Black Sheep Christian

Creation Care

2007-10-17T16:57:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity a couple of weeks ago to give the message at my church. The topic was "Creation Care". I was asked to write a short follow-up for the church newsletter. I thought I'd include it here:

The words "environmentalism" or "environmentalist" are hard words for some Christians to latch onto because of the baggage that is often attached to them. Many environmental groups are found in the "secular" circles of society where some Christians are loath to go. > > Both groups, the Christians and secular environmentalists, have had a strained view of each others' roles on this earth. Some Christians claim the environmentalists are only concerned about the earth, not people or that claiming to be an environmentalist is getting too close to "New Age" practices, which makes them uncomfortable. Others have the view that we (Christians) have dominion over the earth and therefore have the right to do with it as we please, and besides, Christ is coming soon and it doesn't matter how we care for the earth * Christ will make all things right very soon.> > Some "secular" environmentalists take the view that the world is in such a mess because so many Christians believe the earth is simply a resource, to be used as we please, without regard to the balance in nature or future generations. > > Care for the planet God has provided us is too critical an issue for us to continue talking past one another (Christians / Environmentalists) and playing the blame game. God has a mandate for us: Care for His Creation! > > As some of you may remember, I spoke of visualizing God as a Librarian and us as library patrons. We've been issued a "book" to use, enjoy, care for, and maintain for future patron's use. Genesis 1:31 states that God's creation was created to be good. We are a part of that creation, not apart from it. Our role is one of stewardship, not ownership of this planet. It's time for a strong commitment by Christians to taking an active role in redefining the term "environmentalist" to lead the way in Christian Environmentalism.> > Michael Frost in his book, Exiles, states: "Only a clear and biblical doctrine of Christian stewardship will give rise to a Christian environmentalism. Such a doctrine will rightly call on all Christians to recognize and honor God's ownership of all that is and to care for creation in such a way as to honor that ownership. As Christians, we believe that the world and all that is in it is deliberate, loving creation of God. God values it for its own sake as well as for its instrumental value to humans and to other creatures. And because God values nature, we, who want to honor and serve God rightly, will also value it."> > Caring for creation is part of our call to worship and serve God. As we move forward focusing on restoration, we will see that everything is connected. Creation care, justice, how we view and use money, relationships and caring for our temple * our bodies are all part of God's original plan for us to recognize, honor, and worship Him. We may find ourselves moving into unfamiliar and uncomfortable areas, challenged to change our views, habits, and lifestyles * Jesus never promised a simple life for those who take up the cross. As Frost states, "The example of Jesus, when authentically understood and appropriated, makes us ill at ease with comfort and security. It propels us into the lives of others. It sends us out to serve someone or something other than ourselves. In short, it lands us with the mission of practicing generosity, hospitality, justice and peace."

I'm without words . . .

2007-10-12T06:11:00.000-04:00

CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker Coulter: We want ‘Jews to be perfected’ «

When Deutsch responded, "It would be better if we were all Christian?" Coulter said "Yeah."

Deutsch, himself Jewish, continued to press Coulter on her remarks, asking, "We should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians then?"

"Yeah," Coulter responded, adding "Well, it's a lot easier. It's kind of a fast track."

"You can't possibly believe that," Deutsch responded. “You can’t possibly. You’re too educated.”

"Do you know what Christianity is?" Coulter replied. "See, we believe your religion, but you have to obey. We have the fast track program."

This story is unbelievable. This is why I have a problem identifying myself as a "Christian" in America. The type of christian the Ann Coulter's of the world would have us believe is that Christ wants us to have an easy fast track to heaven. I wonder, where's the call for us to be war loving, greedy, environmentally destructive, bigoted, mean spirited, Republican (and for that matter, Democratic)American in her "testament"? I'm sorry, but if Ann Coulter is the spokesperson for Christianity, count me out. I'll follow Jesus instead.

"‘We Do Not Torture’" by Scott Horton (Harper's Magazine)

2007-10-11T20:41:00.000-04:00

"‘We Do Not Torture’" by Scott Horton (Harper's Magazine)

Harpers has a great piece on the issue of torture. This is something that I've commented on in the past and still find it amazing I don't hear the "church" in an uproar over this issue in the U.S. Those who call themselves Christians need to make their voices heard - particularly the leadership of the church. As Scott Horton states:
The use of torture is a criminal act, and its systematic sanctioning by this administration is a matter of the utmost gravity for the country. The nation’s reaction to date fails to accord the issue the seriousness that it deserves; it constitutes a trivialization. The nation’s opinion-makers, and in particular its religious leaders must be held to blame. They fail to see the importance of the issue. And they demonstrate unacceptable cowardice in the face of political power. The only correct response is to speak truth to power, in the tradition in which the Dissenters of seventeenth century England came to use that term. But it reflects not only the tradition of the Dissenters, but also of the Established Church and of the Roman Church.

Quick Update

2007-10-08T19:57:00.000-04:00

My nephew is fine. Thank you God! His symptoms were not caused by the cyst (which he has), but from a migraine headache. The cyst seems not to be a cause for worry at this time. Thanks for your prayers.

Back in the Saddle

2007-10-04T16:24:00.001-04:00

It's been a long time since I've last posted on this site. For those of you that occasionally check in, thank you for your patience.

I've gone through quite a lot of change in some areas of my life since my last post, which I will get to over the next postings * or not. One thing I've learned is: I'm a talker, not a writer. I love conversation and debate, verbally. Sitting down and typing up what's happening in my ADD brain doesn't seem to be my strength. I will make an effort to post more frequently.

On my mind today: My 3 year old nephew. He went into the hospital last night with a headache, lethargy, and nausea. A CAT scan shows some kind of a cyst on his brain. As of this writing we're waiting to hear from the pediatric neurologist and the results from mri and other tests. Please, lift this child to God in your prayers. As a dear soul in my church wrote last night:

God,
We ask you for your son, Evan. We believe that he is your little boy and you love him. So we ask according to your will for full healing. We believe that you are a God that is in the restoration business and you promised healing to your children, so we claim that and believe that you will heal Evan. We believe that you have big plans for him that do not include sickness and we ask that you would remove all barriers to those plans right now. That you would surround him with your angels and that your child would be brought back to more than 100%. We also ask for that your hand would be on Barb and the rest of his family and loved ones right now, Lord. That your peace would guard their hearts and that they would rest in the confidence that you are at work. We love you, Lord and thank you for your provision and mercy in full confidence that you will do what you have promised.

"I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security." - Jeremiah 33:6
Amen.

"We often ask God to show up. We pray prayers of rescue. Perhaps God would ask us to be that rescue, to be His body, to move for things that matter. He is not invisible when we come alive." -Jamie Tworkowski

Peace.

Been a long time . . .

2007-09-17T17:50:00.001-04:00

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.

I'm looking to re-start this puppy. Stay tuned!

Inhumane Behavior

2006-05-01T06:34:00.000-04:00

A chaplain's view of torture
by Kermit D. Johnson
The Christian Century

The historian Arnold Toynbee called war 'an act of religious worship.' Appropriately, when most people enter the cathedral of violence, their voices become hushed. This silence, this reluctance to speak, is based in part on not wishing to trivialize or jeopardize the lives of those who have been put in harm's way. We want to support the men and women in our armed forces, whether we are crusaders, just warriors or pacifists.

Furthermore, those who interrupt this service of worship become a source of public embarrassment, if not shame. The undercurrent seems to be that dissent or critique in the midst of war is inherently unpatriotic because it violates a sacred wartime precept: support our troops.

From the standpoint of Christian faith, how do we respond? I would say that if war causes us to suppress our deepest religious, ethical and moral convictions, then we have indeed caved in to a 'higher religion' called war.

Since this obeisance to war is packaged in the guise of patriotism, it is well to admit to the beauty of patriotism, the beauty of unselfishness and love of country, land, community, family, friends and, yes, our system of government. But this fabulous beauty makes us appreciate all the more what Reinhold Niebuhr called the 'ethical paradox in patriotism.' The paradox is that patriotism can transmute individual unselfishness into national egoism. When this happens, when the critical attitude of the individual is squelched, this permits the nation, as Niebuhr observed, to use 'power without moral constraint.'

I believe this has been the case, particularly since 9/11, in the treatment of prisoners under U.S. custody.

