erich musick's blog

With all the hubbub about same-sex marriages out in California, the topic of homosexuality is quite prevalent right now. I came across an article this morning which discussed homosexual behavior in animals. This article suggests that, since scientists have observed that "same-sex lovin' is common in hundreds of species," that it must be natural for humans. If it were not natural, then apparently that trait would have evolved out of the gene pool. The author quotes a biologist at Georgetown as saying, "The funny thing is that people say homosexuality is unnatural, that non-humans don't engage in homosexual behavior, but that's not true. Then they'll say it's base and animalistic."

So much for what God says about this.

In my Bible study at church, we're going through Romans; next week we'll be studying the latter part of chapter 1. It has a few very clear words to say about this topic:

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Romans 1:18-32

So, you could really say that humans have "evolved" ... but not in the way we normally think of evolution. Usually evolution suggests improvement. In this case, it is the reverse. We have actually worsened our situation. When the world was created, all was perfect. But Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and sin reigned.

Thankfully, Christ came to earth and died on the cross to save us from our sin ... to redeem not just those who practice homosexuality, but all of us, because we all have sinned, and all sin is worthy of death. In Romans 5, we learn, "For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 18So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men." Adam's one sin brought death for us all. But Christ's death brought life to all who believe in him.

LTD is Quixtar is Amway

In the past few months, I've been contacted by several individuals about joining Leadership Team Development. I did a little bit of research and found hints at a connection between LTD and Quixtar. I asked one of the individuals who had contacted me and she told me straight out that LTD is Quixtar. I did a little additional research and found out that LTD is headed up by Larry and Pam Winters, a couple who is "Double Diamond" pin level with Quixtar (see Quixtar Wiki). So, for anyone who is wondering, LTD is Quixtar. And, we all know that Quixtar is Amway.

The Perils of joining LTD, Quixtar, or Amway

These organizations (or should I say "this" organization, singular, since it's all really the same thing) portray an "overt Christian emphasis" at "the rallies, events, and in the motivational material"¹. Having only gone to these seminars when I was very young, I can't speak to the accuracy of the Amway / Quixtar "Christian gospel" message, but it is clear to me that the members' greedy pursuit of worldly riches conflicts with Christ's preaching. My dad, who used to be a part of Amway and was motivated by Larry Winters' tapes, described Amway's "motivational meetings as nurtured by and nurturing greed." Nurturing greed while also proclaiming the Gospel is dangerous and often leads people to the conclusion that Christ came and died on a cross to make us prosperous or wealthy here on this earth. This is a different gospel than the one Christ preached.

Following are some thoughts I've gathered about this topic - the dangers of greed, and how the pursuit of wealth stands in opposition to what should be our greatest treasure: Christ.

But first, I'll reference another guy's comment I found while doing some research about LTD.

I found it offensive that this couple tried to bill this as a ministry opportunity. I went, and took the wife with me because I really liked the couple, we need some friends, and they seemed genuine. Now, I wonder. I wanted to do some networking in the Christian world. Since I'm in finance for Christians, that is an important part of what I do. I did not expect to be invited to satiate my greed and carnal laziness. Oh yeah, did mention that one could make enough to take one's child to Costa Rica to study Spanish, and work from there? Or that you could work only a few hours a day and make a quarter million?

It's sad that people fall for this, but then it meets our most basic and carnal desires. We are sinfully lazy, lust for power and wealth, and are inherently rebellious towards those in authority. To be self-employed, make a lot of money, and do it in very few hours seems great right? It's too good to be true, and don't be taken in.

Excerpt from "LTD's Pyramid Scheme"

In my conversation with the second individual who invited me to join LTD, I was told, "Yes, people can be wealthy and a Christian ... lol ... I never knew either." I'm not contesting the fact that someone can be both wealthy and a Christian. I just wonder how closely the pursuit of wealth, fame, popularity, knowledge, pleasure, etc, aligns with the pursuit of Christ. How does seeking after riches measure up to seeking Christ's kingdom first? Revelation 22:20 says, "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" Can I sincerely pray "Come, Lord Jesus" while musing, "Show me the money!"? Is eager anticipation of Christ's imminent return congruent with the pursuit of riches?

