This combo photograph shows the different stages of the total solar eclipse as seen from two locations on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The first two photographs were shot from Sipajhar, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Gauhati and the rest were shot from Baihata, 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Gauhati. Millions of Asians turned their eyes skyward Wednesday as dawn suddenly turned to darkness across the continent in the longest total solar eclipse this century will see. –APJul 25, 2009
This combo photograph shows the different stages of the total solar eclipse as seen from two locations on the outskirts of Gauhati, India, Wednesday, July 22, 2009. The first two photographs were shot from Sipajhar, 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Gauhati and the rest were shot from Baihata, 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of Gauhati. Millions of Asians turned their eyes skyward Wednesday as dawn suddenly turned to darkness across the continent in the longest total solar eclipse this century will see. –APThe Litter’s Runt
A farmer had some puppies he needed to sell. He painted a sign advertising the four pups, and set about nailing it to a post on the edge of his yard. As he was driving the last nail into the post, he felt a tug on his overalls. He looked down, and looking up to him were the eyes of little boy.
'Mister, I want to buy one of your puppies,' said the lad.
'Well. . .' said the farmer as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, 'these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.'
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. 'I've got 39 cents. Is that enough to take a look?'
'Sure,' said the farmer. And with that the old man let out a whistle and called, 'Here, Dolly!'
Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, and this one was noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up.
'I want that one,' the little boy said, pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, 'Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.'
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began to roll up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, 'You see, Sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.'
With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup, and holding it very carefully, he handed it to the little boy.
'How much?' asked the child.
'No charge. There's no charge for love.' answered the farmer.
Author Unknown
'Mister, I want to buy one of your puppies,' said the lad.
'Well. . .' said the farmer as he rubbed the sweat off the back of his neck, 'these puppies come from fine parents and cost a good deal of money.'
The boy dropped his head for a moment. Then reaching deep into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of change and held it up to the farmer. 'I've got 39 cents. Is that enough to take a look?'
'Sure,' said the farmer. And with that the old man let out a whistle and called, 'Here, Dolly!'
Out from the doghouse and down the ramp ran Dolly followed by four little balls of fur. The little boy pressed his face against the chain link fence. His eyes danced with delight. As the dogs made their way to the fence, the little boy noticed something else stirring inside the doghouse. Slowly another little ball appeared, and this one was noticeably smaller. Down the ramp it slid. Then in a somewhat awkward manner, the little pup began hobbling toward the others, doing its best to catch up.
'I want that one,' the little boy said, pointing to the runt.
The farmer knelt down at the boy's side and said, 'Son, you don't want that puppy. He will never be able to run and play with you like these other dogs would.'
With that the little boy stepped back from the fence, reached down, and began to roll up one leg of his trousers. In doing so, he revealed a steel brace running down both sides of his leg attaching itself to a specially made shoe. Looking back up at the farmer, he said, 'You see, Sir, I don't run too well myself, and he will need someone who understands.'
With tears in his eyes, the farmer reached down and picked up the little pup, and holding it very carefully, he handed it to the little boy.
'How much?' asked the child.
'No charge. There's no charge for love.' answered the farmer.
Author Unknown
<><><><>*<><><><>
The world is full of people who need someone who understands.
Show your friends how much you care.
Send this to everyone you consider a friend.
Show your friends how much you care.
Send this to everyone you consider a friend.
Forgive And Set Your Soul Free!
"Forgive and forget," some say. "Just let it go to God and move on," urge others. Often it's not that easy. Maybe you grew up in a family in which it wasn't okay to express anger. Or the pain and violation seem too great. Or you're not sure how to forgive. Read on and you'll see that you can forgive and set your soul free!
They Needed to Forgive
JoAnne's (names and identifying information are changed in this and other cases) father was an alcoholic who had been verbally abusive of her throughout her childhood. Now she had children of her own and she was wary of being around her dad. She was told that she need to forgive him and to "put it behind her" for the sake of her kids. She had been trying to do this for years, but the bad names he called her, the anger on his face, the way he acted when he had been drinking it still bothered her.
Similarly, Mike's wife had an affair with her old boyfriend. Then she ended their marriage and took their three kids with her. Mike was stunned. Then he was enraged. He lost his family, his home, his dreams, his life as he knew it. He knew the Bible said he needed to forgive her, but he didn't know if he could do it.
Day after day people like JoAnne and Mike dealing with forgiveness issues talk to me as a Christian Psychologist. And not just from painful childhoods and devastating betrayals. Usually, they're less dramatic, but difficult nonetheless.
* A friend shuns you in your time of need.
* A co-worker criticizes you unjustly around the office.
* A neighbor has loud parties late into the night after you've asked him kindly to be quieter.
* Your adult child repeatedly is too busy when you call.
* Your spouse speaks harshly to you in spite of your requests to be respected.
Recently I had an issue like this with a neighbor who was driving recklessly when my kids were playing nearby and kept parking in front of my garbage cans so that the garbage wasn't being hauled away. Maybe you too hve some forgiveness issues. How do we deal with these issues? How do people like JoAnne and Mike forgive those who have wronged them?
What Forgiveness is Not
There are so many misconceptions about forgiveness. I find that many people don't understand what it means to forgive someone.
Forgiveness is not excusing
Abuse, child neglect (physical or emotional), manipulation, betrayal, slander, rage, and the like are sins. When you've been violated like this it isn't excusable. "He did the best he could," "She didn't know any better," "She was just having a bad day," or "He was just reacting to his own hurt" are excuses that don't change the reality of an injustice. The only real solution is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is not forgetting
The old adage, "Forgive and forget" sounds nice, but it's misleading. Forgiveness and forgetfulness are not related. In many cases, forgetting a hurt or injustice is harmful. For instance, if a friend has a habit of gossiping about you then you're best to remember that and be careful what you share. By remembering when you've been violated you can guard against additional injuries or mistakes. "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." (Proverbs 26:11) Remembering helps us not to repeat pain.
Forgiveness is not overlooking
There is a time to overlook an offense. If a stranger cuts you off on the freeway or your spouse is having a hard day and is snippy with you then it's best not to worry about it. "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11) On the other hand, it wouldn't be healthy for JoAnne to overlook the years of rage and abuse she experienced from her father. She needs to heal and to protect herself from further abuse. She needs to forgive.
Forgiveness is not easy
Hurts like JoAnne being abused by her alcoholic father and Mike being betrayed by his unfaithful wife take time to forgive. It's just a matter of making a decision and saying a quick prayer. It's a process and it may be a struggle in which you'll need God's help. (Matthew 18:20-22).
Forgiveness may not include reconciliation
Some think that forgiving someone means you must reconcile your relationship with that person. Whenever you've been violated you need to forgive. But you only reconcile if and when it's safe and wise to do so. For a battered wife, reconciling before her husband has gotten help means being abused again. That wouldn't be right. First, she needs to get help for herself to heal and to set some boundaries with him. Then she needs to see that he's changed. Then, and only then is the time for her to reconcile. (Matthew 18:15-17 outlines the reconciliation process.)
Forgiveness is not deserved
No one "deserves" to be forgiven. Forgiveness isn't something that we can earn. An injustice has been done and God and the person wronged can choose to give the gift of forgiveness or not. Of course, God always chooses to give this gift to us because He loves us and because we're valuable! And when we pass on God's gift to others then we're able to appreciate God's forgiveness for our sins. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14)
Motivation to Forgive
Why forgive? Why let go of your anger and let a perpetrator off the hook? "He doesn't deserve it!" JoAnne said to me. "I don't want to forgive my father for his abusive behavior towards me. He knew he needed to stop drinking and he didn't. His anger crushed me as a girl and it still hurts me! He has to pay a price!"
The cause of victims cries out for justice. Instinctively we want perpetrators of abuse to pay a price. So it is natural to be angry when you've been violated and it is tempting to seek revenge. And yet "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38). Refuse to forgive and you will pay a heavy price, perhaps more than the one who violated you.
People like JoAnne have to discover the tragic irony of withholding forgiveness: it was hurting her! Whether in the form of repressed anger or seeking to hurt back, resentment or revenge, the pain is kept alive and worsened by not forgiving. And accompanying the pain are guilt, negativity, anxiety, conflicts in relationships, stress-induced illness, and even disease. Worst of all, if you don't forgive then you block yourself off from appreciating God's forgiveness for yourself! (Matthew 6:15) Is your anger and desire for justice worth that? Is the person who violated you worth that price? Of course not!
