Sand Hill Philosopher

This Week's Favorites, December 13, 2009

Well, Sand Hill Friends, thanks for the good readership and the comments by email and on the blog. I enjoyed reading your Family Christmas Traditions, and will

Knowing One Another Helps Cooperation

A court has just shut-down a Charter School using a "Classical Curriculum".  One of the major tools that is used in the "Classical Curriculum" is making sure that students have a very strong foundation in the Basics. Then they progress through Latin, Mathematics, Classical Literature and History, much of which is learned by the study of Original Documents.

While long a believer in this approach to education, for a better critique of this approach to education and curriculum please visit www.beehive5.blogspot.com .

Michael Medved mentioned today on his radio program that a judge has once again intervened to "save people from learning the Bible." Interestingly, this particular Classical Curriculum contains studies of the Bhagavad Gita (Hinduism), the Book of Mormon, the Code of Hammaraubi (the oldest known codex of written law, from Persia), Mohammad and Islam. Altogether, ten world religions are studied.

The Judge ruled that it was only the Bible that was a problem, and the school must either drop the Bible from the curriculum, change to another curriculum, or shut the school. This is just another example of Judicial Activism, and Judicial Bigotry.

Interestingly, the curriculum is not a "Sunday School Approach" to the Bible, but a study of its impact on culture, history and the fact that not only Christianity, but Judaism and Islam rely heavily upon the text for their religion, worldviews and customs. While the Bible is generally considered a marvelous book of literature in its own right, many classicists, including William Shakespeare, quoted it frequently. Abraham Lincoln once said, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." That is a simple, profound statement, imbedded in our nation's history. Whether you are Christian or not, the import of the fact, and the clearness of expression can't be denied, even if you discover that Lincoln was quoting Jesus, speaking in Mark 3:25. These words had great impact, and directed minds to a worldview that brought an end to The Great War (US Civil War, 1861-1865).

Medved added that even though his own children attended an Orthodox Jewish High School, one of the best teachers in that school dedicated significant class time to the discussion of the Christian Doctrine referred to as "Calvinism". Was it to teach the Jews that they should become Calvinistic Christians, or Calvinistic Jews? No. It was so they could understand so much history that occurred during the Age of Reformation, and hundreds of years of politico-historical actions effecting the whole world, regardless of the student's own religion.

All religions have a worldview, which is largely drawn from their religious beliefs. By studying these religions, and worldviews, we will understand each other better. My sons all studied the Major World Religions: I'm glad they did.

Let me try to set aside my outrage over the Bible portion of the court ruling, and close by saying,

Regardless of your opinion of religion in general, your personal choice of religion, or even your denomination within one of the bodies, Don't you think that you will be better educated and understand where the other person is coming from, if you understand at least a little about where their worldview is coming from?

You can have knowledge without Faith.

Just Thinking, The Sand Hill Philosopher

 

This Blog Post: http://bit.ly/7lCUlo   

www.MichaelMedved.com

www.Beehive5.blogspot.com

Why Isn't 'Common Courtesy' More Common?

America is becoming rude, and it is contagious.

When You Look, Do You See God?

How hard do you have to look to see God? Consider a few examples of the simple (straightforward, always consistent) way in which God has arranged Creation:

Judge Needs Removed: Can Anyone be "Too Religious"?

I have been shocked at many rulings, and have been an activist in pushing for the impeachment of judges who are guilty of "highhandedness", otherwise known as judicial activism, and, sometimes called, "ruling from the bench."

WORLD Magazine: just what the Sand Hill Philosopher Ordered

Are you searching for a new magazine that is consistent with your worldview?  I had grown-up reading Time Magazine and Newsweek, with an occasional glance at US News & World Report, but during college, they became more one-sided in their reporting and I became more critical of what I read. [Perhaps they were always that liberal, and I took a while to catch-on.]

After I refused to read the magazines anymore, I felt a little ill-prepared for the journeys to places that would invoke read-less waiting upon me.  I always wanted that magazine rolled up in my pocket before I left my dorm room.

During my medical residency in Waco, Texas, my wife and I learned of a news magazine with a worldview alternative to Time and Newsweek: it was, and is, WORLD Magazine.

The magazine takes a clear, conservative, Christian worldview on events at home and abroad. They carry the same topical columns that the other news magazines do, but with a worldview closer to mine and the typical Sand Hill Reader.

At first I thought we might be signing up for a "religious bulletin", but though they have a "Religion Column" from time-to-time, there is no doctrine or denomination pushed. They simply, and clearly, bring me the weekly news in a magazine form.

