Birth of Freedom Shorts #8: How Did Christian Slave Owners Justify Slavery

Another good little piece from the folks at the Acton Institute:

Star Wars: The Old Republic -- The Video Intro

If they can pull this off, this just might be a great game:

Star Wars: The Old Republic official press release

here it is, as pulled from the new Official Site:

LUCASARTS AND BIOWARE
REVEAL STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC

OCTOBER 21, SAN FRANCISCO – LucasArts and BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of Star Wars®: The Old Republic™, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ franchise. Star Wars: The Old Republic, being developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, represents an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.

"Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the most critically acclaimed Star Wars game in LucasArts history and a preeminent example of our company’s interactive storytelling heritage," said Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts. "For a long time, we’ve long wanted to return to the franchise in a grand way, and we felt that the best setting for it was an online world that would allow millions of people to participate in the experience together. We knew that the developer capable of working with us to deliver an engrossing story with a fully-realized online world was BioWare."

"Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars - combat, exploration and character progression," said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and General Manager/CEO of BioWare and General Manager/Vice President of Electronic Arts Inc., "In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’re fusing BioWare’s heritage of critically-acclaimed storytelling with the amazing pedigree of Lucasfilm and LucasArts, and adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a AAA massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in a very exciting, dynamic period in the Star Wars universe."

Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder and Vice President Development Operations, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts Inc., "Star Wars: The Old Republic is set roughly 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, a timeframe that is completely unexplored in the lore. BioWare has been able to add to the Star Wars history in developing the game’s story and has created an overarching narrative that players can enjoy, regardless of their play style. Our goal is to offer players an emotionally rewarding experience that combines the traditional elements of MMO gameplay with innovations in story and character development."

Additional details on Star Wars: The Old Republic features, gameplay and release date will be announced at a later time. For more information about Star Wars: The Old Republic and to sign up for future product updates, please visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com.

A Few Words on Iraq

This is a cross-post from a thread I was discussing some current issues with over at MMORPG.com. yeah, politics on a gamers forum -- go figure. Anyway the guy was saying how he was against the Iraq war, and that Saddam Hussein didn't harbor terrorists there. This led me to make this post, which I thought was worth saving here:

Actually, Abu Nidal lived in Iraq. Saddam certainly harbored terrorists, just not Al Qaeda. He also backed terrorists in Palestine. Militant, or Political Islam is not one big monolith -- there are many rivals for the same prize -- a caliphate over the Muslim world. Some are more secular than others, Saddam Hussein and Momar Qaddafi come to mind; and others are more religious -- the mullahs of Iran and Osama bin Laden are fine examples.

All are, to a greater or lesser extent -- part of the Jihad. They may hate one another, but they hate us more. hate is mostly what they do, so if they are just mildly disgusted, that is akin to being friends in the West.

On 9/11, Palestinians hit the streets and cheered -- they didn't have anything to do with it, but we can see where their sympathies lie. sadam had a mural of it painted and celebrated it. In the last years of his reign he rediscovered his faith and got more religious, because he saw the tide turning.

Now, I feel you have it backwards. Bin ladin's biggest enemy (other than us, of course) is Saudi Arabia. By encouraging tyranny in any part of the Muslim world, we help him. By encouraging liberty, we harm him.

The old realpolitik is a failure. Desiring stable discatorships (there really is no such thing, but whatever) serves HIM. The Bush doctrine, while horribly applied and admittedly even more poorly sold by perhaps the worst communicator to ever sit in the White House, is sound. We need to encourage liberal democracy in that part of the world, since that is the only way to defat political islam.

That requires strength, patience, and deliberate action. Bin laden himself said, the people will follow a strong horse. He is right on that. Does this mean we go attacking dictatorships willy nilly without regard to prudence? No. Does it mean we bite off more than we can chew? No to that as well.

Should we rely more on trade and friendship to get this done? Of course.

Back to Iraq. Iraq was a convenient place to start this for several reasons: one, he was already in violation of the terms of surrender; two, he was a particularly nasty piece of work, and three, Israel needs a free fly zone if they are going to hit Iran down the road.

It served multiple purposes and what did it do as well? We defeated them, and only lost a few thousand men. Any loss of life is bad, but think how that looks to the world of the Jihad -- how many of THEM will have to die vs us?

That alone, had the press not been against the war and the Democrats openly seeking to undermine it, could have demoralized them. It did, at first, until the media and the left erased all that. Bush, had he been an effective communicator like a Ronald Reagan could have gone to the people and turned that around. Bush...well blech.

Anyway Iraq may not have been the wisest place to start this -- maybe Iran would have been better. But then, people would make the argument that Iran was Shiite instead of Sunni...and a bad place for that reason -- once again not looking at the big picture.

