Information Related to "In the News Apr/Jun 2006"
| Audio/Video |
Your
Ears Will Thank You!
Today's iPods are the neotechnological version
of the now ancient Sony Walkman. Both are compact, both provide personal
listening experience, but there they differ. The iPod product by Apple
uses digital technology to create a nearly flawless sound, undistorted
at any decibel level. It also employs earbuds—essentially an in-ear
version of the older headphones.
This, however, has experts worried.
An article by Joel Selvin explains that the dangers of too much music at too loud a decibel level have become a concern as the quality in personal listening devices have advanced (San Francisco Chronicle , "Play It Loud, and You May Pay for It," Sept. 22, 2005).
The problem is in the way the sound is introduced to the eardrum. With earbud type devices that focus all sound directly into the ear canal and at the eardrum, the hearing damage is much greater. The high quality sound can also make it difficult for listeners to realize just how loud the music is.
Research suggests that taking a break five minutes out of every hour allows for the ear to rest and repair. Also, "if you can hear headphones two or three feet away, it's probably too loud," says audiologist Douglas Beck.
Like anything else, personal responsibility is essential. The technology is incredible, but the human beings using it are subject to error from time to time, so it is important to remember that our bodies are the temple of God and need to be treated with respect and appreciation. So use iPod-like devices responsibly, and from time to time cherish the sounds of silence.
Feminine Dress: Tight Enough and Loose Enough . . .
Ever heard of Audrey Hepburn? Grace Kelly? Not so long ago they were
the epitome of modest femininity. Is there an equivalent today? Britney
Spears? Well, no, she doesn't exactly exemplify modesty, and neither
do Madonna or Lindsay Lohan for that matter. So where are the examples
and icons of modesty and loveliness in dress for young women and girls
to follow today? The sad truth is that there aren't very many.
In her article, "Too Young to Be Sexy," Patricia Dalton explains that the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s gave a false feeling of sexual freedom to the young people of that era.
Unfortunately things haven't gotten better. The sexualized lifestyle has become pop culture and it now affects children, particularly young girls in their dress and conduct. When young women wear immodest, revealing clothing, their younger sisters follow suit. And many parents today aren't insisting that their children wear modest clothing.
What can young women do about this? First, by knowing that they set an example for younger ones, they can be careful in their choice of dress. Clothes carry a very clear message.
Clothing that is low-cut, extra tight, low riding, super short and see-through sends a specific message—lack of sexual restraint.
Look at the clothes in stores. If the above adjectives describe them perfectly, then one should probably look for a more modest alternative. Modest doesn't mean dumpy; it means classy and chic!
To paraphrase 1940s era Hollywood costume designer Edith Head, "Your clothes should be tight enough to show you're a woman and loose enough to show you're a lady" (The Washington Post, Dec. 16, 2006). A young lady of God should dress as if she were in God's presence (because she is) and not according to the dictates of this world's fashion.
Darwin and Nazism
What does the average high school biology class have in common with
Hitler's genocidal Nazi movement? According to a recent book by Richard
Weikart, From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics,
and Racism in Germany, they share the same foundational evolutionary
concepts.
Although that is fairly common knowledge, Mr. Weikart explains that Darwinian biologists, before the rise of Nazi Germany, championed the overturning of Christian ethics, especially that of the sacredness of human life—the very ideological concepts that led to the horrors Hitler and the Nazi's inflicted upon Europe (book review, Conservative Book Club ).
Hitler's war machine and genocidal policies weren't an aberration from evolutionary biology, but were cuttingedge and logical conclusions of Darwinism. The problem is that the seemingly innocent evolution being taught in the classroom leads to the same conclusions today as it did in Hitler's Nazi Germany.
God's intent for His creation has nothing to do with the depraved end results of a worldview based on godless survival of the fittest.
Intelligent Design vs.Evolution, Next Round!
The battle for the acknowledgement of truth is being fought in
the courts of the United States. Evolution and intelligent design (the
scientific study that supports the existence of a Being who created the
universe) are the combatants in a battle for the hearts and minds of the
American people, through the education of their children.
A recent ruling by a court on intelligent design occurred in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania . The Dover Area School District ran a six-week trial allowing a one-minute explanation of the concept of intelligent design to precede a unit covering evolution.
The U.S. Middle District Judge John Jones presided over the trial and determined that it was too religious and thus cancelled it. The major criticism was that such short explanations are overtly Christian and therefore unscientific (Bill Sulon and Adelle M. Banks, "Intelligent Design Is Too Religious for Schools, Judge Rules," Religion News Service , Dec. 21, 2005).
