Exclusivism That Welcomes All

I've been looking for a readable presentation on this topic for some time. While it could be headier than most care to read, I found it easy to follow. Even the circular philisophical questions make sense. If you have any interest (or even none for that matter) in the subject it's a very interesting read.

Exclusivism that welcomes all

Sharing Some Wisdom

Today I'll not berate the sparse few who have meandered over to this diminutive corner of the series of tubes called the internets. I will take it upon myself to impart some wisdom. Unfortunately that wisdom is gleened from the minds of others. I know I have some but I think I misplaced it somewhere. A mind, that is.

I'll start with the quote below that is specifically intended to describe the current political atmosphere here in Amerika.

Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.

C. S. Lewis

For my buddy, Joe

If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.

C. S. Lewis

and...

"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."

--from "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis

Joe and I can probably agree on this one as well. Only we come from different perspectives.

"Of all bad men religious bad men are the worst."

--Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis

Again I ask, "What Happened To My Country?"

This is incredible that the parents in this article are being interrogated for sincerity in regards to their religious beliefs. The topper is that it was instigated by a school district! These people earn their living taking OUR hard earned MONEY!!

Bastards!

Atheist Plaque Next to Nativity Scene in Washington

The post title links to the article of the same name posted at OneNewsNow.com. The paragraph that jumped out at me and makes an incredible amount of sense is the following;

“I don’t believe in unicorns, so I just go about my life as if there are no unicorns. You’ll notice that I haven’t written any books called The End of the Unicorn, Unicorns Are Not Great, or The Unicorn Delusion, and I don’t spend my time obsessing about unicorns. What I’m getting at is that you have these people out there who don’t believe that God exists, but who are actively attempting to eliminate religion from society…There has to be more going on here than mere unbelief.”

That's a quote from Dinesh D'Souza in an interview for Salvo magazine. My buddy Joe would disagree with the premise if I'm not mistaken.

Terrorists Are Wussies

From an article title "Soldiers Kill A Very Feminine Commander" posted at Military.com.

Six women and 12 children left the building, but while Soldiers were questioning the women they discovered one was actually a man dressed in a burqa, the traditional all-encompassing dress that most Afghan women wear. The man, later identified as the targeted commander Haji Yakub, tried to attack the Soldiers and was killed, the military said.

This is from The Australian

LONDON: A male suspect in a major anti-terrorist investigation in Britain escaped capture by allegedly disguising himself as a Muslim woman dressed in a burka.
The man, who was wanted in connection with serious terrorist offences, evaded arrest for several days as police searched for him across the country.
The fact that a fugitive remained at large after disguising himself in an Islamic dress that covered his face will further fuel the debate sparked by Jack Straw, the Leader of the House of Commons, about the wearing of the veil.

It is the first time a male suspect has allegedly disguised himself as a Muslim woman in Britain.

However, the tactic has been used frequently by Islamist fighters - including suicide bombers - in Iraq and Afghanistan. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the former leader of al-Qa'ida in Iraq, often dressed in a burka to evade American forces hunting him.

This from the BBC News

A suicide bomber, wearing a woman's burka, has killed at least 15 people in an attack at a busy police checkpoint in north-west Pakistan, officials say.

Police officials said the bomber was wearing a burka, a woman's garment which covers the body from head to toe.

The list goes on. Just do a Google search using the search terms "terrorist hiding burka" and you will see what I mean.

If you want to pick a fight you should at least man up.

Marine Base Bans Anti-Islam Bumper Stickers

This one should stick in the craw (whatever those are) of my buddy, Joe. Being staunch defenders of the first amendment, we disagree on things at times but we both agree that we should not be censored in any way. This story is political correctness at it's evil worst. Regardless of your position on the war on terror, the actions of this military installation are heinous!

Click the post title for the full story

Why Does Nebraska State Sen. Ernie Chambers Still Have A Job?

