Graphic Anti-abortion Ads Air On Washington Stations
A disturbingly graphic political ad is airing on local stations in Washington this week -- and stations are telling viewers there's nothing they can do to prevent it.
The ad, calling for an end to abortion, apparently shows bloody and dismembered fetuses, and has been airing over the past few days in the nation's capital, including during afternoon and early-evening time slots, when children are likely to be watching.
But according to spokespersons for several of the broadcasters, they are required by law to carry the ads unaltered.—Read more at CNN Politics
Oct 31, 2010
New Uses For Lemons
Lemon as Laundry Brightener
Skip the bleach—add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle to brighter up those fading whites.
Lemon as Sore Throat Soother
Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey. Swallow the mixture.
Lemon as Hair Lightener
For subtle highlights in blond hair, simmer two sliced lemons in water for one hour (add more water if needed). Strain, then pour into a spray bottle.
Lemon as Browning Preventer
Stop apples and pears from browning by squeezing a little lemon juice over them.
Lemon as Table Decoration
Decorate on the cheap. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a sunny centerpiece. Or display a row of them along a windowsill.
Lemon as Toothpick Collector
Collect used toothpicks at a party so you don't end up with them all over your tables, seats, and floors. (Stick one in the lemon ahead of time to give guests the hint.)
Lemon as Grater Cleaner
After shredding soft cheese or other sticky foods, go over both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon to get rid of any residue.
Microwave as Lemon Juicer
Squeeze juice from lemons with less effort by first warming them for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Lemon as Cutting Board Cleaner
To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. The best part? You'll have a house that smells like a lemon grove rather than chemicals. –Yahoo Shine
Lemon as Sore Throat Soother
Relieve a sore throat. Cut a lemon in half. Skewer one half over a medium flame on a gas stove or an electric burner set on high and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey. Swallow the mixture.
Lemon as Hair Lightener
For subtle highlights in blond hair, simmer two sliced lemons in water for one hour (add more water if needed). Strain, then pour into a spray bottle.
Lemon as Browning Preventer
Stop apples and pears from browning by squeezing a little lemon juice over them.
Lemon as Table Decoration
Decorate on the cheap. Fill a glass bowl with lemons for a sunny centerpiece. Or display a row of them along a windowsill.
Lemon as Toothpick Collector
Collect used toothpicks at a party so you don't end up with them all over your tables, seats, and floors. (Stick one in the lemon ahead of time to give guests the hint.)
Lemon as Grater Cleaner
After shredding soft cheese or other sticky foods, go over both sides of the grater with the pulp side of a cut lemon to get rid of any residue.
Microwave as Lemon Juicer
Squeeze juice from lemons with less effort by first warming them for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Lemon as Cutting Board Cleaner
To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing. The best part? You'll have a house that smells like a lemon grove rather than chemicals. –Yahoo Shine
Pop Wants Sunday As Day Of Rest Starting In 2011
The next World Meeting of Families is not until 2012 in Milan, but Pope Benedict XVI is asking families and parishes to begin preparations a year in advance (2011) availing of Pope John Paul II's apostolic exhortation “Familiaris Consortio”.
The German Pontiff made this request in an August 23, 2010 letter to the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli. The Vatican released the letter this week. The theme for the upcoming 7th World Meeting of Families is: "Family: Work and Celebration." The Holy Father's letter reflected on these themes, and the appropriate balance of work and rest.
"Work and celebration are intimately connected in the life of families: they condition choices, influence relations between married couples and between parents and children, affect the relation of families with society and with the Church," the Pontiff noted. "Holy Scripture tells us that the family, work and the feast day are gifts and blessings of God to help us to live a fully human existence. Daily experience attests that the authentic development of the person includes the individual, familial, and communal dimension, activities and functional relationships, as well as openness to hope and to the Good without limits."
In this light, Benedict XVI lamented the modern organization of work, "in function of market competition and maximizing profit," and the concept of rest or celebration as an "occasion for escape and consumption."
He said both these factors "contribute to the break-up of the family and the community and to the spreading of an individualistic lifestyle."
"Thus," the Pope continued, "it is necessary to promote reflection and efforts at reconciling the demands and the periods of work with those of the family and to recover the true meaning of the feast, especially on Sunday, the weekly Easter, THE DAY OF THE LORD and the day of man, the day of the family, of the community, and of solidarity."
Characterizing the World Meeting of Families as a "privileged occasion to rethink work and celebration," he affirmed that the event "must connect to an adequate journey of ecclesial and cultural formation" if it is to bear fruit.
"It is my wish, therefore, that already in the course of 2011, the 30th anniversary of the apostolic exhortation 'Familiaris Consortio', the great charter of family pastoral care, might be taken as a valid guide with initiatives at the parish, diocesan and national level, aimed at throwing light on experiences of work and celebration in their truest and most positive aspects, with particular regard to the effect on the concrete life of families,"he said. "Christian families and ecclesial communities of the whole world should thus feel called and involved and enter solicitously onto the path toward Milan 2012.'" -Read more at Zenit
The German Pontiff made this request in an August 23, 2010 letter to the President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal Ennio Antonelli. The Vatican released the letter this week. The theme for the upcoming 7th World Meeting of Families is: "Family: Work and Celebration." The Holy Father's letter reflected on these themes, and the appropriate balance of work and rest.
"Work and celebration are intimately connected in the life of families: they condition choices, influence relations between married couples and between parents and children, affect the relation of families with society and with the Church," the Pontiff noted. "Holy Scripture tells us that the family, work and the feast day are gifts and blessings of God to help us to live a fully human existence. Daily experience attests that the authentic development of the person includes the individual, familial, and communal dimension, activities and functional relationships, as well as openness to hope and to the Good without limits."
In this light, Benedict XVI lamented the modern organization of work, "in function of market competition and maximizing profit," and the concept of rest or celebration as an "occasion for escape and consumption."
He said both these factors "contribute to the break-up of the family and the community and to the spreading of an individualistic lifestyle."
"Thus," the Pope continued, "it is necessary to promote reflection and efforts at reconciling the demands and the periods of work with those of the family and to recover the true meaning of the feast, especially on Sunday, the weekly Easter, THE DAY OF THE LORD and the day of man, the day of the family, of the community, and of solidarity."
Characterizing the World Meeting of Families as a "privileged occasion to rethink work and celebration," he affirmed that the event "must connect to an adequate journey of ecclesial and cultural formation" if it is to bear fruit.
"It is my wish, therefore, that already in the course of 2011, the 30th anniversary of the apostolic exhortation 'Familiaris Consortio', the great charter of family pastoral care, might be taken as a valid guide with initiatives at the parish, diocesan and national level, aimed at throwing light on experiences of work and celebration in their truest and most positive aspects, with particular regard to the effect on the concrete life of families,"he said. "Christian families and ecclesial communities of the whole world should thus feel called and involved and enter solicitously onto the path toward Milan 2012.'" -Read more at Zenit
End of the Earth Postponed
It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
[Related: More details on the Mayan Calendar and 2012 prophecy]
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes. –Yahoo News
A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)
The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
[Related: More details on the Mayan Calendar and 2012 prophecy]
Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.
"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."
But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.
"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."
Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes. –Yahoo News
Southern Baptist Leader On Yoga: Not Christianity
A Southern Baptist leader who is calling for Christians to avoid yoga and its spiritual attachments is getting plenty of pushback from enthusiasts who defend the ancient practice.
Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler says the stretching and meditative discipline derived from Eastern religions is not a Christian pathway to God.
Mohler said he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine."
"That's just not Christianity," Mohler told The Associated Press.
Mohler said feedback has come through e-mail and comments on blogs and other websites since he wrote an essay to address questions about yoga he has heard for years.
"I'm really surprised by the depth of the commitment to yoga found on the part of many who identify as Christians," Mohler said.
Yoga fans say their numbers have been growing in the U.S. A 2008 study by the Yoga Journal put the number at 15.8 million, or nearly 7 percent of adults. About 6.7 percent of American adults are Southern Baptists, according to a 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Mohler argued in his online essay last month that Christians who practice yoga "must either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of yoga."
He said his view is "not an eccentric Christian position."
Other Christian leaders have said practicing yoga is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus. Pat Robertson has called the chanting and other spiritual components that go along with yoga "really spooky." California megachurch pastor John MacArthur called yoga a "false religion." Muslim clerics have banned Muslims from practicing yoga in Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia, citing similar concerns.
Yoga proponents say the wide-ranging discipline, which originated in India, offers physical and mental healing through stretching poses and concentration.
Southern Baptist Seminary President Albert Mohler says the stretching and meditative discipline derived from Eastern religions is not a Christian pathway to God.
Mohler said he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine."
"That's just not Christianity," Mohler told The Associated Press.
Mohler said feedback has come through e-mail and comments on blogs and other websites since he wrote an essay to address questions about yoga he has heard for years.
"I'm really surprised by the depth of the commitment to yoga found on the part of many who identify as Christians," Mohler said.
Yoga fans say their numbers have been growing in the U.S. A 2008 study by the Yoga Journal put the number at 15.8 million, or nearly 7 percent of adults. About 6.7 percent of American adults are Southern Baptists, according to a 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center Forum on Religion & Public Life.
Mohler argued in his online essay last month that Christians who practice yoga "must either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of yoga."
He said his view is "not an eccentric Christian position."
Other Christian leaders have said practicing yoga is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus. Pat Robertson has called the chanting and other spiritual components that go along with yoga "really spooky." California megachurch pastor John MacArthur called yoga a "false religion." Muslim clerics have banned Muslims from practicing yoga in Egypt, Malaysia and Indonesia, citing similar concerns.
Yoga proponents say the wide-ranging discipline, which originated in India, offers physical and mental healing through stretching poses and concentration.
"Lots of people come to yoga because they are often in chronic pain. Others come because they think it's a nice workout," said Allison Terracio, who runs the Infinite Bliss studio in Louisville.
And some yoga studios have made the techniques more palatable for Christians by removing the chanting and associations to eastern religions, namely Hinduism and its multiple deities.
Stephanie Dillon, who has injected Christian themes into her studio in Louisville, said yoga brought her closer to her Christian faith, which had faded after college and service in the Army.
