The Kosher-ness of Hating “Religion”

You see it seemingly everywhere…Music, movies, books, etc.  It’s popular to bash religion. Typically, it’s preceded by the word “organized”. Many, even in the Christian community will say something to the effect that it’s about a “relationship” not about “religion”.  Okay, I get that.  I’ve been a Christian for over 20 years now. I understand that the overreaching important thing is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s a given. However, let’s not throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water.

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, religion is not always viewed as a bad thing in the Bible, something some Christians might be surprised to find out if they would actually read the scriptures…

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. – James 1:27 (NIV)

You can boil this down to two basic points…First, pure religion is to look after orphans and widows. While looking after an orphan or widow can take many different forms for different people, it’s still a pretty straightforward statement.

However, keeping oneself from being polluted by the world can and does encompass many different things, many of those things being the forms and functions that we typically assign in our minds to being “religious” in nature. Those things could be attending church, serving in a ministry, helping the poor and needy, etc. These are good things. Even if someone’s heart is not right with Jesus, i.e. the relationship, they are still good things. If the hungry are fed by people with a poor or self-serving attitude, I still praise God that the hungry are fed. Obviously, those with that kind of attitude aren’t going to receive any particular benefit from that service but the end result in this example is that the hungry are fed.

Let’s face it…Those of us who attend worship on a regular basis might not want to call what we are doing in church “religion” but the fact of the matter is that it IS religion. It’s religion, not in our selfish attempt at obtaining salvation, but religion in humble reverence to a loving God that is keeping us from being polluted by the world. That’s why we worship Him in song, in the word, and in service on a weekly basis. That’s why we serve Him in deed throughout the week, at our jobs and in our homes and wherever it is that God would lead us. At least, that’s my hope and prayer.

Revisiting…Smoking Bans

Considering that Indianapolis is once again considering a smoking ban (there is already one in place that is working quite well, by all accounts, if you’re a supporter of that…), I thought I’d re-post this article from March of this year.  Suffice it to say that the ASNs are on the march again…

I think we can all safely agree that smoking is dangerous to one’s health.  Besides that, it smells bad, is unattractive, and is generally annoying.  I’ve never smoked a cigarette in my life and don’t particularly care to be around people when they are smoking.   That being said, I hate the anti-smoking nazis even more than I hate smoking itself.

The ASNs, as I shall henceforth refer to them, have managed to get smoking bans of all different degrees passed in various communities throughout the country.  Their argument is that it’s for the common good for our government to forcibly cause businesses, both big and small, to enact smoking bans so that employees and patrons alike don’t become sick because of direct or second-hand smoke.

My question is, if the ASNs are so against smoking, why don’t they just follow the temperance crowd from the early 1900s and just completely ban smoking, or better yet, tobacco products of all kinds?  Wouldn’t that strike at the heart of the problem?

Well, you see, there’s a problem with that line of thinking.  The government on all levels is also addicted to tobacco, not in the physical sense, but in the monetary sense.  They are so reliant on heavy taxes levied against tobacco products that they would no more ban smoking than they would cut off their own arm or leg.  It’s one of those comfy little “paradoxes” that our government just seems to get entangled in.

But that’s just one problem…The other is laziness.  ASNs argue that they should be able to go into a restaurant without breathing in other people’s secondhand smoke.  While I agree that no one should be forced to breathe secondhand smoke, this is rarely the case.  There are several reasons why I believe smoking should be allowed in private establishments…

One is that an owner of a private restaurant, bar, etc., should be legally allowed to determine whether or not their own establishment should allow smoking.  Adults sometimes do stupid things.  Smoking is one of them.  That doesn’t mean that we as citizens need to be monitored like little children and kept from self-harm at all times.

