phillipallen

My new personal blog

2008-02-28T23:28:00.002-05:00

I am now posting entries at blog.phillipallen.net; please visit me there!

Huckabee's Mischief

2008-01-24T18:11:00.000-05:00

Brent Walker of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty has an excellent response to Mike Huckabee's following statement:

"we need . . . to amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards rather than try to change God's standards so it lines up with some contemporary view."

Go to the Washington Post's Main Page to read Walker's statement.

Muslim Violence, Christian Non-Violence: People in Glass Houses Should Not Throw Words

2008-01-02T10:48:00.000-05:00

Read this exceptionally superb article by Sheila Musaji, the founding editor of The American Muslim.

EthicsDaily.com

Why are Christians ignoring the ultimate moral-values issue?

2007-12-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

I might suggest that any Christian theology or ethic that believes human beings are too puny to affect the planets ecosystem, that God will not let anything bad happen to us; that anything that happens (good or evil) is the result of Gods direct will and purpose, that social ethics and morality are unimportant, that gay marriage and judicial activism are the key values issues in 2008, or that nothing must be done to hinder or regulate the free market, is part of the problem, not part of the solution. That attitude needs to change before it is too late. For evangelicals, our responsibility is great indeed.

The above is the last paragraph of an article written by Dr. David Gushee; read the entire piece at abpnews.com

My "award winning" photo

2007-11-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

OK, I know it may be a little hokie, but go to Sanibel Sunset to vote on my picture.

Willow Creek Repents?

2007-10-31T14:37:00.000-04:00

Diana Butler Bass has a wonderful entry at God's Politics Blog regarding church congregational growth.

The article tells us again what today's "new" church generation is looking for - they want a church that is doing something meaningful, and taking the gospel seriously!

What Happened to You, Mr. President?

2007-09-29T16:59:00.000-04:00

As Bush threatens to veto the bill expanding children's health care, read this excellent piece by Jim Wallis at the God's Politics Blog

Tonight's war message!

2007-09-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

Tonight George Bush gets free air time for pushing his illegal and immoral war.

At 9:00 PM on MSNBC, John Edwards, Democratic candidate for president will challenge Bush's remarks with a strong call to end the war now.

My 09/11 anniversary experiences

2007-09-12T12:33:00.000-04:00

Three incidents marred my observance of 09/11/01. The following statements prove to me we have learned very little in six years.

General Petraeus in his Iraq War report to Congress, when asked by a Republican senator, could not say that this country is safer because of what we have done in Iraq! He could not say this war was worth the lives that have been and will be lost.

A Buncombe County official interviewed by WLOS TV used the worn out line that it is better that we " fight them over there rather than over here." I am sick of such arrogant language to justify our self-serving attack on Iraq. That kind of talk says we have no concern for the millions of dead and displaced Iraqis.

I saw two of the despicable TV ads encouraging us to "not surrender" in Iraq. One of them tied Iraq to 9-11, which everyone knows is a lie. The other ad featured a soldier calling this country our "sacred USA." As a Christian I resent the use of that word in describing a geopolitical nation. By definition, sacred means "devoted or dedicated to a deity or to some religious purpose." What kind of deity are we following that would lead us to implement the policies that this deranged administration has put into place - it is for sure not the God of the Bible known through the Prince of Peace! And this President, who believes that God led him to invade Iraq, and to stay there indefinitely, also is following a different God than the one known through Jesus Christ!

Another reason to grieve on 9/11

2007-09-11T18:08:00.000-04:00

abpnews.com

Bush just playing us with 'troop withdrawal'

2007-09-07T16:46:00.000-04:00

Read and listen to Keith Olbermann's commentary that relates to my previous entry (September 4).

Bush admits he is playing!

2007-09-04T20:59:00.000-04:00

Today Bush headlined his Iraq photo-op with a comment about possibly reducing troop levels. But in the new biography, "Dead Certain," he says he is playing until November or December to get those running for president to have to adopt his war.

This puppet president is playing with billions of dollars and countless lives to further his neo-con agenda, to keep this war going indefinitely so Cheney's military-industrial complex can continue to flourish and to keep on making fools of all of us.

Could I be on Wiley's list?

2007-08-15T21:12:00.000-04:00

Would someone ask Wiley Drake what it takes to get on his imprecatory prayer list? I would really like to see how much power he has with calling down all that wrath and stuff!

My wife thinks I should be on that list! I think it is because I subscribe to the philosophy of "I had rather be hated than ignored."

An Encounter With (Insert Scary Music) ... Socialized Medicine

2007-08-13T17:57:00.000-04:00

God's Politics Blog

Is Our Country's Government Already a Theocracy?

2007-07-23T15:33:00.000-04:00

Bush Makes God an Argument for Iraq War

A Dangerous Justification by Faith

Financial Cost of This Illegal and Immoral War

2007-07-23T08:58:00.000-04:00

A new Congressional Research Service study reported that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan now cost $12 billion per month. When that monthly price tag is compared to the $10 billion per year it would cost to educate the world's 800 million children under six years old, the contrast opens up a real debate on what truly makes for national and global security.

excerpt from Jim Wallis' God's Politics Blog

Bush and NPR

2007-07-19T08:12:00.000-04:00

Yesterday the House of Representatives voted 357-72 to reject the Bush administration's plan to eliminate funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. This is a great example of how Bush/Cheney and the gang are so completely out of touch with, not only the American people, but also any sense of civility and concern for what is really important and right!

What about the 72 who voted to end the funding? That's simple - they have sold out totally or they have a constituency who also does not have a clue!

Party For The Planet

2007-07-04T13:11:00.000-04:00

Click HERE

for information on the Virtual Town Hall on Climate, and details on the DVD screening this Saturday, July 7, 4:00 PM, at the Hendersonville library auditorium. The video is around 30 minutes and we will discuss it no more than 30 minutes (unless you want to stay longer). You can be on your way to dinner or other activities by 5:00 PM.