So, if nothing else, we want to forgive to experience the peace and healing and freedom that come when we do. Also, we want to forgive to honor God and to bless others. When we forgive we are like God. Jesus taught us: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:44-45)
How to Forgive
Forgiveness is a process. There are feelings to work through. Attitudes to adjust. New, constructive behaviors to develop. And prayers to pray.
I find it helpful to think of forgiveness as including seven essential steps in a healing, character-building journey. It's a process in which you're likely to take two steps forward and one step backward as you proceed toward resolution. Here are the steps that I teach people like JoAnne and Mike.
1. Look to God. God is the author of forgiveness. It's His mercy and grace and strength that you need. And you can start to participate in his gift when you decide with God's help to "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)
2. Go with the process. Forgiveness is a like a merry-go-round. Hop on at any point and the music will play and you'll get a full ride. Being forgiven by God, forgiving others, forgiving yourself, and being forgiven by another person are the four horses on the "forgiveness-go-around." Ride on one and it's easier to ride the others. Receiving God's forgiveness helps you to forgive others and extending forgiveness to others helps you to ask for the forgiveness that you need. So jump in the process and it'll get easier the longer you stay with it.
3. Deal with your anger. It's natural and appropriate to be angry when someone sins against you. It certainly isn't the hardest thing I've gone through, but I was angry at my neighbor whose driving habits endangered my kids and got me stuck with the week's garbage. But what to do with the anger? Ignore it and I'm not protecting my kids and my garbage is going to pile up. Repress it and I'd get depressed and eventually I could start to become negative, bitter, and isolated. Turn it against myself and I'd feel bad that I was making an issue of it and I'd try to not feel or need anything. React by cussing out my neighbor or parking in front of his garbage cans! and I'd just cause more damage by escalating the conflict. Instead, I let my anger point me to my underlying feelings - fear for my children's safety and the need to have our garbage picked up. And I used the anger - tempered by love - to energize me. I "spoke the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) to my neighbor by asking him to watch for my children and to please park somewhere else.
4. Feel your hurt. You can't heal what you don't feel! If you've been violated then you've been hurt. Whether loss, rejection, embarrassment, insecurity, or whatever, find someone safe to verbalize your pain and seek comfort from. This is the heart of the forgiveness process.
5. Set boundaries. Are you susceptible to be wronged again in a similar way by the same person or someone else? Even as an adult in her 40's JoAnne still felt vulnerable to her father's anger, especially as far as her children were concerned. But she learned from her experience and set appropriate limits with her dad. She adjusted her expectations of him to guard against being too needy of someone who had a history of disappointing and hurting her with his drinking and anger. And she focused on her, living by the wise, old adage, "The best revenge is to live well."
6. Entrust Justice to God. Ultimately, forgiveness means to let God be God. He alone is the Righteous One with the right to judge and punish sin. The story of the woman caught in adultery recorded in John 8:1-11 is a good example of this. As the Apostle Paul taught us, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: `It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:19). When Mike was struggling to forgive his wife for having an affair and divorcing him I showed him how to give his anger to God like David did in the "cursing psalms." (See Psalms 10:15, 18:6-15, 31:17, 35:1-28, 54:5, 56:5-7, 58:6-8, 69:19-28, 70:13) Like David Mike told God how angry he was at his ex-wife and he asked God to deal with her. This helped him to let go and move on.
7. Pray for your enemy. I was so surprised when I discovered the power in this! I knew that the Bible teaches us to bless and pray for our enemies, but I didn't realize how much it helped with forgiving. This was the key that helped me to forgive my rude, reckless neighbor. It's hard to do at first, but it works and it pleases God. (Proverbs 25:21-22, Matthew 5:37-48)
William Gaultiere, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the New Hope Crisis Counseling Center at the Crystal Cathedral and a Clinical Psychologist with a part time private practice in Irvine, California. You can read Dr. Bill's encouraging self-help articles here.
They Needed to Forgive
JoAnne's (names and identifying information are changed in this and other cases) father was an alcoholic who had been verbally abusive of her throughout her childhood. Now she had children of her own and she was wary of being around her dad. She was told that she need to forgive him and to "put it behind her" for the sake of her kids. She had been trying to do this for years, but the bad names he called her, the anger on his face, the way he acted when he had been drinking it still bothered her.
Similarly, Mike's wife had an affair with her old boyfriend. Then she ended their marriage and took their three kids with her. Mike was stunned. Then he was enraged. He lost his family, his home, his dreams, his life as he knew it. He knew the Bible said he needed to forgive her, but he didn't know if he could do it.
Day after day people like JoAnne and Mike dealing with forgiveness issues talk to me as a Christian Psychologist. And not just from painful childhoods and devastating betrayals. Usually, they're less dramatic, but difficult nonetheless.
* A friend shuns you in your time of need.
* A co-worker criticizes you unjustly around the office.
* A neighbor has loud parties late into the night after you've asked him kindly to be quieter.
* Your adult child repeatedly is too busy when you call.
* Your spouse speaks harshly to you in spite of your requests to be respected.
Recently I had an issue like this with a neighbor who was driving recklessly when my kids were playing nearby and kept parking in front of my garbage cans so that the garbage wasn't being hauled away. Maybe you too hve some forgiveness issues. How do we deal with these issues? How do people like JoAnne and Mike forgive those who have wronged them?
What Forgiveness is Not
There are so many misconceptions about forgiveness. I find that many people don't understand what it means to forgive someone.
Forgiveness is not excusing
Abuse, child neglect (physical or emotional), manipulation, betrayal, slander, rage, and the like are sins. When you've been violated like this it isn't excusable. "He did the best he could," "She didn't know any better," "She was just having a bad day," or "He was just reacting to his own hurt" are excuses that don't change the reality of an injustice. The only real solution is forgiveness.
Forgiveness is not forgetting
The old adage, "Forgive and forget" sounds nice, but it's misleading. Forgiveness and forgetfulness are not related. In many cases, forgetting a hurt or injustice is harmful. For instance, if a friend has a habit of gossiping about you then you're best to remember that and be careful what you share. By remembering when you've been violated you can guard against additional injuries or mistakes. "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." (Proverbs 26:11) Remembering helps us not to repeat pain.
Forgiveness is not overlooking
There is a time to overlook an offense. If a stranger cuts you off on the freeway or your spouse is having a hard day and is snippy with you then it's best not to worry about it. "A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11) On the other hand, it wouldn't be healthy for JoAnne to overlook the years of rage and abuse she experienced from her father. She needs to heal and to protect herself from further abuse. She needs to forgive.
Forgiveness is not easy
Hurts like JoAnne being abused by her alcoholic father and Mike being betrayed by his unfaithful wife take time to forgive. It's just a matter of making a decision and saying a quick prayer. It's a process and it may be a struggle in which you'll need God's help. (Matthew 18:20-22).
Forgiveness may not include reconciliation
Some think that forgiving someone means you must reconcile your relationship with that person. Whenever you've been violated you need to forgive. But you only reconcile if and when it's safe and wise to do so. For a battered wife, reconciling before her husband has gotten help means being abused again. That wouldn't be right. First, she needs to get help for herself to heal and to set some boundaries with him. Then she needs to see that he's changed. Then, and only then is the time for her to reconcile. (Matthew 18:15-17 outlines the reconciliation process.)
Forgiveness is not deserved
No one "deserves" to be forgiven. Forgiveness isn't something that we can earn. An injustice has been done and God and the person wronged can choose to give the gift of forgiveness or not. Of course, God always chooses to give this gift to us because He loves us and because we're valuable! And when we pass on God's gift to others then we're able to appreciate God's forgiveness for our sins. "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14)
Motivation to Forgive
Why forgive? Why let go of your anger and let a perpetrator off the hook? "He doesn't deserve it!" JoAnne said to me. "I don't want to forgive my father for his abusive behavior towards me. He knew he needed to stop drinking and he didn't. His anger crushed me as a girl and it still hurts me! He has to pay a price!"