This story is exactly why we should throw ALL the bums out and start over with a new set of politically green politicians. Although being a politician is inherantly bad, I think a group of noobs at the helm would certainly do a better job.

This guy should be swiftly ushered out of his office at the next local election. If he is not, Nebraskans get what they voted for.

Click the post title for the full story.

Newsweek Columnist Sam Harris Displays Sexism, Religious Bigotry

Elitist bigot Sam Harris believes Sarah Palin is not qualified to run as a candidate for VP because, in a nutshell, she is a regular person and has religious beliefs. Her beliefs are tantamount to lunacy.

He writes, " If anyone could make Christian theocracy smell like apple pie, Sarah Palin could."

Why is it whenever a candidate on the right has religious beliefs of any type they are steering our country towards a fanatical religious theocracy? I hear no fears from the left that Obama will do that. He supposedly has a twenty year association with a racist extremist pastor and nobody bats an eye. This pastor stands in the pulpit preaching "God Damn America" and no one on the left flinches. The reason? The left are in agreement. Obama only distanced himself from Pastor Wright when he absolutely had to because the story was mushrooming out of control. When he did finally speak out he made it sound like this was the first time Wright ever made any inflamatory remarks by saying, "Obviously, whatever relationship I had with Rev. Wright has changed as a consequence of this". What would "this" be? The exposure of Wright as a racist. You cannot attend a church for twenty years and not know something like this about your pastor. The left was defending Wright the entire time. In fact an editorial in the Kansas City Star calls the concern over Jeremiah Wright's racist sermon's a "made-up issue"

Harris deems Sarah Palin to be ignorant because she expresses confidence. Yet if an elitist, Harvard educated male unswervingly said, "I'm ready, willing and able", Harris would be seen cheering in the crowd. He would not be asking, "Why is he so willing to do the job?" Here he provides a ridiculous scenario as an example of his viewpoint.

"What is so unnerving about the candidacy of Sarah Palin is the degree to which she represents—and her supporters celebrate—the joyful marriage of confidence and ignorance. Watching her deny to Gibson that she had ever harbored the slightest doubt about her readiness to take command of the world's only superpower, one got the feeling that Palin would gladly assume any responsibility on earth:

"Governor Palin, are you ready at this moment to perform surgery on this child's brain?"

"Of course, Charlie. I have several boys of my own, and I'm an avid hunter."

"But governor, this is neurosurgery, and you have no training as a surgeon of any kind."

"That's just the point, Charlie. The American people want change in how we make medical decisions in this country. And when faced with a challenge, you cannot blink."

Harris displays a frightening stance on Palin's minor daughter's pregnancy.
He espouses a position that a mother should not have any control of her minor daughter's unplanned teen pregnancy. The only topic he touches on is abortion. One track mind.

"We know, therefore, that Palin believes that she should be the one to decide whether her daughter carries her baby to term. Based on her stated position, we know that she would deny her daughter an abortion even if she had been raped."

He goes on to explain that she is ignorant because she is a regular person.

"What doesn't she know about financial markets, Islam, the history of the Middle East, the cold war, modern weapons systems, medical research, environmental science or emerging technology? Her relative ignorance is guaranteed on these fronts and most others, not because she was put on the spot, or got nervous, or just happened to miss the newspaper on any given morning. Sarah Palin's ignorance is guaranteed because of how she has spent the past 44 years on earth."

Read the whole editorial by clicking here.

A Basic Human Right - The Pusuit Of Happiness

Unless you live an Islamic nation like Iran. Instead, they just kill you if you try to find happiness or disagree with them.

Leftists say we have nothing to fear from Iran trying to use nuclear power for it's countries energy needs. We need to have a dialog with them. We need to understand them.

Right.

A country run by neanderthal fanatics who could care less what the rest of the world thinks shouldn't be within a hemisphere of a nuclear reactor.

Click the post title for the full story.

