tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post8215344239008105542..comments2024-03-10T10:40:32.319-07:00Comments on Pyromaniacs: BoB2012: Nice Guys with a HobbyPhil Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00649092052031518426noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-11983814508306254742012-05-01T13:11:29.292-07:002012-05-01T13:11:29.292-07:00I dunno, those head-tentacles might cause someone ...I dunno, those head-tentacles might cause someone to stumble.Aaron Snellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08551668915973379312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-31176776050242893232012-04-30T08:42:27.631-07:002012-04-30T08:42:27.631-07:00The problem is that the Mrs. Gadfly mascot would b...The problem is that the Mrs. Gadfly mascot would be way too hot for the masses to accept. The original representation of her was so excellent it actually drew calls for my removal from the blog.<br /><br />Here's the <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9CG2L6tfBkQ/T56yqIqWNfI/AAAAAAAABKA/5J9Vwz6Zvyk/s1600/MrsGadfly.jpg" rel="nofollow">safe-for-weaker-brother version</a> of her avatar.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-76439988067424782482012-04-29T12:35:23.198-07:002012-04-29T12:35:23.198-07:00mrsgadfly&co.blogspot.commrsgadfly&co.blogspot.comTom Chantryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02485908616177111150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-73409172920483721912012-04-28T18:40:44.090-07:002012-04-28T18:40:44.090-07:00I love this plan, Frank. And she could combine wi...I love this plan, Frank. And she could combine with a coupla other awesome Moms so in case a kid gets sick or a husband decides to rebuild the kitchen it doesn't all come to a standstill. Not that she couldn't handle it, but I happen to know that awesome moms automatically know they have better things to do than blog...like ministry...so it usually just doesn't happen. But I'd love to read her no-nonsense. Heres hoping you get to be her pool boy. :o )Merrilee Stevensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12770625841767761025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-21790233518584064902012-04-28T15:22:30.925-07:002012-04-28T15:22:30.925-07:00Merrilee --
Seriously now, my wife should blog on...Merrilee --<br /><br />Seriously now, my wife should blog one paragraph every day for a month, loading them into her blogger account as drafts. Then, at the end of 30 days, she should schedule them to appear one a day every week-day, which would give her a 6-week buffer.<br /><br />Then she should let it rip and keep composing one paragraph a day only on weekdays. She would be the most famous Mom Blogger on Earth inside the end of the original buffer. After that, I'd retire to being her pool boy.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-66011040913958900192012-04-28T03:52:02.907-07:002012-04-28T03:52:02.907-07:00I meant to say this the other day and I forgot, bu...I meant to say this the other day and I forgot, but still think it's worth saying: Tara Turk is awesome! Frank, you probably have reached the limit on the number of blogs one person should be allowed to have. I've nearly reached the limit on the number I will read, but I would definitely find the time to read hers, should she follow your advice. It just needed to be said.Merrilee Stevensonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12770625841767761025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-62444882054972428562012-04-27T12:36:34.354-07:002012-04-27T12:36:34.354-07:00he battle came to our small corner of the war thea...<i>he battle came to our small corner of the war theater, and our big guns fell deafeningly silent. Worse, some of the biggest shots were carefully nuanced to ensure that they did at least equal damage to the good guys; when they may have still had the power to swing the battle, those who didn't punt entirely were so ineffective that the other side used those very shots to claim victory.</i><br /><br />It's a great comment, Trog, so don't take this the wrong way, but I loved the imagery here. Really drew the picture of the modern battlefield, with heavy artillery raging - and then a skinny little guy in the middle of it who's dwarfed by his shoulder-pads and helmets drop-kicking a football...Tom Chantryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02485908616177111150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-20155761964049002952012-04-27T11:35:42.990-07:002012-04-27T11:35:42.990-07:001) Snyder was a better principal than Flutie, but ...1) Snyder was a better principal than Flutie, but in the end both got all eated up.<br /><br />2) It's tough not to cheer for the Ferengi. Even though they (like pretty much all Trek races) devolved into a one-note caricature, at least they were capitalists (like the Kirk-era Federation), standing in stark contrast to the communist TNG-era Federation.<br /><br />3) If I can go off-topic, the point is well-taken about how small a corner of Christendom the Western Reformed-ish world is. And there's benefit to remembering where you stand. I've learned/written far too much about Rob Bell because I was rooting out a Nooma-infestation in a ministry I was working with, but I don't think I've written two words about Osteen or Copeland or whoever, because they're not the ones I deal with. Similarly, it's not problematic if Challies doesn't have a strong opinion about Methodist church planting efforts on Madagascar. Knowing your focus and sticking to it is perfectly fine.<br /><br />And that's one reason I was so disappointed in this event, and the whole ER2 fiasco. The battle came to our small corner of the war theater, and our big guns fell deafeningly silent. Worse, some of the biggest shots were carefully nuanced to ensure that they did at least equal damage to the good guys; when they may have still had the power to swing the battle, those who didn't punt entirely were so ineffective that the other side used those very shots to claim victory.<br /><br />And Kjos is exactly right: this was just plain old 'friendly fire'. We were abandoned during the fight, and now they're shooting at the wounded in the aftermath. Disgusting.trogdorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452996348717802065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-78497510701129564322012-04-27T06:03:08.818-07:002012-04-27T06:03:08.818-07:00Alex:
A fair question.
