I was watching the uncensored version of The Pastoral Symphony from Fantasia. A little FYI, that’s the part where the centaurs were hooking up. Anyway, apparently the parts that were cut involved an African child-like centaur “serving” the “white” centaurs. Because of that, there were quite a bit of comments saying that the clip was racist. But I thought to myself, these people who are saying that the clip is racist aren’t putting Fantasia into context. When Fantasia originally came out in 1940, it probably was more acceptable to show African Americans as subservient. But if Fantasia came out more recently as it, it would have caused controversy and people wouldn’t watch it. I think this a case of how points of view can change within a few decades. Anyway, all I can say is that if you’re watching or reading something that was made a while back or is set in a different time period, remember that you have to put into context.

Fantasia – The Pastoral Symphony – UNCUT

I saw this documentary on the Shroud of Turin within the last month. Not to piss off anyone who thinks that the Shroud is legit but I don’t think it is the shroud that covered Jesus’ body. There are several reasons why I don’t think the Shroud is legit. The main reason is that the face on the Shroud looks too perfect for the Shroud to have been put onto a real person. If it was on a real person, then the image of the face would have been distorted. The second major reason was the blood stains on the wrists and ankles on the Shroud. Now, as far as I know, Jesus was dead when he was taken off the cross. Well, I would think that the blood stains would have been a lot smaller if the person was dead. So that made me think that the person was still alive when he was put into the Shroud, if it was put onto a real person. The last reason was the carbon-dating on the Shroud. According to the carbon-dating, the Shroud was from the Middle Ages. Anyway, there’s just too much inconsistencies for me to say that the Shroud is legit.

With the anniversary of 9/11 having come and gone, I can’t get over the fact that it’s already been eight years. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. You know, I still remember when I went to school that day, my homeroom/English teacher, history teacher, and band teacher had their classroom TVs going. I remember specifically remember when I went to band class. I remember not seeing anyone setting up to play and the back door was open. Now, keep in mind that the only time that the back door was open was whenever we had a performance and had to take out the percussion instruments out. Anyway, everybody was sitting on the ground, watching the news. Again, I still can’t believe that it’s been eight years.

Worshipping Politics?

It’s a crime to shout fire, when there is no fire, in a crowded theatre, should it not be a crime to do its equivalent in a crowded public square?

Politics is a strange animal; one that will devour the weak and uninformed.

If the United States of America was a crowded theatre, should it be a crime if a politician shouted fire, where there is none?  If a reasonable minded person, one who loves truth and justice, knew there was no fire when the shout rang out, and said nothing.  Would they not be just as guilty?   “So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin”.  James 4:17 AMP

How can we justify our behavior, or lack thereof, in the wake of such a time as this?  Who told you that it was ok to hang your faith and God fearing principles in your closest while you run rampant through the streets yelling fire?   Who told you that it was right to bring violent rhetoric to an otherwise civil public forum?  Yes, we have a right to question our elected officials, and be angry, and voice our opinion.  But, we do not have a right to sow seeds of deception, lies and distortions.

I am a Christian, though, you need not be to have high moral standards, and am ashamed to witness Christians behave this way.  The Apostle Paul experienced a similar situation when a few people stirred up a mob against him.  “But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the Word of God [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] was also preached by Paul at Beroea, they came there too, disturbing and inciting the masses”.  Acts 17:13 AMP

We should be known for our love of truth, honesty and, justice; not for stirring up little mobs all over the country.   Our faith really means something, or not.  “Remind people to be submissive to [their] magistrates and authorities, to be obedient, to be prepared and willing to do any upright and honorable work,”…  Titus 3:1 AMP

We should not let our fears be our guide.  If we let men, or women, stoke our fears, then it is they who we follow.  What a shame.

In case you’ve been living in a cave the past week, we recently lost the “lion of the Senate,” Ted Kennedy.  Despite his lionization, his life’s record is decidedly mixed (as I suspect most of ours are).  On the positive side, we have his 40+ years of service in politics fighting for the poor and the elderly.  On the negative side, we have his support for abortion rights, his responsibility for the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, and who can forget the infamous “waitress sandwich!”

