Welcome to my sixth annual, totally subjective and slightly biased review of the past year at www.jameswatkins.com.
Dominating the headlines for 2008: the never-ending war in Iraq and the U.S. presidential election. One was a bloody,
take-no prisoners battle and the other was the Iraq war. And, of course, making news:
the collapse of banks, the stock market, the U.S. auto industry and Madonna's marriage.
Fortunately, the never-ending grace of God held the planet together
for another year despite fears of a) global warming (the windchill is -20 as I write this!), b) that we would all be living on the street by year's end and c) the Hadron particle accelerator would create a
black hole and swallow the entire planet.
And, gaze into the future as I once again predict the
events of the new year. I've been running the very same column since December 2002, and I've managed to maintain a 90 percent
degree of accuracy! So, a famous country singer will get a D-I-V-O-R-C-E, a high-ranking government official will resign in disgrace, there
will be wars and rumors of war. . . .)
This year, I've arranged new articles and essays by categories.
2008 election
• Are presidential candidates "Christian"? (10.30)
• Candidates need a brain—and a heart (1.12)
• The day after (11.05)
• If I were running for president (9.12)
• Negative campaigning and cross-dressing author Yikes! That's me! (1.11)
• Obama not Muslim, Palin not book-banner (9.12)
• Truth first casualty of politics
(10/29)
• Who is more "pro-life"? (10.05)
• Will prayer affect election? (10.25)
• WWJE? Who would Jesus elect?
Cancer
• Lessons from lower case c (10.13)
• The test results (10.14)
Financial crisis
• Buggy whip boss begs for bailout (12.13)
• Christian response to financial crisis (12.09)
• Financial system built on sand (10.07)
• Secret to surviving economy (11.11)
Humor
• Juryrigging: duct tape, bailing wire . . . (10.26)
• Top ten signs you had a bad Christmas (12.29)
• The Whoopie Cushion Code "Bible filled with hidden humor,"
author claims (1.7)
• What would a "biblical" church look like?
• X-treme Sunday school
Issues
• Anglican/Episcopal church splits over moral issues (8.04)
• "Assisted suicide" bill passes CA senate (6.03)
• Fool me once: The Beijing Olympic scandals (8.16)
• Indian Christians need prayer, protection (9.04)
• Jesus on racial, gender, religious and social prejudices (1.15)
• Know your Palestinian players (12.29)
• Top ten signs you had a bad Christmas (12.29)
• Newsweek argues "The Religious Case for Gay Marriage" (12.10)
• Pagan Christianity argues church "unbiblical" (2.20)
• Swiss
guarantee "plant rights" (10.22)
Media/movies
• Bronto to croc: digital dinosaur adapts to new environment (5.10)
• Dark Knight of the Soul (7.19)
• Hancock:
One thumb up, two thumbs down (7.07)
• I'm not your average blogger: not single, gay, or agnostic (5.31)
• Indiana Jones and the Suspension of Disbelief (5..3)
• "It is Well with My Soul": The rest of the stories (3.26)
• Sex and the Pity (5.26)
• Would
last honest reporteer please turn on lights (10.23)
Sexuality
• Ray Boltz's "yoke" (4.27)
• Same-sex unions create disunity (6.16)
• Sex ed. for three-year olds? (8.21)
• Sex and the City: part trois (7.07)
• Sex and the Pity Anthropologist Carrie Bradshaw has missed some important research (5.26)
• STDs and the City (6.10)
Spirituality
• Bats in cyber church belfry (5.1)
• The Book of Joe (1.7)
• Finely-aged believers (12.17)
• It's a Wonderful Life—and ministry (4.28)
• Jesus is the Way: Most Christians Disagree (6.24)
• Oprah's new earth (4.27)
• Top ten signs the office staff is stressed out (4.28)
Uncategorized
• "The floods engulf me" (6.17)
• Living simply—and richly (7.14)
• Wife back in pulpit (8.02)
Writing
• For writers only (10.21)
• Million to one chance for million-seller (2.4)
• Writing for love or money? (6.28)
Copyright © 2008 James N. Watkins
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