THE FUN THINGS - THE HUNDRED DOLLAR HAMBURGER

If you are a pilot, you have likely heard of the "hundred dollar hamburger."  If you don't know what this is, read on and learn what I did last weekend.

'CHAD' C. AND THE CESSNA 182 SKYLANE

I was visiting my friend Chad C. in Round Rock last weekend, and he was about to take a practice flight in a Cessna 182 Skylane he shares with a group of ten pilots called Dessau Aviation in Georgetown.  We went to the Georgetown airport where his friend R. L. Quinn was doing some routine maintenance and housekeeping on the aircraft.  He greeted us cordially and we chatted informally while the plane was made ready for its morning flight.

The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American built four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas.  More details can be found at:

Cessna 182 Skylane

While Chad was doing his preflight walk-around and check, I also inspected the airplane.  It was obviously well used but clean and in good repair.  I had some misgivings about some cracks in the wing tips but nothing seemed urgent or dangerous. 

Mr. Quinn asked Chad to take care the propwash didn't hit the open hangar and cautioned us about some issues with the autopilot losing altitude and we buckled in to our seats in the cockpit.  Chad gave me a headset to wear so we could talk over the engine noise and we were on our way.

It was a mostly cloudy day with gusty winds so we were flying IFR and therefore filed a flight plan.  It's a fairly complex procedure involving planning the course and contacting both the FAA and the respective airport tower controllers.  However, Chad is quite proficient at it and the agents at the FAA and the control towers were professional and efficient so it went quickly.  

The takeoff was uneventful and soon we were headed to the airport in College Station.  By highway it's about a 2-1/2 hour’s drive of 102 miles.  From the Georgetown Municipal Airport (KGTU)  Easterwood Airport in College Station (CLL) it’s 65 nautical miles (about 75 statute miles) and the trip took about 35 minutes from takeoff to landing.  Our airspeed was typically about 130-140 knots (about 150-160 mph).

It was a routine flight so Chad let me pilot the airplane part of the way.  It had been over a year since I'd piloted a 182 so this was a real treat.  I like the smooth, forgiving control and robust power (for a single engine airplane) of this plane.  I still prefer gliding though, since that's as close as I've been to true flying.

At the FBO (Fixed Base of Operator - the administrative building at the airport) we borrowed a courtesy car (yes, pilots are treated well!) and drove into town.  The tradition is to have a burger on the outbound leg of the trip.  A practice flight like this burns about $100 in fuel, hence the term "Hundred Dollar Hamburger!"  So we drove to a local hamburger restaurant and each had a hamburger platter and drinks (non-alcoholic of course!).  At Fatburger I had a buffalo burger that was quite good. The receptionist recommended next time we try the Koppe Bridge Bar and Grill.

We had some time to kill, so we drove around the Texas A&M College Station campus.  It was Spring Break, but there was still some activity.  It's a large campus in terms of acreage so bicycles were everywhere in large quantities.  In spring the campus is quite attractive and it would have been nice to stroll about - but we didn't have that much time.  I decided it would be worth a return trip to see the George H. Bush Presidential Library and Museum sometime.

Near the airport we also saw the Oran W. Nicks Low Speed Wind Tunnel which would be an interesting tour someday too.

Although the sky was clearing when we returned to CLL, the wind was picking up.  Chad filed another flight plan and we took off on the return trip to KGTU.  It was a pretty routine flight back, except the controller in Houston chided us for dropping low from our assigned altitude.  Apparently the autopilot didn't hold altitude well.  We took turns flying manually and watched the altimeter closely the rest of the way.

It was pretty gusty with a strong crosswind when we finally had the Georgetown airport in our sight.  I was glad to let Chad land since my student training wasn't up to these conditions yet.  He's an experienced, IFR rated pilot and brought the plane down safely, though with a bit of floating and a few small bounces.  That just added to the excitement of the trip!

Before returning the plane to the hangar Chad filled up and sure enough, it was nearly $100 for the fuel.  At about $4.50 a gallon for Avgas, that's not all that much fuel really. The 182 is an efficient little plane quite suitable for short commutes like this.  I look forward to the day when I can hop in my own plane and go out for a $100 hamburger!

THE LITTLE THINGS - MAKING SOAP PART I OF III

As I wrote earlier, I’ve been experimenting with making my own laundry soap.  I believe I’ve been successful, but since my daughter (who seldom spends any money on household items) bough ther own laundry detergent, the jury’s still out on that subject.

One of the more costly ingredients is soap.  Pioneers used to make their own, so why can’t I?  A little research told me that they made it from grease and wood ashes.  Fine, I have both.  So, I save our grease from cooking and wood ashes and am preparing to make my own soap.

The given recipe was to fill a barrel with ashes, soak them in water for a few days, and then drain off the water.  The result is then heated to evaporate the excess water and reach the desired concentration of lye water. Simple? Not.

I already had a large $10 plastic garbage can for recycling that could serve as a barrel.  So, knowing it would be heavy and needed to be positioned up above a bucket, I built a small platform that had two levels, one for the barrel and the other for the bucket to receive the lye water.  Some wood from a discarded concrete form provided the materials for the stand and I found a bucket on the roadside.  Viola!  A free lye barrel stand and collection bucket.

THIS USED PLASTIC CHEMICAL BARREL WAS ONLY $5 AND RESISTS THE CORROSIVE EFFECTS OF THE LYE WATER BETTER THAN A STEEL DRUM OR A CONVENTIONAL PLASTIC GARBAGE CAN.

To fill the barrel, some rocks are added to the bottom of the barrel to provide space for water to drain out.  On top of this was placed a fitted plywood spacer to hold the ashes above the rocks.   (I later learned it helps to drill some finger holes in the plywood for easy removal!)  On top of this about three inches of hay was placed to keep ashes from filtering down to the bottom and plugging the drain hole. 

NOTE BOLT USED TO PLUG DRAIN HOLE WITH SPLASH GUARD AND DRIP PIPE.  CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN REMOVING PLUG SINCE LYE WATER MAY BE UNDER PRESSURE AND COULD SPURT AND SPLASH.

