Ray's X-Blog

A Godly Piano Player In The Whorehouse “I sat there in the sanctuary, thinking about Jesus as a storyteller. He knew the audience he was trying to reach, he defined his demographics, and tailored his stories accordingly. He took complex theological concepts and turned them into clear, entertaining stories that even a child could understand. And the way he handled special effects! He would do great in Hollywood today.” --Sheryl Anderson, “What Would Jesus Write?” There’s a plan afoot in Hollywood to influence minds. No, the secular humanists aren’t behind it. This time devote Christians hope to use the media of movies and television to promote their viewpoints –- by working inside the great beast. Details can be found in a series of essays collected in the book, Behind The Screen: Hollywood Insiders On Faith, Film, and Culture , edited by Spencer Lewerenz and Barbara Nicolosi. In the introduction the editors explain how Act One, a nonprofit program, was created to train “artist-apostle

Dan Brown: Burgeoning Hack The scientist had the look of eagles in his eyes. No, Dan Brown didn’t write that last sentence –- even though I wouldn’t be surprised if he had. I’m amazed how many people think Dan Brown is such a good writer. Sorry, I ain’t buying. Yup, Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code are both best sellers. But because something is popular doesn’t mean it can hold up to some scrutiny. I enjoy a good story; there’s nothing wrong with great entertainment. But because something is “entertainment” doesn’t mean that its crappy flaws have to be excused. Intro To Creative Writing -- Rule #1: Never stoop to having your character conveniently look into a mirror and describe himself in detail to the reader. Brown does this both of his books, right in the opening scenes, to introduce his hero. In The Da Vinci Code he also has one of the villains study his reflection in an airplane window for the benefit of the reader. A good writer can bring a character to life without t

Lowly Conspiracy Monger Pushes Dotty Claim Apparently Richard C. Hoagland has never encountered a dot he couldn’t connect. During the Apollo space program he served as a science advisor to newsman Walter Cronkite and CBS-TV news. Since that time Hoagland through his website and book has constructed one of the greatest conspiracy theories of modern times. (Of course, it involves the Freemasons; that organization’s involvement is de rigueur with any far-flung, far-out conspiracy claims.) One key point in his theory is the face on Mars. Back in 1976 a NASA space probe photographed a section of Mars where it seemed a giant face was staring up into the sky. Was this a monument, evidence left behind by alien beings? More photos taken in 2002 by another satellite proved that the “structure” was an illusion created by natural features and the play of light and shadow. But Hoagland couldn’t accept that answer. In the 1976 photo the face looked manlike and Hoagland claimed that it indeed had hum