My reasoning essentially ...Alex:<br /><br />A fair question.<br /><br />My reasoning essentially was going to take the shape that Rap, like Porn, is essentially bad art and can never be redeemed. The roots of rap are not as music but as deconstructive political speech, and I was going to leverage that to say that Rap as an art form is therefore not legit.<br /><br />The longer I stewed on that, the more sense it made to me -- until I got involved in the best of the Theological rapping scene. That they leveraged the counter-cultural approach of Rap to bring in the counter-cultural force of the Gospel really undid my objections in a big way, and I never got around to retracting or revising my statements. I should do that eventually as I have done it here only briefly.<br /><br />I was wrong. It needs to be said.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-69122881591801327852012-04-26T19:10:36.411-07:002012-04-26T19:10:36.411-07:00... I formally renounce my (aborted) series "...<i>... I formally renounce my (aborted) series "Rap and Bad Art" at my original home blog as besides the point when it comes to our friends and good brothers who have taken the Gospel to the Rap culture in a non-ironic, not-embarassing and edifying way. I apologize for my preconceptions about the genre and its use, and I ask them to forgive me for judging them wrongly.</i><br /><br />Hi Frank,<br /><br />I know this will be a bit off topic, but you're the one who made the above statement in the comments for this post. So my question is-- why, or what are you disowning with the above statement? I took a peak at some of the articles you mentioned and I thought you were onto something. There is such a thing as bad art and music, right? So are you saying you misjudged the genre of Christian rap/hip hop and that by virtue of its noble aspirations is must be good art? Or are you saying it could be bad or good, depending on other factors?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15313399142702413436noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-53405456404693933522012-04-26T08:03:17.104-07:002012-04-26T08:03:17.104-07:00centuri0n: great!centuri0n: great!Andrew Lindseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06543222209236040112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-26709344644766579812012-04-26T07:06:13.987-07:002012-04-26T07:06:13.987-07:00I'm curious:
Who is reading this post and thi...I'm curious:<br /><br />Who is reading this post and thinking, "TeamPyro has written off the men on the BoB Panel and worthless."<br /><br />Because that sentiment can't be found here, or in any part of the three parts on this panel which I am going to post. Being concerned about somethings said or the way they have been said doesn't mean anything except, "wow -- that wasn't clever."<br /><br />I see these posts as the grain of salt that panel ought to be taken with -- not a casting of Challies, Taylor, et al. into the outer darkness.FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-84049588678984804932012-04-26T06:42:04.455-07:002012-04-26T06:42:04.455-07:00so... should I feel bad that I love the Pyros blog...so... should I feel bad that I love the Pyros bloggers and the BoB panelists equally (though turn to each for slightly different reasons)?Andrew Lindseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06543222209236040112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-32489058434437335512012-04-26T06:16:10.687-07:002012-04-26T06:16:10.687-07:00It is wise to be skeptical of Piper, he has run in...It is wise to be skeptical of Piper, he has run interference for at least two false teachers recently.Chris Nelsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15959878163583711565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-56238282721010229942012-04-25T20:42:06.372-07:002012-04-25T20:42:06.372-07:00doug, the reason they don't trust much of what...doug, the reason they don't trust much of what comes from America is probably because of one of the things which John Piper personally loathes:<br /><br />The Prosperity Gospel.<br /><br />And one of its consequences is encouraging distrust from other brothers and sisters in Christ who, in attempting to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, are wary of what comes from America because so much of what we've exported theology-wise has been so much garbage.<br /><br />Instead of being a blessing to our brothers and sisters across the world, we're wisely held in skepticism because we have failed to keep our houses in order.<br /><br />Who can blame them. We HAVE exported so much trash.Sir Brasshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01893578064434019702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-86714354684630219762012-04-25T19:31:22.670-07:002012-04-25T19:31:22.670-07:00"Big fish in a small pond" indeed. It w..."Big fish in a small pond" indeed. It was very good for my soul (which I found was too often full of envy) when 1)a brother from Egypt told me that not only had his family (Christians who still live in Egypt) never heard of John Piper, but they would probably refuse to read a book of his simply because he is American and they are suspicious of any Christian teaching that emerges from the States; and 2) I was asking another pastor if he had read Piper's latest book and he asked "Don Piper"? (Don authored the Christian Classic "90 Minutes in Heaven"). Both of these experiences revealed to me that, as prominent as John Piper's voice is in my corner of Christianity, it is a very small corner. Since then, I have discovered that most Christians have never heard of Piper, Dever, Mahaney, or virtually anyone else I namedrop (And, thus, are genuinely not impressed with my ability to quote them). Learning that was a great lesson for me and has done much to curb my tendency to frequently daydream "if only."doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18156720074003429137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-58599204455411307092012-04-25T18:59:32.215-07:002012-04-25T18:59:32.215-07:00@Dorian --