"What I found is that it opened my spirit, it renewed my spirituality," Dillon said. "That happened first and then I went back to church." Dillon attends Southeast Christian Church in Louisville and says many evangelical Christians from the church attend her yoga classes.
She said she prayed on the question of whether to mix yoga and Christianity before opening her studio, PM Yoga, where she discusses her relationship with Jesus during classes.
"My objection (to Mohler's view) personally is that I feel that yoga enhances a person's spirituality," Dillon said. "I don't like to look at religion from a law standpoint but a relationship standpoint, a relationship with Jesus Christ specifically."
Mohler wrote the essay after reading "The Subtle Body," where author Stefanie Syman traces the history of yoga in America. Syman noted the growing popularity of yoga in the U.S. by pointing out that first lady Michelle Obama has added it to the festivities at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn.
Mohler said many people have written him to say they're simply doing exercises and forgoing yoga's eastern mysticism and meditation.
"My response to that would be simple and straightforward: You're just not doing yoga," Mohler said. –Yahoo News
And some yoga studios have made the techniques more palatable for Christians by removing the chanting and associations to eastern religions, namely Hinduism and its multiple deities.
Stephanie Dillon, who has injected Christian themes into her studio in Louisville, said yoga brought her closer to her Christian faith, which had faded after college and service in the Army.
"What I found is that it opened my spirit, it renewed my spirituality," Dillon said. "That happened first and then I went back to church." Dillon attends Southeast Christian Church in Louisville and says many evangelical Christians from the church attend her yoga classes.
She said she prayed on the question of whether to mix yoga and Christianity before opening her studio, PM Yoga, where she discusses her relationship with Jesus during classes.
"My objection (to Mohler's view) personally is that I feel that yoga enhances a person's spirituality," Dillon said. "I don't like to look at religion from a law standpoint but a relationship standpoint, a relationship with Jesus Christ specifically."
Mohler wrote the essay after reading "The Subtle Body," where author Stefanie Syman traces the history of yoga in America. Syman noted the growing popularity of yoga in the U.S. by pointing out that first lady Michelle Obama has added it to the festivities at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on the front lawn.
Mohler said many people have written him to say they're simply doing exercises and forgoing yoga's eastern mysticism and meditation.
"My response to that would be simple and straightforward: You're just not doing yoga," Mohler said. –Yahoo News
Oct 25, 2010
Oct 24, 2010
Ragbag Headliners
Christine O'Donnell Questions Separation Of Church & State
Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell of Delaware on Tuesday questioned whether the U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state, appearing to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars the government from establishing religion.
The exchange came in a debate before an audience of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School, as O'Donnell criticized Democratic nominee Chris Coons' position that teaching creationism in public school would violate the First Amendment by promoting religious doctrine.
Coons said private and parochial schools are free to teach creationism but that "religious doctrine doesn't belong in our public schools."
"Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?" O'Donnell asked him.
When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O'Donnell asked: "You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?"
Her comments, in a debate aired on radio station WDEL, generated a buzz in the audience.
"You actually audibly heard the crowd gasp," Widener University political scientist Wesley Leckrone said after the debate, adding that it raised questions about O'Donnell's grasp of the Constitution. –Read more & view video at The Huffington Post
Republican Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell of Delaware on Tuesday questioned whether the U.S. Constitution calls for a separation of church and state, appearing to disagree or not know that the First Amendment bars the government from establishing religion.
The exchange came in a debate before an audience of legal scholars and law students at Widener University Law School, as O'Donnell criticized Democratic nominee Chris Coons' position that teaching creationism in public school would violate the First Amendment by promoting religious doctrine.
Coons said private and parochial schools are free to teach creationism but that "religious doctrine doesn't belong in our public schools."
"Where in the Constitution is the separation of church and state?" O'Donnell asked him.
When Coons responded that the First Amendment bars Congress from making laws respecting the establishment of religion, O'Donnell asked: "You're telling me that's in the First Amendment?"
Her comments, in a debate aired on radio station WDEL, generated a buzz in the audience.
"You actually audibly heard the crowd gasp," Widener University political scientist Wesley Leckrone said after the debate, adding that it raised questions about O'Donnell's grasp of the Constitution. –Read more & view video at The Huffington Post
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Last Year's Moonshot Splashed Up Lots Of Water
When NASA blasted a hole in the moon last year in search of water, scientists figured there would be a splash. They just didn't know how big. Now new results from the Hollywood-esque moonshot reveal lots of water in a crater where the sun never shines — 41 gallons of ice and vapor.
That may not sound like much — it's what a typical washing machine uses for a load — but it's almost twice as much as researchers had initially measured and more than they ever expected to find.
The estimate represents only what scientists can see from the debris plume that was kicked up from the high-speed crash near the south pole by a NASA spacecraft on Oct. 9, 2009.
Mission chief scientist Anthony Colaprete of the NASA Ames Research Center calculates there could be 1 billion gallons of water in the crater that was hit — enough to fill 1,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. –Read more at Yahoo News
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Boy Scouts Tell Gay Leader To Take A Hike
The father of a 9-year-old Cub Scout said Tuesday he has been forced out of a leadership role with the organization and ordered not to wear its uniform because of his sexual orientation.
Jon Langbert of Dallas, Texas, who is openly gay, told HLN's "Prime News" that he had been wearing the shirt the Scouts gave him last year with pride. The shirt identified him as a member of the leadership team that was selling popcorn for a Scout fund raiser.
But that all changed last week. "Everything was running along smoothly until some of the dads complained," he said. When the complaints rose to a higher level of the Scout leadership, he was asked to stop wearing the shirt and give up his leadership role, he said.
"We do have a policy that avowed gays and atheists are not allowed to be a registered leader or member of Boy Scouts of America," said Pat Currie, Scout executive with the Circle Ten Council. "It's a longstanding policy." -Read more at CNN U.S.
Crystal Cathedral Files For Bankruptcy
Crystal Cathedral, the megachurch birthplace of the televangelist show "Hour of Power," filed for bankruptcy Monday in Southern California after struggling to emerge from debt that exceeds $43 million.
In addition to a $36 million mortgage, the Orange County-based church owes $7.5 million to several hundred vendors for services ranging from advertising to the use of live animals in Easter and Christmas services.
The church had been negotiating a repayment plan with vendors, but several filed lawsuits seeking quicker payment, which prompted a coalition formed by creditors to fall apart.
"Tough times never last, every storm comes to an end. Right now, people need to hear that message more than ever," Sheila Schuller Coleman, the Cathedral's senior pastor and daughter of the founder, told reporters outside the worship hall decked with a soaring glass spire.
"Everybody is hurting today. We are no exception," she said.
The church, founded in the mid-1950s by the Rev. Robert H. Schuller Sr., has already ordered major layoffs, cut the number of stations airing the "Hour of Power" and sold property to stay afloat.
In addition, the 10,000-member church canceled this year's "Glory of Easter" pageant, which attracts thousands of visitors and is a regional holiday staple.
The church was founded at a drive-in theater and attracted congregants with its sermons on the power of positive thinking. Its worship hall opened in 1970 and remains an architectural wonder and tourist destination.
The "Hour of Power" telecast, filmed in the cathedral's main sanctuary, at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers in 156 countries.
Church leaders said the Crystal Cathedral's Sunday services and weekly-telecast "Hour of Power" will continue while in bankruptcy.
Other megachurches have also suffered from the downturn and reduced charitable giving.
Crystal Cathedral saw revenue drop roughly 30 percent in 2009 and simply couldn't slash expenses quickly enough to avoid accruing the debt, said Jim Penner, a church pastor and executive producer of the "Hour of Power."
Vendors owed money by the church formed a committee in April and agreed to a moratorium to negotiate a repayment plan with the Crystal Cathedral. But after several filed lawsuits and obtained writs of attachment to try to collect their cash, it was difficult to keep the group together, Penner said.
In addition to a $36 million mortgage, the Orange County-based church owes $7.5 million to several hundred vendors for services ranging from advertising to the use of live animals in Easter and Christmas services.
The church had been negotiating a repayment plan with vendors, but several filed lawsuits seeking quicker payment, which prompted a coalition formed by creditors to fall apart.
"Tough times never last, every storm comes to an end. Right now, people need to hear that message more than ever," Sheila Schuller Coleman, the Cathedral's senior pastor and daughter of the founder, told reporters outside the worship hall decked with a soaring glass spire.
"Everybody is hurting today. We are no exception," she said.
The church, founded in the mid-1950s by the Rev. Robert H. Schuller Sr., has already ordered major layoffs, cut the number of stations airing the "Hour of Power" and sold property to stay afloat.
In addition, the 10,000-member church canceled this year's "Glory of Easter" pageant, which attracts thousands of visitors and is a regional holiday staple.
The church was founded at a drive-in theater and attracted congregants with its sermons on the power of positive thinking. Its worship hall opened in 1970 and remains an architectural wonder and tourist destination.
The "Hour of Power" telecast, filmed in the cathedral's main sanctuary, at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers in 156 countries.
Church leaders said the Crystal Cathedral's Sunday services and weekly-telecast "Hour of Power" will continue while in bankruptcy.
Other megachurches have also suffered from the downturn and reduced charitable giving.
Crystal Cathedral saw revenue drop roughly 30 percent in 2009 and simply couldn't slash expenses quickly enough to avoid accruing the debt, said Jim Penner, a church pastor and executive producer of the "Hour of Power."
Vendors owed money by the church formed a committee in April and agreed to a moratorium to negotiate a repayment plan with the Crystal Cathedral. But after several filed lawsuits and obtained writs of attachment to try to collect their cash, it was difficult to keep the group together, Penner said.
Now, the church is avoiding credit entirely and spends only the roughly $2 million it receives each month in donations and revenue, Penner said. The church still hopes to pay all of the vendors back in full, he said.
"What we're doing now is we're trying to walk what we preach, we're paying cash for things as we go," he said. –Yahoo News
"What we're doing now is we're trying to walk what we preach, we're paying cash for things as we go," he said. –Yahoo News
From The Heart Of A Muslim
I was born a Muslim and lived all my life as a follower of Islam.