We must react when our nation breaks the moral constraints and historic values contained in treaties, laws and our Constitution, as well as violating the consciences of individuals who engage in so-called 'authorized' inhuman treatment"

Read more

Christ Among the Partisans

2006-04-11T06:34:00.000-04:00

Christ Among the Partisans
By GARRY WILLS

Chicago

THERE is no such thing as a "Christian politics." If it is a politics, it cannot be Christian. Jesus told Pilate: "My reign is not of this present order. If my reign were of this present order, my supporters would have fought against my being turned over to the Jews. But my reign is not here" (John 18:36). Jesus brought no political message or program.

This is a truth that needs emphasis at a time when some Democrats, fearing that the Republicans have advanced over them by the use of religion, want to respond with a claim that Jesus is really on their side. He is not. He avoided those who would trap him into taking sides for or against the Roman occupation of Judea. He paid his taxes to the occupying power but said only, "Let Caesar have what belongs to him, and God have what belongs to him" (Matthew 22:21). He was the original proponent of a separation of church and state.

Those who want the state to engage in public worship, or even to have prayer in schools, are defying his injunction: "When you pray, be not like the pretenders, who prefer to pray in the synagogues and in the public square, in the sight of others. In truth I tell you, that is all the profit they will have. But you, when you pray, go into your inner chamber and, locking the door, pray there in hiding to your Father, and your Father who sees you in hiding will reward you" (Matthew 6:5-6). He shocked people by his repeated violation of the external holiness code of his time, emphasizing that his religion was an internal matter of the heart.

But doesn't Jesus say to care for the poor? Repeatedly and insistently, but what he says goes far beyond politics and is of a different order. He declares that only one test will determine who will come into his reign: whether one has treated the poor, the hungry, the homeless and the imprisoned as one would Jesus himself. "Whenever you did these things to the lowliest of my brothers, you were doing it to me" (Matthew 25:40). No government can propose that as its program. Theocracy itself never went so far, nor could it.

The state cannot indulge in self-sacrifice. If it is to treat the poor well, it must do so on grounds of justice, appealing to arguments that will convince people who are not followers of Jesus or of any other religion. The norms of justice will fall short of the demands of love that Jesus imposes. A Christian may adopt just political measures from his or her own motive of love, but that is not the argument that will define justice for state purposes.

To claim that the state's burden of justice, which falls short of the supreme test Jesus imposes, is actually what he wills — that would be to substitute some lesser and false religion for what Jesus brought from the Father. Of course, Christians who do not meet the lower standard of state justice to the poor will, a fortiori, fail to pass the higher test.

The Romans did not believe Jesus when he said he had no political ambitions. That is why the soldiers mocked him as a failed king, giving him a robe and scepter and bowing in fake obedience (John 19:1-3). Those who today say that they are creating or following a "Christian politics" continue the work of those soldiers, disregarding the words of Jesus that his reign is not of this order.

Some people want to display and honor the Ten Commandments as a political commitment enjoined by the religion of Jesus. That very act is a violation of the First and Second Commandments. By erecting a false religion — imposing a reign of Jesus in this order — they are worshiping a false god. They commit idolatry. They also take the Lord's name in vain.

Some may think that removing Jesus from politics would mean removing morality from politics. They think we would all be better off if we took up the slogan "What would Jesus do?"

That is not a question his disciples ask in the Gospels. They never knew what Jesus was going to do next. He could round on Peter and call him "Satan." He could refuse to receive his mother when she asked to see him. He might tell his followers that they are unworthy of him if they do not hate their mother and their father. He might kill pigs by the hundreds. He might whip people out of church precincts.

The Jesus of the Gospels is not a great ethical teacher like Socrates, our leading humanitarian. He is an apocalyptic figure who steps outside the boundaries of normal morality to signal that the Father's judgment is breaking into history. His miracles were not acts of charity but eschatological signs — accepting the unclean, promising heavenly rewards, making last things first.

He is more a higher Nietzsche, beyond good and evil, than a higher Socrates. No politician is going to tell the lustful that they must pluck out their right eye. We cannot do what Jesus would do because we are not divine.

It was blasphemous to say, as the deputy under secretary of defense, Lt. Gen. William Boykin, repeatedly did, that God made George Bush president in 2000, when a majority of Americans did not vote for him. It would not remove the blasphemy for Democrats to imply that God wants Bush not to be president. Jesus should not be recruited as a campaign aide. To trivialize the mystery of Jesus is not to serve the Gospels.

The Gospels are scary, dark and demanding. It is not surprising that people want to tame them, dilute them, make them into generic encouragements to be loving and peaceful and fair. If that is all they are, then we may as well make Socrates our redeemer.

It is true that the tamed Gospels can be put to humanitarian purposes, and religious institutions have long done this, in defiance of what Jesus said in the Gospels.

Jesus was the victim of every institutional authority in his life and death. He said: "Do not be called Rabbi, since you have only one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, the one in heaven. And do not be called leaders, since you have only one leader, the Messiah" (Matthew 23:8-10).

If Democrats want to fight Republicans for the support of an institutional Jesus, they will have to give up the person who said those words. They will have to turn away from what Flannery O'Connor described as "the bleeding stinking mad shadow of Jesus" and "a wild ragged figure" who flits "from tree to tree in the back" of the mind.

He was never that thing that all politicians wish to be esteemed — respectable. At various times in the Gospels, Jesus is called a devil, the devil's agent, irreligious, unclean, a mocker of Jewish law, a drunkard, a glutton, a promoter of immorality.

The institutional Jesus of the Republicans has no similarity to the Gospel figure. Neither will any institutional Jesus of the Democrats.

Garry Wills is professor emeritus of history at Northwestern University and the author, most recently, of "What Jesus Meant."

h/t Jordan Cooper

Source

Red-Letter Christian

2006-04-09T22:29:00.000-04:00

I'd like to throw my hat into the Red-Letter Christian ring. h/t Jesus Politics

What's a 'Red-Letter Christian'? by Tony Campolo--religion right left politics Bush Jesus Christ church Bible: "What's a 'Red-Letter Christian'?
Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat. That's why we created a new name for our Christian political movement.

Recently, I met with a group of religious leaders who have become increasingly disturbed by the alliance between evangelical Christians and the Republican Party. Karl Rove, President Bush’s political strategist, has brilliantly and successfully served as the matchmaker to arrange this union, which was consummated in the last presidential election when 83 percent of evangelicals voted Republican.

The meeting was joined by the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine; Father Richard Rohr, a well-known Catholic writer and speaker; Brian McLaren, a leader of the emergent church movement; the Rev. Dr. Cheryl J. Sanders, a prominent African-American pastor; the Rev. Noel Castellanos, a strong voice in the Hispanic community; and several other outstanding Christian communicators.

The purpose of this gathering was not to create a religious left movement to challenge the religious right, but to jump-start a religious movement that will transcend partisan politics. Believing that Jesus is neither a Republican nor a Democrat, we want to unite Christians who are concerned about what is happening in America. We are evangelicals who are troubled by what is happening to poor people in America; who are disturbed over environmental policies that are contributing to global warming; who are dismayed over the increasing arrogance of power shown in our country’s militarism; who are outraged because government funding is being reduced for schools where students, often from impoverished and dysfunctional homes, are testing poorly; who are upset with the fact that of the 22 industrialized nations America is next to last in the proportion of its national budget (less than two-tenths of 1 percent) that is designated to help the poor of third-world countries; and who are broken-hearted over discrimination against women, people of color, and those who suffer because of their sexual orientation.

Because being evangelical is usually synonymous with being Republican in the popular mind, and calling ourselves “progressive” might be taken as a value judgment by those who do share our views, we decided not to call ourselves “progressive evangelicals.” We came up with a new name: Red-Letter Christians.

Who first suggested the label? A secular Jewish Country-and-Western disc jockey in Nashville, Tennessee. During a radio interview he was conducting with Jim Wallis, he happened to say, “So, you’re one of those Red-Letter Christians--you know--who’s really into those verses in the New Testament that are in red letters!”

Jim answered, “That’s right!” And with that answer, he spoke for all of us. By calling ourselves Red-Letter Christians, we are alluding to the fact that in several versions of the New Testament, the words of Jesus are printed in red. In adopting this name, we are saying that we are committed to living out the things that He said. Of course, the message in those red-lettered verses is radical, to say the least. If you don’t believe me, read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7).