However, the focus of my post today is on the Funeral Mass for the “lion.”  Upon watching the video of the funeral, I couldn’t help but be struck, and somewhat sickened, by its grandeur and pomp.  At times, it seemed to me more like a three-ring circus than an actual Mass.  I ask myself, “what did this man do to deserve all this?”  I think about all the people who toil in service to the poor every day, and the people who live lives much holier than ol’ Teddy, and wonder why they aren’t getting this kind of recognition.

I come to the realization, though, that the circus/funeral is not so much for Teddy but for the people who loved and adored him, flawed as he was.  It’s the last hurrah for Camelot, which is now dead and buried forever, no matter how much the media may want to pass it on to the Obamas.  Now this complicated legacy is left to history.

In order to prevent any of you from being sickened as I was by all the pomp and circumstance, I recommend that before you watch the funeral you put a sign on your computer with the following words:

“Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.  When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others.  Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you give alms,
do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them.  Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.  But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”  [Mt 6:1-6]

In 2006, as a belated response to September 11, 2001, the State of Kentucky passed a statute that created a State Office of Homeland Security. Two ammendments to that statute were then added and worded by state Rep. Tom Riner, a Democrat who represents Louisville, KY; Rep. Riner is also a pastor of Christ is King Baptist Church in Louisville; KY.

From the Miami Herald (emphasis mine):

“One (ammendment) required that training materials include information that the General Assembly stressed a ‘dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.’”

“The other (ammendment) required a plaque to be placed at the entrance to the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort that said, in part, “the safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.”

For the past three years the State Office of Homeland Security met these requirements but now, the order that created the State Homeland Security office has been struck down after ten Kentucky Residents, joined by the American Atheists Inc. sued the state and won.

In the American Atheists blog they argue as they did in the lawsuit that:

“It is clear that the purpose underlying the display of the plaque and the contents of Office of Homeland Security training materials is not to celebrate the historical reasons for our great nation’s survival in the face of terror and war. Its purpose is to declare publicly that the official position of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is that an Almighty God exists and that the function of that God is to protect us from our enemies. Consequently, a reading of the statute’s plain language makes that clear. Effectively, the General Assembly has created an official government position on God.”

Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate agreed with the Atheist group and said in an August 26th decision that: “references to a dependence on ‘Almighty God’ in the law that created the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security are akin to establishing a religion, which the government is prohibited from doing in the U.S. and Kentucky constitutions.”

Judge Wingate’s 18-page ruling said in part:

“The statute pronounces very plainly that current citizens of the Commonwealth cannot be safe, neither now, nor in the future, without the aid of Almighty God. Even assuming that most of this nation’s citizens have historically depended upon God, by choice, for their protection, this does not give the General Assembly the right to force citizens to do so now.”

“This is the very reason the Establishment Clause was created: to protect the minority from the oppression of the majority,” he wrote. “The commonwealth’s history does not exclude God from the statutes, but it had never permitted the General Assembly to demand that its citizens depend on Almighty God.”

Personally I believe that in most cases, atheists misuse the key phrase in the First Ammendment to the Constitution that calls for what most people refer to as the separation of church and state, (“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”) — but in this case, it appears to me that they were exactly right.

It’s obvious that Rep. Tom Riner is one of those obnoxious Christians who refuse to respect a persons right to NOT believe in a Supreme Being, instead he insists that his belief must not only be respected but codified.

What is NOT obvious is why the Kentucky General Assembly went along with such a blatant attempt to force Riner’s concept of the power of belief in God on the entire state. Are that many dunces in the Kentucky State Assembly?

Applause to Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate for a well thought out, appropriate decision!

Is Capitalism evil?

An interesting question to ponder.  The driver of the Capitalist system is mutual self-interest mostly based on the individual accumulation of wealth. Jesus teaches us that giving up our desire for possessions is key to entering God’s kingdom.  Reference Luke 18:18-26, 14:33, 6:20, Matthew 19:16-24, etc.  How can an economic system whose driving force is antithetical to Jesus’ teachings be anything but evil?

