The Questions
1. Under what circumstances should a Christian be willing to be martyred? Is it not a specific circumstance, but instead a specific calling or feeling?
2. To what extent should faith influence politics? Politics faith? Can there be a great difference between the two? If yes how, if no why not?
3. Is there a grave departure in theology between Jesus and Paul? If so how should the church keep to the teachings of Jesus? For that matter should the church do so?
4. What/where is the Kingdom of God, which Jesus talks about? Is it here and now? Is it in the future? Is it his own actions? Is it him?
5. Is there a non-resurrection heaven?
6. Can God break his promises?
7. If God is the root of both good and evil should one try to protect themselves from evil?



Here is an update from my parents. Mom had a bit of a crash it sounds like.
Well, we now have phone service, so are once again in touch with the outside world! Phone # is XXXXX.
Work is going fine, nice co-workers and patients, nearly new facilities, etc. I have a 20 minute commute to work, & see deer & a variety of birds, including eagles & a pair of swans on a little thawing lake. Quite a difference from a city commute!
Our apartment/cabin is on a lake. The ice should be going out soon, but for now we can walk on the water!

Sunday night it rained/froze/snowed. I left extra early on Monday to allow for slippery driving conditions--should have left late, to allow for thawing! I came to a corner, turned the wheel, & quickly realized that this had no impact on the direction the Honda chose to go. I suppose my whole crash took a matter of seconds, but it seemed to stretch out forever. Anyway, lots went through my mind as I headed for the ditch on the left hand side of the road. Here's a summary:
1. I hope there's nobody coming around the curve--shouldn't be, as I rarely meet a car on my commute. Whew, nobody coming!
2. That's a big ditch, high berms around the snowmobile trail--hope I don't roll over. Whew, I'm still upright!
3. Whoa--that's a telephone pole looming in my windshield--oh, no!
4. Am I really stopped? How'd I end up facing the road again? My coffee hardly even spilled!
Anyway, I got out of the car & saw that I was truly fortunate--I came within 2 or 3 feet of hitting the telephone pole, but did hit the guy wire supporting it. I guess that is what spun me around facing forward again. The airbag didn't go off--I guess it was a slow enough crash--and I am not even bruised. However, the poor Element/elephant is in sad shape. The hood is crunched big time, the bumper & grill are ruined, the radiator is leaking, & who knows what else. The towtruck is coming tomorrow AM to take it to the Honda garage in Fargo. Insurance covers a rental car, so I guess it'll all work out, but what a bummer! I haven't yet decided whether I'm really lucky to be unharmed, or really unlucky to have crashed to begin with!

I get to go to Violence in the Workplace training at the Shooting Star Casino in Mahnomen tomorrow AM--should be a good break from work.
Life here is quite unique--remote, to say the least! Feels like a totally different world in many ways.
We visited family in Int'l Falls this past weekend--not sure what we'll do this weekend coming up--I guess it depends on the rental car situation.
I'll download & e-mail a picture of the wounded car and of the frozen lake soon.
Val