Pornography – Traditores

One man showing another man a centerfold

Something that Probably Won’t Surprise Most Men (or Women)

Posted on September 22, 2013September 22, 2013 by Alan

Here's something that probably won't surprise most men (or women)…

"Brain scans find porn addiction"

COMPULSIVE users of pornography show the same signs of addiction in their brain activity as alcoholics or drug addicts, a study has revealed.

In the first research of its kind, scans showed that a central portion of the brain which is stimulated in drug or alcohol addicts also "lit up" when compulsive pornography users watched explicit material. There was no such effect in the brains of people who were not habitual users of porn.

Of course, addiction or not…it's still a sin and you should not view it. Always avoid it like the plague!

To my fellow men, here's a tremendous talk about how pornography works into our minds or lives by Monte Cox from the 2008 Ganderbrook Men's retreat:

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Trust me…listen to the whole thing…and you'll understand I suggested it.

Surrendering to Be Free

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Alan

As I keep my eyes open for ideas for these bulletins, sometimes it seems more than coincidental that two items cross my social media streams so perfectly to highlight a potential subject. In one case, it was a random tweet that someone I follow must have retweeted combined with a Gawker article where the author explains an electronic wrestling match he had with, of all people, the late Steve Jobs (of Apple fame).

I'm not sure why those two didn't inspire the article the week I ran into them, but luckily I keep a note with sermon and article ideas…and I was reminded of them again today as I scanned through my list of potential topics.

I mean, you really don't want another article connected with the presidential election do you? 🙂

First, the tweet. This is what @lanalue wrote (Sorry…I didn't grab a screen capture at the time):

You will only experience the amount of freedom that u are willing to surrender to God.

Hmmm…seems contradictory, doesn't it? How many soldiers would say that they surrendered for freedom? You don't surrender for freedom…since it means (if you aren't just shot) you are going to become a prisoner of war.

Yet @lanalue is telling us that our freedom is directly proportional to our surrender to God (not inversely proportional as we would expect).

So, how can Steve Jobs shed more light on this apparent contradiction? Continue reading “Surrendering to Be Free”

Old car

A Lesson from Smuggling

Posted on February 19, 2011February 26, 2011 by Alan

One of the first editions of Ruport Murdoch’s new iPad-only newspaper, The Daily, included a story that had all the makings of a great old-fashioned G-Man tale.¹ An unmarked truck sneaks out from Pennsylvania before dawn with liquid contraband destined for Manhattan. After arriving, the banned substance is clandestinely slipped into a crowded room of addicts waiting for their once-a-month fix. Images come to mind of Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, high speed chases with cars not long past the Model T, Tommy guns, and the FBI kicking over huge vats of illegal liquor.

However, Prohibition ended in 1933, and long ago those famous moonshine runs morphed into NASCAR racing. So, what new liquid has led to such an illicit trade? Perhaps some normal beverage beefed up with a narcotic? A new caffeinated alcohol drink (like Four Loko) that five states outlawed before the FDA finally stepped in to make it illegal for everyone?² Considering this fluid has caused raids reminiscent of Prohibition it must be pretty addicting and the Devil’s juice.

The Amish smuggler, Samuel, was sneaking in…gasp…. Continue reading “A Lesson from Smuggling”

Men racing

Finishing the Race

Posted on November 13, 2010November 16, 2010 by Alan

(Written 11/11/2010) As I mentioned in a previous article, I am in the midst of a nine week “Couch Potato to 5K” (C25K) program. Today was week 5 day 3–the first session comprised entirely of jogging (outside the five minute warm-up and cool-down walking periods). Twenty minutes may seem humorously minuscule to an accomplished jogger, but I knew that it was going to be difficult, partially because I am still so out of shape, but also because the genes my parents bequeathed me include flat feet, and my knees receive a tremendous amount of abuse.

From previous torture sessions I discovered that although my exhaustion increases, the physical pain actually decreases after the first jogging interval. So, this morning I tested a theory and jogged for sixty seconds before the five minute warm-up…and sure enough the discomfort was reduced.

I am not alone, when faced with a task, in figuring out ways to work around the most difficult aspects. When failure isn’t an option (for whatever reason), humans can be quite creative. It may just be that my ego was in control, but I was going to do whatever I could to make sure I didn’t bail-out of today’s run! Continue reading “Finishing the Race”