Secondly, workers who do not wish to be subjected to secondhand smoke can exercise their freedom to work elsewhere.  I know some of you out there, when reading this one, will no doubt feel that I’m just an unfeeling, hatemongering conservative.  To you, I say “Bite me!”.  Anyone who knows me very well at all, knows that’s not the case.  Anyway, despite the rising unemployment rate, if you feel strongly enough about not being around secondhand smoke, you still have the freedom to seek other employment.  No one is forcing you to work in that environment.

The worst argument, in my opinion, is that the average person should just be able to go into a restaurant and not have to breathe in someone else’s noxious fumes.  This is where the laziness comes in.  It’s rather easy in these times to either go to an establishment’s web site or, God forbid, call them and ask if they allow smoking.  If they allow it, you don’t go.  Period.  End of story.  If they don’t allow it, you can thank them and then proceed to their nearest location for a fine dining experience.  Since when are we so lazy that we will knowingly subject ourselves to something that we knew was allowed in a particular place?  There are always other options out there for those that don’t want to give their business to restaurants that allow smoking and, you know what, if there isn’t an acceptable alternative for you, then how about resorting to that good old American standard of a home cooked meal?  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, you can still buy food at your local grocery store and actually fashion it into a real meal.

I’m all for owners voluntarily making their establishments non-smoking.  I would love it if that were the case.  However, I’d rather have to be inconvenienced by putting up with a small bit of secondhand smoke, finding another restaraunt, or God forbid, staying home and having a quiet meal with the family.

Roman Polanski, Scumbag

Has anyone else been bothered by the seeming parade of Hollywood types rushing to the defense of Roman Polanski? In case you haven’t heard, Polanski, plead guilty to engaging in unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, a girl who was only 13 at the time. It has been reported that Polanski drugged the girl and performed various sex acts while she was semi-conscious.

It angers me to even think about such a thing happening to any woman, regardless of age, not to even mention a child. I have an 11-year old daughter and cannot imagine how furious I would be towards this “man” if that happened to her.

I’d like to re-post a portion of an article by Ken Connor, guest columnist for “The Christian Post”.

Nevermind that what Roman Polanski did was morally repugnant (not to mention illegal). Nevermind the fact that he is a man who has exhibited no qualms about taking advantage of young, impressionable girls. As far as the artistic community is concerned, Polanski’s brilliance as a filmmaker trumps his responsibilities as a member of the human race and immunizes him from the need for accountability before the law. Using this same train of logic one can only assume that if Polanski were a mere pedestrian filmmaker, his fellow artists might be less willing to give him a pass.

This same warped mindset has infiltrated other parts of our society-a society increasingly obsessed with the antics and peccadilloes of the rich and famous. Consequently, securing justice in situations involving criminal accusations against giants of the entertainment industry is often difficult. So too in the political arena, where elected officials at every level of government routinely engage in reckless conduct with an arrogance possessed only by those convinced that they are above the law.

Imagine the consequences for the average Joe if he admitted to engaging in sexual relations at the workplace with a variety of female subordinates. He would be fired on the spot. What if he were exposed for tax evasion? Jail time and heavy fines, no doubt. And finally, what if our average Joe were indicted for drugging a 13-year-old girl and performing lewd sex acts upon her semi-conscious body? If convicted, he could count on a stiff jail sentence followed by a conspicuous spot on the national database of sex offenders, no job prospects, and little chance of regaining respectable standing in the community.

For celebrities like David Letterman, Charles Rangel, or Roman Polanski, however, none of these consequences appear to apply. Letterman’s primary worry in the aftermath of his on-air confession seems to be with his ratings-which, by the way, have skyrocketed. Charles Rangel continues to preside over the appropriation of our tax dollars as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Roman Polanski receives a lifetime achievement award for excellence in filmmaking.

Exempting the rich and famous from the need to conform to the moral norms and prevailing laws of society makes a mockery of the principle of justice. As history has demonstrated, a just society cannot exist if the rule of law is not applied equally to all. Roman Polanski may be a brilliant filmmaker. His work may be admired the world over. He may be an inspiration to his peers. But none of this vitiates his obligations under the law.

You can read the rest of Connor’s article here.

