Muslims react to Atheist billboards proclaiming Mohammed's message a fake

Actually not.  It's just the annual war on Christmas heating up.  While part of me thinks the whole war on Christmas thing is overblown, another part of me sees this as evidence of the growing impatience for tossing Christianity out of our society once and for all.  Plus, why aren't there any signs blasting Hanukkah?  Technically it's not even Christmas yet, but it is Hanukkah.  Why no signs mocking that?  How about the Haj?  Didn't see any atheist signs popping up saying that whole Mohammad thing was a bunch of made up stories by a clever salesman.  Why only Christmas?  Some might say because Christmas gets all the attention.  But not so.  When the Haj was covered, it was almost all about what the Haj was.  When Hanukkah is talked about, it's usually to describe what it is, even when taught on children's shows.  But when Christmas is discussed, it's actually that secular celebration of vague family get togethers laced with consumerism.  The actual Christian part of the holiday has its hands full just trying to get people to remember that there is a Christian basis for the holiday.  So why pick on Christmas?  Why not go after the religious holidays that are talked about almost purely for their religious content?  Does make you wonder, don't it.

Danielle Pletka at the Christian Science Monitor

gives a rather bleak picture of how President Obama will end up looking after the whole Wikileaks scandal has died down.  I'm inclined to agree.  Though I think Americans need to understand that faltering economically while still venerating the Spicoli philosophy of living, losing war after war, and constantly blaming ourselves, each other, and every leader we don't like is doing nothing other than pushing us farther and faster into the trash heap of history. Hence, if Obama looks weak and impotent, America looks the same.  And once more I'll say it - it won't be anyone old enough to read and comment on this blog who will pay the price.  It will be our children, their children, and the children of the world left on a planet without a superpower, however flawed, the least bit interested in such antiquated notions as freedom, liberty, equality, and the dignity of the human person.

A petition to Steve Jobs

In reaction to the decision by Apple to censor the Manhattan Declaration because it fails to conform to the Left's dogmatic definitions of diversity - chief among these being the celebration and veneration of homosexuality - a petition has been put together for those who still labor under those old 60s and 70s liberal ideals of a free and open society.  Go here to sign it.

This whole thing has brought up some interesting commenting on the ol'blogosphere.  If we really live in this grand information age, where peons like me can start a blog and say anything I want, or others like Assange challenge nations as he recklessly tosses about anything he wants to make what ever point he makes, consequences be damned, then what about our sources?

All of our 'information' and communication is via this or that company or provider.  If those companies begin to demand conformity to this or that ideal or belief system or else they pull the plug on you and prohibit you from getting your message out, are we really a free society?  Are we even worse than before?  Certainly worth thinking about, especially since Bill Gates has long since convinced us that interpersonal relations by way of electronics is the only way to relate to our world. 

The Economy is getting better! No, it's getting worse!

The trick, of course, is to check the sources.  If it is Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, FOX News, and other conservative outlets, then it's getting worse.  If it is any other mainstream, left leaning media outlet, then it's getting better.  Doesn't really matter what's happening of course, such as this little piece demonstrates, in which the AP explains how an unexpected rise in unemployment claims really means things are improving.  Now, had this been a Republican president, then obviously this would have heralded the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, while FOX and company would be explaining that this is irrelevant to the prosperity and bountiful harvests that are just around the corner.  Ever get the impression that even though we live in the information age, at the end of the day we just don't know squat? 

Jimmy Carter visits the White House to discuss international affairs

Yeah, really.  It's not a joke. Meanwhile in sporting news, the Carolina Panthers have stopped by to offer advice to the struggling Cleveland Browns.

I seldom agree with John McCain

But in this case, I'm willing to make an exception.  I thought I might be the only one who saw the obvious flaw in the Grand Study by the Pentagon regarding attitudes towards gays serving openly in the armed forces.  Apparently 400,000 questionnaires were sent out.  About 20% were returned.  Of those, around 30% said it could create problems if gay were allowed to openly serve.  Of course the media and pentagon officials serving an extremely left leaning president were quick to spin this as SURVEY SHOWS NO PROBLEMS WITH REPEALING DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL. 

But I thought about the relatively weak return of the surveys.  This is the military.  Why were so few returned?  Intimidation? After all, in our society, if you openly oppose homosexuality you are labeled a Nazi homophobe bigot scum who probably should feel damn lucky you're still allowed to have rights.  Certainly those who are gay most likely sent them in with full approval.  But why so many that didn't?  And again, the studies have said there is a low risk in repealing it.  But is there any risk in keeping it?  If there is no risk in maintaining things as they are, then any risk becomes more risk.  Again, another example where we don't let a little thing like facts, data, and common sense in the way of promoting the Gay Agenda. 

