| Editor: David E Marlett Th.D. | |
| June 9, 2001 | Vol II, No. 27 |
It seems like about this time each year there are a lot of men being "doctored." No, it isn't hay fever or a high pollen count as the basis of it all, but it is the graduation season. As Bible institutes, colleges and seminaries pass out their "earned degrees" many also pass out a few "honorary" doctorates.
I have often heard those with "earned" doctorates deride those holding "honorary" degrees, "His is only an honorary degree." Such arrogance is not only misguided, but it is also ungodly.
If most men holding "earned" doctorates were honest, they would have to admit that even though many doctorate programs are not difficult to complete, they would still have trouble doing it again. Do they still possess the knowledge that "earned" their degree?
On the other hand, what is the basis for an honorary degree? The answer is hard work and actually accomplishing something. Honorary degrees are given to "honor" the service one has rendered over what in many cases is a long period of time. In most cases men with "honorary" degrees have done the service that many with "earned" degrees have only read about.
The next time you hear, "His is only an honorary degree," stop and praise God that there are still men of honor out there doing the work.
Dr. Dave Marlett
Gay activists trying to use 'force of law' to gain acceptance, warns lobby group
Pro-family groups are urging Christians to campaign against proposed hate crime legislation they say could be used to silence opposition to the gay movement. More than a dozen states have enacted their own hate crime laws and the U.S. Congress is due to consider similar, nationwide action soon.
Concerned Women for America (CWA) has called on supporters to urge President Bush not to approve the education reform bill that currently includes a requirement for hate crime education in schools. The organization says this requirement "amounts to a license to stigmatize Christian children" who express the biblical view that homosexuality is a sin.
According to the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC), a recent recommendation said that schools in California should fire compliance officers who would monitor "hate motivated incidents" that could include "simple verbal expressions of opposition."
In a new special report on hate crime legislation, TVC said "homosexual activists are determined to use the force of law to gain social acceptance in our culture. Their goal is to criminalize the speech of those who believe homosexuality is a sin and sexual perversion."
The Washington, D.C.-based lobby group also claimed that there was no epidemic of hate crimes as has widely been claimed in media. TVC pointed to FBI crime statistics that showed how rare hate crimes were - in 1997, one of several years cited, accounting for just nine out of 20,000 murders, 2 in 20,000 rapes, and 24 in 20,000 aggravated assaults,
The organization also spotlighted research that said that as many as 650,000 incidents of domestic violence occurred within homosexual partnerships. "If politicians truly wish to deal with violence against homosexuals, perhaps they should pass legislation banning same-sex cohabitation," TVC said. "This would greatly reduce the amount of violence against homosexuals. Regrettably, politicians are more interested in caving in to homosexual political pressure than dealing with facts."
An old, bearded shepherd with a crooked staff walked up to a stone pulpit and said, "And lo, it came to pass that the trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she had been called Amazon Dot Com. And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why doth thou travel far, from town to town, with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?"
And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, Dear?" And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale and they will reply telling you which hath the best price. And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS)."
Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums. And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had, at the top price, without ever moving from his tent. But this success did arouse envy.
A man named Maccabia did secret himself inside Abraham's drum and was accused of insider trading. And the young man did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Siderites, or NERDS for short.
And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums, that no one noticed that the real riches were going to the drum maker, one Brother William of Gates, who bought up every drum company in the land. And indeed did insist on making drums that would work only if you bought Brother Gates' drumsticks.
And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others." And as Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or as it came to be known "eBay," he said, "we need a name that reflects what we are," and Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators."
"Whoopee!", said Abraham. "No, YAHOO!" said Dot Com.. .and that is how it all began.
It wasn't Al Gore after all.
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