In Atlanta, Georgia, a sticker placed in biology textbooks reminds students that the theory of evolution is indeed a theory, not a fact as is being alleged in the courts. In a positive development for free thinking, Kansas state education officials have allowed the teaching of intelligent design in classrooms (Doug Gross, "Federal Judge Consider Evolution Stickers," Associated Press, Dec. 15, 2005).
The mere acknowledgement of intelligent design upsets many evolutionists, and they are fighting intelligent design not necessarily in the science laboratory or through scientific proof, but in the court systems where law-like educational regulations are determined by individual judges. For more information on this subject, request or download our free booklet Creation or Evolution: Does It Really Matter What You Believe?.
Watch What You Say!
Remember
the old adage, "Do you need your mouth washed out with soap?" Well,
in Hartford, Connecticut, police officers are trying the next best
thing—decreasing the cursing and swearing in high schools by fining
students $103 for each infraction.
According to police officer Roger Pearl, it is working and students are keeping their language in check. "Before, the kids were swearing all the time. It went from many incidents to almost nothing. It's quiet in the halls," said Mr. Pearl (www.janetrosier.com, Nov. 30, 2005).
Though it seems drastic to fine students or their parents for a student's foul language, it illustrates an important point in today's society—lack of respect. Cursing and taking God's name in vain are obvious sins according to the Ten Commandments.
Even mild versions of euphemisms are not right, as they will become a habit, but most importantly, they show lack of respect for God.
Foul language, likewise, shows lack of respect for people around us. Words carry meaning and attitude with them and foul or coarse language carries with it degrading, angry attitudes.
Colossians 3:8 says, "But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth."
Each language of the world contains thousands of uplifting words; you can show respect to others each day by using more of them! For more information on God's laws, request or download The Ten Commandments.
Endangered Bananas!
Will you miss the banana on your morning cereal? Will the banana split
be the same without the main ingredient? These may become important questions
if Tropical Panama Disease Race 4 reaches the shores of Central America
and affects the Cavendish banana.
The Cavendish is the most popular commercial banana variety, according to an article by Mark Roth of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette ("Disease Threatens Appealing Banana: Killer Fungus Preys on U.S.'s Favorite Tropical Fruit," Dec. 16, 2005 ).
If it becomes infected by the Tropical Race 4, an entirely new variety of banana would need to be developed for the market, which would take considerable time to plant and introduce, resulting in a potential banana drought!
This circumstance occurred previously to the Gros Michel, which was the most commercially viable banana during the early 20th century. When it was struck by disease, an overhaul of production had to take place in the 1960s. The Cavendish saved production, but increased costs because its more delicate constitution required expensive shipping practices.
What can be learned from these foreboding banana prognostications?
God created plant life with incredible built-in genetic variety allowing new types to be developed. However, the more mankind relies on monoculture (the mass growing of single varieties for international markets) the tougher it becomes to avoid disasters like the Irish Potato Blight and the Big Banana Blot!
Is there a time when mankind will develop a more sustainable, family-oriented type of agriculture—benefiting the farmer and keeping people close to the land? For more information, learn about the coming Kingdom of God in your Bible and by requesting our free booklet on The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Archaeology Finds "Goliath"
Archaeological evidence of past cultures is an important component in
the process of proving what really happened in history.
Many purported scholars have doubted that the stories of the Bible actually took place, but one of a number of recent finds thwarts that supposition and adds to the pile of proof that the Bible is true and that biblical characters actually lived and breathed just as we do today.
At an archaeological excavation in Tel es-Safi in southern Israel , the location of the ancient Philistine city of Gath, evidence of the use of the name Goliath has been found. A piece of pottery bearing a name that transliterates into Hebrew as Goliath was dated to soon after the period in which the story of David and Goliath, as related in the Bible, took place (Associated Press, Earthlink News, "Finding Said to Boost Proof of Goliath," Nov. 11, 2005).
This kind of evidence isn't like finding a letter from Goliath, but it, along with many other finds, helps establish that the Bible accurately presents the period of history it claims to.
This adds to the weight of evidence that the Bible is truthful, just as God says it is, and that the miraculous events of the biblical record, instead of being figments of the imagination of Israelite scribes, are in fact true instances of God's powerful intervention in the history of man.
For more information on proofs of the Bible, request or download Is the Bible True?.
Related Information:
Table of Contents that includes "In the News Apr/Jun 2006"
Other Articles by Amanda Stiver
Origin of article "In the News Apr/Jun 2006"
Keywords: loud music modesty fashion darwinism nazism intelligent design profanity bananas Goliath
Modesty: