"My position is, unless we are caring as much for the vulnerable outside the womb as inside the womb, we're not carrying out the full message of Jesus. ... They began to think this might threaten their base or evaporate some of their support, and they said they just couldn't go there."
- Rev. Joel Hunter, explaining his resignation as president-elect of the Christian Coalition, after realizing he would be unable to broaden the organization's focus to include issues such as poverty and the environment. (Source: The Washington Post)
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
I Believe in Christmas
Personally, I believe that people can celebrate Christmas any way they choose, be it Santa or the Savior. I've always admired Zig Ziglar and came across this piece and thought it would be my way of kicking off the holiday season.
************************************************************************************
I Believe in Christmas
By Zig Ziglar
It’s the first Christmas I can remember. It arrived just seven weeks after the deaths of my father and baby sister. To make matters worse, it was in the heart of the Great Depression. Things were tough. All of us children who were older made what income contributions we could, but the truth was my mother had eight of her eleven remaining children still living at home, and six were too young to work. Understandably, the Ziglar kids were concerned about what kind of Christmas it would be!
The good news is that though our grief was fresh, we still celebrated Christmas. We received no toys that year, but much to my delight in my gift box I found three English walnuts and something I had never tasted before—raisins! They were absolutely delicious. Mama prepared her wonderful molasses candy and we had a small cedar tree. And my mother read the Christmas story, like she always did.
My sixth Christmas will always have great meaning to me. We celebrated the birth of Christ even in hard times because we believed in Christmas.
A Change in Celebrating the Season
Unfortunately, over the years things have changed. The cheerful “Merry Christmas” of yesteryear has been replaced by the politically correct “Happy Holidays!” In the minds of many people, we celebrate “holidays.” Not only is Christ not at the center of the celebration, he isn’t even considered to be a reason for the season!
If I seem upset about the changes that I see taking place in regard to Christmas, it is because I am! It’s not because an old tradition is being changed. No, I’m upset that the event that made it possible for me to have a life I could never have imagined is being hidden from view with decorations, wrapping paper, parties, and political correctness!
Christmas! A Reason to Celebrate
You see, I believe it’s worth celebrating that Jesus came to earth—his birth signaled hope for all mankind. I believe that as he lived a perfect life before God and mankind, he showed that he truly was God’s Son. And I believe that by giving his life up on a cross, he completely paid the penalty that my sins—and yours—deserve before a holy God. And it was made possible because of that first Christmas.
How could I not believe in Christmas? Because Christ was born as a baby in a manger, that’s more than enough reason to celebrate Christmas for what it is—a joyful occasion. I’ve experienced forgiveness of my sins and have the assurance of eternity in heaven!
If you don’t know Jesus Christ, let me say that he tells us in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How do you do that? First, understand that I’m talking about a relationship, not a religion. All the world’s major religions emphasize that you qualify for heaven by your good works—the things that you do. Such “religion” is spelled “d-o.” Christianity is spelled “d-o-n-e.” Christ already paid for our sins when he died on the cross. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And he rose from the grave proving that the punishment for our sins was fully paid.
Nothing we could ever “do” could qualify us for God’s forgiveness and reserve our place in heaven. That’s why Christ himself said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29).
Celebrate Like Never Before!
God forgives us, saves us from our sins, and gives us eternal life based on our belief in what Jesus did for us. Why? Because God is gracious beyond measure! The Bible says that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though “the wages of sin is death” (eternal separation from God), the greatest Christmas gift we could ever have is “the free gift of God…eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
With gift-giving like that from God, I don’t want to lose the significance of Christmas. I believe in Christmas!
I urge you to accept the greatest “Christmas gift” you’ll ever receive: If you’re convinced that God’s way is the only way to meaningful life now and eternal life in heaven, you can tell him in words like these:
Dear God, I do believe Jesus died for me and took the punishment my sins deserved. I want to receive your free gift of salvation and eternal life. Thank you for making this possible!
Then join me this year in celebrating Christmas like you’ve never celebrated it before!
Merry Christmas!
Zig
************************************************************************************
I Believe in Christmas
By Zig Ziglar
It’s the first Christmas I can remember. It arrived just seven weeks after the deaths of my father and baby sister. To make matters worse, it was in the heart of the Great Depression. Things were tough. All of us children who were older made what income contributions we could, but the truth was my mother had eight of her eleven remaining children still living at home, and six were too young to work. Understandably, the Ziglar kids were concerned about what kind of Christmas it would be!
The good news is that though our grief was fresh, we still celebrated Christmas. We received no toys that year, but much to my delight in my gift box I found three English walnuts and something I had never tasted before—raisins! They were absolutely delicious. Mama prepared her wonderful molasses candy and we had a small cedar tree. And my mother read the Christmas story, like she always did.
My sixth Christmas will always have great meaning to me. We celebrated the birth of Christ even in hard times because we believed in Christmas.
A Change in Celebrating the Season
Unfortunately, over the years things have changed. The cheerful “Merry Christmas” of yesteryear has been replaced by the politically correct “Happy Holidays!” In the minds of many people, we celebrate “holidays.” Not only is Christ not at the center of the celebration, he isn’t even considered to be a reason for the season!
If I seem upset about the changes that I see taking place in regard to Christmas, it is because I am! It’s not because an old tradition is being changed. No, I’m upset that the event that made it possible for me to have a life I could never have imagined is being hidden from view with decorations, wrapping paper, parties, and political correctness!
Christmas! A Reason to Celebrate
You see, I believe it’s worth celebrating that Jesus came to earth—his birth signaled hope for all mankind. I believe that as he lived a perfect life before God and mankind, he showed that he truly was God’s Son. And I believe that by giving his life up on a cross, he completely paid the penalty that my sins—and yours—deserve before a holy God. And it was made possible because of that first Christmas.
How could I not believe in Christmas? Because Christ was born as a baby in a manger, that’s more than enough reason to celebrate Christmas for what it is—a joyful occasion. I’ve experienced forgiveness of my sins and have the assurance of eternity in heaven!
If you don’t know Jesus Christ, let me say that he tells us in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” How do you do that? First, understand that I’m talking about a relationship, not a religion. All the world’s major religions emphasize that you qualify for heaven by your good works—the things that you do. Such “religion” is spelled “d-o.” Christianity is spelled “d-o-n-e.” Christ already paid for our sins when he died on the cross. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). And he rose from the grave proving that the punishment for our sins was fully paid.
Nothing we could ever “do” could qualify us for God’s forgiveness and reserve our place in heaven. That’s why Christ himself said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent” (John 6:29).