After the barbaric terrorist attacks done by the hands of my fellow Muslims everywhere on this globe, and after the too many violent acts by Islamists in many parts of the world, I feel responsible as a Muslim and as a human being to speak out and tell the truth to protect the world and Muslims as well from a coming catastrophe and war of civilizations.
I have to admit that our current Islamic teaching creates violence and hatred toward non-Muslims. We Muslims are the ones who need to change. Until now we have accepted polygamy, the beating of women by men, and killing those who convert from Islam to other religions.
We have never had a clear and strong stand against the concept of slavery or wars, to spread our religion and to subjugate others to Islam and force them to pay a humiliating tax called jizia. We ask others to respect our religion while all the time we curse non-Muslims loudly (in Arabic) in our Friday prayers in the mosques.
What message do we convey to our children when we call the Jews "descendants of the pigs and monkeys"? [Yet, both Arabs and Jews are descendants of Ibrahim (Abraham)!] Is this a message of love and peace, or a message of hate?
I have been into [Christian] churches and [Jewish] synagogues where they were praying for Muslims. While all the time, we curse them, and teach our generations to call them "infidels", and to hate them.
We immediately jump in a 'knee jerk reflex' to defend Prophet Mohammad when someone accuses him of being a pedophile while, at the same time, we are proud with the story in our Islamic books that he married a young girl seven years old [Aisha]when he was above 50 years old.
I am sad to say that many, if not most of us, rejoiced in happiness after September 11th and after many other terror attacks.
Muslims denounce these attacks to look good in front of the media, but we condone the Islamic terrorists and sympathise with their cause. Until now our 'reputable' top religious authorities have never issued a fatwa or religious statement to proclaim Bin Laden as an apostate, while an author, like Rushdie, was declared an apostate who should be killed according to Islamic Shari'a law just for writing a book criticizing Islam.
Muslims demonstrated to get more religious rights as we did in France to stop the ban on the hijab (head scarf), while we did not demonstrate with such passion and in such numbers against the terrorist murders. It is our absolute silence against the terrorists that gives the energy to these terrorists to continue doing their evil acts.
We Muslims need to stop blaming our problems on others or on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. As a matter of honesty, Israel is the only light of democracy, civilization, and human rights in the whole Middle East.
We kicked out the Jews with no compensation or mercy from most of the Arab countries to make them "Jews-free countries" while Israel accepted more than a million Arabs to live there, have their own nationality, and enjoy their rights as human beings. In Israel, women can not be beaten legally by men, and any person can change his/her belief system with no fear of being killed by the Islamic law of 'apostasy,' while in our Islamic world people do not enjoy any of these rights.
I agree that the 'Palestinians' suffer, but they suffer because of their corrupt leaders and not because of Israel.
It is not common to see Arabs who live in Israel leaving to live in the Arab world. On the other hand, we used to see thousands of Palestinians going to work with happiness in Israel, its 'enemy.' If Israel treats Arabs badly as some people claim, surely we would have seen the opposite happening.
We Muslims need to admit our problems and face them. Only then we can treat them and start a new era to live in harmony with human mankind. Our religious leaders have to show a clear and very strong stand against polygamy, pedophilia, slavery, killing those who convert from Islam to other religions, beating of women by men, and declaring wars on non-Muslims to spread Islam.
Then, and only then, do we have the right to ask others to respect our religion. The time has come to stop our hypocrisy and say it openly: 'We Muslims have to change.'
by Tawfik Hamid
"I am a Muslim by faith, a Christian by spirit, a Jew by heart, and above all I am a human being."
Foot Note:
Dr. Hamid is an Egyptian scholar and author of the article above. The world needs more people like him---ones who have the courage to faceup to reality.
After the barbaric terrorist attacks done by the hands of my fellow Muslims everywhere on this globe, and after the too many violent acts by Islamists in many parts of the world, I feel responsible as a Muslim and as a human being to speak out and tell the truth to protect the world and Muslims as well from a coming catastrophe and war of civilizations.
I have to admit that our current Islamic teaching creates violence and hatred toward non-Muslims. We Muslims are the ones who need to change. Until now we have accepted polygamy, the beating of women by men, and killing those who convert from Islam to other religions.
We have never had a clear and strong stand against the concept of slavery or wars, to spread our religion and to subjugate others to Islam and force them to pay a humiliating tax called jizia. We ask others to respect our religion while all the time we curse non-Muslims loudly (in Arabic) in our Friday prayers in the mosques.
What message do we convey to our children when we call the Jews "descendants of the pigs and monkeys"? [Yet, both Arabs and Jews are descendants of Ibrahim (Abraham)!] Is this a message of love and peace, or a message of hate?
I have been into [Christian] churches and [Jewish] synagogues where they were praying for Muslims. While all the time, we curse them, and teach our generations to call them "infidels", and to hate them.
We immediately jump in a 'knee jerk reflex' to defend Prophet Mohammad when someone accuses him of being a pedophile while, at the same time, we are proud with the story in our Islamic books that he married a young girl seven years old [Aisha]when he was above 50 years old.
I am sad to say that many, if not most of us, rejoiced in happiness after September 11th and after many other terror attacks.
Muslims denounce these attacks to look good in front of the media, but we condone the Islamic terrorists and sympathise with their cause. Until now our 'reputable' top religious authorities have never issued a fatwa or religious statement to proclaim Bin Laden as an apostate, while an author, like Rushdie, was declared an apostate who should be killed according to Islamic Shari'a law just for writing a book criticizing Islam.
Muslims demonstrated to get more religious rights as we did in France to stop the ban on the hijab (head scarf), while we did not demonstrate with such passion and in such numbers against the terrorist murders. It is our absolute silence against the terrorists that gives the energy to these terrorists to continue doing their evil acts.
We Muslims need to stop blaming our problems on others or on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. As a matter of honesty, Israel is the only light of democracy, civilization, and human rights in the whole Middle East.
We kicked out the Jews with no compensation or mercy from most of the Arab countries to make them "Jews-free countries" while Israel accepted more than a million Arabs to live there, have their own nationality, and enjoy their rights as human beings. In Israel, women can not be beaten legally by men, and any person can change his/her belief system with no fear of being killed by the Islamic law of 'apostasy,' while in our Islamic world people do not enjoy any of these rights.
I agree that the 'Palestinians' suffer, but they suffer because of their corrupt leaders and not because of Israel.
It is not common to see Arabs who live in Israel leaving to live in the Arab world. On the other hand, we used to see thousands of Palestinians going to work with happiness in Israel, its 'enemy.' If Israel treats Arabs badly as some people claim, surely we would have seen the opposite happening.
We Muslims need to admit our problems and face them. Only then we can treat them and start a new era to live in harmony with human mankind. Our religious leaders have to show a clear and very strong stand against polygamy, pedophilia, slavery, killing those who convert from Islam to other religions, beating of women by men, and declaring wars on non-Muslims to spread Islam.
Then, and only then, do we have the right to ask others to respect our religion. The time has come to stop our hypocrisy and say it openly: 'We Muslims have to change.'
by Tawfik Hamid
"I am a Muslim by faith, a Christian by spirit, a Jew by heart, and above all I am a human being."
Foot Note:
Dr. Hamid is an Egyptian scholar and author of the article above. The world needs more people like him---ones who have the courage to faceup to reality.
A Senior Citizen's Prayer
^*^*^*^
Lord, Thou knowest that I am growing old.
Please keep me from becoming too talkative ---
and particularly keep me from falling into the tiresome habit
of expressing an opinion on every subject.
Release me from the craving
to straighten out everybody's affairs.
Give me grace, dear Lord, to listen to others
describe their aches and pains.
Help me to endure the boredom with patience,
and keep my lips sealed
because my own aches and pains
are increasing in number and intensity,
and the pleasure of discussing them
is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
Teach me the glorious lesson
that occasionally I might be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet --- I do not wish to be a saint
for saints can be hard to live with ---
but a sour old person is definitely the devil's work.
Make me thoughtful but not moody;
helpful but not pushy;
independent, yet able to graciously
accept favors that others wish to bestow on me.
Free me of the notion that simply because
I have lived a long time
that I am wiser than those who
have not lived so long.
If I do not approve of some of the changes
which have taken place in recent years,
give me the wisdom to keep my mouth shut. . .
Lord knows that when the end comes,
I would like to have a friend or two left.
Author Unknown
Perils Of A Baptist Upbringing
As I walked down the busy sidewalk with my wife, knowing I was late for church, my eye fell upon one of those unfortunate, ragged vagabonds that are found in every city these days. Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the sight would somehow contaminate them.
Recalling my old pastor, Brother Mike, who always admonished me to "care for the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked," I was moved by some powerful inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person.
Wearing what can only be described as rags, carrying her treasured worldly possessions in two plastic bags, my heart was touched by this person's condition.
Yes, where some people saw only rags, I saw a true, hidden beauty.
A small voice inside my head called out, "Reach out, reach out and touch this person!"
So I did.
I won’t be at church this week.
Author Unknown
Embracing Life After Suicide Attempt
From the moment I was admitted to my first psychiatric ward, I was desperate to get out. I hated the smell, the food, most of the staff, the routines, the magazines. I hated the sagging mattresses, the glassless fun house mirrors, the furniture, the isolation rooms. But as much as I despised the place, there was one saving grace for me there: the other patients.
Many had absolute horror stories. Stories of abuse, self-mutilation, combat, rape, starvation. Stories that made this liberal lawyer reconsider taking up criminal prosecution. But others had stories like mine. Happy childhoods. Mild traumas possibly but nothing extreme.
In the end though, we were all the same. We were all seriously ill; we all desperately needed help, and we all resented the fact that we needed it. What's more, we were all acutely aware of the classified, top-secret nature of our conditions and whereabouts. This wasn't paranoia. It was self-preservation. People tend to look unfavorably upon the mentally ill, especially those of us who've ever been hospitalized.
Many had absolute horror stories. Stories of abuse, self-mutilation, combat, rape, starvation. Stories that made this liberal lawyer reconsider taking up criminal prosecution. But others had stories like mine. Happy childhoods. Mild traumas possibly but nothing extreme.