The cause of victims cries out for justice. Instinctively we want perpetrators of abuse to pay a price. So it is natural to be angry when you've been violated and it is tempting to seek revenge. And yet "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you" (Luke 6:38). Refuse to forgive and you will pay a heavy price, perhaps more than the one who violated you.
People like JoAnne have to discover the tragic irony of withholding forgiveness: it was hurting her! Whether in the form of repressed anger or seeking to hurt back, resentment or revenge, the pain is kept alive and worsened by not forgiving. And accompanying the pain are guilt, negativity, anxiety, conflicts in relationships, stress-induced illness, and even disease. Worst of all, if you don't forgive then you block yourself off from appreciating God's forgiveness for yourself! (Matthew 6:15) Is your anger and desire for justice worth that? Is the person who violated you worth that price? Of course not!
So, if nothing else, we want to forgive to experience the peace and healing and freedom that come when we do. Also, we want to forgive to honor God and to bless others. When we forgive we are like God. Jesus taught us: "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." (Matthew 5:44-45)
How to Forgive
Forgiveness is a process. There are feelings to work through. Attitudes to adjust. New, constructive behaviors to develop. And prayers to pray.
I find it helpful to think of forgiveness as including seven essential steps in a healing, character-building journey. It's a process in which you're likely to take two steps forward and one step backward as you proceed toward resolution. Here are the steps that I teach people like JoAnne and Mike.
1. Look to God. God is the author of forgiveness. It's His mercy and grace and strength that you need. And you can start to participate in his gift when you decide with God's help to "Forgive as the Lord forgave you." (Colossians 3:13)
2. Go with the process. Forgiveness is a like a merry-go-round. Hop on at any point and the music will play and you'll get a full ride. Being forgiven by God, forgiving others, forgiving yourself, and being forgiven by another person are the four horses on the "forgiveness-go-around." Ride on one and it's easier to ride the others. Receiving God's forgiveness helps you to forgive others and extending forgiveness to others helps you to ask for the forgiveness that you need. So jump in the process and it'll get easier the longer you stay with it.
3. Deal with your anger. It's natural and appropriate to be angry when someone sins against you. It certainly isn't the hardest thing I've gone through, but I was angry at my neighbor whose driving habits endangered my kids and got me stuck with the week's garbage. But what to do with the anger? Ignore it and I'm not protecting my kids and my garbage is going to pile up. Repress it and I'd get depressed and eventually I could start to become negative, bitter, and isolated. Turn it against myself and I'd feel bad that I was making an issue of it and I'd try to not feel or need anything. React by cussing out my neighbor or parking in front of his garbage cans! and I'd just cause more damage by escalating the conflict. Instead, I let my anger point me to my underlying feelings - fear for my children's safety and the need to have our garbage picked up. And I used the anger - tempered by love - to energize me. I "spoke the truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) to my neighbor by asking him to watch for my children and to please park somewhere else.
4. Feel your hurt. You can't heal what you don't feel! If you've been violated then you've been hurt. Whether loss, rejection, embarrassment, insecurity, or whatever, find someone safe to verbalize your pain and seek comfort from. This is the heart of the forgiveness process.
5. Set boundaries. Are you susceptible to be wronged again in a similar way by the same person or someone else? Even as an adult in her 40's JoAnne still felt vulnerable to her father's anger, especially as far as her children were concerned. But she learned from her experience and set appropriate limits with her dad. She adjusted her expectations of him to guard against being too needy of someone who had a history of disappointing and hurting her with his drinking and anger. And she focused on her, living by the wise, old adage, "The best revenge is to live well."
6. Entrust Justice to God. Ultimately, forgiveness means to let God be God. He alone is the Righteous One with the right to judge and punish sin. The story of the woman caught in adultery recorded in John 8:1-11 is a good example of this. As the Apostle Paul taught us, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: `It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." (Romans 12:19). When Mike was struggling to forgive his wife for having an affair and divorcing him I showed him how to give his anger to God like David did in the "cursing psalms." (See Psalms 10:15, 18:6-15, 31:17, 35:1-28, 54:5, 56:5-7, 58:6-8, 69:19-28, 70:13) Like David Mike told God how angry he was at his ex-wife and he asked God to deal with her. This helped him to let go and move on.
7. Pray for your enemy. I was so surprised when I discovered the power in this! I knew that the Bible teaches us to bless and pray for our enemies, but I didn't realize how much it helped with forgiving. This was the key that helped me to forgive my rude, reckless neighbor. It's hard to do at first, but it works and it pleases God. (Proverbs 25:21-22, Matthew 5:37-48)
William Gaultiere, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of the New Hope Crisis Counseling Center at the Crystal Cathedral and a Clinical Psychologist with a part time private practice in Irvine, California. You can read Dr. Bill's encouraging self-help articles here.
Jul 20, 2009
Solar Eclipse Pits Superstition Against Science
Indian astrologers are predicting violence and turmoil across the world as a result of this week's total solar eclipse, which the superstitious and religious view as a sign of potential doom.But astronomers, scientists and secularists are trying to play down claims of evil portent in connection with Wednesday's natural spectacle, when the moon will come between the Earth and the sun, completely obscuring the sun.
In Hindu mythology, the two demons Rahu and Ketu are said to "swallow" the sun during eclipses, snuffing out its life-giving light and causing food to become inedible and water undrinkable.
Pregnant women are advised to stay indoors to prevent their babies developing birth defects, while prayers, fasting and ritual bathing, particularly in holy rivers, are encouraged.
Shivani Sachdev Gour, a gynaecologist at the Fortis Hospital in New Delhi, said a number of expectant mothers scheduled for caesarian deliveries on July 22 had asked to change the date.
"This is a belief deeply rooted in Indian society. Couples are willing to do anything to ensure that the baby is not born on that day," Gour said.
Astrologers have predicted a rise in communal and regional violence in the days following the eclipse, particularly in India, China and other Southeast Asian nations where it can be seen on Wednesday morning.
Mumbai astrologer Raj Kumar Sharma predicted "some sort of attack by (Kashmiri separatists) Jaish-e-Mohammad or Al-Qaeda on Indian soil" and a devastating natural disaster in Southeast Asia.
An Indian political leader could be killed, he said, and tension between the West and Iran is likely to increase, escalating into possible US military action after September 9, when fiery Saturn moves from Leo into Virgo.
"The last 200 years, whenever Saturn has gone into Virgo there has been either a world war or a mini world war," he told AFP.
It is not just in India that some are uneasy about what will transpire because of the eclipse.
In ancient China they were often associated with disasters, the death of an emperor or other dark events, and similar superstitions persist.
"The probability for unrest or war to take place in years when a solar eclipse happens is 95 percent," announced an article that attracted a lot of hits on the popular Chinese web portal Baidu.com.
Sanal Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, dismissed such doomsday predictions.
"Primarily, what we see with all these soothsayers and astrologers is that they're looking for opportunities to enhance their business with predictions of danger and calamity," he told AFP.
"They have been very powerful in India but over the last decade they have been in systematic decline."
Astronomers and scientists are also working to educate the public about the eclipse.
Travel firm Cox and Kings has chartered a Boeing 737-700 aircraft to give people the chance to see the eclipse from 41,000 feet (12,500 metres).
Experts will be on board to explain it to passengers, some of whom have paid 79,000 rupees (1,600 dollars) for a "sun-side" seat on the three-hour flight from New Delhi.
The eclipse's shadow is expected to pass over the aircraft at 15 times the speed of sound (Mach 15), said Ajay Talwar, president of the SPACE Group of companies that promotes science and astronomy.
"It's coming in the middle of the monsoon season. On the ground, there's a 40 percent chance of seeing it in India. On the aircraft you have almost a 90 percent chance of seeing the eclipse," he added.
Siva Prasad Tata, who runs the Astro Jyoti website, straddles the two worlds.
"There's no need to get too alarmed about the eclipse, they are a natural phenomenon," the astrologer told AFP.
But he added: "During the period of the eclipse, the opposite attracting forces are very, very powerful. From a spiritual point of view, this is a wonderful time to do any type of worship.
"It will bring about good results, much more than on an ordinary day." -Yahoo News
Jul 18, 2009
Church Accepts More Gays And Lesbians
The Episcopal Church has moved decisively closer to full acceptance of gay men and lesbians, taking steps toward recognizing same-sex marriage and gay bishops.