Celebrate Like Never Before!
God forgives us, saves us from our sins, and gives us eternal life based on our belief in what Jesus did for us. Why? Because God is gracious beyond measure! The Bible says that it is “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). Though “the wages of sin is death” (eternal separation from God), the greatest Christmas gift we could ever have is “the free gift of God…eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
With gift-giving like that from God, I don’t want to lose the significance of Christmas. I believe in Christmas!
I urge you to accept the greatest “Christmas gift” you’ll ever receive: If you’re convinced that God’s way is the only way to meaningful life now and eternal life in heaven, you can tell him in words like these:
Dear God, I do believe Jesus died for me and took the punishment my sins deserved. I want to receive your free gift of salvation and eternal life. Thank you for making this possible!
Then join me this year in celebrating Christmas like you’ve never celebrated it before!
Merry Christmas!
Zig
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Richards' Rant Leaves No Doubt He's a Racist
Richards' rant leaves no doubt he's a racist
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.
``Throw his ass out! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger! Look, there's a nigger!''
-- Michael Richards,
The Laugh Factory, Nov. 17
``I'm not a racist. That's what's so insane about this.''
-- Michael Richards, The Late Show with David Letterman, Nov. 20
You'd think one of the first things a stand-up comic learns is how to deal with hecklers. One recalls Richard Pryor's jab at some fool who blew a whistle during his monologue. ''This ain't Kool and the Gang, motherfornicator!'' Except, he didn't say motherfornicator.
Apparently, Michael Richards was absent from Comedy 101 the day they studied Heckler Management. Hence, his epic, headline-making meltdown. It happened last week after Richards was razzed -- benignly, by most accounts -- by some black folks in the crowd.
As a result, a pointed question is now being debated: Is Michael Richards a racist? Let me save us all a lot of time: Yes. It seems obvious that Seinfeld's Kramer, his claims to the contrary notwithstanding, has no use for, as he put it in his rambling, disjointed, and painful-to-watch apology on Letterman, ``Afro Americans.''
I have a reader who would disagree on that. She sent an e-mail hoping to preempt my calling Richards racist. She asked that I consider the possibility he's no bigot but simply a man who, in anger, reached instinctively for the most hurtful language he could find. We've all been there, right?
HE MEANT IT
Well, no. Richards' rant, according to the video of it online, lasted a good 2 ½ minutes. You might angrily snap that somebody is a ''fat so-and-so'' without really meaning it. You don't spend 2 ½ minutes calling them fat unless fat is exactly what you mean.
What bothers me most about my reader's explanation is that she felt compelled to postulate an alternate reason for Richards' behavior. Evidently she found the likeliest reason too hard to accept. Nor is she alone. TMZ.com, the website that obtained the video, polled its users with this question: Is Richards a racist? Forty percent of the respondents said no.
Granted, the survey is not scientific, but it is instructive. And no, it makes no difference to me that some black people freely use the same word Richards did. I consider them just as hateful as I do him, except with them, it's hatred of self.
But frankly, Richards is not the point here. He's just a TV used-to-be who has likely immolated what remains of his career. So be it.
BLATANT AND UNMISTAKABLE
But if so many of my white countrymen refuse to recognize racism when it is this blatant and unmistakable, what expectation can we have that they will do so when it is subtle and covert? In other words, when it is what it usually is.
Modern bigotry usually isn't some nitwit screaming the N-word. It is jobs you don't get and loans you don't get and apartments you don't get and healthcare you don't get and justice you don't get, for reasons you get all too clearly, even though no one ever quite speaks them. Or needs to. It is smiles in your face and knives in your back. And it is, yes, a sitcom -- like Seinfeld -- that presents New York City, of all places, as a black-free zone.
These are complaints African Americans have sought for years to drive home only to be met largely by indifference, the defensive apathy of those who are free to ignore or diminish any claim on conscience that makes them uncomfortable. At the risk of metaphor abuse, the response to this debacle makes clear that you can't explain Advanced Racism to those who haven't passed Racism 101.
And, with all due respect to my correspondent, that need to make excuses gets old. The man spent 2 ½ minutes screaming racial insults. You say that's not racism?
Then, pray tell, what is?
BY LEONARD PITTS JR.
``Throw his ass out! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! He's a nigger! A nigger! Look, there's a nigger!''
-- Michael Richards,
The Laugh Factory, Nov. 17
``I'm not a racist. That's what's so insane about this.''
-- Michael Richards, The Late Show with David Letterman, Nov. 20
You'd think one of the first things a stand-up comic learns is how to deal with hecklers. One recalls Richard Pryor's jab at some fool who blew a whistle during his monologue. ''This ain't Kool and the Gang, motherfornicator!'' Except, he didn't say motherfornicator.
Apparently, Michael Richards was absent from Comedy 101 the day they studied Heckler Management. Hence, his epic, headline-making meltdown. It happened last week after Richards was razzed -- benignly, by most accounts -- by some black folks in the crowd.
As a result, a pointed question is now being debated: Is Michael Richards a racist? Let me save us all a lot of time: Yes. It seems obvious that Seinfeld's Kramer, his claims to the contrary notwithstanding, has no use for, as he put it in his rambling, disjointed, and painful-to-watch apology on Letterman, ``Afro Americans.''
I have a reader who would disagree on that. She sent an e-mail hoping to preempt my calling Richards racist. She asked that I consider the possibility he's no bigot but simply a man who, in anger, reached instinctively for the most hurtful language he could find. We've all been there, right?
HE MEANT IT
Well, no. Richards' rant, according to the video of it online, lasted a good 2 ½ minutes. You might angrily snap that somebody is a ''fat so-and-so'' without really meaning it. You don't spend 2 ½ minutes calling them fat unless fat is exactly what you mean.
What bothers me most about my reader's explanation is that she felt compelled to postulate an alternate reason for Richards' behavior. Evidently she found the likeliest reason too hard to accept. Nor is she alone. TMZ.com, the website that obtained the video, polled its users with this question: Is Richards a racist? Forty percent of the respondents said no.
Granted, the survey is not scientific, but it is instructive. And no, it makes no difference to me that some black people freely use the same word Richards did. I consider them just as hateful as I do him, except with them, it's hatred of self.
But frankly, Richards is not the point here. He's just a TV used-to-be who has likely immolated what remains of his career. So be it.
BLATANT AND UNMISTAKABLE
But if so many of my white countrymen refuse to recognize racism when it is this blatant and unmistakable, what expectation can we have that they will do so when it is subtle and covert? In other words, when it is what it usually is.
