to a different understanding of the word “myth”.

I’m using the word to mean a story which reveals a truth, but is told through grand symbolic language rather than simply transmitting historical facts. Myth is not a synonym for false. All myths have some history and/or truth behind them and their symbolism brings that truth to life.

This is something I've heard more and more from the (liberal wing of the) Emerging/Emergent Church Movement - the idea of "true myth."

Here's my question: If the Gospels (and the rest of the Bible - say, Genesis, for example...) are to be regarded as mythical, and that myth is now "not really true but really true in a real sense that has truth but isn't really true unless you have the super-secret decoder ring..." How is that any different from, say, the claims of Asatru?

Compare ECM Mike's quote on myth to Asatru's explanation of myth.

First, ECM Mike's quote on myth:

I’m using the word to mean a story which reveals a truth, but is told through grand symbolic language rather than simply transmitting historical facts. Myth is not a synonym for false. All myths have some history and/or truth behind them and their symbolism brings that truth to life.

Now, Asatru's quote on myth:

The myths are stories about the Gods and Goddesses of Asatru. We believe they are ways of stating spiritual truths. That is, we would say they contain truths about the nature of divinity, our own nature, and the relationship between the two. We do not contend that the myths are literally true, as history. Rather, myth can be thought of as "the dream of the race" or "that which never happened, but is always true."

What is the real, substantive difference? If the Bible is only myth (even "true myth") then why is it any better than Asatru's Poetic and Prose Edda? Why is it any better a guide than the Sri Guru Granth Sahib of Sikhism? Or the Upanishads?

If the Bible (whether the whole thing, or the Gospels, or Genesis) is merely myth (even "true myth") then what possible reason is there to believe that Jesus is God and therefore your only Savior - why is that position any better than the Astatruar's devotion to the Aesir and Vanir?

Guys: IDEAS HAVE CONSEQUENCE.

I have to get ready for tentmaking. More later.