Aug 8, 2010
Church Plans Quran-Burning Event
In protest of what it calls a religion "of the devil," a nondenominational church in Gainesville, Florida, plans to host an "International Burn a Quran Day" on the ninth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks.
The Dove World Outreach Center says it is hosting the event to remember 9/11 victims and take a stand against Islam. With promotions on its website and Facebook page, it invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book at the church from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"We believe that Islam is of the devil, that it's causing billions of people to go to hell, it is a deceptive religion, it is a violent religion and that is proven many, many times," Pastor Terry Jones told CNN's Rick Sanchez earlier this week.
Jones wrote a book titled "Islam is of the Devil," and the church sells coffee mugs and shirts featuring the phrase.
Muslims and many other Christians -- including some evangelicals -- are fighting the initiative.
The church launched a YouTube channel to disseminate its messages.
"I mean ask yourself, have you ever really seen a really happy Muslim? As they're on the way to Mecca? As they gather together in the mosque on the floor? Does it look like a real religion of joy?" Jones asks in one of his YouTube posts.
"No, to me it looks like a religion of the devil."
The Islamic advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Muslims and others to host "Share the Quran" dinners to educate the public during the monthlong fast of Ramadan beginning in August. In a news release, the group announced a campaign to give out 100,000 copies of the Quran to local, state and national leaders.
"American Muslims and other people of conscience should support positive educational efforts to prevent the spread of Islamophobia," said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper in the release.
The National Association of Evangelicals, the nation's largest umbrella evangelical group, issued a statement urging the church to cancel the event, warning it could cause worldwide tension between the two religions.
"The NAE calls on its members to cultivate relationships of trust and respect with our neighbors of other faiths. God created human beings in his image, and therefore all should be treated with dignity and respect," it said in the statement.
Dove's Facebook page, set up for the September event, has more than 1,600 fans.
"Eternal fire is the only destination the Quran can lead people to, so we want to put the Quran in it's [sic] place -- the fire!" the page says.
But another Facebook group with more than 3,100 fans says it stands "against the disrespect and intolerance that these people have for the Muslim people" and encourages people to report Dove's page to Facebook.
Targeting another group it calls "godless," the Dove center is also hosting a protest against Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe, who is openly gay, on Monday at Gainesville's City Hall. The group previously fought -- unsuccessfully -- to derail Lowe's election campaign.
"We protest sexual perversion because the Bible protests it. ... What is acceptable to today's leadership becomes acceptable to tomorrow's society," the church says in its blog entry about the event.
Lowe and other government figures and media outlets received e-mails from the church about the event, The Gainesville Sun reported. Lowe isn't concerned with Monday's event.
"I've got other things to do," he said, The Sun reports.
On the outreach center's front lawn, alongside a sign reading "Aug. 2 Protest, No Homo Mayor, City Hall," stands not just one, but three signs bearing the slogan "Islam is of the Devil."
One of the signs -- one reading "Islam" on one side, "Devil" on the other -- was vandalized. On its blog last week, the church said the sign will be replaced.
"This is private property and vandalism is a crime here in America," the blog says. "In Islam, many actions that we consider to be crimes are encouraged, condoned or sheltered under Islamic teaching and practice, though. Another reason to burn a Quran." -CNN U.S.
The Dove World Outreach Center says it is hosting the event to remember 9/11 victims and take a stand against Islam. With promotions on its website and Facebook page, it invites Christians to burn the Muslim holy book at the church from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
"We believe that Islam is of the devil, that it's causing billions of people to go to hell, it is a deceptive religion, it is a violent religion and that is proven many, many times," Pastor Terry Jones told CNN's Rick Sanchez earlier this week.
Jones wrote a book titled "Islam is of the Devil," and the church sells coffee mugs and shirts featuring the phrase.
Muslims and many other Christians -- including some evangelicals -- are fighting the initiative.
The church launched a YouTube channel to disseminate its messages.
"I mean ask yourself, have you ever really seen a really happy Muslim? As they're on the way to Mecca? As they gather together in the mosque on the floor? Does it look like a real religion of joy?" Jones asks in one of his YouTube posts.
"No, to me it looks like a religion of the devil."
The Islamic advocacy group Council on American-Islamic Relations called on Muslims and others to host "Share the Quran" dinners to educate the public during the monthlong fast of Ramadan beginning in August. In a news release, the group announced a campaign to give out 100,000 copies of the Quran to local, state and national leaders.
"American Muslims and other people of conscience should support positive educational efforts to prevent the spread of Islamophobia," said CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper in the release.
The National Association of Evangelicals, the nation's largest umbrella evangelical group, issued a statement urging the church to cancel the event, warning it could cause worldwide tension between the two religions.
"The NAE calls on its members to cultivate relationships of trust and respect with our neighbors of other faiths. God created human beings in his image, and therefore all should be treated with dignity and respect," it said in the statement.
Dove's Facebook page, set up for the September event, has more than 1,600 fans.
"Eternal fire is the only destination the Quran can lead people to, so we want to put the Quran in it's [sic] place -- the fire!" the page says.