A Prayer for Independence Day

2007-07-04T10:01:00.000-04:00

EthicsDaily.com

Is Cheney Part of the Executive Branch?

2007-06-26T10:18:00.000-04:00

ABC News

This man is probably the most dangerous elected official the US government has ever known!

Impeaching Bush is a waste of time; but impeaching Cheney is probably well worth the time and energy, especially for the future of this country.

An Adventure in Freedom

2007-06-23T08:41:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am again "blowing my own horn," (March 17 entry)!

July 1, I will be preaching a religious liberty sermon (title above)at Providence Baptist Church in Hendersonville NC.

I will post a link to the text of the sermon when I complete it; I invite all comments, suggestions and criticisms.

Baptist Seminary Homemaking Classes for Wives to Rescue Culture, Church

2007-06-18T11:01:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Ethics Daily.com!

Here is another example of how religious fundamentalists' behavior can border on the ridiculous! Of course, I would expect no more from Paige Patterson or Al Mohler.

Colson Warns Southern Baptists About Islam, Atheism

2007-06-11T11:58:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Ethics Daily.com!

This is what is wrong with religious fundamentalim. It perverts scripture and fabricates whatever necessary to maintain power and control.

Read this article and then read the next posted Robert Parham editorial!

Overcoming the Politics of Fear with Faith

2007-06-11T11:51:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Ethics Daily.com!

Monday's Presidential Forum

2007-06-03T20:08:00.000-04:00

The venue for tomorrow night's forum has changed; we will be at the Opportunity House, 1411 Asheville Highway, Hendersonville NC 28791-2301. The event will begin at 6:30 PM, the program runs from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and will be followed by a special conference call.

Directions to the Opportunity House

Presidential Forum on Faith Values, and Poverty Watch Party

2007-05-31T12:28:00.000-04:00

Faith Guiding Our Vote: A Presidential Forum on Faith, Values, and Poverty will be broadcast June 4 on CNN from 7 PM to 8 PM Eastern time.

Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, and Barack Obama -- will be joining Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners for a nationally televised conversation on faith, values, and poverty. And in hundreds of churches and homes across the country, people of faith like you and me will be gathering to watch the candidates address the issues that matter most to us.

I'm hosting a watch party -- can you come?

Click here to RSVP

The forum next week is the first of two upcoming forums with presidential hopefuls. A similar second forum that will feature top Republican contenders is to take place in Iowa in September.

"We are excited that the leading candidates will be meeting with faithful voters who are hungry for a real conversation about the big moral issues of our time," said Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners. "The forum will focus on faith and values, with a special emphasis on poverty. This conversation will offer faithful voters insights into each candidate’s moral compass and help to guide their decisions as they consider the candidates running for president of the United States."

Barry Lynn to visit WNC

2007-05-30T11:53:00.000-04:00

Barry Lynn, Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State will be on the program of American Vision's National Conference tomorrow night at the LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center. He will be debating "The First Amendment" with Herb Titus, former candidate for Vice-President of the United States. Along with Roy Moore, Titus was an original drafter of the Constitution Restoration Act, which sought to take out of federal court jurisdiction cases that involved public officials that acknowledged God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government, and provided for the impeachment of federal judges who disregarded the act.

A small group of WNC AU chapter members will be meeting with Barry Lynn tomorrow afternoon.

Seeking Common Ground for Patriots and Peacemakers on Memorial Day

2007-05-28T09:34:00.000-04:00

EthicsDaily.com

'The Poor Will Save Our Souls'

2007-05-10T12:06:00.000-04:00

I cannot remember the last time I gave any right wing politician credit for anything! But after reading this article, Sam Brownback's stock has jumped really high in my opinion of presidential candidates!

God's Politics Blog

Christian vs. Athiest Celebrity Death Match

2007-05-08T20:25:00.000-04:00

God's Politics Blog

Bush's veto of the war funding bill

2007-05-01T18:20:00.000-04:00

This man is not going to compromise and Democrats should not give in to his arrogance.

It is time for impeachment to be carefully considered!

Tony Campolo: Religious Leaders Propose a Way Out of Iraq

2007-04-26T22:20:00.000-04:00

God's Politics Blog

Republicans who think like this have no integrity!

2007-04-25T09:29:00.000-04:00

The Politico

Tax Day 2007 is behind us!

2007-04-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

A headline this morning in one of my technology email sources was:

TurboTax's electronic filing overloads at last minute

I smiled to myself because I knew that I contributed to that overload problem last night!

I would like for all of us to consider what we are getting for our money as we file our tax returns. For every dollar we pay in federal income taxes, 36 cents goes toward past and present military spending. And people want to call this a Christian nation!

The following is a portion of today's email from the Sojourners/Call to Renewal folks:

We've all heard Jesus' warning: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). That gospel truth applies not only to individuals, but also to nations.

St. Thomas Sunday

2007-04-15T14:34:00.000-04:00

This morning at Providence Baptist Church, I read as a call to worship the following piece written by Providence member Anne Westbrook.

My name is Thomas –
And I was there when they crucified my Lord
I saw Him – hands battered, side pierced,
Body broken and bloody. Dead.

My name is Thomas –
And I was absent on the evening of the third day –
And so- I didn’t hear his Shalom.
I didn’t see his scarred hands, his wounded side.
I didn’t feel the warmth my friends felt
When He breathed on them the Spirit.
When they told me, I didn’t believe He lived.

My name is Thomas –
I am humbled to say my Lord gave me a second chance.
He appeared again - and this time I was there.
I heard his Shalom - Peace be with you.
I felt His gaze.
I heard His voice – “Thomas,” he said,
“Stop doubting. Believe.”
Shaken, I could only cry, “My Lord and my God.”
It was enough. My Lord honored me
By accepting my belief, my poor belated belief.

