Andy Borgmann's Blog

I am down at Hilton Head this week with CJ, Andrea and Jadyn. We are having a blast. But Jadyn is 2 and goes to bed at like 9 pm. Andrea is 7-months pregnant, and she goes to bed at like 10pm. And CJ and I don't really like each other, and refuse to talk once the girls go to bed. So what's a boy to do on vacation? That's right, work...

I have good news if you are an iPhone user and an Allen Hunt Show fan. Tonight I have created a specific iPhone page for the allenhuntshow.com.

Currently it includes four sections: past shows, Allen's blog, daily real life and faith moment, and caller of the week. You can also use it to e-mail Allen.

To access, all you have to do is go to allenhuntshow.com on your iPhone and it should take care of the rest.

P.S. For those of you who aren't nerdy out there like me, and are more interested in my actual vacation time. You can view photos of the trip here. I'll be sure to post something about the vacation time later this week.

Ok, so I am thinking to myself. You know, I have this whole website dedicated to me, but frankly, that just isn't enough. Take this blog for instance. On any given page, there are, at most, 2 pictures of me. If this blog needs anything, it needs more photos of me, no?

But then you say, you can't just put more pictures of yourself because that would just be conceited and arrogant...right? So what's a boy to do? Enter Twitter...

Twitter is like "Status" on Facebook, but you can embed it on your site and update it by text messaging. My friend CJ has been using it and after bugging me enough, I finally gave in like a girl on prom night.

Take a look to your left ------------------------------------------------------------------------->
and there you go. Now, even between my blogging days, you can catch up on what I am doing.

The irony of course is, if my premise was to validate a reason to put more pictures of me on the site and not be self-centered, I think I have done the opposite because it takes a pretty self-centered premise to assume others actually care about what I am doing during the day.

C'est la nouvelle vie...non? Isn't that what the internet is all about: me...and of course, you!

If you aren't a psychologist you can go ahead and stop reading this post. Alright, all psychologists now? Here's the question I pose on this proverbial, digital couch: why is it that I truly like Erik, but I can't stand JaSoN...

Ohh, you'd like a little bit of context.

Sure.

See, Erik is the creator of AllenHuntShowSucks.com. We sometimes exchange as much as 15-20 e-mails a week. He tells me when he goes on vacation. I tell him when I am sick. I generally care for him as a human being. He's an atheist. He pretty much hates everything I stand for. Our relationship reminds me of Professor X and Magneto in the movie X-Men. We are bitter sworn enemies, but we have a fondness and respect for one another that seems to transcend the enemy thing.

JaSoN on the other hand is an annoying blog commenter at TruthTalk Live (a Christian radio show, on Christian stations that Allen and I sometimes fill in on). JaSoN and I's relationship is strictly bound to the blog. He tells me I don't believe in Sola Scriptura. I tell him Sola Scripture isn't even in scripture, so we must rely on theological concepts like the Wesleyan Quadrilateral to pick up where scripture leaves us. I really could careless about him. He's a Christian. We probably basically agree on about 95% of the main issues related to our faith. But for the 5% we disagree on, I want to punch him in the face. Our relationship reminds me of Peter La Fleur and White Goodman in the movie Dodgeball. We are bitter, sworn "brothers", and thanks to atonement for sin, we will have to spend eternity with one another.

So Dr. Internet, do you have enough to figure out why I truly like my "enemy" but dislike my "brother"?

I know. I don't have an answer either. I have been puzzling about this for months now.

I guess if I had to pinpoint it, my real distaste for some other Christians probably stems from what I would call the "bastaderization" of the Gospel. We have reduced the Bible to be "the owner's manual of life" and it has all the answers. We come up with inconsistent theology, and we proof text certain scriptures to make our point more convincing.

But the way I see it, there are some questions the Bible doesn't answer (i.e. How do you make a plane fly? How do you start a heart after a heart attack? Why are some people always depressed?). And that is where we turn to science or medicine or psychology.

And whether preachers would like to admit it or not, there are gray issues in the Bible (i.e. Why does it seem perfectly acceptable for Solomon to sleep around, but I can't? Is is wrong to use English swear words? Is masturbation a sin? Is it ok to pass the homeless guy on the street and not help him out?). And that is where we turn to scripture, reason, experience, tradition, and prayer.

In the end, I guess it is that I seem to forget that I need to approach JaSoN with grace and patience and love, because I think it doesn't matter. Sure we disagree, but his opinion of me won't have any effect on his life or eternity. Where as, psychologically speaking, with Erik I seem to think the way I interact with him could have an eternal difference.

I should probably pray about that inconsistency of behavior.

Thanks Doc. This session has been great.

Last week marked the launch of (to my understanding) the first "anti-Allen Hunt Show Website" (aka AllenHuntShowSucks.com). Some might be worried. Some might be offended (can you imagine creating a "Your-Pastors-Name-Sucks.com"). But not me, I love it!