Here We Go Again

Muslims asking for preferential treatment. Fortunately JBS Swift & Co. had the stones to fire them. When you get hired for a job, you understand the hours that you will be working. My company doesn't pay me for my lunch, why on earth would they pay me for a prayer break at sundown! Here's the link to the article.

I've been at my job for 21 years and have arranged my personal religious holidays and events around my work schedule. Six months out of the year I don't attend church services because I have to work on Sunday. I don't walk out in protest. I understand that this is the configuration of my job and I make do.

Too Cute!

Regardless of your belief system, this video is just way too cute!

Interesting short from the Not Religion website. Do you wonder why people pray? What are they trying to accomplish? Check it out. It may answer your question.

Prayer
Not Religion! - Monday, 20 August 2007

©Not Religion!

Founding Fathers' Faith - more stuff

I was surfing through my first day of vacation and came across a really interesting post about a book on the Founding Fathers' faith. The post was from January so the book has been out for awhile. Joe Carter of Evangelical Outpost has a mini "review" of the book, "The Faiths of the Founding Fathers" by historian David Holmes. It brings up the interesting idea that while not all of the Founders were, by any means, "Christian", none were atheistic. While the difference in type and scope of faith can be debated, there were no Founders that could be construed as atheists. While atheists may lay claim to the opinions of the founders showing that they were not "Christian", there are no quotes that can be construed as advocating atheism. It would appear that those of faith have more in common with the Founders views than those that cherry pick quotes to fit their agendas of debunking America as a nation of citizen's of faith.

More Ann Coulter, Please!

I must admit that I don't keep up with the columnists that I like to follow. I could only dream of having enough time to read all the op/eds I enjoy. Perusing the news and opinions this morning on favorite sites, I caught a link to the Human Events magazine website. I read Ann's current column about that sleaze bucket lawyer in the Duke LaCrosse rape case, Mike Nifong. She skewers him on a pig spit and uses extra BBQ sauce to boot! I looked in the Ann Coulter archives and one headline caught my eye, "Jerry Falwell -- Say Hello To Ronald Reagan!". It was written over a month ago. That shows you my timetable for op/ed reading. I couldn't resist, hey...it's Ann Coulter!

Read it. Funny, biting humor, truth, sarcasm. What more can you ask for? You may not agree with her writings but boy, can she tell it like it is and make you laugh at the same time.

The latest from the American Criminal Lawyers Union

ACLU Seeks to Censor Religious Content from Louisiana Graduations.

I was always under the impression that the American Criminal Lawyers Union was in the business of protecting freedom of speech and not censoring it. Silly me, what was I thinking???

Taget Stores Catering to Religious Belief's of Muslims

Some Target Stores Change Duties for Muslim Cashiers Who Object to Ringing Up Pork

AP, via FOX News, USA
Mar. 17, 2007


One quote from the above linked article says, "Islam teaches that eating pork is forbidden, and some Muslims feel selling or handling pork is also forbidden because it would make them complicit in the sins of others."

Fortunately a Target spokeswoman said the situation was a local problem only. Boy am I glad she's omniscient!

“It is not an issue in most of our stores in the Twin Cities,” she said in separate comments via e-mail. “There is also no indication that this is an issue in the Minnesota market overall or nationwide.”

I object to working on Sunday because it interferes with the practicing of my faith. I can only attend church services four months out of the year because my job requires me to work on Sunday's. However, if I told my superiors that I was no longer willing to work Sundays because I can't go to church, I wouldn't have to worry about working Sunday or any other day of the week, for that matter. Why do the muslims get their tushs' kissed? Is Target afraid of being targeted by radicals? Why would they believe that the problem is "local" and only ocurring in Minneapolis? Are there no muslims in any other part of the country? Why am I asking so many questions?

Hollywood Hate

Excellent article by Brent Bozell at the Media Research Center site. He writes of the double standards in Hollywood when choosing a victim for receipt of their brand of hate speech.