My name is Thomas.
Hear me, my friends.
Stop doubting.
Believe!

The Victory

2007-04-08T16:30:00.000-04:00

Following are excerpts from the final chapter of Jim Wallis' book, The Call to Conversion:

...we confront the world with the very life of the resurrected Christ among us... Every time we act upon Jesus' lordship in our lives, are reconciled to a brother or sister, refuse to be controlled by the economic system, deny the absolute authority of the state, claim Christ's freedom over our fear, tear down the walls of race, class, and sex, love our enemies, stand with the poor, or resist the violence of the nations by acting for peace - we are demonstrating the victory of Christ in the world...

...the resurrection ... validated the way of Jesus, establishing the authority of his Lordship. At the same time, the resurrection invalidated the authority of the system. It showed the world's way to be a lie. The world's definition of reality crucified Jesus. His resurrection proved that definition of reality to be false. Our system, too, has its definitions of reality - national security, economic expansion, political realism. The way of Jesus is thought to be as foolish today as it was in his day. His kingdom is totally alien to the present world order...

Christians Must Take Back The Faith

2007-04-06T16:04:00.000-04:00

CNN Commentary

Fight All Forms of Religious Coercion

2007-04-06T12:41:00.000-04:00

In Paul’s great letter on freedom to the church at Galatia, he starts what we call chapter 5 with these words: “For freedom Christ has set us free: stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery...” “For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom for an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love, become slaves to one another. For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.”

This is the foundation we build on in our understanding of religious liberty. God will not coerce anyone to follow his way; and he will not bless a system that tries to force people to obey him and his ways. Jesus was repelled by all efforts to make him a ruler in order that he might force his kingdom on the world. In the Gospel of John (18:36), when Pilate was questioning Jesus about his authority, He told Pilate: “My kingship is not of this world. If it were, my supporters would have fought against my being turned over to the Jews. But my reign is not here.” Jesus brought no political message or program.

The above is an excerpt from the religious liberty sermon referred to in my March 16 entry.

2007-04-06T12:35:00.000-04:00

Tuesday—April 10th—at 7:15pm Eastern, MoveOn is using the Internet to connect presidential candidates directly to the people.

Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson, Dennis Kucinich, and Joe Biden will answer questions from MoveOn.org's 3.2 million members in the first of three unprecedented virtual town hall meetings. The topic: Iraq.

There will be a house party in Hendersonville with direct connections to the national event. Contact me at info@phillipallen.net for more information.

Believing the Resurrection

2007-04-05T13:29:00.000-04:00

God's Politics Blog

Swift Boat donor's appointment sidesteps Congress

2007-04-05T08:33:00.000-04:00

CNN.com

This is a prime example of how this arrogant "would-be" president has done everything in his power to keep the American people polarized. He has lied from the very beginning about what he wanted to do in this country.

History will destroy this man's legacy and I hope he lives to a ripe old age; I don't want him to miss any opportunity to have to face head-on the damage he and his neo-con buddies have done.

U.S.-Trained Colombian General Has Terrorist Ties

2007-03-30T12:05:00.000-04:00

God's Politics blog

Southern Baptist Leader Terms Premature Troop Withdrawal Immoral

2007-03-26T10:24:00.000-04:00

EthicsDaily.com

This article should give everyone a better picture of how Southern Baptist leadership has left the gospel in favor of a civil religion based on America as a chosen nation.

I am hoping that good people who have supported this crowd for so long will begin to see their agenda, and turn back to what the church should really be about!

Iraq War Anniversary

2007-03-19T23:50:00.000-04:00

Tonight I participated in a vigil in downtown Asheville commemorating the end of four long years our country has been in this needless, illegal, immoral war. The only thing I feel and can say is we must not forget how we got into this war - deception and lies from an administration working day and night to take over this country.

We must not forget the countless atrocities this administration has committed in Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States!

Religious Liberty sermon

2007-03-16T13:58:00.000-04:00

I have always felt that one should not "blow his own horn," but I guess another way of looking at it is that if I don't, no one will! Besides, I am always open and looking for comments, suggestions, criticisms.

Two weeks ago I spoke at the Fletcher (NC) Seventh Day Adventist Church for their annual religious liberty emphasis worship service. Following is the link to a video of the sermon:

FSDA sermon

Chuck Gutenson: Iran, Neocons, and Christianity

2007-03-09T10:17:00.000-05:00

You should not miss this excellent article from the God's Politics Blog.

Ann Coulter's remark about John Edwards

2007-03-05T09:12:00.000-05:00

There was something worse than what Ann Coulter said about John Edwards Friday at the American Conservative Union Political Action Conference. That is expected of her! What was worse is that she received applause and laughter from the audience. A large portion of the crowd actually approved of this hate monger's statement.

I actually really like it when things like this happen - it shows what kind of people right wingers really are!

It is reported that Coulter has sent out an email defending the statement as a joke; the only joke here is Ann Coulter!

Click HERE for video of the statement.

Symbolism Has Moral Power in Congressional Votes on Iraq

2007-02-19T10:23:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Just The Facts

2007-02-15T18:37:00.000-05:00

God's Politics

Exxon-Mobil-Funded Think Tank Solicits Criticism of Report on Global Warming

2007-02-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

Ethicsdaily.com

Onward Christian Warmongers

2007-02-07T11:19:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Bush Uses Fear Once Again!

2007-01-26T11:06:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Jim Wallis: State of the Union - Reactions in Davos

2007-01-25T14:03:00.000-05:00

God's Politics Blog

Hearing God’s Voice

2007-01-18T10:01:00.000-05:00

abpnews.com

This is a response to Pat Robertson's announcement of another conversation with God. It is written by Beth Newman, Professor of Theology and Ethics at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond

Richard Land Doesn't Get Baptist 'Covenant'

2007-01-17T09:50:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Letter From The Birmingham City Jail

2007-01-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

How can we grasp the main ideas of Martin Luther King? And how can we begin to apply these ideas to the problems facing us and all people in the world today?

