Many people recall the flap caused when then Governor George W. Bush spoke at Bob Jones University during the South Carolina primary in 2000. The media latched on to the school’s no interracial dating policy as a remnant of racism in the South. Bush’s willingness to speak at a school with such an intolerant policy was a stain on his candidacy.

Shortly after the controversy hit the airwaves, the president of BJU announced the repeal of the no interracial dating policy on Larry King Live. Prior to the media firestorm, Bob Jones University had defended its no interracial dating policy with some wacky hermeneutics predating the Civil War. Essentially, they said the Bible condemned mixed marriage as an abomination. The repeal of the policy in 2000 after the…

Ronald Reagan famously said, “A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours.” Over the last few decades the economy has had its ups and downs. And while some segments of the economy may have been rocked in any given recession, like the bursting of the dotcom bubble, the church could more or less ride out the downturn with little impact. It was always someone else’s recession. But that may not be the case anymore.

In the last few weeks I’ve spoken with a number of church leaders from across the country. They’re all saying the same thing: giving is down sharply, December probably won’t make up the shortfall, and they’re looking at cutting staff and ministries in 2009. As if…

Arriving in the US in 2009 is the Nissan Cube. It’s been a big hit in Japan, and with Toyota’s Scion brand proving boxy can be popular, they’ve decided to import the Cube to our shores. The current Cube is powered by a 95-hp, 1.4 liter engine. As far as size, the Cube is about one inch longer than the Mini Cooper but 10 inches taller.

From Automobile Magazine:

“The first time you see a Nissan Cube, it’s hard to keep your mouth shut. A hundred lame (or is that square?) box-it-came-in jokes pop into your head, and resisting the urge to spit them out rapid-fire, like some coked-up Catskills comic, takes a will of steel. Especially if you find, as do most people, that the mere sight…

Many voters were not content with their choices for President. Thankfully, our democratic systems allow these free thinkers to write in their own choice. The write-in tally from Duval County, Florida reveals who was most popular. There are fictional characters and non-fictional, former candidates and current celebrities, religious figures and sports heroes.  Two surprises: Ron Paul beat out Jesus, and Donald Duck ties his long time rival Mickey Mouse. Something odd: four people wrote in Obama but his name was already on the ballot. My personal favorite, Weird Al Yankovic.

The overall write-in winner was Hillary Clinton- not a complete surprise given her strong showing during the primaries and her popularity with older Americans (a significant population in Florida). Joe the Plumber also made a showing…some are speculating he may run…

Phil Vischer is a member of my church and a friend. Back in 1990 he created VeggieTales and Big Idea Productions. The compelling story behind the rise and demise of Phil’s veggie empire it recounted in his book, Me, Myself, and Bob. In his post-Big Idea years, Phil has been quietly working with a small team, including another good friend who is also responsible for creating my blog–Tim Johnson, on a new project for kids.

Phil created Jellyfish Labs to be his creative outlet, and a few weeks ago they launched the beta version of a new online network for children called Jelly Telly. The site features games and TV shows for kids that, like VeggieTales, contain redemptive spiritual lessons. But Phil’s new project differs from VeggieTales in…

A few weeks before Halloween my dad took Zoe and Isaac to Disney on Ice. The show featured Pixar’s The Incredibles. The kids came home excited about the idea of being superheroes for Halloween. Then it occurred to them that Zoe looks like Violet, Isaac looks like Dash, and little Lucy could be a stand-in for Jack-Jack. That settled it. They insisted that the entire family dress up as The Incredibles for Halloween.

A few red t-shirts, some printable iron-on paper, and masks were all it took. After Amanda posted our photos on Facebook, a friend from church, Joyce Kerns, took the photo and changed the logos on our shirts from “i” to “j” and added “The Jethanibles” graphic.

Thanks to her design magic, Halloween 2008 will be…