tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64903062011-04-21T17:46:45.359-05:00Made with the help of The Atomic Cerebral Enhance-O-TronJoshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comBlogger1091100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1115132688948502222005-05-03T09:36:00.000-05:002005-05-05T02:36:36.696-05:00

I am currently going through finals, so blogging will be limited. Once they are over, I'll write a reply to Aaron Armitage. His latest can be found here and here.Just a few notes about it: I made a few slips in writing my last piece and Aaron called me on it. Somehow, I had managed to use "claims" instead of "would claim." A minor point, perhaps, but still significant. I thus apologize to Aaron.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1114956617235163162005-05-01T08:58:00.000-05:002005-05-01T09:10:17.236-05:00

"I say I wanna give You glory, Lord, and I doBut everything that I could ever find to offer comes from YouBut if my darkness can praise Your lightGive me breath and I'll give my life to sing Your praiseAnd I wanna thank You, LordMore than all of my words can sayAnd I give my life to sing Your praiseAnd beyond this I would not begFor anything except the graceTo give my life to sing Your praise"--

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1114655527045588192005-04-27T21:13:00.000-05:002005-04-27T21:32:07.046-05:00

This morning in the New York Times, in an article on a new gun law in Florida, some "Chief Timoney said, 'you're encouraging people to possibly use deadly physical force where it shouldn't be used.'" (Here, 8th graf)The law in question removes prohibitions on shooting an assailant in public. Now, we can argue over whether or not removal of prohibitions causally encourages the action. What I am

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1114431115350349452005-04-25T07:10:00.000-05:002005-04-25T07:11:55.350-05:00

An important reason for believing in incompatibilist free will is that it offers an answer to the problem of evil.The problem of evil is thus:1) God exists. God is an omniscient, omnipotent agent. 2) An agent with the power to prevent an evil event has a moral obligation to do so. 3) God has an obligation to prevent all evil events.4) God does not prevent all evil events.5) God is not fulfilling

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1114279663547189632005-04-23T13:04:00.000-05:002005-04-23T13:07:43.556-05:00

I would just like to start this post by writing that this unplanned exchange with Aaron has been so far very enjoyable and challenging. His most recent post on the topic can be found here. My goal today is to defend choosing as neither random nor determined. I will do this by appealing to reasons as being enough for an intelligible choice. I have attempted to divide the discussion into a few

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1113678859664898472005-04-18T15:55:00.000-05:002005-04-21T07:41:15.190-05:00

Aaron Armitage, of the excellent blog Calvinist Libertarians, has posted a reply to my initial take on free will. He wants to defend compatibilism from my claims. The thrust of his argument is a strong assertion: compatibilism is required for moral responsibility. He also objects to my second post as attacking a straw man. I am afraid that I have not been as clear as I should in either. This is

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1113600507903082482005-04-15T16:26:00.000-05:002005-04-15T18:08:08.286-05:00

Lars Walker has a pair of fun, thought-provoking posts over at Brandywine Books about Calvinism and predestination. Predestination is another catchword in the debate over free will. Predestination is foreknowledge with the perspective flipped towards us: God foreknows one’s action A iff one is predestined to perform A. I hope that I have atoned for any sin of omission that I committed in my

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1113521556563109322005-04-14T18:26:00.000-05:002005-04-14T18:40:39.636-05:00

In my previous entry, I assumed that theism entails incompatibilism and naturalism entails determinism. There are some theists that challenge my first assumption. The largest bloc of theists who do so are Calvinists. Calvinists are traditional compatibilists who derive their determinism from the omniscience and foreknowledge of God rather than the causal closure of the physical universe. The

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112983808433101262005-04-08T13:02:00.000-05:002005-04-08T13:10:08.440-05:00

Apologists defending their views should use two tactics: defend and attack. Defending involves creating a plausible argument for the view and refuting opponents'’ objections. Attacking involves finding the implausibilities and weaknesses in the views of the opponents. These seem to me to be the basic principles behind all good debate. As a theistic apologist, I want to outline the most promising

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112765147817089462005-04-06T00:18:00.000-05:002005-04-06T00:25:47.816-05:00

Are all explanations causes? It seems to me that they are not. First, what is a cause? A cause is a bit like a conditional in logic: given P, Q follows. If Q did not happen after P, then P could not be a cause of Q. Scientific explanations are causal: Putting hydrochloric acid in sodium hydroxide causes the creation of water and sodium chloride. If the creation of water and sodium chloride did

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112715723307038642005-04-05T10:34:00.000-05:002005-04-05T10:42:03.306-05:00

A Preliminary Expectoration has moved to expectoration.blogspot.com. After I decided to use my real name on my blog, telcontar.blogspot did not make any sense as my address. I've also revamped the design. I was unhappy with several aspects of the former look of APE; and so I found a premade Blogger template that gave me everything I wanted. Finally, I have updated my blogroll to indicate my