In those red letters, He calls us away from the consumerist values that dominate contemporary American consciousness. He calls us to be merciful, which has strong implications for how we think about capital punishment. When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, he probably means we shouldn’t kill them. Most important, if we take Jesus seriously, we will realize that meeting the needs of the poor is a primary responsibility for His followers.

Figuring out just how to relate those radical red letters in the Bible to the complex issues in the modern world will be difficult, but that’s what we’ll try to do.

Gandhi once said that everybody in the world knows what Jesus was teaching in those verses--except Christians! We will try to prove him wrong.

Baghdad Burning

2006-03-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

Stay the course? You're doing a heckova job. . .

This is a great blog to read to gain a perspective on life in Baghbad.

Baghdad Burning: "I don’t think anyone imagined three years ago that things could be quite this bad today. The last few weeks have been ridden with tension. I’m so tired of it all- we’re all tired.

Three years and the electricity is worse than ever. The security situation has gone from bad to worse. The country feels like it’s on the brink of chaos once more- but a pre-planned, pre-fabricated chaos being led by religious militias and zealots.

School, college and work have been on again, off again affairs. It seems for every two days of work/school, there are five days of sitting at home waiting for the situation to improve. Right now college and school are on hold because the “arba3eeniya” or the “40th Day” is coming up- more black and green flags, mobs of men in black and latmiyas. We were told the children should try going back to school next Wednesday. I say “try” because prior to the much-awaited parliamentary meeting a couple of days ago, schools were out. After the Samarra mosque bombing, schools were out. The children have been at home this year more than they’ve been in school.

I’m especially worried about the Arba3eeniya this year. I’m worried we’ll see more of what happened to the Askari mosque in Samarra. Most Iraqis seem to agree that the whole thing was set up by those who had most to gain by driving Iraqis apart.

I’m sitting here trying to think what makes this year, 2006, so much worse than 2005 or 2004. It’s not the outward differences- things such as electricity, water, dilapidated buildings, broken streets and ugly concrete security walls. Those things are disturbing, but they are fixable. Iraqis have proved again and again that countries can be rebuilt. No- it’s not the obvious that fills us with foreboding.

The real fear is the mentality of so many people lately- the rift that seems to have worked it’s way through the very heart of the country, dividing people. It’s disheartening to talk to acquaintances- sophisticated, civilized people- and hear h"

5 Reasons Torture is always Wrong - Christianity Today Magazine

2006-03-04T09:53:00.000-05:00

5 Reasons Torture is always Wrong - Christianity Today Magazine: "

Home > Christianity Today Magazine > Hot Issues > Social Justice

Christianity Today, February 2006

5 Reasons Torture Is Always Wrong
And why there should be no exceptions.
by David P. Gushee | posted 01/27/2006 09:45 a.m.

• Related articles and links

'Three Marines in Mahmudiya used an electric transformer, forcing a detainee to 'dance' as the electricity coursed through him.'
International Committee of the Red Cross, February 2004
•

A former Iraqi general 'died of asphyxiation after being stuffed head-first into a sleeping bag … at an American base in Al Asad.'
The New York Times, October 23, 2005
•

'Al-Qatani was forced to perform dog tricks on a leash, was straddled by a female interrogator, forced to dance with a male interrogator, told that his mother and sister were whores, forced to wear a woman's bra and thong on his head during interrogation, and subjected to an unmuzzled dog to scare him.'
Newsweek, November 21, 2005

The word 'torture,' tellingly, comes from the Latin torquere, to twist. Stine Amris and Julio G. Arenas, who have done extensive studies on the effects of torture, define it as 'the infliction of severe pain (whether physical or psychological) by a perpetrator who acts purposefully and on behalf of the state' (italics in original).

The debate in our nation today concerns what measures can legitimately be taken to extract information from prisoners held by us in the 'war on terror' and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. As such, it is a debate about the proper use of government power in a liberal democracy. Can that power ever rightly extend to the use of any form of torture?

Few people disagree that a liberal democracy has the right and responsibility to take prisoners and interrogate them during a war or police action. This is part of the government's biblical mandate in Romans 13:1-7, a mandate to deter violations of peace and justi"

Darfur: Lives Destroyed

2006-01-14T11:20:00.000-05:00

Watch. Take Action.

Darfur: Lives Destroyed

Kevin G Powell: Have the Churches Abandoned Peace on Earth?

2005-12-24T11:39:00.000-05:00

But over the years I have become less enamored with “changing social structures” than I have with changing peoples’ hearts. Like poverty, social structures are not abstract, impersonal notions, but are the product of people. So I wonder if, to change structures, we need to change people. But I also wonder if we let ourselves too easily off the hook by saying we need to confront sinful social structures than to engage living, breathing human beings.

And that’s where churches come in. That’s where churches excel. Most Christians are deeply concerned with poverty, racism, the environment, war. And we do believe that we are called to witness to a different reality than the realty presented to us.

Kevin G Powell: Have the Churches Abandoned Peace on Earth?

Culture of Life . . . right.

2005-12-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4523098.stm

Wendell Berry - I love this guy.

2005-09-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

The Christian Century: "I will begin by dealing with the embarrassing questions that the Gospels impose, I imagine, upon any serious reader. There are two of these, and the first is this: If you had been living in Jesus' time and had heard him teaching, would you have been one of his followers?

To be an honest taker of this test, I think you have to try to forget that you have read the Gospels and that Jesus has been a 'big name' for 2,000 years. You have to imagine instead that you are walking past the local courthouse and you come upon a crowd listening to a man named Joe Green or Green Joe, depending on judgments whispered among the listeners on the fringe. You too stop to listen, and you soon realize that Joe Green is saying something utterly scandalous, utterly unexpectable from the premises of modern society. He is saying: 'Don't resist evil. If somebody slaps your right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. Love your enemies. When people curse you, you must bless them. When people hate you, you must treat them kindly. When people mistrust you, you must pray for them. This is the way you must act if you want to be children of God.' Well, you know how happily that would be received, not only in the White House and the Capitol, but among most of your neighbors. And then suppose this Joe Green looks at you over the heads of the crowd, calls you by name and says, 'I want to come to dinner at your house.'

I suppose that you, like me, hope very much that you would say, 'Come ahead.' But I suppose also that you, like me, had better not be too sure. You will remember that in Jesus' lifetime even his most intimate friends could hardly be described as overconfident."

Televangelist Calls for Assassination of Chavez - New York Times

2005-08-23T09:32:00.000-04:00

Televangelist Calls for Assassination of Chavez - New York Times: "''We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability,'' Robertson said Monday on the Christian Broadcast Network's ''The 700 Club.''
''We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator,'' he continued. ''It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with.''"

And Jesus said unto them, "Take them out".

Can anyone please tell me when this nightmare will end? This guy is one of the faces of "Christian" leadship seen around the world. Imagine the outrage the right would have if a prominate Imam from Iran said this . . .

Christian Flag? Is it constitutional to burn this?

2005-08-01T15:40:00.000-04:00

BAGnewsNotes: Your Turn: This Kingdom Is My Kingdom

This is another example of how far out of touch many American Christians are. Note the comments section . . .

CelebrateVida: Christians and Terrorism

2005-07-14T18:36:00.000-04:00

CelebrateVida: Christians and Terrorism

Great post . . . check it out.

USATODAY.com - Brace yourself: wearing support on your wrist

2005-07-08T11:10:00.000-04:00

USATODAY.com - Brace yourself: wearing support on your wrist: "Proclaiming support for a cause
David Hessekiel, CEO of Cause Marketing Forum in Rye, N.Y., a company that helps businesses and non-profits work together, isn't surprised by the bracelet rage.
'In marketing and in fundraising, whenever a new technique surfaces, it will attract copycats and it will continue to be used until it's no longer profitable,' Hessekiel says."

This is why I don't wear the things . . . it's become just another "fad" fashion statement for many folks. Kinda like the flag lapel pins and magnetic yellow ribbons (the ones with the cross cut-out kinda freaks me out). After a while, they lose there effectiveness in raising awareness on an issue and simply become a decoration or status symbol. Example: the Lincoln Navigator with 6 various "yellow ribbons" plastered all over the back - this says to me: "Look at me! Look at me!Look at how patriotic I am!"