My answer is that it might not be evil if God can use it to promote a greater good.  The Capitalist system, more than any other economic system tried, has managed to raise the standard of living of all who are fortunate enough to live under it.  In America, it has even changed the definition of poverty and the ‘basic necessities of life’ from food, shelter, and clothing (or lack thereof) to television, cell phones, and a laundry list of other things.

In order for man to contemplate God, his basic necessities must be cared for.  If I’m worried about where my next meal is coming from, I’m going to be hunting or gathering, not praying.  We should first care for the physical needs of people, and then attend to their spiritual needs.  No economic system has done a better job of providing for man’s physical needs then the Capitalist system.  While Capitalism can potentially enslave people to the pursuit of possessions, it can also free people from dependence and allow them the time to discover and love God.  It can also provide enough excess wealth that, in the hands of compassionate people, can be distributed to care for the basic needs of the poor.  These are the ‘greater goods.’

Granted, Capitalism is not a perfect system.  There is massive inequality.  Huge (exponential) differences between rich and poor.  Some would call that injustice.  I don’t know.  All I’m saying is that nothing in the history of mankind has improved the human condition more than the Capitalist economic system.  Both rich and poor have benefited, however unequally.

Other systems have been tried, and none has worked as well, or at all.  Some Socialist and Communist systems (i.e. USSR, DPRK) have even devolved into repressive Totalitarian governments.  The Chinese have admitted failure and are adopting the Capitalist system (although I believe economic freedom without political freedom is not any freedom at all), even as we in the US seem to be slowly abandoning it.

Human beings are imperfect, and are bound to come up with imperfect economic systems.  Capitalism is imperfect.  However, I have yet to see anything better out there.  Let’s pray that God will guide our political leaders to choose rightly as they contemplate the future direction of our economy.

Inspiration:  2 Kgs 4:42-44, Jn 6:1-15

The theme of today’s readings is all about how God provides for His people.  Examples of this abound throughout the Bible, especially in Exodus where God provides “manna from heaven,” and in the Gospels where Jesus multiplies loaves of bread to feed thousands.  The lesson of these stories and many more in the Bible is that if we are willing to take risks for the Lord, he will find a way to sustain us.  It may be through the abundance of nature, or through the generosity of compassionate people, but if we have faith, God will find a way to give us ‘our daily bread.’

Granted, God does not promise us a life of luxury… he only ensures that we will have the basic necessities to survive.  (Also, this should not be taken as an excuse to take unnecessary risks like the ones Chris McCandless did as chronicled in the book and now movie, Into the Wild.)  This should be enough for us, however, because Jesus calls us to give up our attachment to earthly possessions, which, of course, is easier said than done.

Sometimes I look at my life and wonder what I’ve gotten myself into.  I look around at my big house, cars, and all my possessions, and say to myself, “Yes… all this stuff means you’ve done pretty well, but in the process you’ve made yourself a slave by having to work to pay this huge mortgage and car payments, etc.  Were all these possessions worth the price of your freedom?”  I wish I had understood Jesus’ message from the outset and possibly made some different decisions.  Now, I’m in a position where if I wanted to have more freedom, work less, and spend more time with my family, I would have to give up a lot of these things that I now consider necessities, and that would be a very painful process.  Therefore, I will probably live my whole life in ‘wage slavery.’

It grates on me sometimes when people decry the amount of poverty in the United States.  Granted, we should all do what we can to lift up those in poverty, but I don’t think we have true poverty here in the US… it’s just that our definition of poverty changes as our living standards improve.  Welfare recipients in this country in most cases have multiple televisions and cell phones.  My mom worked for a short stint at a cable company where she frequently encountered people who considered cable television to be a ‘right’ that they should receive without having to pay for.  The real problem in this country is not poverty.  It’s inequality and injustice… which we must fight.  But no one starves in the United States (except in the case of McCandless and the like), because we have many generous people.

Anyway, my point is that I think we are all called to rethink what we consider to be necessities in our lives.  Perhaps we might find some things we have that we truly don’t need, and maybe we can find a way to earn ourselves a little more freedom by giving it up.  I can’t say that I am a good example for this, but I do aspire to it.  All we need is a little more faith that God will always find a way to provide for our basic necessesities (as He defines them, not us).