This is a generational war that we did not start. In fact this is a millennial war that has been going on since the 600s. We better get used to it, and stop dividing over it. It is true, them being divided helps US -- but US being divided helps them much, much more.

Today is the Big Day!

Well, here it is the day of the LA/Bioware announcement. I'm very excited about this. Here is a site where it will be liveblogged for those folks who are interested:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3170784

This should happen at 2PM PST, which is 5PM EST.

WTF Joe Biden?

Who is this guy working for?

This was part of a speech Biden said to a fundraiser in Seattle:

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

Woah. A "generated" crisis? Okay, discounting the obvious Grand Conspiracy angle -- meaning the new World Order will test the new leader...WTF is Darth Plagiarus saying? That by electing Obama, the fact of him WINNING will generate a crisis?

Hmmmm...in that case, says Mr. Normal American, I guess I'll play it safe and vote McCain.

Now, let's face it, if anyone knows how to miss an opportunity, it's John McCain. Obama isn't winning this election, McCain is losing it. That being said, if McCain doesn't cash in on this, he is a grade-A maroon.

Collosians 1: 15-20

15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (NIV)

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (KJV)

15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,[e]
16 for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.[f]
So he is first in everything.
19 For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
20 and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross. (NLT)

Okay, here we have one of the most universalist passages in all of scripture. We begin seeing Paul note that Christ is the visible image of the Invisible God. First, this is a clear description of two parts of the Trinity, so it cancels out Unitarianism -- Christ is DIVINE.

Then he goes on to say that ALL (there's that word all again) are created THROUGH Christ. This is a mysterious passage that implies (as we see in many other places) that Christ pre-existed before the incarnation. How Christ existed before everything else, and He holds all together.

This is among the highest Christology we find in scripture. He is not only the visible God among us, but he is supreme over all who rise from the dead -- and that God IN HIS FULLNESS, that means everything that is God in God -- was pleased to live as God in Christ and, now here is the kicker:

"and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with EVERYTHING in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross."

Can it get any clearer. We are forced here into the highest view of Christ -- he is 100% divine. He was there at the beginning, and everything existed and exists and always will exist through Him. Also, the entire universe -- all men, and MORE -- are reconciled through him as well.

Either the Apostle lies here or ALL are eventually reconciled to God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Prophet Yahweh Declares the Aliens Support Obama

Well, surprise surprise, Obama has the extraterrestrial vote. Well, we all know they have some kind of galactic socialist utopia -- don't they always? Sure sounds like what Obama's preaching.

Anyway, the great prophet and UFO Summoner Yahweh says the aliens will land on or about October 31st, and declare themselves for Obama!

After that I imagine they'll do a little trick or treating.

"Cribs" Style Tour of the Big Millenium Falcon

Check it out, y'all:

McCain Speaks the Truth

Finally, McCain is speaking the truth about Obama, and on the most important issue this campaign. Obama is a socialist and wants to destroy America faster than anyone else in history.

McCain suggests Obama tax policies are socialist
By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Saturday accused Democratic rival Barack Obama of favoring a socialistic economic approach by supporting tax cuts and tax credits McCain says would merely shuffle wealth rather than creating it.

"At least in Europe, the Socialist leaders who so admire my opponent are upfront about their objectives," McCain said in a radio address. "They use real numbers and honest language. And we should demand equal candor from Sen. Obama. Raising taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it's just another government giveaway."

In a stunning show of leftist media bias, the reporter goes on to defend Obama by attacking McCain back for him. Disgusting.

McCain, though, has a health care plan girded with a similar philosophy. He proposes providing individuals with a $5,000 tax credit to buy health insurance. He would pay for his plan, in part, by considering as taxable income the money their employer spends on their health coverage.

Now, where have we ever seen a Democrat make a statement attacking the reft, and then the reporter, attacking back on behalf of the Republican with the old "pot calling the kettle black" redirect? NEVER. Only commentators do that, not "journalists."

I agree, McCain is slightly socialist as well, and to that extent, he sucks too. But no one, ever, in the history of American presidential politics, is as big or as consistent a socialist as Obama.

Obama has said his tax policies would cut payments for 95 percent of working Americans, while increasing them only for families making more than $250,000 a year. McCain has argued that 40 percent of Americans don't pay income taxes, either because they are seniors or don't meet minimum earnings thresholds, so the only way to cut their taxes is to give them various credits.

"In other words, Barack Obama's tax plan would convert the IRS into a giant welfare agency, redistributing massive amounts of wealth at the direction of politicians in Washington," McCain said in the radio address.

Well said, John McCain. Keep speaking the truth like this, and you just MIGHT win my vote back.