Go HERE to read the original first version of the letter written by King alone, over a period of a few days, apparently without notes, while he was held prisoner in the Birmingham City Jail on charges related to his activities in organizing an economic boycott in support of racial desegregation. A prestigious group of mainstream religious leaders had published a severe criticism of him and his methods, and King was highly motivated to respond.

In this letter he presents twelve of his most important concepts, and he summarizes each of them in a few well-chosen words. Go HERE for the summary.

Bush's legacy: The president who cried wolf

2007-01-14T22:16:00.000-05:00

Countdown with keith Olbermann

Cheney is the one who should be impeached!

2007-01-14T12:57:00.000-05:00

This man is the most dangerous person in this country because of his power and influence on the president. He loves war and what it can bring to him and his cronies.

Of course, he only wants to appear on Fox News (Full Time Lies), because they will let him get away with his rhetoric!

CNN.com

A Criminal Escalation of An Unjust War

2007-01-11T13:41:00.000-05:00

The following is a portion of Jim Wallis' entry in today's God's Politics blog:

The war in Iraq was unjust; to continue it now is criminal. There is no winning in Iraq. This was a war that should have never been fought – or won. It can't be won, and the truth is that there are no good solutions now – that's how unjust wars often turn out. The president says that "failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the United States." But we have already failed in Iraq and it has already become a disaster for Americans, Iraqis, the Middle East, and even for the larger campaign against terrorism. The mistaken war in Iraq can only be mercifully ended, in ways that cause the least damage to everyone involved: the Americans and the Iraqis, the volatile surrounding region, and a world longing for security. It will likely take new international leadership to help fix the mess of Iraq, because U.S. leadership has brought one calamity after another. Unjust wars cause massive human suffering. When will we ever learn?

The Real War Plan

2007-01-11T12:04:00.000-05:00

Are we paying attention to what really may be happening with Bush's idiotic plans? Read THIS ARTICLE and then tell me what does not make sense of it in light of who is really in charge of this administration; namely neoconservatives who are in bed with Israel!

March 16 Iraq War Anniversary Event

2007-01-11T11:01:00.000-05:00

I will be posting details later regarding an event in the Asheville/Hendersonville area. Learn more about the national event HERE.

Botched Hussein execution reveals truth about 'new' Iraq

2007-01-10T12:14:00.000-05:00

abpnews.com

Say 'No' Now and Loud to Human Sacrifice

2007-01-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com
and
Countdown with Keith Olbermann

A Parable For Our Times

2006-12-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

TomPaine.com

O Strangled Town of Bethlehem

2006-12-25T10:15:00.000-05:00

God's Politics Blog

Still True On This Christmas Day

2006-12-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

FOR OUR WORLD

We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment.
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Heart Silent for a moment.
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment.
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice.
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment.
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.

September 12, 2001
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek

Learn more at Mattie's Website.

An Appeal for Redress From the War in Iraq

2006-12-22T09:37:00.000-05:00

Many active duty, reserve, and guard service members are concerned about the war in Iraq and support the withdrawal of U.S. troops. The Appeal for Redress provides a way in which individual service members can appeal to their Congressional Representative and US Senators to urge an end to the U.S. military occupation.

Please direct active military personnel to the Appeal for Redress website.

Jim Wallis: People Will Die Because Bush Won't Listen

2006-12-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

God's Politics Blog

No More BU_ _ SH _ _ !!!

2006-12-20T11:06:00.000-05:00

Impeachment proceedings should begin as quickly as possible!

Speaking of bu_ _ sh_ _, how about Cheney calling Rumsfeld the finest defense secretary this country has ever had! But what would you expect from someone who has not told the truth about anything yet!

Fox News Loves Little Baby Jesus, Not the Jesus as Lord of All

2006-12-18T11:17:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Left Behind... What in God's name are they thinking???

2006-12-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

Following is an email from Vince Isner, director of FaithfulAmerica.org, with more insight on the Left Behind:Eternal Forces video game:

Despite a vigorous PR effort to downplay the violent, warring aspects of the game (blow away a non-Christian, lose a point...) the fact remains, the game is about blowing away non-Christians. That would mean Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and everyone else, including the healthy percentage of Christians who know better than to buy the idea that God would ever be part of such a nightmare.

The game's creator Troy Lyndon has stated, "There's no killing in the name of God." Yet the facts are, this is a game about a Christian fundamentalist-drenched end-time scenario in which the "enemy" is a dark army of non-believers pitted against converted Christians... containing as much violence as any we have seen in Grand Theft Auto. Despite poor gamer reviews its very premise remains troublesome.

What "Left Behind" leaves behind is Christ's central teaching. In fact, every major faith tradition offers the world a deep and simple well of goodness, tolerance, forgiveness, and above all, love. I would hate to think of a world in which those rich and nourishing expressions of God are extinguished, either in life or on a video screen. If there is a need for anything at all as we end this year scarred by hatred and war, it is a place where everyone's voice is heard, and where nobody's beliefs are assigned a point value.

Please allow a personal thought here. Those who believe in the end-time scenario have reasons that I may not understand. However, in Luke's gospel Jesus said that the kingdom of God is "within you." Over and over again I have seen that "kingdom" within so many - from the young mother I watched yesterday on a busy New York bus talking gently to her toddler, to my dear Muslim friend who sits daily beside his Christian wife while her body succumbs to Lou Gehrig's disease. If I have learned anything from these and so many other "angels" in this world it is that if the kingdom of God comes, it will not arrive by God overriding the worst that people can do to one another. The kingdom will come through God using the best of who we are and what we do for each other.

A well-meaning friend once asked me if I was ready for the rapture. "What if Jesus comes tomorrow? What are you going to do?"

I replied, "The more important question for me is What if Jesus DOESN'T come tomorrow? What will I do then?" So many need our expressions of care.

