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December 29, 2006
Why I'm Staying Clear From Vista
The new Windows operating systems has "bad" written all over it.
You know my position against DRM, and it looks like Windows Vista is designed for it!
Read that great article by Gutmann
Oh, and it looks like it might break your applications too...
Well, backward compatibility is always a problem, but still... there's that point that make it too much.
I love the comments on blogs that say stuff like "I've been doing this for years with KDE". My ubuntu system uses Gnome, so I'm not too familiar with KDE, but I'm taking it as fact when its repeated so much all over the place.
Posted by ma at 6:20 PM in Software | TrackBack
December 23, 2006
Why the USA is no longer a democracy...
Keith Olbermann says it the best:
At least there's a Democrat Congress now... lets hope that this Bill gets revoked soon...
Posted by ma at 12:09 PM in Funny / Insightful | TrackBack
December 19, 2006
PHP Security Problems
Hmm... not giving me a happy feeling. So PHP won't be on top of my list when its time to learn a webapp-related language.
And Starfire isn't out yet... :(
Posted by ma at 4:08 PM in Software | TrackBack
December 16, 2006
La boufonnerie chrétienne
J'ai fait une présentation à l'UQAM le vendredi 1er décembre.
J'ai décidé de mettre le vidéo avec licence Creative Commons sur l'Internet Archive.
Voici le lien direct:
http://www.archive.org/details/boufonnerie_chretienne_MA_Laverdiere
Il est disponisble en plusieurs formats, autant pour téléchargement que consultation directe.
[Edit]
J'ai ajouté sur Google Vidéo aussi:
Posted by ma at 9:52 PM in Teachings
December 15, 2006
Another cool Colbert Snippet
"American Orthodox"... another one about religion and politics.
Posted by ma at 11:15 PM in Funny / Insightful | TrackBack
December 14, 2006
Theology Break
Last Friday, I taught on dualism at the CCF meeting (see my entry on Theothoughts). After that, I pretty much resolved a break from theory until January. Oh, and starting to enjoy myself a bit more.
So, on Saturday, we had a double-date to welcome a couple who was gone for weeks in Africa. They brought us Superman Returns, which I enjoyed watching for its pure entertainment value.
On Sunday, we had the Christmas banquet in Chambly, in a restaurant called Fourquet Fourchette... the food was great. I was wearing a traditional ceinture fléchée over my suit too! We had some good clean fun, dancing, and I was so exhausted I crashed in my bed by 9PM.
On Monday, I did volunteer work. The Richardson Centre was welcoming the German Choir. They sang for us Christmas songs that (for a change) did not annoy me to the nth degree. Then they served German treats to the residents (and volunteers).
On that day, we also started working on another research idea and I was getting pretty annoyed, reading compiler theory books that bored me out of tears.
On Tuesday, I continued that line of research reading graph theory books that increased my (already adamant) determination NOT to do a Ph. D.
But, I then asked some advice to a colleague in the lab who had a lot of experience with graphs and he just gave me an algorithm that solved one of my problems. Then, we discussed and defined a second one that solved the other problem. Now, that's something I love! So, my research is going well for a change.
I arrived home and cooked some stuff. A vegan lasagna and some pot-pourri of whatever was in the fridge, to which I added chick peas, shrimp and other stuff like that. That got me to bed late, but at least I'm eating better than pizza all week long.
On Wednesday, I had a good d-time with my evangelist. I guess that a baloon burst, and I let him know about many of the challenges I am living, but was in a kinda denial about. One unresolved conflict, some attitudes, some women issues, stress, you name it! He was glad to see I was at a crossroad where I could choose to be changed drastically by God, and that I was seeing the issues by myself. I told him of my decision to take it easy in the holidays and to do no theology until January. I'll focus on psychology and Christian living books (WHAT? you expected me to stop reading???).
In the end of the afternoon, I went back to the Richardson Centre for a volunteer's dinner where I enjoyed some food, some talk and then went to church. The message on evangelism was inspiring, and I got myself a book from Clement of Alexandria, The One Who Knows God, which I started devouring. Oh yeah, its THAT good.
So, that's what's new in my life. I'm targeting finishing that paper by Friday, and maybe start another before I take vacation. I don't know if they'll be accepted, but we'll try it.
Posted by ma at 8:39 AM in Life | TrackBack
100% Re-use Product
I stumbled upon this today...
TerraCycle is some kind of plant food/fertilizer made out of organic waste. Their packaging is made out of reused pop bottles. That's the way to make a product!
Posted by ma at 8:36 AM in Funny / Insightful | TrackBack
December 11, 2006
Dualism
Here is my notes for a message I taught at CCF last Friday on dualism. Enjoy!
1- short story of heresies
Gnostics / Valentinians: pure dualism. Creation work of the bad god
They had their extra revelation, their own gnospels, and relied on their local guru for "truth"
Marcion: compiled a modified NT to fit his doctrine. Good god vs bad God
Mani: mixture of different religions where there was dualism.
Point: we are what we eat. We reach a conclusion based on the information available.
2- dualism: what is it, and why?
Theology.
a. the doctrine that there are two independent divine beings or eternal principles, one good and the other evil.
b. the belief that a human being embodies two parts, as body and soul.
The first part is of interest to us
(Source: dictionary.com)
3- Logical refutation of dualism
Please refer to C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 2, Ch. 2
4- "dualism" today
Dualistic perception is relatively widespread. Sometimes, we can share our faith
with someone who don't understand why God is so "cruel". Sometimes, we can
read the Bible and not understand what's written, because it feels like as
if God WAS cruel.