A key committee voted overwhelmingly Monday to start putting together blessings to be used in same-sex marriages, the church's official newspaper reported.
Separately, the House of Bishops voted by a wide margin to allow gays and lesbians to become bishops, Episcopal Life reported.
Both measures must be approved by the church's General Convention before taking effect, but expert Mark Silk said there is "little reason" to think the changes will not "sail through."
"They basically decided to move forward on all fronts with regularizing the status of gays and lesbians within the church," said Silk, director of the Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Connecticut.
A leading campaigner for gay rights within the Episcopal Church welcomed the vote on bishops.
"There is no question that today's vote in the House of Bishops was an historic move forward and a great day for all who support the full inclusion of all the baptized in the Body of Christ," said Susan Russell, president of Integrity USA.
The vote shows the Episcopal Church "striving to actually become the church former Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning called us to be nearly 20 years ago now ... a church where there are no outcasts," she said in a statement on the group's Web site.
The Episcopal Church created controversy in 2003 with its decision to ordain Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, as a bishop. The move raised the possibility of a split within the worldwide Anglican Church, the third-largest Christian denomination, with about 70 million members around the world.
The Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the Anglican Church, has not ordained another openly gay bishop since Robinson.
"The decision has been to kind of chill out on a bunch of things," Silk said.
But Monday's vote ends what had been, in effect, a moratorium, he said.
It was the Episcopal Church saying that "this wasn't an anomaly when we elected Gene Robinson. We affirm that partnered gay people do have callings [to be clergy], and we have to recognize them."
"It is bringing the church's position in line with the civil society's," Silk said.
The head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, declined Tuesday through a spokesman to comment on Monday's moves.
But on Monday, he expressed "regret" at the vote on gay and lesbian bishops, according to Episcopal Life.
"I regret the fact that the will to observe a moratorium is not the will of such a significant part of the church in North America," the paper quoted him as saying.
A number of Episcopal dioceses have broken with the official church structure over gay and lesbian issues, forming the breakaway Anglican Church in North America.
They say the mainstream Episcopal Church and the aligned Anglican Church in Canada "have increasingly accommodated and incorporated un-Biblical, un-Anglican practices and teaching." -CNN
A key committee voted overwhelmingly Monday to start putting together blessings to be used in same-sex marriages, the church's official newspaper reported.
Separately, the House of Bishops voted by a wide margin to allow gays and lesbians to become bishops, Episcopal Life reported.
Both measures must be approved by the church's General Convention before taking effect, but expert Mark Silk said there is "little reason" to think the changes will not "sail through."
"They basically decided to move forward on all fronts with regularizing the status of gays and lesbians within the church," said Silk, director of the Leonard E. Greenberg Center for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Trinity College in Connecticut.
A leading campaigner for gay rights within the Episcopal Church welcomed the vote on bishops.
"There is no question that today's vote in the House of Bishops was an historic move forward and a great day for all who support the full inclusion of all the baptized in the Body of Christ," said Susan Russell, president of Integrity USA.
The vote shows the Episcopal Church "striving to actually become the church former Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning called us to be nearly 20 years ago now ... a church where there are no outcasts," she said in a statement on the group's Web site.
The Episcopal Church created controversy in 2003 with its decision to ordain Gene Robinson, who is openly gay, as a bishop. The move raised the possibility of a split within the worldwide Anglican Church, the third-largest Christian denomination, with about 70 million members around the world.
The Episcopal Church, the U.S. branch of the Anglican Church, has not ordained another openly gay bishop since Robinson.
"The decision has been to kind of chill out on a bunch of things," Silk said.
But Monday's vote ends what had been, in effect, a moratorium, he said.
It was the Episcopal Church saying that "this wasn't an anomaly when we elected Gene Robinson. We affirm that partnered gay people do have callings [to be clergy], and we have to recognize them."
"It is bringing the church's position in line with the civil society's," Silk said.
The head of the Church of England, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, declined Tuesday through a spokesman to comment on Monday's moves.
But on Monday, he expressed "regret" at the vote on gay and lesbian bishops, according to Episcopal Life.
"I regret the fact that the will to observe a moratorium is not the will of such a significant part of the church in North America," the paper quoted him as saying.
A number of Episcopal dioceses have broken with the official church structure over gay and lesbian issues, forming the breakaway Anglican Church in North America.
They say the mainstream Episcopal Church and the aligned Anglican Church in Canada "have increasingly accommodated and incorporated un-Biblical, un-Anglican practices and teaching." -CNN
America And The World Today
And it came to pass that the time known as the Age of Insanity had come, and the people of the nation called the United States of America having lost their moral compass, relinquished the use of their common sense, and gave up their will to defend their liberties, chose to elect as their national leader the person known as The Eloquent One, a man who had a glib tongue and a gift of the gab.
The man, who was preferred by many, emerged from the vapors with a very vague message which had neither meaning nor substance, but he was able to hypnotize and sway a vast number of the citizens to hearken unto him as he told them: ""We live in the greatest country in the world, but our country needs change. Help me to bring about that change! Worry not that I have very little, if any, governing or leadership experience, and that I have questionable ethics, a monstrous ego, and a long association with many anti-Americans. For truly, I say unto thee, the influences of my past and my lack of sound credentials does not really matter. Instead, I want thee to simply rejoice for I bring thee great tidings of hope and change. I have come to save thee from the evil which had been wrought to our great land. Go, therefore, and proclaim with me throughout the world that my predecessor had done thee and the world evil; he and his party have defiled the nations on Earth including ours, and all that they had built must be destroyed."
And a vast majority of the people believed him and rejoiced even though they really did not know what The Eloquent One really meant or what he would actually do.
Moreover, he promised, "I am going to tax the very rich. I shall redistribute the wealth because the redistribution of wealth is good for everybody.
While most of the people of voting age, especially the younger voters, unquestioningly believed everything that he had said, one man known as Joe the Plumber dared to question the man by saying, "Thou must be kidding! Thou probably will just steal our money and give it to the deadbeats!"
Whereupon Joe the Plumber was ridiculed by the nation's news media, which was dominated and controlled by The Eloquent One's political party, and Joe's personal records were hacked and made public.
And when one female newsreporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?" --- she, too, was ridiculed and banished from the land!
Then, yet another citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and having absolutely zero military experience or knowledge, how wilt thou deal with the radical terrorists?"
The Eloquent One replied, "Worry not! I shall simply sit down with the leaders of those nations which dislike us, talk with them, and show them how nice we really are; and they wilt soon forget that they ever wanted to kill and destroy us!" Then he proceeded to say: "I shall raise taxes to help pay for our mounting debts."
Whereupon a lone voice said, "But many of us don't pay any taxes."
The Eloquent One then replied, "Again I say, worry not, for as I have promised, the very rich will indeed be taxed! Furthermore, I shall also tax thy capital gains when thou sellest thy house or any of thy other assets."
This perplexed many because the housing and stock market had been in a slump with a lot of uncertainty as to what the days ahead might bring.
Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed messiah went on to recite his litany of promises, "I shall mandate employer-funded health care for every worker. I shall raise the minimum wage. I shall give every person access to medical care --- including medications and transportation to the clinic. I shall penalize employers who ship job overseas. I shall bankrupt the coal industry so that the rate of electricity will skyrocket! But do not worry because if thou dost not have enough money to cover thy living expenses, I shall make sure that the government bails thee out --- just sign up with ACORN and thy troubles will be over! As for illegal immigrants who feel scorned and slighted, I agree with the proposal in the federal congress to grant them amnesty and allow them to qualify for Social Security; free education, free lunch, free medical care for their children, bi-lingual signs, and guaranteed housing."
And a vast majority of the multitude believed the man, and shouted, "Hallelujah!" And 52% of the nation's voters, which reportedly included many who have already been dead for many years but who were nevertheless registered to vote by The Eloquent One's campaign staff and political party supporters, elected The Eloquent One to be the nation's leader.
