Rebutting atheist critics, curing AIDS is Kingdom work

If you were to believe many of the devout atheists, Christians have made and continue to make no contributions to the advancement of medicine. In the atheist's version of the Christian faith, followers of Jesus must reject both sin and science.

Thankfully, the caricature of the science-hating Christian put forth by Richard Dawkins and others evangelistic atheists is as real as the Flying Spaghetti Monster some have used in an attempt to lampoon God.

If you needed further proof, Hannah Gay gives you all that you need.

Dr. Gay is a missionary turned doctor, an unassuming Bible drill teacher who just became a medical rockstar, as her treatment plan appears to have functionally cured a child of AIDS.

While her work is grounded in hard science and empirical data, it also flows from her faith in Christ and compassion on those hurting.

Many atheists may have been shocked to find out a Christian was the one to discover the medical breakthrough, but fighting against diseases is entirely Christlike. After all, Jesus spent much of the limited time He had here on Earth curing people of sicknesses.

Jesus' healing work was not random or happenstance. It was intentional, introducing the arrival of the Kingdom, letting everyone know that the restoration process had begun.

Christians are to pray for and work toward the realization of God's Kingdom on this planet. Jesus taught us to pray that God's will would be done here on Earth as it is in Heaven.

Sickness is not part of God's creation and will not be included in Heaven. It only came about after the fall. Sin brought sickness into this world. The Savior sought to remove it, to reverse the curse that we invited here.

Gay's work is God's work. Fighting against AIDS and other life-threatening diseases reflect the will of our Father. 

Those Christians, how many there may have been, in previous generations who believed that working to cure certain diseases like AIDS was attempting to undermine God's judgment didn't understand God, His Kingdom and the work He has placed us here to accomplish.

One cannot welcome both God's Kingdom and sin's curse. Those two can never permanently coexist. Where God's Kingdom is present, the curse of sin is being vanquished, including ailments in our bodies.

Obviously, there is more to the work than simply seeking a cure for physical illnesses. We are, most importantly, called to proclaim Christ as the only remedy to our spiritual death, but that does not preclude us from contributing to the end of other aspects of the curse, like specific diseases.

As a missionary in Africa with her husband during the height of the AIDS epidemic there, Gay saw the need for both – physical and spiritual healing.

Followers of Christ should recognize death as an enemy and anything that brings it about as an accomplice worthy of our raging against it.

True and proper Christian theology encourages any and all medical and scientific advancements that encourage a healthy life, provided those advancements are obtained through ethical means. Destroying one life to help another life is not the manner in which God would have us look to the realization of His Kingdom.

Fighting and curing AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's and every other disease is not contrary to the Christian faith. On the contrary, it should be a goal of it.

In working to end AIDS in children, Dr. Hannah Gay is striving toward the advancement of God's Kingdom, just as she was on the missionary field. May every Christian similarly work in the power of the Holy Spirit to reverse sin's curse and redeem God's creation in the test tube and beyond, wherever He may lead.

Church History 101: Irenaeus

Read the Introduction to this series – 50 people you need to know: Church History 101

[Guest post by Josh Strickland]

Irenaeus (130-200; pronounced eer-uh-NAY-us) was the bishop of Lyons (in modern day France) during the last quarter of the 2nd century. Irenaeus was a follower of Polycarp, who was already covered in this series.

Bishop, author, and missionary, Irenaeus led the push to solidify unity within the church: recognizing which books were divinely inspired as Scripture, defending the faith against the heresy of Gnosticism, and setting up doctrinal foundations to hold the faithful for centuries to come.

Irenaeus is someone you definitely need to know.

Who was Irenaeus?

Very little is known about the life of Irenaeus; much more is known about him through his writings. Accounts relate that Irenaeus grew up in a Christ-following family in or near Smyrna, where Polycarp was bishop.

The opportunity to hear Polycarp was commonplace for Irenaeus, who joyfully recounts listening to Polycarp's teaching and preaching. Over some time, Irenaeus became one of the elders of the church in Lugdunum, or Lyons.

The church suffered through heavy persecution under the reign of Marcus Aurelius, yet the church still sent Irenaeus to Rome with a letter concerning Montanism. This trip changed his life, as the rest of the elders in Lyons were killed from the persecution while Irenaeus was still in Rome. After returning to Lyons, Irenaeus was made bishop of Lyons, where he served for most (if not all) of the rest of his life.