BTW, FWIW, I always thought the Don't Ask/Don't Tell policy was rubbish.  But why create any change in a war that we are losing when everything else is already going against us?

Sometimes I think the only major difference between our political parties

...  is that one spells its name D-E-M-O-C-R-A-T and the other R-E-P-U-B-L-I-C-A-N.  So pardon me if I don't foresee much hope for the average American peasant in whatever solutions the come up with.

Celebrities getting cheers for acting in ways we would never tolerate in our own homes

The funny thing about stories like this, where the media just giggles and grins over how 'risky' and 'bold' our entertainers are for taking off the gloves and being truly distasteful, is how mundane and otherwise boring it has become.  In the 60s, when Jimmy Stewart might make an off color joke, or Fred Astaire toss out an innuendo, it was gasp inducing.  That's because there was a common set of shared values that everyone could measure things against. 

But today, when a bunch of struggling former somebodies get up and try to shock and awe in a valueless and amoral society, it is about as interesting as putting wax on trees and watching squirrels slide.  Truth be told, if they really wanted to be radical, to rebel against the norm, and break taboos and barriers of acceptable behavior, they should dress conservatively and treat each other respectfully.  Or even read the Bible!  Wow!  Now that would be a roast!  We wouldn't know what to do.  But alas, there are few industries less aware of themselves when it comes to blind and brainless enslavement to conformity and groupthink than Hollywood.

Meanwhile, millions lose their unemployment benefits

And the media finally takes notice.  I've been somewhat surprised by the general lack of coverage this particular cancellation of benefits has received.  Last time they were set to expire, the media was camped out in Washington abound the clock, dogging the congressional leaders about the horrors involved should they be let to expire.  This time, not so much.  Part of it probably has to do with the obsession the media has over the Don't Ask/Don't Tell repeal.  A little thing like millions of hungry Americans seems like small potatoes next to advancing the glorious doctrine of Gay Rights.

I certainly can't think of any other reason it has had so little coverage from the media.  There aren't any other major news stories going on.  North Korea has its place in the cycle, but nothing more. Wikileaks maybe, but that's it.  Perhaps because it is no longer an election cycle and the damage has already been done.  Or maybe the press is trying to keep us from noticing that our economy is improving even though the stunning unemployment rate remains pretty much near 10%.  I dunno.  Maybe it's because there just isn't any good ammo that out of work Americans can supply now that things in Washington are getting back to normal.

So Merry Christmas Happy Holidays unemployed workers across this great land. You served your purpose last time this happened, in the great Chess Game in which you are but pawns.  But alas, your usefulness is spent, so wallow in your sparse Christmas Holiday celebrations all you want.  Your misery can no longer advance The Agenda, and so it is no longer newsworthy.

Democrats rushing to help 2 million unemployed workers from losing everything

... reminds me of nothing so much as this:

Again, not that Republicans care any more than Democrats. But Republicans have never cared about anything other than helping corporate billionaires and those struggling millionaires yearning for a billion dollar bank account.

But it seems like only a few months ago when the unemployment benefits were going to expire, the Democrats waged holy Jihad against the Republicans, pulling out every stop, and stood ready to take a thousand bullets to see to it that not one brass farthing was denied a single family.   What happened?  Other than the election being over.

Perhaps I'm just getting cynical in my old age, but am I the only one who gets the strange feeling that our leaders feign concern for the peasant class for about six months before every election, only to stop caring and return to the wining and dining for the next year and a half until it's time to act concerned again?

That's so Fat!

So research now shows that even a couple pounds over your ideal Olympian body type could be hazardous to your health.   Of course the fact that more gay and bisexual men will get HIV than smokers will die of cancer seems to have escaped their attention.  But every society needs *them*, those people, those yucky, sicko types you just look down upon and want to spit at.  With news casts showing obese people with their gorged stomachs hanging out, waddling to their destinations (no doubt to scarf another Big Mac), it's hard not to want to cringe.  Which, of course, is the purpose behind all this.  That some people are just born big seems to have escaped those who insist other behaviors are morally off limits because they may have been 'born that way.'  But again, we have to have someone to look down upon, to point to and declare that they truly have no stars on their obese and disgusting bellies.  Nice to see our government is joining with the media to keep our eyes off the ball of the disastrous sexual revolution and its body count. 

Qualifier: I realize being overweight can cause health risks.  I know it is a problem for people.  I know many of us in a country where healthy food is expensive and lousy, fatty food is cheap, where most sit at computers every day and stare out windows, fight the good fight to keep as trim as possible.  It is a constant struggle for me. But the unbelievable lack of any leniency from our medical professionals and our media, especially when set in juxtaposition to the ear splitting silence about homosexuality and sexual promiscuity other behaviors that can be equally devastating, is enough to make you want to scream "that's so gay fat!" at the top of your lungs.