You know, I don’t get why there’s a conflict between the three religions. I mean, I can understand the conflict between Judaism and Islam, and Judaism and Christianity. Because the conflict between Judaism and Islam started with the whole first born son conflict between Sarah’s son, Isaac, and the servant/maid’s son, Ishmael. It was because the servant and Ishmael were kicked out due to the fact that Ishmael was due to inherit Abraham’s property and Sarah wanted Isaac to inherit the property instead. Now, I can understand why there was a conflict between Judaism and Christianity way back when Christianity first started. Because Judaism originally started out as a Jewish sect. The only difference was that Christians believe that Jesus was the Savior that was supposed to come. Anyway, I don’t really understand why there is a conflict between Christianity and Islam. The only thing that I can think of for nowadays is because of 9/11. But even with that, it’s mostly here in America where there’s the conflict between Christianity and Islam. Oh, just so that everyone who reads this, I did not purposely make the picture for the symbol for Islam the smallest picture, nor did I intend for the picture of the cross to be the biggest.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” [Lord Acton, 1887]

Inspiration:  Mt 20:20-28

I always find it interesting and somewhat reassuring that the few glimpses we get of the Apostles in the Gospels show us that they are regular people, subject to the same rivalries and temptations that we are.  In this passage of Matthew, the two sons of Zebedee are trying to gain preference over the other Apostles.  Jesus, in his characteristic way, uses this as a ‘teachable moment.’  First, he talks about the corrupting effect of power:

But Jesus summoned them and said,
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and the great ones make their authority over them felt…”

Those who are drunk with power tend to abuse it and make sure others ‘know who they’re dealing with.’  You can see this among politicians and other leaders from that day to this.  However, Jesus points us in a different direction:

But it shall not be so among you.
Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;
whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.
Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

We are called to use our positions of power and authority to serve others, just as Jesus did in the ultimate way by dying on the cross to earn our salvation.  We can see this also in the examples of the founding fathers of the United States.  Some specific examples include George Washington turning down the title of King that was offered to him, and voluntarily stepping down after two terms as President, starting a tradition that carried forward until the 1930’s.  Contrast that with the recent corruption cases in New Jersey, where people in power were serving their own interests instead of that of their people.

We need to get back to a culture where our politicians see themselves as servants of the people, instead of lords over the people.  We are also called as individuals to use our positions of authority to serve others, and to always remain humble and remember our own sinful nature (which means we consider ourselves no better than anyone else).

Inspiration:  Jn 20:1-2, 11-18

Today Catholics celebrate the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, a woman and disciple of Jesus who plays a central role in the Resurrection story.  In Jesus’ time, men and women were segregated at public gatherings.  This is why the apostles were all men.  However, Jesus needed to reach women, too, and therefore called on women like Mary Magdalene to minister to them.

In the present time, the Roman Catholic Church still does not allow women to serve as priests or deacons.  This is a shame because I believe that women have much to contribute to carrying the message of Jesus forward.  The fact that the apostles were all men was a consequence of the social strictures of the day that Jesus had to work within.  It is no longer an excuse to deny women the opportunity to fully contribute to Church ministry.

In his time, Jesus challenged the social injustices of his day.  He came into regular contact with women during his ministry, sometimes in ways that would have been viewed as scandalous in those times.  To top it all off, God chose a woman, Mary Magdalene, to be the first to see the empty tomb and interact with the resurrected Lord.  In that day and age, a woman’s testimony was considered unreliable and invalid in a court of law.  The fact that God chose a woman to be the first witness to the resurrected Jesus is itself a challenge to that injustice.

I ask everyone to join me in praying that the Holy Spirit will prevail on our Holy Father to recognize the potential of women in the Church, and allow them to serve as priests and deacons.  Pray to our female Saints to intercede with God to make this happen.  Until the situation changes, I ask that women continue to serve in their many roles such as religious sisters, Eucharistic ministers, catechists, lectors, altar servers, wives, and mothers.  Your contribution is invaluable, and deserves to be recognized.