On the first run I let the ashes steep for a few days and then drained it by drilling a small 1/8 in diameter hole near the bottom of the barrel.  I covered my precious bucket of lye water and set it down where I thought it would be safe and could evaporate in the sun.  No, one of the farm animals kicked it over.  Then the caustic ashes weakened the cheap plastic garbage can and it too cracked and fell over, dumping the contents and damaging the stand.  Back to square one.

ROCKS PLACED IN BOTTOM OF BARREL ALLOW WATER TO COLLECT AT DRAIN

An acquaintance had some blue plastic chemical barrels in their back yard they were glad to sell so I bought a couple and reinforced the stand.  Then I reassembled everything and ran another batch of lye water.  Success! Not yet.  

PLYWOOD BASE ON ROCKS SUPPORTS ASHES

This time I tried to be clever and made a concrete base for the barrel with a groove all the way around, a splash guard in front of the drain hole, and a spout.  What I forgot to do was seal the form around the concrete base.  It worked well, except that much of the lye water leaked out between the form and the concrete.  Lesson learned.  I plugged the drain hole with a  stainless steel ¼-20  UNC-2A stud and refilled the barrel and then sealed the base with roof cement.  Then I ran another batch.  Success! Yes!

HAY IS ADDED ON TOP OF PLYWOOD TO KEEP ASHES FROM PLUGGING DRAIN AS WATER LEACHES THROUGH

 Now I will try concentrating the lye water and see if it will make some soap in Part II.

AFTER THE BARREL IS FULL OF ASHES, WATER IS ADDED BY INSERTING A HOSE DEEP INTO THE ASHES. AIR WILL BUBBLE UP THROUGH ASHES, SO WEAR FACE AND EYE PROTECTION AGAINST SPLASHES.

 CAUTION: Ashes and lye water are very caustic.  Proper PPE should be used when handling them such as a dusk mask to keep from inhaling ash particles and gloves and safety goggles to keep skin and eyes from exposure!

All rights reserved 2011.

THE LITTLE THINGS- THE CAMERA DOCTOR IS IN

The reader may have noticed that this blog has relatively few pictures.  That’s partly because uploading them is rather tricky and uncertain, but also because my camera has been out of commission for some time.  I use an Olympus Stylus 760 All Weather digital camera  for most purposes.  I like it because the camera is affordable; it fits well in a pocket, takes decent pictures in both normal and macro modes, and is water resistant.  It’s also remarkably tough.

I have two of these cameras.  The first one I took to the Civil Air Patrol’s Hawk Mountain Ranger Training School . That was a wonderful time of living outdoors, training in search and rescue and getting to know some first class people.  It’s the toughest emergency services school the U.S Civil Air Patrol offers, and I lost over 30 pounds during the nine-day program.  (I also hurt my knee on the OC and took over a year to recover, but it was worth it!) Anyway, the camera survived the event too, but the viewfinder was cracked in the process.  The dark area around the crack slowly spread during the next several months as air leaked in and damaged the display.  Eventually it all turned black and was largely unusable.

It seemed like a simple matter to fix, for just the view screen needed to be replaced.  So, I found a mail-order camera repair company and sent the camera in with $60 for the work.  After a substantial delay, they sent the camera back saying it was beyond repair.  The camera still worked and took pictures, so I didn’t wholly accept their judgment, but neither they nor the manufacturer would sell me any replacement parts.

So, I bought another of the same model. (Partly because I liked the camera and partly to avoid having to relearn a new camera’s functions and features.)

I happily carried the new camera with me everywhere for about a year, even using it while working in my garden and on projects in the back yard.  That means the camera was subjected to shock, vibration, moisture, abrasion and worst of all, dirt.  In the pocket of my working jacket it was often liberally coated with dust, sand, sawdust and whatever else was floating about.  For awhile it worked just fine until some sand worked its way into the telescoping lens aperture.  Then it jammed in position and the camera refused to function anymore. 

This is not a criticism of the camera’s design or construction.  As an engineer, I really like the design and think very highly of the people who made it.  I am using it in ways that surely exceed the design criteria and accept the consequences since I haven’t found a similarly priced camera with the same features that is rugged enough for my use.

For awhile I had to borrow a camera whenever I needed to take pictures.  Friends and family were gracious and understanding, for awhile.  But I realized I was hard on cameras and would sooner or later damage one of theirs and have to replace both theirs and mine.  I couldn’t really justify buying another camera, let alone two!

My daughter suggested at that point I use the two damaged cameras to make one good one.  It was a sensible suggestion, be sounded very simplistic.  After all, I’d hear horror stories from people who’d taken a camera apart and had it literally explode its tiny, spring loaded precision parts in all directions once the cover was removed.  It’d tried some time ago to repair a 35mm reflex camera that had jammed, and given up shortly after removing a few portions of the external housing.  Now, I’m a degreed engineer and know something about mechanisms, but the camera is in a special class by itself for complexity and difficulty of repair.  Give me an old Kodak Brownie box camera – that’s about my speed!

Finally, after several camera less days and a multitude of missed photo opportunities, I relented.  After laying out some newspaper on the kitchen table, I took a miniature screw driver and a magnifying glass and scrubbed for surgery.  Carefully, I removed the tiny screws that hold the housing on my Stylus 760 and removed the housing.  Not too bad. 

Nothing sprang loose, and I removed the trim strip and power buttons.  Four more screws later I had the viewfinder assembly loose and saw that it had only one ribbon cable connecting it to the main body.  It is an ingenious design where a tiny plastic clamp keeps the ribbon cable secure in the connector, but allows it to be inserted and removed repeatedly.  I was delighted.

THE DAMAGED VIEWING SCREEN AND THE TOOLS OF THE TRADE

In short order I had swapped the viewfinder assemblies and tested the good one before reassembly.  It worked!  Then I reassembled both cameras and began taking pictures with the result. 

I was feeling heady with my success and tried to fix the flat screen monitor that was also broken.  It was one of the few nice computer gadgets we have, and somehow the power button had been mysteriously mashed into the housing.  It was either the cat or my daughter that had probably knocked it off the desk and done the damage.  Since it somehow returned to the desk top, I think it was unlikely the cat did it. 

Anyway, I disassembled the monitor and admired its quality construction.  I found the problem – the plastic switch button had been forced in under the front panel.  A little tweaking and it was fixed.  However, the monitor would still not turn on.  This one was beyond me.  Well, batting 0.500 isn’t too bad and I saved about $100 with just 30 minutes work.

