Friday, August 1, 2008

Some updates: temporary fix for Blogger/MS IE

Hopefully, our final update: IE and SiteMeter seem to be back on speaking terms now per Mike in Texas (thanks, Mike).
--------
#1 - Scott Hankins reports that removing site meter from his blog made it accessible using MS Internet Explorer.

#2 - Many of you are having problems accessing blogs using PC-based Microsoft Internet Explorer. All these sites - and not all are hosted by Blogger - seem to be using Sitemeter. This is a problem that must be addressed by the blog owner. But you can help by passing this information along to them. (I have also sent a message to the help center at Sitemeter, for what that's worth).

So far, all these sites can be accessed using Firefox browser for PCs. It is my primary browser and I like it, some do not. You can check out the Firefox at
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/. This link is to the U.S. English page, but they have several local language versions.


Firefox works on Blogger

A few sites aren't accessible using MS Internet Explorer at this writing (including Mark Harris' Preludium and Scott Hankins' Fr. Scott & Company). I work with a PC, not Mac. I honestly don't know what the problem is, just letting people know if they want to swing by their favorite blogs tonight you might want to give Firefox a try.

I use Firefox as my primary browser, it has its good and bad points. The most annoying feature is that it seems to be a memory hog after a while, no matter how many times you work on cleaning out your cache.

SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES PART V

IV. Shibboleth

In our continuing discussion of the Anglican Communion we have dealt with a wide range of issues. One of those issues is words/labels such as Liberal, Conservative, Orthodox, High Church, etc. We have also dealt with divisions that have occurred in the past both worldwide and in our own American Church and in our own diocese. We have also discussed the issue of the Bible, or rather how one goes about reading and interpreting the Bible.

Now we jump in with both feet on the issue of homosexuality, or more specifically, each of our own interpretations of this word/issue. Let’s go back to the Reverend Gregory Cameron’s discussion of this issue. Cameron refers to this issue as the current shibboleth. The reference is to the Book of Judges, Chapter 12 and I will allow you to read that and/or go back and read the Hellins Lecture on this issue as well.

What I do want to quote from his work is the following:

“It can too often appear these days that we Anglicans are busy making the issue of homosexuality a shibboleth. Unless you can articulate your views in exactly the desired way, be it adapted towards a conservative or a liberal agenda, then you are likely to get cut down. The very nature of your Anglicanism, of your orthodoxy, of your Christian faith, the very value placed upon your membership in the body, is made to depend on one particular articulation of one particular understanding of one particular moral issue, and your position on this matter is used to read back into the whole of Christian faith and discipleship as the way for it to be understood and evaluated. If you are found wanting then you are to be treated as a sinner and tax collector.” (Emphasis is mine).


What I want each of us to consider is that final turn of the phrase – “If you are found wanting you are treated as a sinner and a tax collector”. We will come back to this phrase again because in it is the heart of resolution. For now, and for us Jakeites, I ask that we reflect on the many conversations with Grace as but one example. So no one gets confused and just so everyone knows, I am a sinner (no surprise) and I have been a tax collector (not that that means much).

This, homosexuality, is an issue that at least for the former Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin was the “straw that broke the camel’s back”. The piling on of the issues of the prayer book, the interpretation of the bible, the ordination of women supposedly were mere prelude to the main event ordination/consecration of LGBT brothers and sisters. This is the issue that drove John David Schofield into the waiting arms of the Archbishop of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables. This is the issue that tore the fabric of the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin.

Greg Cameron asks the direct question,

“Faced with the levels of anger, political subterfuge and almost histrionic rhetoric that seems to swirl about our Communion, I can understand those who say that perhaps the time has come to let the Communion go. If it stands on a precipice already, why not administer that little shove to put it out of its misery.”


The Reverend Cameron gives two really good answers, I highly recommend that you go read them. I would like us to look at something slightly off topic.

Let’s go back to Cameron’s earlier phrase that says that if a person’s moral interpretation of this issue is not completely in agreement with mine that person is then treated like a sinner and a tax collector, indeed this is true on both sides. You can see this occur on StandFirm or Titus1/9 or even on Jake’s blog, Worldstopper. And yet, the persons Jesus CHOSE to break bread with, to talk to and to love were the sinners and the tax collectors. We, collectively, automatically set each other up for the next line which is, yes we are tax collectors and sinners but Jesus loves us! And off we go feeling really good about ourselves. Or in a more bloody tone, we have just slain those who could not pronounce shibboleth. Should we all sit down with sinners and tax collectors, pass the peace and break bread? At the end of the day, we look at ourselves in relation to God and to our fellow man and say, “we need to be in a right relationship with each other”. Let me (sorta) quote the only scriptural piece I will do in all of these writings, “Love God with all your heart and mind and soul. And the second is like unto it, love thy neighbor as thyself.” As an old professor of mine used to say, “This seems readily apparent to the most casual observer.” If I am going to break bread with Jesus Christ then I must break bread with those that do not always and in everyway agree with me. Yes, I must pass the peace and share the Eucharist with sinners and tax collectors. Now that is a fine kettle of fish!

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

I'm fat, I'm thin, I'm short, I'm tall
I'm deaf, I'm blind, hey, aren't we all

Don't laugh at me
Don't call me names
Don't get your pleasure from my pain
In God's eyes we're all the same
Someday we'll all have perfect wings
Don't laugh at me

Don’t Laugh At Me
Mark Wills

Mad Priest says...pass the word

All is well with the inimitable Mad Priest, but he has asked the blogging community to pass along a troll problem. Hat tip to Grandmère Mimi, who is helping him spread the news. And now, in his own words:

"OCICBW... got attacked by a particularly vicious troll last night. It was so bad I had to close down the comments overnight.

He seems to have got his revenge by reporting me as a spam blog to Blogger and they have blocked my blog. I have asked for reinstatement but it's taking up to a week to sort out at the moment.

Would you please notify people of this on your blog and tell them to put it on their blogs. I don't want them thinking I've done a runner or been disappeared by the Church Police.

Jonathan"


I went for my usual wee hours laugh last night, and he wisely reminded all of us to avoid feeding the trolls. I'm not sure whether that would have helped much in this situation, but it does help keep the blood pressure down!

(A practical update at 1:45 p.m. EDT: I did a bit of checking on what a "spam blog" is. It seems there are essentially two types (with different names). One big no-no is to create meaningless posts to direct traffic to other sites...essentially to bring up hit and visitor counts for advertising stats and such. There can be issues of blogs sending out malicious spyware, containing spam on posts, you name it. I think the first description is what was reported as an (obviously incorrect) offense, and it does appear they do a temporary shutdown before investigation. But really, no original content from Mad Priest? Oh, please!)