It CAN Happen

“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” — Matthew 5:43-45

Ever since before the current recession started, many supposed experts were running to and fro saying that severe economic problems will not or cannot happen here.  “Why, this is the United States of America, you know. Things like this just cannot happen here.” We’re told to just have a positive outlook and not worry about it. Well, I agree with that in theory but, in my opinion, that statement would be better interpreted as “hide your head in the sand and pretend nothing’s happening”.

Dave Ramsey is an example of this. Don’t get me wrong. I love Dave Ramsey’s advice on personal finance. He is one of the best at what he does and it’s certainly a good idea to follow most of his advice. However, I believe he’s flat-out wrong on the economy. Will our economy recover?  Perhaps…and I’ll even go so far as to say that it most likely will, for a time. Ramsey thinks we’re going to be just fine and that there’s nothing to worry about. He says we’ll pull out of this.

Again, I agree that we shouldn’t worry. As a believer, I serve a God who is all-powerful and who will protect and see me through even the hardest of times. However, that does not mean that I can’t or shouldn’t do all I can to prepare for what could be an economic disaster heading our direction.

Our government is currently monetizing our debt. They claim that they’re not but, the fact is, that’s exactly what they’re doing. The Fed starting doing this under the Bush administration and has continued doing it in spades under the Obama administration. This approach has failed EVERY time it’s been tried in history.

Our wonderful Senators and Representatives, Democrat and Republican alike, also continue to spend our hard-earned money like the proverbial drunken sailor. Even the so-called stimulus bill, passed earlier this year, contained hundreds of billions of dollars in spending on unnecessary social programs and other pork-laden projects. It was supposed to be necessary to kickstart the economy and get us back on our feet yet it’s more than likely only going to help bring us to our knees even faster.

Again, I don’t believe anyone should panic over this but I do think we need to be realistic about what could happen. God has blessed this country and he may continue to bless us but, sooner or later, we will reap what we have sewn in terms of our fiscal sin. We cannot continue spending and printing money like there’s no tomorrow and expect to have no ill consequences. Those consequences could be very grave indeed.

As the scripture passage above indicates, I as a believer in Christ am not exempt from hard times. I can do all I can to prepare for them but, being a member of this society, if they eventually come, I will still be effected. But keep in mind that with great trouble also comes a great opportunity for blessing. The passage says that God “sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous”. I believe this can be taken two ways…One is that hard times can and will come on both believers and unbelievers alike. The other is that good things can happen even in the midst of hard times and, through those good things, I can still be a blessing to those who are hurting.

The Context Syndrome

Rush Limbaugh made headlines all across the country earlier this year when he said the following…

…but I’ve been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don’t want them to succeed.

The portion in bold is what garnered the most attention. All of a sudden, it was national news that Rush Limbaugh wanted the country to go to the proverbial hell in a handbasket. He was wishing economic and social disaster on the entire country, dooming us all to the same fate. Why, that un-American windbag! How dare he utter such a thing?

Qualifying statement: I’m a conservative. However, I dislike Rush Limbaugh intensely. I find his show boring (I haven’t ever been able to sit through an entire show) and he comes across as extremely arrogant, in my opinion.

That being said, to claim Limbaugh was un-American in his statement is to completely misrepresent what he said. Like Limbaugh, I do not want Obama’s policies to succeed, while still wishing the best for my country. I stand in diametric opposition to many of his beliefs. I would like to see his ideas defeated because I believe they are not in the best interests for this country.

Of course, it seems that many forget that throughout Bush’s presidency, many on the left wished his policies ill will also…

I certainly hope he doesn’t succeed.

This statement was made by James Carville (pictured above next to Limbaugh), a well-known Democratic strategist. It was made on 9/11/01, only minutes before the terrorist attacks were carried out but, understandably, went largely unreported. Regardless, the left’s attacks on Bush and his policies continued throughout the entirety of his tenure.