I don't mind Hollywood being ignorant about issues of faith. They don't know anything about it. Faith scares them so they choose to mock it. I expect them to offend me. What I DO mind is the double standard involved. Where's the Hollywood movie mocking islamo-fascists? Wouldn't that be a great movie? The bungling terrorists who couldn't even blow themselves up let alone other people?

However, when mocking Christians, it's open season.

I saw a bumper sticker on a car the other day. I think this is the first that I have ever really been shocked by. I think there are a plethora of distasteful displays of verbage devaluing cars the world over but this one took the cake for me..."So many Christians, so few lions".

I was shocked because it was essentially condoning murder. Yes, this is only written on a bumper sticker but the person who confidently decided to gum up their paint job made a conscious decision to choose that particular sticker. What is funny about that? What if the sticker had said, "So many Jews, so few gas chambers"? Maybe "So many Rwandan's, so few weapons"? How about "So many pedophiles, so few children"? I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that there were people so callous as to find humor in any of those "jokes"? We are all free to be as offensive as wish wish. There are however limits to "free" speech.

If boycotting, pressuring, letter writing and other forms of expressing ones displeasure with being offended offends the offender. Uh, too bad. There is no Constitutional guarantee of "freedom from reaction" when exercising your free speech rights on either side of an argument.


Here's a good article on the tax exempt status for churches and it's use for stifiling free speech.

More Comedy from "Pranksters of Peace"

I just get a warm fuzzy feeling every time I read press releases about the peaceful religion of radical Islamo-fascists. The open dialog they have with other's about their differences in faith, values and moral foundations. It would be a great day when the other major religions of the world would be able to contain themselves as well as the Islamo-fascists and be just as peaceful. I'm sure the world leaders of their sect are planning to meet with the Pope to discuss their differences of opinion rather than call for his death. Or the death of any other non-believer infidel for that matter. We should be in awe of their peacefulness and appease them in any way so we can all just get along.

I just love their sarcastic sense of humor too! A group of Islamo-fascist pranksters held up banners in front of the Vatican embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia that said "Pope is building religion on hatred." They really know how to make a point through humor!

I'm considering moving my family to a Muslim nation because of their peaceful nature as well as their fairness (not to mention the humor). For example, Islam requires non-Muslims to pay a head tax to safeguard their lives if conquered by Muslims. They are exempt if they convert to Islam. Is that not the epitomy of freedom and justice. All I need to do to ensure that I am not killed by conquering Muslims is either pay a "head" tax (to keep it, presumably) or convert to Islam. No muss, no fuss!

The freedoms of Islam are numerous. Speech being the most highly prized. The following quote from the previously linked AP article will obviously be taken out of context.

The secretary-general of the Turkish HUKUK-DER law association submitted a request to the Justice Ministry asking that the pope be arrested upon entering Turkey.

The appeal by Fikret Karabekmez, a former legislator for the banned pro-Islamic Welfare Party, called for Benedict to be tried under several Turkish laws, among them obstruction of freedom of belief, encouraging discrimination based on religion, and inciting religious hatred.

Actually they were speaking with one of the folks from the same group of pranksters in Indonesia. He was just doing his "schtick". They are a political satire group that does comedy sketches about political and religious figures. One of their latest comedic sketches has this scene in the opening act...

"The Mujahedeen Shura Council said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as "the worshipper of the cross" saying "you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (killed by) the sword."

For more first rate comedy from these peaceful folks, stay tuned!!

From the liberal Supreme Court Justice....

....William O. Douglas, comes an opinion that I was quite surprised to be reading. This excerpt is from 343 U.S. 306 Zorach v. Clauson, decided April 28, 1952.

MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS delivered the opinion of the Court.