GRAND OPENING – ARABELLA MANOR EVENT CENTER

It was a chance meeting in the supermarket last night.  The woman in the checkout behind me was wearing a chef’s uniform and buying some food including a large quantity of Egg Beaters.  I’m a cook too, and consider myself a purist when it comes to using only fresh, genuine eggs in my cooking.  So, I asked the chef, Linda Lawless (that was on her name tag) what the egg beaters were for.

“Quiche,” Linda explained, “shell eggs are much wetter than egg beaters. This makes for a dryer, cleaner quiche.”

“Aha,” I said, glad for the tip.

Linda went on to explain that she was cooking for the grand opening of the Arabella Manor Event Center and invited me to attend.

Chef Linda Lawless poses with her creations

This intrigued me, both to see the new event center (Longview needs a good mid-sized, upscale event center) and try out the competition’s quiche.

So, I went to the grand opening sponsored by the Longview Chamber of Commerce and wasn’t disappointed.  Landscapers were still laying sod on the 10 acre facility when I arrived, but the building looked quite finished and ready for use.  The parking lot was full of attendees and there was a good crowd that only began to fill the 200+ person capacity building.

I tried the quiche and a number of other delicacies laid out for the guests.  They were all good.  True to Linda’s advertising, the mini-quiches were not wet or runny and their pastry still dry and crumbly.  I took a few pictures as I toured the facility and chatted with Teresa Crisler, the event coordinator.  She was pleasant and informative, but obviously very busy with her many distinguished visitors.  For more information Teresa referred me to their website:

The Arabella Manor Event Center

The also have a Facebook page linked from their home page.  I trust they’ll update the website once the sod has taken since the bare dirt in the photo doesn’t do it justice.

This would make a nice venue for a wedding reception, so I’ll keep that in mind for the future. J

BOOK REVIEW - WORDS OF GOLD BY DONALD E. WILDMON

BOOK REVIEW
Title: Words of Gold
Author: Donald E. Wildmon
Publisher: Five Star Publishers, Southaven, MS
Year Published: 1976
Contributing Author(s): none
Genre: Literature, Christian, Inspirational
ASIN: B000735EGA

SUMMARY: Donald E. Wildmon is a United Methodist preacher and wrote this book early in his career.  The book reflects his sources of inspiration and philosophy of life.  It contains thirty-four short, inspirational stories which are suitable for sermon illustrations.  This was one of his early works and is full of his characteristic vigorous optimism and moral outlook.  The stories are a mix of ancient fables and modern morality tales, so obviously it’s not all original material.  Each “word” (as they are called in the book) begins with a Bible verse and concludes in a way that provokes the reader to think about related values and principles. 



Rating 9/10 (less one point for the basic quality of the binding, typesetting and writing style)

REVIEW

This is a short book, so this will be a short review.  To be concise, I liked the book chiefly for the inspired  positive mood it left me in and for the new knowledge I acquired from it.  These days it seems a majority authors take themselves too seriously or not seriously enough and either write sophisticated, ponderous works that it seems they hope will immortalize them (or at least make them rich and/or famous), fulfill and agenda or they write trivial fluff that has no higher aim than to scratch someone’s literary itch. Wildmon’s book is a refreshing breath of fresh air from simpler, more hopeful times.  It has a nice balance of morality and entertaining stories with a rich mixture of the old, the new and the profound. 

Not only are the stories eclectic, derived from business themes, fables, ancient and urban legends, humor, history, news, the author’s experiences and everyday life, but so are his complementary scripture quotes.  They come from the NEB, TLB, TEV, KJV, RSV and the Moffatt translations (plus one without reference).  The fact that the author balances such diverse sources so well and integrates them into a captivating and readable book is a tribute to his broad knowledge, adaptable literary talents and varied interests and experience.

My favorite “Word” was the story of James Harte. He was a law officer in Nebraska who was well liked, involved in his community and especially active in scouting. He was typical of many exemplary citizens like himself and would not be especially noteworthy except for the circumstance of his birth.  He was the son of Teresa Capone and had four brothers notorious for their criminal careers; the best known of them being the mobster, Al Capone.  For he had been born James Capone and changed his name to distance himself from their notoriety and had made his life a repudiation of their careers. I had never heard this story before, nor knew that Al Capone had three other criminally minded brothers as well.  I liked the idea that James could come out of the same upbringing as his brothers and still become a model citizen. This underscores the truth of free will and the ability to choose to do good even in the darkest of situations.

Many of the “words” include a pithy saying or a short poem.  One that inspired me was included in the tale of James Harte and it goes like this:

“Once to every man and nation
Comes the moment to decide
In the strife of truth with falsehood,
For the good or evil side.”
James Russell Lowell

I also especially liked the stories of William Colgate who rose from poverty to success in soap making, Capt Abe Lincoln of the Illinois militia during the Indian Wars and the tale of how Christians in ancient Rome responded to the practice of abandoning unwanted babies by adopting them. All of these were new to me and inspirational.  I imagine the reader of this article could find something new and inspirational in this book too!

Later in life Rev. Wildmon founded the American Family Association of which is he is the Chairman Emeritus.  Long before I read the book, I began to support the AFA because of the singularly good and necessary work they do to defend and promote positive family values.  More information about the AFA can be found at http://www.afa.net/.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES:
Price: $57.00 USD
Reading Time: 2 hours
Format: Hardback
No. of Pages: 110 pages
Dimensions: 5 7/8” x 5 1/8” x 5/8” thk
Weight: 272g (9.5 oz).
Cover Design: Gold plated leatherette binding with Gold Cross hardcover, unattributed
Illustrations: none
Maps/Inserts: none
Appendices:
     index: none
     bibliography: no
     biography: yes, 1 pg
     glossary: none
     Other: section “How to improve your faith”, 3 pgs   
                 