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112707988136415212005-04-05T08:20:00.000-05:002005-04-05T08:33:08.136-05:00

North Carolina won the title game last night over Illinois, 75-70. It was close for a bit near the end, but North Carolina pulled out the victory. Sean May had a double double, with 26 points and 10 rebounds. The Illini player that I lauded in the semifinal, Roger Powell, tried to guard May. Powell wasn't very successful, for May was bigger and taller. It surprised me to find out that this is Roy

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112571565709291682005-04-03T18:36:00.000-05:002005-04-03T18:40:37.296-05:00

Sin City was an excellent movie. I do not feel qualified to say too much, as I have seen little in the film noir genre. The movie was shot with an understated elegance and the characters were portrayed excellently. The plot reminded me of Lord of the Rings in some ways. In LotR, the viewer (or especially, the reader) gets the feeling that the world of Middle Earth is much larger than the story

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112490612855433122005-04-02T20:08:00.000-05:002005-04-02T20:10:12.856-05:00

Illinois 72, Louisville 57Illinois just put on a fantastic show against Louisville to kick off the Final Four. Up by only 3 at the half, Illinois came out hot. Although they didn’t pull away in the first 8 minutes, they managed to psychologically dominate the game. On one possession, Roger Powell hit a three with 2 seconds left on the shot clock. Next time down the court, he missed another three

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1112489177478726062005-04-02T19:42:00.000-05:002005-04-02T19:46:17.480-05:00

The Pope John Paul II has died after his health had been going downhill. I have not read much that he wrote, but what I have read I admire for its clarity and directness.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1111955189266440492005-03-27T15:20:00.000-05:002005-03-27T15:26:29.270-05:00

Over at Right Reason, an interesting thought experiment has been posted, and a bizarre discussion has ensued.Dr. Beckwith offers, in a nutshell, the following case. His goal is to prove that we have collective obligations that we do not choose to have.1)Alice is a hermit in the Alaskan wilderness. She discovers a baby on her doorstep one day, presenting her with a moral dilemma. Alice did not

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1111692324809172582005-03-24T14:35:00.000-05:002005-03-24T14:35:40.446-05:00

Most accounts of ethics, whether utilitarian, deontological, or Aristotelian, are grounded in something external to the agent (pleasure/pain, God, etc.) Michael Slote takes a completely different position in Morals from Motives. He attempts to create a comprehensive account of morality that is based within the agent in his motives. Drawing on feminist ethics, Slote argues that we can distill

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1111692793731570642005-03-24T14:32:00.000-05:002005-03-24T14:34:41.713-05:00

The other example Slote offers is Williams’ scenario of the man who sees his wife and a stranger drowning. He can only save one, since there is only one life preserver. The husband pauses to ponder what his moral obligations and permissions are. Having settled the question in favor of saving his wife, the man throws the life preserver to his wife. Slote claims that this situation shows us that

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1111683107153382542005-03-24T11:22:00.000-05:002005-03-24T11:51:47.156-05:00

Rather than give my readers (If there are any out there) original material, I'm just adding another 2 blogs to my roll.The Maverick Philosopher is an interesting blog by an eccentric philosopher.dangerous idea is new blog by Victor Reppert, the guy I wrote about in the previous post.PS - I am revising one of my midterm papers for a post. It is on intuition and deliberation in Slote's Morals from

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1111077989558445112005-03-17T11:45:00.000-05:002005-03-17T11:46:29.563-05:00

I read Victor Reppert's book, C.S. Lewis's Dangerous Idea over break. As Lewis and his writings continually inspire and challenge me, it was very cool to read a book attempting to formalize Lewis's argument from reason. The gist of the book is that Lewis's argument (which I will describe in a second) is actually a good analytical philosophical argument. Lewis argued in the 3rd chapter of Miracles

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1110641585980173462005-03-12T10:28:00.000-05:002005-03-12T10:33:05.980-05:00

I have been disturbed by the arguments for the display of the Ten Commandments on government property for a while now, but it wasn't until I woke up this morning that I realized what exactly my objection is. Supporters usually claim that the 10C deserve to be displayed because they are 1)part of our heritage and 2)what 80%-90% of citizens believe. 2) is clearly ridiculous: America was founded as

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1110461974059922682005-03-10T08:25:00.000-05:002005-03-10T08:39:34.063-05:00

The Prime Minister of Norway has accused IKEA of sexual discrimination, and it's not the normal use of hiring statistics. No, it is because there are no women depicted in IKEA's manual. Surely the Prime Minister has more important things to do than to worry about than this. Even he, I am sure, does not think it is intentional ill-will towards women on IKEA's part. Surely he has something better

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1110430485101710842005-03-09T23:50:00.000-05:002005-03-09T23:54:45.103-05:00

Max Goss and several other philosophers just started a new blog, entitled Right Reason. It promises to be entertaining and thought-provoking. You can find the link here as well as on the blogroll, which I have added a philosophy of action blog I stumbled upon the other day (The Garden of Forking Paths).