We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being. We guarantee the freedom to worship as one chooses. We make room for as wide a variety of beliefs and creeds as the spiritual needs of man deem necessary. We sponsor an attitude on the part of government that shows no partiality to any one group and that lets each flourish according to the zeal of its adherents and the appeal of its dogma. When the state [p314] encourages religious instruction or cooperates with religious authorities by adjusting the schedule of public events to sectarian needs, it follows the best of our traditions. For it then respects the religious nature of our people and accommodates the public service to their spiritual needs. To hold that it may not would be to find in the Constitution a requirement that the government show a callous indifference to religious groups. That would be preferring those who believe in no religion over those who do believe. Government may not finance religious groups nor undertake religious instruction nor blend secular and sectarian education nor use secular institutions to force one or some religion on any person. But we find no constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and to throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence. The government must be neutral when it comes to competition between sects. It may not thrust any sect on any person. It may not make a religious observance compulsory. It may not coerce anyone to attend church, to observe a religious holiday, or to take religious instruction. But it can close its doors or suspend its operations as to those who want to repair to their religious sanctuary for worship or instruction. No more than that is undertaken here.

Establishment Clause Bantering

Joe over at Joe's Big Blog and I have an ongoing friendly (and sometimes heated) discussion over the establishment clause in the First Amendment. He's a good friend, fellow blogger and co-worker and we love to "torture" each other over this topic. In my last post I linked to an article about Chuck Norris becoming a board member of the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools.

Joe commented that it would be better for "parents to directly oversee the relgious teachings of their children". This, as I replied to Joe, missed the point entirely. I'm not dumping on Joe, I think it's a great start to a passionate discussion by both sides.

The Constitutional language that states...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"

...refers to the two clauses in the First Amendment that guarantee freedom of religion (not from). The establishment clause prohibits the government from passing legislation to establish an official state religion or preferring one religion over another.

The Bible is an historical record of facts. The people and places written about are historically accurate. The Bible is also backed by writings from other secular authors as well as archeological finds that all substatiate it's accuracy.

Here is a link to an excellent page that shows the evidence that I refer to. This is a must read page if one is to understand the foundation of this disagreement. It is a lengthy and detailed page but certainly provides ample evidence.

The following excerpt is from an article on the Liberty Legal Institute's website. The quotes are from Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Legal Institute, attorneys for the National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools.

Attorneys for NCBCPS respond to Texas Freedom Network’s (TFN) attack on an elective Bible course offered in public high schools across the state.

“It is ironic that a group which claims to be against censorship is now attempting to become the biggest censor in the state of Texas.”

The NCBCPS curriculum has been approved by 300 school districts in 37 states and endorsed by many of the nation’s leading constitutional scholars, public officials and law professors. In the case Abington v. Schempp, the U.S. Supreme Court stated that “the Bible is worthy of study for its literary and historic qualities,” so long as it is “presented objectively as part of a secular program of education.”

In addition to providing an interfaith perspective on the material, NCBCPS
curriculum is also designed to broaden perspectives and stimulate discussion and
thought.

“NCBCPS course material is designed to utilize the vast historical and cultural
insight found in the Bible,” Sasser said. “Depriving students of such important
study is totally ridiculous and contrary to the U.S. Supreme Court statement.”

Unfortunately the frantic folks at the "Asinine Communist Liberal Uber-anger" society ("ACLU" for those who read mostly MSM) who hate everything this country stands for won't be happy until all traces of religion, or references to, are eliminated from society. Somehow in their faith tradition (Liberalism - which is a religion unto itself) they have determined that all other religions are invalid and should therefore be eliminated. Sounds a bit like the current swath being burned by radical Islamo-fascists.

I just had to include some quotes below from the Founders. I'm a sucker for the folks who gave up everything to preserve their freedom.

"The Bible is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed."
Patrick Henry

"It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom."
Horace Greely

"I have always said, and will always say, that studious perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens."
Thomas Jefferson

While President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson was elected the first president of the Washington, D.C. public school board, which used the Bible as a reading text in the classroom.