(Note:  Added the reference to “religious sisters” later… what a careless omission on my part!)

I just finished reading The Amber Spyglass, the third book in His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman. Now that I’ve finished the trilogy, it made me think about movie version of The Golden Compass. Anyway, I’m kinda torn about how the movie was criticized as being atheistic. Well, in terms of the movie being faithful to the book, I wish that the ending of the book was included in the movie. I also wish that the fight between Iorek and Iofur was put back where it was supposed to be and that the whole spiel with the witches council was also put back in. Now, as for the movie being “atheistic”, I really don’t get why it could be construed as being atheistic. Because it’s not like the Magesterium is a religion. I consider it to be more like communist or dictatorial regime. And that it’s not just the Catholic Church that can be considered to be dogmatic and that tried to “eliminate” heretics. There are other religions that are dogmatic and whatnot. Anyway, that’s just my opinion.

Inspiration:  Jer 23:1-6, Ps 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6, Eph 2:13-18, Mk 6:30-34

“Woe to the shepherds / who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, / says the LORD. ” [Jer 23:1]
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” [Ps 23:1]
“…they were like sheep without a shepherd.” [Mk 6:34]

Sometimes, unfortunately, thousands of years removed from the culture and context of the Holy Scriptures, they might begin to seem dated and irrelevant.  I’m tempted toward that conclusion when I see all the references to shepherds and sheep here.  These concepts were central to the lives of the Israelites, but seem to have little relevance to us today.  It means that we have to work a little harder to find meaning in these words, kind of like the literature student working to interpret poetry.

It may help to go back and read these passages again, replacing some of the words.  Try:

Shepherd = parent, sheep = children, flock = family
Shepherd = leader, sheep/flock = followers
Shepherd = teacher, sheep = students, flock = class

It doesn’t work perfectly, but I think you get the gist.

Once I look a little deeper, I find that Jeramiah’s words are very relevant to our situation today, where we have political (and sometimes spiritual) leaders who mislead, misdirect, and betray their people.  The Psalm tells us exactly where we should put our trust… in the Lord.  The reading from Mark’s gospel seems to capture the human condition…  We are astray, without direction or leadership.  We must look to Jesus for that direction and leadership.  We are his students, and he is our teacher.

Inspiration:  Mt 10:16-23, Ps 37:3-4, 18-19, 27-28, 39-40

This passage in Matthew’s gospel is referred to as “the mission dialogue.”  It is where Jesus warns the apostles of the hardships they will face in the future, once they are sent out to proclaim God’s word after Jesus returns to heaven.  The apostles did suffer for their beliefs, all were either killed or imprisoned.  However, with the aid of the Holy Spirit, they remained true to their beliefs.

Even though Christianity is a mainstream religion today, Christians are still persecuted for their beliefs to varying degrees.  In many countries under Communist or Muslim Theocratic regimes, practicing Christianity is still an illegal act.  Proclaiming the word of God can still get you thrown in jail or killed in these places.  Knowing this makes me appreciate my free speech rights as an American.

However, even in areas like the US and western Europe that are supposedly free, openly proclaiming Christian teachings can make one subject to derision, or even to accusations of “hate speech.”  Many Christian teachings are “politically incorrect,” notable examples include what the Bible teaches about homosexuality, and Christian teachings about the rights of the unborn.  Openly espousing these views can even get one kicked off their college campus.

Therefore, it’s important to remember Jesus’ words,

“When they hand you over,
do not worry about how you are to speak
or what you are to say.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
For it will not be you who speak
but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” [Mt 10:19-22]

We also must remember to love one another.  It is important to distinguish between the sin and the sinner.  We are called to love sinners, and to remain aware that we are sinners, too, and that we are no better than anyone else.  While remaining true to our beliefs, we must also remain filled with compassion and love for each other, and remain welcoming and receptive to all who seek God’s love.

It’s also important to remember that we must tolerate all speech, even that which we disagree with, in order to retain our freedom to speak freely.  The right ideas will win out in the end because of their own merits, and there is no need to suppress opposing views.

