The World is Really One Place

Desmond Tutu – 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner has shared a few thoughts.  Wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all thought like this man?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/desmond-tutu/god-is-not-a-christian_b_869947.html

Religion + Money = Godliness?

Interesting little article about some polling results.   White Evangelical Tea Party Republicans (Religious Right) seems to be group that believes unregulated businesses will act ethically.  This is also the group that prefers their preachers to speak out against abortion and homosexuality rather than economic  issues.  This also seems to be the group that beleives the free market is guided by the hand of God.

I also believe this is the group that will ultimately bring down the Grand Old Party.   This group has already hijacked trure Christianity so the GOP is their next victim – IMHO

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/20/poll-americans-see-clash-_n_851712.html

What?????

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

indypendent

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/10/pope-links-violence-in-go_n_834287.html

Mixing Politics and Religion

It seems that God has been speaking mostly to Republicans when it comes to the call to serve in public office.  Sharron Angle who hopes to unseat Harry Reid in Nevada joins other Republicans who say God called them to serve.  She says, “I believe that God has been in this from the beginning and because of that, when he has a plan and purpose for your life and you fit into that what he calls you to, he’s always equipped people.”

God, if you believe His messengers, also spoke to Sarah Palin, George Bush and Norm Coleman, calling them to public office.  Why God let Al Franken win Coleman’s seat is another matter.

What other politicians or leaders have you seen claim divine endorsement?  Is God a Republican after all?  In the past when we mixed politics and religion, people got burned at the stake.  Is that where this will lead?

fnord

Of Dogs and the Cross and Tolerance

In recent news, there have two events that I feel are intricately linked. One occurred in Sweden and the other in the United States.

MUHAMMAD CARTOONIST DEFIANT AFTER ATTACK

And………………………………………………………………….

THIEVES TAKE CONTROVERSIAL MOJAVE DESERT CROSS

The Swedish cartoonist, who had drawn Muhammad as a dog,  was attacked as he began a university lecture on free speech, by a group of presumably Muslim young men. Islam considers any image of Muhammad to be an insult.

In California, thieves, possibly with a motive prompted by the recent SCOTUS ruling, stole the Veterans memorial cross in the  Mojave National Preserve. Despite a $25,000 rewards, the cross has not been recovered nor have the thieves been apprehended.

(The thread photo is not of the stolen cross.)

msnbc.msn.com/id/37105541/ns/world_news-europe/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37086432/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

Much of Europe is struggling with Muslim immigrants and several nations have passed or are considering laws to restrict their behavior in public, such as France’s and Finland’s (?) proposed ban on burkas in public.

In the United States, Judeo – Christian symbolism has been used on public buildings since the beginning of the nation. Recent SCOTUS rulings allow said symbolism that it of a historical nature. The cross (or it’s replacement) have been on that site for over 75 years.

To me, no one should ever be condemned or attacked for practicing free speech and no one has the right to steal property, regardless of the motivation.

Both situations anger me greatly.

“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one’s own beliefs.” – JFK

What are your thoughts?

William Stephenson Clark

What is Meant by the Statement that “America is a Christian Nation”?

This Washington Post article examines the question of what is meant by the assertion that America is a Christian nation.  They cover the 1790s treaty that asserted we were not a Christian nation, Andrew Jackson’s efforts to resist the starting of a Christian political pary, and Lincoln’s burying of a Christian amendment to the constitution.

The article also describes the statements made Obama that led to him being seen as a non-Christian.  Sarah Palin’s assertions that we are a Christian nation are described as well.

The article finally asks the question what do we mean when we say America is a Christian nation?  What are your thoughts?

iggydonnelly

Tweet Justice For Beck???

Starting at 9:00 this morning the Jewish Funds for Justice will start sending twitter messages to Glenn Beck; one every minute to the television host.  Their reasons for doing so: “to confront Glenn Beck about his bizarre and incongruous opinion that there is no place for social and economic justice in religion.”

An example: 

 And Jesus said to
All his hungry disciples
Hands off my fish, chumps.