Lets look at one nearly-random passage of the OT:
The LORD is a jealous and avenging God;
the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath.
The LORD takes vengeance on his foes
and maintains his wrath against his enemies.
(Nahum 1.2)
And of the NT:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
The main reason, in my opinion, is because we have been sold the idea
of Harlequin love, not real love.
Also, we have been taught about God the bearded guy in Heaven, which
is almost confused with Santa Claus. We made God into an ATM in our
society... he can give the good, never the bad, right?
We'll see that God is true to himself when He says:
I the LORD do not change. (Mal 3:6)
We'll see that he always was loving, always good, and always just.
Then we'll see that God's will, as expressed in the Bible, isn't
always God's will...
5- A loving God in both Testaments
Lets start with the first idea, which is that God is loving.
But first, what is love? The answer is tricky, but doesn't have to be specified formally... Since God's Word is inerrant, we can just look up moments when the Bible talks about God's love in an authoritative manner (vs. the Bible relating what people think of God).
A) In the Old Testament:
Then the LORD said to me, "Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes." (Hosea 3:1)
B) In the New Testament:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)
6- A just God in both Testaments
The idea of justice is relatively wide also. I will focus on one aspect of justice from God: punishing sins.
A) In the Old Testament:
"Yet you say, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways that are unjust? If a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits sin, he will die for it; because of the sin he has committed he will die. But if a wicked man turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he will save his life. Because he considers all the offenses he has committed and turns away from them, he will surely live; he will not die. Yet the house of Israel says, 'The way of the Lord is not just.' Are my ways unjust, O house of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unjust?
"Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live! (Ezekiel 18:25-32) (Es 59:22)
B) In the New Testament:
But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them.bring them here and kill them in front of me. (Luke 19:27)
"And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will you? You will be brought down to Hades!
"The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me." (Luke 15:10-17)
7- God's will: "transitive"
Now again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah." (2 Samuel 24:1)
Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel. (1 Chronicles 21:1)
It is one of many examples in the Bible where God gets the credit for something Satan does.
Why? The answer is because God is almighty. Either he directly decides of something, or he allows Satan to do something. In that sense, he indirectly "wills" it.
8- Our personal responsibility.
"For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?'
But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.
[...]
I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live [...]"
(Deuteronomy 30:11-14,19a)
We have the personal responsibility to know and practice. God, in both Testament, made that very clear. In the words of Jesus:
"If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; forI did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. Jn 12:47-48
"Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?
Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great." (Matthew 6:46)
9- Conclusions
1) Read your Bible, don't be like Marcion
2) If you are stuck in guilt, keep in mind that Jesus brings forgivenes of sins
3) If you are stuck in sin, keep in mind that God is just and that there is a consequence.
Appendix A- Extra difficulties
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:8-10)
In this case, we must look at what we saw at point 7. God warns us that sin has consequences,
and that God will not stand in those consequences. An example can be seen in addictions such as alchoolism, which tend to span accross generations. Our sins make us and others pay too.
But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 7:3)
It sounds like he was doomed from the start... Let us think about point 7 for a moment and read a bit more...
But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, as the LORD had said. (Exodus 8:15)
Sources:
www.christian-thinktank.com/madgod.html
www.douglasjacoby.com
http://www.keyway.ca/htm2001/20010218.htm
NASB, NIV translations of the Bible (although mostly NASB)
Michel Theron, Petit lexique des hérésies chrétiennes, Albin Michel, 2005
Posted by ma at 8:27 AM in Sermon Notes
December 5, 2006
Ubuntu Powa!
oooooooooooooh yeah baby!
Ubuntu Linux 6.10 is on my laptop as I type this and I looooooooooove it.
It installed smoothly and it has not caused me any pain after the install for configuration.
Directly after install, I used the install CD to add a very important package: Network Manager.
Once this was installed, it automatically detected my wlans and configured my wireless networking in a snap... I just had to type in my password.
Now, I also used automatix in order to install the DVD libraries and all those very useful software packages too. Its a step along the way of having dev-buntu ;)
It took me only a few hours to have everything I wanted (and more), compared to the half a day or full day of before. Oh, and it was mostly automatized, so I didn't have to actually DO anything, really. Yay!
Posted by ma at 8:04 AM in Software | TrackBack
Through a Tough Two Weeks
We had to wrap up 3 academic papers last Friday (Dec 1st). That's fine and dandy...
Only that I had to wrap up my apologetic conference for the church too...
So, it was a rough two weeks, but I pulled through.
I had the chance of presenting before ~20ish people what was titled "La bouffonnerie chrétienne", essentially how Christianity went from religion to a politicized thing. I also compared how religion has been controlling people, and how its just imitating the rest of society.
After an historical interlude, we looked at the faith of the early christians and it was question period.
I did more than my allocated hour, and I slashed stuff a LOT... I don't know what to cut if I want to stay in the time next time I do it. Oh well.
Thanks to those who prayed for the success. Things went well, and I wasn't as arrogant as when I did the Da Vinci Code, thanks to faithful prayer partners before the event.
Posted by ma at 7:59 AM in Life | TrackBack
Brilliant Spiritual Illustration @ sinfest
Hi folks!
I couldn't resist blogging this. Ishida tends to mix Christianity with orientalism sometimes... but this illustration is right on the mark!
The road with good intentions
http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2282
Posted by ma at 7:57 AM in Funny / Insightful | TrackBack