So here's what we are asking you to do. GO HERE and tell us how YOU hope to touch another person's life for good this Holy season. Maybe you want to share how someone has touched your life. That's good too! You can either write it to us, or (if you have a mic in your computer, and most laptops do), TELL us. We have made it very easy for you to share. We will post your entries on our website.

Imagine how grateful we are for your presence in this life and for the many acts of goodness that are "left behind" wherever you go.

The Left Behind video game!

2006-12-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

Just in time for Christmas, the religious right has released a violent video game in which born-again Christians aim to convert or kill those who don't adhere to their extreme ideology. Disturbingly, the game's apparent attempts at religious
indoctrination are aimed at children and focus on violent, divisive, and hateful scenarios.

I continue to be amazed at how many people literally buy into this junk! Go HERE for a refresher course on the perverted theology that is behind all the "Left Behind" hysteria.

The Chickens Come Home to Roost

2006-12-13T11:35:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Outsourcer in Chief

2006-12-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

Following are selections from yesterday's Paul Krugman column in the New York Times:

According to U.S. News & World Report, President Bush has told aides that he won’t respond in detail to the Iraq Study Group’s report because he doesn’t want to “outsource” the role of commander in chief.

That’s pretty ironic. You see, outsourcing of the government’s responsibilities — not to panels of supposed wise men, but to private companies with the right connections — has been one of the hallmarks of his administration. And privatization through outsourcing is one reason the administration has failed on so many fronts.

For example, an article in Saturday’s New York Times describes how the Coast Guard has run a $17 billion modernization program: “Instead of managing the project itself, the Coast Guard hired Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, two of the nation’s largest military contractors, to plan, supervise and deliver the new vessels and helicopters.”

The result? Expensive ships that aren’t seaworthy. The Coast Guard ignored “repeated warnings from its own engineers that the boats and ships were poorly designed and perhaps unsafe,” while “the contractors failed to fulfill their obligation to make sure the government got the best price, frequently steering work to their subsidiaries or business partners instead of competitors.”

In Afghanistan, the job of training a new police force was outsourced to DynCorp International, a private contractor, under very loose supervision: when conducting a recent review, auditors couldn’t even find a copy of DynCorp’s contract to see what it called for. And $1.1 billion later, Afghanistan still doesn’t have an effective police training program.

... the Bush administration outsourced many responsibilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. For example, the job of evacuating people from disaster areas was given to a trucking logistics firm, Landstar Express America. When Hurricane Katrina struck, Landstar didn’t even know where to get buses. According to Carey Limousine, which was eventually hired, Landstar “found us on the Web site.”

It’s now clear that there’s a fundamental error in the antigovernment ideology embraced by today’s conservative movement. Conservatives look at the virtues of market competition and leap to the conclusion that private ownership, in itself, is some kind of magic elixir. But there’s no reason to assume that a private company hired to perform a public service will do better than people employed directly by the government.

In fact, the private company will almost surely do a worse job if its political connections insulate it from accountability — which has, of course, consistently been the case under Mr. Bush. The inspectors’ report on Afghanistan’s police conspicuously avoided assessing DynCorp’s performance; even as government auditors found fault with Landstar, the company received a plaque from the Department of Transportation honoring its hurricane relief efforts.

Underlying this lack of accountability are the real motives for turning government functions over to private companies, which have little to do with efficiency. To say the obvious: when you see a story about failed outsourcing, you can be sure that the company in question is a major contributor to the Republican Party, is run by people with strong G.O.P. connections, or both...

Focus on the Family Web Site Endorses 'Left Behind' Video Game

2006-12-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Turning on the Puppet

2006-11-29T10:42:00.000-05:00

Following are selections from today's Maureen Dowd column in the New York Times:

In Latvia, President Bush vowed yesterday that “I’m not going to pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete.” But his words about Iraq long ago lost their meaning. Especially the words “mission” and “complete.”

Regarding the leaked memo written by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley:

“The memo suggests that if Mr. Maliki fails to carry out a series of specified steps,” he writes, “it may ultimately be necessary to press him to reconfigure his parliamentary bloc, a step the United States could support by providing ‘monetary support to moderate groups,’ and by sending thousands of additional American troops into Baghdad to make up for what the document suggests is current shortage of Iraqi forces.”

Just what the election said Americans want: More kids at risk in Baghdad. (W.’s kids, of course, are running their own risks, partying their way through Argentina.)

Mr. Hadley bluntly mused about Mr. Malaki: “His intentions seem good when he talks with Americans, and sensitive reporting suggests he is trying to stand up to the Shi’a hierarchy and force positive change. But the reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action.”

It’s bad enough to say that about the Iraqi puppet. But what about when the same is true of the American president?

Ten Months or Ten Years

2006-11-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

Following is a selection from today's Thomas Friedman column in the New York Times:

On Feb. 12, 2003, before the war, I wrote a column offering what I called my “pottery store” rule for Iraq: “You break it, you own it.” It was not an argument against the war, but rather a cautionary note about the need to do it with allies, because transforming Iraq would be such a huge undertaking. (Colin Powell later picked up on this and used the phrase to try to get President Bush to act with more caution, but Mr. Bush did not heed Mr. Powell’s advice.)

But my Pottery Barn rule was wrong, because Iraq was already pretty broken before we got there — broken, it seems, by 1,000 years of Arab-Muslim authoritarianism, three brutal decades of Sunni Baathist rule, and a crippling decade of U.N. sanctions. It was held together only by Saddam’s iron fist. Had we properly occupied the country, and begun political therapy, it is possible an American iron fist could have held Iraq together long enough to put it on a new course. But instead we created a vacuum by not deploying enough troops.

