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and our nation IS America. [2008-08-10]
and the opposite of PROgress is CONgress! (he-yuck)
Are we living in a big-brother nation [2008-01-14]
While I feel it was disrespectful from the student I feel it should have been handled differently. I don't believe the school should have been involved, since it didn't happen on school property or with school property. If I was the teacher I would have contacted the parents and talked to them and let them know how uncomfortable I feel about something that was written about me and let the parents handle how to discipline their own child. The school should have no say on how to discipline this child. What will the next step of the studen't personal life will the school decide to be involved in.
Red Sox nation! [2007-11-05]
Lots of your fellow Sox fanatics down here in Florida, believe me. We just had em in to play the Rays and then was glued to the playoffs and of course, the series!! I have head more Dropkick Murphys in the past week than I have in the last 100 years!! You are never anything better than a Bostonian and we were crazy happy down here!! Go PATS!!
I live in Red Sox Nation!!!! [2007-11-03]
The Sox are the best! I watched Papplebon on Letterman the other night. It was awesome.
Kid Nation & Survivor China. - n/m [2007-09-15]
.
I cannot believe that Kid Nation is really going to air. [2007-09-15]
I just think that is the most messed up thing I have read about.
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6785625 (snipet from the on-line article)
....Jeff Hermanson, assistant executive director of the Writers Guild of America, said in the Los Angeles Times last week, To me, this is the sweatshop of the entertainment industry. What
Throwing even more fuel on the fire: the agreement signed by the parents of the kids and the production company, a copy of which was obtained by the New York Times. In the contract - a standard one used by most reality shows - the parents (who could not visit their kids during filming) essentially signed away the children's rights, absolving Forman's company and CBS from any responsibility for injuries, working conditions or unsafe housing.
There was also a clause covering emotional distress, illness, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and pregnancy.
And if the parents complained to the press, they were subject to a $5 million penalty under a confidentiality agreement.....
We as a nation are so scared now days [2007-07-22]
My grandmother lived to 75 and her daughter, my aunt, now 86 and both used and told me about Campho-Phenique and get this, when I had an ulcer in my mouth my aunt told me to use this. Now I do not go about swishing and swallowing but used it on the sores, got relief and well, I am writing this post. It can be used in the mouth with no problem.
Abraham Lincoln's Thanksgiving Proclamation 1863 [2008-11-19]
Abraham Lincoln while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.By The President: Abraham LincolnWilliam H. Seward, Secretary of State
Holidays - Bah humbug! [2008-11-11]
I have nice holiday memories. My mom was not the Martha Stewart type but they were filled with lots of food, friends, and family. Very happy times. This will be the first year that I cannot go home for the holidays. We will still spend it with my husband's family but it is not the same for me.
I am also stressing about the holidays because his family is all about the presents and I grew up differently. His family says they are cutting back this year but I wonder what that means. To them, it is probably only $500 per person. I know its the thought that counts and you should only do what you can but I still feel bad and guilty if we cannot do for everyone else. I have suggested putting a limit or drawing names or making gifts to exchange but they look at me like I speak a foreign language.
This is the first year my husband and I will not exchange gifts for each other and our son won't get much either. To top off the financial crisis facing the entire nation, we are also expecting a child in the very early spring so that has added to our expenses and dipping into our savings.
For me this winter came very quickly as well which does not help. I haven't had time to ease into my least favorite season. It's been so gloomy the last few weeks I am glad that I don't have to leave the house to work but know I should leave the house occasionally to feel better. I just want to be a scrooge right now. Soon enough I'll have to put on the happy thanksgiving face to spend the afternoon with my in-laws while missing my family.
No birth control sales, no candy sales, [2008-10-24]
CHANTILLY, Va. — A new drug store at a Virginia strip mall is putting its faith in an unconventional business plan: No candy. No sodas. And no birth control. Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy is among at least seven pharmacies across the nation that are refusing as a matter of faith to sell contraceptives of any kind, even if a person has a prescription.
States across the country have been wrestling with the issue of pharmacists who refuse on religious grounds to dispense birth control or morning-after pills, and some have enacted laws requiring drug stores to fill the prescriptions.
In Virginia, though, pharmacists can turn away any prescription for any reason.
I am grateful to be able to practice, pharmacy manager Robert Semler said, where my conscience will never be violated and my faith does not have to be checked at the door each morning.
Semler ran a similar pharmacy before opening the new store, which is not far from Dulles International Airport. The store only sells items that are health-related, including vitamins, skin care products and over-the-counter medications.
On Tuesday, the pharmacy celebrated a blessing from Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde. While Divine Mercy Care is not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, it is guided by church teachings on sexuality, which forbid any form of artificial contraception, including morning-after pills, condoms and birth control pills, a common prescription used by millions of women in the U.S.
This pharmacy is a vibrant example of our Holy Father said Loverde, who sprinkled holy water on the shelves stocked with painkillers and acne treatments. It will allow families to shop in an environment where their faith is not compromised.