Other books by the author: Nuggets of Gold, Leaves of Silver, Pebble in the Sand, Thoughts Worth Thinking, Practical Help For Daily Living, The Book of Love, A Gift For Living, Treasured Thoughts, Stepping Stones, Think on These Things, Springs of Faith, A Gift For the Graduate, Living Thoughts, Window to Life, The Case Against Pornography, Don Wildmon the Man the Networks Love To Hate, Stand up to life: A Man's Reflection on Living, Following the Carpenter: Parables to Inspire Obedience in the Christian Life, The Home Invaders, Speechless: Silencing the Christians, Yesterday, Today, Forever! The Ten Commandments, Windows to Life

BOOK REVIEW - ANSWERING ISLAM BY NORMAN GEISLER AND ABDUL SALEEB

BOOK REVIEW – ANSWERING ISLAM: The Crescent in Light of The Cross

I still distinctly recall my first serious conversation on religion with a Muslim.  It was the spring of 1984 and he was selling electronics at a local flea market near Chester, VA.  What I primarily recall about the conversation was how annoying and frustrating that meeting was.  The man spoke overwhelmingly enthusiastically about Islam and was wholly negative and derogatory about both Christianity and America.  However, all the chatter about Islam seemed so illogical to me: how the Qur’an was being memorized by millions around the globe, how Mohammed was the seal of the prophets and how amazingly quickly the religion was growing and dominating the world.  These were among his chief arguments for its supremacy.  His criticism of America was as enthusiastic as his ignorance of American history was profound. He was as convincing to me as someone who expounded on the merits of Cholera because it spreads so rapidly and easily and kills its victims so quickly. Another hallmark of the conversation was that he barely let me speak a sentence in defense of my faith or country without immediately launching into a virulent (often unrelated) attack on either or both.  He was a prime example of someone who subscribes to the saying “I’ve made up my mind; don’t confuse me with the facts.” I left wondering why he had come to this country and who the idiot that let him in was.

Over the years I met more like him with similar results.  Understandably I always came away with a thorough dislike of the religion.  However, apart from the fact that the Muslims were so universally ignorant, rude and arrogant, I didn’t have a clear understanding of why I rejected their religion.  I knew it was wrong, but wondered what was it about Islam that was so fundamentally wrong, besides the fact that it was obviously a violent, oppressive and exploitive personality cult. I tried reading the Qur’an to gain understanding, but in comparison the rich spiritual and literary qualities of the Bible it was so base and pedantic I couldn’t bear to read even half of it.

So, when I came across Answering Islam by Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb I finally found the answer in a useful form.  This is a compact, fairly readable book that summarizes very well the fundamental flaws of Islam, its incompatibility with Christianity (and reasonable, scholarly thought as well). It gives a solid defense against the attacks by Mohammed, the Qur’an and Islamic scholars against the Christian scriptures and theology.  It also provides a useful series of appendices that introduce some related topics like the major subdivisions in Islam, central Muslim practices, the so called Gospel of Barnabus and the like.  What I benefited most from was a review of fundamental Christian doctrines such as salvation by Grace and the Trinity and a clear explanation of the Monophysite and Nestorian errors.  (The latter are something I’ve yet to see in Sunday school.)

It’s not light reading, so for the benefit of the reader I summarize and explain it in the following review.  This is not one of the “reviews for free books” I am have been doing but this is one from the heart.

BOOK REVIEW – Answering Islam, The Crescent in Light of the Cross

Authors: Norman Geisler and Abdul Saleeb

Publisher: Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI

Year Published: 1993

Category: Literature, Christian, Apologetic

ISBN: 0-8010-3859-6

ISBN-13: 978-0801064302

ASIN: 0801064309

Physical Attributes:

Price: $19.99 USD

Reading Time: 10 hours

Language: English

Construction: paperback

No. of Pages: 336 pages

Dimensions: 6" x 9" x 3/4" thick

Weight: 16.5 oz.

Cover Design: not attributed

Illustrations: some line drawings

Maps/Inserts: none

Appendices: three (see below)

Indexes: three: Suras, Persons and Subjects

Bibliography: yes

Biography: no

Glossary: yes, thorough!