Modern bigotry usually isn't some nitwit screaming the N-word. It is jobs you don't get and loans you don't get and apartments you don't get and healthcare you don't get and justice you don't get, for reasons you get all too clearly, even though no one ever quite speaks them. Or needs to. It is smiles in your face and knives in your back. And it is, yes, a sitcom -- like Seinfeld -- that presents New York City, of all places, as a black-free zone.
These are complaints African Americans have sought for years to drive home only to be met largely by indifference, the defensive apathy of those who are free to ignore or diminish any claim on conscience that makes them uncomfortable. At the risk of metaphor abuse, the response to this debacle makes clear that you can't explain Advanced Racism to those who haven't passed Racism 101.
And, with all due respect to my correspondent, that need to make excuses gets old. The man spent 2 ½ minutes screaming racial insults. You say that's not racism?
Then, pray tell, what is?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Be Thankful
I know I posted this a couple of months ago, but given the season I thought it was appropriate.
I'm off to visit the in-laws and won't be able to blog until Sunday night at the earliest. After five days in central Pennsylvania, I'm sure I'll have PLENTY to blog about. :) Until then, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and remember to count your blessings. There's ALWAYS someone less fortunate than you and would love to be in your shoes. Tell someone you love how you feel; tomorrow's not promised and they just might need to hear it now more than ever.
Peace,
TP
Thankful
by Jonny Lang
********************************************
Someone's standing in a welfare line
Or off the freeway with a hungry sign
Someone' streessin' 'bout to lose their mind
I gotta be thankful, thankful
Someone just became a single mother
Someone just lost a sister or brother
It's so important that we love each other
And be
Thankful, thankful
I've gotta take the time to say, that I'm
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath I take
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
Someone's sitting in a prison cell
Wasting away in a personal hell
Everybody's got their own story to tell
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
Man, I used to think I didn't have a lot
Now I realize just how much I've got
Now every day I'm gonna take the time to stop to be
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath I take
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
Any one of these so easily could have been me
But if it had not been for grace and mercy who knows where I'd be
I've been riding on this roller coaster ride
'Round and 'round I've see the up and downside
And I'm here to tell you that the secret of life is being
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath I take
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
I'm off to visit the in-laws and won't be able to blog until Sunday night at the earliest. After five days in central Pennsylvania, I'm sure I'll have PLENTY to blog about. :) Until then, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving and remember to count your blessings. There's ALWAYS someone less fortunate than you and would love to be in your shoes. Tell someone you love how you feel; tomorrow's not promised and they just might need to hear it now more than ever.
Peace,
TP
Thankful
by Jonny Lang
********************************************
Someone's standing in a welfare line
Or off the freeway with a hungry sign
Someone' streessin' 'bout to lose their mind
I gotta be thankful, thankful
Someone just became a single mother
Someone just lost a sister or brother
It's so important that we love each other
And be
Thankful, thankful
I've gotta take the time to say, that I'm
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath I take
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
Someone's sitting in a prison cell
Wasting away in a personal hell
Everybody's got their own story to tell
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
Man, I used to think I didn't have a lot
Now I realize just how much I've got
Now every day I'm gonna take the time to stop to be
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath I take
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
Any one of these so easily could have been me
But if it had not been for grace and mercy who knows where I'd be
I've been riding on this roller coaster ride
'Round and 'round I've see the up and downside
And I'm here to tell you that the secret of life is being
Thankful, thankful
For every single breath I take
I've gotta be thankful, thankful
The American Music Awards - Ya Know You're Getting Old When...
...not only do you not know most of the artists nominated and performing at an awards show you watched faithfully every year as a kid, but you're actually annoyed by most of the people there! A recap of what I saw (or, more accurately, could stomach watching) last night:
- Beyonce is smokin' hot. Her voice is marginal and she appears to be as dumb as a box of hammers, but her body is bangin'!!!
- Jimmy Kimmel, the host of last night's show, just seems to me like a slob, no matter what he wears.
- Aside from the obvious, why do The Pussycat Dolls have a career at all?
- Who the hell is Akon?!?
- Is it me, or are the Black Eyed Peas just a tad overrated?
- What the hell has happended to Gwen Stefani? Why does every song now sound like a high school marching band's halftime show?
- Carrie Underwood is on her way to being a HUGE star, and rightly so, but she's clearly bought in to the "thin is in" mindset. She was nice and thick and healthy on American Idol, and now she's looking scrawny. Sad.
- I despise Ashlee Simpson.
- Why does Sharon Stone always have the look of a hungry sexual predator EVERY TIME YOU SEE HER?
- Barry Manilow has had so much plastic surgery, he's unrecognizable. He still sounds great, performing a medley of hits from his Greatest Song of the Sixties album, but looks like an alien.
- The lead singer from Rascal Flatts needs to drop about 75 pounds. Remember the Tweety Bird cartoon when he drinks the potion and turns in to a Mr. Hyde type of Super Tweety? That's what their lead singer looks like. A parakeet on steroids.
- Jack Black runs a very close second to Robin Williams on my list of the most annoying and unfunny comedians on the planet.
This brings me to Jaime Foxx. He's talented, no question about it whatsoever. For a guy who started out doing "In Living Color" and "Booty Call", he's reached heights I'm sure he never imagined in his wildest dreams. He broke out of the ghetto movies like "Bait" and "The Players Club" to give breakout performances in "Any Given Sunday", "Ali", and "Ray", for which he won the Academy Award. In my opinion, from there he's squandered his talent on substandard projects like "Miami Vice" and "Stealth" and his R&B album that, while popular, doesn't sound all that great to me.
Last night he won one award and gave what may have been the best performance of the night with a song about his grandmother from the abovementioned album. For those of you who don't know, Foxx was raised by his grandmother and she imparted some very important life lessons to him along the way. She died about a year and a half, maybe two years ago, shortly before he won the Oscar. Since then, he has (appropriately) thanked her when receiving film and music awards. I guess the thing that bothers me is the nagging question I have everytime I see him mention her or, as in last night, sing about her (please forgive what may be crude and vulgar to some of you): how many times are you going to play the dead grandmother card? How many times will you go back to that well? I truly feel for his loss and the song is probably the best on the album, but, and I really do hate to sound harsh about this, get over it.