Irenaeus wrote two major books: Against Heresies, a five book volume which was a mixture of an defense against Gnosticism (particularly against the Valentinian sect) with a systematic and doctrinal theology, and Proof of the Apostolic Preaching, a much shorter work that was mostly a summary of the theology portions from Against Heresies.

He wrote several other works, but most of what we know about these works is solely from other early Church Fathers references to them. Jerome and others claim that Irenaeus was martyred under the persecution of Septimus Severus (ca. 202), but no evidence has been found to verify the claim. We don't know how, but he died and was buried under the church building in Lyons.

Why do you need to know Irenaeus?

If Polycarp is Obi-Wan Kenobi, then Irenaeus is Luke Skywalker. The ever faithful defender of the church, there was no one else so pointedly staunch and able to defend Christianity from the growing heretical sects in the region. And where Polycarp began the idea of codifying the New Testament books together, Irenaeus finished the claim.

The central aspect of Irenaeus' legacy is assuredly his most important impact in the church: the regula fidei. Translated as "rule of faith," the regula fidei is the Christ-centered summary of the grand narrative of Scripture. While these ideas or phrases may be familiar to modern Christians, they originated with Irenaeus.

This rule of faith wasn't secret by any means; the rule of faith was the summation doctrines that every Christian believed and publicly proclaimed. These publicly-claimed oral traditions formed the basis for right teaching, defense of the faith, proclamation of new belief and apostolic succession.

When Marcion decided to cut the entire Old Testament and most of the current apostolic writings from his "scripture," the alarm sounded that it was not only necessary to determine which books and letters were to be included in the canon of Christian Scripture, but also why they were to be included.

It is here where the regula fidei stands its ground. Irenaeus was adamant that the four Gospels we currently have – and only those four, compared to other "Gospels" – were divinely inspired.

"The Gospels could not possibly be either more or less in number than they are. Since there are four zones of the world in which we live, and four principal winds, while the Church is spread over all the earth, and the pillar and foundation of the Church is the gospel, and the Spirit of life, it fittingly has four pillars, everywhere breathing out incorruption and revivifying men. From this it is clear that the Word, the artificer of all things, being manifested to men gave us the gospel, fourfold in form but held together by one Spirit." Against Heresies 3.11.8 

The regula fidei served as the baseline for weeding through the entirety of books and letters to draw out and hold together the inspired books we have today, even if the canon of New Testament books wasn't finalized during Irenaeus' time.

As Valentinus grew his sect of Gnosticism, he claimed that only the Gnostics had acquired a secret oral tradition from the apostles that proved Gnosticism to be correct. However, this was in direct conflict with the regula fidei, and Irenaeus proved through public knowledge that the appointments of all of the current bishops could be traced back to the apostles or those associated with the apostles, that no one in those succession lines had taught anything differently than what was agreed upon in the regula fidei, and that any secret oral tradition smacked against the whole purpose and mission of Christ Jesus.

Irenaeus added that even more important than the actual line of succession of bishops and elders from the apostles was the succession of the rule of faith from the apostles – their teaching and preaching.

"But the followers of Valentinus, putting away all fear, bring forward their own compositions and boast that they have more Gospels than really exist. Indeed their audacity has gone so far that they entitle their recent composition the Gospel of Truth, though it agrees in nothing with the Gospels of the apostles, and so no Gospel of theirs is free from blasphemy. For if what they produce is the Gospel of Truth, and is different from those which the apostles handed down to us, those who care to can learn how it can be show from the Scriptures themselves that [then] what is handed down from the apostles is not the Gospel of Truth." Against Heresies 3.11.9 

The rule of faith also found itself the basis for oral and written creeds. The Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed have been profoundly popular and useful over the centuries, and both of these are heavily grounded in what was agreed to be the rule of faith considered by Irenaeus.

Odd Trivia Fact: The Protestant Huguenots in Southern France, completely destroyed both Irenaeus' tomb and remains in 1562. Oops.

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Today's post was written by Josh Strickland. If you would like to write a guest post for the Church History 101 series, check out the list of 50 people and let me know via email, Twitter or Facebook.

An unexpected lesson from History Channel's The Bible

Millions of people, Christians and not, tuned in to see the premiere of the History Channel's new miniseries The Bible. It will continue each Sunday until the final episodes air the night of Easter.