AMEN.@Dorian --<br /><br />AMEN.Barbarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16604068110452745043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-91130360636093697612012-04-25T17:19:15.695-07:002012-04-25T17:19:15.695-07:00I used to read a ton of blogs. It was exhausting. ...I used to read a ton of blogs. It was exhausting. But I didn't realize it. It was exhausting in the way that being constantly linked to the world by a smart phone or other fancy iThing. You never realize how exhausting it is until it dies one day and you spend a day without it and suddenly you notice things are really peaceful. The "how else would we keep in touch with what is happening in the christian world" school of thought is exhausting in the same way. There was a day before smartphones and the internet when I didn't feel a constant need to be so caught up with "what's happening." I found out everything from reading the paper. Or maybe someone would call me and if I was home I would answer it, and if I was not, I missed it and went on with my life. Life before blogs was kind of like that. Today all this bloggy connectivity with "the christian world" is distracting me from the christian world which I actually do inhabit: My church family, and my neighborhood, and in varying degrees the churches in my community. How much do I really need to know about what the latest who's who in the christian world said about some other who's who, or who is or isn't invited to some kind of animal room? Someone from my congregation is in the hospital. I appreciated this post a lot.Dorianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10018090049891060962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-7212504527975782202012-04-25T14:59:00.610-07:002012-04-25T14:59:00.610-07:00Thanks, Frank, that's a helpful clarification....Thanks, Frank, that's a helpful clarification.<br /><br />I guess your point, then, would have as much to do with the representation on the pannel (and its implicit statement about the Christian blogosphere) as it does with what was actually said in that opening salvo(?)Aaron Snellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08551668915973379312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-9213505524596648702012-04-25T14:49:28.315-07:002012-04-25T14:49:28.315-07:00Aaron:
I did say (twice) that it's a fair and...Aaron:<br /><br />I did say (twice) that it's a fair and pointed critique. But it's fair only because it does for me what you say I haven't done for them.<br /><br />I could have said this:<br /><br />[QUOTE]<br />it would be wrong, really, to criticize them for speaking briefly -- the whole session is only an hour, and everyone there was really there for T4G which started hard upon the end of this pre-conference huddle, so what I'm not going to do is pelt these guys for keeping it inside the time they had available. Good on them, to be sure, for honoring other people's time.<br />[/QUOTE]<br /><br />In fact, I did.<br /><br />And I could have said this:<br /><br />[QUOTE]<br />You can't catch these guys intentionally saying something barbed in public unless a large thumbtack and a mischieviously-placed stool was involved, and only then the most sharp-edged epithet would probably sound something like the Beaver would say. God bless 'em for being such nice fellows.<br />[/QUOTE]<br /><br />Which, again, I did.<br /><br />And I might have said this:<br /><br />[QUOTE]<br />[Blogging] is exactly like moveable type amped up on Red Bull and a megadose of B-Complex vitamins, and the great leap forward in terms of the democratization of information and ideas is more like a quantum jump. "How else," ponders Challies, "are you going to know what's happening in the Christian world?"<br />[/QUOTE]<br /><br />And again: I did. I think they have all the benefit of the doubt necessary to weigh what I am critiquing here against what they intended. And I'll be honest: I don't think they intend to say, "my, how lovely we are." May it never be the case that they would say that - it would look funny (to say the least) or unhelpful.<br /><br />But I think it's what they didn't intend to say that shows up anyway that, at the end of the day, might be worth a look. And because this is a fair and pointed criticism of my point, I have (all day now) taken it under advisement. I have considered it a couple of ways.<br /><br />Did they intend to say, "well, our blogs of course and whatever else there might be -- can't think of anything else tho' ..."? Surely not. But Challies is not talking about blogs in general (as you say): he's talking about the blogs which have replaced CT and World magazine. Surely that's not Frank Viola's blog, is it?FX Turkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16798420127955373559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-57703737509149241192012-04-25T14:07:58.739-07:002012-04-25T14:07:58.739-07:00Whoops.