In the end though, we were all the same. We were all seriously ill; we all desperately needed help, and we all resented the fact that we needed it. What's more, we were all acutely aware of the classified, top-secret nature of our conditions and whereabouts. This wasn't paranoia. It was self-preservation. People tend to look unfavorably upon the mentally ill, especially those of us who've ever been hospitalized.
Nevertheless, some of the most brazen, brave and brilliant figures in history have struggled with sickness of the mind. Sadly, many have also died at their own hands because of those same sicknesses. From Vincent van Gogh to Sylvia Plath to Kurt Cobain to countless others.
Like them, roughly 90 percent of those who take their own lives suffer from psychiatric illnesses. Thus, any efforts to combat suicide promise to fail miserably unless and until we begin to engage in more open and honest discussions surrounding mental illness. Not in whispers and not as gossip, but in strong and steady voices and as an issue that deserves as much attention, compassion and funding as cancer or HIV/AIDS or any other deadly disease.
So on Friday [Sept 17], which is World Suicide Prevention Day, I am addressing the living in an effort to honor and respect the dead. I am asking those of you who have experience with mental illness to speak up, and I am asking those of you who have no such experience to hear us out. I know that it's not easy to speak in the midst of so much stigma or listen amid so much misinformation, but I assure you that it's worth it. The true sin of suicide is not the act itself. Rather, it is the insidious silence and insensitivity that surrounds so many of the most excruciating diseases of the mind that so often trigger suicide.
The dangerous thing about silence is that it breeds shame and isolation, both of which can be much more devastating than any singular psychiatric condition alone. It's one thing to be crazy. It's quite another to think that you're the only crazy person on the planet.
By the time I made it to the hospital, I felt more alone than ever. After months of unsuccessfully wrestling with a seemingly relentless bout of depression, I finally just gave up. Within a few days, I had a well-planned exit strategy in place: go far away from home, leave a note full of love and apologies, take a sharp knife to a femoral artery and do it outside so that no one would have to clean up the mess.
But, as with most events involving life and death, things did not go according to plan. The reality of my suicide attempt couldn't have veered any further away from the fantasy of that clean, controlled and speedy departure. Ultimately, I slit my wrist on the floor of my psychiatrist's waiting room with a dismally dull pocketknife.
Having bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) means not only that you can experience the opposing poles of mania and depression, but also that you can experience aspects of both concurrently. Translation: The "poles" don't always stay in place. In my case, my manic impulsivity had shattered the careful plans of my depressive deliberations and left me bleeding from the wrist on the floor of my psychiatrist's waiting room instead of from the leg on the floor of some faraway forest.
Whatever the case, plan or no plan, by the grace of God, I failed miserably in my attempt. And today, thanks to a proper diagnosis, medication, therapy, health insurance, faith and a supportive family, I am well. And by that, I do not mean that I am cured. There is no cure for bipolar disorder, although there are many excellent treatments. Even with medication, therapy and lifestyle adjustments, I still have highs and lows that extend far beyond those of most everyone else I know, and I still occasionally suffer from acute bouts of depression, mania and mixed episodes that can and have landed me in the hospital.
Nevertheless, since my unfortunate encounter with that pocketknife, I've yet to make any more attempts on my own life. Nor have I ever felt nearly as alone as I did upon my first hospitalization. Speaking openly about my mental illness and meeting other talented, creative and productive individuals who also happen to share similar circumstances has played an invaluable role in my healing.
Entering that first psychiatric ward, I felt cut off from the earth, drowning in a sea of despair. All the people I loved -- all the sane, strong and sturdy people who wanted to save me -- were stuck on steady shore.
But getting to the hospital was like noticing all these other people drowning around me -- all within reach. It wasn't just me in the abyss anymore, and now that I knew I wasn't alone, I had a reason to tread water. Killing myself meant I couldn't save them. Killing myself meant killing them. Suddenly, I had no choice. I had to swim. So, I swam to save the others, only to find, upon reaching the shore, that they had saved me.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. –CNN Living
Editor's Note:
Melody Moezzi is a writer, speaker, attorney and award-winning author. She is working on her second book, which focuses on her experiences with bipolar disorder.
Like them, roughly 90 percent of those who take their own lives suffer from psychiatric illnesses. Thus, any efforts to combat suicide promise to fail miserably unless and until we begin to engage in more open and honest discussions surrounding mental illness. Not in whispers and not as gossip, but in strong and steady voices and as an issue that deserves as much attention, compassion and funding as cancer or HIV/AIDS or any other deadly disease.
So on Friday [Sept 17], which is World Suicide Prevention Day, I am addressing the living in an effort to honor and respect the dead. I am asking those of you who have experience with mental illness to speak up, and I am asking those of you who have no such experience to hear us out. I know that it's not easy to speak in the midst of so much stigma or listen amid so much misinformation, but I assure you that it's worth it. The true sin of suicide is not the act itself. Rather, it is the insidious silence and insensitivity that surrounds so many of the most excruciating diseases of the mind that so often trigger suicide.
The dangerous thing about silence is that it breeds shame and isolation, both of which can be much more devastating than any singular psychiatric condition alone. It's one thing to be crazy. It's quite another to think that you're the only crazy person on the planet.
By the time I made it to the hospital, I felt more alone than ever. After months of unsuccessfully wrestling with a seemingly relentless bout of depression, I finally just gave up. Within a few days, I had a well-planned exit strategy in place: go far away from home, leave a note full of love and apologies, take a sharp knife to a femoral artery and do it outside so that no one would have to clean up the mess.
But, as with most events involving life and death, things did not go according to plan. The reality of my suicide attempt couldn't have veered any further away from the fantasy of that clean, controlled and speedy departure. Ultimately, I slit my wrist on the floor of my psychiatrist's waiting room with a dismally dull pocketknife.
Having bipolar disorder (also known as manic-depression) means not only that you can experience the opposing poles of mania and depression, but also that you can experience aspects of both concurrently. Translation: The "poles" don't always stay in place. In my case, my manic impulsivity had shattered the careful plans of my depressive deliberations and left me bleeding from the wrist on the floor of my psychiatrist's waiting room instead of from the leg on the floor of some faraway forest.
Whatever the case, plan or no plan, by the grace of God, I failed miserably in my attempt. And today, thanks to a proper diagnosis, medication, therapy, health insurance, faith and a supportive family, I am well. And by that, I do not mean that I am cured. There is no cure for bipolar disorder, although there are many excellent treatments. Even with medication, therapy and lifestyle adjustments, I still have highs and lows that extend far beyond those of most everyone else I know, and I still occasionally suffer from acute bouts of depression, mania and mixed episodes that can and have landed me in the hospital.
Nevertheless, since my unfortunate encounter with that pocketknife, I've yet to make any more attempts on my own life. Nor have I ever felt nearly as alone as I did upon my first hospitalization. Speaking openly about my mental illness and meeting other talented, creative and productive individuals who also happen to share similar circumstances has played an invaluable role in my healing.
Entering that first psychiatric ward, I felt cut off from the earth, drowning in a sea of despair. All the people I loved -- all the sane, strong and sturdy people who wanted to save me -- were stuck on steady shore.
But getting to the hospital was like noticing all these other people drowning around me -- all within reach. It wasn't just me in the abyss anymore, and now that I knew I wasn't alone, I had a reason to tread water. Killing myself meant I couldn't save them. Killing myself meant killing them. Suddenly, I had no choice. I had to swim. So, I swam to save the others, only to find, upon reaching the shore, that they had saved me.
If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255. –CNN Living
Editor's Note:
Melody Moezzi is a writer, speaker, attorney and award-winning author. She is working on her second book, which focuses on her experiences with bipolar disorder.
Man Builds Noah's Ark.— Exact Scale As Given In The Bible
Pic 1: Working Replica of Noah's Ark Opened In SCHAGEN, Netherlands.
Pic 2: The massive central door in the side of Noah's Ark was opened for the first crowd of curious townsfolk to behold the wonder. Of course, it's only a replica of the biblical Ark … built by Dutch Creationist Johan Huibers as a testament to his faith in the literal truth of the Bible.
Pic 3 and 4: The ark is 150 cubits long, 30 cubits high and 20 cubits wide. That's two-thirds the length of a football field and as high as a three-story house. Life-size models of giraffes, elephants, lions, crocodiles, zebras, bison and other animals greet visitors as they arrive in the main hold.
Pic 5: A contractor by trade, Huibers built the ark of cedar and pine. Biblical Scholars debate exactly what the wood used by Noah would have been.
Pic 6: Huibers did the work mostly with his own hands, using modern tools and with occasional help from his son Roy. Construction began in May 2005. On the uncovered top - deck not quite ready in time for the opening - will come a petting zoo, with baby lambs and chickens, and goats, and one camel.
Pic 7: Visitors on the first day were stunned. 'It's past comprehension', said Mary Louise Starosciak, who happened to be bicycling by with her husband while on vacation when they saw the ark looming over the local landscape.
Pic 8: 'I knew the story of Noah, but I had no idea the boat would have been so big ' There is enough space near the keel for a 50-seat film theater where kids can watch a video that tells the story of Noah and his ark. Huibers, a Christian man, said he hopes the project will renew interest in Christianity in the Netherlands , where church going has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years.
Now that I am old and Gray … give me the time to tell this new generation (and their children too) about all your mighty miracles. -Psalm 71:18
Oct 18, 2010
Oct 17, 2010
This Weeks Sound Off
The greatest threat to America isn’t Terrorism. Instead, it’s Ideology! And because of ideology, Christian values will increasingly come under scrutiny and attack should we allow Islamic ideology to seep into our lives, first through the indoctrination of our children and eventually into our culture. Hitler was good at deception … Islam appears to be following Hitler’s tactics. Get the children on their side ... the rest of society will follow. Scary thought to be sure!
Though I wish to become more familiar with, for understanding purposes only, the Islamic religion, the more and more I become fearful as to its teachings, mainly because like many dogmatic religions in the past, thousands of “none-believers” were slaughtered simply because they did not render to their single point of view. And if I understand the radicalism of Islam, this is what would happen to those of us who refuse to accept their religious principles and teachings.