Other: suggested readings

Other books by Norman Geisler (and some with other authors): If God, Why Evil?: A New Way To Think About The Question, Big Book Of Bible Difficulties, The: Clear And Concise Answers From Genesis To Revelation, Chosen But Free: A Balanced View Of God's Sovereignty And Free Will, I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist, Christian Apologetics, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1: Introduction/Bible, When Skeptics Ask: A Handbook On Christian Evidences, Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues And Options, Introduction To Philosophy: A Christian Perspective, Conversational Evangelism: How To Listen And Speak So You Can Be Heard, Come, Let Us Reason: An Introduction To Logical Thinking, Popular Survey Of The Old Testament, A, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, God/Creation, General Introduction To The Bible, Roman Catholics And Evangelicals: Agreements And Differences, Inerrancy, Baker Encyclopedia Of Christian Apologetics, Systematic Theology, Vol. 4: Church/Last Things, Unshakable Foundations: Contemporary Answers To Crucial Questions About The Christian Faith, From God To Us: How We Got Our Bible, Making Sense Of Bible Difficulties: Clear And Concise Answers From Genesis To Revelation, The Apologetics Of Jesus: A Caring Approach To Dealing With Doubters, Conviction Without Compromise: Standing Strong In The Core Beliefs Of The Christian Faith, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3: Sin/Salvation, Christian Ethics: Options And Issues, Who Made God?: And Answers To Over 100 Other Tough Questions Of Faith, Is Rome The True Church?: A Consideration Of The Roman Catholic Claim, Correcting The Cults: Expert Responses To Their Scripture Twisting, Reasons For Faith: Making A Case For The Christian Faith, Is Your Church Ready?: Motivating Leaders To Live An Apologetic Life, When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook On Bible Difficulties, Philosophy Of Religion: Second Edition, Love Your Neighbor: Thinking Wisely About Right And Wrong, Thomas Aquinas: An Evangelical Appraisal, Creating God In The Image Of Man?, Bringing Your Faith To Work: Answers For Break-Room Skeptics, Why I Am A Christian: Leading Thinkers Explain Why They Believe, Living Loud: Defending Your Faith (Truthquest), Legislating Morality: Is It Wise? Is It Legal? Is It Possible?, Worlds Apart: A Handbook On World Views, Is Man The Measure?: An Evaluation Of Contemporary Humanism, False Gods Of Our Time: A Defense Of The Christian Faith, Signs And Wonders: Healings, Miracles, And Unusual Events : Which Are Real? Which Are Supernormal? Which Are Counterfeit?, Miracles And The Modern Mind: A Defense Of Biblical Miracles, What Augustine Says, The Roots Of Evil, Why Trust Jesus?: An Honest Look At Doubts, Plans, Hurts, Desires, Fears, Questions, And Pleasures, Biblical Errancy: An Analysis Of Its Philosophical Roots, Creation And The Courts: Eighty Years Of Conflict In The Classroom And The Courtroom, Origin Science: A Proposal For The Creation-Evolution Controversy, The Life And Death Debate: Moral Issues Of Our Time, Matters Of Life And Death: Calm Answers To Tough Questions About Abortion And Euthanasia, The Battle For The Resurrection, ETHICS: Alternatives And Issues, THE CHRISTIAN ETHIC OF LOVE, The Infiltration Of The New Age, Knowing The Truth About Creation: How It Happened And What It Means For Us, When Cultists Ask: A Popular Handbook On Cultic Misinterpretations, Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses On Christian Apologetics, Philosophy Of Religion, Integrity At Work: Finding Your Ethical Compass In A Post-Enron World, Handmaid To Theology: An Essay In Philosophical Prolegomena, Worlds Apart: A Handbook On World Views; Second Edition, To Understand The Bible Look For Jesus: The Bible Student's Guide To The Bible's Central Theme, The Reincarnation Sensation, The Counterfeit Gospel Of Mormonism: The Great Divide Between Mormonism And Christianity, Perspectives: Understanding And Evaluating Today's World Views, Gambling: A Bad Bet : You Can't Win For Losing...In More Ways Than You Can Imagine, Bibliotheca Sacra: A Theological Quarterly: Volume 146: Number 582: April-June 1989, Systematic Theology: In One Volume, Decide For Yourself: How History Views The Bible, Christ: The Theme Of The Bible, Four Views On Eternal Security, Miracles And Modern Thought (Christian Free University Curriculum), The Battle For God: Responding To The Challenge Of Neotheism, 10 Questions & Answers On Atheism & Agnosticism, Yes! God Loves You More Than You Know, A General Introduction To The Bible, When Skeptics Ask A Handb00k Of Christian Evidence, False Gods Of Our Time A Defense Of The Christian Faith, Christ Will Build His Church: But What Is My Role?, Creator In The Courtroom "Scopes II": The 1981 Arkansas Creation-Evolution Trial, Signs And Wonders, What The Bible Really Says: Breaking The Apocalypse Code, Religion Of The Force, Cosmos: Carl Sagan's Religion For The Scientific Mind, Matters Of Life And Death, Apologetics In The New Age: A Christian Critique Of Pantheism, A Popular Survey Of The Old Testament, The Question: A Survey Of The Questions Asked By The World's Most Influential Leader, The Apologetics Study Bible: Understand Why You Believe, Problem Of Evil Audio Tapes, Civil Disobedience: When Is It Right? Should Christians Ever Break The Law, To Drink Or Not To Drink?: A Sober Look At The Problem, The Cult Of The Virgin, Creating God In The Image Of Man?, The New "Open" View Of God- Netheism's Danger, Why I Am A Christian: Leading Thinkers Explain Why They Believe, and others!

Rating: 4/5 (one point deducted for repetitiveness and a couple of weak sections)

Summary:  This is an apologetic book written by a convert from Islam to Christianity along with a credible and credentialed Christian author and scholar.  It is structured in three parts: I - a summary presentation of Islamic teachings drawn from primary sources, II - an examination of these teachings for self consistency, historical accuracy and spiritual validity, and finally III - an examination of these subjects based on biblical scholarship and essential Christian theology with a defense of the latter. It concludes with four appendices: Muslim Sects and Movements, Muslim Religious Practices, The Gospel of Barnabas and Popular Muslim Accusations Against the New Testament.

Islamic Theology and Early History.  .

Using sources from the Qur’an, recognized Islamic scholars and secular historical sources, the authors provide a summary of Islamic theology and practice in context without more than explanatory comment.   It is a thorough but not exhaustive survey that provides the ideological framework and essential elements of this religion without attempting to deal with the many variations and alternatives. Since it uses almost exclusively Islamic sources and is written in a comparable style, I found it distracting and disturbing in its overly enthusiastic, exaggerated and repetitive presentation typical of Islamic literature. However, because of this, it truly captures the flavor of the original sources and provides an appropriate introduction for the second part.  This first section is as clearly primarily written by Mr. Saleeb as the latter sections are by Mr. Geisler, so distinctive are the two authors’ styles.

The first part presents the argument that Mohammed was a prophet of God who claimed he was called by God via the angel Gabriel to restore true religion for all mankind because all previous and extant religions had become irreparably corrupted and unable to fulfill God’s purposes for His creation.  This includes the claim that Mohammed was the final and most authoritative of all true prophets and that he revealed God’s complete and perfect will in a single complete and (the only) perfectly transcribed scripture, the Qur’an.  It also presented the claim that Mohammed was authorized by God to both establish this religion and supplant all others, by violence if necessary.  This new religion claimed many concepts common to Judaism and Christianity such as salvation from sin, the general resurrection of mankind for a day of divine judgment based on faith and deeds and the consequent assignment to alternate eternal destinations of mankind in either paradise (heaven) or hell.  It differed fundamentally from Christianity by declaring that although Jesus was the Christ, it claimed he was neither the begotten son of God nor mankind’s sacrificial savior from sin.  Rather, it claimed God had no human children and that Mohammed was the only qualified intercessor between God and man regarding forgiveness of sin.  Moreover, it ultimately claimed that while all who accepted Islam would eventually enter paradise, only those who actively rejected Islam (i.e. Jews, Christians and the like) would be hopelessly condemned to hell. It even went so far as to try to establish divine authorization for Mohammed to deceive people, practice pederasty, polygamy, banditry, slavery and tax, exile, torture and/or murder his opponents.