We have a penchant in the country for public mourning and grieving. Days, if not hours, after a tragedy, a mother can be seen on the local news or a popular cable news show crying over the loss of her child or husband. Men and women practically line up to tell the whole world about their sorrow and misery and maybe, just maybe, they get a book deal out of it (remember Ashley Smith, the woman held hostage in her Georgia home by the escaped killer of a few officers in Atlanta? Book deal within a year!). Queen Elizabeth took quite a thumping from her subjects for her seemingly cold and stoic appearances following Diana's death. As a new movie about that period in her life shows, the Queen found public mourning distasteful and almost vulgar, not to mention that fact that none of them really liked Diana in the first place. I wonder what would happen if more of us kept our tragedies personal and private and didn't step in front of every camera or clamor for a book deal everytime bad luck comes our way.
Monday, November 20, 2006
"I Don't See a White Boy! I See a Damn Fool!!"
"Seinfeld" Star in Racist BrouhahaFormer Seinfeld star Michael Richards shocked an audience at a comedy club in L.A. on Friday night with a racist tirade that included the “N” word. Read on...
Rudy Ain't Right
Rudy Ain't Right: Seven Reasons Rudy Giuliani is Unelectable
He has never been elected to a state or national office. He’s a three-times married serial adulterer. He supports abortion, gun control, and gay rights. He’s opposed by both social conservatives and civil libertarians. He’s completely unelectable as a Republican candidate.
So why are so many people giddy about the prospect of Rudy Giuliani running for President?
Read on...
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Quote of The Day
"We control both chambers now, so it is difficult for us to have an excuse for not doing anything."
-Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, on proposals for an ethics overhaul in Congress.
-Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, on proposals for an ethics overhaul in Congress.
143 Years Ago Today
The Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
November 19, 1863
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
November 19, 1863
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Song Lyric Thursday
God's Gonna Cut You Down
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Putting Faith Before Politics
SINCE 1992, every national Republican electoral defeat has been accompanied by an obituary for the religious right. Every one of these obituaries has been premature — after these losses, the religious right only grew stronger.
More...
More...
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Fire.Couric.Now
CBS EVENING NEWS DOWN OVER YEAR AGO... For the first time since Katie Couric became anchor, CBS EVENING NEWS is down compared to a year ago, falling 4% from 8.069 to 7.758 million last week among total viewers, and the program also declined 9% among adults 25-54 from last year's 2.2 to a 2.0 rating last week... Developing...
Monday, November 13, 2006
Marine Corps Rules of Gunfighting
1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."
Navy Rules for Gun fighting:
1. Go to Sea
2. Send the Marines
3. Drink Coffee
2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Life is expensive.
3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.
4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.
5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)
6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.
7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.
8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.
9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.
10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.
11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.
12. Have a plan.
13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.
14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.
15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.
16. Don't drop your guard.
17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.
18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them.
19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.
20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.
21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.
22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.
23. Your number one option for personal security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.
24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a "4."
Navy Rules for Gun fighting:
1. Go to Sea
2. Send the Marines
3. Drink Coffee
In God's Country
Believe it or not, a balanced look at religion from The Nation!
On November 4, 2004, two days after George W. Bush was narrowly re-elected President, the New York Times published a gloomy op-ed by historian Garry Wills titled "The Day the Enlightenment Went Out."
More...
On November 4, 2004, two days after George W. Bush was narrowly re-elected President, the New York Times published a gloomy op-ed by historian Garry Wills titled "The Day the Enlightenment Went Out."
More...
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Are More ‘Thumpings’ Needed?
Are More ‘Thumpings’ Needed?
by Patrick J. Buchanan - November 10, 2006
While the losses were not large for the sixth year of a sitting president – a net of six Senate seats and 30-odd House seats – the significance of Nov. 7 is huge and the consequences will be historic.
But it is crucial to sift out what the nation was saying and what it was not saying. Nov. 7 was a referendum on George Bush, the Iraq war and the Republican Party, and, undeniably, a repudiation of all three. Tuesday’s rout is what happens to a hubristic party that leads a nation into an unnecessary and unwise war, and presents that nation with a congressional face of self-indulgence and corruption.
But the nation that rejected Bush and the Republicans did not reject conservatism. To the contrary, it seemed to want to punish the prodigal sons for abandoning the faith of their fathers.
What did America vote against?
It voted against Bush’s war of democratic imperialism and the mismanagement of that war. It voted against Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham and Mark Foley. It voted against a party that postures as conservative while indulging in a six-year pig-out on the taxpayers’ tab, the altarpiece of which was a $250 million “bridge to nowhere.”
What did America not vote against? It did not vote against tax cuts or conservative judges or a security fence. How do we know? Because no Democrat in a hotly contested race said he would raise taxes, reject Supreme Court nominees like John Roberts and Samuel Alito or grant amnesty for illegal aliens.
The principal beneficiary of the election may be Nancy Pelosi, but this election was no mandate for an ultraliberal feminist who spent much of the campaign in protective custody so America would not see what they would be getting when they dumped Denny Hastert.
But if this was no mandate for a new “progressive era,” as the media are trying to portray it, what was it a mandate for?
The answers are apparent.
The nation agrees with the Democratic Party that the minimum wage should be raised and a cost-benefit analysis done on Bush trade deals that leave Wal-Mart cluttered with cheap Chinese goods, while hollowing out American manufacturing and converting company towns into ghost towns.
The open-borders crowd is chortling that Randy Graf and J.D. Hayworth went down to defeat, but deliberately ignores the far more relevant fact that Arizonans voted even tougher restrictions on state benefits for illegal aliens.
In Michigan, the GOP establishment deserted Ward Connerly’s principled battle to end reverse discrimination. But while the GOP went down to defeat, the Connerly ballot initiative, rooted in the idea of equal justice under law for all races, swept to a 58-42 victory. When Republicans desert Reagan Democrats, Reagan Democrats desert the GOP. Which is as it should be.
On social issues, our national division that dates to the cultural wars of the ’60s, endures. Embryonic stem cell research lost a huge lead to win a slim victory in Missouri, while the toughest anti-abortion law in America went down to narrow defeat in South Dakota. But gay marriage was routed in every state where it was on the ballot, and pot for medicinal purposes was rejected in libertarian Nevada.
Yet the effect of the Republican defeat on Bush appears to have been almost destabilizing. Within 48 hours, all the campaign bluster was gone and Bush was moving to accommodate his critics.
He fired and humiliated his loyal deputy Donald Rumsfeld, told the new Mexican president he would fight for “comprehensive” reform of U.S. immigration law – i.e., amnesty and open borders – and had Nancy Pelosi down to the Oval Office, where she was treated as a queen, despite having portrayed the president as an incompetent ignoramus.
Coupled with what appears to be the outsourcing of Iraq policy to James Baker, Bush family consigliore, the questions arise, one after the other. Is there any real core to George W. Bush? Is there any real constancy of character and purpose?