But another Facebook group with more than 3,100 fans says it stands "against the disrespect and intolerance that these people have for the Muslim people" and encourages people to report Dove's page to Facebook.
Targeting another group it calls "godless," the Dove center is also hosting a protest against Gainesville Mayor Craig Lowe, who is openly gay, on Monday at Gainesville's City Hall. The group previously fought -- unsuccessfully -- to derail Lowe's election campaign.
"We protest sexual perversion because the Bible protests it. ... What is acceptable to today's leadership becomes acceptable to tomorrow's society," the church says in its blog entry about the event.
Lowe and other government figures and media outlets received e-mails from the church about the event, The Gainesville Sun reported. Lowe isn't concerned with Monday's event.
"I've got other things to do," he said, The Sun reports.
On the outreach center's front lawn, alongside a sign reading "Aug. 2 Protest, No Homo Mayor, City Hall," stands not just one, but three signs bearing the slogan "Islam is of the Devil."
One of the signs -- one reading "Islam" on one side, "Devil" on the other -- was vandalized. On its blog last week, the church said the sign will be replaced.
"This is private property and vandalism is a crime here in America," the blog says. "In Islam, many actions that we consider to be crimes are encouraged, condoned or sheltered under Islamic teaching and practice, though. Another reason to burn a Quran." -CNN U.S.
The Wailing Wall
A journalist heard of a certain elderly Jewish man, who allegedly had been going to Jerusalem's 'Wailing Wall' [the western wall of Solomon's temple, and the only part which remains today of the famous structure] to pray daily, and which he has reportedly done for many many years. He decided to check out the man and the story. So, he made a trip to Jerusalem.
Upon arriving in the holy city and checking into his hotel, he went about ascertaining from the local folks the old man's distinguishing and identifying marks and the time of day that he came to the Wailing Wall. He then headed straight for the city's famous landmark. And sure enough, at the appointed hour, there the old man was---walking with a cane as he slowly made his way to the holy site. He watched and waited as the elderly gentleman prayed. He stood facing the wall as he prayed for 45 minutes!
As the man turned to leave, moving ever so slowly, the reporter approached him saying: "Pardon me, sir, I'm a journalist from CNN. I have heard from many people about you and your daily trip to pray at the Wailing Wall, but no one has really ever told me your name."
“Morris Feinberg."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"About 60 years."
"Wow, 60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for, if I may ask?".
"I pray for peace between the Christians, the Jews, and the Muslims. I pray for all the wars and hatred to stop. I pray for all the children to grow up safely and become responsible adults and be loving to their fellowmen."
"How do you feel after doing this for all these 60 years?"
"Like I've been talking to a dumb wall."
Author Unknown
Upon arriving in the holy city and checking into his hotel, he went about ascertaining from the local folks the old man's distinguishing and identifying marks and the time of day that he came to the Wailing Wall. He then headed straight for the city's famous landmark. And sure enough, at the appointed hour, there the old man was---walking with a cane as he slowly made his way to the holy site. He watched and waited as the elderly gentleman prayed. He stood facing the wall as he prayed for 45 minutes!
As the man turned to leave, moving ever so slowly, the reporter approached him saying: "Pardon me, sir, I'm a journalist from CNN. I have heard from many people about you and your daily trip to pray at the Wailing Wall, but no one has really ever told me your name."
“Morris Feinberg."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"About 60 years."
"Wow, 60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for, if I may ask?".
"I pray for peace between the Christians, the Jews, and the Muslims. I pray for all the wars and hatred to stop. I pray for all the children to grow up safely and become responsible adults and be loving to their fellowmen."
"How do you feel after doing this for all these 60 years?"
"Like I've been talking to a dumb wall."
Author Unknown
Love The Enemy
“It is easy enough to be friendly to one’s friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.” - Gandhi
Whether you’re Christian or not, there’s something in the teachings of Jesus that is worth contemplation, for anyone who seeks to be a better person: his urging that we love our enemies.
Why is this message an important one, even if you’re not a Christian? I’m not here to discuss Christian teachings, but to address universal problems found in every human being, no matter what your religion or non-religion. And this is a universal problem: the hatred we feel for other people, hatred that wells up inside of us and causes destructive actions, for people who might have harmed us in some way but in the end are fellow human beings who we must live with in a common society. And it’s an idea that was taught not only by Christ, but by Buddha, Gandhi, and many other great people and religions.
“Your enemy” doesn’t just mean the enemy of your state, of course. We’re not talking about terrorists, we’re talking about people you really dislike, in any way. Who are these people? Maybe someone who has picked on you or called you names or disrespected you in some way, causing you anger … maybe you hold a grudge against them. Maybe a family member you’ve had a big fight with … maybe you’ve been angry at them for some time. Maybe someone who did something horrible to a loved one, from physically hurting them to scarring them from a damaging relationship.
And what does it mean to love these people? Obviously it’s non-romantic love, but there’s lots of different kinds of non-romantic love. There’s the love you have for your children, your siblings, your parents, your best friends … all of these are different in some way. Then there’s the love you have for someone who just did something wonderful for you, whether that’s someone you know or a complete stranger. There’s the love for a child you’ve never met but who somehow pulls at your heartstrings. There’s the love for your fellow human beings — and this is the love I mean.