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1109117433301396162005-02-22T18:36:00.000-05:002005-02-24T13:40:30.516-05:00

Sadly, as soon as I put The Conservative Philosopher on my blogroll, it began to self-implode. Keith Burgess-Jackson decided to disable comments; he claims it was due to anonymous trolls, others say he couldn't take the heat. Max Goss, a contributor at both TCP and WorldMagBlog, decided this was the last straw and quit his association with TCP. Burgess-Jackson then posted on his personal site a

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1109090132545148662005-02-22T11:34:00.000-05:002005-02-22T11:35:32.546-05:00

One of the recent developments in ethics has been the creation/realization of a dichotomy between different theories. It is described best as warm vs. cool or feminine vs. masculine. A warm ethical theory focuses on the interpersonal as the most important part of morality. Virtues emphasized here are such as benevolence, friendship, loyalty, and charity*. The warm ethical theory will view courage

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1108309369228658482005-02-13T10:37:00.000-05:002005-02-13T10:42:49.230-05:00

Allen Iverson scored a career-high 60 points against the Magic last night. The 76'ers won the game, too. Scoring 60 points in a basketball game is extrememely difficult. It takes a very, very good player to do it. As a basketball fan, I've come to realize that although there will never be another Michael, the league is blessed with many brilliant players. I firmly believe that this is the golden

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1108053667175635252005-02-10T11:34:00.000-05:002005-02-10T11:41:07.176-05:00

Maureen Dowd had an atrocious column in the New York Times today. I have added my own comments in italics to the first part of her column: "Flush with endorsing license plates discouraging conjugal license - entwined gold rings with the message "Traditional Marriage" - the Virginia House of Delegates is pulling up the fabric of society again. Literally, this time. The delegates have passed a

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1107659741503794422005-02-05T22:04:00.000-05:002005-02-05T22:18:50.866-05:00

I've been AWOL for a while. A heavy school workload and lack of desire contributed to my lack of posting. To make up for it, I've made a few updates to my page. I added a few blogs and decided to include my name, since many of my readers know me personally. Since Andrew Sullivan and Tacitus are shutting down temporarily,(*sigh*) Oxblog, Althouse, and Conservative Philosopher have been all added

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1107656594821136162005-02-05T21:21:00.000-05:002005-02-05T21:23:14.820-05:00

I have recently heard libertarians being called "conservatives" quite frequently. This misses a important distinction that exists: there really are two types of libertarians. Libertarians come in distinct conservative and liberal flavors. The difference between a conservative libertarian and a liberal libertarian is that the conservative wants low taxes and legal marijuana for philosophical

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1091283313407938942004-07-31T09:13:00.000-05:002004-07-31T09:15:13.406-05:00

From CNN.com: SALISBURY, Maryland (AP) -- A woman who stole $4.52 worth of fuel was ordered to stand outside the gas station Friday wearing a sandwich board sign that declared: "I was caught stealing gas." Is it alright for a judge to order public humiliation as a punishment for a crime? If so, where does it stop? This seems to me to be a bad idea, reminiscent of The Scarlet Letter. Public

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1091035772045603132004-07-28T12:18:00.000-05:002004-07-28T12:29:32.046-05:00

Reasons why we should boycott all "Made in China" products: 1) The government uses forced labor. Many prisoners, including those imprisoned for political or religious beliefs, are forced to work in mines and factories. 2) Many Chinese companies are directly linked to the Chinese military. China is probably our biggest threat, even more so than Iran or North Korea. 3) All labor unions are

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1090782371020994862004-07-25T13:59:00.000-05:002004-07-25T14:06:11.020-05:00

John Leo wrote an excellent column last week. He makes a persuasive case that the Los Angeles Times is biasedly liberal news source. This comes from ignoring facts, ghost-quoting, and reporting flatly wrong news (without a subsequent apology). I think I may start a list, just for Markus. Liberal and Biased Media: BBC L.A. Times

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1090274091911317782004-07-19T16:51:00.000-05:002004-07-19T16:54:51.910-05:00

After Sharon tells Jews to move out of France, Chirac tells Sharon that he is no longer welcome in France.   [pause]   I guess Sharon was right; even the president of France doesn't like Jews any more.   I don't think this was the right response to Sharon's comments.   [wow]

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1090271717716622682004-07-19T16:09:00.000-05:002004-07-19T16:15:17.716-05:00

I've added three blogs that I found recently and have found to be worthy of regular visits.   ScrappleFace -- ten-fold as funny as the Onion.   Tacitus.org -- Full of very heated discussions.   Boots and Sabers -- Dwells a lot on Wisconsin politics, but insightful and useful for national events.    