Uncover Your Eyes - New York Times

2005-06-07T06:21:00.000-04:00

Uncover Your Eyes - New York Times: "Mr. Bush values a frozen embryo. But he hasn't mustered much compassion for an entire population of terrorized widows and orphans. And he is cementing in place the very hopelessness he dreads, by continuing to avert his eyes from the first genocide of the 21st century."

Vive le Canada - Religion in Politics and "The Peace of the Realm"

2005-06-05T13:27:00.000-04:00

Vive le Canada - Religion in Politics and "The Peace of the Realm": "Unfortunately, the U.S.A. influences many Canadians. Unfortunately, it influences many of the people who say the separation of church and state is a �distortion�, a perversion, an unnatural condition. The U.S.A. wants global power without global religious toleration. It wants to be the heart of a global community that possesses neither religious toleration nor the separation of church and state. At home it has never been especially tolerant. The burning of witches was a U.S. entertainment. From its beginning in 1776 until 1960, moreover, no Roman Catholic was able to become president of the United States. In Canada, twenty nine years after Confederation, a francophone Roman Catholic became prime minister.

The U.S. has developed a Christian fundamentalism that it wants to impose on other countries. Not only is its barely disguised war against Islam (mixing racism with religious bigotry) a matter of great concern. But also the U.S. tries to tell Christian countries how to act in matters of faith and dogma. Very recently, offering $40 million to Brazil to assist it in the battle against AIDS, the U.S insisted Brazil condemn the use of condoms and criminalize prostitution. "

Day 141 of Bush's Silence

2005-05-31T06:17:00.000-04:00

Day 141 of Bush's Silence - New York Times

Horror of USA's depleted Uranium

2005-05-12T06:23:00.000-04:00

Vive le Canada - Horror of USA's depleted Uranium: "'The children's skin had folded back, like parchment, revealing veins and burnt flesh that seeped blood, while the eyes, intact, stared straight ahead. I vomited.'"

We must also count the numberless thousands of miscarried babies. Nobody knows how many Iraqis have died in the womb since DU contaminated their world. But it is suggested that troops who were only exposed to DU for the brief period of the war were still excreting uranium in their semen 8 years later and some had 100 times the so-called 'safe limit' of uranium in their urine. The lack of government interest in the plight of veterans of the 1991 war is reflected in a lack of academic research on the impact of DU but informal research has found a high incidence of birth defects in their children and that the wives of men who served in Iraq have three times more miscarriages than the wives of servicemen who did not go there.

Since DU darkened the land Iraq has seen birth defects which would break a heart of stone: babies with terribly foreshortened limbs, with their intestines outside their bodies, with huge bulging tumors where their eyes should be, or with a single eye-like Cyclops, or without eyes, or without limbs, and even without heads. Significantly, some of the defects are almost unknown outside textbooks showing the babies born near A-bomb test sites in the Pacific.

Doctors report that many women no longer say 'Is it a girl or a boy?' but simply, 'Is it normal, doctor?' Moreover this terrible legacy will not end. The genes of their parents may have been damaged for ever, and the damaging DU dust is ever-present.

More evidence of our beloved leader's "Culture of Life".

Day 113 of the President's Silence

2005-05-03T06:09:00.000-04:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Day 113 of the President's Silence: "Granted, Darfur defies easy solutions. But Mr. Bush was outspoken and active this spring in another complex case, that of Terry Schiavo. If only Mr. Bush would exert himself as much to try to save the lives of the two million people driven from their homes in Darfur. "

The Conflict in Darfur Through Children's Eyes

2005-05-01T21:01:00.000-04:00

Human Rights Watch - Darfur Drawn: The Conflict in Darfur Through Children's Eyes

“We were running from the burning houses. Janjaweed and soldiers with guns and planes and bombs came, all together, quickly. They were shooting…my uncle was shot. I saw them taking women and girls away. All of us—my family—we were screaming and running from the Janjaweed to hide in the wadi [riverbed or oasis]…holding each other by the arms to keep together. Here in camp we are safe, but my father…he was lost.”

NYT: The Judges Made Them Do It

2005-04-06T08:55:00.000-04:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: The Judges Made Them Do It:
What in the hell is going on in this country? When will RepubliChristians (thanks for the term Kevin) stand up and SHOUT: "THIS IS CRAZY!!" ? Just when I thought the ruling party . . . the party of "LIFE" could sink no lower, I read this:

It was appalling when the House majority leader threatened political retribution against judges who did not toe his extremist political line. But when a second important Republican stands up and excuses murderous violence against judges as an understandable reaction to their decisions, then it is time to get really scared.

It happened on Monday, in a moment that was horrifying even by the rock-bottom standards of the campaign that Republican zealots are conducting against the nation's judiciary. Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, rose in the chamber and dared to argue that recent courthouse violence might be explained by distress about judges who "are making political decisions yet are unaccountable to the public." The frustration "builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in" violence, said Mr. Cornyn, a former member of the Texas Supreme Court who is on the Senate Judiciary Committee, which supposedly protects the Constitution and its guarantee of an independent judiciary.

Listeners could only cringe at the events behind Mr. Cornyn's fulminating: an Atlanta judge was murdered in his courtroom by a career criminal who wanted only to shoot his way out of a trial, and a Chicago judge's mother and husband were executed by a deranged man who was furious that she had dismissed a wild lawsuit. It was sickening that an elected official would publicly offer these sociopaths as examples of any democratic value, let alone as holders of legitimate concerns about the judiciary.

The need to shield judges from outside threats - including those from elected officials like Senator Cornyn - is a priceless principle of our democracy. Senator Cornyn offered a smarmy proclamation of "great distress" at courthouse thuggery. Then he rationalized it with broadside accusations that judges "make raw political or ideological decisions." He thumbed his nose at the separation of powers, suggesting that the Supreme Court be "an enforcer of political decisions made by elected representatives of the people." Avoiding that nightmare is precisely why the founders made federal judgeships lifetime jobs and created a nomination process that requires presidents to seek bipartisan support.

Echoes of the political hijacking of the Terri Schiavo case hung in the air as Mr. Cornyn spoke, just days after the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, vengefully vowed that "the time will come" to make the judges who resisted the Congressional Republicans' gruesome deathbed intrusion "answer for their behavior." Trying to intimidate judges used to be a crime, not a bombastic cudgel for cynical politicians.

The public's hope must be that Senator Cornyn's shameful outburst gives further pause to Senate moderates about the threats of the majority leader, Senator Bill Frist, to scrap the filibuster to ensure the confirmation of President Bush's most extremist judicial nominees. Dr. Frist tried to distance himself yesterday from Mr. DeLay's attack on the judiciary. But Dr. Frist must carry the militants' baggage if he is ever to run for president, and he complained yesterday of "a real fire lighted by Democrats around judges over the last few days."

By Democrats? The senator should listen to what's being said on his side of the aisle, if he can bear it.

I bought a Honda

2005-04-04T22:28:00.000-04:00

WOODTV.com & WOOD TV8 - Grand Rapids news and weather - Gas prices across the country continue to set new highs

So tonight, I bought a Honda. It's a beauty . . . 1995 civic lx - gets about 35-40 mpg average! The reason I'm so excited is because my other vehicle is a '95 F250 Diesel - not so good on the mpg or the air. I have been looking for a more economical car for everyday use for a while now. My commute is about 30 miles (round trip) and is going to go higher next year, so the diesel was getting expensive.

I have had mixed feelings about driving such a fuel hog (the truck)since I bought it a year ago. The reasons for purchasing the truck are worthy though. I'm NOT one of those guys who measures their penis with horsepower. I bought it because we have a farm, a horse and I do a lot of volunteer horse and hay delivery for a therapeutic riding center in town (they have no truck). So I want to keep it for these purposes, but not for everyday driving.

I'm geeked that I will be driving a car that is not such a resource hog. I figured I'll save about $140+ in fuel costs a month, not to mention I'll feel better about not contributing to the wasting of our valuable natural resources.

As gas prices continue to climb - I hope more and more people will seriously consider ways of conserving. It's time to take an inventory of our energy usage. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth, turn out the lights, get an economical car, etc. - - the shit is about to hit the fan in the coming months and years. The time to act is now.