And do we have another broken presidency on our hands?
For conservatives, the lessons of 2006 seem clear. They failed in their duty to hold the Republican Party to account when it departed from principle and political ethics, and thus failed to rescue it from the rout it has now received. The Right failed in the basic responsibility of true camaraderie: Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.
What conservatives should do now is what they should have been doing for six years. Stand behind the president when he fights for low taxes and conservative judges. But when he joins with Pelosi, Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderon and McCain-Kennedy for open borders, or with Dick Durbin for “moderate justices,” give him another “thumping” – like he got from conservatives when he sought to elevate Harrier Miers to the Supreme Court and just as he got from the nation on Nov. 7.
----------------
by Patrick J. Buchanan - November 10, 2006
While the losses were not large for the sixth year of a sitting president – a net of six Senate seats and 30-odd House seats – the significance of Nov. 7 is huge and the consequences will be historic.
But it is crucial to sift out what the nation was saying and what it was not saying. Nov. 7 was a referendum on George Bush, the Iraq war and the Republican Party, and, undeniably, a repudiation of all three. Tuesday’s rout is what happens to a hubristic party that leads a nation into an unnecessary and unwise war, and presents that nation with a congressional face of self-indulgence and corruption.
But the nation that rejected Bush and the Republicans did not reject conservatism. To the contrary, it seemed to want to punish the prodigal sons for abandoning the faith of their fathers.
What did America vote against?
It voted against Bush’s war of democratic imperialism and the mismanagement of that war. It voted against Jack Abramoff, Duke Cunningham and Mark Foley. It voted against a party that postures as conservative while indulging in a six-year pig-out on the taxpayers’ tab, the altarpiece of which was a $250 million “bridge to nowhere.”
What did America not vote against? It did not vote against tax cuts or conservative judges or a security fence. How do we know? Because no Democrat in a hotly contested race said he would raise taxes, reject Supreme Court nominees like John Roberts and Samuel Alito or grant amnesty for illegal aliens.
The principal beneficiary of the election may be Nancy Pelosi, but this election was no mandate for an ultraliberal feminist who spent much of the campaign in protective custody so America would not see what they would be getting when they dumped Denny Hastert.
But if this was no mandate for a new “progressive era,” as the media are trying to portray it, what was it a mandate for?
The answers are apparent.
The nation agrees with the Democratic Party that the minimum wage should be raised and a cost-benefit analysis done on Bush trade deals that leave Wal-Mart cluttered with cheap Chinese goods, while hollowing out American manufacturing and converting company towns into ghost towns.
The open-borders crowd is chortling that Randy Graf and J.D. Hayworth went down to defeat, but deliberately ignores the far more relevant fact that Arizonans voted even tougher restrictions on state benefits for illegal aliens.
In Michigan, the GOP establishment deserted Ward Connerly’s principled battle to end reverse discrimination. But while the GOP went down to defeat, the Connerly ballot initiative, rooted in the idea of equal justice under law for all races, swept to a 58-42 victory. When Republicans desert Reagan Democrats, Reagan Democrats desert the GOP. Which is as it should be.
On social issues, our national division that dates to the cultural wars of the ’60s, endures. Embryonic stem cell research lost a huge lead to win a slim victory in Missouri, while the toughest anti-abortion law in America went down to narrow defeat in South Dakota. But gay marriage was routed in every state where it was on the ballot, and pot for medicinal purposes was rejected in libertarian Nevada.
Yet the effect of the Republican defeat on Bush appears to have been almost destabilizing. Within 48 hours, all the campaign bluster was gone and Bush was moving to accommodate his critics.
He fired and humiliated his loyal deputy Donald Rumsfeld, told the new Mexican president he would fight for “comprehensive” reform of U.S. immigration law – i.e., amnesty and open borders – and had Nancy Pelosi down to the Oval Office, where she was treated as a queen, despite having portrayed the president as an incompetent ignoramus.
Coupled with what appears to be the outsourcing of Iraq policy to James Baker, Bush family consigliore, the questions arise, one after the other. Is there any real core to George W. Bush? Is there any real constancy of character and purpose?
And do we have another broken presidency on our hands?
For conservatives, the lessons of 2006 seem clear. They failed in their duty to hold the Republican Party to account when it departed from principle and political ethics, and thus failed to rescue it from the rout it has now received. The Right failed in the basic responsibility of true camaraderie: Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.
What conservatives should do now is what they should have been doing for six years. Stand behind the president when he fights for low taxes and conservative judges. But when he joins with Pelosi, Vicente Fox, Felipe Calderon and McCain-Kennedy for open borders, or with Dick Durbin for “moderate justices,” give him another “thumping” – like he got from conservatives when he sought to elevate Harrier Miers to the Supreme Court and just as he got from the nation on Nov. 7.
----------------
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Happy 231st Birthday to My Beloved Marine Corps!!!
From the Halls of Montezuma
To the Shores of Tripoli;
We fight our country's battles
In the air, on land and sea;
First to fight for right and freedom
And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title
of United States Marine.
Our flag's unfurled to every breeze
From dawn to setting sun;
We have fought in ev'ry clime and place
Where we could take a gun;
In the snow of far-off Northern lands
And in sunny tropic scenes;
You will find us always on the job--
The United States Marines.
