Lone Islands

Charity: The Moral Dilemma – Doc Rampage doesn’t know whether to give to the homeless or just run

Organized Religion and the Church – Jeremy Pierce thinks those who distance themselves from the Church as a body because of problems are missing something vital from Scripture

The Advantage of Middle Age – My Domestic Church finds the beauty of middle age is what you learn from the past

Hate the Sin, Love the Sinner – Eric Hu believes he can oppose gay marriage while still loving homosexuals

Dragon Island

Ir-Relevant Magazine? Sam Wood questions a forerunner pomo Christian magazine’s standing

Legislating Morality? – Jared Keller discusses how Christianity and conservativism intersect, and why he isn’t a libertarian given his libertarian leanings

He Who Is Not For Me – Jeremiah Lewis explores the two “for me/against me” scriptures and finds them to be compatible with each other

For All You’ve Done – Paul Baggaley reviews a new worship album that recently hit the secular charts in Sydney, Australia at #1

Deathwater

Give ‘em the ol’ Razzle Dazzle – Barry Home wonders if churches are pulling a bait ‘n’ switch

When Repentence Is Not Enough – Alan Myatt wonders if America is too far gone, like Israel under Manasseh

Eviction Notices: The Great Separation Continues – Hal Paxton provides two telling abortion eviction stories from around the world

Island of the Dufflepuds

Prayer That Rocks God’s Gypsy Soul – Douglas Bass finds prayer to be like coon hunting in Texas

God’s Tech Support – Tom Reindl endures a frustrating experience with an evil computer, prays, and wins

The Life Application Interpretive Text – IntolerantElle takes umbrage with some Bible commentary

An Exercise In Clear Thinking – Jeff Clinton discusses the moral problem of promiscuity and abstinence programs designed to reduce it

Dark Island

Weep With Those Who Weep – Tim Hutchison is thankful for those who wept with he and his wife upon their fourth miscarriage

The Rainbow Said – Mark Woodward knows there’s always hope

A Desert Story – Karen Marie Knapp tells a story of Abba Macarius, a Desert Christian

Ramandu’s Island

Is Evangelism A Hate Crime? – Dr. Ray Pritchard is sure it is a crime to withhold the Gospel

Wisdom from 1785 – View From the Pew reflects on one pastor’s call for true salt and light in Christians…of the late 1700′s…

The Icy Game of Reason – Brandon Watson ponders the heartlessness of reason and the warmth of the heart

A Soldier’s Thank You – Keystone links to a video from a soldier in Iraq who thanks you for your support

Betting Against Sisyphus – William Meisheid wagers his future each morning on the hope and truth of Jesus Christ

God’s Infinity – Rebecca Stark wonders at the infinity of God

Aslan’s Country

Small Blessings – Kathy Myatt tells a child’s simple story, with profound conclusions

Reasons For Our Hope – Sozo looks at how “giving a reason for the hope within us” is more than just a defense of the rational

Experiencing the Light – Angie York Crane experienced God’s Light this week

DIY Ministry – Messy Christian ponders what it means to have a ministry

Next week the Carnival will be held at Neil Uchitel.

nevermind i take it back. i just read the details column for the first
>40 or so on the page and i think its safe to say that about 5% of them
>died in actual combat with iraqis. jesus christ they’re not even
>fighting anyone and 500 are dead

And then a little bit later, I received this: “>Funny how how that seems to be the case. Makes me wonder
> if the Pentagon might not be cooking the data”
My response is below:
For JUST the US in the other wars, here are the figures:

Here’s where I got my figures.
Clearly, this war is unlike other wars, but is closest in resemblance, Casualty rate wise, to the first Gulf war.
In the article “Mortality Trends Among Active Duty Personnel, 1992-2001,” (MSMR Volume 09, Number 01, January 2003) statistics cite a peacetime mortality rate of 57.38 soldiers per 100,000 per year, all services. 53% of all active duty deaths were “attributable to accidents,” while 20% were suicides, and 18% disease deaths. None were combat-related; this is a peacetime survey. You can read it on page 6 of this PDF.
Given the peacetime stats, it’s not unreasonable to think that combat mortality rates for personnel in non-combat situations increase a level of magnitude.