That vacuum was filled by murderous Sunni Baathists and Al Qaeda types, who butchered Iraqi Shiites until they finally wouldn’t take it any longer and started butchering back, which brought us to where we are today. The Sunni Muslim world should hang its head in shame for the barbarism it has tolerated and tacitly supported by the Sunnis of Iraq, whose violence, from the start, has had only one goal: America must fail in its effort to bring progressive politics or democracy to this region. America must fail — no matter how many Iraqis have to be killed, America must fail.

This has left us with two impossible choices. If we’re not ready to do what is necessary to crush the dark forces in Iraq and properly rebuild it, then we need to leave — because to just keep stumbling along as we have been makes no sense. It will only mean throwing more good lives after good lives into a deeper and deeper hole filled with more and more broken pieces.

Bush still does not get it!

2006-11-28T12:43:00.000-05:00

The following headline is just another reminder of how delusional this man is! But it also reminds us of how narrow minded right wingers can be - they see nothing outside the scope of their own agenda and prejudices.

RIGA, Latvia (CNN) -- President Bush on Tuesday rejected suggestions that Iraq is in a civil war and vowed again he won't support the removal of U.S. troops from the war-torn country "before the mission is complete."

"There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented in my opinion because of the attacks by al Qaeda, causing people to seek reprisal," he said, calling the violence part of a plot.

Race Denial Is a River in the Heart of America

2006-11-27T12:56:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

The danger of this damaged administration

2006-11-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

Dick Cheney has been, is, and will continue to be the most dangerous person in this country. Bush has never had a clue, and he has let neocons led by Cheney continue to run this country right into the ground!

The Next Act by Seymour Hersh

Lost in the Desert

2006-11-22T14:49:00.000-05:00

Following are a couple of quotes I particularly like from a Maureen Dowd editorial on the Iraq fiasco:

"The good news is that the election ... dismantled the president’s fake reality about Iraq..."

"Dick Cheney and his wormy aides, of course, are still babbling about total victory and completing the mission by raising the stakes and knocking off the mullahs in Tehran. His tombstone will probably say, 'Here lies Dick Cheney, still winning.'"

A Come-to-Daddy Moment

2006-11-09T11:38:00.000-05:00

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd wrote the following today:

Poppy Bush and James Baker gave Sonny the presidency to play with and he broke it. So now they’re taking it back.

They are dragging W. away from those reckless older guys who have been such a bad influence and getting him some new minders who are a lot more practical.

In a scene that might be called “Murder on the Oval Express,” Rummy turned up dead with so many knives in him that it’s impossible to say who actually finished off the man billed as Washington’s most skilled infighter. (Poppy? Scowcroft? Baker? Laura? Condi? The Silver Fox? Retired generals? Serving generals? Future generals? Troops returning to Iraq for the umpteenth time without a decent strategy? Democrats? Republicans? Joe Lieberman?)

The defense chief got hung out to dry before Saddam got hung. The president and Karl Rove, underestimating the public’s hunger for change or overestimating the loyalty of a fed-up base, did not ice Rummy in time to save the Senate from teetering Democratic. But once Sonny managed to heedlessly dynamite the Republican majority — as well as the Middle East, the Atlantic alliance and the U.S. Army — then Bush Inc., the family firm that snatched the presidency for W. in 2000, had to step in. Two trusted members of the Bush 41 war council, Mr. Baker and Robert Gates, have been dispatched to discipline the delinquent juvenile and extricate him from the mother of all messes.

Mr. Gates, already on Mr. Baker’s “How Do We Get Sonny Out of Deep Doo Doo in Iraq?” study group, left his job protecting 41’s papers at Texas A&M to return to Washington and pry the fingers of Poppy’s old nemesis, Rummy, off the Pentagon.

“They had to bring in someone from the old gang,” said someone from the old gang. “That has to make Junior uneasy. With Bob, the door is opened again to 41 and Baker and Brent.”

W. had no choice but to make an Oedipal U-turn. He couldn’t let Nancy Pelosi subpoena the cranky Rummy for hearings on Iraq. “He’s not exactly Mr. Charming or Mr. Truthful, and he’d be on TV saying something stupid,” said a Bush 41 official. “Bob can just go up to the Hill and say: ‘I don’t know. I wasn’t there when that happened.’ ”

Bob Gates, his friends say, had been worried about the belligerent, arrogant, ideological style of Rummy & Cheney from the start. He fretted at the way W.’s so-called foreign policy “dream team” — including his old staffer and fellow Soviet expert Condi — made it up as they went along, even though that had been their complaint about the Clinton foreign policy team. A realpolitik advocate like his mentor, General Scowcroft, he was critical of a linear, moralizing style that disdained nuance, demoted diplomacy and inflated villains. In 2004, he publicly questioned the administration’s approach to Iran.

While Vice went off to a corner to lick his wounds, W. was forced to do his best imitation of his dad yesterday, talking about “bipartisan outreach,” “people have spoken,” blah-blah-blah — after he’d been out on the trail saying that electing Democrats would mean that “the terrorists win and America loses.”

“I share a large part of the responsibility” for the “thumpin’ ” of Republicans, he told reporters. Actually, he gets full responsibility.

W. has stopped talking about democracy as a standard of success in Iraq; yesterday, he said that Iraq had to “govern itself, sustain itself and defend itself.”

He was asked if his surprise at the election results showed he was out of touch with Americans. “I thought when it was all said and done,” he replied, “the American people would understand the importance of taxes and the importance of security.”

So it was just that the American people were too dumb to understand? W. also managed to bash Vietnam vets, saying that this war isn’t similar because there’s a volunteer army, so “the troops understand the consequences of Iraq in the global war on terror.” Is that why W. stayed out of Vietnam? Because he understood it?

An ashen Rummy was also condescending during his uncomfortable tableau with W. and Bob Gates in the Oval Office, implying that he was dumped because Americans just didn’t “comprehend” what was going on in Iraq. Actually, Rummy, we get it. You don’t get it.