Here's health to you and to our Corps
Which we are proud to serve
In many a strife we've fought for life
And never lost our nerve;
If the Army and the Navy
Ever look on Heaven's scenes;
They will find the streets are guarded
By United States Marines.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Song Lyric Thursday
Some of the most nonsensical, asinine lyrics you'll ever find, but they fit my mood today. :)
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
By Michael Jackson
[Chorus]
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'
I Said You Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
You Got To Be Startin' Somethin'
It's Too High To Get Over (Yeah, Yeah)
Too Low To Get Under (Yeah, Yeah)
You're Stuck In The Middle (Yeah, Yeah)
And The Pain Is Thunder (Yeah, Yeah)
It's Too High To Get Over (Yeah, Yeah)
Too Low To Get Under (Yeah, Yeah)
You're Stuck In The Middle (Yeah, Yeah)
And The Pain Is Thunder (Yeah, Yeah)
[1st Verse]
I Took My Baby To The Doctor
With A Fever, But Nothing He Found
By The Time This Hit The Street
They Said She Had A Breakdown
Someone's Always Tryin' To Start My Baby Cryin'
Talkin', Squealin', Lyin'
Sayin' You Just Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
[Chorus]
[2nd Verse]
You Love To Pretend That You're Good
When You're Always Up To No Good
You Really Can't Make Him Hate Her
So Your Tongue Became A Razor
Someone's Always Tryin' To Keep My Baby Cryin'
Treacherous, Cunnin', Declinin'
You Got My Baby Cryin'
[Chorus]
You're A Vegetable, You're A Vegetable
Still They Hate You, You're A Vegetable
You're Just A Buffet, You're A Vegetable
They Eat Off Of You, You're A Vegetable
[3rd Verse]
Billie Jean Is Always Talkin'
When Nobody Else Is Talkin'
Tellin' Lies And Rubbin' Shoulders
So They Called Her Mouth A Motor
Someone's Always Tryin' To Start My Baby Cryin'
Talkin', Squealin', Spyin'
Sayin' You Just Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
[Chorus]
You're A Vegetable, You're A Vegetable
Still They Hate You, You're A Vegetable
You're Just A Buffet, You're A Vegetable
They Eat Off Of You, You're A Vegetable
[Ad-Lib]
If You Cant Feed Your Baby (Yeah, Yeah)
Then Don't Have A Baby (Yeah, Yeah)
And Don't Think Maybe (Yeah, Yeah)
If You Can't Feed Your Baby (Yeah, Yeah)
You'll Be Always Tryin'
To Stop That Child From Cryin'
Hustlin', Stealin', Lyin'
Now Baby's Slowly Dyin'
[Chorus]
[Ad-Lib]
Lift Your Head Up High
And Scream Out To The World
I Know I Am Someone
And Let The Truth Unfurl
No One Can Hurt You Now
Because You Know What's True
Yes, I Believe In Me
So You Believe In You
Help Me Sing It,
Ma Ma Se,
Ma Ma Sa, Ma Ma Coo Sa
Ma Ma Se, Ma Ma Sa,
Ma Ma Coo Sa
[Repeat/Fade-Out]
Merry Christmas From Wal-Mart!
Finally! An American retailer with some backbone!!
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2006-11-08-christmas-usat_x.htm
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Next Stop: Hell In A Handbasket?
For all you dyed in the wool ideologue True Blue Democrats, THIS is what YOU voted for:
"It's just the reality of living." - Martin O'Malley, on the City's failure to provide a reasonable level of ongoing safety for the community of firebombed association president Edna McAbier of Harwood.
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/7516821/detail.html
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/9902932/detail.html
When crime and taxes skyrocket, do me a favor: PLEASE come bitchin' to me so I can slap some sense in yo' head!!!
"It's just the reality of living." - Martin O'Malley, on the City's failure to provide a reasonable level of ongoing safety for the community of firebombed association president Edna McAbier of Harwood.
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/7516821/detail.html
http://www.thewbalchannel.com/news/9902932/detail.html
When crime and taxes skyrocket, do me a favor: PLEASE come bitchin' to me so I can slap some sense in yo' head!!!
Monday, November 06, 2006
Michael Jackson - Motown 25
I talk to young people all the time and sometimes music and videos come up. Inevitably, that leads to a discussion of Michael Jackson. I try to impress upon them just how much Michael revolutionized music and the music video. It's difficult for them to understand because they've ALWAYS had MTV and what passes for great now really isn't.
I believe that in the time-space continuum there is a line of demarcation that is this performance on NBC in May of 1983. There was everything before this and then there was everything after this. If you're under 30 you probably won't get this or be able to fully appreciate it, but trust me; there was very little like this on television up to this point, maybe ever.
Michael Jackson - Motown 25 (The Moonwalk) Billie Jean
I believe that in the time-space continuum there is a line of demarcation that is this performance on NBC in May of 1983. There was everything before this and then there was everything after this. If you're under 30 you probably won't get this or be able to fully appreciate it, but trust me; there was very little like this on television up to this point, maybe ever.
Michael Jackson - Motown 25 (The Moonwalk) Billie Jean
Morning Praise
I woke up this morning with this song in my heart:
When I Think About the Lord
When I Think about the Lord,
How He saved me,
How He raised me,
How He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.
How He healed me, to the uttermost.
When I Think about the Lord,
How He picked me up and turned me around,
How He placed my feet on solid ground
(Chorus*)
It makes me wanna shout,
Hallelujah,
Thank you JESUS,
LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor, and all the praise... (Repeat*)
Sometimes, those of us who try to be Christ-followers need a refresher. We need to be reminded of the Gospel, that God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to pay for our sins that whoever believes might never be separated from God. God didn't do what so many of us do in our personal relationships. He didn't say, "Ya know what, forget it. I've tried and I've tried to get through to them and nothing works. I've shown myself to them over and over, I've pulled them out of destructive relationships and behaviors, I've healed them when no one thought they could be healed, I gave them children when they thought they couldn't have any, I've turned their finances around, I've blessed them and blessed them and still they don't give me an ounce of credit." No, He stretched His arms wide across a bloody cross and said "I love you this much."
Christ was sinless but took on our sin so that we could take on His righteousness. He took our place under God's wrath so that we could take His place with God. If you really stop and think about that, I mean really meditate on it, you realize that the least we can do is accept Him as a savior.
Just a thought. Felt like sharing. :)
When I Think About the Lord
When I Think about the Lord,
How He saved me,
How He raised me,
How He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.
How He healed me, to the uttermost.
When I Think about the Lord,
How He picked me up and turned me around,
How He placed my feet on solid ground
(Chorus*)
It makes me wanna shout,
Hallelujah,
Thank you JESUS,
LORD, your worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor, and all the praise... (Repeat*)
Sometimes, those of us who try to be Christ-followers need a refresher. We need to be reminded of the Gospel, that God loved us so much that he sent his only Son to pay for our sins that whoever believes might never be separated from God. God didn't do what so many of us do in our personal relationships. He didn't say, "Ya know what, forget it. I've tried and I've tried to get through to them and nothing works. I've shown myself to them over and over, I've pulled them out of destructive relationships and behaviors, I've healed them when no one thought they could be healed, I gave them children when they thought they couldn't have any, I've turned their finances around, I've blessed them and blessed them and still they don't give me an ounce of credit." No, He stretched His arms wide across a bloody cross and said "I love you this much."
Christ was sinless but took on our sin so that we could take on His righteousness. He took our place under God's wrath so that we could take His place with God. If you really stop and think about that, I mean really meditate on it, you realize that the least we can do is accept Him as a savior.
Just a thought. Felt like sharing. :)
Saturday, November 04, 2006
The Minister, The Meth, and The Massage
Update II: Haggard's Letter
Update: Haggard's out as pastor
I have hesitated weighing in on this but I suppose I probably should.