So it came to pass that The Eloquent One was sworn into office, in spite of ongoing multiple lawsuits questioning the validity of his birth and citizenship to run as president and which have been adroitly shunted aside and ignored by the nation's mainstream news media which has been under the control of the man's political party. And several months after assuming office, at last, the man's true colors and the truth and reality about his campaign promises started to finally show. As it turned out, The Eloquent One and his new administration continued to practice and promote the very same "evil" policies which he criticized and accused the previous ruler of promulgating. The nation's deficit ballooned even more than the previous years. Many employers started facing spiraling costs and higher taxes, so they raised their prices and laid off many workers to cut costs, which in turn caused the nation's unemployment rate to rise to an ungodly height --- unseen in decades. Other business owners simply gave up and just filed bankruptcy and closed shop, and the economy sank like a rock dropped from a cliff to the depths of the "Sea of Red Ink". The nation's banking industry also went from bad to worse. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. Many of the "stimulus" checks which were doled out to citizens ended in the casinos operated by some native Americans and other entities. And before long, more people started to live below the poverty line as paupers without any hope of recovering from their plight.
But in spite of all the bleak reality, many still persistently believed The Eloquent One and his glib speeches as he continued to claim that he was the nation's messiah of hope and change, and that he was going to save the nation from the widespread evil and corruption while willfully ignoring the fact that he himself had "corruption" written all over him and he has continued to promote the "evil" practice which he had accused others of doing. He also promised to repair the broken economy by printing more money so that there would be enough to keep the nation going.
However, the foreign trading partners and creditors started to wail, "Wait a minute, thy money will soon be as worthless as a pile of camel dung! Thy nation is deeply in debt and has national deficit which has grown by leaps and bounds, and still burgeoning since the new administration took over. But be that as it may, thy government shalt pay us or we shall take over thy country!"
And many citizens started to realize that things were indeed looking bleak, and many shouted in protest, "This is unfair!"
But the leaders and lenders from the other nations merely replied, "And so are the idiotic programs thy leader and his advisors have been proposing. Lo! Thy nation is fast becoming a socialist state and thou are rapidly losing the superpower status that thou once had. Now, thy nation shall no longer call the shots and go by thy rules but by our rules and we shall now be the ones to order thee and tell thee what we want thee to do!"
And the people cried out, " Alas! What have we done?"
But verily, it was too late. Many people, including those who voted for The Eloquent One started to be dissatisfied and even regretted voting for him, finally started to realize that they had been duped and misled. The once mighty nation was no more; and multitudes of the once proud people became poor with no guaranteed protection or way to financial recovery. The change which had been promised started to act as a poison which had began to destroy the formerly Great Society, and like an evil whirlwind, the empty campaign promises wrought havoc and ruin to the nation which the founding fathers of the once-upon-a-time great nation had built. Although the people beat their chest in despair and cried out in anguish, "Give us back our nation, our pride, and our hope!", it was all in vain for it was too late. And the once proud and rich land continued its downward course to shame and perdition.
Above is an interesting commentary on current events written in biblical prose by a pastor's wife.
This may sound like a fairy tale, yet it is actually already happening in the USA and in the world this very moment. The question one should seriously consider is: Is this the kind of CHANGE which the 52% of US voters voted for?
Many were easily swayed by the rhetoric and many fell for the campaign promise of CHANGE, but they never bothered to ascertain as to what kind of CHANGE the promise would truly be.
Many merely blindly believed, and while many have realized and now regret their folly and error, many others still choose to be blind believers.
CHANGE has come all right, but so far it has been from BAD to WORSE.
Again, the question is: Is this really the kind of CHANGE America and the world really wants?
The USA, particularly, is now reaping the fruit of that blind and misguided trust which many have placed on The Eloquent One's glib tongue.
Foolish? It certainly looks like it, doesn't it?
The man, who was preferred by many, emerged from the vapors with a very vague message which had neither meaning nor substance, but he was able to hypnotize and sway a vast number of the citizens to hearken unto him as he told them: ""We live in the greatest country in the world, but our country needs change. Help me to bring about that change! Worry not that I have very little, if any, governing or leadership experience, and that I have questionable ethics, a monstrous ego, and a long association with many anti-Americans. For truly, I say unto thee, the influences of my past and my lack of sound credentials does not really matter. Instead, I want thee to simply rejoice for I bring thee great tidings of hope and change. I have come to save thee from the evil which had been wrought to our great land. Go, therefore, and proclaim with me throughout the world that my predecessor had done thee and the world evil; he and his party have defiled the nations on Earth including ours, and all that they had built must be destroyed."
And a vast majority of the people believed him and rejoiced even though they really did not know what The Eloquent One really meant or what he would actually do.
Moreover, he promised, "I am going to tax the very rich. I shall redistribute the wealth because the redistribution of wealth is good for everybody.
While most of the people of voting age, especially the younger voters, unquestioningly believed everything that he had said, one man known as Joe the Plumber dared to question the man by saying, "Thou must be kidding! Thou probably will just steal our money and give it to the deadbeats!"
Whereupon Joe the Plumber was ridiculed by the nation's news media, which was dominated and controlled by The Eloquent One's political party, and Joe's personal records were hacked and made public.
And when one female newsreporter asked, "Isn't that Marxist policy?" --- she, too, was ridiculed and banished from the land!
Then, yet another citizen asked, "With no foreign relations experience and having absolutely zero military experience or knowledge, how wilt thou deal with the radical terrorists?"
The Eloquent One replied, "Worry not! I shall simply sit down with the leaders of those nations which dislike us, talk with them, and show them how nice we really are; and they wilt soon forget that they ever wanted to kill and destroy us!" Then he proceeded to say: "I shall raise taxes to help pay for our mounting debts."
Whereupon a lone voice said, "But many of us don't pay any taxes."
The Eloquent One then replied, "Again I say, worry not, for as I have promised, the very rich will indeed be taxed! Furthermore, I shall also tax thy capital gains when thou sellest thy house or any of thy other assets."
This perplexed many because the housing and stock market had been in a slump with a lot of uncertainty as to what the days ahead might bring.
Nonetheless, the self-proclaimed messiah went on to recite his litany of promises, "I shall mandate employer-funded health care for every worker. I shall raise the minimum wage. I shall give every person access to medical care --- including medications and transportation to the clinic. I shall penalize employers who ship job overseas. I shall bankrupt the coal industry so that the rate of electricity will skyrocket! But do not worry because if thou dost not have enough money to cover thy living expenses, I shall make sure that the government bails thee out --- just sign up with ACORN and thy troubles will be over! As for illegal immigrants who feel scorned and slighted, I agree with the proposal in the federal congress to grant them amnesty and allow them to qualify for Social Security; free education, free lunch, free medical care for their children, bi-lingual signs, and guaranteed housing."
And a vast majority of the multitude believed the man, and shouted, "Hallelujah!" And 52% of the nation's voters, which reportedly included many who have already been dead for many years but who were nevertheless registered to vote by The Eloquent One's campaign staff and political party supporters, elected The Eloquent One to be the nation's leader.
So it came to pass that The Eloquent One was sworn into office, in spite of ongoing multiple lawsuits questioning the validity of his birth and citizenship to run as president and which have been adroitly shunted aside and ignored by the nation's mainstream news media which has been under the control of the man's political party. And several months after assuming office, at last, the man's true colors and the truth and reality about his campaign promises started to finally show. As it turned out, The Eloquent One and his new administration continued to practice and promote the very same "evil" policies which he criticized and accused the previous ruler of promulgating. The nation's deficit ballooned even more than the previous years. Many employers started facing spiraling costs and higher taxes, so they raised their prices and laid off many workers to cut costs, which in turn caused the nation's unemployment rate to rise to an ungodly height --- unseen in decades. Other business owners simply gave up and just filed bankruptcy and closed shop, and the economy sank like a rock dropped from a cliff to the depths of the "Sea of Red Ink". The nation's banking industry also went from bad to worse. Manufacturing slowed to a crawl. Many of the "stimulus" checks which were doled out to citizens ended in the casinos operated by some native Americans and other entities. And before long, more people started to live below the poverty line as paupers without any hope of recovering from their plight.
But in spite of all the bleak reality, many still persistently believed The Eloquent One and his glib speeches as he continued to claim that he was the nation's messiah of hope and change, and that he was going to save the nation from the widespread evil and corruption while willfully ignoring the fact that he himself had "corruption" written all over him and he has continued to promote the "evil" practice which he had accused others of doing. He also promised to repair the broken economy by printing more money so that there would be enough to keep the nation going.