I don’t think Carville was wrong for what he said. He not only has a right to say it but I’m positive that he intended no wrong to happen to our country. He was opposed to what Bush wanted to do policy-wise, the same thing Limbaugh meant when he said he doesn’t want Obama to succeed.

Now some on the left will argue that Limbaugh really did mean harm or bad fortune for the country. While those who think that are certainly entitled to their opinion, they couldn’t be more wrong. The same goes for those on the right who think Carville is a bitter old man who wanted nothing more than to see the entire country fail during Bush’s presidency.

The problem here is context. Both men have been taken severely out of context. Neither one wished harm upon the country and it’s entirely obvious when taking the quotes in context. The problem is not them but the context syndrome.

Marxism or Bust!

You know the signs you’re seeing are correct when even a Russian news agency is pointing them out. Unfortunately, the road these signs are located on is not one on which I want to travel. In a new article, a writer at Pravda points out some telling signs about America’s rapid move from quasi-Capitalism towards Marxism. Now, I normally wouldn’t endorse an organization who used to be the propaganda mouthpiece for a Marxist country but, in this case, I think they are more correct than they are wrong.

Stanislav Mishin starts off the article as follows…

It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people.

Despite the poor spelling and grammar in this opening paragraph, Mishin unfortunately nails it. Many of our own citizens are woefully uninformed about what’s going on with our government, not to mention that it’s like pulling teeth to get even a majority of the electorate to spend their time casting an intelligent vote.

True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street poured into the fists of the Marxists.

Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.

So he lays the groundwork for what he’s about to say with what was experienced under the iron fist of the Soviet Union. There’s something to be said for cold, hard experience.

First, the population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their lives.

He nails it on our government education system. You’d think it was intentionally designed, and some think it was, to educate our children just enough to be a happy but not overly-intelligent worker for the imperial federal government.

Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different “branches and denominations” were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the “winning” side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the “winning” side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power. Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America.

This is something you don’t hear much of in the press here. People whine and complain all the time about the melding of church and state when it comes to churches on the conservative side of the spectrum. However, the silence is rather deafening when one considers how intertwined many liberal churches are with Democratic politics. Both extremes are wrong. Regardless, the move of American churches away from the real Gospel and towards politics and the social gospel is a symptom of a larger problem.

The final collapse has come with the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money printing has been a record setting, not just in America’s short history but in the world. If this keeps up for more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and at worst Zimbabwe.

Record setting spending and money printing…Both of these are going to kill us. If not a quick death, it’ll certainly bury us under a mountain of inflation before too long. This was started in haste by Bush before he left office, so he certainly kick-started this whole thing.

Then came Barack Obama’s command that GM’s (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct, dear reader, in the land of “pure” free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion commands his minions.

This was certainly disturbing to me when it occurred and still is, for that matter. Regardless of whether GM took government bailout money, it still just floors me that this was basically done as if it was perfectly legal and right for the President to do so.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that would give the American Treasury department the power to set “fair” maximum salaries, evaluate performance and control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses?

I’ve heard rumors of this but haven’t confirmed its validity. I know that this would probably be popular with the masses, regardless of the fact that companies do and should have the right to award whatever salaries or bonuses that they see fit to give. That is not to argue that they should but just that they have the legal right to do so.

The original article, “American capitalism gone with a whimper”, can be read here in its entirety.

Revisiting GodHatesFags

In one of my very first blog entries, I posted about the group “God Hates Fags”.  Well, I thought this to be a good time to resurrect that post since this group is picketing at the Indianapolis north side school, North Central High School.  See the story at The Indianapolis Star.

If you haven’t heard of the group mentioned in the title to this blog entry, consider yourself blessed. They are members of the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kansas. They are the ones who protest at the burials of our fallen heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan. They are the ones who protest in front of churches whom they consider to be “fag enablers”. They are the ones who protested in Amish country in Pennsylvania following the tragic shooting deaths of several children there. They are the ones who have taken it upon themselves to purposely emotionally harm those who have already suffered immeasurably.