My point is not to suggest that earning money is a bad thing. It isn't. I have a job, I'm earning a living. I would be a bad steward of those gifts which Christ has entrusted to me if I did not work. But, my chief goal in life is not to earn a lot of money, to "make it big" or to be successful, as the world defines it. Rather, my desire is to know Christ and make Him known. (You can read more of my thoughts about success in my paper, "Happiness Through Humility".)

John Piper discusses the surpassing value of the pursuit of Christ in his book, Don't Waste your Life. Piper comments, "God created us to live with a single passion to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives" (emphasis added). I simply cannot comprehend how building up treasure for myself here on earth makes much of Christ in my life.

What you think about, what you talk about betrays the state of your heart. I'm reminded of Luke 6:45 - "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." What is the abundance of your heart speaking?

Earthly riches will pass away. Recall James 1:9-11, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits."

My concern is simply that the appeal of wealth and material success can be such a great temptation and we need to guard our hearts against our desire to pursue those things. These things are passing away with this world, but the word of Christ will stand.

On January 8, 2006 Joshua Harris gave a sermon titled Affluenza - the Disease of Greed at Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD. They no longer have the MP3 available on their web site, though I'm sure they would provide it upon request. Anyway ... I wish I could post the entire sermon text here - Harris hits the nail on the head when he preaches on Luke 12:13-21.

Sixteen out of the 38 parables of Jesus deal with money, possessions, their use, and their relationship to us.

Jesus never condemned wealth in and of itself, but he knows how easily our hearts can make money our god. Jesus knows and he wants us to understand that one of the greatest, if not the greatest hindrance to spiritual life and spiritual growth is material wealth and the temptations it brings with us. Friends, if we ignore the dangers of affluenza, we put ourselves in great spiritual peril.

Jesus says to all of us, "you DO have a money problem." Money has too much of your heart. God wants us to see that when it comes to money problems, our greatest concern should be avoiding the pitfalls of covetousness.

Greed says that the quality of life, their worth is measured in the size of their bank account and the quality and quantity of their possessions. But in verse 15, Jesus warns us not to fall prey to this mindset. He says, "Take care. Be on your guard against all covetousness. Watch out for it because, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." In other words, watch out, don't believe the lie of greed. Don't buy into it. Because if you do, you'll pass by what truly matters in life."

Greed blinds us. It blinds us to what is truly important in life. It blinds us to spiritual realities and Jesus illustrates that by telling us a story of a rich man who has believed the lie of greed. It's important to note that Jesus doesn't say that having money or being skilled at making money is wrong ... The issue is how we view the money we have, how we use the money we have. The rich man's problem is not that he is rich, but that he is selfish. He hoards what he has. He uses it for his own pleasure and he puts his trust in his wealth.

Where do you put your trust? Is it in your wealth? Is it in the "safety" of America? Would you be satisfied if you never earned more than 40k per year (+ whatever normal inflation is)? Would you be satisfied with less? Or is your life meaningless if you can't earn a bigger salary, have a bigger house, nicer car, and more possessions?

I like what Paul says in Philippians 4:12 - "I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need." Paul's happiness is not contingent upon worldly success. His life is not caught up in the pursuit of financial gain. Rather, it is in knowing Christ. Earlier in the book (1:21-24), he says, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." Earthly riches are the absolute last thing on Paul's mind. For that matter, anything that is "of this world" is of no concern to Paul. His only reason for desiring to remain on earth is so that he may encourage the Philippians in their pursuit of Christ.

What is the state of your heart? For what do you live? Do you live to earn a lot of money, to buy a large house, to "keep up with the Joneses?" Or do you live to proclaim Christ's message of salvation to this lost and desperately needy world? When you face Christ on that final day, will you joyously receive his praise, "Well done, good and faithful servant," or will the way you live now require you look on Him with head hung low and receive his reprimand, "You wicked and lazy servant"?

References

• ¹"Amway and Quixtar - Are They Selling Jesus With the Soap?" by Nathan Ray Thomas, 10/1/2002.

My dad recently sent me a link to Quantcast, a service which ranks and provides demographical information on your web site's visitors. I checked out their details on my web site and found the following comment:

This site reaches fewer than 2000 U.S. monthly uniques. The site caters to a younger, mostly female, more educated audience.