However, the foreign trading partners and creditors started to wail, "Wait a minute, thy money will soon be as worthless as a pile of camel dung! Thy nation is deeply in debt and has national deficit which has grown by leaps and bounds, and still burgeoning since the new administration took over. But be that as it may, thy government shalt pay us or we shall take over thy country!"
And many citizens started to realize that things were indeed looking bleak, and many shouted in protest, "This is unfair!"
But the leaders and lenders from the other nations merely replied, "And so are the idiotic programs thy leader and his advisors have been proposing. Lo! Thy nation is fast becoming a socialist state and thou are rapidly losing the superpower status that thou once had. Now, thy nation shall no longer call the shots and go by thy rules but by our rules and we shall now be the ones to order thee and tell thee what we want thee to do!"
And the people cried out, " Alas! What have we done?"
But verily, it was too late. Many people, including those who voted for The Eloquent One started to be dissatisfied and even regretted voting for him, finally started to realize that they had been duped and misled. The once mighty nation was no more; and multitudes of the once proud people became poor with no guaranteed protection or way to financial recovery. The change which had been promised started to act as a poison which had began to destroy the formerly Great Society, and like an evil whirlwind, the empty campaign promises wrought havoc and ruin to the nation which the founding fathers of the once-upon-a-time great nation had built. Although the people beat their chest in despair and cried out in anguish, "Give us back our nation, our pride, and our hope!", it was all in vain for it was too late. And the once proud and rich land continued its downward course to shame and perdition.
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Above is an interesting commentary on current events written in biblical prose by a pastor's wife.
This may sound like a fairy tale, yet it is actually already happening in the USA and in the world this very moment. The question one should seriously consider is: Is this the kind of CHANGE which the 52% of US voters voted for?
Many were easily swayed by the rhetoric and many fell for the campaign promise of CHANGE, but they never bothered to ascertain as to what kind of CHANGE the promise would truly be.
Many merely blindly believed, and while many have realized and now regret their folly and error, many others still choose to be blind believers.
CHANGE has come all right, but so far it has been from BAD to WORSE.
Again, the question is: Is this really the kind of CHANGE America and the world really wants?
The USA, particularly, is now reaping the fruit of that blind and misguided trust which many have placed on The Eloquent One's glib tongue.
Foolish? It certainly looks like it, doesn't it?
Jul 11, 2009
The Passing of a Pop Star
I am an aging, white conservative Baptist. My taste in music runs from Bach to Mozart to Lawrence Welk. Indeed, my staff might say I am the un-hippest man alive.
So you might think that I am surprised by the frenzied and non-stop media coverage of the death of Michael Jackson-perhaps the greatest pop star of all time. But I’m not.
You may think that I don’t “get” why his fans by the millions are grieving, buying up Jackson CDs like they are going out of style, holding vigils at his mansion, desperately trying to get tickets to his memorial service in Los Angeles. But I do.
Here is why they have reason to mourn: Michael Jackson was, by any standard, a musical genius. His albums and his videos thrilled successive generations of pop fans. In fact, I was enthralled myself when I first watched his video presentation at an Epcot exhibit some 20 years ago.
There was, indeed, no one quite like Michael Jackson. And now there will be no new albums, no comeback concert tour, no new dance moves. That’s why they’re mourning.
But here’s why they-and all of us-should mourn the real tragedy that Michael Jackson’s story is. Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic Monthly blog said it well: Michael Jackson “was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.” He was, as Sullivan noted, nothing but a creature of our culture, which puts “fame and celebrity” at its core, with money as its driving force, without regard for the person caught up in it or the character he exhibits.
By numerous published accounts, Jackson was emotionally abused by his father, a man consumed by the idea that his child could be a superstar. Jackson was a drug addict accused of pedophilia, given to all manner of bizarre behavior. He was, in the end, as Bob Herbert opined in the New York Times, “psychologically disabled, to the point where he was a danger to himself and others.”
It makes the scenes of adoring crowds pushing and shoving to get near yesterday’s memorial service, and the non-stop live television coverage, all the more bizarre and tragic. We worship the celebrity for his fame, degenerate lifestyle not withstanding.
Jackson achieved the summit of what this culture values most-fame-and paid for it with his life. And that is a tragedy.
Life is filled with teaching moments. And for parents, this tragedy is an opportunity to talk with our children about what they really want out of life-what matters most.
And it’s also a time for parents to look in the mirror and ask what we really want for our kids. If the answer is success in life, then we had better know what that definition of success is.
That’s because even Christian parents are not immune to the siren song of fame and fortune for their kids. It’s great that your child can sing and dance. It’s wonderful that he can hit a baseball a country mile. She just might win that academic scholarship to Harvard.
But winning that scholarship, or playing in the major leagues, is not the Christian definition of success. Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your God is.
Character matters. Not fame. No matter how un-hip that sounds. -By Chuck Colson, Christian Post Guest Columnist
So you might think that I am surprised by the frenzied and non-stop media coverage of the death of Michael Jackson-perhaps the greatest pop star of all time. But I’m not.
You may think that I don’t “get” why his fans by the millions are grieving, buying up Jackson CDs like they are going out of style, holding vigils at his mansion, desperately trying to get tickets to his memorial service in Los Angeles. But I do.
Here is why they have reason to mourn: Michael Jackson was, by any standard, a musical genius. His albums and his videos thrilled successive generations of pop fans. In fact, I was enthralled myself when I first watched his video presentation at an Epcot exhibit some 20 years ago.
There was, indeed, no one quite like Michael Jackson. And now there will be no new albums, no comeback concert tour, no new dance moves. That’s why they’re mourning.
But here’s why they-and all of us-should mourn the real tragedy that Michael Jackson’s story is. Andrew Sullivan at the Atlantic Monthly blog said it well: Michael Jackson “was everything our culture worships; and yet he was obviously desperately unhappy, tortured, afraid and alone.” He was, as Sullivan noted, nothing but a creature of our culture, which puts “fame and celebrity” at its core, with money as its driving force, without regard for the person caught up in it or the character he exhibits.
By numerous published accounts, Jackson was emotionally abused by his father, a man consumed by the idea that his child could be a superstar. Jackson was a drug addict accused of pedophilia, given to all manner of bizarre behavior. He was, in the end, as Bob Herbert opined in the New York Times, “psychologically disabled, to the point where he was a danger to himself and others.”
It makes the scenes of adoring crowds pushing and shoving to get near yesterday’s memorial service, and the non-stop live television coverage, all the more bizarre and tragic. We worship the celebrity for his fame, degenerate lifestyle not withstanding.
Jackson achieved the summit of what this culture values most-fame-and paid for it with his life. And that is a tragedy.
Life is filled with teaching moments. And for parents, this tragedy is an opportunity to talk with our children about what they really want out of life-what matters most.
And it’s also a time for parents to look in the mirror and ask what we really want for our kids. If the answer is success in life, then we had better know what that definition of success is.
That’s because even Christian parents are not immune to the siren song of fame and fortune for their kids. It’s great that your child can sing and dance. It’s wonderful that he can hit a baseball a country mile. She just might win that academic scholarship to Harvard.
But winning that scholarship, or playing in the major leagues, is not the Christian definition of success. Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with your God is.
Character matters. Not fame. No matter how un-hip that sounds. -By Chuck Colson, Christian Post Guest Columnist
'Hate' Crimes Bill a Threat to Liberty
The U.S. House of Representatives easily approved “hate” crimes protections for homosexuals and transgendered individuals April 29. The Senate is expected to take up the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act prior to leaving for their August recess.
The House bill would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the current categories–such as race, religion and national origin–protected from hate crimes. “Sexual orientation” includes homosexuality, while “gender identity,” or transgendered status, takes in transsexuals and cross-dressers.
If adopted by Congress and signed by the president, the “hate” crimes legislation would establish a terrible precedent, making sexual preference in any way, shape or form a protected right.
It is not unthinkable, under the scenario presented by the “hate” crimes bill, that if a person commits a violent act based on a victim’s “sexual orientation” after hearing the Bible’s teaching, for instance, that homosexual behavior is a sin, the teacher or preacher might be charged with inducing that person to commit the crime.