By now you know that Ted Haggard, leader of Colorado mega church New Life Church and the head of the National Association of Evangelicals, has been outed by Mike Jones, a gay prostitute, for having sex and snorting meth.
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061103/D8L5IM680.html
Haggard immediately stepped down from his leadership posts pending the completion of an investigation. Yesterday he admitted to getting a massage (but no happy ending) from Jones and to buying (but not snorting) meth for himself. Jones failed a lie detector test on the very show on which he broke the news.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4597552
I don't personally know Haggard or Jones (Ted or Mike or Merle or George, for that matter) and it's possible that one is completely true and the other completely false or both are twisting the truth for their own reasons. But I think this brings to light two much needed reminders and one prediction:
- Christians aren't perfect. We are subject to temptation and sin just like anyone else. It's possible that Haggard is a closeted homosexual and succumbed to fleshly temptation, and to ease the pain that the cognitive dissonance caused, he tried meth. It's also possible that all he got was a massage and wanted to try meth but didn't have the guts or heart. We simply don't know yet. Right now it's he said, he said (I originally wrote "he said, she said" by mistake. :) ).
- Christians must be mindful that someone is watching and waiting all the time. The euphoric schadenfreude that gays, liberals, and the secular community is feeling is as sad and pathetic as this husband and father having to explain this to people who care about him deeply. Even if the worst of this is that he only got meth and a massage from a gay whore, his life's work and the trust of his family, congregation, and the Body of Christ is ruined.
- This may only strengthen and embolden Christian conservatives who are opposed to homosexuality and gay marriage. Over the past 48 hours or so, Mike Jones, the least sympathetic character in this soap opera, has been in front of every camera and microphone he can find. I can smell a book deal and maybe a made-for-TV movie in the works. He has admitted that he timed this story to impact Tuesday's elections. (http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5115225,00.html ) That fact will not, or at least should not, be lost on conservatives. For a male prostitute to release this story for those purposes will only make many Christians and conservatives find the gay lifestyle and all who choose it that much more sick and depraved. I know, I know, Haggard chose to do this, if in fact Jones' allegations are true. But Haggard's a much loved member of the Christian community and the Colorado Springs community and they will rally around him and offer forgiveness, along with punishment. But Jones' behavior, and the elation of all who want to see Christians fall and fail, will only strengthen the Religious Right and they will most likely use this as yet another reason to oppose homosexuality and gay marriage. Just a hunch on my part.
My guess, and it's only a guess, is that Ted Haggard has struggled with his sexuality all his life and that in the coming days there will be more men who come forward and say they had sex with Pastor Ted at some point. He chose to deal with his demons in this particular instance with meth, but meth isn't a gateway drug. Nobody starts using drugs by taking meth (usually). So Pastor Ted probably has a stocked liquor cabinet at home (or a stash hidden somewhere) that he hits on a regular basis. He's probably tried pot a time or two in his adult life. Maybe even coke. It would be devastating, but not surprising, if his wife left him and came forward to say that they rarely had sex and he drank regularly. I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.
And I pray for Pastor Ted and his family.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Voting Gods Politics
Voting God’s Politics
For years, we have watched the proliferation of voter’s guides from the Religious Right that did all but actually endorse only right-wing Republican candidates. Before the 2004 election, their narrow list of “non-negotiables” included abortion, stem-cell harvesting, homosexual marriage, human cloning, and euthanasia. All the wider issues that the scriptures speak to were simply ignored. Never have we seen such a partisan use, abuse, and manipulation of religion. Well, those days are over, as many Christians, including a new generation of evangelicals, are demanding a broader and more biblical agenda - one that could challenge candidates on both sides of the aisle.
We have insisted that God is not a Republican or a Democrat, but we do believe there are principles and guidelines that should inform how we vote. This year, we have distributed more than 300,000 “Issues Guides,” which cover a broad range of Christian ethics and values that should inform our political decisions. You can still get a copy of the “Voting God's Politics Issues Guide.”
We have highlighted the following principles and policies as a critical framework to shape our perspective on public policy and political leadership, and the questions by which all candidates should be evaluated.
Compassion and Economic Justice
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands (Isaiah 65:21-23).
God shows a special concern for those in poverty and acts in history to lift them up. The Bible teaches that societies should organize so that all members have genuine access to the resources needed to live a decent life and provide for those who are unable to care for themselves.
Does the candidate support measures that provide for family economic success and security by “making work work,” that promote fair and decent wages, that show a serious commitment to lifting children out of poverty, and support policies on aid, debt, and trade that would bring extreme global poverty to an end?
Peace and Restraint of Violence
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4). Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).
We face a major challenge of how to resolve conflicts, reduce violence, and defeat terrorism without endless war. War has become a first resort instead of the last resort. In a world full of terrorists, terrorist states, unilateralist superpowers, and weapons of mass destruction, we need practical alternatives to an endless cycle of violence.
Is the candidate committed to a serious plan for ending the war in Iraq, to joining a real national debate on how to remove American forces while seeking both security and peace for Iraq, to the elimination of nuclear weapons, to supporting security and freedom in the Middle East, and to strengthening international law to fight terrorism?
Consistent Ethic of Life
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).
We believe that all life is a sacred gift from God, and that public policies should reflect a consistent ethic of life - and address all the places where human life is threatened. We believe abortion is always a moral tragedy, but how do we find real solutions for preventing unwanted pregnancies and supporting women caught in very difficult and desperate circumstances?
Does the candidate support policies that will dramatically reduce the number of abortions, end capital punishment, and stop genocide, especially in Darfur?
Racial Justice
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Full humanity and dignity are denied when people are discriminated against for ethnic or racial reasons, whether intentionally or due to systemic structures. Racism is a sin and undermines the integrity of a society.
Is the candidate committed to reversing and ending racial discrimination in all aspects of our society, especially in the criminal justice and education systems?
Human Rights, Dignity, and Gender Justice
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).
We recognize each human being as created in God’s image. We urge policies that both protect life and promote human dignity. On the issue of torture, for example, it really isn’t the terrorists and what they stand for; it is about us, and what we stand for. On immigration, how do we welcome the stranger, respect the law, and insure national security? And how do we combat the growing epidemic of sexual trafficking and virtual slavery?
Does the candidate support humane and holistic immigration policies and comprehensive immigration reform? Do they insist on policies that end torture, stop human trafficking, promote religious freedom, and protect women?
Strengthen Families and Renew Culture
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God (Romans 12:2).
Strong families are the essential foundation of a good society. A culture that promotes healthy families is necessary to raise our children with strong values. And parenting has become a countercultural activity in America. How do we find real solutions, and not just scapegoats?