From all accounts, Mark Burnett, along with his wife Roma Downey, from Touched By An Angel, have produced a high quality and faithful abbreviated adaptation of Scripture.

For Burnett, the man behind Survivor, The Voice and other popular reality TV fare, and his wife, this was a labor of love and an outgrowth of their Christian faith.

It garnered headlines around the globe and become the number one trending topic on Twitter, which means that not only were people watching it, they were talking about it and engaging with it. That is without a doubt a great thing.

Regular Americans, even Christians, have a hard time with basic Bible knowledge, much less seeing the entire book as a cohesive story that weaves smaller units into a much larger whole. Hopefully, this miniseries can help correct some of that.

My hope, however, is that it not only inspires Christians to read and know the stories of the Bible, but that it drives us to create new stories. It's time we became storytellers again.



Christianity continues to explode across Africa, South America and Asia, in so-called "hard places." Often, this comes with creative means of sharing the Gospel. One of the most effective ways is essentially what The Bible is doing – telling the grand story of Scripture in the form of smaller, interconnected stories.

Storying enables missionaries to exponentially spread their faith as stories stick with listeners, who can then share the same story with someone else. These stories display truths from the individual accounts, but they also point to the Truth personified in Jesus.

Unfortunately, many in the Western church have moved away from using stories at all, content with merely teaching practical truths. While there is always a place for that, we hinder our reach when we only teach and speak of truth propositionally.

Think of the Bible. Christians regard it as God's Word. He has revealed Himself to us through this book, which is over 70 percent narrative. The majority of the way God has chosen to show Himself is through stories.

We remember the story of Abraham almost sacrificing his son Isaac. That
story connects with us on an emotional level, making it easy to remember.

When Jesus came as God in flesh, how did He choose to speak to people? Often times, He spoke in stories – parables and illustrations.

God recognizes that stories connect with us on a deep, emotional level that goes beyond merely agreeing with an argument that may be presented. Psychologically, we are much more likely to accept truth when it is presented in story form.

C.S. Lewis, as someone who knew a good bit about both stories and rational arguments, spoke of the use of stories to convey truth in terms of "stealing past the watchful dragons." People have their guards up when they feel as if you are trying to convince them, but they are much more relaxed and open when they hear a good story.

Recognizing all of this, why are Christians still so reluctant to take their talents to Hollywood or a broader cultural context? In discussing the effective apologetic work, Lewis encourages Christians to not write "more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects — with their Christianity latent."

Can I expand that to say we don't really need more Christian fiction, but more fiction by Christians with their Christianity serving as the foundation for the story. Can we not write stories that convey spiritual truth without casting it as a blatant Christian story?

The characters in Jesus' parables were most often ordinary people in situations the audience would recognize. For too long, Christians have only sought to make stories with fake characters in unrecognizable circumstances. Our stories, unlike those of Jesus and the Bible itself, often fail to resonate with audiences.

The Bible miniseries is a great way to show millions of people stories from Scripture in an engaging way. That is not the only way, however. Here is where we follow our Creator in being creative and communicating our faith in a compelling manner through riveting stories.

Even if you can't create grand imaginary stories like Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia or J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, you do have a story that you can tell better than anyone else. If nothing else, tell that story well.

While the History Channel's series will hopefully encourage many to know their Bible better, I hope it will inspire Christians to tell stories that will cause people to know our Savior better.

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What stories can you tell that speak of Truth? In what ways can The Bible inspire us to be original and creative in the way we present God's Word to those around us?

2013 Bible Oscar Awards

Now that the Oscars are finished, we can all stop pretending we know about these random movies that no one has even heard of with unknown characters and unbelievable plot lines – like Lincoln.

Seriously, what an odd name for a fictional president and who would actually believe that an actor could kill the president? Next, you are going to tell me that an actor could someday be the president. Just crazy stuff.

But what if the Academy of Biblical Scholars gave out their own "Academy Awards" for Bible characters like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science hand out the Oscars?

First, there would actually have to be an Academy of Biblical Scholars, but that's only a minor setback because I've got a Bible and I just graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. That should be all I need to declare myself the President of the new Academy of Biblical Scholars, right?

So, as President of the prestigious Academy of Biblical Scholars, I'd like to welcome you to the most highly anticipated awards blog since ... the last most highly anticipated awards blog – the 2013 Bible Oscar Award Show.