This is a major issue for the cause of religious freedom and freedom of speech. In the face of a vote in the U.S. Senate, it is imperative that evangelicals contact their senators and urge them to resist the pressure of political correctness and to stand up for the constitutional principles of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
People should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when they commit crimes against persons or property. Yet it is a dangerous mistake to try to elevate some crimes of violence as being more heinous than other crimes of violence because of the purported motives of the perpetrator or the identity of the victim. Murder is murder and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of the possible motives of the murderer or the racial, ethnic or sexual identity of the victim.
I encourage you to read this letter from U.S. Senator Jim DeMint on this most critical issue. Senator DeMint rightly warns that this legislation may well impact your “freedom to speak and preach biblical truth.” [To read Senator DeMint’s Letter click on the link below]
This is no time to be silent. As people of God, we must let our voices be heard. Justice should be meted out based on actions, not upon the particular identities or lifestyles of perpetrators or victims. -By Richard Land, Christian Post Guest Columnist
The House bill would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the current categories–such as race, religion and national origin–protected from hate crimes. “Sexual orientation” includes homosexuality, while “gender identity,” or transgendered status, takes in transsexuals and cross-dressers.
If adopted by Congress and signed by the president, the “hate” crimes legislation would establish a terrible precedent, making sexual preference in any way, shape or form a protected right.
It is not unthinkable, under the scenario presented by the “hate” crimes bill, that if a person commits a violent act based on a victim’s “sexual orientation” after hearing the Bible’s teaching, for instance, that homosexual behavior is a sin, the teacher or preacher might be charged with inducing that person to commit the crime.
This is a major issue for the cause of religious freedom and freedom of speech. In the face of a vote in the U.S. Senate, it is imperative that evangelicals contact their senators and urge them to resist the pressure of political correctness and to stand up for the constitutional principles of freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
People should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when they commit crimes against persons or property. Yet it is a dangerous mistake to try to elevate some crimes of violence as being more heinous than other crimes of violence because of the purported motives of the perpetrator or the identity of the victim. Murder is murder and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of the possible motives of the murderer or the racial, ethnic or sexual identity of the victim.
I encourage you to read this letter from U.S. Senator Jim DeMint on this most critical issue. Senator DeMint rightly warns that this legislation may well impact your “freedom to speak and preach biblical truth.” [To read Senator DeMint’s Letter click on the link below]
This is no time to be silent. As people of God, we must let our voices be heard. Justice should be meted out based on actions, not upon the particular identities or lifestyles of perpetrators or victims. -By Richard Land, Christian Post Guest Columnist
You Are What You Love
“You are what you love, not what loves you. That’s what I decided a long time ago.” I have remembered this concluding line of a conversation between Nicolas Cage and himself (when he played the twin writer brothers in the 2002 movie “Adaptation”) for over five years. I have many times thought back on it over all the stories of unrequited love that I have heard since then. Donald knew something most of us miss, sometimes for a whole life- that the love we feel for who or what ever we feel it, is our own. Loving is not something we are given permission to feel or a feeling that anyone can take away.
This might be one of the biggest misconceptions ever perpetrated about love. There is this pervasive embodiment of the experience as a coupled experience, it’s legitimacy resting in it’s reciprocation. When love is withheld, rejected or takes some other form, the one who loved first is belittled, even if only in his/her own mind. Maybe that’s why I have always remembered Donald, who couldn’t care less whether, Sarah, the object of his love felt that way too. He knew that the gift of the experience was his.
The stories of unrequited love and the range of tragedy and heartbreak from love unmet has filled the airways since we began to sing or tell our stories. The universality of the loss experienced by love gone wrong, or never really given a chance, or interrupted too soon by tragedy is something we all share. The pain is as deep and real as any cut with a knife. The sadness and loneliness of loving and losing the object of our love is searing like a burn and shadows us for weeks, sometimes months. This is the story that many of us never get over, sometimes keeping us away from the prospect of loving again for years.
Why we can’t celebrate the love we feel without it being reciprocated has a lot to do with our latent feelings of unworthiness (Don’t worry it’s not you- it’s the whole culture). As soon as you are not good enough, the original experience of love, which is the highest feeling we can experience degenerates in less than a minute to a feeling of shame. Or if we are angry, then it is easy to find blame, making the object of our love not worth the feeling to begin with. Either way, we lose access to the purest and most instructive feeling we can muster.
Realizing that we are what we love and not what loves you is a revolutionary approach to opening your heart and discovering a capacity to embrace the world that you might not have known you are capable of. Loving builds emotional literacy and gives you the courage to feel the loss of love with grace and forgiveness. A loving and compassionate heart begets more love. The more you practice love with out the shame or the blame, the more love comes to you. Guaranteed. -Wendy Strgar
This might be one of the biggest misconceptions ever perpetrated about love. There is this pervasive embodiment of the experience as a coupled experience, it’s legitimacy resting in it’s reciprocation. When love is withheld, rejected or takes some other form, the one who loved first is belittled, even if only in his/her own mind. Maybe that’s why I have always remembered Donald, who couldn’t care less whether, Sarah, the object of his love felt that way too. He knew that the gift of the experience was his.
The stories of unrequited love and the range of tragedy and heartbreak from love unmet has filled the airways since we began to sing or tell our stories. The universality of the loss experienced by love gone wrong, or never really given a chance, or interrupted too soon by tragedy is something we all share. The pain is as deep and real as any cut with a knife. The sadness and loneliness of loving and losing the object of our love is searing like a burn and shadows us for weeks, sometimes months. This is the story that many of us never get over, sometimes keeping us away from the prospect of loving again for years.
Why we can’t celebrate the love we feel without it being reciprocated has a lot to do with our latent feelings of unworthiness (Don’t worry it’s not you- it’s the whole culture). As soon as you are not good enough, the original experience of love, which is the highest feeling we can experience degenerates in less than a minute to a feeling of shame. Or if we are angry, then it is easy to find blame, making the object of our love not worth the feeling to begin with. Either way, we lose access to the purest and most instructive feeling we can muster.
Realizing that we are what we love and not what loves you is a revolutionary approach to opening your heart and discovering a capacity to embrace the world that you might not have known you are capable of. Loving builds emotional literacy and gives you the courage to feel the loss of love with grace and forgiveness. A loving and compassionate heart begets more love. The more you practice love with out the shame or the blame, the more love comes to you. Guaranteed. -Wendy Strgar
Atheist Summer Camp
There’ll be no tent for God at Camp Dawkins. Britain’s most prominent non-believer, Richard Dawkins, is backing the first British atheist summer camp scheme for children. Camp Dawkins, the British version of America's Camp Quest, has been founded as an alternative to Christian camps, and will teach children about evolution.
The Camp Quest program was originally founded by Edwin Kagin, an atheist lawyer from Kentucky. Since the initial launching in 1996, Camp Quest now operates at six different US sites, with a new camp due to open in Florida at Christmas.
Amanda Metskas, who currently supervises 71 children at a Camp Quest project in Clarkesville, Ohio holds classes which include a session called Socrates Cafe, which debates issues such as definitions of knowledge, art, and justice. “We teach them that even people like Sir David Attenborough are religious skeptics,” said Metskas.
Kagin, 68, the son of a church pastor, will be visiting the camp [Camp Dawkins] in Somerset later this year. “Richard Dawkins has made a contribution towards the setting up of the camp in England, but I think now the idea has a momentum of its own,” he [Kagin] said.
[So] when schoolchildren break up for their summer holidays this year, India Jago, age 12, and her brother Peter, 11, will be taking a vacation with a twist. While their friends jet off to Spain or the Greek isles, the siblings will be hunting for imaginary unicorns in Somerset, while learning about moral philosophy. The Jagos from Basingstoke, Hampshire are among 24 children who will be taking part in Britain’s first summer camp for atheists. The five-day retreat is being subsidised by Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion, and is intended to provide an alternative to faith-based summer camps normally run by the Scouts and Christian groups. Crispian Jago, an IT consultant, is hoping the experience will enrich his two children.
"Let’s have atheist jokes around the campfire. I’m very keen on not indoctrinating them with religion or creeds,” he [Dawkins] said. “I would rather equip them with the tools to learn how to think, not what to think.”