The drug store is the seventh in the country to be certified as not prescribing birth control by Pharmacists for Life International. The anti-abortion group estimates that perhaps hundreds of other pharmacies have similar policies, though they have not been certified.
Earlier this year in Wisconsin, a state appeals court upheld sanctions against a pharmacist who refused to dispense birth control pills to a woman and wouldn't transfer her prescription elsewhere. Elsewhere, at least seven states require pharmacies or pharmacists to fill contraceptive prescriptions, according to the National Women's Law Center. Four states explicitly give pharmacists the right to turn away any prescriptions, the group said.
The Virginia store's policy has drawn scorn from some abortion rights groups, who have already called for a boycott and collected more than 1,000 signatures protesting the pharmacy.
If this emboldens other pharmacies in other parts of the state, it could really affect low-income and rural women in terms of access, said Tarina Keene, executive director of the Virginia chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League.
Robert Laird, executive director of Divine Mercy Care, believes many of the estimated 50,000 Catholics within a few miles of the store will support its mission and make up for the roughly 10 percent of business that contraceptives represent in a typical pharmacy.
Whether Catholics will be drawn to the pharmacy is uncertain. According to a Gallup poll published last year for an extensive study of U.S. Catholicism called American Catholics Today, 75 percent of U.S. Catholics said you can still be a good Catholic even if you don't obey church teachings on birth control.
Catherine Muskett said she plans to shop at the drug store even though she lives more than 20 miles away.
Obviously it said Muskett, one of about 75 people who crowded into the tiny shop for Tuesday's ceremony.___On the Net:http://www.dmcpharm.comhttp://www.naralva.org/instate/pharmacy.shtml
SM [2008-10-21]
As far as I know, one nation under God is still said in the Pledge of Allegience.
I had to laugh about your Halloween comment. Most Halloween festivities were curtailed because of, ahem, very religious people who didn't like the fact Halloween had to do with satanic worship. Newly converted people I have met, are completely against Halloween, unless children dress as someone from the bible. That was not meant to be funny.
Question for ya.............sm [2008-10-17]
If Christians demanded to have the right to organized prayer in school, the right to assemble anywhere and anytime they chose for the purpose of sharing their religion with others, demanded that one nation under God be kept in the Pledge, collect money for their missionary endeavors on the street corner, would that be shoving their religion down others' throats?
After all, that is our lifestyle, that is what we do.
I'll bite [2008-10-17]
But first I will have to point out the differences between this and a gay person going about their every day life. No gay person is standing on the corner collecting anything, recruiting, or taking one nation under God from anything. They (we) are simply asking to walk our own paths unassaulted. Period. Don't put your hands on us in anger or hate, keep your discriminatory legislation out of our lives, don't key our cars, don't burn our houses, don't threaten our children or have your children threaten our children. If you don't like who we are, don't associate with us. It's that simple. Leave us alone.
With that in mind, no, you would not be shoving anything down anyonelifestyle. WHO you are is not a lifestyle.
Talking with a nonChristian about Jesus [2008-10-17]
I have been reading this and I just wanted to offer a few thoughts:
1) No, you cannot go up to someone and say YOU ARE A SINNER! REPENT and expect a positive reaction. I think that God will give you opportunities to talk to people. When those opportunities arise, you ask for their permission to speak with them about it. If they say no, you drop it. I believe that God will open the hearts of those who are ready to hear it. If they do give you permission, you donYOU are a sinner because I saw YOU lying to so and so, I heard that YOU were sleeping with so and so and you At the moment of witnessing to someone, you better believe Satan is standing right there waiting for you to slip up so he can turn it against you. I think a better thing would be to say Well God tells us in the Bible that WE are ALL sinners no matter what we do. That is why we need Jesus.
2) Back you're claims up with Bible verses. That way no one thinks you are saying this in you're own words. Some good Scripture for witnessing:
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 3:3 - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
John 14:6 - Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
These are just some to get you started. If the person you are talking to has opened their heart to hearing you, I doubt they won't want to hear the verses.
3) If you get a positive reaction, don't leave them to figure out the rest by themselves. Support them, invite them to church, introduced them to other loving Christians.
Look, our nation is at war, but we are in a much bigger war. Satan is wreaking havoc in our nation and for to long we have sat by and let him. But just because the situation is dire does not mean we can just stand on our soap boxes and start proclaiming out loud that everyone is a sinner and they must all repent now. It requires personal connections with people. All throughout the Bible you read about Jesus having a personal connection. He spoke to people one on one. He allowed them to discuss the issue with Him, to question Him. One of his disciples even doubted Him! I know many of us, myself included, probably questioned all the way up to the aisle before we gave our lives over to Him. It is our nature to do so.