Here are your winners.

Sometimes, the Bible Oscar red carpet can get a bit chaotic ... and idolatrous.

Best Actor: David 

Slobbering, insane King David in Dude, Where's My Kingdom (1 Samuel 21:10-15)

"I wasn't sure I would ever receive this award as I was mostly known for my work as an action hero in Facing The Giant and a comedian with my friend Jonathan in the buddy film So, Your Dad Is Trying to Kill Me.

The only way for me to break out of that type cast was to go completely off the wall, so I knew this role was the opportunity of a lifetime. It was also the only way to extend my lifetime, so there's also that. But anyway, thanks Academy for finally recognizing my work! And Jack Palance, your one-armed push-ups don't impress me."

Best Actress: Tamar

Widow turned prostitute turned royal ancestor in Pretty Widow (Genesis 38)

"After not being recognized for There's Something About Miriam, My Best Friend's Bar Mitzvah, When Habakkuk Met Salome, Big Fat Hebrew Wedding and Sleepless in Shiloh, I never thought I could garner any attention for awards in romantic comedies. But here I am on stage with this statue in my hands. I can't believe it. You like me! You really like me! I mean after the way my father-in-law and previous two husbands treated me, I was worried a bit that that no one actually did like me."

Best Director: Moses

Leading man leading the people of out Israel, director of Planes, Trains and Auto-fitting Sandals (Exodus, um ... the whole book)

Hey James Cameron! Who's the king of the world now?

*Slams staff down, splitting the entire auditorium in half* "Take that Roberto Benigni! I didn't walk over the seats. I walked through them. Seriously, I would like to thank all the members of the Academy for this great honor. I feel like this somewhat makes up for Cecil B. Demille and the Ten Commandments being robbed in the 1957 Oscars.

Having led an extremely ungrateful assortment of people to the promised land should provide me with great preparation should I ever hope to host the film version of the Oscars, since the entire audience is full of people complaining about what they didn't get and way too eager to bow down before a gold statue."

Awards received earlier

These aren't shown live because let's be honest: these aren't like real Oscars. These are just pretend Oscars that no one ever gets to see or care about.

Best Song: David for The Harpist – He had so many songs, he was the only one nominated.

Best Editing: Paul's amanuensis for Fear and Loathing in Jerusalem – Seriously, we all know pastors are long winded, but he was able to keep Paul's letter concise.

Best Supporting Actress: Jarius' daughter for Back To The Living II – The Oscar always has to go to the really young girl or the really old lady for this award.

Best Supporting Actor: Methuselah for Extremely Old School – See above.

Best Screenplay: Jesus for Good Will Healing – Nobody saw the twists coming in The Good Samaritan or The Prodigal Son.

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Who was snubbed? Who didn't deserve their award? What award should have been given? Who looked the worst on the red goatskin carpet? 

Here's your chance to sound-off on the 2013 Bible Oscar Awards Show after-party, wrap-up extravaganza, also known as the comment section.

Church History 101: Justin Martyr

Read the introduction to this series – 50 people you need to know: Church History 101

Justin (100-165) was born to pagan parents, but never felt satisfied with any of the irreligious philosophies he learned. It was not until he heard a humble, older Christian man teach about Christ, that Justin knew he had found truth.

In his new found faith, not only did he find truth, but Justin found a truth worth living and dying for –– as he was beheaded for his refusal to denounce Jesus. In his life, Justin sought to demonstrate how the Christian faith was consistent with reason and logic. In his death, he earned the surname Martyr.

Justin Martyr is someone you must know.

Who was Justin Martyr?

Born at the turn of the second century, Justin grew up under two pagan parents and early on began to seek after knowledge. According to Justin himself, he studied under several of the most important philosophical systems of the day, but found them all wanting.

Around the age of 30, however, he went out into a field near the sea to be be alone with his thoughts and had an encounter that would change his life. An older man began to follow him at a distance. Justin turned to speak to him and before he really knew what was happening, the man was presenting the gospel.

Finally, Justin had found the true philosophy for which he had been searching. Of that moment, he wrote:

"A fire was suddenly kindled in my soul. I fell in love with the prophets and these men who had loved Christ; I reflected on all their words and found that this philosophy alone was true and profitable. That is how and why I became a philosopher. And I wish that everyone felt the same way that I do."