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1090246971763881822004-07-19T09:15:00.000-05:002004-07-19T09:22:51.763-05:00

From BBC:   Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has urged all French Jews to move to Israel immediately to escape anti-Semitism.   Two comments:   1) Sadly, as long as existentialism and fascism are the ideologies of the elite in Europe, we will continue to see anti-Semitism. Judaism is diametrically opposed to those philosophies (as is Christianity). These modern Western inventions have little

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1089085650924338522004-07-05T22:46:00.000-05:002004-07-05T22:47:30.923-05:00

F - faith R - responsibility E - empathy E - education D - dedication O - order M - morality (borrowed from my pastor's sermon)

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1089085578391769812004-07-05T22:35:00.000-05:002004-07-05T22:46:18.390-05:00

We went down to Liberty Park in Jersey City for the Fourth of July this year. I wish I had pictures; fireworks right next to the Statue of Liberty. It was truly awesome. We may screw up sometimes, but this is really a great country.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1088618988300900562004-06-30T12:45:00.000-05:002004-06-30T13:18:01.120-05:00

The U.S. has not only transferred soverngeity to the Iraqi interim government, but also given custody of Saddam Hussein to them, as well. Somebody needs to tell George Bush this isn't the way to go about monopolizing oil reserves. For all of you imperialists out there, a vote for Kerry might be better. After all, he seems to support the French way of doing things... *UPDATE* Some more

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1088105455949259372004-06-24T14:23:00.000-05:002004-06-24T14:30:55.950-05:00

I have a hard time believing that Rev. Moon exists, has said stuff like this, and owns a major newspaper. Here's the more complete story. I am incredibly skeptical that senators are attending the meetings of a crazy cult leader. If it's true, we have reached a new low in politics.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1088026814147169152004-06-23T16:39:00.000-05:002004-06-23T16:40:14.146-05:00

This game. I've been stuck on level 10 for over a day now.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087967918860122162004-06-23T00:10:00.000-05:002004-06-23T00:18:38.860-05:00

John Kerry attempted to stop by and vote on a particular bill in the Senate, one over veteran's benefits. However, the Republicans in the Senate delayed the vote. Kerry apparently will not vote on the bill now. The part of the article that caught my attention was a quote from Kerry: "It's politics at its silliest," he told CNN. "It speaks for itself." Brwee... Brwee... Brwee... Hypocrisy alert

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087861402235451542004-06-21T18:35:00.000-05:002004-06-21T18:43:22.236-05:00

Rakiir at Teleologic Blog explains why you cannot prevent suicide bombers. To defeat the jihadists, we must be proactive: "...No defense and no preventive measures can succeed against a determined suicide murderer. This has not yet penetrated the thinking of the Western World. The U.S. and Europe are constantly improving their defense against the last murder, not the next one. We may arrange for

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087689797722524432004-06-19T18:43:00.000-05:002004-06-19T19:03:17.723-05:00

Paul Johnson, Jr., a civilan who built Apaches with Lockheed-Martin in Saudi Arabia, was kidnapped and executed by al-Queda operatives on Friday. Now, the Saudi security forces got in a shootout with them, killing four. The dead include the most wanted man in Saudi Arabia, Abdel Aziz al-Muqrin. This won't end the attacks, but at least it will make the terrorists pause before they attempt more

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087426614374568822004-06-16T17:56:00.000-05:002004-06-16T17:56:54.376-05:00

The space probe Cassini has finally reached Saturn, its main destination. Cassini will start orbiting on June 30th. I remember, years ago, when it was launched, I wrote a horrible skit about aliens on Saturn being disrupted by Cassini. I forget the plot (if there even was one), but it's good to see the space probe finally get there. Time for a rant. One of the exceptions to my rule of limited

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087426222146589592004-06-16T17:41:00.000-05:002004-06-16T17:50:36.903-05:00

It's been pretty obvious to anybody who watches politics, but Andrew Sullivan lays it out clearly and quantitatively (via an AEI study). More liberal on spending than Bill Clinton? Wow. Unfortunately, there is no one to take his place. Kerry is a principle-less jerk and the Libertarian candidate should be placed in a mental institution. Fascinatingly, Badnarik has softened his image,

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087394540308163452004-06-16T08:56:00.000-05:002004-06-16T09:02:20.306-05:00

The Pistons have won the national title! They beat the Lakers 100-87 last night. I'm glad; although I respect Shaq and Kobe and The Glove and The Mailman, they haven't played as a team. The game the Lakers play is analogous to street ball: they all play for themselves. Who can get the most points? most rebounds? The Pistons play totally different. Without a true star, they have to cohere as a

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087304214822133032004-06-15T07:52:00.000-05:002004-06-15T08:08:36.296-05:00

John Leo is an excellent syndicated columnist and contributing editor at U.S. News and World Report. I recommend his columns highly; whether he falls on the left or right of an issue, he is logical, clear, and witty. In fact, I just finished reading one of his older collections of columns that I found unpacking. It was excellent, and occasionally eerie in its near-perfect predictions.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087248363394104692004-06-14T15:33:00.000-05:002004-06-14T16:26:03.393-05:00

