If it wasn’t already horribly evident, here’s another really frustrating clip to watch:

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Hannity_dismisses_Fox_debate_poll_after_1022.html

Why, when you’ve invited people to a contest, would you question the winner like he’s the loser? Answer: you wanted someone else to win. Here’s my translation of what he’s really saying:

Question 1: Why do you think you’re winning? (Okay, so they lead out with a half-decent question. Score one for them. One.)

Question 2: So you rocked tonights poll, but I’ve got you now: people booed you here, what about that? Didn’t win it all, didja!? We have Republicans right here in this room, and some of em didn’t like what you said!

Question 3: Ignore for a moment the fact that you just won. How can you win? Aren’t you worried that you won’t win?

Question 4: Remember the big names - they always win when we do polls… without you. What about that, huh? (My favorite part is when the interviewer says “Is that the only reason?”. You can’t make this stuff up.)

Question 5: Since you won our contest, don’t you think you might like to switch to another contest, maybe? I mean, yeah, you won this one here with our people, but maybe you should try another party.

Enter Sean Hannity:

Hannity Question 1: Okay, even though you won as a Republican here, and you are running as a Republican, wouldn’t you say that you’re not actually a Republican?

Hannity Question 2: Okay, subject change. What do you think about losing the war? Great for America, no? (No idea why he asks this, nor why *anyone* would ask this. You gotta be kidding me.)

Hannity Question 3: Okay so even though you won, let’s pretend you don’t win. Would you blindly follow one of the losers in tonights match?

“Rudy? Mitt? Fred?” What about them?!??!

Journalism at it’s best. Those are some hard hitting questions from the Fox team.

Oh, and dismissing a poll because of avid support of a certain candidate seems a little backwards to me.

In my study of Hebrews over the last week or so, I reminded of how great Paul really was. He has a lot of insight for us today, and Hebrews is another great example.

I’ve always been a big fan of Paul’s works, mostly because I’m an anti-law guy (in the sense that Paul usually speaks). This is another one of those times. There are a few places in Hebrews where he addresses the effectiveness of the Law of Moses:

For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.
Heb 7:19

This really highlights how just doing something may not really be helping unless you’re more aware. And again:

[The law,] Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;
Heb 9:9

You’ll have to read all of Hebrews for the context (which includes some really great discussion on the symbolism of the tabernacle), but this is what I picked up from the text that I hadn’t realized before:

The Law of Moses did not perfect those who practiced it, but it was a necessary step in getting closer to God. As a father, I’ve realized that some of the things my own parents expected of me were preparatory law-like practices. They asked me to do certain things, not because the act (in and of itself) was really beneficial, but because the doing it was a type of something that would be required of me later on. Children aren’t usually ready for the meat of life, so we construct an artificial framework of rules that gets them ready for life later on.

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Galatians 3:23-25

The other thing I wondered is how we best leave the schoolmaster behind. If I’m just going through the motions, it isn’t perfecting me. If I’m just showing up and making things happen, there’s a chance I’m not being changed into something better. If I’m requiring my children to act because of the lower law, it’s possible they’re not becoming better people. How do we leave this lower, preparatory state and live a higher, more effective law?

Read Hebrews, and I think you’ll find out. :)