To “Love Your Enemy” is to find it in your heart to put aside any wrongs, and to love them as a fellow human being. You don’t have to love them like you love your parents or children or best friend. Just have loving feelings toward them … and if possible, express it through words, or by doing something nice, or with a smile.
Why Should I Love My Enemy?
You’ll be happier. If you have anger or resentment inside of you, even if you don’t think about it all the time, there will be times when it surfaces. And that makes you unhappy. It’s destructive, inwardly (it eats you up) and outwardly (you might do destructive things to others). That anger also affects others around you, such as your loved ones, who are most likely affected in some way when you are angry — even if the anger isn’t directed at them. Removing this anger from yourself is a positive thing, and it will make you happier overall.
You could change that person’s life. Your enemy is a human being, and it’s very possible that your hatred of that person is a source of grief, tension, or hatred in them. Now, that might feel good to you in a vindictive way, but if you look at it objectively, removing your feelings from the situation … hurting another person is always a bad thing. Making them happier is a good thing. And interestingly, making someone happier, no matter who that is, can make us happier.
You set a better example for others. Our actions set an example for other people in our lives. If you have children, for example, they learn from anything you do. Teaching them to hate is not a positive example. But teaching them to overcome that anger and hate, to make up with an enemy, and to love … there is no better example in life.
It’s a test of you as a person. This might not be important to many people, but for me it is. I like to think of myself as a good person, but how good am I if I am just loving to my family and friends? That’s extremely easy (usually). But a better test of your goodness is if you can overcome feelings of hatred or resentment, and turn them into feelings of love. That’s a true challenge. And it’s a life-long challenge.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Can you truly forgive this person for what they’ve done, in your heart? If you’ve detached yourself, you’ve sought to understand, and you’ve accepted them and what has happened … it should be easier. Try to think about this: what happened is in the past. It cannot be changed. You can either hate what’s happened in the past, and change nothing but be angry … or you can accept it and move on. Let it go. It will do nothing but eat you up. Once you’ve let go of the past … let go of your feelings about what this person has done. Move on. Those feelings can do you no good.
Our hearts tend to remain closed to most people, as a defensive mechanism. We are afraid of being vulnerable, of getting rejected or hurt. And yet, this closing off of our hearts is what blocks us from happiness many times, what blocks us from forming relationships, what blocks us from loving and finding love. Even if we’re able to open our hearts to our loved ones but no one else … that’s limiting ourselves. This is a great challenge, and something that really can only happen with practice. Try it here, with your former enemy … even if you can just open your heart a little, that’s the only way you’ll find love for the person. –Care2
Whether you’re Christian or not, there’s something in the teachings of Jesus that is worth contemplation, for anyone who seeks to be a better person: his urging that we love our enemies.
Why is this message an important one, even if you’re not a Christian? I’m not here to discuss Christian teachings, but to address universal problems found in every human being, no matter what your religion or non-religion. And this is a universal problem: the hatred we feel for other people, hatred that wells up inside of us and causes destructive actions, for people who might have harmed us in some way but in the end are fellow human beings who we must live with in a common society. And it’s an idea that was taught not only by Christ, but by Buddha, Gandhi, and many other great people and religions.
“Your enemy” doesn’t just mean the enemy of your state, of course. We’re not talking about terrorists, we’re talking about people you really dislike, in any way. Who are these people? Maybe someone who has picked on you or called you names or disrespected you in some way, causing you anger … maybe you hold a grudge against them. Maybe a family member you’ve had a big fight with … maybe you’ve been angry at them for some time. Maybe someone who did something horrible to a loved one, from physically hurting them to scarring them from a damaging relationship.
And what does it mean to love these people? Obviously it’s non-romantic love, but there’s lots of different kinds of non-romantic love. There’s the love you have for your children, your siblings, your parents, your best friends … all of these are different in some way. Then there’s the love you have for someone who just did something wonderful for you, whether that’s someone you know or a complete stranger. There’s the love for a child you’ve never met but who somehow pulls at your heartstrings. There’s the love for your fellow human beings — and this is the love I mean.
To “Love Your Enemy” is to find it in your heart to put aside any wrongs, and to love them as a fellow human being. You don’t have to love them like you love your parents or children or best friend. Just have loving feelings toward them … and if possible, express it through words, or by doing something nice, or with a smile.
Why Should I Love My Enemy?
You’ll be happier. If you have anger or resentment inside of you, even if you don’t think about it all the time, there will be times when it surfaces. And that makes you unhappy. It’s destructive, inwardly (it eats you up) and outwardly (you might do destructive things to others). That anger also affects others around you, such as your loved ones, who are most likely affected in some way when you are angry — even if the anger isn’t directed at them. Removing this anger from yourself is a positive thing, and it will make you happier overall.
You could change that person’s life. Your enemy is a human being, and it’s very possible that your hatred of that person is a source of grief, tension, or hatred in them. Now, that might feel good to you in a vindictive way, but if you look at it objectively, removing your feelings from the situation … hurting another person is always a bad thing. Making them happier is a good thing. And interestingly, making someone happier, no matter who that is, can make us happier.