Will this attention be helpful or a problem for Beck?  I think ignoring him is better.

Read more here.

iggydonnelly

Is The Bible More Violent Than The Quran?

When Osama bin Laden declared war on the West in 1996, he cited the Quran’s command to “strike off” the heads of unbelievers. More recently, U.S. Army Maj. Nidal Hasan lectured his colleagues about jihad, or “holy war,” and the Quran’s exhortation to fight unbelievers and bring them low. Hasan is accused of killing 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, last year.

Given this violent legacy, religion historian Philip Jenkins decided to compare the brutality quotient of the Quran and the Bible.

“Much to my surprise, the Islamic scriptures in the Quran were actually far less bloody and less violent than those in the Bible,” Jenkins says.

Will We Be Stuck With Texas’ Textbooks?

Coming soon to a classroom near you: History textbooks that stress the “Christian origins” of the United States, play up the historical importance of figures like Phyllis Schlafly and Newt Gingrich, and examine the “unintended consequences” of the civil-rights movements and Title IX. The brouhaha over Texas’s efforts to pass these new conservative history standards—which are expected to be finalized later this spring—could have national repercussions. That’s because Texas is “a huge market leader in the school-textbook industry,” says the Associated Press. “The enormous print run for Texas textbooks leaves most districts in other states adopting the same course materials, so that the Texas School Board effectively spells out requirements for 80 percent of the nation’s textbook market.”

Susan Jacoby on “The Spirited Atheist”

In this WashPo blog post, author Susan Jacoby, describes the common myths about atheism.  I have always thought of myself as an agnostic, given that I tend to be so faith-deficit that I have a hard time maintaining a faith that God does not exist – what I always thought was an odd mental leap for an “atheist”.  Jacoby puts this myth to rest – which I think I should appreciate, but in fact, I am now more confused.

What do you all think?

iggydonnelly

New Zealand has spoken….

I wonder how long will it take before the uproar from Social Conservative Christian Republicans to raise a ruckus about New Zealand’s decision to remove these Bible inscriptions from the gun sights?  How long will it be before we hear how anti-Christian and anti-American they are ? 

Lilac

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/21/new-zealand-army-to-remov_n_431054.html

U. S. military weapons inscribed with Bible passages

What would Jesus shoot?

Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.  The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army.

At the end of the serial number on Trijicon’s ACOG gun sight, you can read “JN8:12”, a reference to the New Testament book of John, Chapter 8, Verse 12, which reads: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

fnord

Help or Ignorance?

I just made the comment about mega preachers helping Haiti and how the bad apples make the other Christian groups look suspicious.    Is this guy for real?

Lilac

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/13/pat-robertson-haiti-curse_n_422099.html

Brit Hume to Tiger Woods…

Recently Brit Hume exhorted Tiger Woods to convert to Christianity to battle the recent problems the latter has encountered.  Woods, who claims to be a Buddhist, was faulted by Humes for adopting this religion.  Hume said: “I don’t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith.”  Further turning his bully pulpit into a mere pulpit, Hume offered: “My message to Tiger would be: Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.”

It was one of those moments where the satire being manufactured by Saturday Night Live could easily be anticipated.  See the full story here.

iggydonnelly

Newt, At Long Last, Has Found God…

Dana Milbank tells us that as Newt eyes a presidential bid, he is talking more about God.  For the longest time, Newt avoided any “up-front” comments about God and his faith – because, well, there was always some joker who’d insist upon reminding Newt about his serving his first wife with divorce papers when she was recovering form cancer surgery.  Or, other jackasses, would remind Newt that he was carrying on a sorrid affair with a staffer, whom would eventually become his third wife, while he was chasing down Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski.

Maybe the Republican party has changed so much and embraced so many religious candidates (think Huckabee, Palin, et al.) that he can’t really avoid the subject.  It is hard for me to see how blatant hypocrisy can help any political candidate, but go for it, Newt!

Newt is trotting out a robust offensive against the evil Secular America.  Has the public forgotten, can Newt get away with it?  We will see…