The Supreme Court ruled today on the case Elk Grove Unified School District V. Newdow. Michael Newdow, an atheist, had argued that the phrase "under God" should be eliminated from the Pledge of Allegiance, citing the First Admendment. Although reciting the Pledge is optional, Mr. Newdow argued that to abstain would put undue pressure on his 3rd-grade daughter. The Supreme Court ruled 8-0 to

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1087000937744788442004-06-11T19:37:00.000-05:002004-06-11T19:42:27.660-05:00

...they fire the teacher that let you do it. Thanks to Dave Barry for the link.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1086578501083207752004-06-06T22:16:00.000-05:002004-06-06T22:21:41.083-05:00

I'm moving across the state tomorrow. Sorry I haven't gotten around to posting recently, but it's been crazy trying to get everything ready for the movers to come. You don't realize just how much stuff you have until you move. Wish me luck; it's going to be crazy. I just hope everything (and -body) gets there in one piece. (and a *sniff* goes out to my central PA contingent. I'll always be with

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1086234443609262442004-06-02T22:41:00.000-05:002004-06-02T22:47:23.610-05:00

Is being written over at Teleologic Blog. It seems to be pretty accurate and insightful so far. Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Judaism have been covered. Check it out!

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1086232299854150732004-06-02T21:58:00.000-05:002004-06-03T22:32:59.680-05:00

The debate over torture is done at the Iron Blog. Robin Pratt, the Iron Blogger Green won 242-229. I thought that the Challenger (Chris from NH) should have won, as did two of the judges, but that may have been in part because of my bias towards his more philosophical argument. He did an incredible job, especially since was forced to argue for against his beliefs for the debate. If you have the

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1086150629965663282004-06-01T22:59:00.000-05:002004-06-01T23:30:29.966-05:00

The ban on partial-birth abortions (technically called "dilation and extraction," the most descriptive and accurate term is probably "killing the baby during delivery") was overturned by surprise, surprise, a court in San Francisco. The judge's main objections were that the act restricted the mother's right to choose. This is crazy. She is right; it does restrict the mother's actions. However,

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1086039015747648352004-05-31T16:21:00.000-05:002004-05-31T20:06:51.440-05:00

Michael Badnarik was won the Libertarian Party's nomination Sunday with 54% of the vote. I encourage you to read the whole article. I am very sympathetic to the Libertarian Party, but have not yet decided who I will vote for November. Contra Kerry: I'm afraid that, at this point, Kerry would permanently screw up the Middle East by pulling out within 6 months, regardless of the situation. Contra

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1086037447788528322004-05-31T15:55:00.000-05:002004-05-31T16:04:07.786-05:00

Say Anything Blog reports on a trend in abortions: abortions of potentially handicapped babies rose 8% last year. It's scary, and he hits the nail on the head with his analysis: Women are already getting abortions because they simply do not want the baby, why would it be surprising that women would also get abortions when they don't want the handicaps that come with the baby? Read the rest of

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085851542804847222004-05-29T12:17:00.000-05:002004-05-29T12:25:42.803-05:00

Samizdata has a post on debating in general. The author found an an incredible quote (IMHO) regarding legislating restrictions on fast food: "'Whenever the government does something for us, it takes away from our own ability to do that for ourselves. This diminishes us as human beings.'" YES! And this applies to almost every part of government.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085769311061326452004-05-28T13:22:00.000-05:002004-05-28T13:35:11.060-05:00

After 9/11/01 and the subsequent Patriot Act, I was concerned that we might overreact in our attempts to prevent future attacks. There are indications that we are indeed overreacting. Hasan Saddiq Faseh Alddin, a Saudi by birth, is potentially going to be deported, despite becoming a permanent resident of the USA in 1999. His crimes: two misdemeanors from domestic violence, one in '98 and one in

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085621043752232792004-05-26T20:14:00.000-05:002004-05-26T20:24:03.753-05:00

There's a clown named Spanky in the Ringling Brothers' Circus. Now before you make crude, immature jokes about his name, like you might if you took a class from this man, let me tell you that you are completely justified in doing so. Turns out, Spanky is a child pornographer. Why would a circus hire a clown named Spanky? Wouldn't they expect something was up? Conclusion: if you are a circus

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085589425718567112004-05-26T11:01:00.000-05:002004-05-26T11:37:05.716-05:00

I saw Shrek 2 with Jeff last night, after he kicked my ass in Monopoly. It was pretty good. Now I want to see the first one. Somehow, that movie slipped through. I generally see computer animated movies, because they're more fun. The thing that really struck me about the movie was that it's not a kid's movie. I don't mean that it's inappropriate for children, just that it's not geared to them.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085404909035203432004-05-24T07:38:00.000-05:002004-05-24T08:21:49.036-05:00

Inspired by the Iron Chef, this blog appears to be pretty incredible. There are uses and abuses of the Internet, and this is a great use. We now have a way for people across the nation to debate each other in written format, but more rapidly than through the traditional process of academic papers. I'm excited to watch this next debate on torture.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085402079476320902004-05-24T07:22:00.000-05:002004-05-24T07:34:39.476-05:00