I discovered this comment on another blog. I read it with vigor thrilled someone else embraced my views to closely. …alas to realize it was a comment by me in response to the abortion issue being hawked on another blog. I put it here because 1. it is my view and 2. it fits nicely into the context of my blog.

I just wish the American voting population would get unstuck from this abortion stuff. We need to focus on what can save our country from ruin..but you so called religious fools just cannot let that one go. So no matter how the election goes we still have to contend with the background chatter of you guys and remain stuck in the mud we’ve been sloshing around in for the past 7 years. As for abortion it is inconceivable to me how anyone can speak in the same breath about abolishing abortion and turning right around and supporting the murders of war which we train our military to do, The military is one big killing machine. And no one knows when the soul enters the body!!! No one!!! So please get over yourself and stop screeching that line. And if you desire to not have an abortion as Sarah Palin did then have at it. But you will not whack me or any woman who disagrees with you over the head with your views!! If you criminalized it, we will do it anyway, illegally!!! No law has ever stopped it and a law will not stop it now. And we won’t be prosecuted for it either.. Ever heard of the good ole gals club!!!??? Please! Who do you think you are dealing with!?? So lets couch this campaign in the substantive issues which truly mar our nation!!!

Qatar was to be the last Muslim country we traveled to as well as the last country in the Middle East we would visit on this trip. We were only here for a short duration but through our time here we got to experience a complete insider’s view of the politics and complications that arise when the Muslim religion is going through changes in the 21^st century.

We woke up around four a.m. for our flight from Dubai to Doha. At this point in the trip, the early wake-up calls were nothing new to us and we were actually getting used to it. When we got to Doha we drove around the city a bit and got to see the scenery. Looking at the buildings, I was honestly slightly more impressed than in Dubai (where it was rumored to be outrageously extravagant). We took quick naps at our hotel, The Sheraton, and grabbed lunch in the lobby before we left for our visit to Al Jazeera.

At Al Jazeera, we were met by Christina Aivaliotis who works with the Communication and Corporate Relations team. She gave us a tour of both the English and Arabic channel’s newsrooms and talked to us briefly about the history of Al Jazeera and how they became so influential. The English channels newsroom was more modern than the Arabic’s and housed the largest video wall in the world, consisting of 26 plasma screens that amounted to 25 meters long. After our tour we had a briefing with a question and answer section with Christina and two of her colleagues, Lauren McCollough from the same division and Satnam Matharu who was the head of the International and Media Relations division. The three explained to us Al Jazeera’s mission and vision and how they accomplish these through their networks. Al Jazeera provides their audience with the “voice of the voiceless” because they actually have journalists stationed in their 25 English and 44 Arabic bureaus around the word. Al Jazeera is criticized with being a controversial news station because they cover stories and topics that many other news stations ignore or choose not to cover because of the ramifications or what they see as “lack of newsworthiness” because it doesn’t directly affect one of the big superpower nations. Al Jazeera is also the first Arabic news channel in the Middle East and revolutionized the media in the Middle East. This alone is remarkable because most news stations are predominantly run by western nations.

That night we went to Education City, where we were guests at the Doha Debates. The topic of the evening was, “Should Muslim women be able to marry anyone they want to.” We heard four totally different viewpoints, with two speakers each representing a side. One of the pro arguments, a Muslim woman, was arguing free will and that all Muslim women should have the option to choose their fate and future. The other pro argument, a Muslim man, focused on the realization of shades of gray in the world and that everything is not black and white and that this should be taken into consideration when religion is involved. On the other side, one of the con arguments, a Muslim woman, stressed that young girls act on impulse and need to be guided by their mothers and superiors and therefore should not be given the freedom to do whatever they want because they inevitably will make the wrong decision. The other con argument, a Muslim man, focused strictly on religion and he believed that men should have more rights, the Koran outlines religious law and that this law should not be broken no matter what. The debate was then open to the audience for questions and comments and a variety of people from both sides of the argument spoke up about their beliefs and views.