These “Christians” are led by a man I consider to be akin to a false prophet, Fred Phelps. In all fairness, Phelps was a great civil rights attorney at one time, helping blacks who were oppressed by the government. However, his vitriol soon became directed towards homosexuality, a sin he apparently now considers on par with the unpardonable sin. In his twisted theological rantings, he believes that America is now being punished for the sin of homosexuality and for being “fag enablers”. His followers, a majority of which are made of his own family members, carry out his ill will by congregating at funerals, churches, stadiums, hospitals, and wherever else they think they can spread their Gospel of hate.

Following are just a few examples of the kind of tripe you might see on the colorful picket signs they always have on display at their protests:

• “GOD HATES FAGS”
• “GOD IS YOUR ENEMY”
• “YOU’RE GOING TO HELL”
• “THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS”
• “GOD HATES THE U.S.A” (they often sing “God Hates America” to the tune of “God Bless America”)
• ‘THANK GOD FOR IEDs”
• “GOD HATES FAG ENABLERS”

The list goes on and on. Even more disturbing is that their own children picket with them, as shown in the picture at the beginning of this entry, carrying signs with the same kinds of filth on them.

Unfortunately, I have not heard much mentioned about this group from the Christian community in general. Why the silence? The national news media has reported on them many times. I’ve heard national radio talk shows discuss them. I’ve seen members of their church appear on television programs. I’ve seen articles in newspapers about them. What I haven’t seen much of is America’s churches speaking out against them. Why, when many of our churches so quickly speak out in condemnation against fallen ministers and the like, do we not hear the same kind of things against what I believe is equally damaging to the true cause of Christ?

A Soldier Named Simon

A Soldier Named Simon

By Steve Harbaugh

There was a man named Simon who had resisted joining the King’s army, stubbornly avoiding the invitations over the years, always choosing his own way.  After many years of hearing about the King and the honor and joy of serving in the King’s army, he finally accepted the invitation and decided to become a soldier.  He eagerly read the soldier’s training manual and listened intently during the training sessions. The King and Simon became dear friends and Simon pledged his life in service to his King.  He spent nearly a thousand hours in deep study and practice, honing his skills as a swordsman – something for which he received many praises from his fellow soldiers.  He was promoted through the ranks and was exceptionally proud of his position and skills in swordsmanship and combat.  Simon was a soldier.

Life as a soldier on the front lines, Simon would soon discover, was full of danger.  Constant attacks from the enemy, ambushes of incredible speed and intensity, and traps set for unsuspecting and gullible travelers.  But Simon was a trained soldier and he was wary of the traps and had been taught by the King and his commanders to sense the dangers and potential ambushes.  During times of battle with the enemy, Simon proficiently utilized his fighting skills and relied upon his training and his battle armor, especially his shield and sword.  The enemy’s archers could not penetrate his shield and at hand to hand combat Simon’s sword was used swiftly and confidently to defeat his enemy.   Simon was not just a soldier but was a good soldier.

After several years at the border, Simon requested that his unit be assigned to a much less hostile area, for he and his men were tired of fighting and needed some rest.  They greatly enjoyed the lighter duty, joking that they were on vacation.  One particular day, a very beautiful day of sunshine and blue skies, Simon decided to dress lighter, for they had not had any trouble or danger for several weeks.  The heavy breastplate was left on the floor in his sleeping quarters, as was the cumbersome belt.  Simon enjoyed that particular day, as he felt cooler and lighter without the heavy armor.  Several days passed and Simon began to feel confident in his lighter style of dress, as did the men under his command.  The next morning was exceptionally hot and Simon decided that he would he and his men would perform their duties without the burdens of the heavy battle armor, shield, and the large heavy sword.  They would merely carry their short swords, for they were victorious soldiers of the King, skilled at martial arts and fighting of any kind.  Simon and his men were exuberant, laughing and goofing around, playing foolish games, and generally acting in ways unbecoming of a soldier.  They deserved this vacation – they had earned it!  That night they put on a feast, with succulent meats, breads, and wines, and they invited much of the town to join them in their celebration. It was a time of great relaxation and merriment.