World AIDS Day 2010 came and went

While I maintain the failure of our society to admit to the role that wanton excess and behavioral preferences have played in this pandemic, I'm also aware that many victims of the disease, especially in developing countries, are children and innocents who contracted it through no fault of their own.  Therefore doing what we can to tackle this disease is always a step in the right direction.  Does that mean I don't care about those who got it because of how they chose to behave?  No.  Just like I would care about, and try to rescue, someone who fell through thin ice despite signs warning of the presence of thin ice.  But it would be nice if we would spend more time telling people that if they would just stay off the ice, the odds of falling through would plummet to just about nil.  Doing otherwise, at least to me, is the definition of hate and ignorance.

Happy Hanukkah

To our Jewish friends who celebrate the Festival of Lights.  May it be a time of blessings and freedom to worship our God in peace.

Gays and Taxes: How US Politicians protect their priorities

Republicans, willing to let millions of unemployed Americans get tossed into the street for Christmas, are fighting the good fight to make sure that taxes remain cut for everyone.  Certainly good news for anyone who pays taxes, but you get the sneaky impression that it's really those big money makers who pay taxes that they care most about.  Hence, their willingness to let millions of Americans in a stagnant employment market lose what little bit they had left.  I wonder if millionaires were collecting unemployment if the Republicans would have let things go on principle.

Meanwhile, Democrats are infuriated at the Republicans for letting unemployment expire.  Yet for all their outrage, they let it happen with nary a whimper.  At the same time, they are investing every muscle, sinew, tendon, and ligament they have in the grand fight to get gays to openly serve in the military.  All this while those same millions of unemployed that they care about are going to be tossed into the streets for Christmas. 

Some have said that the difference between our two parties is that one is stupid and evil, and the other is evil and stupid.  As much as I hate to indulge in such sweeping condemnations of our government, sometimes it's tough to do anything else.

Happy belated Advent!

Well, have a blessed Advent as we wait in increasingly joyful anticipation of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Advent is, for me, one of those reminders of just how far away from the historic Christian faith America has moved.  When I took my third pastorate, it was at a church with an established staff, such as it was.  The 'staff' was made up of two others, a youth minister and an associate minister.  Being young and full of vigor, I felt the best thing to do was arrange an informal staff meeting to get to know them, even though I had worked  with them as associate pastor for the previous year and a half.  It's one thing working along side of them, it's another thing being their boss - something I was aware neither gentleman was particularly thrilled about.

We met at the local coffee shop one evening, and went over a few things.  I let them know some of what I thought would happen, and asked them for input from their particular areas of interest.  The older gentleman, Grady, the associate minister, used that time to express his feelings about me and his concern over where I might take things.  Particularly bothersome was my suggestion that we do 'Advent Services' throughout December.  

He had been good friends with the former pastor, and that fellow had not done anything near an Advent service.  The closest was some strange ceremonial concoction he called a Chrismon Tree.  I had no clue what that was, but each Sunday in December the congregation would do something with ornaments on a tree, something would be read, and that was about it.  It was that strange Evangelical tendency to admit that there needs to be something more than just 'Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life', but always hesitant at become too ceremonial or liturgical, lest the dreaded 'Catholic' label be applied.

In our conversation at the Mean Bean, that's exactly what happened.  I explained that some folks had asked for a change in tempo regarding our December festivities.  Aware that the commercialism and consumerism of our modern age was making somber reflections on the Season all but impossible, many folks were trying to find ways of doing anything that would seem at least religious. Something a little deeper and wider than a Chrismon Tree. Plus, Baptists taking up the Advent tradition was not uncommon, and in fact most churches I had attended or served did that very thing.  But Grady, being the old timer that he was, didn't like it one bit.  Not one.  Why?  Because it was 'too Catholic', that's why.  And in old time Southern Baptist parlance, that was akin to saying 'too Satanic.' 

Many younger Baptists and not a few older ones had long since shed the 'Harlot of Babylon' label when applying it to Catholics, especially as many began to see the staunch dedication to the Church's protecting life and fighting secular and Leftist ideals.  Nevertheless, there were many out there who still saw the phrase Catholic Christian as oxymoronic as Kosher Ham.  Grady was one of those.  The idea of doing something so flagrantly Papist gave him the same jitters that Colonel Dietrich had regarding Belloq's desire to perform a Jewish ritual when opening the Ark. 

Despite my attempts to explain what Advent was, that it was an ancient way of preparing for the Christmas season, that the Christmas season actually began on Christmas, not Black Friday, and that it was not something unique to Catholics today since many were realizing the richness of the practice and custom, he would have none of it.  He promised there and then to give me headaches if I tried to do something 'so Catholic.'  Finally, I asked him if he was against doing anything simply because it might be Catholic.  He explained that the Catholic Church had no business being in our Denomination.  Catholics were OK, but keep the Catholic in the Catholic Church. 