Hogs In Ministry

2005-04-03T17:35:00.000-04:00

Pastor Mark's Whole Story

This morning pastor Mark Daly from Hogs In Ministry came to speak at our service. His story is very compelling (see link). He gave his testimony about his ministry to bikers and the like. One thing that really struck me was when he spoke of seeing and hearing people getting "saved" at the biker rally Sunday service, then coming back months later to see these same people living exactly the same life as before. (drugs, alcohol, sex, crime, etc.) He used to do the same thing, professing with his mouth - and that's it. Use his "faith" to get what he wanted - (early release, money, sympathy) but then go right back to the old ways. It was not until he gave his life completely, until he was broken did he come to see the truth. God wants us to completely trust and serve in Him. Not to say - - Yeah, but I first need to move up in my career. . . or chase after this earthly goal. This is where I struggle. I want the security of pensions, a stable career, newer reliable vehicles, etc. when following Him doesn't require any of these things. I find myself saying things like: I'll "serve" more when the kids are older or when a particular project is finished - basically, when it fits into MY schedule.

Lately, I have been restless in my spirit. It's hard to describe how I feel. On one hand I feel the need to DO SOMETHING . . . but what? I have so many "causes" that I feel strongly about: the environment, peace, poverty, justice, along with finding my way as a "Christian" in an area where being a Christian typically means you're a conservative Republican (West Michigan) which I am not.

The other hand likes to have a quiet, predictable life. I have a wonderful family and a great career (teacher). The responsible side says keep going the way you are - don't rock the boat. But, my spirit is restless. I feel like I'm not pulling my fair share between God and I. What to do? What to do?

Children 'starving' in new Iraq

2005-03-30T20:47:00.000-05:00

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Children 'starving' in new Iraq: "Malnutrition rates in children under five have almost doubled since the US-led intervention - to nearly 8% by the end of last year, it says. "

Darfur death toll 'may be 300,000'

2005-03-30T06:01:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Darfur death toll 'may be 300,000' - Mar 30, 2005: "'The world's failure to protect the people of Darfur from the atrocities committed against them by their own government is a scandal,' said Tony Baldry, chairman of the cross-party International Development Committee."

Uh, we'd like to give this more attention, but we've got this feeding-tube issue to resolve first.

Africa: I Have a Dream

2005-03-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

allAfrica.com: I Have a Dream:

A dream for Africa from a Rwandan named: Gitau Muthuma. Please read his entire post.

"I have a dream, that the fallacy of aid to Africa will stop benefiting the donors more than the recipients, where the conditionalities are tied to sourcing materials from the donor; thus merely recycling the funds back to themselves.

I have a dream, that African leaders shall not be tempted to cling to power forever, in the mistaken belief of their messianic mission.

I have a dream, that 5% of the world's population shall see the immorality of squandering the lion's share of the world's resources while the rest sit back helplessly watching and starving.

I have a dream, that Africa will one day be one big united family, working for its benefit and that of the world.

I have a dream, that the lion shall lie with the lamb and the Kingdom of heaven shall be at hand.

I have a dream. "

Vineyard Movement

2005-03-15T15:28:00.000-05:00

We have been attending a new church for the past month. We've attended a "vistors welcome meeting" and I even went to a men's breakfast last Saturday morning. The question I have for you, my dear visitor, is; What do you know about the Vineyard Movement?
When we first heard about this church, we thought that Vineyard was just a name, like Mars Hill, but it actually indicates its affiliation with the Vineyard Association or Vineyard movement. At our visitor's meeting I heard the term "Vineyard Movement " used for the first time.
I had no idea what it was . . . so I asked and was told about John Wimber and a brief history of the movement. I've since done a bit of googling on this and found a wide variety of views of the vineyard for example: The Vineyard movement is a hyper-charismatic organization that is also known by the names of "third wave," "Signs and Wonders Movement," and "power theology." - - also I read some equate the movement with heresy or a cult. I've read how there is an emphasis on "spirit-driven" worship, like speaking in tongues, prophesy, and even "holy laughter" ( from a Toronto group which has since been booted from the organization.)

This is all new to me. What do y'all know about it? I'll be honest, so far we really like this church - the services are very interesting and the people seem friendly. I'm just curious to learn more about the vineyard movement, if any of you have had experience with it, postive or negative?

Compasionate Conservatives . . . think again.

2005-03-10T06:46:00.000-05:00

publictheologian.com :: A Response to Dignan: This is a great take on how "compasionate conservativism" is failing the poor. Well worth reading the entire entry.

"So while I don't think that conservatives hate the poor, I also don't think that they are doing what they can to make things better for the poor. Motives, in the end, are notoriously slippery to judge. But conservatives saying that they are concerned about the poor seems quite strange when the policies that the same people are supporting are throwing more people into poverty. To me the simple question is this: If they care so much, then why are they using their political power to make the rich even richer and matters worse for the poor? How many million more people will have to fall below the poverty line before Christian conservatives who care about the poor will be willing to change their policies and raise taxes, for example? Would one million people do it? Two? Five? Is there any point at which the Republican orthodoxy of lower taxes and less government would be jettisoned by Christians in the Republican Party? Or how many million more Americans will have to lose their health insurance before Christian conservatives would be willing to share their health care dollars so that their neighbor could have some coverage too? I think that party orthodoxy has to give way to genuinely serving the poor in the face of the mounting evidence that what Bush is doing is not working. The plight of the poor has to be central to the ethics of Christians of every stripe if the scripture is to be taken seriously, but while I hear an acknowledgement of this, I don't see one coming from my conservative brothers and sisters."

Never Again . . . Again

2005-03-05T09:33:00.000-05:00

Again Again 3/2/05

Yesterday, more than 20,000 people perished of extreme poverty

2005-02-27T08:47:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Editorial: Thousands Died in Africa Yesterday: "Yesterday, more than 20,000 people perished of extreme poverty"

This country is going to spend more than $400 billion on the military this year, and another $100 billion or so for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But that amount is never going to buy Americans peace if the government continues to spend an anemic $16 billion - the Pentagon budget is 25 times that size - in foreign aid that addresses the plight of the poorest of the world's poor.

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Matt. 25:40

Bipartisan Study Assails No Child Left Behind Act

2005-02-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Education > A Bipartisan Study Assails No Child Left Behind Act: "bipartisan panel of state lawmakers that studied the effectiveness of President Bush's No Child Left Behind initiative assailed it today as a flawed, convoluted and unconstitutional education reform effort that had usurped state and local control of public schools."

The Secret Genocide Archive

2005-02-23T06:03:00.000-05:00

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Secret Genocide Archive

The time for action on Darfur is now. Please write to your congressmen/women and demand we pull our heads out of the sand.

Free Mojtaba and Arash

2005-02-22T05:40:00.000-05:00

Committee to Protect Bloggers: THE COMMITTEE TO PROTECT BLOGGERS ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST CAMPAIGN: Free Arash and Mojtaba: "Free Mojtaba and Arash"

Chuch Hunting

2005-02-20T20:58:00.000-05:00

a badchristian blog... - reasons I like our new church

Brandon at Bad Christian has been updating us on his quest for a new church home. We too have begun a search of other churches. This is a very difficult thing for us. We've (my wife and I) attended our current church for the last 13 years, and I've been there for 25. There are many ties; we were married there, my wife and children were baptized there, many family members work and attend there as do many friends.

But . . .

Over the last year or so I've struggled. It's hard for me to describe how I feel so please bear with me. I've struggled with being comfortable. Being comfortable is not always a bad thing, we've come to know many of the in's and out's of our church and there's a level of feeling safe in our seats, we know the routine. We've tried different things to "shake it up" a bit, I was in choir for the past several years (I even played the role of Jesus in our Easter production), tried sitting in different seats, etc. Yet still, we've been feeling restless. It's not that I have many complaints about our church, I think there's a lot of good stuff happening there, but I can't help but feel like something's missing for me.

I've found myself struggling to move on Sunday morning to get to church. It has not been uncommon for us to arrive 30 minutes late - just in time for the message. . . skipping the lengthy (sometimes too lengthy, in my opinion) "praise and worship" singing time.

I know it's more a problem with me (us). Church is not here to give to me, but I should be looking to give to it. But, I can't help but feel like it's time to look around.

So we did. This morning. It was great.

We attended Vineyard church on the northeast side of Grand Rapids this morning. My wife's brother and family have been attending there for the last 3 years and really like it, so we thought we'd give it a try. Now there's probably a good deal of the excitement of something new, fresh, and different that played a role in our enjoyment of the service, but I don't care, we LIKED it!