As the full moon was shining down and the party raged on, Simon heard a horn blow.  He looked up to see the sky fill with fire, as the enemy had launched a barrage of flaming arrows into the town.  Thousands upon thousands of arrows fell down on Simon and his men and the townspeople.  Screams of terror and cries of anguish filled the air along with the flaming arrows.  Simon and his men instinctively reached for their shields, but of course, the shields were lying on the floors of their sleeping quarters.  With no shield or breastplate to protect them, the arrows easily pierced the bodies of the soldiers, including Simon.  Then came the enemy foot soldiers, with spears and long broadswords, charging into the town square.  With mere daggers on their sides, Simon and his men were no match for the sword- wielding enemy.  It was a massacre.  Simon and twenty others were able to flee the town into the heavily wooded areas to the north, limping and bleeding their way up the steep paths.   They could hear the enemy cheering and laughing, calling out “Victory, victory is ours!”  Simon and his few remaining men cowered in the thickets of the woods until morning until they saw a large garrison of the King’s troops ride into the town.  The enemy forces could be seen retreating over the southern hills, knowing that they were greatly out-powered by the King’s massive army.

As Simon and his men came slowly back into town carrying several soldiers on make-shift stretchers, the King could be seen standing in the town square.  He appeared to be waiting, with a vast army circling him, knees bowed.  The King called out, “Simon, where is your armor?”   Simon bowed his head and then looked up and replied, “Dear King, we left our shields and swords in the sleeping quarters, for this was a peaceful town.  I am sorry, my King.  I have lost the battle and failed You”.   The King’s eyes filled with tears as He saw the pain and suffering in Simon’s face and in the men with him.  The King walked up to the group, embracing them.  He removed the arrows from their bodies and, placing His hands on their wounds, healed them instantly, leaving only the scars where the arrows and swords had pierced their bodies.

Lastly, He came to Simon, who had fallen to his knees, his head bowed low, with five arrows sticking from his chest and back and a huge gash on his right arm.  Tears were streaming from Simon’s eyes, as he sobbed heavily, blood dripping from his battered mouth.   “My King, forgive me!  I am not worthy to be called your soldier”, Simon cried out.  The King placed his hands on Simon, removing the arrows and healing the wounds.  He made Simon stand up and He placed his hand under Simon’s chin, lifting his face and looking into the tear-filled eyes of His friend.  “My son, you are forgiven.  You are a friend of the King.”  The King then hugged Simon and said “Simon, a soldier cannot go into battle without his armor!  How can you fight?  How can you be victorious?”  The King waved his hand, summoned His assistants, who then carried over a large gold-covered chest.  The King said, “Simon, I am giving you My armor.”  The King proceeded to place the beautiful, pure gold armor on Simon, beginning with the breastplate.  “Simon, my name is written on this, and I give it to you.”  The King then placed the large, beautifully engraved belt around Simon’s waist and on his head He set a beautiful helmet, saying “A perfect fit, made for you.  This signifies that you are My son, My friend”.  He then placed new sandals on Simon’s feet and tied them securely.  “A soldier must be able to move, he must be ready at all times”.   He then handed the large shield to Simon, making sure his grip was true.  “Simon, my son, with this shield I give you, you can have faith that will extinguish the flaming arrows of the enemy – but you must hold it up when under attack!”  And the King lastly handed Simon a beautiful sword, covered entirely with Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek writing.  “Simon, My sword I give you.  I have written My Word upon it and it will never fail you.  This sword is your weapon, Simon.  A soldier must know how to use his weapon.  Read it, study it, know it, and use it to defeat your enemy. That is why I give it to you.”