Justin spent the rest of his life defending this true and profitable philosophy. He even went to Rome itself to found a school at which he taught Christian philosophy. He wrote several defenses of the Christian faith, even writing apologetic works directed to the Roman emperor and the Roman senate.

After contending for Christianity with a cynic philosopher, he was turned in to the government as a heretic and false teacher. They arrested him and six of his disciples. When asked to reject Christ and make a sacrifice to the Roman gods, Justin boldly replied:

"No one who is rightly minded turns from true belief to false."

He was then led away to be beheaded, thus garnering the surname of Martyr.

Why do you need to know Justin Martyr?

Before there was William Lane Craig, Alvin Plantinga, Norman Geisler, John Lennox and any other of the large number of Christian apologists and philosophers today, there was Justin Martyr.

He recognized that Christianity was the true philosophy. It wasn't simply a religious system for some. It is a life changing philosophy that is, above anything else, true for everyone at all times.

Along many other Christian leaders of his day, Justin countered the false teaching of the Gnostics and Marcions. He also sought to present a clear defense and explanation of Christianity to the government officials of his day.

Living under an oppressive government that often sought, and occasionally took, the lives of Christian leaders, Justin boldly defended the faith to the highest officials in the land. He did not, however, do so with a threat or in an insulting manner. He sought to use reason to convince the leaders of their mistake.

Justin wanted to explain how Christians should make the best citizens of Rome. He did not threaten the emperor or the senate with an armed rebellion. He did not insult them, but rather played to their best interests in defending Christianity.

In confronting the lies of those defaming the Church, he used the best weapon he could – the truth. In his First Apology, he explained the worship practices of local Christians to dispel vicious rumors circulating about what went on during church services. This gives us a glimpse at the worship practices of early Christians.

On the day called Sunday there is a gathering together in the same place of all who live in a given city or rural district. The memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits. Then when the reader ceases, the president in a discourse admonishes and urges the imitation of these good things. Next we all rise together and send up prayers.

When we cease from our prayer, bread is presented and wine and water. The president in the same manner sends up prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability, and the people sing out their assent, saying the 'Amen.' A distribution and participation of the elements for which thanks have been given is made to each person, and to those who are not present they are sent by the deacons.

Those who have means and are willing, each according to his own choice, gives what he wills, and what is collected is deposited with the president. He provides for the orphans and widows, those who are in need on account of sickness or some other cause, those who are in bonds, strangers who are sojourning, and in a word he becomes the protector of all who are in need.

From very early on, Christian worship services consisted of reading from the Bible, having a preacher expound on the reading, singing songs, taking communion, collecting offerings, which would then be used, in part, to care for those in need.

Justin left us a record of what services were like in his day, but he left us an example of how we can live out our faith regardless of what governments or popular opinion may say in our day.

Trivia Fact: Justin was a prolific writer, with his works being mentioned by numerous other early Church leaders. We have at least pieces of eight works, while three of his major works (First Apology, Second Apology, Dialogue with Trypho) remain intact.

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Would you like to write a guest blog for the Church History 101 series? Check out the list of 50 people, find one you would like to work on, then contact me via email, Twitter or Facebook.

Dangerous Grace

Amazing grace. We know all about it.

Sweet. Melodious. Enchanting. In a word ... amazing.

But is grace simply amazing? Is that all there is to grace? What if I said grace was dangerous?

Our attitude toward grace will only reflect God's, when we recognize just how dangerous grace was and is. We begin to lose grace when we fence it in, instead of acknowledging how wild it can be.

God made grace dangerous. It's His plan.

Photo from morgueFile.com

Grace is absolutely amazing. It is inconceivable that the Father would love us in such a way as to send the Son to redeem us, who in turn would send the Spirit to seal us.

There is nothing we did or could have done to earn grace because that's exactly what it is – unmerited favor. God has turned his face toward His children simply out of His love. In fact, He has transformed us from rebels and traitors into children and joint heirs with Christ.

Grace frees us to choose Christ, where as that option was never available to us before. That is nothing if not amazing, but there is more and this is where grace gets dangerous.

God has openly poured out His grace for us, but He has done so on such fickle creatures who often choose poorly. As Screwtape tells Wormood in C.S. Lewis' classic Screwtape Letters, "He cannot ravish; He can only woo."