As much as we all pray for a revival in this nation and in our churches, I doubt it will happen. Any of you who have studied and believe in the Bible know the time is drawing near. It is also said that every nation will turn against us before He comes. It's time to come together and be ready to support one another, because times are going to get tough. If you are sitting on the fence, you better choose a side, because Satan owns that fence.
Call me crazy, call me fanatical. But I KNOW that my Lord is the living Christ, and I know that he will come back, and I am much more concerned about what He thinks about me then what YOU think about me! :)
True Christians love everyone. We just hate sin. I hate that I sin everyday. But I thank God that I can ask for forgiveness and He gives it. All this mess about oh you Christians hate gay people, hate abortion supporters, hate blacks, etc is simply not true. I have friends who are gay. I love them just as much as I love my Christian brothers and sisters. I just don't love the sin. Abortion is a sin. And I'm not sure why you say we hate black people unless you're saying it's because we don't vote for Obama, but black is just another color and Jesus doesn't pay attention to color, therefore neither should we, and I believe most of us don't. The ones that do are sinning and will have to ask for forgiveness.
If anyone is seriously interested in discussing this or just wants to talk, please email me. If you just want to be hateful and bash, please, just save it.
Pretty scary, isn't it? [2008-10-16]
I just don Those cities must have been wicked beyond compare. Part of me says Wait just a little longer, Lord but another, ever increasing part of me says Come even so Lord Jesus.
Who decides what "rights" are right? [2008-10-16]
We are supposed to teach being tolerant of other lifestyles and religious preferences, unless of course you believe in God, then shut up. The principals this country was built on have been shoved under the rug because it might offend someone else. In school it is wrong to pray before a meal, but only if your praying to God, if your of some other religion you may do as you please. We can no longer say One nation under God because someone else might not believe. My children no longer have Halloween parties at school because there is ONE child whose religion it is against. Christmas parties are off because it offends, now they have to be winter parties. All others who are different are to be tolerated and catered to, but those of us who have the same beliefs as many generations before us (the ones who built this country) are supposed to sit down and shut up? How is that teaching tolerance? If you are straight, are of a native religion to this country, believe in God, believe marriage is between a man and a woman, then you are considered intolerant and ignorant. I'm just not seeing the two-way street here.
sm [2008-10-16]
Christians are not outnumbered in this country but the squeaky wheel has gotten all the attention with God taken out of our schools.
EXACTLY why Christians need to get to praying! We have been silent far too long, and the deterioration we are seeing in our nation speaks volumes to that.
Okay then.....sm [2008-10-16]
That bright shiny new car in my neighbor's driveway would make me happy. I think I will just go hotwire it and drive away in it. After all, if God wants me to be happy, then it's okay, right?
Or maybe that married guy down at the auto part store just really makes my motor run. I think I will just seduce him and have an affair with him and cause his marriage to break up. God said he wants me to be happy, right?
My neighbor is building an addition to his house....and he is doing all the work in the middle of the night and I can't sleep for the hammering and sawing. I think I will just go over and kill him and then I will be happy that I can finally sleep. God wants me to be happy, right?
WRONG!!!
Can you see the flaw in this line of reasoning? God gave us laws by which to live and wants us to follow these laws. If everyone did follow these laws, then everyone would be happy. However, thiefs, adulterers, murderers, and yes, even gays, choose not to follow the laws. Christians sometimes do not follow the laws either, in case you were about to point that out. Until this world/nation gets back to the Bible, no one will truly be happy, and I am sorry to say that I don't see that happening anytime soon.
Is College Worth It? [2008-09-08]
As parents pack their youngsters off to college, they might ask themselves whether itAmerica
The U.S. Department of Education statistics show that 76 out of 100 students who graduate in the bottom 40 percent of their high school class do not graduate from college, even if they spend eight and a half years in college. That's even with colleges having dumbed down classes to accommodate such students. Only 23 percent of the 1.3 million students who took the ACT college entrance examinations in 2007 were prepared to do college-level study in math, English and science. Even though a majority of students are grossly under-prepared to do college-level work, each year colleges admit hundreds of thousands of such students.
While colleges have strong financial motives to admit unsuccessful students, for failing students the experience can be devastating. They often leave with their families, or themselves, having piled up thousands of dollars in debt. There is possibly trauma and poor self-esteem for having failed, and perhaps embarrassment for their families. Dr. Nemko says that worst of all is that few of these former college students, having spent thousands of dollars, wind up in a job that required a college education. It's not uncommon to find them driving a taxi, working at a restaurant or department store, performing some other job that they could have had as a high school graduate or dropout.
What about students who are prepared for college? First, only 40 percent of each year 45 percent never graduate at all. Often, having a college degree does not mean much. According to a 2006 Pew Charitable Trusts study, 50 percent of college seniors failed a test that required them to interpret a table about exercise and blood pressure, understand the arguments of newspaper editorials, and compare credit card offers. About 20 percent of college seniors did not have the quantitative skills to estimate if their car had enough gas to get to the gas station. According a recent National Assessment of Adult Literacy, the percentage of college graduates proficient in prose literacy has declined from 40 percent to 31 percent within the past decade. Employers report that many college graduates lack the basic skills of critical thinking, writing and problem-solving.
