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Submitted by Wayne on Tue, 2008-05-27 09:59.
Arms | Creationism
As the spring dance recital season is coming to a close--just one more weekend--I'm beginning to fill up my summer schedule for those interested in the courses, "Firearms 101" and "Biblical Cosmology". They will be taught in my home. I prefer to teach the former one-on-one, so I'm willing to schedule it multiple times. (I'll certainly consider very small groups, though.) The latter is better with small groups and will also be highly interactive--the first to respond gets to choose the preferred date. I recommend planning for a three hour block for each course but as it's personalized instruction, it's up to you.
I've delayed many people until June because of my busy schedule of late, but I'm starting to fill my calendar now. Since demand is unusually high, I expect my weekends will fill up quickly. If you're interested in either (or both) of these courses, please let me know (wayne [at] tuscanycircle [dot] net) sooner rather than later, else you're less likely to get the dates of your choice. Requests will be handled in the order in which they are received.
Range time is optional for the "Firearms 101" course, but it would be in addition to the class time. It may take place on the same day as the class (immediately following) or be scheduled separately, depending upon range hours, etc. I recommend Bull's Eye in Lawrenceville; you should call 770.963.6556 for their hours of operation (and range fees) before scheduling with me. Keep in mind, weekends are busier and may include some wait time. We may be able to separately schedule range time on a weeknight, though.
While I ask that you cover the cost of the range, ammunition, and targets, I do not charge for my time--unless you stand me up. Range fees are in the neighborhood of $10 per hour per person. Targets are typically $1-$2 each. Ammunition costs can vary wildly depending upon how many different calibers you want to try out and how many rounds you want to shoot. I would recommend planning for around $50, give or take. You may also consider taking the class first before deciding, scheduling, and budgeting for the range, as the class may help narrow down which firearms of mine you'd like to try; the down side would be that a separate trip would be required. I can loan you hearing and eye protection, so you need not provide these nor rent/buy them.
There should be no cost for the "Biblical Cosmology" course.
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Biblical Cosmology
Submitted by Wayne on Fri, 2008-06-13 09:31.
Biblical cosmology is the study of the origins of the universe given a Biblical worldview. In other words, assuming the Word of God means what it says, just how did the universe come to be? Of particular interest is an explanation for the origin of distant starlight which hints at billions of years in light of the Word's plain statement of six days of creation. (The word "day", by the way, means the normal 24-hour period. To twist it otherwise is to both deny the Word of God and reveal great ignorance of ancient Hebrew.)
There are a small handful of very good hypotheses offering explanations for distant starlight, for example, that are actually more accurate (relative to present observations) than the fabled Big Bang hypothesis. This course will explore a few of these Biblically consistent hypotheses as well as demonstrate many of the fallacies associated with the Big Bang and the pseudo-scientists who support it.
Aside: Cosmological hypotheses of the origins of the universe technically cannot be called theories as there is no way to test them. We can "pretend" with computer and mathematical models, understanding and admitting to the significant limitations of these models. We can compare what the hypotheses should predict against what we now observe. However, we cannot experimentally recreate the origins of the universe in order to test them as theories.
This topic is not likely to be of significant interest to the masses, but it should be. We are to be prepared to give answers for our faith. As distant starlight is a particular barb antichristians use to attack the faith, we should be ready to repel such bogus attacks with the truth. Evil can be easily defeated even on its own battleground and even according to its own rules for the simple reason that it's wrong! Biblical cosmology is a key ingredient in the battle for truth.
As for this course, the hypotheses we'll be covering are actually not terribly complicated in themselves, but only if you have the requisite background. Much of the course will be providing the necessary skills to understand the hypotheses. If you're familiar with the concepts of Special and General Relativity, especially regarding the Lorentz Transformation (though the math skills are not required) and Black Hole physics, these hypotheses will be easy to grasp. If not, don't worry; I can provide you with a basic understanding of these background concepts.
You should emerge from the course well prepared to repel almost all antichristian attacks using distant starlight. If you truly grok the concepts involved, you'll be able to handle them all.
Firearms 101
Submitted by Wayne on Fri, 2008-06-06 10:03.
The firearms course does not assume any knowledge of firearms on the part of the student. You will learn the [Biblical] philosophies and historical politics of firearms (very briefly), the rules of safety, and how they work; you'll have hands-on demonstrations, exploring the differences in operation; you'll learn how to care for them and use them as well as issues of concealed carry for self-defense. (Optional is a trip to the range for actual practice.) You'll depart with a copy of the notes to help you remember all the points we'll cover.
Minors
Minors are welcome to the Firearms 101 course as long as they're mature enough to handle the responsibility and are accompanied by at least one parent or guardian. Younger minors (not yet mature enough for firearms), for safety reasons, should not attend.