richard's notions.

"The selling of bad beer is a crime against Christian love."
-13th Century Law, City of Augsburg, Germany.


posted by Richard Okimoto at 15:34.

On The Weaker Brother

Why, during the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) did we not see the apostles speaking thus, "Yes, it's quite true that we do not need to be circumcized. We are free in Christ, and saved by grace through faith alone. We cannot add to our salvation. BUT... some of our brothers don't understand this concept, and by seeing the denial of Moses' Law by refraining from cutting loose the foreskin, they are offended, and their spirit is damaged. They are of a simple mind and should not be punished for their lack of understanding. Seeing that it is not unlawful for us to become circumsized, we must do so for them, giving priority to their conscience."

posted by Richard Okimoto at 13:26.

well... i am glad michelle kwan got beat. i just don't like her. i wanted irina slutskaya to win, but sarah hughes was my second choice. so i'm satisfied.

sorry kari. :)

posted by Richard Okimoto at 07:43.

"People who drink light 'beer' don't like the taste of beer; they just like to pee a lot."
Capital Brewery, Middleton, WI

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:22.

from a story somewhere, someplace...

a boy gets in trouble, and as he is being taken to get a spanking, he says "no, no, no! don't spank me! i just need love and understanding!"

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:41.

i love the decalogue.

Exodus 20
1 And God spake all these words, saying,
2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
13 Thou shalt not kill.
14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15 Thou shalt not steal.
16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

link

and oh how lies snowball.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 12:02.

The Wickedness of Hens: A Work of Satire
by Richard Okimoto

Does it bother anyone else that hens incubate their eggs? What right do they have to shelter those eggs from the evil forces of the world, that they might be molded and influenced by? Freezing temperatures could make that ovum stronger, and being the object of the fox's desire might teach little eggypoo how to stand up to opposition. So many opportunities this poor soul is being deprived of!

Think of the changes that could take place if these poor, oppressed eggs were liberated from their parents' house of bondage. Why, they could change a fox's life, or prevent some fellow eggs from being taken off to the market. I can't believe these proud hens can be so selfish. By isolating their hard-shelled babies in their 'perfect world' they are making the 'real world' a horrible place. It really makes my blood boil.

And what right do these ignorant mothers have to separate their children from anything but what they want them exposed to? Don't you think for a moment that the fact they are chickens is a mere coincidence! You see, these mother hens are afraid to let their darlings have an impact on the hard gravel of the pecking yard. They're scared that a weasel might get in the coop and their little box of golden treasure will be influenced the wrong way by it. It really is pathetic, isn't it? I mean, all the potential of these eggs, squandered under the backside of a warm mommy. What a shame.


posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:57.

Over on the messageboard at derekwebb.com, there is a thread about birth control. i didn't start it so just calm down. i noticed quite a few people arguing for birth control with this bit of logic...

-God is sovereign, which means he has control over when someone gets pregnant, or doesn't. it is God that opens and closes the womb.
-i therefore (since i do not want children at this point in my life. and that's justified, really it is!) will do everything i can to prevent myself from becoming pregnant (except not have sex, of course).
-if God really wants me to have children, then he will intervene to make my method of birth control fail.

now, have they deceived themselves to the point where this actually makes sense? if we truly believe God is going to control whether or not we become pregnant; if it doesn't matter whether we're on birth control or not, then wouldn't it only make sense to not use birth control, and let God do what he will (as we profess to believe He will do)? Why do we try to control things when God is in control regardless of what we do?

there are two possible answers. the first is that we simply don't believe God is actually in control. the second is that we are living inconsistently with our profession. in either case, there is a problem that needs to be dealth with.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 08:04.

i was reading kristen's blog, and her latest post about courtship/dating books made me think.

christine, that posted in the comments, clearly doesn't know what at least some of the books are about. i wonder why she thinks she has the authority to question the authority of the authors?

anyhow... reading the negative attitude towards courtship, i'm beginnig to think people don't like it just because it's a cool thing to not like. not everyone, mind you. some people have intelligent reasons to question the practice. (of course, when i say practice, i'll need to define myself. even in the books on the list there is a wide range of definitions for 'courtship'. i'm talking about the biblical kind discussed in douglas wilson's book 'her hand in marriage'.) but some people, i suspect, just think it's stupid and write it off as simple as that. and i find that discouraging.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 13:04.