What surprised me the most was the fact that, some of the Muslim women who spoke up were actually defending the argument that they should not be allowed to marry whoever they want. Their reasons for defending this side was that if they were to marry whoever they wanted and go against their parents wishes, which in some cases leads to their families cutting ties with their daughter and having them be shunned, and then the marriage failed, these women would be left alone and without their security net that they needed to survive and feel safe.

Counterarguments for this point focused on the fact that there are other sources of security and other ways to make these women feel safe again. I found it interesting though, that nothing was brought up about the fact that thinking this way and going into a marriage with a negative attitude thinking it may end in turmoil was unhealthy and that people should be getting married to the one they love and be planning to spend the rest of their lives with that person. At the end of the debate there was a vote…..62% voted for the motion and 38% voted against the motion. These results were an immense triumph for the rights of Muslim women and showed that times are changing, however it is slowly but eventually maybe conditions will improve and rules will loosen up.

After the debates we went back to the hotel for dinner and relaxed for the night because we had another early wake-up for our flight to Paris in the morning. People make the Middle East out to be this scary and dangerous place and I don’t doubt that in some areas this is the case but after my experience on this trip, I realize that the Middle East cannot be grouped into one region categorized as some might say a “terrorist breeding nation” because it is not the same in every country. I will definitely be back and am also more trusting of the regions of the Middle East. Hopefully one day I will make my way to Lebanon and get to witness firsthand the beauty that this country holds.

Pictures to be uploaded after my return to the states on 6/15/09

xoxo Christine

They had been together for 18 years and had three adopted children but neither that fact or the legal documentation presented to the hospital (living wills, advanced directives and power-of-attorney documents) was sufficient to allow 39 y/o Lisa Pond to have her family at her bedside when she was dying at the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.

Although it sounds like the hospital was wrong — LEGALLY they were right. Lisa Pond’s family, according to the law, was not a “real family.” No, Lisa and her partner were not legally married — they would have been if the law had allowed it — but in Florida a long term, loving relationship and three children is not sufficient under a law that supposes that only a man and a woman can be a true married couple. Lisa Pond and Janice Langbehn were a gay couple and, to quote a Charles Dickens character:

“If the law supposes that, the law is a ass, a idiot.

Janice Langbehn was finally allowed a five minute visit, by herself, as a priest administered last rites to her life partner and later, Lisa Pond’s children finally did get to see her — she didn’t know that however. After she had slipped into an unconscious state that she would never awake from, they were allowed a visit. They all, no doubt, told her during their visit that they loved her and all, no doubt, cried and, as children do, they no doubt begged her to get better; its a shame their words fell on deaf ears; a shame that Lisa Pond could not reach out her hand ans assure them. 10-1/2 hours later Lisa Pond was pronounced brain dead.

This happened over two years ago but Janice Langbehn and her children (Danielle, 15; David, 13; and Katie, 12) are as devastated now as they were then over their losses. Janice has filed a Federal lawsuit; she and the kids are being represented by Beth Littrell, a lawyer with Lambda Legal, a gay rights group. From what I’ve read, they aren’t asking for monetary damages, what they want to send a message Ms. Littrell said, so that in the future, hospitals all over the country have a legal responsibility to “let patients define their own circle of intimacy and give them the dignity and care to be with their loved ones in this sort of crisis.”

News Links:

The Olympian: Love, loss underscore woman’s fight

Sarasota Herald Tribune: Kept From a Dying Partner’s Bedside

Blog Links

Today’s Letter: A Gay Dad asks Governor Schwarzenegger for the Freedom to Marry

The Perimeter Progressive: Love makes the world go ’round . . . Unless you’re in the hospital.

(NOTE: I always try to find opposing viewpoints in my News and Blog Links but, in this case, I was unsuccessful.)

My other homes for my posts are: The Blogger News Network — it’s real news from real people and Opinion Forum A Forum for Opinions on News, Politics, and Life.

The National Day of Prayer, started by President Truman, was IMO a bad idea then because it suggested that the government and the president himself needed Divine intervention if this country was to survive. That’s a pretty sad statement for a president to make — a leader of a nation needs to have both feet on the ground, not one here and one in some paradise inhabited by Gods and angels and needs to present himself as if HE is in charge.