At that point, I explained that we would have to chuck Christmas as well.  After all, what was Christmas but Christ Mass?  What, after all, was anything we did but some shard or particle that we had kept from the historic faith while jettisoning the rest?  That went over about as well as you might expect.  Like Salieri in Amadeus, he may as well have taken a picture of me, put it in the fireplace, and proclaimed that now we were enemies, he and I. 

Nonetheless, in that time I realized something in that 2001 meeting. Much of the rejection of Catholic practice and belief was founded on nothing other than rejecting it because it was Catholic practice and belief.  Even if the practice was in no way non-Christian, or anti-Jesus, it was Catholic, and therefore had to go.  And we have been paying the price for the last hundred years or so.  With nothing to fill the gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas, our manufacturers of culture and commerce were more than happy to step in and lend a hand.  And now, few Christians - Catholics or Protestants - don't lament the mockery and cultural defecation that has been heaped upon this sacred time.

So Happy Advent, especially my Protestant brethren.  Think it through, kick it around.  I know a lot of churches are already sheepishly bringing back this or that practice.  Not new practices, but ones from of old, parts and shards of what once made up the entire Christian faith.  Let that sink in, then follow your hearts and minds.  You might be surprised where it leads as we make our way to the celebration of the birth of our Lord.

India should remind Westerners that the grass is usually never greener on the other side

One of the pet obsessions with the post-Boomer left is praising anything that isn't of Western culture.  Doesn't matter what.  Africa, Asia, pre-Colombian America.  As long as it isn't from the West, it's good.  Could there be bad?  Sure.  But it's not important, what matters is focusing on the good.  Besides, if there is bad, you would never know it since most folks never discuss it.  Part of this is the residue of multi-cultural education, which demands we never, ever condemn the practices of another culture or civilization.  What could be more ethnocentric (and, dare I say, racist) than to smack down others' practices in such a way.  Of course we are free, and encouraged, to trash the living crap out of anything from Western Civilization.  So it's almost shocking to see little stories about radical Hindus (who are typically portrayed and envisioned in our popular culture as a bunch of Gandhi wannabes), who are attacking and intimidating Christians simply because they are Christians.  It sort of reminds us that India is probably like any other culture or civilization.  Something you would never know by way of our institutions of information nowadays.

Catholic League to Atheists: Take that!

I know there is a sort of love/hate relationship many Catholics in the blogosphere have with the Catholic League.  Sometimes it can do and say things that are almost worse than the things they condemn.  Still, I've noticed that the Church as a whole has adopted a sort of calm, patient, above it all approach to the increasingly anti-Christian nature of our society.  Atheists, having missed Hanukkah and the Haj (no doubt an error on their planning calendars), have decided to make up for it by launching a full blown broadside against Christians during this holy time of year.  Aided by Americans and retailers who would be happy to chuck the whole babe in a manger spiel in order to make room for more electronic game systems, the good atheists have found a sympathetic audience.  The media, none too happy with a religion that dares to assume there is something more important that keeping their sponsors happy, have naturally given no real thought to the atheist's initiative.  It's not like they are burning Korans or something.  It's just Christians they are pissing on.  So in this case, high five to the Catholic League for actually standing up and throwing one right back, and doing so in a way that should no offend anyone - unless, in the name of reason, they are offended by being exposed to different ideas. 

Anglican parish in Canada seeks full communion with Catholic Church

Yep, the whole parish.  With 90% support. Now if there could be something along the lines of Anglicanorum Coetibus for the rest of the Protestant world, who knows what might happen?

Apple reminds us that Capitalism without Christ is no better than Communism

Apple, like most corporations, comes off as pretty much amoral where values are concerned.   After all, the main purpose, in fact the only purpose, for a corporation is to make money.  Tons of money.  Gobs of money.  Never ending streams of money.  Little things like morals, values, and ethics are usually a concern only where increasing the bottom line is at stake.  Most corporations and many big money makers in our country are, shockingly, to the left. The reason?  What better field for financial harvest than a society whose main values manifest themselves in hedonism and narcissism, revelry and selfish obsession with material possessions?  And like the emergent post modern Left to which it caters, Apple thinks nothing of using some good old censorship to keep out those who fail to conform to the Left's dogmatic definitions of diversity. 

Clemency denied for Pakistani Christian

Asia Bibi, the Christian mother of five who has been sentenced to death for blaspheme charges, has lost a key battle for her freedom.  Many observers had hoped her conviction would be overturned and a pardon would stand, but it has been struck down by a Pakistani high court.  Pray for her that a miracle happens and someone steps in and saves her and her family from this horrible fate.