Soccer is Life

Did you follow any of the 2007 World Cup? Women’s soccer had its quadrennial tournament this year, but I can honestly say that I didn’t watch a single minute of a single game. In the summer of 2006, I tried to follow the USA squad (a mistake, since they were not very competitive) and, following their elimination, the team from Germany. I had been to Germany during spring break 2006 and saw all of the preparations for the nation’s hosting of the world’s most popular sport (that is, with the exception of the United States), and, during the course of the tournament, was actually encouraged to see so many Germans dressed in black, gold and red and waving their flag in support of their country’s team. It was a far cry from the message I got from an English teacher friend of mine from Darmstadt, who stated that he would never wear a German flag because flag-waving and national pride were inseparable in his mind from Hitler and the Nazis.

The soccer action on the field was less than impressive. I found it appalling at that level of competition for so many players to be “flopping” when it was obvious they were just grazed by the opposing player. They would struggle to their feet as if they had been hit by a truck, trying to deceive the referee into calling a more serious infraction than a simple foul. So I didn’t watch any of the women’s games, but Germany defeated Brazil 2-0 in the championship game, the culmination of a tournament run that saw them never scored upon. Germany’s women’s team has now played a record 619 consecutive minutes without a goal allowed. The United States defeated Norway 4-1 in the third place game, but the biggest drama unfolded shortly after the semifinal match in which Brazil trounced the Americans 4-0.

In order to provide experience in goal, Coach Ryan of the US decided to change keepers against Brazil, removing the younger Hope Solo in favor of 36-year-old Brianna Scurry. After the game, Solo could not restrain herself, and declared that her coach had made a mistake in not playing her against Brazil, and that she would have been able to stop the shots that Brianna had allowed to cross the goal line. Guess who was kicked off the team for detrimental conduct? Even if you disagree with your coach, to publicly question his decisions in the press is simply not good form. It leads to a breakdown of authority and a demoralization of the team, making it all the more difficult to achieve the goal of victory, a goal that is difficult enough when fighting one’s opponent, much less with one’s own team members.

Back to soccer. As I mentioned before, Germany was able to rally behind its men’s team in 2006 and actually show national pride in a way that has rarely been seen since the end of World War II. In an even more recent example of how the national sports team can have a profound effect on a country’s spirit, consider how the Asian soccer tournament this summer was won by Iraq. The phrase “nationalistic pride” is not usually uttered in the same breath with German or Iraq, but there it was, nonetheless.

In Iraq, the government today issued a statement that condemned a US Senate resolution authored by Joe Biden (D-Delaware) which essentially said that Iraq could never be unified and should be split in 3, with the Kurds, Sunnis, and Shia all becoming autonomous states. Iraq may be struggling with its own security and its own self-governing politics, but they are striving toward unity. In a quirky but somewhat interesting parallel, it is now reported that in Heidelberg, Germany, high school students are being offered “happiness classes” to help them perform better in school. (Video here) I suppose this could be a worthy topic of discussion in and of itself, but my perspective is that the German people have been basically told by their neighbors and those who defeated them in WWII that they must carry the burden of perpetual guilt for Hitler and the Holocaust. No one can be truly happy if they must carry a burden of guilt. Thank God we who believe in Jesus Christ have the full confidence that our guilt has been carried by our Savior, and that God has declared us “not guilty (that is, “justified”) through faith in Him.

So you have Germany and Iraq, nations who were dominated by mad dictators, striving for pride and unity, and finding that their “football” teams display exactly that national spirit. What do you think the national spirit of the USA is, if we look at our women’s soccer team and its problems? It is doubtful that it is to strive for national pride and unity. It seems that, like outspoken Miss Solo, we are full of people with 20-20 hindsight, who think our leader is an idiot, and who think that if they were in charge, results would be different. The resulting demoralization makes it difficult to defeat our enemies, when we have so much tension among ourselves.