The Flyshooter! Check it out; this is a lot of fun and a lot easier than older methods, although my girlfriend seems to think that chasing a fly all night long with a rolled-up magazine is great entertainment. I'm considering cutting the string off the dart so that I can get more range. The spring in this baby is surprisingly strong.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085113010126796782004-05-20T22:57:00.000-05:002004-05-20T23:16:50.126-05:00

I'm going to a Jars of Clay concert in A-town on Saturday with Maureen. Hopefully I can go up Friday night ;D , but that's contingent on the (currently sleeping) parental units. In case you are a loser or have never heard of Jars of Clay, they are a mainly Christian, mainly acoustic rock group. Their big hit was "Flood" in '95, but they've gotten significant airplay with "Five Candles," "

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085031988629417582004-05-20T00:35:00.000-05:002004-05-20T00:46:28.630-05:00

I found another puzzle game, kind of like the Crimson Room or Viridian Room, but much, much edgier: Panda Adventure! P.S. I found this via a Dave Barry link to a very edgy, physics-minded golf game. Wow, I think this may be a personal record for links in a post

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1085029863985151102004-05-19T23:44:00.000-05:002004-05-20T00:11:03.986-05:00

Is my family the only one, or have a lot of people been confusing cicadas with locusts? It's true that they are both insects, and both come in swarms to devour trees and other plants, but they are not the same. This is a cicada. This is a locust. Thank you for using the correct terms. ;)

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084903066960948622004-05-18T12:54:00.000-05:002004-05-18T13:01:42.076-05:00

Here is what appears to be a very reliable and scientific website on the dangers of cicadas to young children. I want to be just like Dr. Gene Kritsky when I grow up! Thanks to Andrew Sullivan for the find.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084839033339250652004-05-17T19:08:00.000-05:002004-05-17T19:10:33.340-05:00

Alex made some very insightful comments on my muddled posts. The most thought-provoking comment was about democracy: ----- As far as the Muslims, there are at least two distinct groups. The extremists won't stop until all the women are veiled and we all read the Quran and worship Allah. However, Muslims are also living peacefully in the U.S., claiming that the extremists are wrong about their

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084825194309690802004-05-17T14:22:00.000-05:002004-05-17T15:19:54.310-05:00

We have found sarin and mustard gas in Iraq, apparently. If this is true, and further tests confirm the preliminary tests, then GWB looks pretty invincible, come November. For those of you that don't know, sarin and mustard gas are both chemical WMDs. Even if the economy doesn't recover and Kerry nominates Hillary as his VP, Kerry still doesn't have a shot. The biggest reason Kerry has been

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084675504786325442004-05-15T21:37:00.000-05:002004-05-15T21:45:04.786-05:00

Lamborghini donated a Gallardo to the Italian police the other day. It has a top speed of 192 mph, according to the article. This makes me want to move to Italy and become a police officer. Thanks to Dave Barry

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084642460408275342004-05-15T12:29:00.000-05:002004-05-15T12:34:20.406-05:00

FIFA gave the 2010 World Cup to South Africa today. It was pretty much a lock, since FIFA had decided to have an African nation host it. I mean, who else are you going to choose? The other finalists were Morocco, Libya, and Egypt. Come on. With an international event, those countries are time bombs. It'd be like holding the World Cup in Israel or something. I'm all for it. Just keep your fingers

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084508839379061182004-05-13T22:57:00.000-05:002004-05-13T23:27:19.380-05:00

After all the prison abuse news hit the presses, I started thinking about the war. It really rattled me. This had been brewing in the back of my mind for a while now, probably the growth of a seed planted by an anti-war friend. Here are some initial thoughts. Suppose that the Muslims are right and we are indecent and decadent. Maybe these abuses that are sexual in nature are not aberrences but

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084506939108035892004-05-13T22:50:00.000-05:002004-05-13T22:55:39.106-05:00

Even though it is infrequently used, the commenting feature has returned. Much thanks to Alex for his help; it turned out that I had to manually perform step 2 on HaloScan.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084396737598903252004-05-12T16:17:00.000-05:002004-05-12T16:18:57.596-05:00

"It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is." You are Desiderius Erasmus! You have great love for others and will do just about anything to show it to them. You are tolerant and avoid confrontations, so people generally are drawn to you. You are more quiet and reserved in front of strangers, but around some people you open up. When things get tough, you like

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084341513526787302004-05-12T00:55:00.000-05:002004-05-12T00:58:33.526-05:00

Well, who knows why, but after reformatting my blog, I can't get the commenting feature to appear. I was able to reinsert my hit counter and links easily, but I've been trying without success to get my comments back in. Oh well... hopefully I can fix this in the morning after some more sleep. (I slept from 6:30 - 11:30 this evening!)