Does the candidate support policies that strengthen marriage and families, restore integrity to our civic and business practices, and act to prevent violence in our society - especially the alarming incidence of domestic violence against women and children.
Good Stewardship of God’s Creation
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it (Psalm 24:1).
The earth and the fragile atmosphere that surrounds it are God’s good creation for the sustenance and enjoyment of all things. We support policies that protect creation from interests and activities that damage it. We believe global warming is a religious issue.
Does a candidate support protections to clean air and water, to reduce the dangerous emissions that cause global warming, to shift from our addiction to oil and fossil fuels to cleaner, safer, and more renewable energy sources? Do they support the transformation to conservation and new energy sources that could provide jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, help solve the Middle East crisis, and even reduce the threats of terrorism?
Next Tuesday, we will not establish the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not on the ballot. But you can vote to strengthen the common good. There are important things at stake in this election, including many lives in the ongoing war in Iraq. This is an important election for our country, and I urge all Christians to take time this weekend to think and pray about their choices, evaluate candidates on all these issues, then go to the polls on Tuesday and vote.
And after we vote, no matter who wins, we must be at the doorstep of politicians the next day to hold them accountable to the issues that arise from a broad biblical agenda.
For years, we have watched the proliferation of voter’s guides from the Religious Right that did all but actually endorse only right-wing Republican candidates. Before the 2004 election, their narrow list of “non-negotiables” included abortion, stem-cell harvesting, homosexual marriage, human cloning, and euthanasia. All the wider issues that the scriptures speak to were simply ignored. Never have we seen such a partisan use, abuse, and manipulation of religion. Well, those days are over, as many Christians, including a new generation of evangelicals, are demanding a broader and more biblical agenda - one that could challenge candidates on both sides of the aisle.
We have insisted that God is not a Republican or a Democrat, but we do believe there are principles and guidelines that should inform how we vote. This year, we have distributed more than 300,000 “Issues Guides,” which cover a broad range of Christian ethics and values that should inform our political decisions. You can still get a copy of the “Voting God's Politics Issues Guide.”
We have highlighted the following principles and policies as a critical framework to shape our perspective on public policy and political leadership, and the questions by which all candidates should be evaluated.
Compassion and Economic Justice
They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands (Isaiah 65:21-23).
God shows a special concern for those in poverty and acts in history to lift them up. The Bible teaches that societies should organize so that all members have genuine access to the resources needed to live a decent life and provide for those who are unable to care for themselves.
Does the candidate support measures that provide for family economic success and security by “making work work,” that promote fair and decent wages, that show a serious commitment to lifting children out of poverty, and support policies on aid, debt, and trade that would bring extreme global poverty to an end?
Peace and Restraint of Violence
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more (Isaiah 2:4). Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9).
We face a major challenge of how to resolve conflicts, reduce violence, and defeat terrorism without endless war. War has become a first resort instead of the last resort. In a world full of terrorists, terrorist states, unilateralist superpowers, and weapons of mass destruction, we need practical alternatives to an endless cycle of violence.
Is the candidate committed to a serious plan for ending the war in Iraq, to joining a real national debate on how to remove American forces while seeking both security and peace for Iraq, to the elimination of nuclear weapons, to supporting security and freedom in the Middle East, and to strengthening international law to fight terrorism?
Consistent Ethic of Life
Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being (Genesis 2:7).
We believe that all life is a sacred gift from God, and that public policies should reflect a consistent ethic of life - and address all the places where human life is threatened. We believe abortion is always a moral tragedy, but how do we find real solutions for preventing unwanted pregnancies and supporting women caught in very difficult and desperate circumstances?
Does the candidate support policies that will dramatically reduce the number of abortions, end capital punishment, and stop genocide, especially in Darfur?
Racial Justice
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
Full humanity and dignity are denied when people are discriminated against for ethnic or racial reasons, whether intentionally or due to systemic structures. Racism is a sin and undermines the integrity of a society.
Is the candidate committed to reversing and ending racial discrimination in all aspects of our society, especially in the criminal justice and education systems?
Human Rights, Dignity, and Gender Justice
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27).
We recognize each human being as created in God’s image. We urge policies that both protect life and promote human dignity. On the issue of torture, for example, it really isn’t the terrorists and what they stand for; it is about us, and what we stand for. On immigration, how do we welcome the stranger, respect the law, and insure national security? And how do we combat the growing epidemic of sexual trafficking and virtual slavery?
Does the candidate support humane and holistic immigration policies and comprehensive immigration reform? Do they insist on policies that end torture, stop human trafficking, promote religious freedom, and protect women?
Strengthen Families and Renew Culture
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God (Romans 12:2).
Strong families are the essential foundation of a good society. A culture that promotes healthy families is necessary to raise our children with strong values. And parenting has become a countercultural activity in America. How do we find real solutions, and not just scapegoats?
Does the candidate support policies that strengthen marriage and families, restore integrity to our civic and business practices, and act to prevent violence in our society - especially the alarming incidence of domestic violence against women and children.
Good Stewardship of God’s Creation
God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it (Psalm 24:1).
The earth and the fragile atmosphere that surrounds it are God’s good creation for the sustenance and enjoyment of all things. We support policies that protect creation from interests and activities that damage it. We believe global warming is a religious issue.
Does a candidate support protections to clean air and water, to reduce the dangerous emissions that cause global warming, to shift from our addiction to oil and fossil fuels to cleaner, safer, and more renewable energy sources? Do they support the transformation to conservation and new energy sources that could provide jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, help solve the Middle East crisis, and even reduce the threats of terrorism?
Next Tuesday, we will not establish the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not on the ballot. But you can vote to strengthen the common good. There are important things at stake in this election, including many lives in the ongoing war in Iraq. This is an important election for our country, and I urge all Christians to take time this weekend to think and pray about their choices, evaluate candidates on all these issues, then go to the polls on Tuesday and vote.
And after we vote, no matter who wins, we must be at the doorstep of politicians the next day to hold them accountable to the issues that arise from a broad biblical agenda.
Sony Lyric Thursday (One Day Late)
Pink- Dear Mr President - Live
"Dear Mr. President"
P!nk (feat. Indigo Girls)
Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why
Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell
What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you
"Dear Mr. President"
P!nk (feat. Indigo Girls)
Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly
What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why
Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pave the road to hell
What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine
How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Diary of a Tired Black Man
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-714690406191900852&pr=goog-sl
This is probably the best online video I've ever seen. I'd love to get comments on this.
This is probably the best online video I've ever seen. I'd love to get comments on this.
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