There was something going on inside that I haven't felt in a while. . . excitement. I'm actually looking forward to next Sunday. I haven't felt that way in a long while. Will this excitement last? Is it case of "the grass is greener" in this church and I'll soon feel the same way? Just what am I looking for?

One service doesn't make a church, so we'll be attending for the next several weeks to find out more. Please pray with us as we seek.

God's Earth is Sacred

2005-02-16T06:09:00.000-05:00

God's Earth is Sacred Theological Statement February 14, 2005: "We have listened to a false gospel that we continue to live out in our daily habits-a gospel that proclaims that God cares for the salvation of humans only and that our human calling is to exploit Earth for our own ends alone. This false gospel still finds its proud preachers and continues to capture its adherents among emboldened political leaders and policy makers. "

On to Iran

2005-02-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

While at church this am I ran into a former student of mine (I'm a teacher) who has just returned home on leave from the Air Force. We've been in touch since her graduation from high school and she is just a neat kid. Our conversation went something like this:

L: Hey Mr. M!
B.S. : Hi L! It's great to see you again . . . etc, etc.
B.S.: So, what's the plan? Where to next?
L: I'm not exactly sure . . . they told me that I'll be sent within two years to either South Korea or Iran.
B.S.: You mean Iraq, right?
L: No, Iran.
B.S.: But we don't have any bases in Iran. Do we?
L: No, but they seem to think we will soon.
B.S.: What! You mean invasion?
L: shrug of shoulders

So, Iran. But we've been assured by Condi that we've no plans for attacking Iran. How can this be? Get ready folks - four more years of lies and war. I'm so glad we've got Bush and God on OUR side.

sigh.

Stories From the Inside

2005-02-07T06:03:00.000-05:00

WWJT? Who would Jesus Torture?

Dubya is spreading "freedom" and "liberty" far and wide . . .

We know that people were kept in cells that in some cases were the equivalent of animal cages, and that some detainees, disoriented and despairing, have been shackled like slaves and left to soil themselves with their own urine and feces. Detainees are frequently kicked, punched, beaten and sexually humiliated. Extremely long periods of psychologically damaging isolation are routine.

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Stories From the Inside

Bush Budget Raises Prescription Prices for Many Veterans

2005-02-07T05:56:00.000-05:00

Out of one side of mouth: "Support our troops!"

Out of the other side: "only if it doesn't cost too much . . . we have to make those tax cuts permanent!!"

The New York Times > Washington > Bush Budget Raises Prescription Prices for Many Veterans

The Emperor's New Hump

2005-02-05T22:08:00.000-05:00

Why am I not suprised by this article?

The Emperor's New Hump

Nation Building

2005-01-22T08:40:00.000-05:00

As we continue to force feed "democracy", "liberty", and "freedom" down the throats of the Iraqi people, some old habits die hard.

"I am sorry to say that the corruption here is worse now than in the Saddam Hussein era," said Mowaffak al-Rubaie, the Iraqi national security adviser. . .

It seems that $300 million has up and disappeared and no one knows where it is.
Read the NYT article here.

McStudents

2005-01-19T08:14:00.000-05:00

Here is a great article about our government's continued failure to support PUBLIC education.

We need to stop lying to ourselves that we're doing what is needed to produce high-quality education. We can continue to mass produce cookie-cutter students on the cheap and we will reap a generational whirlwind of well- regimented, intellectually impotent dullards. Or, we can tell the truth. We can pay the honest freight to cultivate true intelligence and character in our children. To be sure, it is much harder and somewhat more expensive, at least in the short run. But it is the only way to sustain the blessings of prosperity that have graced our state.

Crisis?

2005-01-19T05:55:00.000-05:00

So here we go again. Bush and Co. are following the same old script used to dupe us into war - this time it's Social Security. I'm suprised he hasn't tried to link 9-11 to it(yet). Here is a great web site about our latest "crisis": There Is NO Crisis

Global poll slams Bush leadership

2005-01-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

When will we wake up . . . If the world feels this way now, what will they think in four more years?

The survey found that 47% now viewed US influence in the world as largely negative and such unfavourable feelings extended towards Americans as a whole.

"Negative feelings about Bush are high and are generalising to the American people who re-elected him."
On average across all countries, 58% of people - and 16 out of 21 countries polled - said they believed Mr Bush's re-election to the White House made the world more dangerous.
Read here from the BBC

The Politics of Bodies

2005-01-05T06:48:00.000-05:00

Harbinger shares this thought:

The politics of bodies. For the last four days I see a steady stream of corpses on mainstream US media. I have yet to see a single image of a corpse on US mainstream media from the Iraq War. With tv camera equipped smart bombs and embedded reporters, in some ways we at home experience the battlefield as no one has before. And yet we experience a war with no casualties.

An interesting take on American "Stingyness"

2005-01-05T06:31:00.000-05:00

Found this Op-Ed in the NYT this morning . . .

Land of Penny Pinchers
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

So is the U.S. "stingy" about helping poor countries?
That accusation by a U.N. official, in veiled form, provoked indignation here. After all, we're the most generous people on earth ... aren't we?
No, alas, we're not. And the tsunami illustrates the problem: When grieving victims intrude onto our TV screens, we dig into our pockets and provide the massive, heartwarming response that we're now displaying in Asia; the rest of the time, we're tightwads who turn away as people die in far greater numbers.
The 150,000 or so fatalities from the tsunami are well within the margin of error for estimates of the number of deaths every year from malaria. Probably two million people die annually of malaria, most of them children and most in Africa, or maybe it's three million - we don't even know.
But the bottom line is that this month and every month, more people will die of malaria (165,000 or more) and AIDS (240,000) than died in the tsunamis, and almost as many will die because of diarrhea ( 140,000).
And that's where we're stingy.
Americans give 15 cents per day per person in official development assistance to poor countries. The average American spends four times that on soft drinks daily.
In 2003, the latest year for which figures are available, we increased such assistance by one-fifth, for President Bush has actually been much better about helping poor countries than President Clinton was. But as a share of our economy, our contribution still left us ranked dead last among 22 top donor countries.
We gave 15 cents for every $100 of national income to poor countries. Denmark gave 84 cents, the Netherlands gave 80 cents, Belgium gave 60 cents, France gave 41 cents, and Greece gave 21 cents (that was the lowest share, beside our own).
It is sometimes said that Americans make up for low official aid with private charitable donations. Nope. By OECD calculations, private donations add 6 cents a day to the official U.S. figure - meaning that we still give only 21 cents a day per person.
One reason for American stinginess, I think, is a sense that foreign aid is money down a rathole. True, plenty has been wasted. But there's also growing evidence of what works and is cost-effective - such as health programs and girls' schooling.
One of the most unforgettable people I've met is Nhem Yen, a Cambodian grandmother whose daughter had just died of malaria, leaving two small children. So Nhem Yen was looking after her four children and two grandchildren, and she could afford only one mosquito net to protect them from malarial mosquitoes. Each night, she had to choose which of the six children would sleep under the net.
Do we really think that paying $5 for a mosquito net to keep Nhem Yen's children alive would be money down a rathole?
When I contracted the most lethal form of malaria, in Congo, I was easily cured because I could afford the best medicines. But to save money, African children are given medicines that cost only 5 cents a dose but aren't very effective; the medicine that would actually save their lives is unaffordable, at $1 a dose. Do we really think $1 a dose for medicine to save a child is money down a rathole?
Jeffrey Sachs, the Columbia University economist, estimates that spending $2 billion to $3 billion on malaria might save more than one million lives a year. "This is probably the best bargain on the planet," he said.
The outpouring of U.S. aid, private and public, for tsunami victims is wonderful. But, frankly, the affected nations will get all the money they can absorb for the moment, and Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are far from the worst off in the world.
"The really big money can be better and more usefully absorbed by developing good health and education programs in the poorest countries," noted Nancy Birdsall, president of the Center for Global Development. "But that's not as visible or heroic."
With America's image tarnished around the world, one of the most effective steps Mr. Bush could take to revive it would be to lead a global effort to confront an ongoing challenge like malaria. That would also give Mr. Bush more credibility by suggesting that the "culture of life" he talks about embraces not just fetuses, but also African children crying from hunger.
The best response to accusations of stinginess is not to be defensive, but to be generous. And the measure of generosity is not what you offer when the spotlight is upon you, but what you do when the spotlight moves on.