While afternoons at the camp will involve familiar activities such as canoeing and swimming, the youngsters’ mornings will be spent debunking supernatural phenomena such as the formation of crop circles and telepathy. Even Uri Geller’s apparent ability to bend spoons with his mind will come under scrutiny. The emphasis on critical thinking is epitomised by a test called the "Invisible Unicorn Challenge". Children will be told by camp leaders that the area around their tents is inhabited by two unicorns. The activities of these creatures, of which there will be no physical evidence, will be regularly discussed by organisers, yet the children will be asked to prove that the unicorns do not exist. Anyone who manages to prove this will win a £10 note, which features an image of Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory, signed by Dawkins, a former professor of the public understanding of science at Oxford University.
“The unicorns are not necessarily a metaphor for God, they are to show kids that you can’t prove a negative,” said Samantha Stein, who is leading in another atheist summer camp, Mill-on-the-Brue Outdoor Activity Centre, close to Bruton, Somerset. “We are not trying to bash religion, but it encourages people to believe in a lot of things for which there is no evidence.” A week-long stay at the Mill-on-the-Brue Activity Centre normally costs more than £500, but parents who have booked their children on the Camp Dawkins [Camp Quest] package are paying £275. Next year, Stein hopes to expand operations by running atheist camps at Easter and during school half-term breaks. Stein, age 23, a postgraduate psychology student from London, was inspired to work at an atheist summer camp in America after reading The God Delusion, the best selling book that sealed Dawkins’ reputation as Britain’s most prominent atheist. Stein is [also] now one of the major players who has helped bring the US concept called Camp Quest to Britain as an alternative to faith-based children’s retreats.
[In contrast], the Scout Association, which has 500,000 members who collectively spend 2 nights camping out each year, is Britain’s biggest organizer of children’s camps. All new Scouts, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim or from another religious background, are required to pledge to do their “duty” to their god or faith. Atheism, however, is not accounted for in the induction oath.
Christian organizations that run summer camps include the Church Pastoral Aid Society, an evangelical group, which operates 100 schemes attended by about 9,000 children. -by Philip Donnally
The Camp Quest program was originally founded by Edwin Kagin, an atheist lawyer from Kentucky. Since the initial launching in 1996, Camp Quest now operates at six different US sites, with a new camp due to open in Florida at Christmas.
Amanda Metskas, who currently supervises 71 children at a Camp Quest project in Clarkesville, Ohio holds classes which include a session called Socrates Cafe, which debates issues such as definitions of knowledge, art, and justice. “We teach them that even people like Sir David Attenborough are religious skeptics,” said Metskas.
Kagin, 68, the son of a church pastor, will be visiting the camp [Camp Dawkins] in Somerset later this year. “Richard Dawkins has made a contribution towards the setting up of the camp in England, but I think now the idea has a momentum of its own,” he [Kagin] said.
[So] when schoolchildren break up for their summer holidays this year, India Jago, age 12, and her brother Peter, 11, will be taking a vacation with a twist. While their friends jet off to Spain or the Greek isles, the siblings will be hunting for imaginary unicorns in Somerset, while learning about moral philosophy. The Jagos from Basingstoke, Hampshire are among 24 children who will be taking part in Britain’s first summer camp for atheists. The five-day retreat is being subsidised by Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion, and is intended to provide an alternative to faith-based summer camps normally run by the Scouts and Christian groups. Crispian Jago, an IT consultant, is hoping the experience will enrich his two children.
"Let’s have atheist jokes around the campfire. I’m very keen on not indoctrinating them with religion or creeds,” he [Dawkins] said. “I would rather equip them with the tools to learn how to think, not what to think.”
While afternoons at the camp will involve familiar activities such as canoeing and swimming, the youngsters’ mornings will be spent debunking supernatural phenomena such as the formation of crop circles and telepathy. Even Uri Geller’s apparent ability to bend spoons with his mind will come under scrutiny. The emphasis on critical thinking is epitomised by a test called the "Invisible Unicorn Challenge". Children will be told by camp leaders that the area around their tents is inhabited by two unicorns. The activities of these creatures, of which there will be no physical evidence, will be regularly discussed by organisers, yet the children will be asked to prove that the unicorns do not exist. Anyone who manages to prove this will win a £10 note, which features an image of Charles Darwin, the father of evolutionary theory, signed by Dawkins, a former professor of the public understanding of science at Oxford University.
“The unicorns are not necessarily a metaphor for God, they are to show kids that you can’t prove a negative,” said Samantha Stein, who is leading in another atheist summer camp, Mill-on-the-Brue Outdoor Activity Centre, close to Bruton, Somerset. “We are not trying to bash religion, but it encourages people to believe in a lot of things for which there is no evidence.” A week-long stay at the Mill-on-the-Brue Activity Centre normally costs more than £500, but parents who have booked their children on the Camp Dawkins [Camp Quest] package are paying £275. Next year, Stein hopes to expand operations by running atheist camps at Easter and during school half-term breaks. Stein, age 23, a postgraduate psychology student from London, was inspired to work at an atheist summer camp in America after reading The God Delusion, the best selling book that sealed Dawkins’ reputation as Britain’s most prominent atheist. Stein is [also] now one of the major players who has helped bring the US concept called Camp Quest to Britain as an alternative to faith-based children’s retreats.
[In contrast], the Scout Association, which has 500,000 members who collectively spend 2 nights camping out each year, is Britain’s biggest organizer of children’s camps. All new Scouts, whether Christian, Jewish, Muslim or from another religious background, are required to pledge to do their “duty” to their god or faith. Atheism, however, is not accounted for in the induction oath.
Christian organizations that run summer camps include the Church Pastoral Aid Society, an evangelical group, which operates 100 schemes attended by about 9,000 children. -by Philip Donnally
You Took My Parking Space at Church
One day, a man went to visit a church, He got there early, parked his car and got out. Another car pulled up near the driver got out and said, " I always park there! You took my place!"
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.
After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, " That's where I always sit! You took my place!" The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?" The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place."
When you have finished reading this, say a prayer. Then simply send this to four people. Maybe, just maybe, we can get the world to start thinking of who took our place. -Author Unknown
The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, "That's my seat! You took my place!" The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing.
After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down. Another member walked up to him and said, " That's where I always sit! You took my place!" The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing.
Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, "What happened to you?" The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, "I took your place."
When you have finished reading this, say a prayer. Then simply send this to four people. Maybe, just maybe, we can get the world to start thinking of who took our place. -Author Unknown
Jul 3, 2009
'3900 Saturdays'
The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes with being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable.
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles.' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say....
' Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'
'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.
'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.
It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'
'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .'
'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'
'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.
Author Unknown
A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the garage with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it:
I turned the dial up into the phone portion of the band on my ham radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning swap net. Along the way, I came across an older sounding chap, with a tremendous signal and a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business. He was telling whom-ever he was talking with something about 'a thousand marbles.' I was intrigued and stopped to listen to what he had to say....
' Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. It's too bad you missed your daughter's 'dance recital' he continued. 'Let me tell you something that has helped me keep my own priorities.' And that's when he began to explain his theory of a 'thousand marbles.'
'You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years.
'Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900, which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now, stick with me, Tom, I'm getting to the important part.
It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail', he went on, 'and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays.' 'I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy. So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to round up 1000 marbles I took them home and put them inside a large, clear plastic container right here in the shack next to my gear.'
'Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away. I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life.
There's nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight .'
'Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure that if I make it until next Saturday then I have been given a little extra time. And the one thing we can all use is a little more time.'
'It was nice to meet you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your family, and I hope to meet you again here on the band. This is a 75 Year old Man, K9NZQ, clear and going QRT, good morning!'
You could have heard a pin drop on the band when this fellow signed off. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to work on the antenna that morning, and then I was going to meet up with a few hams to work on the next club newsletter.
Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. 'C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast.' 'What brought this on?' she asked with a smile. 'Oh, nothing special, it's just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. And hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles.
Author Unknown
<><*><><><*><>
And so, as one smart bear once said ...
'If you live to be a hundred,
I want to live to be a hundred minus one day,
so I never have to live without you.'
-Winnie the Pooh-
'If you live to be a hundred,
I want to live to be a hundred minus one day,
so I never have to live without you.'
-Winnie the Pooh-
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