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1084228360869625682004-05-10T17:14:00.000-05:002004-05-10T17:32:40.870-05:00

Well, finals are finally done, and I'm back home. I got back Saturday evening, but I was too tired to do anything, let alone post on here. Looking back on the week, I think that it went well, but could have been better. I procrastinated way too much. Van Helsing was an excellent movie. As with all horror movies, it requires the viewer to suspend his belief. This didn't detract from my enjoyment

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083953300364464732004-05-07T13:04:00.000-05:002004-05-07T13:12:48.716-05:00

What a bunch of idiots we have in airport security. At least this was Britain and not the U.S. This guy is going to get jail time because he didn't immediately pick up his bag. Security thought there was a bomb or something... maybe it was the teddy bear that fooled them.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083813726787182462004-05-05T22:21:00.000-05:002004-05-05T22:27:03.496-05:00

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to Purgatory!Here is how you matched up against all the levels:LevelScorePurgatory (Repenting Believers)Very HighLevel 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)HighLevel 2 (Lustful)LowLevel 3 (Gluttonous)ModerateLevel 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)ModerateLevel 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)LowLevel 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very LowLevel 7 (Violent)Very LowLevel 8- the

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083784019781804632004-05-05T13:32:00.000-05:002004-05-07T18:40:14.123-05:00

I agree with libertarians on almost every issue. Their logic makes sense to me... wait, they're the only politicians that use logic. GWB and The Terminator have convinced me that the Republican party is going down the drain. I am pretty much a full-fledged libertarian now. Except on one issue: the legalization of drugs. Being in college, I've seen what alcohol can do to somebody. It can get

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083561067583017112004-05-02T23:52:00.000-05:002004-05-03T00:15:28.030-05:00

The sequel to the Crimson Room has finally been created. The Viridian Room is 7 times as hard. Make that 7 times 70 times as hard.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083469151660468602004-05-01T22:36:00.000-05:002004-05-01T22:43:47.860-05:00

I've added a ghetto hit counter, courtesy of Alex's link. I imagine I'll account for the majority of the hits.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083328044919163052004-04-30T07:19:00.000-05:002004-04-30T07:31:43.186-05:00

I want to see someone die. This thought occurred to me today. I'm not being hyperbolic about someone I dislike; I just realized that although I've been to funerals (like the one I'm going to this weekend), I've never seen someone die. It seems to be one of the most important moments in a person's life. I'd like to see it sometime. I was also thinking that death is fairly taboo in our society.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083287946004909072004-04-29T20:18:00.000-05:002004-04-29T22:09:42.560-05:00

Working out some kinks in my settings... maybe this'll increase my kinky score on Dave Barry's blog. UPDATE: Well, I wanted to be able to post under either Machete Masta Ho Slappa or Telcontar, Heir of Isildur, but it seems like it would take a lot of effort, which is not something I'm inclined to put out at this time. Thus, all of my readers (three: maureen, marty, and genevieve[if you even

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083270755109054942004-04-29T15:11:00.000-05:002004-04-29T15:37:03.780-05:00

I want this semester to be over now, so that I can just tramp outside all day long in pursuit of birds. I have 140 species or so right now in my life list, and moving up near Delaware Gap should give me ample opportunity to hit 200 by the end of the year, although we all know I'll probably have to get it before September with school like it is. postscript: If anybody wants to come along, tell

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083268891757330642004-04-29T14:38:00.000-05:002004-04-29T15:05:49.326-05:00

A note to Spring: You torment me with your beauty, calling from the other side of the glass panes, "Come, come out and play." Why our relationship can't work: First off, you treat my work like it doesn't matter. Do you understand that I have 6 papers due this next week? That's like 50 pages of writing! Secondly, I'm always here for you, but the same cannot be said of you. You leave me every

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083191571641596702004-04-28T17:30:00.000-05:002004-04-28T17:37:07.670-05:00

This site is the bomb! It will convert your current sorry name into a bad-ass gangsta name. My name is now Machete Masta Ho Slappa.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1083034347535163392004-04-26T21:39:00.000-05:002004-04-26T21:56:40.670-05:00

I love warm spring rains and a certain beautiful girl.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1082936719821744582004-04-25T18:08:00.000-05:002004-04-25T18:49:31.513-05:00

I figured I'd just go ahead and make a new post concerning marty's comments. ----- what i'm curious to know is what would you call art if no one ever saw it, now that you don't consider it art? and what then is the artist? and what does that do to the merit of this wannabe-art? ----- These are great questions. I don't think that we have a word in the English language for this "wannabe-art."

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1082933973123099432004-04-25T17:39:00.000-05:002004-04-25T18:03:44.576-05:00

Lafayette has to be the worst Rugby team we've ever played. I'm not focusing on their playing ability, but rather their motivation and organization. First, last Sunday, they call us at 10:30, and tell us that they can't make it to the game at 1. This is because their formal was the night before, and they are all in bed sleeping off hangovers. They give us a few excuses, but it's pretty

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1082862835261116862004-04-24T22:12:00.000-05:002004-04-24T22:18:06.200-05:00

Which Princess Bride Character are You?this quiz was made by mysti But I didn't know I was effeminate!