I always knew I was popular with the ladies ... I just never had any evidence to prove it. According to Quantcast, I have 139% as many female visitors as the "Internet average" and only 59% as many male. I wonder why I didn't have a girlfriend until recently. Oh well, I'm not complaining. I'd rather wait for the right person than pursue a bunch of wrong ones. And, I prefer meeting people in "real life," not this virtual world that the internet has created.

I like the fact that my site appeals to a more educated audience. I wonder if the papers I've posted attract that sort of audience. Or is it my blog? Does anyone (besides Stan and random Google searchers) read my blog? I'm not really sure.

I've got to look into Quantcast a little more to learn how their rating system works. I wonder how they find out those sorts of details.

I've posted my pictures from Germany! I originally uploaded them to Picasa Web but was frustrated at the fact that all 500 thumbnails from a single album were displayed on a single page. It locked up Firefox for a few minutes while it loaded all of them. So, I've set up an install of Plogger on my server and posted my images there. Thankfully the author of Plogger had the foresight to include pagination. What a concept.

View my Germany Trip photo gallery

At some point, I'd like to write a somewhat detailed outline or description of all that we did during our trip to Germany, but time is escaping me. The photo albums serve this purpose in part, but do not depict all our varied activities and fun stories of our time in Germany ... Laugenbretzel (pretzel) snacks in the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, getting yelled at in German at the Munich train station because we inadvertently ate our Subway and Doener in Burger King's seating area, etc. It was definitely a trip to remember!

We got back from Germany yesterday evening and are getting situated back into "normal" life. As much as I enjoyed the trip and being in Germany, I must say that it's been good to be back in the English speaking world.

Between the last time I wrote (from Berlin) and the time we returned, we did a lot of awesome stuff which I'd love to write about but don't have the time, considering I've got to head out to work in a little while here. I'll try to write a few things later this week.

We have made it to Berlin! We're staying at a hostel on the outskirts of town, on the edge of a little forest which has wild boars! The guy who runs the place is real friendly and gave us a lot of suggestions of things to see while we're in Berlin.

When we first arrived in Germany yesterday and explored Hannover, I was overwhelmed by the new experience and my poor understanding of the German language. Not having really slept during the overnight flight on the way here made the situation feel a lot worse. But, after spending time with a missionary family in Gravenhorst and getting some excellent sleep, I'm ready to conquer the world. Well, not really. But today, we visited VW's Autostadt in Wolfsberg and I felt more comfortable ordering in German. I also got hold of a taxi driver and told him where we wanted to go in German. I think he probably spoke at least a little English, because he likely deals with Americans all the time, but I feel like Germans are going to hate me if I walk up to them assuming they know English. I should at least make an attempt to communicate to them in their language. If some Spanish person walked up to me in the U.S. and started speaking Spanish, I'd probably look at them funny, and then answer to the best of my ability. I wish I know both that language and German better.

Later this week, we'll move on to Leipzig and then Munich. Several people have told us that we'll have a hard time understanding the Bavarians in Munich because their accent is so distinct. That'll be an interesting experience.

I'd love to post some picutres, but that would take a significant amount of time and I should be getting to bed soon so we can enjoy the day tomorrow.

After a couple months of planning, the day for me to leave for Germany has finally arrived! I'll be traveling with my roommate, his brother, and my brother. Between the four of us, my brother and I are the only ones that speak German, and my vocabulary and ability to speak are both fairly limited. I'm hoping that David's four years of high school German will help to ensure a smooth trip for us all. Also, everyone says that a lot of Germans know English; we'll see how much truth there is in that statement when we try to get around with our poor understanding of their native tongue.

Because I'll be gone, I won't likely be responding to any e-mails or Facebook pokes, and definitely will not be able to return any phone calls. I'll tend to all these things after returning on April 6.

Over the past few weeks, we've had some fairly extreme winter weather here in the Midwest. I've heard the word inclement used to describe it on several occasions. Dictionary.com defines this as "(of the weather, the elements, etc.) severe, rough, or harsh; stormy." In their eagerness to use this word, people have abandoned proper spelling. On more than one occasion, I've seen people write inclement as in-climate. The prefix in usually negates that which follows. The word climate means, "the composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region." Put together, in-climate weather would refer to weather conditions which are not representative of what is normal for a particular region. That's assuming that in-climate is actually a word.