Not for sale

This Thursday, Adrian College will welcome to its campus Prof. David Batstone of the University of San Francisco. Prof. Batstone will be speaking on the subject of modern slavery, known as human trafficking.

UPDATE: Adrian College had serious tech issues and couldn't get their projector to play Batstone's multimedia presentation. He did speak quite informatively and passionately for about an hour. It seems that he wants to enlist college students to observe and report on human trafficking in their state so that local law enforcement may become aware of the seriousness of the problem. I felt that he spoke very respectfully about the church or other faith communities and their willingness to step up and act.

According to Batstone, an estimated 27 million people are coerced to labor under terms not of their own volition, which is another way of describing slavery. Millions of young girls are promised jobs in another country, but are then forced to work as prostitutes and sex workers.

According to Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice,

Trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery, a new type of global slave trade. Perpetrators prey on the most weak among us, primarily women and children, for profit and gain. They lure victims into involuntary servitude and sexual slavery. Today we are again called by conscience to end the debasement of our fellow men and women. As in the 19th century, committed abolitionists around the world have come together in a global movement to confront this repulsive crime. President George W. Bush has committed the United States Government to lead in combating this serious 21st century challenge, and all nations that are resolved to end human trafficking have a strong partner in the United States.

Additional information may be found at the web site of the US State Department or at that of the United Nations.

Of course, we do not need to simply rely on the efforts of the government to get things done. Dr. Batstone’s book, “Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade—and How We Can Fight it” is not only required reading for freshman at Adrian College, it also is the call for action described on the web site “Not For Sale.” There can be found opportunities for schools and faith-based organizations to become involved.

I’m simply directing you to follow up by going to the web sites I’ve linked to in this blog in order to discover the ugly truth that slavery has not really been eliminated from our planet. I would also be willing to give extra credit to any student who would be interested in attending the Batstone presentation at Adrian College this Thursday and preparing a brief written report, which may be posted on this blog as well. Finally, if this is an issue that moves you, perhaps our student council could consider some ways in which our community could get involved and raise funds for the cause of abolition.

UPDATE: This opinion piece appeared today on townhall from Kathleen Parker, which means that it will be syndicated next week and appear in the Daily Telegram. In it, she alerts her readers to two soon-to-be-released movies on the theme of human trafficking--"Sold" and "Trade."

At last--an open Northwest Passage!

Columbus was right. A westward voyage across the Atlantic from Europe would make it possible to reach the Orient without going overland on the Muslim-controlled trade routes or around Africa, the route controlled by the Portuguese. However, the Americas proved a formidable obstacle to shipping. Balboa was the first European to see the Pacific Ocean from America, inspiring visions of a man-made waterway across Panama, but it would not be until 1914 that the dream became reality with the opening of the Panama Canal. Magellan was the first one to navigate the straits that bear his name at Cape Horn at the southern extremity of the American continents, and, until 1914, remained the only navigable option to bypass those continents.

Northern European nations and empires, most notably the British, hoped to discover the elusive “ Northwest Passage" to the waters of the Pacific, starting with John Cabot in 1497 and continuing through the explorations from the Pacific coast by James Cook (1768-1779) and George Vancouver (1791-1795). When the United States obtained Louisiana from Napoleon in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the Lewis and Clark expedition to not only explore the vast new territory, but to continue their trek all the way to the Pacific to see if a Northwest Passage via the Missouri River would be possible. Even as late as 1969, an oil tanker, accompanied by an ice cutter, successfully navigated the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Archipelago and the Arctic Ocean; however, it was not deemed economically viable, and the Alaska Pipeline was built instead.

Enter “global warming.” Apart from the usual gloom-and-doom stories about how the population of polar bears is in decline, and despite the ominous forecasts of fictional films like “The Day After Tomorrow,” the melting of arctic ice will not increase the volume of water on the planet or in our hydrosphere. Instead, this week brought the interesting news that, after centuries of effort and exploration, the Northwest Passage is open, and will continue to be that way for at least a few months out of the year. Some models are even predicting that the Arctic Ocean will be completely ice-free before the next turn of the century.