Colleges are in business. Students are a cost. Research is a profit center. When colleges boast about having this professor who has won a science award or that professor who has won the Nobel Prize, very often an undergraduate student will never be taught by that professor. It is a bait and switch tactic and very often your youngster will take classes not taught by a professor but taught in large classes by a graduate student. Faculty who bring in large grants are more highly valued than faculty who teach well. Teaching excellence is so often undervalued that the late Ernest Boyer, vice president for Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, quipped that, Winning the campus teaching award is the kiss of death when it comes to tenure.
Parents and taxpayers cough up billions upon billions of dollars to the nationbait and switch, confer fraudulent degrees and engage in other practices that would bring legal sanctions if done by any other business. There is little or no oversight of the nationChoosing the Right College (http://isi.org/college_guide/choosing_right_college.html).
Lowering the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 [2008-08-19]
I didn't know this was going on.....
The article is long so I didn't copy all of it. See the link below:
College presidents from about 100 of the nation's best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.
The movement called the Amethyst Initiative began quietly recruiting presidents more than a year ago to provoke national debate about the drinking age.
This is a law that is routinely evaded, said John McCardell, former president of Middlebury College in Vermont who started the organization.
It is a law that the people at whom it is directed believe is unjust and unfair and discriminatory.
He's dumb as a fox......sm [2008-06-19]
The lyrics to a song by Nashville's Cornbread Mafia. I do not like country music, but they are right on the money.
http://www.burtonharvey.com/cornbreadmafia/
He acts real dumb but the act isn't fooling me
He gets things done to destroy our sovereignty
He's a servant of the globalists from foreign lands
Our leader is a traitor with blood on his hands
Traitor...Dare call it treason
Traitor...Dare call it treason
Some see a failure; I see a big success
Using our terror to undermine the whole U.S.
When the towers came down, and everybody froze
Bush and Giuliani came up smelling like a rose
Traitor...Dare call it treason
Traitor...Dare call it treason
It's election time again, and everybody's ready to vote
If both candidates are owned, brother tell me where is the hope?
Hillary and Huckabee are waiting there in line
I guess we'll get a Democrat traitor this time
Traitor...Dare call it treason
Traitor...Dare call it treason
They want a fascist planet with the superwealthy ruling it all
Since we're too independent, America must be led to fall
When our credit's been exhausted to subdue the Middle East,
They'll install our debtor nation in the body of The Beast
Traitor...Dare call it treason
Traitor...Dare call it treason
This song is almost over, but I have one thing further to say
I'll ask you for a favor when the agents come to take me away
Disseminate this anthem over cyberspace,
And shout this accusation in every bought-off leader's face:
Traitor...Dare call it treason
Traitor...Dare call it treason
thanks for all of the positive responses! [2008-05-06]
I did not think i was being negative at all, but here are two responses I got:
So you say the only things they do is fight for our country and rights and help out in times of need. What do you think that consists of? How many lives have been given since 1776 to secure and protect those rights? Have you ever looked at the freedoms we have and the wealth we enjoy? What more do you expect the military to do? Wash your clothes. We are the only truly free nation in the world and it is because men and women have chosen to join our military and fight to give you those freedoms that you don't seem to understand.
and
Ma'am, thanks for giving me a subject for my Memorial Day speech in our community. The subject will be:
Americans who have no idea what military heroes have done and are doing for us, thereby humiliating our sacrifices.
Linda Chavez has great articles and makes a lot of sense. [2008-04-19]
This is long but I think worth it.
As if a housing crisis, rising energy costs and a soft labor market weren't enough to cause economic anxiety for the average American, now consumers are feeling the pinch of rapidly escalating food costs. The United States has long prided itself in being the breadbasket of the world, and Americans have traditionally paid a smaller share of their income on food than citizens of other developed countries. But the days of cheap milk, bread, beef and poultry may well be over — and Uncle Sam is partly to blame.
In 2007, the cost of a gallon of milk increased 26 percent; eggs went up 40 percent; and a loaf of white bread went from $1.05 to $1.28 from 2006 to 2008. Steep increases in the price of oil have contributed to these higher costs, but the federal government has played a pernicious role as well. By mandating that oil companies increase the amount of ethanol they blend with gasoline, the government has not only artificially increased the cost of corn, which is what most U.S. ethanol is made of, but has driven up the cost of other grains as well. Inflated corn prices encourage farmers to divert more acreage to corn, which means they plant less soy and wheat, which, in turn, drives the prices of those commodities up as well. The aggregate price of wheat, corn, soy oil and soy meal in the U.S. will be $61.7 billion higher in the 2007/2008 crop year than it was in 2005/2006.