What i officially think of Harry Potter.
by Richard Okimoto

I own and have read all four books (though 3 and 4 have mysteriously disappeared after being loaned to my dad).
I think they are fun stories, and I really like the world created in them.
Some people do not like the books, and are even against them. Some of these people have legitimate reasons, others do not.
I think it's crazy to say that Harry Potter books are the tool of Satan, and children that read them are beginning their dark journey into the occult.
I think some people don't like them for the simple fact that they are popular, and anything popular must be bad.
Other people are wary of them because Rowlings did incorporate actual facts of the occult into the books. Now, I'm not grouping these people in with the first bunch, because I think it's a legitimate concern, though not one of mine.
Still other people aren't crazy about the books because they aren't written very well, and there is a tremendous amount of literature out there that simply stomps Harry Potter into dust. There is too little time to waste any on Harry Potter.
and then there are others that are crazy about Harry Potter. They love it, and spend hours formulating hypothesize about what the next three books will reveal.

I think my position is a blend of the last two. I liked the books, but I'm not crazy about Harry Potter. I have the books, but no other merchandise. I don't have any idea when the next book is coming out, and I haven't seen the movie.
I don't think the books are written very well, and I think there are other books that are much better that my kids can spend their time reading. At this point, Harry Potter will not be forbidden for them, but nor will it be encouraged.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 10:40.

ooo... an even better one..

"THE Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried."

posted by Richard Okimoto at 13:30.

"THERE is only one thing that it requires real courage to say, and that is a truism."
- G.K. Chesterton


the man had some great quotes and poems. i need to get some of his books.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 13:21.

i think in our day and age we've lost sight of any sense of restitution.

and honor is close on it's heels.

posted by Richard Okimoto at 09:30.

please forgive my lack of story telling/writing ability. once you have done that, i hope you'll be able to enjoy:


Two men were taking a weekend hike. During this hike, they stumbled upon an old sign. They each stopped and read it to themselves. Both men stared at the sign for several awkward moments, with their faces contorting into confused looks. The sign read:

"ATTENTION! Beware of Cliffs. Use extreme caution."

Now, the reason they were perplexed is because they happened to live in Kansas. They looked around, spinning in circles surveying the landscape. It was flat. Flat as a pancake. All around them they could see for 50 miles or more.
"Why do you suppose this sign is here?" asked the first man. "Well," said the second, "I think I can piece this all together. Just a moment."
The second man tightened his brow and paced around the sign several times, looking for any clues. He felt the direction of the wind, and noted the location of the sun. After several minutes of poking, prodding, tasting and sniffing, he finally spoke. "I have figured it out." he said proudly. "We can't be in any danger. I mean, there certainly aren't any cliffs around here for us to fall down."
"I don't suppose we need to pay any attention to the sign then, huh?"
"Oh no, we definitely need to heed it's warning."
"Hm. But I thought you just said we're in Kansas, and there aren't any cliffs anywhere near us."
"Yes, I did say that, but.."
The first man scratched his head, and interrupted, "I don't think I understand."
"It's really quite simple," said the second man. "You see, we are in Kansas, so we are in no danger of falling off any cliffs. But some people are in Colorado, where they can fall off a cliff, and die."
"So, this sign posted here in Kansas, is really meant for the people in Colorado?"
"No. It is meant for us, so that we will know the dangers anyone in Colorado is facing."
"Even though we're in Kansas..?"
"Yes!"
"Hmm." The first man rubbed his head as he tried to make sense of things. He was clearly skeptical.
"I don't know why you're having such a hard time with this."
"I'm sorry. I never was too smart at figuring these types of things out." The first man continued, "So this sign is here in Kansas to warn us about what won't happen to us, but what might happen to someone in Colorado?"
"Precisely!" The second man was beaming with pride as Tom (the first man) had finally come to understand the purpose of the warning.
But Tom had reached his own conclusion about the sign, and shared his thoughts, "If what you've said about not being able to fall in Kansas is true, I think whoever put this sign here didn't know what he was talking about."

posted by Richard Okimoto at 14:51.