Saturday, September 4, 2010

Religious Intolerance


The forces of religious intolerance have been evident in America since the time of early European settlement. Yet out of the experience of that intolerance our founding fathers created an understanding of religious freedom and embedded it in the constitution as part of the first amendment.
 Chin
George Washington addressed the Jewish congregation at NewportRoad Island when anti-Semitic feeling ran high. He said, “May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants, while everyone shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be no one to make him afraid.”
 Cloud Nine
From our founding we have been a nation of predominantly protestant Christians but we have not been a “Christian Nation.” That is no one religion has been officially recognized over any other religion. People of all religious faiths are permitted to assemble and worship together as they please. We note that Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Mormon, Deist or non-religious are all welcome to enjoy religious freedom here. That is a great thing about America.
 Smiley Dance
The other side of the coin is that among people in this country there is ignorant religious intolerance that has occasionally run rampant. Until after World War II there was a pronounced anti-Jewish sentiment here. As late as 1939 twenty thousand people gathered in New York with banners that read, “Stop Jewish Domination of America.” When John Kennedy ran for president the dirty trick campaign wanted to stop the alien Romanist from giving power to the Pope in the Whitehouse.
 Blink
The same tired arguments are used over and over against what ever religions are targeted.
The tenets of [?name the religion] are opposed to the values of America.
[?name the religion] have undue influence with American elites.
[?name the religion] integration into America is a veiled foreign invasion.
 Angel
Fear of the different should never cause us to hate and be hated because of our personal religious beliefs.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Some Quotes on Life


Socrates: “To do is to be.”
Chin
Plato: “To be is to do.”
Chin
Rene Descartes: “I think therefore I am.”
Chin
Jesus: “I am the way the truth and the and the life.”
AngelArms

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

One Very Cool Picture

This morning's NASA space picture was taken from the Messenger Space Probe that is heading for orbit around Mercury. In the lower left is the Earth and Moon as seen from Mercury.
 So very cool. Cool


Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Temptation


One thing I know for sure is that as long has I draw breath in this life the evil one will tempt me to sin. Always there will be that opportunity to that which I know is wrong.
 Drinks
I also know that in the presence of God I am the only one who is responsible for my sin and I must accept that responsibility in confession. I can not pass the blame on to any one and not even say “The Devil made me do it.” The devil only has the power to tempt and can not force me to do anything.
Angel

Monday, August 30, 2010

Funeral Protest???


My reading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ tells me that Jesus taught that God is Love and that God loves every body.
 AngelArms
So I was mortified by the picture on the front page of today’s USA-Today of funeral protesters in York PA.

A fundamentalist Baptist church has been protesting at funerals of US service men and women who died in combat. This picture was taken at the funeral of a US Marine. It goes way beyond bad taste and hateful acts. The signs held by the woman state that “God hates Nebraska; God hates you, and Thank God for dead soldiers.” This is the antitheist of all that Christ taught.
 What
They do not have common respect for the dead and grieving and they bring disrespect on the Baptist church. I note that most Baptist churches would find this action abhorrent. I can only think that the leader of this congregation is an “Anti-Christ” by preaching this kind of hate.
 Cross BonesAtomic
I really do not know what else to make of it.What

What Did He Actually Say?



Sometimes a TV commercial will strike me in a way that is opposite of the way they intended. An example is a beer ad currently in play that ends with the phrase, “Stay thirsty my friend.” That phrase is the one I am suppose to remember so that the truncated form of the commercial will cause me to remember the longer version.
  What
If I obey the injunction to stay thirsty I won’t be drinking his product. It could also have the connotation that if I do drink his product that I will still be thirsty. Neither of these ideas are the intended message.  
 Chin
You know I got so hooked on the reverse meanings I don’t remember the name of the beer.Happy No