Gary Shogren's Blog
Graduation speeches are a mixed bag at best. But I did hear a fine one at my high school in 1977; one of his counsels for the graduates was: “Extend your education, both formal and informal, as far as is possible.” This phrase has stuck with me ever since. Your brain is not a muscle,... Continue Reading →
There is a whole genre of exposé literature, interviews, videos that follow this familiar formula: “I am an ex-[whatever] and I am going to reveal the shocking inside secrets.” Ex-Communist. Ex-Janitor at Area 51. Ex-Catholic priest (Charles Chiniquy, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, 1885). Ex Guy-who-sprayed-chemtrails-from-my-jet (see below). Ex-Jesuit (Jack Chick's man, "Alberto,"... Continue Reading →
Fire destroys. But when a building burns, the fire also reveals: old art, former paint jobs, things hidden for centuries. And the most striking thing the flames revealed was how we interpret events. It turns out that we are hardwired away from objectivity in our interpretations, that we will make snap judgments about who did... Continue Reading →
I have been a volunteer with Wycliffe Associates for three years, in their MAST program, and am very excited about their goal to see the Bible in all 7000 languages of the world. It is very rewarding to spend some of my "off time" helping people around the world to hear the Bible in their... Continue Reading →
I invite you to read two news articles: ARTICLE #1 - Eco-Terrorists Attack Clean Energy The millennials have finally gotten off their couches, but unfortunately it was to get involved in illegal mischief. This Lancaster Against Pipelines group trespasses into energy projects in order to get themselves intentionally arrested. Their new Satan is the Atlantic... Continue Reading →
I just read through the prophet Habakkuk. It took 9 minutes to read aloud from beginning to end. I happen to know that you can read both 1 and 2 Thessalonians aloud in less than a half hour. Just did some work in Mark: it can be read aloud, beginning to end, in roughly 1... Continue Reading →
I have written elsewhere: "set aside videos of cute kittens or adolescents cracking up their skateboards. Let's focus on those other things - political, social, religious, etc. - which get posted on social media and spread like wildfire!" I invite you to read the first two parts of this series before reading Part III: "I don't... Continue Reading →
The devil has a Weapon of Mass Destruction, and it is called online pornography. Of help is the following article is by Jason DeRouchie of Bethlehem Bible College and Seminary. It is one of the best explorations of the topics of masturbation and sexual fantasy that I have read, and I repost it, knowing I... Continue Reading →
In Part I I began an extended-play rant against internet disinformation. I'm against it for two reasons: I don't like false information; I don't like to look foolish when I fall for it. Here are other areas where we need to show some healthy skepticism: ECHO CHAMBER EFFECT In 2015 the social media were packed with... Continue Reading →
"You must not pass along false rumors." Exodus 23:1 My friends know what a skeptical soul I am. Whenever I see a post on the social media, my first reaction is to shake my head and say, “Yes, but, how do you know this to be so?” And they know me as the one who... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 