Simply put, American’s are under attack … there is no doubt in my mind that as meek and humble as Islam may want to appear, the radicalism of Islam is our enemy and if we don’t carefully watch ourselves, this brand of “religion” will invade our society. Deception is so slight of hand that it can portray itself as something good and beautiful that in time if it is programmed into our thought process long enough the deception wins.
It is up to us to teach our children the TRUTH. It is up to us to investigate, study, and research what is really going on in order to protect our Christian Values and Christian County. Complacency abounds and it if we continue to simply follow without thought we will get caught off guard and find ourselves wondering like lost sheep to the slaughter. By this time, it will be to late … Radicalism will have won.
Though I wish to become more familiar with, for understanding purposes only, the Islamic religion, the more and more I become fearful as to its teachings, mainly because like many dogmatic religions in the past, thousands of “none-believers” were slaughtered simply because they did not render to their single point of view. And if I understand the radicalism of Islam, this is what would happen to those of us who refuse to accept their religious principles and teachings.
Simply put, American’s are under attack … there is no doubt in my mind that as meek and humble as Islam may want to appear, the radicalism of Islam is our enemy and if we don’t carefully watch ourselves, this brand of “religion” will invade our society. Deception is so slight of hand that it can portray itself as something good and beautiful that in time if it is programmed into our thought process long enough the deception wins.
It is up to us to teach our children the TRUTH. It is up to us to investigate, study, and research what is really going on in order to protect our Christian Values and Christian County. Complacency abounds and it if we continue to simply follow without thought we will get caught off guard and find ourselves wondering like lost sheep to the slaughter. By this time, it will be to late … Radicalism will have won.
Locally Speaking
SC Islamic Center Defaced With Bacon Slices
An Islamic center in South Carolina has been defaced when someone spelled out "PIG CHUMP" in bacon strips, police in Florence said Tuesday.
Sometime between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, someone placed the bacon in foot-high letters on a tiled walkway at the Florence Islamic Center, according to Florence Police Major Carlos Raines.
Islamic dietary restrictions bar Muslims from eating pork.
The bacon has been removed, but Raines said there are still greasy marks on the walkway at the facility in Florence, about 80 miles east of Columbia. The one-story brick building that houses the center has been under renovation for four years, and there is no sign or prayer tower indicating what is operating there, Raines said. –Read more At Sun News
An Islamic center in South Carolina has been defaced when someone spelled out "PIG CHUMP" in bacon strips, police in Florence said Tuesday.
Sometime between 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, someone placed the bacon in foot-high letters on a tiled walkway at the Florence Islamic Center, according to Florence Police Major Carlos Raines.
Islamic dietary restrictions bar Muslims from eating pork.
The bacon has been removed, but Raines said there are still greasy marks on the walkway at the facility in Florence, about 80 miles east of Columbia. The one-story brick building that houses the center has been under renovation for four years, and there is no sign or prayer tower indicating what is operating there, Raines said. –Read more At Sun News
Ragbag Headliners
Vile Jesus Artwork Smashed
A Montana truck driver, Kathleen Folden, took a crowbar to the Plexiglass case housing artwork at Colorado's Loveland Museum which depicted a man performing oral sex on Jesus. Folden was arrested after she ripped the artwork to pieces. Commenting is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:
Had the art depicted a man performing fellatio on Muhammad, the museum may have been blown up by now. So it is lucky that Ms. Folden is a Christian.
It is striking to read the responses of those who defended the obscene art. "I am appalled by the violence," says Loveland's director of Cultural Services Susan Ison. But she is not appalled by the portrayal of Jesus having a man perform oral sex on him. Indeed, she justified this obscenity by calling it "very complex." Had the artwork showed her performing oral sex on her father, it's a sure bet it would lose its complexity.
Bud Shark, the guy who organized this masterful display, released a statement saying Folden's reaction "is the direct result of the inflammatory and false depictions of the piece in the press and by those protesting it's [sic] inclusion in our exhibition. The controversial image has been demonized as 'pornographic,' 'obscene' and 'depicting Jesus in a sex act' when none of this is true." -Read more at Catholic League
Had the art depicted a man performing fellatio on Muhammad, the museum may have been blown up by now. So it is lucky that Ms. Folden is a Christian.
It is striking to read the responses of those who defended the obscene art. "I am appalled by the violence," says Loveland's director of Cultural Services Susan Ison. But she is not appalled by the portrayal of Jesus having a man perform oral sex on him. Indeed, she justified this obscenity by calling it "very complex." Had the artwork showed her performing oral sex on her father, it's a sure bet it would lose its complexity.
Bud Shark, the guy who organized this masterful display, released a statement saying Folden's reaction "is the direct result of the inflammatory and false depictions of the piece in the press and by those protesting it's [sic] inclusion in our exhibition. The controversial image has been demonized as 'pornographic,' 'obscene' and 'depicting Jesus in a sex act' when none of this is true." -Read more at Catholic League
God An Alien? Author Thinks So
Scientists believe they have found a planet that can sustain life, though it would take us tens of thousands of years to get there.
The discovery will spark scientific speculation, debate and exploration. If actual life is confirmed, it will create even bigger questions for religious faith.
The book of Genesis in the Christian Bible for a long time had many believing the Earth was the center of the universe. Others believe the miracle-like circumstances that led to the creation of Earth proved the existence of a higher power. The odds of it finding its way to the perfect spot in the universe for life were astronomical.
The discovery doesn't change my faith or view of God. It may or may not be the same for others.
"The significance of discovering life on other planets ... really depends on your religion," said Nils Rauhut, a Coastal Carolina University religion and philosophy professor. "There have been many scientific discoveries in the past that had an impact on religion. For example, when Galileo found more and more evidence that the planets do not actually move around the Earth and that Earth is not the center of the universe, that was shocking to many. But most religions adjusted and incorporated this discovery into their understanding of the universe. I think the same is true for the potential discovery of life on other planets."
For Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., resident Fred David, a long-time management professor at Francis Marion University, no reassessment is needed - because he believes the Bible references the sightings of other-worldly beings. His new book, "UFO Christianity Connection: Fact or Fiction," says "the gods" in the Bible were beings traveling here via UFOs.
The discovery will spark scientific speculation, debate and exploration. If actual life is confirmed, it will create even bigger questions for religious faith.
The book of Genesis in the Christian Bible for a long time had many believing the Earth was the center of the universe. Others believe the miracle-like circumstances that led to the creation of Earth proved the existence of a higher power. The odds of it finding its way to the perfect spot in the universe for life were astronomical.
The discovery doesn't change my faith or view of God. It may or may not be the same for others.
"The significance of discovering life on other planets ... really depends on your religion," said Nils Rauhut, a Coastal Carolina University religion and philosophy professor. "There have been many scientific discoveries in the past that had an impact on religion. For example, when Galileo found more and more evidence that the planets do not actually move around the Earth and that Earth is not the center of the universe, that was shocking to many. But most religions adjusted and incorporated this discovery into their understanding of the universe. I think the same is true for the potential discovery of life on other planets."
For Ocean Isle Beach, N.C., resident Fred David, a long-time management professor at Francis Marion University, no reassessment is needed - because he believes the Bible references the sightings of other-worldly beings. His new book, "UFO Christianity Connection: Fact or Fiction," says "the gods" in the Bible were beings traveling here via UFOs.
He believes in the Big Bang Theory and not a literal reading of Genesis, which has convinced some among the faithful that the Earth and universe are no older than 10,000 years old and is at the heart of disagreement in parts of the scientific and religious communities. He grew up as a Methodist "and always had blind faith that biblical events were true," David said. "Now I realize they almost certainly were true because God was onsite in a UFO as described in close to 1,000 Bible verses, which match with ancient civilization writings."
"There has always been a 'missing link' between science and religion that has caused dissention and distrust," David wrote. "However, research conducted for this book reveals that the missing link between science and religion may be UFOs, or more specifically the beings inside those craft. Evidence for a clear UFO Christianity connection could bring science and religion closer, and perhaps one day into perfect union."
Rauhut isn't convinced.
"The idea that the god in the Bible is a reference to beings from other planets seems very outlandish to me," he said. "It's hard to see that there is any [potential] evidence for that. No serious person would claim that UFOs are periodically seen today. Sure, there are reports from people about seeing UFOs, but to my knowledge nobody has been able to confirm these reports. I think this person wants to believe in UFOs."
Investigative reporter Leslie Kean spent 10 years studying sightings, doing high-level research and interviewing high-level officials and found that while most sightings can be explained away as natural events, UFOs are real - though no one knows what they are.
The cloud described in Exodus that guided the Israelites out of slavery? According to David, it was a UFO.
The star that guided the wise men to the place where Jesus was born? UFO.
What destroyed the city of Sodom and Gomorrah? A "beam of light from a cloud," or UFO.
David quotes Genesis 19:24 as evidence: "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire."
"The overall evidence indicates that God the Father may have been onsite in a UFO directing the wise men, the Exodus, the resurrection, the parting of the Red Sea, the Flood and other events described in the Bible," David wrote. "More than two thirds of the books in the Bible contain some kind of reference to unidentified flying objects. ... Ezekiel was one of the most significant prophets in the Bible and while sitting at the river Chabur, near Nippur, in present day Iraq, Ezekiel suddenly saw a 'fiery whirlwind' moving fast towards him. Josef Blumrich, former chief of the systems layout branch of NASA, studied the Ezekiel historical accounts and concluded that the vehicle described in the Bible actually was a UFO."
David has a doctorate in business. He believes most religions reference UFOs, that sightings today are real and the pyramids are evidence of their handiwork.
"I do not teach ancient history, I teach business, but I have studied ancient history extensively, especially over the last two years having read nearly 20 books and many scientific papers," David said. "I do not have all the answers, but believe I do have some answers to key issues as discussed in the book."