“Baker’s no fool,” a Bush 41 official said. “He wasn’t going to go out there with a plan for Iraq and have Rummy shoot it down. He wanted a receptive audience. Everyone had to be on the same page before the plan is unveiled.”

They don’t call him the Velvet Hammer for nothing. R.I.P., Rummy.

Even Bush's puppeteers are angry with him!

2006-11-06T18:16:00.000-05:00

Vanity fair interview

Voting Baptist Convictions

2006-11-06T11:59:00.000-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

Election-Eve Altar Call: President Bush Panders To Religious Right On TV Preacher Robertson’s Show

2006-11-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

The Wall of Separation - Official Weblog of AU.org

So Much For The Liberal Media!

2006-11-02T17:43:00.000-05:00

On October 31, all three broadcast networks led their nightly news programs with coverage of the controversy surrounding Kerry's botched joke intended to criticize President Bush on his Iraq war policies, but has been misrepresented by Republicans and some in the media as denigrating U.S. soldiers in Iraq. These outlets have also ignored comments by several prominent Republicans acknowledging that Kerry did not intend to disparage American soldiers.

In contrast, at no point has NBC's Nightly News, ABC's World News, or the CBS Evening News even mentioned* -- much less led with -- President Bush's October 30 statement during a campaign speech that a Democratic victory in the midterm elections would mean that "terrorists win and America loses."

Kerry made another stupid move in apologizing - this is why he and the Democrats could not get elected in 2000 and 2004. They refuse to stand up to the maliciousness of Bush and the entire right wing crowd!

Everyone knows what Kerry was saying and everyone knows it is true! And I am not only offended at what Bush said, but damn angry that the media would not challenge that kind of rhetoric. Bush does not speak for real Americans; he speaks for an extremist, elitist crowd who will continue their practice of "the end justifies the means" as long as we let them!

The Great Divider

2006-11-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

The following is a New York Times editorial:

As President Bush throws himself into the final days of a particularly nasty campaign season, he’s settled into a familiar pattern of ugly behavior. Since he can’t defend the real world created by his policies and his decisions, Mr. Bush is inventing a fantasy world in which to campaign on phony issues against fake enemies.

In Mr. Bush’s world, America is making real progress in Iraq. In the real world, as Michael Gordon reported in yesterday’s Times, the index that generals use to track developments shows an inexorable slide toward chaos. In Mr. Bush’s world, his administration is marching arm in arm with Iraqi officials committed to democracy and to staving off civil war. In the real world, the prime minister of Iraq orders the removal of American checkpoints in Baghdad and abets the sectarian militias that are slicing and dicing their country.

In Mr. Bush’s world, there are only two kinds of Americans: those who are against terrorism, and those who somehow are all right with it. Some Americans want to win in Iraq and some don’t. There are Americans who support the troops and Americans who don’t support the troops. And at the root of it all is the hideously damaging fantasy that there is a gulf between Americans who love their country and those who question his leadership.

Mr. Bush has been pushing these divisive themes all over the nation, offering up the ludicrous notion the other day that if Democrats manage to control even one house of Congress, America will lose and the terrorists will win. But he hit a particularly creepy low when he decided to distort a lame joke lamely delivered by Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. Mr. Kerry warned college students that the punishment for not learning your lessons was to “get stuck in Iraq.” In context, it was obviously an attempt to disparage Mr. Bush’s intelligence. That’s impolitic and impolite, but it’s not as bad as Mr. Bush’s response. Knowing full well what Mr. Kerry meant, the president and his team cried out that the senator was disparaging the troops. It was a depressing replay of the way the Bush campaign Swift-boated Americans in 2004 into believing that Mr. Kerry, who went to war, was a coward and Mr. Bush, who stayed home, was a hero.

It’s not the least bit surprising or objectionable that Mr. Bush would hit the trail hard at this point, trying to salvage his party’s control of Congress and, by extension, his last two years in office. And we’re not naïve enough to believe that either party has been running a positive campaign that focuses on the issues.

But when candidates for lower office make their opponents out to be friends of Osama bin Laden, or try to turn a minor gaffe into a near felony, that’s just depressing. When the president of the United States gleefully bathes in the muck to divide Americans into those who love their country and those who don’t, it is destructive to the fabric of the nation he is supposed to be leading.

This is hardly the first time that Mr. Bush has played the politics of fear, anger and division; if he’s ever missed a chance to wave the bloody flag of 9/11, we can’t think of when. But Mr. Bush’s latest outbursts go way beyond that. They leave us wondering whether this president will ever be willing or able to make room for bipartisanship, compromise and statesmanship in the two years he has left in office.

Bush is pathetic!

2006-11-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

Bush either totally missed that Kerry was talking about him; or he and his cronies just think we are stupid enough to believe him when he says Kerry was talking about the troops. There is no surprise to either one!

But today, he is going on Rush Limbaugh's show - now that is fitting for this delusional president! It is probably because now he cannot even get Fox to interview him!

Rush Limbaugh is to journalism what championship wrestling is to sport!

The Grace of Saying 'I Don't Know'

2006-10-30T11:47:00.001-05:00

EthicsDaily.com

A Report on the People in Charge!

2006-10-30T10:24:00.000-05:00

The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction released a report yesterday; following are excerpts from the report:

...major discrepancies in American military records on where thousands of 9-millimeter pistols and hundreds of assault rifles and other weapons have ended up. The American military did not even take the elementary step of recording the serial numbers of nearly half a million weapons provided to Iraqis...

...the American military was not able to say how many Iraqi logistics personnel it had trained — in this case because, the military told the inspector general, a computer network crash erased records. Those problems have occurred even though the United States has spent $133 million on the weapons program and $666 million on Iraqi logistics capabilities...

...of the 505,093 weapons that have been given to the Ministries of Interior and Defense over the last several years, serial numbers for only 12,128 were properly recorded. The weapons include rocket-propelled grenade launchers, assault rifles, machine guns, shotguns, semiautomatic pistols and sniper rifles. Of those weapons, 370,000 were purchased with American taxpayer money...