Corn prices affect a host of other food prices as well. If you've ever looked at the ingredient labels on everything from bologna to canned tomato soup, you'll see that corn syrup is a common ingredient of many processed foods. Corn is also a common grain used in feed for cattle, poultry and hogs. As a result, prices for meat and poultry are going up, but even with higher prices, some companies in the meat industry still can't make a profit, and many are being forced to cut jobs and close plants. I've seen this firsthand as a member of the board of directors of Pilgrim's Pride, the nation's largest chicken producer, where we have already had to shut down one plant and close six distribution centers to cope with record losses directly attributable to soaring feed costs.
But what is most galling about the impact of government mandated ethanol production is that it does little or nothing to solve our energy problems.
Ethanol proponents argue that it is cleaner than petroleum — which improves air quality — and that it and other alternative fuels will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Both claims are dubious.
Corn-based ethanol is inefficient as a fuel for automobiles, reducing vehicle gas mileage by 20-30 percent in vehicles using E85, the highest ethanol content fuel. Fewer miles-per-gallon of gas essentially eliminates any savings achieved, even by mixing ethanol with gasoline in the lower 9 percent ethanol blends required in all U.S. gasoline today. And of course, it also takes energy to produce ethanol — for farming and distilling the corn and transporting the final product to the pump — and much of that energy will come from carbon-based fuels.
None of these arguments has stopped the aggressive ethanol lobby from getting its way with Congress, however, and pressure increases in presidential election years as Iowa farmers encourage candidates to pledge allegiance to ethanol during the Iowa caucuses.
If ethanol really were the miracle fuel its proponents claim, you'd think there would be huge profits in producing it in the free market. But that's not the case. Consumers not only pay for ethanol at the pump, they're paying taxes as well to subsidize ethanol production in the U.S. — and they're paying a hidden tax to keep cheaper, foreign sugar cane ethanol from competing with the domestic corn-based product. Subsidies to gasoline blenders amount to about 51 cents per gallon, and the government imposes a 54-cent tariff on foreign ethanol so that it can't provide a cheaper alternative for U.S. consumers.
And matters will only get worse as government mandates higher bio-fuel content in U.S. gasoline from the current 9 percent to 15 percent by 2015. Ethanol won't solve the energy crisis, but it may well lead to a food crisis in the U.S. and elsewhere. The U.S. Agency for International Development reports that the cost of providing wheat, corn, cereal and other foodstuffs to poor nations has gone up 41 percent since October 2007, which will mean we can provide less assistance to starving people around the world. Federal policy is literally diverting food from the table to the gas tank — and it's time we stopped it.
Linda Chavez is the author of An Unlikely Conservative: The Transformation of an Ex-Liberal. To find out more about Linda Chavez, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
In many areas they also get free water too [2008-04-03]
Also even tho they don't pay property taxes they get the sevices of police & fire protection and possibly trash pickup!
I found this - it's from Oct 11, 2006. Interesting read!
Not so Separate Church and State—Should Christian Organizations Get Breaks from the Government?
The New York Times this week has run a series of interesting articles by Diana B. Hendriques about the ever decreasing size of the wall between church and state in a variety of matters. This particular blog will try to digest the evidence she presents. Here first are links to several of the articles
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/business/08religious.html?_r=2&pagewanted=6&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/business/09religious.html?th&emc=th
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/10/business/10religious.html?th&emc=th
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/business/11religious.html?th&emc=th
Take first the issue of Christian Day Care Schools. In many state they do not have to be run to the same standards nor have the same inspections as state run Day Care centers. For example a state run center in Alabama must: 1) have regular training for its staff; 2) submit to regular on-site inspections; 3) have a lock and key for the medicine cabinet; 4) have two sinks only one of which can be for food preparation; 4) have a license; 5) comply with the civil rights laws in regard to hiring; 6) file a report with the IRS of donations and grants to the center. None of these restrictions apply to the Church of God Day Care Center in Auburn Alabama or for that matter other such Christian Day Care Centers. One of the things that came as a surprise to me in reading the articles is that while some such exemptions are of long standing, many of these sorts of exemptions have been created in the last fifteen years. In fact, there has been a growing trend of such exemptions in the last decade or two--- more than 200 laws have been created since 1989 of this sort in a wide variety of states. One professor from Emory has bemoaned the changes in the laws and says that separation of church and state is no longer the law of our land—instead we have what he calls ‘religious affirmation action programs’. And what is especially telling is that it is low church Protestants who formerly screamed loudest about separation of church and state who are now taking full advantage of such new laws, while still preaching that the government is a menace to and is endangering the separation of church and state rules. What’s up with that?