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1082219086202360992004-04-17T10:46:00.000-05:002004-04-17T11:28:46.746-05:00

...is the class of death for procrastinators when taught by Nancy Bates. I've put off even learning about my topic for my research paper and presentation, and now, it's only a few days away. I'll end up just playing Miles Davis tracks the whole time. I might still pass: she likes Miles Davis.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1081874898659134862004-04-13T11:44:00.000-05:002004-04-13T11:52:13.403-05:00

Transcript of a videotape of a talk at North Park College Chapel on February 29, 1996 This is an excellent discussion between Tony and his wife about homosexuality. They come down on opposite sides, but are both articulate and thoughtful. Tony pretty much explains my views on the subject.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1081291979966577972004-04-06T17:34:00.000-05:002004-04-06T17:56:46.186-05:00

Alright, I'm conducting an independent experiment for my philosophy class. I hope I have at least one person that reads this... who knows. Maybe I'm the only one that reads my posts. #1. Do you believe that every event has a cause? #2. Do you believe that we have real choices in life, where there are two or more possibilities, and each is open to us?

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1081090240062872942004-04-04T09:47:00.000-05:002004-04-04T09:54:23.090-05:00

create your own personalized map of the USA or write about it on the open travel guide Not really that many states... perhaps I will take a road trip this summer. Of course, I've never been outside the country, so I didn't even bother to do that map.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1081011585426891262004-04-03T11:36:00.000-05:002004-04-03T12:03:26.263-05:00

We had an interesting discussion in CIE the other day about the nature of artists. I pissed off most of the class with my definitions, so I thought I'd pass them onto you to piss you off, too. An artist is someone who creates art. Easy enough, right? Art is a bit more difficult. First off, it must have complexity and intentionality. Some modern "art" today is not art, because it lacks complexity

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1080144462472020342004-03-24T11:01:00.000-05:002004-03-24T11:11:30.356-05:00

I am no longer one of the cynics that believes an altruistic act is logically impossible, given human nature.

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1078432666703736122004-03-04T15:28:00.000-05:002004-03-04T15:40:46.920-05:00

We've been reading Marx and Nietzsche in CIE lately, and the contrast is humorous in some ways. One way that jumped out at me is their attacks on the Church. Marx claims that the church is an instrument that the rich use to oppress the poor. Nietzsche says that it is a means for the lower classes to subversively oppress the upper classes. The Church, as always, is attacked on all sides, for

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1078424485320836542004-03-04T12:54:00.000-05:002004-03-04T13:24:25.623-05:00

WARNING TO TREVOR: extreme social conservativism below! The whole debate over homosexual marriage boils down to whether or not America should have moral laws, or morally neutral laws. The marriage admendment is about legislating morality. So here are my thoughts: There can never be a morally neutral law. A law forbids and affirms certain actions. If a law forbids an action, then it is

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1078323220949051162004-03-03T09:06:00.000-05:002004-03-03T09:16:39.746-05:00

John Kerry won 9 of the 10 primaries yesterday. Howard Dean won Vermont. Here are the full results. Edwards doesn't really have a chance now. He couldn't even win Georgia! I expected Kerry to win Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, but Edwards would have to be strong in the South to capture the nomination. It's true that Kerry only has 60% or so of the delegates he needs to capture the

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1077899738444583352004-02-27T11:26:00.000-05:002004-02-27T11:38:30.340-05:00

Paul Clinton, a reviewer for CNN, pretty much echoes my opinions about the movie. He says: ""The Passion" is ultimately a movie -- and a masterful one at that, obviously the work of an extremely talented filmmaker. " "With little actual dialogue, James Caviezel is astounding as Christ." "The Passion... is not anti-Semitic, nor do I believe Gibson promotes any such feelings in the film. But...

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1077855381609121812004-02-26T22:52:00.000-05:002004-02-26T23:19:12.920-05:00

Alright, here are my initial responses to The Passion: 1) It was not anti-Semitic. Jesus is clearly a Jew, as are his followers. Yes, all of the other Jews turn against him, but it is not a part of their "Jewishness," but rather an example of Jesus' saying that only in his hometown is a prophet without honor. 2) The movie WAS anti-Roman. All the Romans were protrayed as either sadists or

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6490306.post-1077829704713095762004-02-26T15:39:00.000-05:002004-02-26T16:11:15.733-05:00

The House voted to consider a fetus a seperate entity when a pregnant mother is killed. Two murder charges could be brought against the murderer. Yes, this is a crack in Roe v Wade. I am willing to admit it fully. I don't know if the sponsers intended it to be, but it seems to give legal precedent for further limiting abortion. It seems pretty clear that fairly soon, Roe v. Wade will be

Joshua Frearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13976661153772171725noreply@blogger.com