Nations that border the Arctic Ocean have already made moves to increase the pace at which they tap into the economic resources found there. Commercial fishing is expected to boom, as is the mining of important minerals and, yes, oil and other energy resources. This summer, Russia sent a submarine to the ocean floor and symbolically planted its flag on the North Pole, laying claim to most of the Arctic Ocean in the process. Even Canada and Denmark have been duking it out over little Hans Island, a rock smaller than Manhattan’s Central Park but strategically located between Greenland and Canada at the shipping entry to the Northwest Passage. Shipping costs will drop at an enormous rate, saving consumers around the world considerable expenses.

The use of the term “global warming” by left-wing politicians like Al Gore is as a shorthand for “man-made climate change caused by greenhouse gasses” which we must all work to prevent by not driving our SUV’s so much. A compelling alternative, based on real evidence, strongly suggests that the current cycle toward warmth is a natural phenomenon currently experienced on other planets in our solar system and caused by an increase in our star’s activity. Perhaps He who created all things and still graciously preserves His creation is heating things up for our good. Considering all of the benefits to the economy and national defense in having additional supply of petroleum to decrease our dependence on Middle Eastern oil, would it be safe to say “Thank God for global warming and the opening of the Arctic Ocean?”

(Video link here)

Expecto Petraeus!

J.K. Rowling was fond of using Latin in the Harry Potter series, and no spell was more powerful than the Patronus. “Expecto Patronum” is Latin for “I await the father (or fatherly benefactor).” Harry used it to ward off the dementors by calling to mind the powerful memory of his father’s love. (As an interesting digression, I believe that this is one example of how the Harry Potter series is not meant to be a way of indoctrinating impressionable young children into the occult, but a Christian metaphor)
UPDATE: For those interested or who have been taught that there is nothing in Harry Potter but evil, read this article.

On September 10, General David Petraeus, the US supreme commander in Iraq, will be giving his long-awaited report to Congress. 30,000 additional troops were sent to Iraq in an intensification known as “the surge,” and those troops were fully deployed first in June of this year. The Petraeus report is presumed to demonstrate that the surge is working, and that previously dangerous areas of Iraq that were Al Qaeda strongholds are now safe in American and Iraqi hands. Contrary to those who have wanted to surrender and withdraw American troops from Iraq for years, Petraeus will implore Congress to stay and fight for victory, not surrender as losers just so we can have “peace.” Predictably, those of the "peace" crowd (as opposed to those who prefer victory) have already made their decision about General Petraeus' report. They seem to be like fans who would want to quit playing a football game in the 4th quarter with a 35-0 lead just because the other team still wanted to block and tackle.

Of course, Tuesday is the anniversary of the destruction of the World Trade Center and the attack on the Pentagon. In 2001, 9-11 was on a Tuesday morning, too. I find it interesting that on Wednesday, September 12, the sacred Muslim month of Ramadan begins, during which followers of Allah must fast during daylight hours. The architect of the 9-11 attacks, Usama bin Laden, issued his first propaganda video in almost three years this weekend. In it, he clearly offered his terms for peace. The war in Iraq could end tomorrow, bin Laden said, if only all of us would convert to Islam. If we are not willing, then they will continue to brutally murder and terrorize anyone they consider an infidel.

This posting will appear early Monday morning. During the week, I will post links to any updates regarding General Petraeus’s report, as well as anything newsworthy that happens in connection with the 9-11 observance. It should prove to be an eventful week!

UPDATE: Moveon.org takes out an ad in the NY Times calling Petraeus "General Betray-us." Hillary Clinton calls his report unbelievable.

UPDATE: President Bush and Secretary of Defense predict bringing home many troops by the end of 2008.

