Quotes of the Day

Here are some quotes for the day!

1.  Rachel Held Evans is looking for feedback about topics that she should cover for her blog.  I especially liked Katy-Anne's comment (which I have slightly edited in my quotation of it):

"I read here all the time. I LOVE the 'ask a...' series, as it appears most do. I really, really don't like the faith and parenting guest posts.  To me, if I want to read mommy bloggers, I'll go read their blogs, which I actually avoid like the plague most of the time.  (And I'm a mom lol).  Personally I'd like to see a little less humorous/personal stories, but not have them cut altogether.  I come here for intelligent discussion and to read topics that make me think. :)  I think you have just enough on faith and doubt.  I enjoy the book and movie reviews and think you do enough of those.  I do like the theological discussion and also think you do enough of those to keep my interest. I would love more on your experiences in the Christian writing and publishing industry (a lot more ha), and more opportunities to ask you questions or at least read Q&A from other people who asked questions. :p More writing/blogging/publishing tips, and while I care about your eye that doesn't capture my interest but I still come back anyway. :) Those are just my thoughts. :)"

Those are my thoughts, too, only I'd add that I also like Rachel's blog because it critiques evangelicalism and the evangelical sub-culture, as well as allows people to share their stories about leaving or returning to church. 

I hope I don't offend Mommy bloggers!  I tend not to read posts about raising kids because I myself am not a parent.  At the same time, I have enjoyed posts about trying to teach kids faith and spirituality (see here, here, and here).

2.  Finding Truth has an excellent post, Tecumseh the Prophet.  Prophecies have been attributed to the Native American leader Tecumseh.  Finding Truth astutely asks:

"So if you’re a Christian, I’d like to ask what you think about this information. Did Tecumseh really prophesy these events? I know that some liberal Christians might be comfortable with the idea that God could have used him as a prophet even though he wasn’t a Christian. Of course, I know many other Christians who would disagree with that. But if they choose to dismiss these stories about Tecumseh and just file them away as coincidence, that still leaves some questions.

"It’s easy to see the similarities between these stories about Tecumseh and the stories about Jesus. Tecumseh’s followers gave us the first hand accounts of these prophecies, and the fact that many Indians from various tribes united behind him is added evidence in his favor. Otherwise, why would they have followed him? Of course, none of these prophecies were written down at the time they were spoken, because few Indians were literate. Jesus’ followers believed he did many amazing things as well, and many people eventually followed him. But again, none of those events were recorded until decades later.

"In other words, we have as much reason to believe Tecumseh was an actual prophet as we do to think Jesus was really the son of God. If you believe one of these claims, but not the other, why?"

I myself am open to the existence of the supernatural or the paranormal in all sorts of settings, Christian and non-Christian.  In terms of why the supernatural shows up when it does, though, I'm not entirely sure.