Stingy? Let's prove them wrong.

2004-12-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

Streak has been hosting a lively discussion on the U.S.'s slow and tiny response to the disaster in Asia. I agree that our president was much too slow to respond and our "initial" aid is much too small. Hopefully the pressure of the world's eye and the magnitude of the disaster will open the pursestrings. The New York Times editorial page has this to say:

Are We Stingy? Yes
President Bush finally roused himself yesterday from his vacation in Crawford, Tex., to telephone his sympathy to the leaders of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia, and to speak publicly about the devastation of Sunday's tsunamis in Asia. He also hurried to put as much distance as possible between himself and America's initial measly aid offer of $15 million, and he took issue with an earlier statement by the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator, Jan Egeland, who had called the overall aid efforts by rich Western nations "stingy." "The person who made that statement was very misguided and ill informed," the president said.
We beg to differ.

Mr. Egeland was right on target. We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was
privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of
the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he
held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would
contribute $15 million. That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend
on the Bush inaugural festivities.

The American aid figure for the current disaster is now $35 million, and we applaud Mr. Bush's turnaround. But $35 million remains a miserly drop in the bucket, and is in keeping with the pitiful amount of the United States budget that we allocate for nonmilitary foreign aid. According to a poll, most Americans believe the United States spends 24 percent of its budget on aid to poor countries; it actually spends well under a quarter of 1 percent.

Bush administration officials help create that perception gap.
Fuming at the charge of stinginess, Mr. Powell pointed to disaster relief and
said the United States "has given more aid in the last four years than any other
nation or combination of nations in the world." But for development aid, America
gave $16.2 billion in 2003; the European Union gave $37.1 billion. In 2002,
those numbers were $13.2 billion for America, and $29.9 billion for Europe.
Making things worse, we often pledge more money than we actually deliver.
Victims of the earthquake in Bam, Iran, a year ago are still living in tents
because aid, including ours, has not materialized in the amounts pledged. And
back in 2002, Mr. Bush announced his Millennium Challenge account to give
African countries development assistance of up to $5 billion a year, but the
account has yet to disperse a single dollar.

Mr. Bush said yesterday that the $35 million we've now pledged "is only the beginning" of the United States' recovery effort. Let's hope that is true, and that this time, our actions will match our promises.

Disaster Relief

2004-12-28T08:43:00.000-05:00

Help

Must (NOT) Watch TV

2004-12-20T10:23:00.000-05:00

Who's your Daddy?

In the program, scheduled to air Jan. 3, a woman adopted as an infant interviews eight men to determine which is her biological father. If she guesses right, she receives $100,000; if she fails, the contestant who fools her wins the money

Read the rest here.

Where's the bottom?

The Brick Testament

2004-12-19T16:48:00.000-05:00

I love God and Legos . . . This is a great site.

Enjoy.

A must read . . .

2004-11-30T17:23:00.000-05:00

No Longer a Christian PartII

"Values Voters" whatcha watchin'?

2004-11-22T16:17:00.000-05:00

I found this article in the NYT very interesting: Many Who Voted for 'Values' Still Like Their Television Sin.

One of my best friends, who is very right leaning politically and religiously, and I had a discussion a while back about television. I was lamenting how it just doesn't seem that television has hit its low point yet - not even close. The television program called "Temptation Island" was just coming on the air. I found the premise of the show to be a complete absurdity and commented how far tv has slipped into the abyss. He suprised me by saying he and his wife watch it, along with every other "reality" show out there. I asked him how this fits with his "family values" and he blamed his wife - she liked it, so he was forced to watch also.

Since then, new and more obnoxious programs have come and gone. I wonder, why do these shows even get a chance to be on the air? Why? - BECAUSE WE WATCH THEM. I am very tired of hearing how the Hollywood establishment is corrupting our values, while so many Americans go to church on Sunday morning and tune into Desparate Housewives in the evening.

What to do you may ask? Choose your programs very carefully. Support quality not sensationalism. Or, turn it OFF. I have been tv-less now for just over a year and a half - and love it. The final straw for me was the war "coverage". It sickened me to see death as a spectator sport. As we were passing by an open classroom door with the tv on, one of my middle school students shouted, "Cool!" when he witnessed a 'shock and awe' explosion. I asked him if he realized that a PERSON(S) was dying in that scene, he didn't. War was just another television reality program.

By tuning out the television, I've tuned into so much more. After the first few weeks of withdrawl, life got better and better. I've read countless books, had actual conversations with my wife (not just on commercial breaks), spent better time with my kids - the list goes on. And you know what? I don't miss tv one bit.

Even my wife watches less now - although she can't break from the Food Network, which is cool by me, she's picked up some yummy recipes!

Kill your Television, you won't be sorry.

Scary times, even for a Preacher

2004-11-20T13:16:00.000-05:00

Read this article . . . It's good to hear I'm not alone in thinking the Religious Right/BushCo is bastardizing Christianity.

Am I doing this right?

2004-11-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

I am NOT a theologian, Bible scholar or a product of the Christian schools. I am a person who grew up attending church, but never feeling a part of it. Over the last several years I have had a series of "close times" with God, and even thought that I was finally "getting it". But last year, I moved as close to Jesus as I have ever been. The prelude to war was so concerning to me, to my faith, that I emersed myself in the Bible and other books, prayer, and discussions with anyone who would talk with me about what Jesus was all about.

I truly felt the Holy Spirit moving in me.

But why now am I having a hard time feeling Spirit moving in me? I've heard about ups and downs on the Jesus train, but I just can't seem to find consistency in how I live. I wonder if I should feel "it" everday. I hear people talk of rising first thing in the morning in praise and prayer. Of how they just seem to float on air and spring out of bed full of the Spirit. It's hard enough for me to piss straight in the toilet first thing in the morning, let alone be worshipful. I find myself asking, "am I doing this right?"

I struggle reconciling what I read about Jesus, and what I see in my life and the world around me. I absolutely love the quote on rick's blog: Personally, I don't have the guts to follow Jesus, so I often settle for being a Christian.

That's so me.

Following Jesus is hard. Period. I fall so short of what He calls me to be, it amazes me that He even bothers.

I still consider myself a "new" Christian - I can't quote the Bible off-hand, I'm not up on the latest theological principles, or feel like I can go toe-to-toe with someone who is.

So I just keep going back to Jesus. What he taught, and how I live are so different- I need to close that gap. This journey will take the rest of my life, but I would not want it any other way.

I'm Back!

2004-11-18T16:57:00.000-05:00

I'm officially off the IR and back to typing!

Sorry about not posting for a while. The thumb needed a break.
Lots on my mind . . . stay tuned.

Mr. Bungles

2004-10-24T13:41:00.000-04:00

Table Saw.
Thumb.
Ouch.

Typing one-handed for a while. Thumb still attatched-many stitches though.
The Lord was looking out for me- thumb still there, no tendon or bone damage. Praise God!

Back to the vicodin.

And now for something completely different . . .

2004-10-22T20:41:00.000-04:00

Published on Friday, October 22, 2004 by Guardian/UK
'George, God Here. . .'
President Bush has words with the Almighty
by Terry Jones

"George?" "Yes?"

"This is God here ..."

"Hi, God. What can I do for you?"

"I want you to stop this Iraq thing, George."

"But you told me to do it, God!"

"No I didn't, George ..."

"But you did! You spoke to me through Karl, Rumsey and Dick and all those other really clever guys!"

"How did you know it was me talking, George?"

"Instinct, God. I just knew it!"

"Do you really think I'd want you to unleash all this horror and bloodshed on another lot of human beings?"

"But they're Muslims! They don't believe in You, God!"

"But, George, they do believe in me. Jews, Christians and Moslems all worship the same Me! Didn't you do comparative theology at school, George?"

"No, of course not! You think I'm some sort of peace-waving dope-headed liberal faggot-lover, God?"

"No, of course not, George, but I expect you to know something about the people you're bombing."

"Oh, come on! I know it's right to bomb those oily rag-heads until there's not one left to wipe a wrench on!"

"How do you know that, George?"

"Cause You tell me that's what I should do, God."

"George, I do not tell you to do that!"

"But I hear You, God! You speak to me! You tell me what to do! You tell me what is Right and what is Wrong! That's why I don't need to listen to any soft-baked, mealy-mouthed liberal Kerry-pickers!"