Critical Analysis of Islam

The central portion of the book is a well devised analysis of the claims of Islam based on generally accepted standards and practices of textual and historical scholarship and criticism, as well as the internal claims of the Qur’an, related material and widely accepted principles from the Islamic community for textual criticism (frequently applied to the Bible but curiously set aside  by Muslim scholars for the Qur’an).  First the authors show clearly that the Qur’an is not only not self consistent, but does not rate the claims that it is comprehensive, perfect or supreme in its literary composition.   Some examples given are the inconsistent principles regarding relations with other religions and man’s relationship with God, differing accounts of creation and contrary claims about the nature of the Christ. They present persuasive arguments that, contrary to Islamic teachings, the Qur’an in its present form is incomplete, has been substantially edited and can be found in several variants.

The authors then address the claims about Mohammed to be a prophet, a man of universal and unparalleled exemplary morals and the only suitable intercessor between mankind and God. First they show that Mohammed does not meet even standard Islamic principles for establishing prophet hood such as spinelessness, miracles, etc.  Second they show that in conduct he was well below the best of ordinary men and nowhere near the standard set by Jesus of Nazareth.  Then they provide convincing proof that Mohammed was neither the savior described in Old Testament prophesy and possessing neither the credentials nor having the necessary direct relationship with God that intercessors must have. (E.g. Mohammed never claimed to have communicated directly with God as true prophets do, but only through a spirit claiming to be the angel Gabriel.) The alternative, that he was in fact influenced by occult spirits, is strongly suggested. 

There is also a parallel discussion of the assertions of Islamic scholars about the corruption of the Old and New Testaments and the claims that the same scriptures are misinterpreted by Jews and Christians.  The authors show that scientific textual analysis and criticism in fact confirms the authenticity and accuracy of the canonical New Testament by the highest practiced standards and even more so than the same for the Qur’an. They further demonstrate that the bases for criticism by authoritative Islamic scholars are arbitrary and incorrect in both their premises and conclusions. They answer these claims by showing that the points of contention have already been satisfactorily settled by reputable scholars and theologians and are beyond reasonable controversy.  Furthermore, they clearly show the arbitrary and self serving nature of the Islamic critics and give examples of retractions by some of the very Bible critics the Islamic scholars cite.

Christian Apologetics

The final section of the book presents fundamental Christian theology and compares it with the same from Islam.  It pointedly exposes some of the characteristic and fatal errors of Islam.  An example of this is the claim by Islamic teachings that God is the source of both good and evil.  This implies that God is not just sovereign, but arbitrary and therefore denies the very existence and nature of evil relative to good. It also shows how the Islamic teaching that God cannot be known or understood leads to a built in agnosticism that denies that humans can have a relationship with God.  Most importantly, though Islam accepts and teaches the Jesus is the Christ, was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life and will return as the Messiah, it denies emphatically the concept of original sin, that Jesus died on the cross for mankind’s sins as our savior and was begotten by God.  This last point leads to the tragic result that orthodox Muslims are without atonement and doomed to suffer eternally for their sins in hell through rejection of God’s only source of Grace, Jesus Christ. 

In its defense of the Christian perspective, the book both presents essential Christian doctrine and answers Islam’s attacks against it.  Using textual and historical evidence, legal and scholarly criteria and even the Qur’an itself, the book dissects and discredits all the significant counter claims.  The central claim of Islam is that Jesus didn’t die on the cross, but lived for some times afterwards is spurious at best and more clearly a patent lie aimed at discrediting the faith.  For the eyewitness accounts of the apostles and other witnesses and the corroborating secular accounts assure us that not only did He die on the cross, but it was indeed Jesus who died.  That he rose again on the third day is likewise confirmed in the gospels which are accepted as valid, eye-witness accounts.  It is not, as some Muslim scholars propose, as in the account of the apocryphal Gospel of Barnabus that Judas died in his place and Jesus lived on earth for a time afterwards.

The next major attack on Christianity from Islam comes from its claim that the Biblical scriptures are corrupt beyond repair and that Jesus’ disciples, notably St. Paul, revised Jesus’ teachings to suit their own agenda and even added elements of paganism such as Mithraicism.  This also takes another form, that the scriptures are intact, but misinterpreted. Citing solid scholarship and textual analysis as well as corroborating archeology, the authors show first that the New Testament is unique among ancient manuscripts in having not only faithfully preserved the original text without significant errors, but that it is a historically accurate document of the first class. Likewise, the claims of inconsistencies, irregularities and misinterpretations in scripture cited by Muslim scholars are surprisingly gross instances of ignorance and calculated misinterpretation of their own which have already been successfully addressed by responsible Bible critics cited by the authors.  Moreover, they show that both the New Testament and the Old Testament were substantially established and have not changed since well before the time of Mohammed, who incidentally cited them in the Qur’an as reliable testimony.  The authors also show that the claims of influence from mysticism are without basis since the teachings of the New Testament were well established before likely sources such as Mithraicism were established enough to influence the apostles and early church fathers. Moreover, that the mystery religions may have had common elements with Christianity, but are derived from different sources. Finally, the authors cite the historical record and textual and content analysis to show that a key piece of evidence supporting Islam’s claims, The Gospel of Barnabus, is clearly a medieval forgery likely of Islamic origin.

In a fair turn about, the book continues with an expose on the claims of Mohammed to be God’s prophet, the Qur’an to be the only perfect and complete source of divine revelation and Islam to be a divinely inspired religion to supplant all others for all mankind for the remainder of time. First, they address the claim that Mohammed was sinless and an inspired, their qualifications for a true prophet.  Both the Qur’an and the historical account of Mohammad show he was far from sinless: a slaver, murderer, bandit, polygamist, treaty breaker and inveterate liar just for starters. That he was inspired by God is unlikely in that he received his revelation not from God, but a spirit he called Gabriel whose conduct was more akin to a demon than an angel. They added that it was likely his wife who encouraged Mohammed to regard the revelation as divine rather than question its source. Moreover, there were no miracles confirming his prophet hood as could be expected.  The only miracle he claimed was the writing of the Qur’an.  Miracles historically ascribed to him can be dated no earlier than the century after his death when Muslim apologists created a body of literature ascribing miracles to Mohammed in answer to Christian criticism that Mohammed performed no miracles and was therefore illegitimate.  The only significant prophetic statement in the Qur’an that may be corroborated, the Roman victory over Persia, was little more than an informed guess.