Over the last 20+ years of readership, I have seen them grow in number of subscribers, number and quality of writers/journalists, and stature among America's journalistic reporters as a respectable source of news and information.

If you have already given up on ABC, CBS and CNN, to turn to Fox News, why not drop your Time, Newsweek and US News & World Report subscriptions, as well, and subscribe to WORLD Magazine? The Editor is Joe Belz who always has an excellent editorial.  Marvin Olasky (Professor of Journalism, at The University of Texas, Austin) is a regular contributor and serves as Editor In Chief; another well-known columnist that appears in each issue is Adree Seu.

The November 7, 2009 issue contains the following as a partial list of its contents: Quotables, Quick Takes, Movies & TV, Books, Music, Lifestyle and Tech, Charity, Sports, an article by Janie B. Cheaney (Subdued and Preserved: America's National Park System is a product of civilization) and articles in the following categories: Islam (Dutch Politician Brings anti-Islam Message to Britain and America); Government (A Platoon of Czars Sets Policy); Persecution (Vietnamese Refugees Call for Washington to Act on Abuses); Politics (Critics Worry About the Effects on Free Speech of Recently Expanded Hate Crime Laws); Environment (Climate Change Becomes the Latest Excuse for Population Control); Iraq (In Disputed Kirkuk, Christian Presence is Targeted); Sudan (Militia Attacks in South Sudan Threaten "Peace" Agreement); Education (Public-school Educators Ignore a Charter School That is Accomplishing What They Cannot); Radicalism (Moving from Corporate America to Academic America).

The cover articler is, Do the Math - How a government-run system will entice your employer to drop your health plan -- and press religious institutions like Belmont Abbey College to violate their beliefs.

To review more about the magazine, and see up-to-the-minute news articles, visit their web-site at www.WORLDmag.com. Subscription information is also found on this page. I have known hundreds of satisfied readers over the years, and know thousands who stay wrongly-informed by the more common news magazines, or ignorant all together.  Why don't you check-out their web-site and subscribe. I don't think you will regret it.

Just Thinking, The Sand Hill Philosopher

Best of the Week

Here are a few of this past week's most read blog posts among Sand Hill Readers. A few were posted this past week, but some of the most commonly searched and read posts were from previous weeks. This is a chance for the new followers to see what people still value among the Sand Hill Philosopher's blogs.  This summary will become a regular weekend catch-up and re-cap on what people have been reading on the web site.

Just Thinking, The Sand Hill PhilosopherIs Congress Constitutional Anymore?
Posted: 11 Nov 2009 11:36 AM PST
Nancy Pelosi does not consider constitutionality of a bill "serious". Do you? Read here to find out when Congress lost that perspective. The Sand Hill Philosopher

Homeschooling American Patriots
Posted: 28 Oct 2009 05:15 AM PDT
Homeschooling Patriots: a frame work for a curriculum

AMA Awakens to Speak for Doctors, Finally
Posted: 12 Nov 2009 10:49 PM PST
Will the apparent awakening of the AMA to both physician and patient needs affect the healthcare reform movement in Congress? It could be explosive, or a dud.

Fibromyalgia: The Thirty Year Phenomenon, Part Fourteen
Posted: 12 Nov 2009 05:00 AM PST
The Fourteenth, and FINAL, post on this blog considering the Cause and Cure for Fibromyalgia, with the case proven by a study of physiology, pathology, anatomy and verified by patient reports,...Dedicated to Elder Sonny Pyles, who taught me to think, and believe in the incredible ability of God's Creation to care for itself.

Having a Family Who Is A Little Bit Different

There are no greater blessings than having a family that surrounds you and embraces you with love, carries you when you are down and encourages you when you most need it.

Homeschooling American Patriots

My wife and I began planning to homeschool our children when the oldest was only two years old.

Local Government Salaries

Many of these points I want to think about with you are specific to Texas Law, but that does not dismiss you.

What is Cripplegate Farm?

In many of my posts, I have written about Cripplegate Farm,

Who is the Sand Hill Philosopher?

Since starting this blog, many people have contacted me wanting more information on my background and qualifications to speak on some of these topics, such as medicine.

Healthcare and Debt: Driving Forces Behind Economic Decisions

When able to practice medicine, every year we would go through the meetings, where employers, insurance companies and doctors

CNN Investigates Saturday Night Live

In a recent "news" spoof, a brand-mark of Saturday Night Live,

Liberal Arts Education & Its Link to Freedom

The lack of education will soon make America a nation of slaves.