You set a better example for others. Our actions set an example for other people in our lives. If you have children, for example, they learn from anything you do. Teaching them to hate is not a positive example. But teaching them to overcome that anger and hate, to make up with an enemy, and to love … there is no better example in life.
It’s a test of you as a person. This might not be important to many people, but for me it is. I like to think of myself as a good person, but how good am I if I am just loving to my family and friends? That’s extremely easy (usually). But a better test of your goodness is if you can overcome feelings of hatred or resentment, and turn them into feelings of love. That’s a true challenge. And it’s a life-long challenge.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Can you truly forgive this person for what they’ve done, in your heart? If you’ve detached yourself, you’ve sought to understand, and you’ve accepted them and what has happened … it should be easier. Try to think about this: what happened is in the past. It cannot be changed. You can either hate what’s happened in the past, and change nothing but be angry … or you can accept it and move on. Let it go. It will do nothing but eat you up. Once you’ve let go of the past … let go of your feelings about what this person has done. Move on. Those feelings can do you no good.
Our hearts tend to remain closed to most people, as a defensive mechanism. We are afraid of being vulnerable, of getting rejected or hurt. And yet, this closing off of our hearts is what blocks us from happiness many times, what blocks us from forming relationships, what blocks us from loving and finding love. Even if we’re able to open our hearts to our loved ones but no one else … that’s limiting ourselves. This is a great challenge, and something that really can only happen with practice. Try it here, with your former enemy … even if you can just open your heart a little, that’s the only way you’ll find love for the person. –Care2
Anne Rice "Quits" Christianity
Novelist Anne Rice, famous for her darkly seductive works such as Interview with the Vampire and The Witching Hour, announced this week via her Facebook page that she has decided to "quit" Christianity because of how the religion is increasingly being used to push anti-gay, anti-feminist and anti-science views.
Her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, has confirmed that this posting and subsequent comments were indeed written by Rice and not an impostor.
Novelist Rejects Christianity, Remains "Committed to Christ"
On Wednesday, Rice wrote the following on her Facebook page:
"For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else."
She followed this with:
"As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."
Explaining herself further, Rice's latest offering on her Facebook page emphasizes that her faith remains as strong as ever, but that it is the affiliation with some of the religion's followers that has prompted her to redefine herself:
"My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become."
What Led to Rice's Rejection of Christianity?
As an excellent piece in the Huffington Post reinforces, it seems to be the religious right's increasing use of a very narrow version of Christianity as a political clobbering tool that has caused Rice to break from her affiliations with Christianity and Catholicism:
Earlier this week on her public Facebook page, Rice had expressed her horror and revulsion at two different news stories that shared similar themes.
The first was the co-opting of the "Christian" imprimatur by the GOP-linked "Christian punk rock" band You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, supported by Michelle Bachman, who believe that gays should be executed, and who deride America for not being "moral enough" to make homosexuality a capital crime like it is in Iran. The second story was an exposé of a seven-year old boy who had been indoctrinated into Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church, whose sole great commission is virulent hatred.
The author's relationship with her faith hasn't been a straightforward one. Raised as a Catholic, she rejected religion early on and became a committed atheist. In 1998, however, Rice returned to her beliefs. Her journey back to her faith was detailed in her 2008 memoir Called out of Darkness. After reaffirming her belief in God, Rice took the decision in 2002 to publicly dedicate her writing to Christ, saying that she would now only "write for the Lord". This was also marked by a turn away from writing her supernatural novels, whereby she chose to instead write about the life of Jesus and other similar subjects. Her return to Catholicism, which alienated some of her fans, came with a few caveats though, one of which was that she would continue to support gay rights.
Of course, support for lesbian and gay people has an added dimension for Rice. Her son Christopher Rice, also an author of significant talent and success, is openly gay and is himself a gay rights advocate.
Anne Rice: A Voice for the Disenfranchised Believer?
It is undeniable that, while Anne Rice's prominence in the literary field has perhaps wained of late, she remains a landmark author whose works have literally inspired generations of readers.
While Rice's latest comments will be perceived by some as offensive to her Christian-identifying followers and a capitulation to her former fans, there is an argument to be made that Rice is in fact emblematic of many persons of faith who feel disenfranchised as their moderate voices are drowned out by the religious right's crusade to impose its views on wider society. They also feel a sense of frustration, and rightly so, when all who identify as Christian get tarred with the same brush as those on the fringe who shout the loudest and most vociferously.
Rice's statements also innately serve to demonstrate to the wider public that the talking heads and ranting politicians seen so often in the media who claim to speak on behalf of "the Christian perspective" are certainly not speaking for everyone when they blanket condemn everything from prophylactics to the theory of evolution. In what is often called the culture war between progressive attitudes and religious views, it is the norm for both sides to accept that you can not, for example, be truly supportive of gay rights and also follow God.
Obviously, LGBT Christians know this to be untrue, but Rice's rejection of this narrow view compels that we also guard against falling into the easy trap of believing that religion and religious people are all of them the enemy of progressive causes like feminism and gay rights, when clearly we can see that this is demonstrably false.