Curious as to what the experts had to say about this misspelling, I looked it up on Dictionary.com. The only results it yielded were from the U.S. Gazetteer and were names of U.S. cities whose name contains the word "in": Bird In Hand, PA; Cave In Rock, IL; Put In Bay, OH; Howey In The Hil, FL; Lake In The Hill, IL. Reading these names made me think of Native American vocabulary.

My conclusion: Americans need to learn how to spell.

A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked me what he should expect in an upcoming job interview. I shared with him a few thoughts from my interviewing experience during my Senior year of college.

When I began interviewing, I learned that companies want to see not only that a candidate has the ability to perform the tasks required in doing the job, but also that he knows how to work well on a team and will fit well in the company. Over the past few years, companies have learned that behavior-based interviewing is the best way to accomplish this. In behavior-based interviewing, an interviewer will ask questions about an interviewee's past experiences, rather than hypothetical "how would you act in such and such a situation" questions. An individual's past actions generally more accurately predict his future behaviors than do his explanations of how he would act in a certain hypothetical situation.

Following are some examples of questions that I was asked in my interviews:

• Tell me about a time you were on a team and someone didn't pull their weight. What did you do?
• Tell me about a time you didn't finish a project in time. How did you deal with not meeting your professor's or boss's expectations?
• When working on multiple projects at once, how do you prioritize the work that needs to be done?
• Have you ever taught yourself something on your own, without having someone to help you along the way?
• How do I know when you're listening to me when I'm talking to you?

With a quick Google search, you can find all sorts of other examples.

Technical interviews will often include a mix of the behavioral questions and technical questions. Many of these questions for me were also based on past experience, rather than a simple rehashing of what I know. For example, I remember being asked, "How do you go about identifying the cause of a defect in an application?"

If you're interviewing for a technical position like I was, you might get the question, "Have you ever built your own computer?" That question always resulted in an interesting discussion for me because it had been six years since I'd built a computer. In recent times, it has become more cost effective to purchase a pre-built system, unless perhaps you're looking for something top-of-the-line.

A friend told me yesterday that there's a billboard in Milwaukee that depicts a pig and makes some jab at the Medical College of Wisconsin for their use of live pigs in one of their research labs. MCW made the decision to use pigs instead of dogs after receiving complains from PETA or a similar organization. According to one source, "Pigs are highly intelligent, social animals who have been shown to be more intelligent than dogs. Animal behavior experts agree, and scientific evidence suggests, that pigs are very smart, very sensitive animals." I don't care how sensitive pigs are, there is nothing that makes them deserving of special treatment.

You cannot deny the fact that pigs are and have been considered by many cultures to be dirty, smelly, despicable animals. Take for example, the German language. The word for pig, schwein, is often used as a vulgar insult. We see a similar attitude toward these creatures in Biblical days. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus exclaims, "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces." Swine are used to depict the antithesis of what is holy. If Christ is the epitome of holiness, then swine are pretty lowly.

The root of this problem lies much deeper than words. The problem is with a basic misunderstanding of the difference between mankind and animals. Animals are, well, animals. God created them, as he did mankind, and they were good, as was mankind. However, there are a few key distinctions between animals and mankind:

1. God created man in His own image. In Genesis 1:26, we hear God say, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." The creatures, on the other hand, were not made in God's image.
2. God charged man with caring for the animals. In the second half of 1:26, we see God say, "let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." As part of having dominion over the animals, I don't think it's going to be the end of the world if we have to kill, experiment with, or use a few animals in laboratory testing. After all, it was God who killed the first animal for the sake of his created beings
. When God kicked Adam and Eve out of the garden, "also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21). Tunics of skin could have only been through the sacrifice of (an) animal(s).
3. Christ came to die for mankind, not for animals.

Now I'm not an advocate of killing every pig that comes into sight or other aimless, pointless slaughter of these creatures. We need to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us. However, what's really the problem with using a few pigs in experiments aimed at improving science and medicine? If the death of a few swine allows us to save even ONE human life, thus giving that person more time to either a) hear the Gospel and receive Christ or b) having believed, share Christ with someone else, then I'm all for it.