The discovery of another life-sustaining planet "supports the basic conclusion of the book in that God lives in 'heaven' somewhere in the universe and travels the universe in a UFO and loves planet Earth," he continued. "That new planet may even be heaven. I do not know. No one will ever know for sure. That is why the word faith is so important." -Sun News
"There has always been a 'missing link' between science and religion that has caused dissention and distrust," David wrote. "However, research conducted for this book reveals that the missing link between science and religion may be UFOs, or more specifically the beings inside those craft. Evidence for a clear UFO Christianity connection could bring science and religion closer, and perhaps one day into perfect union."
Rauhut isn't convinced.
"The idea that the god in the Bible is a reference to beings from other planets seems very outlandish to me," he said. "It's hard to see that there is any [potential] evidence for that. No serious person would claim that UFOs are periodically seen today. Sure, there are reports from people about seeing UFOs, but to my knowledge nobody has been able to confirm these reports. I think this person wants to believe in UFOs."
Investigative reporter Leslie Kean spent 10 years studying sightings, doing high-level research and interviewing high-level officials and found that while most sightings can be explained away as natural events, UFOs are real - though no one knows what they are.
The cloud described in Exodus that guided the Israelites out of slavery? According to David, it was a UFO.
The star that guided the wise men to the place where Jesus was born? UFO.
What destroyed the city of Sodom and Gomorrah? A "beam of light from a cloud," or UFO.
David quotes Genesis 19:24 as evidence: "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire."
"The overall evidence indicates that God the Father may have been onsite in a UFO directing the wise men, the Exodus, the resurrection, the parting of the Red Sea, the Flood and other events described in the Bible," David wrote. "More than two thirds of the books in the Bible contain some kind of reference to unidentified flying objects. ... Ezekiel was one of the most significant prophets in the Bible and while sitting at the river Chabur, near Nippur, in present day Iraq, Ezekiel suddenly saw a 'fiery whirlwind' moving fast towards him. Josef Blumrich, former chief of the systems layout branch of NASA, studied the Ezekiel historical accounts and concluded that the vehicle described in the Bible actually was a UFO."
David has a doctorate in business. He believes most religions reference UFOs, that sightings today are real and the pyramids are evidence of their handiwork.
"I do not teach ancient history, I teach business, but I have studied ancient history extensively, especially over the last two years having read nearly 20 books and many scientific papers," David said. "I do not have all the answers, but believe I do have some answers to key issues as discussed in the book."
The discovery of another life-sustaining planet "supports the basic conclusion of the book in that God lives in 'heaven' somewhere in the universe and travels the universe in a UFO and loves planet Earth," he continued. "That new planet may even be heaven. I do not know. No one will ever know for sure. That is why the word faith is so important." -Sun News
Mrs. McGervey
Mrs. McGervey was walking down O'Connell Street in Dublin when she met up with Father O'Flaherty.
The Father said, 'Top o' the mornin' to ye! Aren't ye Mrs. McGervey and didn't I marry ye and yer hoosband 2 years ago?'
She replied, 'Aye, that ye did, Father.'
The Father asked, 'And be there any wee little ones yet?'
She replied, 'No, not yet, Father.'
The Father said, 'Well now, I'm going to Rome next week, and I'll light a candle for ye and yer hoosband.'
She replied, 'Oh, thank ye, Father.'
They then parted ways.
Some years later they met again. The Father asked, 'Well, top o' the morning' to ye, Mrs. McGervey. How are ye these days?'
The Father said, 'Top o' the mornin' to ye! Aren't ye Mrs. McGervey and didn't I marry ye and yer hoosband 2 years ago?'
She replied, 'Aye, that ye did, Father.'
The Father asked, 'And be there any wee little ones yet?'
She replied, 'No, not yet, Father.'
The Father said, 'Well now, I'm going to Rome next week, and I'll light a candle for ye and yer hoosband.'
She replied, 'Oh, thank ye, Father.'
They then parted ways.
Some years later they met again. The Father asked, 'Well, top o' the morning' to ye, Mrs. McGervey. How are ye these days?'
The Father asked once again, 'And tell me, have ye any wee ones yet?'
She replied, 'Oh yes, Father! Three sets of twins and 4 singles, 10 in all!'
The Father said, 'That's wonderful! How is yer lovin' hoosband doing?'
She replied, 'E's gone to Rome to blow out yer fookin' candle.'
Author Unknown
The Buzzard, The Bat, The Bumblebee
The Buzzard:
If a buzzard is placed in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet with the top entirely open, in spite of the bird's ability to fly, it will not escape. The reason is, a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a runway of 10 to 12 feet on which to taxi and gain momentum. Without the proper length of runway that it is accustomed to, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with an open top.
The Bat:
The ordinary bat is a remarkably nimble creature in the air, but it cannot take off and fly from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and most likely painfully. It is only if it can reach some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air that it can take off in a flash.
The Bumblebee:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will remain there until it dies, unless it is taken out. Somehow, it never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists on trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists until it completely exhausts and destroys itself.
PEOPLE:
In many ways, a lot of people are just like the bat, the bumblebee, and the buzzard. They struggle with all their problems and frustrations, never realizing that all they have to do is just look up to get help to escape from their troubles!
The best escape route and solution to life's problems is---just look up!
If a buzzard is placed in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet with the top entirely open, in spite of the bird's ability to fly, it will not escape. The reason is, a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a runway of 10 to 12 feet on which to taxi and gain momentum. Without the proper length of runway that it is accustomed to, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with an open top.
The Bat:
The ordinary bat is a remarkably nimble creature in the air, but it cannot take off and fly from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and most likely painfully. It is only if it can reach some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air that it can take off in a flash.
The Bumblebee:
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will remain there until it dies, unless it is taken out. Somehow, it never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists on trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists until it completely exhausts and destroys itself.
PEOPLE:
In many ways, a lot of people are just like the bat, the bumblebee, and the buzzard. They struggle with all their problems and frustrations, never realizing that all they have to do is just look up to get help to escape from their troubles!
The best escape route and solution to life's problems is---just look up!
Sorrow looks back,
Worry looks around,
But
Faith looks up!
———
Always keep in mind:
God controls all things.
1 Timothy 6
Worry looks around,
But
Faith looks up!
———
Always keep in mind:
God controls all things.
1 Timothy 6
Author Unknown
Oct 11, 2010
Oct 10, 2010
Locally Speaking
Jail's Bible-Only Reading Policy Prompts Lawsuit
Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt and county jail officials are being sued over denying inmates access to reading materials other than the Bible.
The lawsuit alleges that the jail does not deliver publications and some letters to inmate cells, violating First Amendment right of free speech law.
It was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the plaintiff, Prison Legal News, an inmate-subscriber magazine.
"Many detainees are held at the Detention Center -- and thus deprived of all access to magazines, newspapers and books other than the Bible -- for months and years on end," the lawsuit alleges. The litigation goes on to say copies of the magazine and other materials from that company were returned stamped "Info not allowed," "Book not allowed" and "Magazines not allowed." -Read more at Sun News
Berkeley County Sheriff Wayne DeWitt and county jail officials are being sued over denying inmates access to reading materials other than the Bible.
The lawsuit alleges that the jail does not deliver publications and some letters to inmate cells, violating First Amendment right of free speech law.
It was filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Charleston by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the plaintiff, Prison Legal News, an inmate-subscriber magazine.
"Many detainees are held at the Detention Center -- and thus deprived of all access to magazines, newspapers and books other than the Bible -- for months and years on end," the lawsuit alleges. The litigation goes on to say copies of the magazine and other materials from that company were returned stamped "Info not allowed," "Book not allowed" and "Magazines not allowed." -Read more at Sun News
Ragbag Headliners
Fewer Than Half Of Americans Oppose Gay Marriage
Fewer than half of Americans oppose legalized same-sex marriage, according to a new poll on the issue released Wednesday, with significant shifts in public opinion on the issue just since last year.
More Americans continue to oppose gay marriage than support it, according to the poll, which was released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. But for the first time since Pew starting asking about same sex marriage 15 years ago, fewer than half of those polled said they oppose legalizing the institution.
The poll revealed other firsts. For the first time since Pew began asking about the issue, more white mainline Protestants and white Catholics favor gay marriage than oppose it. –Read more at CNN U.S.
Fewer than half of Americans oppose legalized same-sex marriage, according to a new poll on the issue released Wednesday, with significant shifts in public opinion on the issue just since last year.
More Americans continue to oppose gay marriage than support it, according to the poll, which was released Wednesday by the Pew Research Center. But for the first time since Pew starting asking about same sex marriage 15 years ago, fewer than half of those polled said they oppose legalizing the institution.
The poll revealed other firsts. For the first time since Pew began asking about the issue, more white mainline Protestants and white Catholics favor gay marriage than oppose it. –Read more at CNN U.S.
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Is 'Islamophobia' A Worldwide Free Speech Threat?
Freedom of speech around the world has been a hallmark of Christian civilization, but today there is less and less freedom to criticize Islam.
In Denmark, a 15-year-old Danish boy faces prison time for distributing leaflets warning that the country could someday become a Muslim nation and that he thinks that is a bad thing. A Danish prosecutor called the leaflets "hate speech."
Yet, across the water in Sweden, it was not hate speech when a leading national newspaper printed an article a few weeks ago claiming that Israeli soldiers harvest and sell organs from dead Palestinians. Some say that claim amounts to the anti-Semitic Jewish blood libel, that Jews commit human sacrifice on non-Jews.
The Swedish government, which defended the newspaper, said it was free speech. -Read more at CBN
<><><>*<><><>
Islamic Center's Struggle Echoes That Of African-Americans
My job as an imam and outreach director for the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center, located minutes from the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol, was created September 11, 2001, to convey a more accurate image of the American Muslim community and to create opportunities for interfaith cooperation and understanding distinct from the stereotypical image of Muslims as intolerant and violent religious anti-American extremists.
On the morning of the 9/11 attack, while I was calling my patients from the waiting room at Howard University Hospital, I saw the plumes of smoke in the distance coming from the Pentagon, and on the TV monitor watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center being destroyed.
I had been volunteering as the Muslim chaplain and imam at Howard University at that time, and the media began calling me for interviews. –Read more at CNN Opinion
Brave New Schools
Texas warns book publishers: 'No more white-washing Islam' … State board adopts resolution calling for fairness regarding world's religions.