And so, rather than an outright rejecting of Christianity, it can be argued that Anne Rice has attempted to take back the absolute core of her spiritual beliefs, that being compassion, love and understanding and a personal relationship with the Divine, from the grabbing hands of those who continue to use religion as a weapon to deny others their rights and dignity. In that, Rice has given a voice to other like-minded believers who are tired of having their faith hijacked to support personal and political agendas. –Care2
Her publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, has confirmed that this posting and subsequent comments were indeed written by Rice and not an impostor.
Novelist Rejects Christianity, Remains "Committed to Christ"
On Wednesday, Rice wrote the following on her Facebook page:
"For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being 'Christian' or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to 'belong' to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else."
She followed this with:
"As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen."
Explaining herself further, Rice's latest offering on her Facebook page emphasizes that her faith remains as strong as ever, but that it is the affiliation with some of the religion's followers that has prompted her to redefine herself:
"My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become."
What Led to Rice's Rejection of Christianity?
As an excellent piece in the Huffington Post reinforces, it seems to be the religious right's increasing use of a very narrow version of Christianity as a political clobbering tool that has caused Rice to break from her affiliations with Christianity and Catholicism:
Earlier this week on her public Facebook page, Rice had expressed her horror and revulsion at two different news stories that shared similar themes.
The first was the co-opting of the "Christian" imprimatur by the GOP-linked "Christian punk rock" band You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, supported by Michelle Bachman, who believe that gays should be executed, and who deride America for not being "moral enough" to make homosexuality a capital crime like it is in Iran. The second story was an exposé of a seven-year old boy who had been indoctrinated into Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church, whose sole great commission is virulent hatred.
The author's relationship with her faith hasn't been a straightforward one. Raised as a Catholic, she rejected religion early on and became a committed atheist. In 1998, however, Rice returned to her beliefs. Her journey back to her faith was detailed in her 2008 memoir Called out of Darkness. After reaffirming her belief in God, Rice took the decision in 2002 to publicly dedicate her writing to Christ, saying that she would now only "write for the Lord". This was also marked by a turn away from writing her supernatural novels, whereby she chose to instead write about the life of Jesus and other similar subjects. Her return to Catholicism, which alienated some of her fans, came with a few caveats though, one of which was that she would continue to support gay rights.
Of course, support for lesbian and gay people has an added dimension for Rice. Her son Christopher Rice, also an author of significant talent and success, is openly gay and is himself a gay rights advocate.
Anne Rice: A Voice for the Disenfranchised Believer?
It is undeniable that, while Anne Rice's prominence in the literary field has perhaps wained of late, she remains a landmark author whose works have literally inspired generations of readers.
While Rice's latest comments will be perceived by some as offensive to her Christian-identifying followers and a capitulation to her former fans, there is an argument to be made that Rice is in fact emblematic of many persons of faith who feel disenfranchised as their moderate voices are drowned out by the religious right's crusade to impose its views on wider society. They also feel a sense of frustration, and rightly so, when all who identify as Christian get tarred with the same brush as those on the fringe who shout the loudest and most vociferously.
Rice's statements also innately serve to demonstrate to the wider public that the talking heads and ranting politicians seen so often in the media who claim to speak on behalf of "the Christian perspective" are certainly not speaking for everyone when they blanket condemn everything from prophylactics to the theory of evolution. In what is often called the culture war between progressive attitudes and religious views, it is the norm for both sides to accept that you can not, for example, be truly supportive of gay rights and also follow God.
Obviously, LGBT Christians know this to be untrue, but Rice's rejection of this narrow view compels that we also guard against falling into the easy trap of believing that religion and religious people are all of them the enemy of progressive causes like feminism and gay rights, when clearly we can see that this is demonstrably false.
And so, rather than an outright rejecting of Christianity, it can be argued that Anne Rice has attempted to take back the absolute core of her spiritual beliefs, that being compassion, love and understanding and a personal relationship with the Divine, from the grabbing hands of those who continue to use religion as a weapon to deny others their rights and dignity. In that, Rice has given a voice to other like-minded believers who are tired of having their faith hijacked to support personal and political agendas. –Care2
The Fast-Changing Face Of The U.S.A.!
Allegedly, the photographs below were taken in New York City's Madison Avenue.
And in the name of being "politically correct", the mainstream news media never showed it on national news.
"For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do absolutely nothing." -Edmund Burke
And in the name of being "politically correct", the mainstream news media never showed it on national news.
"For evil to flourish, all that is needed is for good people to do absolutely nothing." -Edmund Burke
Judge Overturns California's Ban On Same-Sex Marriage
A federal judge in California on Wednesday struck down the state's ban on same-sex marriage, ruling that voter-approved Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution -- handing supporters of gay rights a major victory in a case that both sides say is sure to wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
The 136-page opinion, issued by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco, is an initial step in what will likely be a lengthy fight over California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
At stake in the trial was whether California's ban on same-sex marriage violates gay couples' rights to equal protection and due process, as protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The high-profile case is being watched closely by both supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage, as many say it is destined to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. If it does, the case could result in a landmark decision on whether people in the United States are allowed to marry people of the same sex.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in five U.S. states and in the District of Columbia, while civil unions are permitted in New Jersey. The five states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa and New Hampshire.
"Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples," Walker, who was appointed to the federal bench by former President Ronald Reagan, wrote in his opinion.
"Race restrictions on marital partners were once common in most states but are now seen as archaic, shameful or even bizarre," he added. "Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals."
In a separate order, Walker also granted supporters of Proposition 8 a temporary stay, which stops his decision from taking immediate effect. They had argued, prior to his ruling, that same-sex marriages would be performed soon after his decision and could be complicated by rulings and appeals farther down the legal road.
Walker gave both sides in the case until Friday to submit their responses to the order.
Elated supporters of same-sex marriage gathered to celebrate the judge's opinion in the Castro district of San Francisco. After speeches and songs, they began a march to city hall. People waved rainbow flags and U.S. flags, and carried signs that read, "We all deserve the freedom to marry," and "Separate is Unequal." Similar rallies unfolded in cities across California -- including Los Angeles and San Diego.
"For our entire lives, our government and the law have treated us as unequal. This decision to ensure that our constitutional rights are as protected as everyone else's makes us incredibly proud of our country," said Kristin Perry, a plaintiff.
Perry and Sandy Stier, along with Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami, are the two couples at the heart of the case, which if appealed would go next to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before possibly heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have said their best bet lies with higher courts and vowed to appeal the federal judge's ruling.
In a national survey, conducted by Gallup in May, 53 percent of respondents said same-sex marriages should not be recognized by law, while 44 percent said they should.
Proposition 8 is part of a long line of seesaw rulings, court cases, debates and protests over the controversial issue of same-sex marriage. It passed in California with some 52 percent of the vote in November 2008.
"Big surprise! We expected nothing different from Judge Vaughn Walker, after the biased way he conducted this trial," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. "With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman." -CNN U.S.
The 136-page opinion, issued by Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco, is an initial step in what will likely be a lengthy fight over California's Proposition 8, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
At stake in the trial was whether California's ban on same-sex marriage violates gay couples' rights to equal protection and due process, as protected by the U.S. Constitution.
The high-profile case is being watched closely by both supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage, as many say it is destined to make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court. If it does, the case could result in a landmark decision on whether people in the United States are allowed to marry people of the same sex.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in five U.S. states and in the District of Columbia, while civil unions are permitted in New Jersey. The five states are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, Iowa and New Hampshire.
"Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license. Indeed, the evidence shows Proposition 8 does nothing more than enshrine in the California Constitution the notion that opposite-sex couples are superior to same-sex couples," Walker, who was appointed to the federal bench by former President Ronald Reagan, wrote in his opinion.
"Race restrictions on marital partners were once common in most states but are now seen as archaic, shameful or even bizarre," he added. "Gender no longer forms an essential part of marriage; marriage under law is a union of equals."
In a separate order, Walker also granted supporters of Proposition 8 a temporary stay, which stops his decision from taking immediate effect. They had argued, prior to his ruling, that same-sex marriages would be performed soon after his decision and could be complicated by rulings and appeals farther down the legal road.
Walker gave both sides in the case until Friday to submit their responses to the order.
Elated supporters of same-sex marriage gathered to celebrate the judge's opinion in the Castro district of San Francisco. After speeches and songs, they began a march to city hall. People waved rainbow flags and U.S. flags, and carried signs that read, "We all deserve the freedom to marry," and "Separate is Unequal." Similar rallies unfolded in cities across California -- including Los Angeles and San Diego.
"For our entire lives, our government and the law have treated us as unequal. This decision to ensure that our constitutional rights are as protected as everyone else's makes us incredibly proud of our country," said Kristin Perry, a plaintiff.
Perry and Sandy Stier, along with Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami, are the two couples at the heart of the case, which if appealed would go next to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before possibly heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Opponents of same-sex marriage have said their best bet lies with higher courts and vowed to appeal the federal judge's ruling.
In a national survey, conducted by Gallup in May, 53 percent of respondents said same-sex marriages should not be recognized by law, while 44 percent said they should.
Proposition 8 is part of a long line of seesaw rulings, court cases, debates and protests over the controversial issue of same-sex marriage. It passed in California with some 52 percent of the vote in November 2008.
"Big surprise! We expected nothing different from Judge Vaughn Walker, after the biased way he conducted this trial," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. "With a stroke of his pen, Judge Walker has overruled the votes and values of 7 million Californians who voted for marriage as one man and one woman." -CNN U.S.
Aug 1, 2010
NASA & The Bible
Today, many claim that The Bible is just a book of myths and legends.
However, Harold Hill, a consultant in the U.S. space program, who works with NASA's scientific authorities and experts--- [astronomers, astrophysicists, space scientists, et al, many of whom are atheists or agnostics], relates the following incident which occurred the NASA Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland several years ago. Put in simple layman's language, the story goes as follows:
The NASA space exploration projects require precision and exactness [and keeping in mind that it costs millions, even billions, of US dollars]. A man-made satellite's orbit has to be precisely laid out [in terms of its life span], and in relation to where the planets will be in order to avoid any accidents or collisions which will cause the NASA project to fail in any way.