Notice he didn't say, "How else ...Whoops.<br /><br /><i>Notice he didn't say, "How else are you going to know what's going on in the Christian world is you don't read my blog/our blogs?"</i><br /><br />should have been:<br /><br /><i>Notice he didn't say, "How else are you going to know what's going on in the Christian world <b>if</b> you don't read my blog/our blogs?"</i>Aaron Snellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08551668915973379312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-85494567700390904092012-04-25T14:06:58.804-07:002012-04-25T14:06:58.804-07:002. I formally renounce my (aborted) series "R...<i>2. I formally renounce my (aborted) series "Rap and Bad Art" at my original home blog as besides the point when it comes to our friends and good brothers who have taken the Gospel to the Rap culture in a non-ironic, not-embarassing and edifying way. I apologize for my preconceptions about the genre and its use, and I ask them to forgive me for judging them wrongly.</i><br /><br />I've wondered about that series ever since it was published. The statement above is a major reason why I esteem Frank Turk.threegirldadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10514416693800430357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-5820867654475109202012-04-25T14:06:43.969-07:002012-04-25T14:06:43.969-07:00I referred of course to Frank's wife's rem...I referred of course to Frank's wife's remarks in the above-linked post.DJPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16471042180904855578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-65711062221619858192012-04-25T14:05:27.066-07:002012-04-25T14:05:27.066-07:00Two words:
Comedy
GoldTwo words:<br /><br />Comedy<br />GoldDJPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16471042180904855578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21212024.post-89899934948055564692012-04-25T14:05:21.242-07:002012-04-25T14:05:21.242-07:00Frank:
>>It's a fair and pointed critiq...Frank:<br /><br />>>It's a fair and pointed critique. It's possible they mean, "all the Christian bloggers, all the young dudes, Carry the news." (no offense to the non-dudes carrying the news)<br /><br />>>I wonder how we would substantiate that? Maybe by the content of their blogs? How much wider does that make the scope of their view?<br /><br />So what you're asking for here - and what we actually need before we can proceed with an evaluation anyways - is a context in which to interpret their words. Because there's the (you could say) somewhat more charitable interpretation offered by Staci and Ethan, and there's the one offered in your post.<br /><br />I suppose one context would be the general content of their blogs. In other words, do they <i>write</i> like you've characterized them as thinking here? This is kind of hard to do, though, it seems to me.<br /><br />I would propose, on the other hand, considering primarily the context given by the (albeit brief) statements themselves. In other words, let's look again carefully at the statements themselves, and note what they do - and <b>don't</b> - say:<br /><br /><b>Challies: "I just wanna ask a question - how many people here subscribe to the print version of Christianity Today? raise your hand if you would. (pause) How 'bout World Magazine? (pause) Blogs aren't going anywhere. Right? How else are you going to know what's going on in the Christian world? That's just the way ideas are carried. It's the way people are finding out things now -- through the blogosphere."</b><br /><br />This, taken in context in response to a general question about blogging qua blogging, seems to be about, well, blogs in general. Notice he didn't say, "How else are you going to know what's going on in the Christian world is you don't read my blog/our blogs?" He seems to be answering a general question about blogging by pointing to a general trend in the broadly Christian world (reflective of the larger cultural trend) of getting your news via the new media.<br /><br />Frank, do you see anywhere in his words, or in the immediate context of the question asked, where Challies says that his own blogging, or the blogging of the pannel, is "somehow expressing 'what's going on in the Christian world'" in the notably influential way you're suggesting? I don't, but I could be missing something. <br /><br />Normally, I'm on board with you and particularly enjoy the way you write, but I think, especially in light of your admission that the alternate take is a "fair and pointed critique", that to say that "What they <b>must</b> mean, of course, is, 'what's going on in our corner of Christendom'" is a bit overstated. [emphasis added]<br /><br />HSAT, I think the <i>foundations</i> for looking at this discussion you pointed out are both spot on and important, and I'm glad you framed the review with them. I just hope we don't get too sidetracked in a debate about this other point so that we loose sight of them.Aaron Snellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08551668915973379312noreply@blogger.com