Terra Extraneus

Category: Mental Health
Something profound from an arts and crafts teacher answering a question in a radio interview. The question: at a time when we all complain that we are busier than ever, why is the popularity of arts and crafts on the upswing, and how do people find the time. Her answer:
“The busier you are, the more important it becomes to do things that can’t be rushed.”
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Category: Left-Wing Conspiracy
High of 71. That’s the forecast for today, Dec. 27, 2005, in Oklahoma City. Those left-wing conspirators are so sinister in their machinations that they have found a way to actually increase the temperature by several degrees, just to fool us into believing in global warming.

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The United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, on November 30, 2005, enjoined the Indiana Legislature from opening its sessions with sectarian prayer. Following the United States Supreme Court decision regarding the Nebraska legislature, the Marsh case, the Indiana federal court ordered the Indiana Legislature to conduct its opening prayer tradition like this:

“In this case, for the reasons set forth above, plaintiffs are entitled to a permanent injunction against the Speaker in his official capacity barring him from permitting sectarian prayer as part of the official proceedings of the Indiana House of Representatives. If the Speaker chooses to continue any form of legislative prayer, he shall advise persons offering such a prayer (a) that it must be nonsectarian and must not be used to proselytize or advance any one faith or belief or to disparage any other faith or belief, and (b) that they should refrain from using Christ’s name or title or any other denominational appeal.”

Gene Veith, writing for World Magazine, brought this decision, to my attention at least, in the December 17th issue of World Magazine, in his review of the decision, when he noted that the decision eliminated religious diversity by banning sectarian prayer, but allowed non-sectarian prayer, i.e., uni-prayer [my word not his, but probably not a new term since the invention of the uni-sex concept]. Mr. Veith also noted that Christian prayer is incapable of encompassing meaningful uni-prayer.

The legislative session prayer cases are more worrisome to me than the public school prayer or public school curriculum cases. To avoid that problem, Christians simply have to learn how to tithe and start their own schools. Our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters have been doing so for generations and while not perfect, have set an example for nearly everyone else. But, legislatures cannot be privatized. The Indiana federal court has taken us one more step away from non-sectarian government toward a form of uni-religion and uni-prayer that will one day become the standard of the politically correct.

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My partner, Terry Hull, has introduced us in his first posting. Additional biographical data about me is publicly available from any source that provides such information regarding lawyers and my law firm has its own website. But, by way of full disclosure, I would also note that I, too, have served in the pulpit for various lengths of time at various churches and among denominational Christians as well as non-denominational Christians. Never have I accepted compensation from any church, however, but that probably means the church in question got exactly what they paid for. Between us, Mr. Hull and I have five or six degrees, at least three of which are graduate degrees. Thus, on some subjects we are fundamentalists, sometimes we are evangelicals, sometimes we are professionals, sometimes we are educated liberals, and sometimes we are simply clueless, but not, hopefully at the same time. As Terry has noted, we have been blogging between ourselves for nearly 40 years and we are now inviting others to the intellectual mayhem.

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Rod Heggy and I have been friends since our teenage days and partners on numerous projects during our adult lives. Today, 35 years after our friendship began, we begin our latest collaboration: the Terra Extraneus blog.

Terra extraneus is Latin for “strange world,” as in the phrase, usually said while shaking one’s head, “It’s a strange world!” Actually, our view isn’t quite as dismal as that phrase suggests (well, maybe Rod’s is, but mine isn’t). Depending on how you look at it, this strange world we live in can be a source of dismay or of comedic relief. I imagine Rod and I will be looking at things from both of those perspectives on Terra Extraneus.

Rod and I first met in 1971 as members of the youth groups of sister churches. Soon we crossed paths in a second way as high school speech and debate competitors. Rod went on to become an attorney and today he heads a successful practice. I entered the ministry and have spent much of my adult life as a pastor. I also have worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and paralegal.

Rod and I are evangelical Christians, meaning that we believe Jesus is the living Son of God and our Lord and Savior. But don’t be too quick to pigeonhole our personalities or our politics based on that confession. We may surprise you.

We launch Terra Extraneus to discuss “news, morality, law and faith.” Our discussion, of course, reflects our perspectives as two men, one an attorney and the other a pastor, who are long-time friends and fellow Christians. Actually, we have already been having this discussion between ourselves for years. Today we invite you to listen in — and to add your own comments, if you wish.

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