God's wooing leaves us open to reject Him and choose our own path that leads away. Grace gives options and this is dangerous.

We can choose to worship and obey God in His power, reject and turn away from Him in our own power, or attempt to worship and obey Him in our own power.

The most subtle temptation is to do the right thing outwardly, while relying solely on ourselves to accomplish it. We do this through legalism. It's what Jesus constantly condemned the Pharisees over.

Legalism recognizes the dangerous nature of grace, so it seeks to place protective fences all around to keep us in line. We don't want to use our grace as an excuse to sin, so let's add all of these rules to help us avoid temptation.

If legalism were the best way to grow us into worshippers of Him, God would have used it. If the risk of grace and freedom were too much for God in the long term, He never would have given them to us. If He could have used safe grace, He would have do so.

None of those things, however, are the case. God, in His infinite wisdom, chose dangerous grace. He chose to grant us freedom in our relationship with Him.

Grace brings freedom and freedom is dangerous. It has been since Adam and Eve and it continues to be today.

In his summation of the Christian faith, Mere Christianity, Lewis wrote, "Of course God knew what would happen if they used their freedom the wrong way: apparently He thought it worth the risk."

The proper response to this is nothing short of complete and absolute devotion to a God who went the dangerous route, the route that cost Him Jesus.

He didn't send down a list of rules to stay "safe" in heaven. He sent down His Son to a dangerous world to display dangerous grace.

Grace is amazing, but it is also dangerous. Dangerous to our way of thinking. Dangerous to our legalistic solutions. Dangerous to our ordinary lives.

This dangerous grace that saved you is calling on you to step outside of average and easy to exceptional and dangerous. Grace would have it no other way.

Top 5 features Sony rejected for the PS4

Sony has announced the holiday 2013 release of the new PlayStation 4. Apparently there is no truth to the rumor (which I personally started) that it will be called the Wii1080, just as an attempt at cutting off both of their competitor's next move.

They did unveil some interesting new features that will be included in their next generation gaming console. They also rejected many possible add-ons. I've managed to secure a list of some of those that were turned down.

Here are the top 5 features Sony rejected for the PS4.

This is the new controller for the PS4, but what could it have looked like with these five features?

5. Special speaker for new players:

In trying to appease both hardcore gamers and the newbies that console companies need to grow, PlayStation tried to pitch the idea of a speaker that was only active for those players brand new to the game.

The problem? It screamed out "Noooooob!" every time the new player made a mistake, which may have been satisfying for gaming veterans, but it turned off potential gaming converts.

4. Attempt to unite nerd groups:

Sony wanted to use some of the buzz for The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by making a special edition version of the PlayStation Eye called the PS Eye of Sauron.

You can guess the unfortunate results of having a flaming, mind-reading, all consuming evil eye in your living room. The prototype was melted in a volcano in New Zealand ... or was it?!?

3. An anti-social button:

One of the most talked about features included on the new PS4 is a social button that lets you share achievements and gaming video on social networking sites. But, as Andy Levy tweeted isn't that the exact opposite experience video gamers are trying to have.

Their proposed anti-social button would have sent out the following social media update from the player and saved it as their voice mail message: "I'm playing the new Sony PS4 and you'll never see me again. Ever! Hahahahahaha." Focus groups, however, found it a tad creepy.

2. Significant outreach to senior citizens:

Video game makers have long sought to get in on the senior citizen market. They have lots of free time on their hands (as long as they start playing before the early bird dinner specials at Cracker Barrel) and often have plenty of disposable income.

Initially, Sony thought they could connect it with phones to make it easier for them to play on the go (in golf carts in a Florida retirement neighborhoods), but they found out this could be a problem, as a large percentage of them still use a rotary phone. (For those of you too young to know, here's a link to a photo of rotary phone. Weird huh?)

1. An actual touch screen:

Sure, the new DualShock 4 will have a touch screen in the center of the controller, but PlayStation originally thought of pushing the envelope and giving gamers something they've never had before – fresh air.

The screen was going to let gamers feel the outside world. The screen would blow real outdoor breezes in the player's face and touch real, not computer generated, grass. Eventually, however, Sony decided that gamers had no desire to ever feel what it is like outside.

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What are your favorite real features of the new PlayStation 4? What fake feature should they have included ... or rejected?