NowTHINK!AboutIt - Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

The Line Connecting Anti-Trust And Public Benefit

March 5, 2021 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Competition And Fair Pricing
Are Alive And Well With Big Tech

Apple is being investigated in the EU, UK, and the USA regarding anti-trust rules. Investigators are focused on Apple’s App platform, motivated specifically by the allegation that Apple manipulates the platform to reduce competition with apps developed by Apple. The biggest (but not the only) complaint behind the allegation comes from Spotify.

The reading gets a bit thick at times but I found the following response from Apple thought-provoking.

Addressing Spotify’s Claims, dated March 14, 2019.

I can see both sides but lean heavily toward Apple. They offer a great option for developers to get their brand before the public. The fees associated with being in the store are agreed to upfront and the rules are clear. At this point, the suit seems like a “he said, she said” sort of scenario but hopefully, the angst will be sorted soon and the rest of us can get on with life.

Apple, of course, is just one of several being targeted by Anti-Trust investigations. Google, Amazon, and Facebook are all under pressure.

Personally, I don’t use Facebook much but many people do, not only for social benefit but for business promotion also. All these companies serve useful purposes that benefit a large number of people.

The Public Benefit

Data indicates that 197 million people worldwide visit Amazon every month. More than one billion people use Google’s products and services. And Facebook has roughly 2.8 billion active users every month, more than a third of the world’s population. I might add that many of the people using Facebook, Google and Apple are in third world cultures. The benefit is astounding.

Personally, I do use Amazon, a lot, and Google, and I’m writing this post using my trusted Apple desktop computer which I consider one of my primary tools for daily productivity. I used PC’s for years before converting but now I can’t imagine anything but Apple.

Sorry, Mr. Gates. I mean no insult. You brought personal computing to the world and I can’t say how much that changed my life so you’re among the heroes too.

I’m not alone, though. In fact, I would venture to guess that the investigators are probably using Apple devices of one kind or another to write their reports and more than likely employing Google search to access data all while munching on snacks they ordered from Amazon. And, of course, keeping in touch through Facebook or one of many varied social apps offered on Apple. [Read more…] about The Line Connecting Anti-Trust And Public Benefit

9 Proofs The Bible Is Authentic

February 17, 2021 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Is The Bible Authenic
Or Is It Contrived

This post is not an effort to interpret the Bible. It is focused on the issue of Bible authenticity. Is the Bible really a credible source we can take, read, believe, and live? That’s the question for this post.

Before we answer, there are three things we need to understand:

One, this question has been researched, studied, and discussed in every generation over the last two thousands years.

This is not a new question. The Bible has been rigorously investigated by hundreds of scholars ever since it was completed. The topic has been well exercised.

Two, there are many critics who question the Bible and work very hard to disprove it.

In fact, there are just as many people who argue against the credibility of the Bible and attempt to disprove it as there are people who work to substantiate its claims.

This, however, is an argument for the validity of the Bible. As yet, there is no conclusive proof the Bible is anything but authentic.

If the Bible did not make a significant contribution to society
If there wasn’t a correlation between Bible teaching and the understanding of morality in society
And if there wasn’t a lot of evidence substantiating its message already

No one would care.

No one cares if the Koran isn’t a genuine document. No one is attacking the Book of Mormon. Both of these books are significant. Neither carries the same weight as the Bible.

All the effort to attack the Bible is actually evidence for it.

Three, all we can do in one brief post is scratch the surface. The following outline is just a brief framework around which further study should be encouraged. [Read more…] about 9 Proofs The Bible Is Authentic

Belichick Notches Super Bowl LV

February 12, 2021 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Brady Is The Most Successfull
But Why

I’m fully aware that Belichick wasn’t on either sideline during Super Bowl LV and his team wasn’t on the field but I would argue that his fingerprint was all over the game.

Nothing against Tom Brady. His meticulous obsession with daily routines is proof that he is committed to his craft and the game. It has served him well and many think it’s the reason behind his consistent outperformance on the field.

But can we really attribute seven Super Bowl wins to practice discipline alone?

I’m no expert at analyzing QB’s but according to those who are, Brady is probably about average, maybe less in terms of raw ability. It is true that he runs the 40 faster now than he did at the 2000 combine (another testament to his discipline) but his combine dash was the slowest of all active quarterbacks and his improved speed still lags far behind the fastest QB’s in the league. The Madden School’s 20 factor rating of quarterbacks mentions him in only six out of twenty-nine categories. That’s not shabby but it highlights his less than elite raw ability. It leaves us wondering what it is that makes him successful.

He doesn’t rank highest in speed, mobility, arm strength, or accuracy. Defenses don’t worry about long ball threats with Brady. By any measure, he isn’t the best so, again, the question is what makes Brady a success? In answer to that question, I offer the following.

Work Ethic

As I’ve already pointed out and others have attested to Brady’s hard-working, highly disciplined approach to the game but how far can you take that? Is winning based solely or primarily on hard work? I wouldn’t say so. Other QB’s put in just as much time and work as Brady. Most never win the big one. Why would hard work make him successful and others not?