The exact positions of the sun, moon, and other planets in relation to the Earth and the satellite in 100 years and 1,000 years into the future have to be accurately determined. No NASA satellite can be launched from Earth only have it "bump into something" later on as it orbits in space.
There was one specific incident which occurred in which the NASA computer came to a complete halt while computer measurements back and forth over the centuries were being done, and a "red signal light" came up, which meant that there was something wrong with either the information fed into it or with the computed results compared to the "standards".
First, the Technical Service Department was called to make sure that there was nothing mechanical wrong with the hardware. After a thorough check was made, and it was determined that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the computer mechanically, the big question which remained was: What could be wrong now?
According to the computer, there were 24 hours missing which have to be accounted for; it is absolutely imperative that every second and minute of time is accounted for in terms of space exploration!
The NASA scientific authorities and experts scratched their heads and tore their hair out, but could not account for the "lost time", but the puzzle regarding the missing 24 hours had to be solved!
After what seemed to be an unsolvable mystery, a member of the team [who was an apparent "Christian believer amidst atheists and infidels" ] finally said, 'You know what? There was one time during Sunday School in the church I attend that there was mention of the sun standing still.'
Of course, the cynical atheists and agnostics in the group looked at the fellow oddly and couldn't believe what they just heard. Anyhow, "just for fun", they asked him to show them the exact place in The Bible where this supposed phenomenon is written.
A copy of The Bible was brought in, and the "oddball" team member turned to the book of Joshua, where it says that Joshua asked God for help, and "....So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day...." (Joshua 10:13)
The unbelieving astronauts and scientists then said (whether in jest or in seriousness, one can't say), "There is the missing day!"
And to their astonishment, when the data was fed to the computer going back into the time in history when the phenomenon occurred [as it was written in Joshua], the incredulous bunch was astonished that the NASA computer spouted out the data, that the elapsed time in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes! But 40 minutes were still missing. The 40 minutes, if not fully accounted for could still mean "trouble 100 or 1,000 years later on" [in Earth's time]. Forty minutes have to still be found and fully accounted for!
Again, the [Christian] "oddball" scientist thought about it, and then again, he remembered somewhere in The Bible where it says that the sun went backwards.
The other scientists told him he was out of his mind, but once again, they got out The Bible, and read the words in 2 Kings 20:9-11 which tells the story of King Hezekiah of Israel, who, while in his death bed, called for and was visited by a man named Isaiah, a prophet, who told the king that he was not going to die. The king then asked for a "sign" that what the prophet said was true. Isaiah asked Hezekiah if he wanted the sun to go forward ten degrees.
Hezekiah replied, 'It is nothing for the sun to go forward 10 degrees, but let the [sun's] shadow return backward 10 degrees.'
And Isaiah spoke to the Lord, and the Lord brought the sun's shadow backward ten degrees!
Again, when the information was fed to the NASA computer, to the group's surprise, according to the computer's calculations, the ten degrees was equivalent to exactly 40 minutes!
And so, the 23 hours and 20 minutes in Joshua's time plus 40 minutes in Hezekiah's time accounted for exactly the "missing 24 hours"---believe it or not!
Author Unknown
However, Harold Hill, a consultant in the U.S. space program, who works with NASA's scientific authorities and experts--- [astronomers, astrophysicists, space scientists, et al, many of whom are atheists or agnostics], relates the following incident which occurred the NASA Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, Maryland several years ago. Put in simple layman's language, the story goes as follows:
<><>*<><>
The NASA space exploration projects require precision and exactness [and keeping in mind that it costs millions, even billions, of US dollars]. A man-made satellite's orbit has to be precisely laid out [in terms of its life span], and in relation to where the planets will be in order to avoid any accidents or collisions which will cause the NASA project to fail in any way.
The exact positions of the sun, moon, and other planets in relation to the Earth and the satellite in 100 years and 1,000 years into the future have to be accurately determined. No NASA satellite can be launched from Earth only have it "bump into something" later on as it orbits in space.
There was one specific incident which occurred in which the NASA computer came to a complete halt while computer measurements back and forth over the centuries were being done, and a "red signal light" came up, which meant that there was something wrong with either the information fed into it or with the computed results compared to the "standards".
First, the Technical Service Department was called to make sure that there was nothing mechanical wrong with the hardware. After a thorough check was made, and it was determined that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the computer mechanically, the big question which remained was: What could be wrong now?
According to the computer, there were 24 hours missing which have to be accounted for; it is absolutely imperative that every second and minute of time is accounted for in terms of space exploration!
The NASA scientific authorities and experts scratched their heads and tore their hair out, but could not account for the "lost time", but the puzzle regarding the missing 24 hours had to be solved!
After what seemed to be an unsolvable mystery, a member of the team [who was an apparent "Christian believer amidst atheists and infidels" ] finally said, 'You know what? There was one time during Sunday School in the church I attend that there was mention of the sun standing still.'
