Thursday, February 21, 2013

The New Agrarian Mind - Student Essays


As Christians learning to understand the times and what to do something about them, this book is important to know about. The book essentially reviews several key authors and their writings as it relates to the decline of Christianity in the United States, in part caused by agrarian philosophers like Liberty Hyde Bailey who started agricultural extension services to help remove Christian thinking from the rural populations.

The book discusses the influence of technology and cities on family, church, economics and community life. The ideas in this book were part of what led the Bartlett family to move to rural North Dakota and start a small diversified farm.  Not knowing about these subtle influences still working in the United States leaves a family open to their negative impacts. Knowing these things can help revive Christian culture.

This blog post was created as a place for students in the aquaponics class, who are required to read this book, to post their weekly essays. Aim for 250 words per essay, cover half of a chapter in each essay, start with the one currently assigned. Focus on things that you find interesting and how they might apply to reviving Christian culture in your geographic location and circles of influence.

Aquaponic Gardening Book - Student Essays

This book by Sylvia Bernstein, that we use for the aquaponics class, is very helpful on the practical aspects of aquaponics. This blog post was created to provide a place for students in the aquaponics class to post their chapter review essays. One review is required for each chapter. Posts can begin with the current chapter assigned. Aim for 250 words and capture ideas that you found interesting and note any ideas that may be helpful to one of the systems that we are now operating.

Ancient Hebrew Education



How does education affect the passing on of the Christian faith? Studies from Josh McDowell Ministries, the Southern Baptist Convention and other places show that 70 - 80% of young people leave the faith who attend public high schools.  The Jewish people have had the same concerns and did a very thorough study showing the drastic effect of faithful education as compared to public schools and compromised schools.  Christian leaders have seen the parallels for Christians.  See if you can understand the chart located at this link and let me kn ow what you think about it and how you are avoiding the traps:  Jewish Educational Choice Effects on Next Generations

Since the most conservative Jews were the only ones who did a good job passing on the faith to the third and fourth generations, I did a literature review a few years ago and wrote the following.  It is a bit long for a blog post, therefore it is linked here: Ancient Hebrew Education

Did you get any good ideas for your own high school education, college education, career planning or future family education plans?

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Thinking About Medicine


I have posted several videos below to convey a few points about the current and future of medicine. 

The key point is that Christians are needed to implement Biblical thinking in medicine.  Christians are needed because the current medical-legal-political climate of medicine is killing people, thereby violating the Sixth Commandment.

Christians interested in a career of changing how medicine is done, such that it serves God and people instead of money, corporations and statism, need to know, not only about biology and technology, but about the philosophies, theologies and politics in play.

Here are a few videos and documents with introductory commentary that I have found helpful:

1.  Technology is changing how medicine is done and giving consumers more data and more opportunities to participate in medical decision making.  This medical doctor states that 1/3 of pharmaceuticals are a waste of money and side effects. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/50582822#50582822

2. It is important to know that Christians have articulated a Christian view of medicine and this document is a good place to start toward developing even more specific statements about medical issues.  The Coalition on Revival involved many Christian Leaders such as Francis Schaeffer, Pastor James Kennedy, Duane Gish and many more: http://65.175.91.69/Reformation_net/COR_Docs/Christian_Worldview_Medicine.pdf

3.  Dr. Ed Payne was the editors of the Christian View of Medicine and his Medical Ethics links are here: http://www.bmei.org/.  Here is an article by Dr Payne that I included in a Biblical Concourse newsletter a few years ago:  http://biblicalconcourse.com/BCNewsletter10.pdf.  There is an audio interview also where Dr. Payne recommends the four year medical programs of Europe and saw US medicine as containing alot of wasted time.

4.  This new movie titled "Doctored" is worth reviewing because it discusses how Chiropractors and Naturopathic Doctors are getting better results than medical doctors in many areas.  Here is the trailer: http://www.doctoredthemovie.com/

5.  This is an influential video/slide show on vaccines. After watching you will know the difference between vaccines and immunization, what the assassination of President Kennedy has to do with the cancer industry, how polio is still prevalent today and much more. This information could save and or improve many lives.


There are many more references to show that there is a great need for Christians to understand the times in medicine and do something Biblical about it.

1 Chronicles 12:32 
"And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do;"