The timing of these new breaks in the law is especially propitious since the church is going more and more into non-traditional styles of ‘ministry’--- ranging from ice cream parlors to beauty salons to athletic facilities to funeral homes to day care centers to bookstores! Churches get property tax breaks, and lee way in using their land to a degree that other organizations can only envy. Here’s one telling sentence from the first of these articles which appeared in Sunday’s paper--- “In recent years, a church-run fitness center with a tanning bed and video arcade in Minnesota, a biblical theme park in Florida, a ministry’s 1,800-acre training retreat and conference center in Michigan, religious broadcasters’ transmission towers in Washington State, and housing for teachers at church-run schools in Alaska have all been granted tax breaks by local officials — or, when they balked, by the courts or state legislators.” Of course all these facilities have city water, city trash service, city fire and police protection and so on—they just don’t have to pay the taxes which pay for them.
In some cases, it is right to ask are all of these exemptions given to activities that are 1) not for profit; 2) could be called charitable activities that benefit the whole community and the like? It is easier to answer this question when it comes to soup kitchens open to all, drug rehab centers open to all, clothing and shelter services open to all. For example, my church runs a ‘Room at the Inn’ service for the homeless several nights a month. These sorts of services do indeed benefit the whole community and are a public service. But some of these perks seem to go well beyond the intent of First Amendment which of course says that Congress shall make no law in regard to the free establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. In what way is freedom of religion at issue in the establishment of a Christian beauty parlor? Inquiring minds want to know. When you discover tax exempt Christian old folk’s homes that are raking in huge sums of money, do not take the poor or indigent, and bleed dry every last resource of various old people, you have to say--- THIS IS NOT A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION.
And then there is the issue not just of tax and land use breaks, but the actual garnering of federal grants. You will be interested to know that this growing trend began with Bill Clinton in 1996. There are now federal grants and contracts that churches can regularly apply for. Just another example of everyone’s tax dollars at work. Is it really true, by and large that radical courts have been gutting our religious freedoms, or would it be fairer to say that the courts have not done this, indeed quite the opposite in the last fifteen years, but it has become more particular about the public display of religious things on public property? It seems to me that the latter is nearer the actual truth.
Lets consider another aspect of the separation issue—employees of religious institutions. Many of them have few if any legal rights when it comes to their employment. They can be dismissed without due process or proper cause. Take for instance the story of Mary Rosati. She was a novice in training in an order of nuns in Toledo. One day she went to the doctor with her Mother Superior and discovered she had breast cancer and that it was serious. The Mother Superior then announced” We will have to let her go. I don’t think we can take care of her.” (not a religious ground for dismissal. Indeed one might say that dismissal for that reason goes against the religious teaching of Jesus). Some months later Ms. Rosati was told that she was being let go because the Mother Superior and her council had concluded she was not called to be a part of the order (a religious opinion). Mary Rosati lost her health insurance in them midst of battling cancer, and still has none. Now if it had been a secular employer, Mary Rosati could have taken the matter to court and won on the basis of the American with Disabilities Act. But when Ms. Rosati went to court, the case was dismissed as an ‘ecclesiastical’ matter which was beyond the court’s jurisdiction and indeed outside the Americans with Disabilities Act. Bottom line—here we have a Christian organization trying to selfishly protect itself, at the expense of one of its own noviates. In short, the law, or lack of a law, allows Christians to behave badly towards their employees. And there are many similar tales I could tell. Take the case of Lynette Petruska, who was a chaplain at Gannon University, a Catholic school in Erie Pa. In fact she was its first female chaplain. During her brief three year tenure in this job, she apparently did her work too well. She refused to co-operate in the cover up the sexual misconduct of a senior official at the school, she refused to support the slackening of restrictions in regard to on campus rules about sexual harassment, and she was demoted and then in essence force out. Here was a woman who went through 16 years of Catholic education, was very supportive of her institution she was serving at, thought that Christian ethics should especially apply there, and probably lost her job for it. Two years have come and gone, and no court so far will touch the case because of ‘separation of church and state’, even though Rev. Gannon says that her superior acknowledged he was demoting her because she was a woman. Or I could tell you the story of the 73 year old United Methodist minister who was forced to retire from his church in Stony Brook even though he wanted to keep serving as did his church, but he bumped into the mandatory retirement rule of our denomination. He has sued, to no avail thus far. Does age discrimination have a place in the Christian workplace?
Perhaps we don’t want the state to police the church for us, but in that case, should we not be policing ourselves? Should we not set up some sort of ecclesiastical court system for all genuine Christian denominations that such people could appeal to? Couldn’t we have an accountability system for Christian colleges and institutions? Something with some clout like the Evangelical Financial Accountability organization?
But there are other issues as well. In June of this year, Governor Jeb Bush signed a piece of legislation into law which exempted “the Holy Land Experience” from paying $300,000 a year in back taxes for the last five years. Seems this ‘Christian business’ has been raking in the dough. Now I have been to this Christian theme park. It’s o.k., but it has its hokey dimensions, and it certainly isn’t a charity. It’s a for profit organization that benefits from land use laws, property laws, and tax exemption as if it were a church. Only its not—it’s a business, a theme park, only a few miles from Disneyworld and other theme parks. It cost $35 for adults and $23 fir children to get in. Charity is not the word that comes to mind. Nor is it providing any public service of a social nature at least (it is providing some dubious Biblical interpretation). I don’t have a problem with them being a business—but shouldn’t they be paying for city water, lights, streets, fire and police services, like any other business? Inquiring minds want to know.
