dave dack

Just in case you ever wondered what the PC (U.S.A.)’s official “stance” on abortion is…

The church has a responsibility to provide public witness and to offer guidance, counsel, and support to those who make or interpret laws and public policies about abortion and problem pregnancies. Pastors have a duty to pray for and support those who face these choices, to offer support for women and families to help make unwanted pregnancies less likely to occur, and to provide practical support for those facing the birth of a child with medical anomalies, birth after rape or incest, or those who face health, economic, or other stresses.

The church also affirms the value of children and the importance of nurturing, protecting, and advocating their well-being. The church, therefore, appreciates the challenge each woman and family face when issues of personal well-being arise in the later stages of a pregnancy. In life and death, we belong to God. Life is a gift from God. We may not know exactly when human life begins, and have but an imperfect understanding of God as the giver of life and of our own human existence, yet we recognize that life is precious to God, and we should preserve and protect it. We derive our understanding of human life from Scripture and the Reformed Tradition in light of science, human experience, and reason guided by the Holy Spirit. Because we are made in the image of God, human beings are moral agents, endowed by the Creator with the capacity to make choices. Our Reformed Tradition recognizes that people do not always make moral choices, and forgiveness is central to our faith. In the Reformed Tradition, we affirm that God is the only Lord of conscience— not the state or the church. As a community, the church challenges the faithful to exercise their moral agency responsibly.

When an individual woman faces the decision whether to terminate a pregnancy, the issue is intensely personal, and may manifest itself in ways that do not reflect public rhetoric, or do not fit neatly into medical, legal, or policy guidelines. Humans are empowered by the spirit prayerfully to make significant moral choices, including the choice to continue or end a pregnancy. Human choices should not be made in a moral vacuum, but must be based on Scripture, faith, and Christian ethics. For any choice, we are accountable to God; however, even when we err, God offers to forgive us.

We affirm that the lives of viable unborn babies—those well-developed enough to survive outside the womb if delivered—ought to be preserved and cared for and not aborted. In cases where problems of life or health of the mother arise in a pregnancy, the church supports efforts to protect the life and health of both the mother and the baby. When late-term pregnancies must be terminated, we urge decisions intended to deliver the baby alive. We look to our churches to provide pastoral and tangible support to women in problem pregnancies and to surround these families with a community of care. We affirm adoption as a provision for women who deliver children they are not able to care for, and ask our churches to assist in seeking loving, Christian, adoptive families.” See Minutes, 217th General Assembly (2006) (pp.49-50).

So I’m trying to sell my car. I put it up on Craigslist and have had lots of calls and emails. Everyone seems really interested until they hear, “It has 211,600 miles on it.” I might as well say, “There’s a giant grizzly bear that lives in the trunk and you have to feed your children to it or it will explode and wipe out the entire western United States.”

Anyone want it? I’m asking $3,300 obo. There’s no nuclear bear in the trunk, I promise!

It’s the finger licking.  Have you ever noticed that while the dentist’s hands are in your mouth, your tongue sometimes starts automatically licking the tools and fingers?  It’s almost like a reflex - your tongue just has to know what these strange things are, what they feel like, what they taste like.  I don’t think I could tolerate my fingers being licked if I were a dentist.

New reviews from the PhenomeShawn here.

I’ve been redesigning the Dack family brand (as in a cattle brand - like a family crest) for the last couple of days, and ran a search on Google to see if the brand was anywhere online.  What I found was Dack’s Shoes For Men.  They’re based in Ontario, and I remember my grandma saying that she thought we had some distant relations up that way.

I really want a pair of their shoes.  I mean, c’mon, they’re Dack’s shoes!  I’m entitled to them.

This morning I bought a bluetooth headset. Partly it’s because I just wanted one, but mostly it’s because come July 1 the law will require me to use one if I want to talk on my phone in the car. Which I do sometimes. I’m not sure what the law is in Pennsylvania.

Don’t worry, I refuse to become one of those people walking around talking to myself pretending I’m in an episode of Star Trek.

It took ten of us, but we tamed the legendary Aspen Burger at the Colorado Grill this afternoon.

Three 3 lbs. patties.

Nine pounds of cooked beef.

It’s hard not to stare…

I watched The Forbidden Kingdom on Sunday afternoon with Shawn, and have managed to convince myself that I can become a kung fu master.

That’s why I love kung fu movies.  Every time I come away a martial arts expert.