The guy who put this site together is named Erik, and he lives in Athens (for those of you outside of Georgia, Athens is like Bloomington, IN or well I don't have a good California reference for it). He first contacted us with the email address allenhuntsucks@"a-certain-domain-that-I-won't-mention".com - Since then, I have probably shared about 30 or so e-mails with the guy, and I even gave his name to a reporter who asked me if we have had any critics. He is quoted alongside myself and Allen in an upcoming article to (hopefully) be published in Talkers Magazine. He is to some sorts a nemesis. But he's not a nemesis like that bratty girl in high school was because she stole your boyfriend. No, this nemesis is more like Dr Xavier and Magneto in X-Men (yeah I know I am a nerd). It's a nemesis I at least respect. A nemesis I enjoy conversation with. A nemesis that I think in the end could have big impact on both of our lives. So again, I love this stuff.

Why? A few reasons. First, as always, I like to assume faith doesn't exist (which it does). But even with out a faith perspective this is great because it is great press. Someone once said there is no such thing as bad press. And the more I work in the media, the more I think that is true.

Second, I love the fact that Erik hates our show, yet he listens all the time. I know he listens because he e-mails me all the time to tell me what we are doing wrong. There is something amusing to me about a guy who hates us, yet is either a.) entertained enough to listen, b.) intellectually stimulated enough to listen, c.) both, or d.) bored enough to make it his life goal to dispute us.

Third, and this is where faith comes back in, I think it is sad that Christians usually disengage from those they disagree with (when was the last time you saw Pat Robertson engage in a meaningful conversation with Planned Parenthood, or Jerry Falwell engage in a conversation with Nancy Pelosi). How truly sad. What message does that send. It basically says that as Christians, we claim to believe in "the Truth," but we are so insecure about it we won't engage with anyone who might point out "it is a lie."

My fourth reason is that people like Erik are exactly the type of people we want listening. We are not James Dobson. We do not have a radio show simply so we can pow-wow together as Christians and talk about how great we are and how politically powerful we must be in order to keep marriage intact and baby's popping out. Life change does not come from arguing. It comes from respect. It comes from honor. It comes from discussion. And it comes from the Holy Spirit. None of which are a simple, 10-minute, do you want to accept Jesus as your personal Savior type of interaction. Patience is key. And even if Erik "never comes around," the discussion will be a lot of fun, and there is no way that sucks at all.

I don't usually use this blog for things like this, but I came across the most amazing site today: Virb What is it you ask? Simple. A better MySpace. You can check out "my Virb" here.

Now ask any real web programmer out there what they think of MySpace, they will immediately enter into a rant about how crappy it is. But it is a love/hate relationship. Why? Because it is so freakin' popular. People like using it. So it has to add some value. So what are we to do? What is the the Web 2.0 fashion, but still simple enough to use that the average middle school student will get excited. Enter: Virb.

Virb can do anything MySpace can do, and so much more. In addition to that, it is clean and actually very wisely put together (which MySpace is not). If MySpace is Ford Pinto, Virb is a Lexus GS. Sure a Pinto is great if you have no other option for transportation, but wouldn't you rather drive a Lexus if available?

Virb allows users to be highly creative, and for those of us who consider ourselves artists, that is a huge plus. But the creativity doesn't mean flashing gifs, and a whole bunch of other cheesy crap. Like I said, it has a style of a Lexus.

So if it is so great then what's the problem? Simple! It is brand new and nobody is on there. I couldn't find a single friend I knew on the thing, and from my UserID I think there are less than 20,000 members (which is very small). However, Virb just recently started, so I am sure it will gain strength, because of people like you joining.

So go to Virb. Sign up. Ask me as a friend. Then tell everyone you know to kick the "Ford Pinto of the Web," MySpace, to the curb and switch to Virb.

P.S. Don't even get me started on Facebook. While it has its pluses, and might be describe as a Honda Civic in our above analogy, it still ain't no Lexus.

I work at a church. This isn't a fact I tell a lot of people I meet because once you say you work at a church, people treat you different. Usually I tell everyone I am a radio producer (which is also true). Anyways, attached to my church is a full K-12 school. The other day I overheard that they invited an ex-FBI agent to come talk to everyone about the evils of MySpace.

I have to say, I respectfully disagree. And I am not arguing this on the grounds because "MySpace is cool." I truly believe MySpace is good for children's and parents. And here's why.

All things on MySpace are public to anyone. And just as they are public to the child molesters out there, they are also public to you...the parent. Where else can you not only see who your kids are friends with, but what your kids are saying to their friends, and better yet, what their friends are saying to your kids.

Also, this opens up lines of communication much easier. It is sad to say, but MySpace probably contains more information about your kid than you actually know yourself about your kid. Learn what they like, what they listen to, what they watch, and then keep that in the front of your conversations with them.

MySpace isn't just good for "monitoring" purposes. It is also for kids because it helps them meet new people. People they might be afraid to talk to in person at school, or people who don't live in the same proximity, or staying close to friends who have moved away.

The advent of Instant Messenger took place when I was in 6th grade. And I remember the same arguments people put up for Instant Messenger now being said about MySpace. And while it is true their is danger in both, active parents shouldn't fear either (anymore than anything else in parenting) if they have passed down good, common sense on how to act in society (we teach our kids to look both ways before crossing the street, but somehow, telling them not to talk to strangers on the internet is too much).

The truth of the matter, MySpace has just once again exposed how contemporary American parents always want to take the easy way out. It is far easier to say "no" than to monitor. It is far easier to disengage from your child's life than to actually look into what they are interested in. In the end, I say kudos MySpace for filling a communication need in our society better than anything out there for our kids...and parents!