If we look at the issue of laws invoking or ruling on the separation of church and state issue two things seem clear. They were far stricter in the mid 70s than they are today, Secondly, we cannot claim that this change is due solely to the growing political influence of the Republican religious right. In fact it has come about because Christians who are both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the Senate, and the White House have been in favor of doing more that weakens the separation of church and state provisions. Now none of this crosses the line such that we could claim that the government is establishing or prohibition a particular religion. After all, Moslems, Jews, Hindus and others are also benefiting from these laws. But as it stands the government, both federal, state, and local is now in effect fighting secularism on its own by passing such laws. Which brings me to a point and some final questions. I haven’t even touched the fact that clergy can opt out of Social Security and get housing allowance breaks with the IRS. There is incredible scope to the amount of privileges granted in the name of religion by various levels of our government.
QUESTION ONE--- IS IT TRUE OR FALSE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN? I don’t really see how we can claim it is true in any global or comprehensive sense if one looks at the trail of legislation.
QUESTION TWO—DO WE CARE IF THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE HAS BEEN ERODED IN SOME RESPECTS, AND STRENGTHEN BY EXEMPTIONS IN OTHERS? It certainly seems that even many traditional Christian separatists care less and less about this.
QUESTION THREE—DO WE WANT THE GOVERNMENT HELPING US THRIVE IN BUSINESS, AND EXTEND THE SOCIAL GOSPEL IN VARIOUS WAYS? I don’t particularly see the latter as at all a bad thing, since it has some wide public benefit and does not amount to the establishment of religion in the doctrinal sense. As for the former, I have some questions.
QUESTION FOUR--- IF ALL THIS IS TRUE, IS THE CLAIM OF INCREASING LIBERALISM AND SECULARISM IN OUR CULTURE SIMPLY FALSE? Yes I think this is largely true on the latter issue (secularism). We are a profoundly religious people, its just not as much Christian religion as it used to be. As for the former question, I think the answer is yes and no depending on the issue. If you look at the way the nation votes as a barometer, the answer is that since 2000 signs point definitely towards no.
English [2008-04-02]
My spouse and I feel that if you are immigrating into the US, you need to speak English. Of course as an MT I do not like my work being threatened by India (I previously worked in bank customer service, and my company there outsourced 3000 jobs to India and laid off all the US CSRs). My spouse grew up in Detroit which is now classified as a dead city with the highest unemployment rate and some of the lowest house values in the nation due to outsourcing of the auto companies to Mexico and many auto parts and steelare now made in Asia.
However, we may even learn Spanish. He is retraining in Nursery and Greenhouse Management and it just makes sense as that will help him manage the laborers. if he ever owns his own biz, we will insist on legitimate papers for every worker.
You can transcribe between two languages from home, just like you do MT from home. Spanish does not pay as much as, say, Arabic (a language I strongly wanted to learn) but there is more demand for it and it is easier to learn for an English speaker (and if we all get lucky, our overseas Middle East involvement will cease and there will be no more need for transcription of Arabic to English. Somehow I don't think we will get that lucky).
What gets me is people who move here and still do not speak the language after 5 or 10 years!!!
I would not even visit another country as a TOURIST without studying the language for months ahead of time if there was not a lot of English spoken there, and I would study some of the indigenous language anyway. It's just a sign of respect.
I think it is going to be to our benefit to be bilingual but I don't see us ever not having at least some ambivalence about the people we speak it to (but I think we will meet some good people as well).
That would be me (poster) and as a NY City person.... [2008-02-23]
and I HATE that press 1 for English and have told many corporations that - it should say *if you Creole press 2, Russian press 3, Hebrew press 4,Portugese press 5 and on and on and on so that we cover everybody....but for us, 3rd, 4th generation Americans, we should NOT have to press 1 for English - GALLS ME!
I think in California, they do choose to isolate more themselves via their cultures.....I do not see this here in S. Florida any longer - it's much better today, I think, and JMO.....(no flames please *lol*)
Oh, and if it's NOT a melting pot, it sure should be - and we should strive to live side-by-side, accepting of others choices (religion or any other personal choice as long as it doesn't hurt anybody), and all try to get along in a nation full of different cultures, religions, colors, languages.....just my opinion again....
I agree with you...sm [2008-02-20]
If there were any candidate worth this nationColin Powell woulda been the best. But, he got out while the gettin Cat
The Sands of Christmas...a poem [2007-12-23]
THE SANDS OF CHRISTMASby Michael Marks I had no Christmas spirit when I breathed a weary sigh,And looked across the table where the bills were piled too high.The laundry wasn They didn And so we pushed aside the bills and sat to draft a note,To thank the many far from home, and this is what we wrote:You give the gift of liberty and that we can color=black>
I think this commentator spoke it best. Good read. I agree with him wholeheartedly! sm [2007-12-20]
This whole push to remove Christ from the Christmas season has gotten so ridiculous that it's pathetic.