Maybe, just maybe, we talk about Brady’s work ethic because there really isn’t that much to talk about otherwise and we have to come up with an answer.

I don’t think work ethic alone is sufficient to win 7 Super Bowls. [Read more…] about Belichick Notches Super Bowl LV

5 Differences Between Democracy And Christianity

January 15, 2021 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

Democracy’s Concept Is Accepted By All
The Definition Is Not

Democracy is one of those words that every American owns. We love it, embrace it, and repeat it ad nasueam but I question whether it is truly understood.

The definition is simple:

Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

On the surface, we get that. The people (you, me, and everyone else) are ultimately in charge but there is a downside. When we say the people are in charge, we are talking about all the people. Not the wealthiest, the smartest, the most attractive, the morally normative, or any other high profile group.

The people refers to all the people and as the culture becomes more diverse so too do the democratically legislated laws. The body of elected officials who legislate laws take into consideration the entire constituency when writing those laws.

Everyone has a say. Every group is represented equally and that is the Christian approach to governance. Democracy is a very comfortable form of government when everyone in the country agrees with you. As differences begin to accumulate and the laws expand accordingly, discomfort rises among the more religiously rigid.

Admittedly, my thoughts about democracy have moderated over the years. I’ve always considered it a Christian concept and it is, but how far can you extrapolate that idea?

Are Christianity and Democracy equal? Is one exactly the same as the other? Is Democracy the word we apply to government so we can make it seem like a religion? I would say no, no, and probably.

There are underlying Christian principles in a democratic form of government but democracy is neither sectarian nor religious. It can’t be because then it ceases to be a government of the people, for the people, by the people. Democracy is Christian but not in the way many Christians think. Democracy gives expression to those aspects of Christian doctrine that most Christians love to ignore.

Jesus taught us to love our neighbors. Not some of our neighbors. Not the neighbors we think are the right class or look like we do or agree with our personal beliefs. We are to love our neighbors period. Even if we consider them enemies, we are to find a way to love them.

Jesus said that too, but it’s not easy to do mostly because it runs contrary to our natural responses. How can we love our neighbors if we don’t allow for their differences, distasteful though they may be?

With a community as large and broad as the USA, you’re bound to find people you disagree with, lifestyles you could never accept personally, and personal choices you aren’t comfortable with. But that is the nature of community.

It’s logical. The larger the community, the more pronounced and widespread the differences. [Read more…] about 5 Differences Between Democracy And Christianity

The What, Why, and How Of Born-Again

December 29, 2020 by EnnisP Leave a Comment

You won’t find a passage in the Bible more beloved or quoted than John 3 but why it is so prominent in Christian thinking?

What: The Significance

John 3 starts out as a private conversation and blossoms into the most significant passage in the Bible. It is the focal point of everything in the Old Testament and the summary of everything in the New Testament.

If the Old Testament forms a theological mountain of sorts, the discussion between Jesus and Nicodemus represents the peak. The words in this passage would definitely be high on the list when choosing a motto for Christianity’s family crest: Ye Must Be Born-Again.

Nic and Jesus conversed only one time but the topic of discussion (the new birth) represents the starting point for every Christian. Christians may disagree on many things but the new birth isn’t one of them. It binds us all together. It’s the starting point and the foundation for every conversation.

That makes it one of the most significant and favorite conversations in the Bible. It is mentioned so often that even people who don’t attend church are familiar with the exchange.

What: The Predicament

The story isn’t complicated. Nicodemus approached Jesus at night, under the cover of darkness. He used the cover of night probably to avoid any backlash for meeting with Jesus, whose recent ministry activities had created quite a division among the Jews.

Nic probably had questions but instead of asking a question, he made a confession.

Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God for no one could do the things you do if God is not with him. (John 3:2)

He called Jesus Rabbi. Some translations use the word Master. Either word makes this a significant conversation. We mustn’t read over that too quickly. Rabbis were the most respected teachers in the community and Nicodemus was a Rabbi. A Rabbi calling Jesus a Rabbi was the equivalent of calling Jesus the Rabbi’s Rabbi, the master’s master.

The interesting point is Nic was moved by Jesus’ actions, not His words.

No man could do what you do except God be with him.

More importantly, though, this observation enabled Nic to recognize Jesus for who He was.

We know you are a teacher come from God.

Teacher, by the way, is another expression of great respect and all of this together reflects Nic’s logic. He saw the miracles Jesus performed (John 2:23). He probably witnessed Jesus cleansing the Temple but instead of taking offense like his fellow teachers, he was compelled to investigate further. Confused maybe. Uncertain, yes, but not indifferent.

While his Rabbi peers were skalking around finding fault, Nic came to the only sensible, logical deduction a person could reach: Jesus wasn’t just another trouble maker. He was from God.

But he couldn’t see further than that truth. His vision was good but only for so far. Jesus was still an enigma hence the reason for the meeting. Nic still had questions. [Read more…] about The What, Why, and How Of Born-Again

Competition And Fair Pricing Are Alive And Well With Big Tech