Dress Down Friday is Back

It’s been a little while since I’ve done a dress down friday post (a casual listing of interesting web links) and so today seemed like a good day to start back up again, at least on an on-again-off-again basis.

Better World Books is an online bookstore that uses funds from their sales to help encouarge literacy throughout the world, not to mention recycling old used books and giving them to those in need, and shipping your order free to anywhere in the US [thanks JR].

Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than two million new and used titles in stock, we’re a self-sustaining, triple-bottom-line company that creates social, economic and environmental value for all our stakeholders.

A church youth conference set to give away a semiautomatic assualt riffle to one teenager had to cancel the giveaway.

Over at the Compassion International blog there’s a lengthy discussion (see comments) on “Why We Can’t End Poverty.” The author of the post provokes thought when he says, ” I don’t think we’re called to end poverty. I do think we’re called to be obedient to God’s command. It’s about taking care of those who are less fortunate. I think it’s about making sure that no child ever starves to death for lack of food, or dies from a preventable disease…I think God allows poverty so that His glory may be shown … through His people doing His work … obeying that command.”  What do you think?

Ralph Peters at the New York Post takes to task intellectuals who he believes are wasting their time trying to change the world (only) through the power of the pen. His piece is a fiery retort against academics and pacifists alike (can you have one without the other?). He’s certainly trying to stir the hornet’s nest when he says, “Pacifists mean well. But they’re a dictator’s best friends…The use of the pen is an indulgence we can afford only because better men and women grip the sword on our behalf.” It’s a bit ironic that he too uses the power of the pen to challenge those who he believes get nothing done by sitting in their ivory towers writing and thinking.

As a nice balance to Peters essay, Jarrod McKenna in “Ecopornography, Culture Jamming and the Church,” challenges what he calls “Empirewash” and the commitment to unending cycles of violence by lifting up George Fox and early Friends as an example of the church Culture Jamming.

Finally, Al Gore gives a speech in which he says: “America must commit to producing 100% of our electricity from cheap, clean renewable energy sources like solar and wind within 10 years.” You can learn more here.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt9wZloG97U&hl=en&fs=1&w=425&h=344]

7 responses to “Dress Down Friday is Back”

  1. In regard to sponsoring a Compassion child, I think it is something everyone should do without hesitation (if not Compassion, any similiar ministry will do).

    If I may be so bold to suggest that everyone reading this sentence right now, who claims to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, has very little excuse for not saving a child’s life when it is within their means to do so (if you are the exception to that, then please remain both humble and silent).

    I need to be on your blog roll bro!

    God bless.

    cd

  2. I agree. I have sponsored at child since 1992. This is one substantive way we can live out the Gospel.

  3. Thanks for sharing an excerpt from my post on “Why We Can’t End Poverty.” Yes, it’s been an interesting discussion. This is my first time to visit your blog…very well done.

    tim

  4. I’m sure Oscar Romero and Ghandi will be surprised to learn that they’re “dictators’ best friends.”

  5. First i wanted to say that i am extremely happy that dress down friday is back. I honestly have missed it.

    More comments to come soon…as i ponder the compassion post.