Of course, the cynical atheists and agnostics in the group looked at the fellow oddly and couldn't believe what they just heard. Anyhow, "just for fun", they asked him to show them the exact place in The Bible where this supposed phenomenon is written.
A copy of The Bible was brought in, and the "oddball" team member turned to the book of Joshua, where it says that Joshua asked God for help, and "....So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day...." (Joshua 10:13)
The unbelieving astronauts and scientists then said (whether in jest or in seriousness, one can't say), "There is the missing day!"
And to their astonishment, when the data was fed to the computer going back into the time in history when the phenomenon occurred [as it was written in Joshua], the incredulous bunch was astonished that the NASA computer spouted out the data, that the elapsed time in Joshua's day was 23 hours and 20 minutes! But 40 minutes were still missing. The 40 minutes, if not fully accounted for could still mean "trouble 100 or 1,000 years later on" [in Earth's time]. Forty minutes have to still be found and fully accounted for!
Again, the [Christian] "oddball" scientist thought about it, and then again, he remembered somewhere in The Bible where it says that the sun went backwards.
The other scientists told him he was out of his mind, but once again, they got out The Bible, and read the words in 2 Kings 20:9-11 which tells the story of King Hezekiah of Israel, who, while in his death bed, called for and was visited by a man named Isaiah, a prophet, who told the king that he was not going to die. The king then asked for a "sign" that what the prophet said was true. Isaiah asked Hezekiah if he wanted the sun to go forward ten degrees.
Hezekiah replied, 'It is nothing for the sun to go forward 10 degrees, but let the [sun's] shadow return backward 10 degrees.'
And Isaiah spoke to the Lord, and the Lord brought the sun's shadow backward ten degrees!
Again, when the information was fed to the NASA computer, to the group's surprise, according to the computer's calculations, the ten degrees was equivalent to exactly 40 minutes!
And so, the 23 hours and 20 minutes in Joshua's time plus 40 minutes in Hezekiah's time accounted for exactly the "missing 24 hours"---believe it or not!
Author Unknown
A Prayer For Leroy
A preacher said, "Anyone with 'special needs' who wants to be prayed over, please come forward to the front by the altar."
With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked, "Brother, what do you want me to pray about for you?"
Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."
The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy's ear, placed his other hand on top of Leroy's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed. He prayed a "blue streak" for Leroy, and the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm.
After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back, and asked, "How is your hearing now, my Brother?"
Leroy answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til next week."
Author Unknown
With that, Leroy got in line, and when it was his turn, the preacher asked, "Brother, what do you want me to pray about for you?"
Leroy replied, "Preacher, I need you to pray for help with my hearing."
The preacher put one finger of one hand in Leroy's ear, placed his other hand on top of Leroy's head, and then prayed and prayed and prayed. He prayed a "blue streak" for Leroy, and the whole congregation joined in with great enthusiasm.
After a few minutes, the preacher removed his hands, stood back, and asked, "How is your hearing now, my Brother?"
Leroy answered, "I don't know. It ain't 'til next week."
Author Unknown
One Door Closes … Another Opens - Revelations 3:8When God leads you to the edge of the cliff, trust Him fully and let go. Only one of two things will happen. Either He'll catch you when you fall, or He'll teach you how to fly!
God closes doors no man can open and God opens doors no man can close.
Author Unknown
An Excerpt From “The Strangest Secret”
George Bernard Shaw said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, they make them."
Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.
Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.
How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.
Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.
We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.
Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.
As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."
Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.
The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.
You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.
by Earl Nightingale
Well, it's pretty apparent, isn't it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about.
Conversely, the person who has no goal, who doesn't know where he's going, and whose thoughts must therefore be thoughts of confusion, anxiety and worry - his life becomes one of frustration, fear, anxiety and worry. And if he thinks about nothing... he becomes nothing.
How does it work? Why do we become what we think about? Well, I'll tell you how it works, as far as we know. To do this, I want to tell you about a situation that parallels the human mind.
Suppose a farmer has some land, and it's good, fertile land. The land gives the farmer a choice; he may plant in that land whatever he chooses. The land doesn't care. It's up to the farmer to make the decision.
We're comparing the human mind with the land because the mind, like the land, doesn't care what you plant in it. It will return what you plant, but it doesn't care what you plant.
Now, let's say that the farmer has two seeds in his hand- one is a seed of corn, the other is nightshade, a deadly poison. He digs two little holes in the earth and he plants both seeds-one corn, the other nightshade. He covers up the holes, waters and takes care of the land...and what will happen? Invariably, the land will return what was planted.
As it's written in the Bible, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."
Remember the land doesn't care. It will return poison in just as wonderful abundance as it will corn. So up come the two plants - one corn, one poison.
The human mind is far more fertile, far more incredible and mysterious than the land, but it works the same way. It doesn't care what we plant...success...or failure. A concrete, worthwhile goal...or confusion, misunderstanding, fear, anxiety and so on. But what we plant must return to us.
You see, the human mind is the last great unexplored continent on earth. It contains riches beyond our wildest dreams. It will return anything we want to plant.
by Earl Nightingale
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