A Word from Our Sponsor

Dear Readers of Google Blogspot,

On behalf of Google Blogspot, Inc., we apologize for the tripe to which you have been exposed on this site. When this so-called "Mark Davis" fellow applied for a license to blog, we thought he was the retired Major League baseball pitcher by that name, blogging about what life is like for a former star who has been 'left behind' by the big leagues but is now loving retirement. Instead, we get this collection of inane biblical and theological observations, photos of a cafe mocha that looks strangely like a lion, and a collection of pun-laden silly titles- quite unlike the usual fine and quality-filled programming that one finds when perusing Google blogs.

It is not our practice to intervene on our blog sites (although we reserve that right in the initial agreement, section C.4.o-n), but we cannot resist any longer. While we champion the First Amendment, and therefore will allow this site to continue, we feel a moral obligation to let you, our dear readers, know that the following resources are richer, more adequate, more accurate, more serious, and above all more readable resources for understanding the kinds of observations that Mr. Davis is butchering on this site. We recommend that you consult these books prior to, alongside of, or especially instead of reading anything Mr. Davis says.

For information about the rise of Apocalypticism in 2 BCE and its influence on the early Christian church, see George W.E. Nickelsburg's "The Jewish Context of the New Testament" in The New Interpreter's Bible, vol. VIII, pages 27-42. (If you do not have a copy of this commentary, tell your pastor that she should have one, then borrow it.)

For a fascinating look at the political and cultural context of chapters 11-16 of the Gospel of Mark, read Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan, The Last Week: A Day by Day Account of Jesus's Final Week in Jerusalem.

For an insightful look at what Mr. Davis calls "Left Behind Theology," see Barbara Rossing, The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation.

And, as the insightful respondent Russ Lemken has pointed out on occasion, a reliable resource for the book of Revelation in general is Bruce Metzger, Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation.

If you choose to continue reading Mr. Davis' blog, we, of course, welcome your readership. However, we do utterly disdain and disclaim anything you read on this site. We only allow it to continue because of our fervent commitment to the First Amendment, which allows anyone the freedom to say things that are sad attempts at humor, stupid, or simply worthless. Or satire; that, too, seems to be protected by the First Amendment, although we consider satire a low and base form of so-called entertainment.

You have been warned, and thank you for your readership.

Google Blogspot, Inc.