The elected Texas Board of Education adopted a resolution that warns textbook publishers to be careful and provide fair treatment of the world's religions – or face being snubbed by the state that buys more textbooks than any other.
The resolution, introduced by former Texas school board member Randy Rives, states: "Resolved, That the SBOE will look to reject future prejudicial social studies submissions that continue to offend Texas law with respect to treatment of the world's major religious groups by significant inequalities of coverage space-wise and/or by demonizing or lionizing one or more of them over others."
The resolution, adopted on a 7-6 vote, declares that "pro-Islamic/anti-Christian half-truths, selective disinformation, and false editorial stereotypes still roil some social studies textbooks nationwide," including some "politically correct whitewashes of Islamic culture and stigmas on Christian civilization."
The resolution included pages of footnotes documenting the specific offenses discovered in various textbooks, including "patterns of pejoratives toward Christians and superlatives toward Muslims, calling Crusaders aggressors, 'violent attackers,' or 'invaders' while euphemizing Muslim conquest of Christian lands as 'migrations' by 'empire builders.'"
Jonathan Saenz, director of legislative affairs for the non-profit legal advocacy group Liberty Institute, told WND the vote "sends a strong message that Texas state board members, and really speaking on behalf of the people they represent, care about keeping textbooks accurate."
"They are against religious discrimination. That sends a message," he said.
Publishers, he said, "will have to live up to standards."
Saenz said the board, whose members are elected by voters, are serving their responsibility to be a "check" on the products used in the state's schools.
The resolution discusses world history textbooks officially adopted for use in Texas between 1999 and 2002, which may still be in some classrooms. The resolution also discusses textbooks used in other parts of the country. In Texas, world history textbooks are used at the high school level.
The resolution pointed out grounds for board concerns.
"In one instance, devoting 120 student text lines to Christian beliefs, practices, and holy writings but 248 (more than twice as many) to those of Islam; and dwelling for 27 student text lines on Crusaders' massacre of Muslims at Jerusalem in 1099 yet censoring Muslims' massacres of Christians there in 1244 and at Antioch in 1268, implying that Christian brutality and Muslim loss of life are significant but Islamic cruelty and Christian deaths are not."
The elected Texas Board of Education adopted a resolution that warns textbook publishers to be careful and provide fair treatment of the world's religions – or face being snubbed by the state that buys more textbooks than any other.
The resolution, introduced by former Texas school board member Randy Rives, states: "Resolved, That the SBOE will look to reject future prejudicial social studies submissions that continue to offend Texas law with respect to treatment of the world's major religious groups by significant inequalities of coverage space-wise and/or by demonizing or lionizing one or more of them over others."
The resolution, adopted on a 7-6 vote, declares that "pro-Islamic/anti-Christian half-truths, selective disinformation, and false editorial stereotypes still roil some social studies textbooks nationwide," including some "politically correct whitewashes of Islamic culture and stigmas on Christian civilization."
The resolution included pages of footnotes documenting the specific offenses discovered in various textbooks, including "patterns of pejoratives toward Christians and superlatives toward Muslims, calling Crusaders aggressors, 'violent attackers,' or 'invaders' while euphemizing Muslim conquest of Christian lands as 'migrations' by 'empire builders.'"
Jonathan Saenz, director of legislative affairs for the non-profit legal advocacy group Liberty Institute, told WND the vote "sends a strong message that Texas state board members, and really speaking on behalf of the people they represent, care about keeping textbooks accurate."
"They are against religious discrimination. That sends a message," he said.
Publishers, he said, "will have to live up to standards."
Saenz said the board, whose members are elected by voters, are serving their responsibility to be a "check" on the products used in the state's schools.
The resolution discusses world history textbooks officially adopted for use in Texas between 1999 and 2002, which may still be in some classrooms. The resolution also discusses textbooks used in other parts of the country. In Texas, world history textbooks are used at the high school level.
The resolution pointed out grounds for board concerns.
"In one instance, devoting 120 student text lines to Christian beliefs, practices, and holy writings but 248 (more than twice as many) to those of Islam; and dwelling for 27 student text lines on Crusaders' massacre of Muslims at Jerusalem in 1099 yet censoring Muslims' massacres of Christians there in 1244 and at Antioch in 1268, implying that Christian brutality and Muslim loss of life are significant but Islamic cruelty and Christian deaths are not."
Another point of contention is book authors "spending 139 student text lines on Christian beliefs, practices, and holy writings but 176 on those of Islam; claiming Islam 'brought untold wealth to thousands and a better life to millions,' while 'because of [Europeans' Christian] religious zeal … many peoples died and many civilizations were destroyed;' and contrasting 'the Muslim concern for cleanliness' with Swedes in Russia who were 'the filthiest of God's creatures.'"
The resolution noted the state's law requires reinforcement of "the basic democratic values of our state and national heritage," along with the requirement that "no instructional material may be adopted that contains content that clearly conflicts with the stated purpose of the Texas Education Code."
One book that was examined was "World History, Patterns of Interaction" published by McDougal. The footnotes noted that it has been reported that the Dubai royal family was a "major shareholder" in the Education Media and Publishing Group, which controls textbook publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
"We're just trying to protect the school children of Texas," Rives told WND in preparation for the vote. "We have documented that in the past there was some pro-Islamic and anti-Christian literature in some of our textbooks. We want to put textbook companies on notice that if this happens again, it can cause your textbooks to be rejected."
Rives also noted the prominent national role Texas plays in textbook disputes.
"We are the largest buyer of textbooks in the United States, and publishers like to try to get others states to accept the same version [we use]. What we do in Texas influences the rest of the nation, and we need to take that seriously and make sure an agenda isn't pushed through the textbooks."
Rives told Alana Goodman of the Alexandria, Va.-based Culture and Media Institute, "In the social studies books we need to make sure that our democratic values are depicted and that's not just my opinion, that's what the Texas education code says."
Much to the dismay of the Dallas Morning News, the resolution also warns that "more such discriminatory treatment of religion may occur as Middle Easterners buy into the U.S. public school textbook oligopoly, as they are now doing."
DMN's Terrence Stutz reported that the resolution "offered no specific evidence of such investments," despite the footnote regarding the Dubai royal family.
As WND reported, American public school textbooks have been used to promote Islam, and publishing company executives are primarily responsible for the content of the texts.
By Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily
The resolution noted the state's law requires reinforcement of "the basic democratic values of our state and national heritage," along with the requirement that "no instructional material may be adopted that contains content that clearly conflicts with the stated purpose of the Texas Education Code."
One book that was examined was "World History, Patterns of Interaction" published by McDougal. The footnotes noted that it has been reported that the Dubai royal family was a "major shareholder" in the Education Media and Publishing Group, which controls textbook publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
"We're just trying to protect the school children of Texas," Rives told WND in preparation for the vote. "We have documented that in the past there was some pro-Islamic and anti-Christian literature in some of our textbooks. We want to put textbook companies on notice that if this happens again, it can cause your textbooks to be rejected."
Rives also noted the prominent national role Texas plays in textbook disputes.
"We are the largest buyer of textbooks in the United States, and publishers like to try to get others states to accept the same version [we use]. What we do in Texas influences the rest of the nation, and we need to take that seriously and make sure an agenda isn't pushed through the textbooks."
Rives told Alana Goodman of the Alexandria, Va.-based Culture and Media Institute, "In the social studies books we need to make sure that our democratic values are depicted and that's not just my opinion, that's what the Texas education code says."
Much to the dismay of the Dallas Morning News, the resolution also warns that "more such discriminatory treatment of religion may occur as Middle Easterners buy into the U.S. public school textbook oligopoly, as they are now doing."
DMN's Terrence Stutz reported that the resolution "offered no specific evidence of such investments," despite the footnote regarding the Dubai royal family.
As WND reported, American public school textbooks have been used to promote Islam, and publishing company executives are primarily responsible for the content of the texts.
By Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily
Gliese 581g, A New Planet Like Earth
Gliese 581g would be the first Earth-like planet found orbiting in a star's habitable zone. The new plant is located in a region where temperatures could sustain life and liquid water on its surface.
Astronomers have found a planet that is in the Goldilocks zone – just right for life. Not too hot, not too cold. And it's relatively close - about 120 trillion miles away. –Christian Science Monitor
Astronomers have found a planet that is in the Goldilocks zone – just right for life. Not too hot, not too cold. And it's relatively close - about 120 trillion miles away. –Christian Science Monitor
Burned Biscuits
When I was a kid, my mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work.
On that evening so long ago, my mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of my dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed. All my dad did was reach for his biscuit, smile at my mom, and ask me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him spread butter and jelly on that biscuit and eat every bite!
When I got up from the table, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what my dad said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, when I went to kiss Daddy goodnight, I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today, and she's real tired. Besides, a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
Life is full of imperfections---imperfect things and imperfect people. I myself am imperfect and am hardly good at anything; I even forget birthdays and anniversaries, just like many others who do. But one very important lesson I've learned over the years is the reality that to accept others' faults and to choose to celebrate each others differences is one of the most important keys in creating and fostering a good, healthy and lasting relationship.
And so, my prayer is that everyone will learn to take everything in this life---the good, as well as the bad and the ugly---and lay them all at God's feet because He's the only One who can allow any good, healthy, and lasting relationship to flourish, where even a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!
To be kind and understanding is the basis of all good relationships, be it between husband-wife, parent-child, or friends!
As some sage once said: "Don't put the key to happiness in someone else's pocket --- keep it in yours."
So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine!
Author Unknown
When I got up from the table, I remember hearing my mom apologize to my dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what my dad said: "Honey, I love burned biscuits."
Later that night, when I went to kiss Daddy goodnight, I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put in a hard day at work today, and she's real tired. Besides, a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"
Life is full of imperfections---imperfect things and imperfect people. I myself am imperfect and am hardly good at anything; I even forget birthdays and anniversaries, just like many others who do. But one very important lesson I've learned over the years is the reality that to accept others' faults and to choose to celebrate each others differences is one of the most important keys in creating and fostering a good, healthy and lasting relationship.