Regarding the inspirational source for the Qur’an and its completeness and preserved purity, the book explains the contrived nature of this teaching.  First, the authors show that the claim that the Qur’an was received whole from the mind of God and extant before the beginning of time is belied by its own internal inconsistencies and irregularities.  Two of which are the initial acceptance and then rejection of Christians and Jews as fellow believers, and the switch from commanding prayer first towards Jerusalem and then Mecca. Why, the reader is lead to ask, would a timeless, omniscient God need progressive, self correcting revelation in the final book of scripture?  That alone ought to be enough, but it is further shown that the claim of literacy supremacy for the Qur’an is undone both by examples of substandard grammar and wrong science in the Qur’an itself and the work of other Arabic authors (not to mention authors in other language groups) who’s style and literary competence is arguably superior to Mohammed’s.  Another well turned argument in the book is the account of how the Qur’an existed in a variety of fragmental forms at the time of Mohammed’s death, and these were cataloged and standardized by order of the reigning Caliph. They present a clear case that the official standardized version is likely incomplete and likely contains spurious material and stylistic editing by the respective scribes.  Moreover, there are still variants of the Qur’an in circulation today, contrary to official claims. 

Personal Comments

What wasn’t addressed well was the claim of Mohammed and the Qur’an and hence Islam to completely reveal God’s will and address to condition of mankind.  That is a central claim of Mohammed, that he is the final prophet with a complete message relevant to all mankind for the remainder of history.  It’s obvious to me that neither the person of Mohammed nor the Qur’an are great enough to fit that bill.  Even St. Paul in the New Testament leaves open the possibility of additional revelation to come for Christians! It would have been helpful for the authors to put the same effort into this subject that they put into the rest.  To their credit, they did make some comparisons between Christ and Mohammed, but these were scattered through the book and less systematic than other subjects.  In several instances they alluded to the oversimplified nature of Mohammed’s religious teachings and his tendency for “moral expediency,” but did not develop these subjects to my satisfaction.

Another weakness of the book was several instances of “hand waving.”  Most of the book shows solid scholarship and complete, logical reasoning producing a solid, tight, fairly streamlined series of arguments.  However, in a few cases where there seemed to be a dearth of sources to cite and where the authors were challenged to develop their own position, they instead glossed over the subject.  There were also numerous instances where the same material was repeated verbatim in the different parts of the book.  I can only guess that this was for emphasis.  But the fact that the same quote from C.S. Lewis was used twice in the sections I identify with the respective authors suggest to me that they worked somewhat independently.  I wish they’d cut the repetitious material and used the space to address the more weakly developed topics.

Conclusion

The book concludes with four appendices: Muslim Sects and Movements, Muslim Religious practices, The Gospel of Barnabas and Popular Muslim Accusations Against the New Testament.  The former one was helpful to me because I am constantly confusing Sunnis, Shi’ites, Sufis and etc.  No more.  The clear and concise explanation of the origins and differences between them cut effectively through the mishmash of information I’d garnered from hearsay and news reports.  The second appendix was equally useful in that it listed and elaborated on the required religious rites and practices of orthodox Muslims and this was also informative and clarifying.  I hadn’t known the distinction between The Epistle of Barnabus and The Gospel of Barnabus before, and now I know all I ever wanted to know on these subjects thanks to the third appendix.  The latter appendix was most helpful because through it I am now armed to defend myself against the main criticisms by Muslims of my faith (if they would bother to listen).

It was interesting to me to see the two literary styles side: eastern and western.  The contrast was stark to me.  For Saleeb’s style appeals to the simpler side of the mind in that it is repetitive, emotional, exaggerated and leaps perilously from point to point. Geisler’s style is understated, systematic, logical, intellectual and thorough.  (As a western thinker I naturally gravitate to the latter.) To be fair, both authors do a credible job of citing reputable and verifiable sources and build a convincing case.  The was clearly a substantial work which is of value to the Christian because it provides them with a practical defense of the faith and inoculates them against the errors of Islam.  However, I do not see this book as being very effective in persuading Muslims to convert to Christianity.

I write this for two reasons. Saleeb recounts his conversion from Islam to Christianity and cites the main reason as being the love shown to him by Christian visitors to his country. That has been and remains the scripturally based method for winning people to Christ – love.  I expect a typical Muslim’s reaction to this book would be akin to mine when reading the Qur’an or Part I of the book, distinct antipathy; since the logical and literary approaches are so alien to my world view and thought processes.  Where it would be useful to a Muslim is the case where God has already called them and opened their eyes to the inadequacy of Islam, they have already rejected it and are looking for the truth.  Then this book will be very helpful to them in disinfecting them from the teachings of Mohammed and planting the wholesome seed of the Christian faith in ready, fertile ground.

In general I recommend this book for Christians and Muslims as well as anyone else with a sincere and mature interest in the subject.  It provides a balanced perspective, sound reasoning and research, adroitly composed logic and more references than most people could ask for.  I have to respect an author that writes so broadly and prolifically and has collaborated with so many other accomplished writers.  I hope I shall have time to read a few more of Norman Geislers works.

Epiologe

This all brings me back to 2005, the most recent time I met with a Muslim to debate matters of religion.  He was a professor of sorts who was invited to a local (and very liberal) church in Austin, Texas to participate in an “interfaith dialogue.”  I was among a handful of others who allowed him to speak first and he took some two and a half hours to subject us to a rambling, disjointed criticism of Christianity specifically and western society in general. (Since he read from notes, I wonder just how badly it would have gone had he spoken extemporaneously!) I wasn’t prepared by reading this book, but I had some similar conclusions and observations and tried to get him to answer them.  The fellow deflected the questions, announced we were out of time and promptly left.  Again I wondered why he had come to this country and what idiot had let him in. Naturally I remained unconvinced of the superiority of his religion and understandably frustrated by his methods.  I have concluded that accommodating or listening to the Muslim point of view is fruitless and I shall content myself with praying regularly for them and showing them Christian love when and if an opportunity presets itself.  In the meantime, I shall not give an ear to their teachings and make every effort to resist their advances.  For they appear unfamiliar with the wise and popular proverb “Saying it's so doesn’t make it so!”

Finally, it seems a major omission of the authors not to address the most fundamental flaw of all in Islam.They deny the Lordship of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God[1].