...There are standard regulations for registering military weaponry in that way, governed by the Department of Defense small-arms serialization program. The inspector general’s report said that when asked why so many weapons went to Iraq with no record of serial numbers, American military officials in Baghdad replied that they did not believe the regulations applied to them...

...money for spare parts was allocated for only 5 of the 12 different kinds of weapons sent to Iraq — and when the inspector general contacted units of the Defense and Interior Ministries, none actually knew how or where to requisition spare parts...

There were also significant discrepancies in the numbers of weapons purchased and those in Iraqi warehouses. While 176,866 semiautomatic pistols were purchased with American money, just 163,386 showed up in warehouses — meaning that more than 13,000 were unaccounted for. All 751 of the M1-F assault rifles sent to Iraq were missing, and nearly 100 MP-5 machine guns.

And some of you want to keep these people in charge of our country; that is amazing! We have the blind leading the blind!!!

What’s a Person to Do - Election Day, November 7, 2006

2006-10-25T22:37:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, October 29, I will be speaking at the First Congregational Church in Hendersonville NC. The church's Board of Religious Education sponsor's a monthly forum and Sunday we will discuss the upcoming election and elections in general from a Christian's perspective. The forum is from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM.

I will be using Sojourners/Call to Renewal's "Voting God's Politics" issues guide as a resource for discussion.

I spoke to the forum last April about my role as the president of the WNC Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Their Terrorists and Ours

2006-10-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

EthicsDaily.com

Your silence denotes your consent!

2006-10-24T19:12:00.000-04:00

letter to the editor of the Hendersonvlle Times-News:

A few weeks ago I wrote a letter about the rally at BRCC that had been billed as a town hall meeting (see September 13 entry). It was sponsored by Charles Taylor, and featured Ton Tancredo on immigration reform. I asked for honest discussion on the issue, not just prejudiced rhetoric! I challenged people of faith to respond with voices of reason and tolerance. The only response I heard was from this newspaper’s editor who wrote about the same issue the next day.

Do you know what you are supporting with your silence on this and other important issues? Tancredo also spoke in South Carolina the same day he was in Hendersonville. He addressed the neo-Confederate hate group League of the South; he stood behind a podium draped in a Confederate battle flag.

When you do not respond to this kind of extremism you give your consent for Taylor and his right wing buddies to continue their agenda for this country. Your silence and your lack of attention at the voting booth tell them its okay to cozy up to white supremacist groups that promote violence! Are you content to let these people continue to run our country?

Bush's war strategy!

2006-10-21T12:54:00.000-04:00

President Bush discussed the war in Iraq with top generals at a White House summit Saturday, two days after the U.S. military said violence had forced a rethink of its crucial Baghdad security plan. In his radio address, Bush emphasized: "There is one thing we will not do: We will not pull our troops off the battlefield before the mission is complete."

This man is delusional and should be impeached for his arrogance and stupidity above all the other reasons!

A Letter to Tony Perkins about "Liberty Sunday"

2006-10-19T14:57:00.000-04:00

Go to EthicsDaily.com.

Winning or Losing in Iraq?

2006-10-18T22:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday 10 more U.S. soldiers were killed, making October one of the deadliest months on record for the U.S. We are fast approaching a tragic 3,000 U.S. soldiers dying in the streets and sands of Iraq .

Last week an independent report revealed that more than 655,000 innocent people have died in Iraq as a result of the U.S. invasion. Just today the Brookings Institution reported a half-million people have been displaced since February - an estimated 100,000 of them children. One report puts the total number of displaced persons at 800,000. Clearly the crisis is spiraling out of all control.

Today when asked about the President's reaction to the mounting death toll, the White House Press Secretary responded that "his strategy is to win."

When is winning losing? Jesus asked, "What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?" (Luke 9:25) Most people of faith believe in a different kind of winning. Just as wars kill, words can heal. Just as hate destroys, love strengthens. Bonds of understanding and goodwill – whether between persons or nations – are made not with clenched fists, but open hands.

Our hearts are broken by the violence and our nation diminished by pouring U.S. troops and treasure into the middle of what amounts to a deadly civil war, causing untold misery and fueling the very fire that terrorists have been hoping for. Equally tragic is the fact that the majority of representatives in the U.S. Congress have allowed this to happen. That is why your vote this November is more important than ever.

Vince Isner and the FaithfulAmerica.org Team

voiceoftheday from Sojourners

2006-10-18T13:12:00.000-04:00

American preachers have a task more difficult, perhaps, than those faced by us under South Africa's apartheid, or Christians under Communism. We had obvious evils to engage; you have to unwrap your culture from years of red, white and blue myth. You have to expose, and confront, the great disconnect between the kindness, compassion and caring of most American people, and the ruthless way American power is experienced, directly and indirectly, by the poor of the earth. You have to help good people see how they have let their institutions do their sinning for them. This is not easy among people who really believe that their country does nothing but good, but it is necessary, not only for their future, but for us all.

- Peter Storey, former president of the Methodist Church of South Africa

Christian Nationalism Growing

2006-10-16T11:53:00.000-04:00

Ethicsdaily.com

Legislating Violations of the Constitution

2006-10-05T10:11:00.000-04:00

Go HERE for an excellent article on separation of church and state.

I continue to be amazed at how the general public ignores what right wing politicians and religious fundamentalists are doing and have been doing for years!

Sin is Neither Republican nor Democratic

2006-10-05T09:52:00.000-04:00

Click HERE for an excellent article by Diana Butlet Bass

We need political leaders - of both parties - who believe in the importance of integrity, of humility, of honesty, and a commitment to the common good - and who are willing to challenge their own party's desire for power at the expense of moral principle. And we need a pledge by all of us to make fundamental changes in our culture and support political leaders who will work for those changes.