How to Make an Academy Award Winning Film.

My review of the Paideia Conference is on hold because I saw this video and wanted to post it.  (It's great being my own boss!  Oh, wait, this blog doesn't make money...)  It makes fun of every type of movie that I can't stand while being funny and creative in its own right.  Which types of films and I talking about?  You'll see.

The 2010 DBU Paideia Conference - Part 1 Tom Kimmell & James K. A. Smith

Every Paideia Conference begins with a concert, and every year I wonder if I feel like traveling across the metroplex in rush hour to get there - but I always do. This year's musician was Tom Kimmell and he made it well worth my time. (I hate traffic, so that's not a compliment to be taken lightly.)

From the moment his show began I felt like I was really in the presence of a great American songwriter. (Which is appropriate, since he has written songs for famous musicians like Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.) His music tells stories in the beautiful songwriting craft that is so hard to find in musicians today. (I don't think it's too cynical to say that the craft mastered by people like Paul Simon and Bob Dylan seems to be lost.) Tom told stories, read poems (I liked the one about the cat), and charmed all of us with his humor and his excellent musicianship. I really felt like I had seen the last of a certain type of musician. It's very difficult to find people like Tom Kimmell anymore, and seeing him in concert was a real privilege.

Our speaker for the entire weekend was James K. A. Smith, who is a proponent of something called 'Radical Orthodoxy.' (I haven't studied radical orthodoxy much, but I hope that it turns out to be something I like, because it's a much cooler name than "fundamentalism" or "supralapsarianism." It's about time someone gave one of these things a good name.)

That light behind him didn't come on until he raised his hand like that. True story.

Smith told us about a lot things. He's the kind of guy who can show you scenes from indie films in between discussions of Heidegger and Derrida in order to make sense out of modern theology. Very cool stuff. He was very approachable and loved answering questions from the audience on a variety of subjects with each lecture. Also, according to this discussion of Augustine (written by Smith and Dr. David Naugle - the guy who organizes these conferences) it appears that Smith and I read some of the same books.

Pictured: Radical Orthodoxy.

Smith's views are very relevant. They address issues that Christians are asking today and Smith himself is a person people enjoy knowing. But most importantly, I didn't throw anything at him when he insulted my Dallas Cowboys. That means a lot. (Although, I didn't promise not to pick on him through the photo captions on my blog. No one is safe...)

Very few people can open their cupboard and find the honorary coffee mug we give our keynote speakers; we'd better not see those things on Ebay.

(Click here to read part 2!)

Responding to the 'Bibles for Porn' Movement

Christians are outraged on the campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio, after an atheist group held an event encouraging students to trade in their Bibles, Korans, and other religious texts for pornography. Members of the group, Atheist Agenda, say their "Smut for Smut" campaign aims to call attention to violence and "misogyny" in the holy books. "You are better off having porn, which isn't nearly as smutty," one member said. Is this a harmless PR stunt, or a blatantly offensive cheap shot at religion? [Link]

I'm tired of seeing my fellow believers try to stop things like this. Yes, this is a dumb and silly movement, but getting publicly upset over it is not helpful. These people want church goers to whine and complain because they know there is nothing anyone can do about it. Gripe all you want, these types will merely rub your face in the fact that you can't stop them. In fact, this sort of thing would get much less news if we would just ignore it. (I realize the irony of saying this while I talk about it on my blog, so don't bother pointing that out.)

A few months ago, PETA launched an ad that featured a naked woman holding a cross as if she were an angel (no, I'm not going to link to it...); it's unlikely anyone would have noticed another racy PETA ad if certain Christian groups hadn't made a fuss about it. The media went out of their way to look for people who were complaining about this just to make news out of it, and PETA was counting on that reaction in order to get their advertisement seen by a broader audience.

Don't be the rube. Next time you see someone launching an anti-Christian crusade just ignore it. Respond by showing love to them when you see them, and don't play into their hands by griping about it. If you show them love (or, if you had simply been nice to them in the first place) they will think twice about railing against people who are their friends. That is how you combat this sort of thing - not through whining.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
-Romans 12:17-21

Do Nudists Colonies Have Churches? I'm Afraid So...

While cruising through the headlines at the End Times Tavern, I came across this gem: "At Ivor Church Clothing is Optional."

The last time I read something like that I was studying the Fourth Crusade.

This church exists in a nudist colony in Virgina and is known as the only nudist church in the state. I've personally never understood nudist colonies, but I've had friends who thought it would be marvelous to wander around unrestricted by clothes. I made sure to inform these people that their time had not yet come. But I digress.

According to the pastor:

"Some of the biggest moments in Jesus' life he was naked," Pastor Allen Parker said. "When he was born he was naked, when he was crucified he was naked and when he arose he left his clothes in the tomb and he was naked. If God made us that way, how can that be wrong?"

Pastor Allen says the congregation is a family-oriented one and is very involved in helping others.

"On second thought, don't pass the offering plate - just hold on to it." (This is a picture from the Whitetail Nudist Colony's website; I probably shouldn't have included it. On the other hand, it's funny to think about teenagers searching for images from nudist colonies and finding this. Ha ha ha, kids, take that!)

Despite the oddness of the nudist colony, this place seems legit. No, I'm not going there, but American nudist colonies are known for being respectable places. I can't think of anything wrong with people being naked just for the heck of it in a good environment. (Like it matters, I bet you're still trying to adjust the page so that you don't have to look at that picture; I know I am.)

There's a video at the link - but I was afraid to watch it.