"George, you're deluding yourself."

"God! How can you say that? I got some of the most powerful people on this planet down on their knees every day in the White House just a-praying to You! Now are you gonna tell me You ain't listening? Because if You ain't listening, God, that's Your problem - not mine!"

"George, of course I'm listening - it's you who is not listening to Me!"

"And I'll tell you why! 'Cause You ain't addressing me right."

"What d'you mean, you jumped-up little Ivy League draft-dodger?"

"If you're so 'omniscient', God, you oughta know that you gotta go through Karl Rove, John Ashcroft, Rumsey and Dick ... those fellas know what they're talking about! I can't listen to just any deity who can pick up the phone!"

"But, I'm God, George!"

"Does Karl say you are?"

"But why do you believe Karl?"

"Because my gut tells me he's right!"

"Listen, you ignorant little pinch-eyed Billy Graham convert! Can't you get it into your head that I'm God and I'm telling you to stop all this 'pre-emptive strike' nonsense! Stop destroying Iraq! Stop supporting that monster Sharon! Stop picking a fight with the only other human beings on the planet that believe in Me! You're leading the world into unbelievable chaos and horror!"

"That's enough, God! That's just the sort of defeatist crap that I won't allow in the White House! Get out of here!"

"I cannot believe I'm hearing this, George."

"Well you better start believing, God, because this is the new reality. Don'tcha know that a recent Gallup poll shows that 42% of Americans identify themselves as 'born again'? That cuts across Republicans and Democrats, rich and poor, white and black! This is a real political power base, God, and you'd better believe it!"

"Look, all I'm asking is for you to show a little compassion to your fellow human beings!"

"I'm not going to debate this with you, God! You're beginning to sound like you belong to the reality-based community!"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"Well by the 'reality-based community', we mean people who believe that solutions emerge from their judicious study of discernible reality." "Sounds fair enough..."

"But, as one of my advisors told Ron Suskind of the Wall Street Journal: 'The reality-based community is not the way the world really works any more. We're an empire now and, when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality - judiciously, as you will - we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do'."

"You mean...you don't give a damn, George?"

"I mean You speak through me, God, not the other way round! Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mr President."

Terry Jones is a writer, film director, actor and Python

© 2004 Guardian Newspapers, Ltd.

In memory of Heath

2004-10-20T22:03:00.000-04:00

This evening I went to the visitation for a precious young man, Heath. He was 11 years old when he died on Saturday from injuries sustained in an auto accident. There were hundreds of people in line to grieve, love, and support his parents and family. It is so difficult to look into a casket of such a young child . . . very difficult.

Please pray for the Timmer family.

Click here to visit a memorial set up by his hockey league.

Blessings.

An interesting day . . .

2004-10-17T20:18:00.000-04:00

This morning I went to church and sang in the choir. As a choir member I am required to be there for both morning services. This, however, is not what made this day interesting.

Before the first service began, several choir members and I were socializing - waiting to sing in church. One of my friends, Mary, was commenting on how she has 15 Bush signs in her front yard and jokingly said she was going to put one in my front yard. I responded, jokingly, that I would probably burn it. For Mary and I this would be just another light-hearted exchange - we both know and respect each other's political beliefs - but for others, I spoke blasphamy. One sweet old lady stood staring with her mouth to the floor and repeatedly asked if it was true that I was voting for Kerry. I responded yes and she couldn't believe it. She was truly startled that someone in the choir (church) was not voting for their beloved Bush. She even whispered in my ear that Kerry was "an asshole". This is quite a statement from her - she NEVER swears - at least to people around church:-).

I told her, with a wink, that I know Kerry's an asshole . . . but he's less an asshole than Bush. She said she'd pray for me. Hence, my name: Black Sheep.

Now, some of this exchange was with tongue in cheek - but the underlying meaning was not: she can't believe a Christian would vote for Kerry.

I was not really in the mood for singing. I wasn't pissed or hurt - just . . . sad. I really don't believe this dear woman thinks of me poorly - she gave me a big hug and said she loved me. But, I was still troubled. I talked with Mary at length afterwards and I think she was more upset than I. She said she doesn't think it was appropriate for her (or anyone) to respond to me in that way and I was very appreciative of her support. I explained some of my reasons for voting the way I plan, and she was very positive - she didn't necessarily agree, but she didn't treat me like a freak.

I was a bit down for the afternoon. Then I recieved a phone call. A co-worker's 11 year-old son was killed in an auto accident this weekend. Suddenly, Bush and Kerry seemed like a complete waste of my energy.

As I snuggled with my 4 year-old son tonight I couldn't imagine the pain my friend is suffering right now. How much time and energy do I spend on politics and other issues each day? Every moment with our loved ones is so precious. I realize that in our society it's almost impossible to not get so caught up in politics, careers, and other "extra-curriculars", but today brought me back a bit.

I have to remind myself that God is in control. That I am to LOVE first, everything else second. I am so thankful for the blessings God has given, and that includes my family, friends and yes - this country, with all of its faults and shortcomings.

Give someone a hug and let them know you love them. Especially, if they are voting for "the other guy".

Losing Localness

2004-10-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

I just read an interesting blog at badchristian dealing with the patronage of local establishments and the importance of supporting these businesses. Wendell Berry has just posted this article touching on some of the same themes.

My wife and I were commenting not too long ago about the "Applebee-izaton" of the restaurants in our communities. It seems harder and harder to find a truely local food joint. BC lamented the fact that with the loss of these gems, we are losing part of our soul. I couldn't agree more.

An interesting point in Berry's article points to this loss of soul in our communities:
The general purpose of the present economy is to exploit, not to foster or
conserve.
Look carefully, if you doubt me, at the centers of the larger
towns in virtually every part of our country. You will find that they are
economically dead or dying. Good buildings that used to house needful, useful,
locally owned small businesses of all kinds are now empty or have evolved into
junk stores or antique shops. But look at the houses, the churches, the
commercial buildings, the courthouse, and you will see that more often than not
they are comely and well made. And then go look at the corporate outskirts: the
chain stores, the fast-food joints, the food-and-fuel stores that no longer can
be called service stations, the motels. Try to find something comely or well
made there.
What is the difference? The difference is that the old town
centers were built by people who were proud of their place and who realized a
particular value in living there. The old buildings look good because they were
built by people who respected themselves and wanted the respect of their
neighbors. The corporate outskirts, on the contrary, were built by people who
manifestly take no pride in the place, see no value in lives lived there, and
recognize no neighbors. The only value they see in the place is the money that
can be siphoned out of it to more fortunate places -- that is, to the wealthier
suburbs of the larger cities.

How many strip malls will our grandchildren fight over for historic preservation?

"Voting Christian"

2004-10-13T17:14:00.000-04:00

I had an interesting conversation with my brother-in-law the other day. While discussing how screwed up many of Bush's policies are and how Bush seems to have a problem dealing with reality; he mentioned that he will be voting for Bush because he's "voting Christian". Mind you, he thinks Bush is an idiot.

I didn't explore this with him more deeply at the time, however I have been kicking this around the past few days and find myself troubled. Is there really such a thing as purely voting Christian? Anyway you slice it, these candidates are not champions of Christ's teachings. I know, I know. Many will respond that Bush stands for "traditional family values" (anti-gay marriage) and issues like Pro-Life (I am inherently opposed to abortion - but I can't stand the "movement") and for some, this is enough. But I have a hard time with his policies on health care, poverty, and war. Are these not Christian concerns? Is using fear as a tool for re-election a courting the Christian vote? Is the ability to deny reality (i.e. no wmd's) and stand bold faced to the country and lie a Christian voting virtue?

Just what does it mean to "Vote Christian"? Any thoughts?

Welcome to Black Sheep Christian!

2004-10-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

I have spent a couple of hours typing and re-typing my first entry and everything I've written sucked. So, I'm just going to go with what's on my mind right now. The particulars about me will come over the next several entries.

One of the main reasons for this blog is for me to "get out on paper" my thoughts and questions about living a Christian life in America.

As a Christian, I have had a difficult struggle over the past couple of years in dealing with beliefs about how this country (particularily the Bush administration) claims to be the leaders of the free world - economically, militarily, and morally - and yet, so many words and deeds we've committed seem to project just the opposite. (That's quite a long sentence!)

This blog is my attempt to sort this and many other questions out.

Happy Trails . . .