And so, my prayer is that everyone will learn to take everything in this life---the good, as well as the bad and the ugly---and lay them all at God's feet because He's the only One who can allow any good, healthy, and lasting relationship to flourish, where even a burnt biscuit isn't a deal-breaker!
To be kind and understanding is the basis of all good relationships, be it between husband-wife, parent-child, or friends!
As some sage once said: "Don't put the key to happiness in someone else's pocket --- keep it in yours."
So, please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine!
Author Unknown
A Tribute to Don Wildmon Values
Voter Summit 2010
<><><>*<><><>
Foot Note: I’m not posting the above video to advance its message or give support to any political agenda contained in it. I'm posting this video to ask how you think and feel about the message presented. Is America as debauched as this video depicts or is this just another "Christian" propaganda video to influence your vote?
On paper, NY Islamic Center Looks Modern, Secular
Conceptual sketches of the Islamic center planned two blocks from ground zero envision a futuristic-looking building wrapped in a honeycomb of abstract shapes, with a core containing far more space for secular pursuits than religious worship.
The renderings, some of which were posted on the project's website this week, are preliminary, but they project the development team's desire to build something cosmopolitan and fun on a site now known only for controversy.
Groundbreaking for construction is probably two to three years away, "or hopefully sooner," El-Gamal told The Associated Press.
The largest part of the building - four of 16 floors - would be taken up by a sports, fitness and swimming center. Another full floor would be occupied by a child care center and playground.
Much of the rest of the building would be occupied by a restaurant, culinary school, artist studios, exhibition space and an auditorium for cultural events.
The building's prayer space for Muslims - the part of the center that has caused some critics to derisively brand the center the "ground zero mega mosque" - would be located on two levels in the basement. The 12th floor would hold a 9/11 memorial and sanctuary open to people of all faiths.
As for the look of the place, it could fit in fine as an annex to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, with white walls and floors and a crystalline feel.
Renderings by Soma Architects, a design studio that shares office space with El-Gamal's real estate company, show a building exterior that takes a traditional element of Islamic architecture - an arabesque pattern - and weaves it into a geometric mash-up that extends into the interior.
"We want to have a marriage between Islamic architecture and New York City. We want to do something that is green and cool," El-Gamal said.
Actual working plans for the center are still some time away.
An architect has yet to be selected, El-Gamal said. Planning is just beginning to emerge from a brainstorming phase disrupted when criticism of the center exploded over the summer.
Fundraising will probably begin in earnest in about 30 days, once the work of establishing a nonprofit group to oversee the center is complete.
Like the project's co-leader, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Brooklyn-born El-Gamal said he was caught off-guard by criticism from people offended by the concept of building an Islamic institution so close to the World Trade Center site.
Some have called it an exercise in triumphalism, intended to plant Islam's flag at the scene of the attacks and deliberately provoke Americans. Others say they are against the center because they don't want to see any growth of Islam in the U.S.
"I would have done things a lot differently during this process if I understood what we were up against," El-Gamal said.
But he added that he remained convinced much of the criticism was sparked by "a campaign of deception and deceit."
"People have been calling this the ground zero mosque. It's not at ground zero and it's not a mosque," he said. "Our identity has been stolen from us. It has been stolen by extremists."
Opponents have sought to link people involved in the project to Islamic militancy, partly by looking for past public statements in which they were critical of the U.S. or Israel.
El-Gamal, who spent his early childhood in New York with his Polish, Catholic mother, then moved abroad with his Egyptian father, a Chemical Bank executive, after his mother died, says those efforts are ridiculous.
But he acknowledged that intense scrutiny of the project will make tasks like gathering donations and selecting board members more laborious.
"We're going to have to run this just like a political campaign," vetting every donated dollar to see where it comes from, he said.
The center has set a goal of raising $27 million through a nationwide appeal to Muslims, interfaith groups and other philanthropists, but most of the $120 million to $140 million needed for construction would be raised by issuing a type of bond common in Islamic banking.
The instrument provides some of the same borrowing benefits as a standard construction bond, but complies with a religious prohibition against charging interest on a loan. El-Gamal said he hoped the bonds could be issued by a public development authority, which would allow investors to get them tax-free, but said that is not essential to move the project forward.
Revenue for operations would come from membership dues. The goal is to have around 4,300 paying members, with about half paying $2,700 per year for a family plan that would include fitness center access.
Both the center's programing and business model were modeled largely after the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, a popular facility on the Upper West Side where El-Gamal is a member.
El-Gamal said he hoped the prayer space would serve a congregation of around 2,000 people, most of whom would probably be Muslims who work downtown. Around 500 to 600 worshippers are already attending services at the site.
Big steps ahead for the project include resolving the relationship between the new nonprofit group that will operate the center, and the eight-person real estate investment partnership led by El-Gamal that controls the real estate on which it would be built.
Buying out the investment partnership is probably the first step, El-Gamal said, although the details of how that will happen are still not finalized.
One of his partners in the real estate deal, Hisham Elzanaty, has told The Associated Press that while he supports the idea of the center, he also needs his investment to turn a profit.
El-Gamal said Elzanaty was a partner, and that "his consent and approval" were necessary to the project, but he didn't foresee that as any obstacle.
A bigger challenge could be persuading enough New Yorkers that the project is just another community center. El-Gamal said he is optimistic his message will eventually break through.
He said the group is planning a series of town hall style meetings in which the relatives of 9/11 victims would be encouraged to voice their concerns.
At the very least, he said, the project is on the map.
"From a publicity standpoint, I think we've gotten $50 million worth of press," El-Gamal said. "It was good people that came together with good intentions, and when that happens, good things usually come out of it." -Sun News
The renderings, some of which were posted on the project's website this week, are preliminary, but they project the development team's desire to build something cosmopolitan and fun on a site now known only for controversy.
Groundbreaking for construction is probably two to three years away, "or hopefully sooner," El-Gamal told The Associated Press.
The largest part of the building - four of 16 floors - would be taken up by a sports, fitness and swimming center. Another full floor would be occupied by a child care center and playground.
Much of the rest of the building would be occupied by a restaurant, culinary school, artist studios, exhibition space and an auditorium for cultural events.
The building's prayer space for Muslims - the part of the center that has caused some critics to derisively brand the center the "ground zero mega mosque" - would be located on two levels in the basement. The 12th floor would hold a 9/11 memorial and sanctuary open to people of all faiths.
As for the look of the place, it could fit in fine as an annex to Superman's Fortress of Solitude, with white walls and floors and a crystalline feel.
Renderings by Soma Architects, a design studio that shares office space with El-Gamal's real estate company, show a building exterior that takes a traditional element of Islamic architecture - an arabesque pattern - and weaves it into a geometric mash-up that extends into the interior.
"We want to have a marriage between Islamic architecture and New York City. We want to do something that is green and cool," El-Gamal said.
Actual working plans for the center are still some time away.
An architect has yet to be selected, El-Gamal said. Planning is just beginning to emerge from a brainstorming phase disrupted when criticism of the center exploded over the summer.
Fundraising will probably begin in earnest in about 30 days, once the work of establishing a nonprofit group to oversee the center is complete.
Like the project's co-leader, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the Brooklyn-born El-Gamal said he was caught off-guard by criticism from people offended by the concept of building an Islamic institution so close to the World Trade Center site.
Some have called it an exercise in triumphalism, intended to plant Islam's flag at the scene of the attacks and deliberately provoke Americans. Others say they are against the center because they don't want to see any growth of Islam in the U.S.
"I would have done things a lot differently during this process if I understood what we were up against," El-Gamal said.
But he added that he remained convinced much of the criticism was sparked by "a campaign of deception and deceit."
"People have been calling this the ground zero mosque. It's not at ground zero and it's not a mosque," he said. "Our identity has been stolen from us. It has been stolen by extremists."
Opponents have sought to link people involved in the project to Islamic militancy, partly by looking for past public statements in which they were critical of the U.S. or Israel.
El-Gamal, who spent his early childhood in New York with his Polish, Catholic mother, then moved abroad with his Egyptian father, a Chemical Bank executive, after his mother died, says those efforts are ridiculous.
But he acknowledged that intense scrutiny of the project will make tasks like gathering donations and selecting board members more laborious.
"We're going to have to run this just like a political campaign," vetting every donated dollar to see where it comes from, he said.
The center has set a goal of raising $27 million through a nationwide appeal to Muslims, interfaith groups and other philanthropists, but most of the $120 million to $140 million needed for construction would be raised by issuing a type of bond common in Islamic banking.
The instrument provides some of the same borrowing benefits as a standard construction bond, but complies with a religious prohibition against charging interest on a loan. El-Gamal said he hoped the bonds could be issued by a public development authority, which would allow investors to get them tax-free, but said that is not essential to move the project forward.
Revenue for operations would come from membership dues. The goal is to have around 4,300 paying members, with about half paying $2,700 per year for a family plan that would include fitness center access.
Both the center's programing and business model were modeled largely after the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, a popular facility on the Upper West Side where El-Gamal is a member.
El-Gamal said he hoped the prayer space would serve a congregation of around 2,000 people, most of whom would probably be Muslims who work downtown. Around 500 to 600 worshippers are already attending services at the site.
Big steps ahead for the project include resolving the relationship between the new nonprofit group that will operate the center, and the eight-person real estate investment partnership led by El-Gamal that controls the real estate on which it would be built.
Buying out the investment partnership is probably the first step, El-Gamal said, although the details of how that will happen are still not finalized.
One of his partners in the real estate deal, Hisham Elzanaty, has told The Associated Press that while he supports the idea of the center, he also needs his investment to turn a profit.
El-Gamal said Elzanaty was a partner, and that "his consent and approval" were necessary to the project, but he didn't foresee that as any obstacle.
A bigger challenge could be persuading enough New Yorkers that the project is just another community center. El-Gamal said he is optimistic his message will eventually break through.
He said the group is planning a series of town hall style meetings in which the relatives of 9/11 victims would be encouraged to voice their concerns.
At the very least, he said, the project is on the map.
"From a publicity standpoint, I think we've gotten $50 million worth of press," El-Gamal said. "It was good people that came together with good intentions, and when that happens, good things usually come out of it." -Sun News
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