Yet it is in the scriptures, “While he was yet speaking, behold, a radiant cloud overshadowed them. And, behold, a voice out of the cloud saying, This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have been delighting; hear Him. Matthew 17:5   LITV (Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35, 2 Peter 1:17 Psalm 2:7; Genesis 22:2; Isaiah 42:1; Deuteronomy 18:15) This is repeated three times in the gospels, and again in the epistles of the Apostle Paul.

In short, every person claiming to follow Mohammed in effect calls God a liar, thrice. It is little wonder that Muslims do not receive the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of antichrist.

---

[1] Surah 5:73

I think I shall also look into finding a way to make my own fuel for the car so I can stop subsidizing this dangerous nonsense at the fuel pump..

THE BEST KEPT SECRET - CAP

Back in 2006 I was enjoying serving in the Texas State Guard (TXSG).

Texas State Guard Main Website

They are one of 23 state military organizations, more information on which can be found at the national site for the State Guard Association of the United States

That was a truly enjoyable and memorable experience for me.  Besides good training and camaraderie, I had the opportunity to participate in exciting mission such as the relief efforts for hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  There were also unique opportunities to earn certifications and recognitions such as the MEMS (Military Emergency Management Specialist Skills) badge and Chaplains Award.  However, an issue with serving in the guard was that I had to spend substantial time away from home and thus apart from my children.  My children asked me to leave the guard so I could spend more time with them.

While researching a way to resolve the conflict I discovered that there were some state guard members who were also members in the Civil Air Patrol.  They told me that I could do much of the same activities (and more) in the CAP as I did in the TXSG, and take my children with me! It was a win-win situation.

Initially only my middle daughter joined (the junior one as too young), but I took both of them to meetings anyway.  It turned out to be very good for all of us.  It was very helpful to be around people of high quality in a well structured environment.  That's often difficult to come by in today's society.  Beside good training and motivation, the children and I also were able to participate in some truly memorable events.  But before I launch into that, I should briefly explain for unfamiliar readers what the Civil Air Patrol is and does.  It's often called "the Best Kept Secret" since so few people are aware of it despite it's size and impact.

The CAP is a volunteer auxiliary to the USAF originally created in 1941 to advance aerospace activities and knowledge and give civilians an opportunity to support the war effort.  Today it has three primary missions:

• Emergency Services
• Cadet Programs
• Aerospace Education

In emergency services we learn to locate downed aircraft and missing water craft equipped with ELTs (Electronic Locator Transmitters) using radio direction finding and visual clues.  The CAP responds to inland missions assigned by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center (AFRCC), and may assist local authorities in locating missing persons in non-criminal cases.  To do this we learn many skills such as radio communications, wilderness navigation, first aid and trauma care and much, much more.

In the cadet programs my daughters learned first followership then leadership skills in a program modeled on a combination of USAF enlisted and officer training and advancement programs. This includes the usual customs and courtesies and drill and ceremony, but also has essential programs for teaching ethics, safety and other complimentary skills like air marshalling, (downed aircraft and missing hiker) clue recognition, physical and mental fitness and etc.  Activities included summer camps, rides on corporate and military aircraft, visits to military bases and a variety of academies that taught such things as model rocketry, piloting aircraft, communications and public affairs.  A really special event was when we helped the local boy scouts set a world record rocket launch IN 2007!

SCOUTS SET WORLD RECORD ROCKET LAUNCH

The record was beaten in 2010, but the thrill remains!

There's even an international exchange program called IAEST for cadets that reach the rank of Cadet Captain and are approved for the program.

Cadets who complete the Mitchell Award and become cadet officers may also expect that they can enter the USAF enlisted program with the advanced rank of E-3.

The aerospace education program is also quite interesting.  The cadets (chiefly, and some adult members, called 'Seniors') learn about the principles of sustained flight and the history of aerospace.  The CAP members who participate not only study the material and build working model planes and rockets, but for the cadets there is a series of five orientation rides (called O-rides).  Through this program they work with seasoned pilots to learn initially about flying powered aircraft and then progress to basic navigation and ultimately flying with hands-on experience at the controls.  One of the highest aerospace education (AE) awards is the Chuck Yeager Award named after Brigadier General Chuck Yeager who as the first human to break the sound barrier.  Gen Yeager personally autographed my award!

I often describe the program as Boy Scouts x10.  One of the deciding factors was when my girls, both in Girl Scouting at the time, complained that "the Boy Scouts have the best facilities."  Well, our CAP squadron at the time was dual chartered as a scout venturing crew, and therefore had access the the same facilities as both the local Girl and the Boy Scout troops.  Moreover, with advance permission, CAP members can also use some facilities at various military bases for activities and training.  We participated at CAP functions variously at such bases at Camp Mabry, Camp Maxey and others, both historic and technically interesting.

For me, one of the best benefits was the mentoring available to the children.  Not only were there very accomplished adults in the program who generously donated their time and expertise to advancing the knowledge and development of the cadets, but there's another nearly unique side to the program.  The cadet program is largely run by the cadets themselves, with only oversight by the senior (adult) members.  This gives them a rare but valuable opportunity to learn leadership and other roles at an early age, and interact with their peers in healthy and constructive roles.  Over a relatively short time I was very pleased to see how it formed and matured the children in a positive and challenging environment.

Now the CAP is not for everyone.  Occasionally parents will try to enroll a troubled youth to straighten them out. Or an adult will join to live out their fantasy of being "in charge."  While there are some examples where such people benefited from the program, that's not what it exists for. Some people just don't have the ability to follow rules, respect authority or work as a team and likely never will.  This is not the program for them.  It's also a mentally and physically demanding program that requires dedication, commitment and lots of time.  People interested in joining should realize and accept that up front.  Because it is such a large and varied program, it may be said that you can get out of it what you put into it. 

What surprises me most about the program is how little known it is.  Despite saving an average of some 100 lives each year and having a prominent role in providing relief activities in many natural disasters and civic emergencies, the CAP is largely unheralded.  That is part of my motivation for being a Public Affairs Officer for my squadron and writing this article for my blog.  I hope that it will encourage others to support and join the CAP, and will be glad to entertain any questions on the subject.

More information can be found on the web, and the main site is:

U.S. CIVIL AIR PATROL