The King stepped back and looked at Simon.  “Simon, with this armor you will be able to win the battles against our enemy.  But Simon, you must wear it – it does no good lying on your floor, as you have discovered.  Remember that always.  There will be many more battles in your life and you must be prepared, for the enemy knows your weakness and he knows when you are vulnerable.  Put on this armor daily and you will be able to stand.   And know that I am with you always until the end of the age. For I will never leave you nor forsake you – I am the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. ”

Simon nodded his head, smiled, and replied “Jesus, You are my King.  I will daily strive to be a good and faithful servant and will put on the full armor of God, so that I may stand firm by Your side.”

Inspired by Ephesians 6:10-18, The Holy Bible (NIV)

The Armor of God

¹⁰Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹²For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ¹⁸And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Remembering 9/11

Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for …a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew.

–President George W. Bush, December 11, 2001

Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children.

–President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

War has been waged against us by stealth and deceit and murder. This nation is peaceful, but fierce when stirred to anger. This conflict was begun on the timing and terms of others. It will end in a way, and at an hour, of our choosing.

–George W. Bush, Speech at National Cathedral, September 14, 2001

The planes were hijacked, the buildings fell, and thousands of lives were lost nearly a thousand miles from here. But the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were an attack on the heart of America. And standing here in the heartland of America, we say in one voice:

We will not give in to terrorists;

We will not rest until they are found and defeated;

We will win this struggle not for glory, nor wealth, nor power, but for justice, for freedom, and for peace;

So help us God.

–Tom Harkin

America has its faults as a society, as we have ours.

But I think of the Union of America born out of the defeat of slavery.

I think of its Constitution, with its inalienable rights granted to every citizen still a model for the world.

I think of a black man, born in poverty, who became chief of their armed forces and is now secretary of state Colin Powell and I wonder frankly whether such a thing could have happened here.

I think of the Statue of Liberty and how many refugees, migrants and the impoverished passed its light and felt that if not for them, for their children, a new world could indeed be theirs.

I think of a country where people who do well, don’t have questions asked about their accent, their class, their beginnings but have admiration for what they have done and the success they’ve achieved.

I think of those New Yorkers I met, still in shock, but resolute; the fire fighters and police, mourning their comrades but still head held high.

–British Prime Minister Tony Blair

Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make. They saw liberty and thought they saw weakness. And now, they see defeat.

–George W. Bush, President of the United States

Olbermann Jealous of Beck

This is war. It is official. the Left is utterly desperate to destroy Glenn Beck.

Keith Olbermann has written a personal “diary” on DailyKos titled: “Send Me Everything You Can Find About Glenn Beck”

Olbermann also is asking for dirt on “Stu Burguiere and Roger Ailes”. Stu is Glenn’s longtime producer and friend. this is in response to Beck’s Tweet from the other day which said: “FIND EVERYTHING YOU CAN ON CASS SUNSTEIN, MARK LLOYD AND CAROL BROWNER. Do notlink before burning to disc.”

Olbermann continues…

Tuesday we will expand this to the television audience and have a dedicated email address to accept leads, tips, contacts, on Beck, his radio producer Burguiere, and the chief of his tv enablers, Ailes (even though Ailes’ power was desperately undercut when he failed to pull off his phony “truce” push).

This becomes necessary after this in order to prove various cliches about goose and gander, and to remind everybody to walk softly and carry a big popsicle, and most particularly to save this nation from the Oligarhy of The Stupid.

I keep wondering if somewhere somebody named Ollie Garhey thinks he’s in charge now. Or, even more entertainingly and societally satisfying, if somebody named Ali Garhi does.

Despite the worn-out snark above, I am in earnest here.

The rest of this article can be read here.

Well, well, well…Looks like good ol’ Keith “Rip-n-Read” Olbermann is getting a bit jealous of Glenn Beck. After Beck’s relentless pounding of Van Jones, Jones was finally let go. Nearly nine months into Obama’s administration and Beck has already had more influence than Olbermann had in eight years of the Bush administration.  To use an oft-quoted saying…”That’s gotta hurt”, huh, Mr. Olbermann?