The mission trip from h***

Each year LCS students who served their Lord and his people during the summer on a mission experience are invited to share their stories in chapel. The stories are unique, because they deal with God’s unique creatures, and yet they are similar in impact. Our American students return from their mission experience enriched personally, realizing how trivial our problems are by comparison to those of people elsewhere in the world.

What if you went on a mission trip, and two of your leaders were killed while the remaining members of your group were held hostage? This is exactly what happened to a group of about two dozen missionaries from the Saem-mul (“Spring water”) Presbyterian church in a suburb of Seoul, South Korea. They were on a mission of mercy to Afghanistan, and were seized by Taliban terrorists as their bus traveled between Kabul and Kandahar on July 19. Most of the group were women, but two male leaders were executed to demonstrate that the captors were serious about their ransom demands. Over the last several days, the last captives were released and brought back to Korea safely.Let the record also show that the Taliban did not begin its attacks on Christians when the United States invaded Iraq. This story reminds us of what the Taliban was up to in the weeks and months leading up to 9-11-2001.

What did the Taliban achieve with this act of terrorism? The South Korean government agreed to withdraw its 200 soldiers from Afghanistan, even though they were working in non-combat roles which provided humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people. They also had to promise not to send any more Christian missionaries into Afghanistan, or they would face the death penalty under Sharia law. Unfortunately, because the Korean government negotiated with and acceded to the Taliban’s demands, they have become emboldened and vow to repeat that strategy with citizens of other nations.

Throughout the past six weeks, these brave Korean Christians have been labeled “reckless” and “stupid” for defying their government’s warnings not to go into Afghanistan. They have returned to their homeland apologizing for their actions, despite the fact that they were the victims in this saga. They are now reporting severe beatings for refusing to submit to Islam and bow to Mecca at the appointed prayer times. And the South Korean government is apparently going to make them reimburse the treasury for the funds expended in their rescue.

I’m going to include links at this point to several commentaries on this whole incident. Here is a link to the Korean newspaper JoonAng Ilbo, which expresses outrage at the terrorists, but also says

By ignoring the government’s warning and rashly carrying out a mission in a politically unstable Muslim country, the captives have laid a great burden on their country. By violating international principles and directly negotiating with a terrorist group, our country has invited censure from other countries. Korean churches cannot escape the scathing criticism that their aggressive missionary work put the lives of several innocent young people in dire jeopardy.

By contrast, here is a link to a piece by an American Korean missionary, who reminds his fellow Koreans

The Rev. Robert Thomas was 26 years old when he died near Pyongyang, North Korea, 140 years ago. By some accounts, he was executed in 1866 by Korean soldiers. Before he was killed, he gave a Bible to his executioner, who later became a Christian.

Though he did not do great mission work in the eyes of people, he gave his life for Korean Christians and churches. Because of his sacrifice, the seed of the gospel was planted in Korea. Because of his love, many Koreans, including me, became believers of Jesus Christ.

And here is a piece from Persecution blog, in which the author defends the Korean Christians’ actions and insists that they have nothing for which to apologize,

Yet, it is amazing to me how these poor Christians are being made out to be some horrible people because they simply went over to serve. This is an outrage and if anyone needs to apologize it's the Taliban and the South Korean government to their people. The missionaries are completely innocent and they lost a few of their friends to this terrorism that they all went through.

We have many students from Korea in our school this year. What is your reaction to this story? It certainly presents a dilemma that most of us never face—on the one hand, the government says “Don’t do mission work in Afghanistan,” but on the other hand, the Lord says “Make disciples of all nations.” Should we “Shake the dirt off of our sandals” when rejected in one place, or should we be as bold as the first disciples, among whom only John survived to die a natural death and not that of a martyr?

Praise God for the courage of the South Korean missionaries, who not only endured physical suffering at the hands of the Taliban, but also endured the emotional abuse and ridicule of those who believe that Christians deserve to suffer when they confront sin and unbelief and urge souls to repent and believe the Gospel.