Because of all the politically correct idiots, we are being encouraged to stop saying Merry Christmas for the more palatable Happy Holidays. What the heck are Seasons Greetings? Can someone tell me what season we are greeting folks about? A Christmas tree? Oh, no! It's now a holiday tree. Any Christmas song that even remotely mentions Christ or has a religious undertone is being axed for being overtly religious. And I'm sorry, forget X-M-A-S. Malcolm X? Yes. X replacing Christ? No.
Don I'm very respectful of other religions. I don't want anyone to be afraid of discussing the Jewish faith when we address Hanukkah. And we shouldn't dismiss Muslims when the annual pilgrimage to Mecca is held during December. In fact, Americans are so ignorant of other faiths that we can all learn from one another.
But this seeming backlash against Christianity is bordering on the absurd, and we should continue to remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.
I know that may sound strident, but it's true. We spend an inordinate amount of time focused on shopping and buying gifts, but really, what does any of this have to do with the birth of Jesus? We have families all over the nation killing themselves to buy a tree they can't afford, running up their credit to buy toys and other gifts, all in an effort to make someone else happy.
What if families decided to forgo gifts, and instead, used their shopping days giving back to those in need? What if more of us went into our closets, grabbed old toys and clothes, repackaged them, and provided them as gifts to those without? Instead of gorging on food, what if we used some of the dough to feed those who are in need? What if we blew off those gift cards to electronic retailers and signed up with Networkforgood.org, and gave someone a gift card to their favorite charity?
Sure, I know I sound like a reincarnation of a flower child, but really, do we have to be so crass during the Christmas season?
Parents, don't be so consumed with the notion that your children will have a terrible Christmas because the tree isn't overflowing with gifts. The true love that you show them is more important than anything else.
America might be the king of capitalism, but secularism must never become so prevalent that our religious traditions are discarded.
Roland S. Martin is a nationally award-winning journalist and CNN contributor.
My dad has been diagnosed with [2007-12-10]
a bacterial infection that is very rare. The word sounds like Narcartia but I am not able to find anything on this bacterial infection so I Does any one have any suggestions or know where I can go to get this info?
He became very sick, had a couple of episodes of losing his sight. When I found out about it (a week later) and he went to the ER, the initial diagnosis was spinal meningitis. This diagnosis eventually evaporated for the lack of a better word. CT scan revealed a lesion on the brain. This was not able to be identified. Brain surgery ensued and this biopsy was sent across the nation to multiple labs. One lab finally made an association with agriculture, ground, farming. About six weeks ago, my dad had spread chicken manure on his garden. What complicates the matter is that he has arthritis and is on Remicade with a depleted immune system. This is probably why this affected him. They are treating him with an antibiotic IV every six hours around the clock. There is only one antibiotic that will treat this bacterial infection. This is making him very sick. The antibiotic does contain sulfa and I don
One other note to help in getting info on this. This must be something that is sometimes seen in AIDS patients because of the depleted immune system. I have tried to Google it in conjunction with AIDS and still cannot come up with info.
That's the story and any info that anyone can help me with would be appreciated!
Just read where a 42-year-old woman was mauled and killed by her own 2 pit bulls sm [2007-10-04]
in FL near Jacksonville. Then the dogs turned on her son who was also bit in the throat but luckily will survive. Then the dogs turned on the sherrif When you go to the FL news website you see tons of pit bull owners sticking up for this breed and saying how they are great dogs. if they are so great why are they banned in multiple counties across the nation? No other type of dog is banned? Neighbors, cousins all say that she was a very loving owner who even slept with the dogs. No neglect, nothing. There were people saying that they leave their pits alone with their young children, as young as 3 years old! How ignorant can you be?
Tons of FL residents are calling of the extinction of this breed and I think that You cannot trust a pit bull PERIOD. There is something in their brains that can TICK at any time - this was quoted by a vet who specializes in dog care. So tell me, why do people take chances with this kind of dog? I'm so angry right now!!!!!!
Oh yeah, real cool. Read on... [2007-09-16]
“Kid Nation,” which is scheduled to have its premiere on Sept. 19, is a reality show that takes 40 children ages 8 to 15 to a New Mexico desert ghost town south of Santa Fe for 40 days and challenges them to build an adult-free society.
Several children were injured during the production; four children drank bleach from an unmarked soda bottle and another was burned on her face with hot grease while cooking in an unsupervised kitchen.
The children on the show were required to be available to the producers 24 hours a day and often worked for 14 hours or longer each day
And, last I checked, Lord of the Flies was FICTION!
This is just so unbelievable to me. A reality show bordering on child abuse and neglect? Yeah, what a country!
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