But despite what I think, the idea of a National Day of Prayer stood and it still stands. The impression that our country is slowly developing into a theocracy of sorts was even stronger during the President G.W. Bush era. Bush let it be known loudly and clearly that he consulted God before making the tough decisions (I wonder if that was before or after he consulted his trusted advisors), and he turned the National Day of Prayer into a political circus by turning the seat of our government into a place of worship on that Day. It all made many Americans wonder and worry about how far we were going with this commingling of religion and government.

President Obama has made the first move to move to put some separation between politics and religion and I applaud him for that. President Obama commemorated the National Day of Prayer by issuing the expected (almost mandatory) proclamation but the President Bush style public circus to mark the day has been cancelled. Needless to say many, many religious conservatives are, to put it mildly, miffed!

The National Day of Prayer Task Force is protesting loudly. Their stated mission is: “mobilizing the Christian community to intercede for America and its leadership.” If that means that their job is to pray for our country and its leaders, there is no reason for them to be upset; they can spend the entire 24-hour day praying and even the next few days after that. It is far more likely, however, that they mean that their job is to “influence” the actions of American leadership, if that’s the case it makes the National Day of Prayer Task Force more dangerous to our Constitution than the Taliban.

The mostly right-wing religious talk show world had another arrow in their quiver when Obama sent the circus out of town. The apparent leader of their cause, Rush Limbaugh, was being snide and puffy as usual: he suggested that the president is “asserting his authoritarian control” and followed that with one of the nasty jibes that listeners to talk radio are used to: “They say he prays privately, I have no doubt. Who does he pray to? Does he pray to himself?”

Personally, I have nothing against prayer, for those who Believe, as a personal communication with their God but personal communication should be just that — personal. Public prayer (out side of the home or church) is, as it always has been, just a show put on by those who are so insecure in their beliefs that they feel a need to stand up and say “Look at me! Look how Holy I am!” If you Believe, there is no need to stand on a streetcorner or at a lectern and shout your prayers to God; no need to beseech God from the halls of Congress — if you REALLY believe in Him, you know in your heart that He is already there!

News Links:

Guardian.co.uk: Obama’s understated National Day of Prayer

FortWayne News-Sentinel: Prayer as a civic act isn’t deluded – but it is diluted

Blog Links:

Pointer’s Weekly: A lot of lies about the National Day of Prayer

Deo Vindice: National Day of Prayer and Liberal gods

My other home for my posts is The Blogger News Network — it’s real news from real people.

In consideration of the Aquarian Depression brought on by the Jewish System of Money Creation, I must say that the answer to solving the problem is relatively easy. The problem rests with a leadership that is vain in its conceits and servile to the High Priests of Finance and their self-serving system. When Jews purchased a controlling interests in the Democrat Party through hefty contributions, they were able to able to steer this party to hasten their global agenda. [This is not an anti-Semitic statement; the Jewish politician Corzine of New Jersey used the term "Jewish World Agenda"  at a meeting that included journalist.] Further, the concept is utterly at one with the important Jewish religious concept of Tikkun olam. The last term means “repair of the world.” Certainly, such a project requires a “world agenda.”

To accomplish the “repair of the world,” the political machinery of the most important nations must be seized by force or craft. [Mossad motto: "By way of deception," which references a famed rabbi's advice - in part - on tactics in the "war against the gentiles" (sic). Jewish leadership in worldly matters has tried both. Under Vladimir I. Lenin a violent seizure of political power in Tsarist Russia led to the "Dictatorship of Marxist Jews" and power was consolidated by murdering the nonJewish intelligentia (some Jews believe this is a contradiction of terms), the middle class, and patriotic military and police officers. Euro-American financier, Jacob Schiff, according to his son, gave 20 million dollars worth of gold to the Lenin project prior to its success. Schiff, a Jew whose grandson married Albert Gore, Junior's daughter, could say: "And I helped!" He was not the only financier who gave, but he may well have been the only one whoo served as a pall-bearer at Lenin's funeral. By contrast John D. Rockefeller gave Trotsky and his Eastside Jewish gangsters only $10,000. Of course, such an amount has a vast buying power compared to today's Federal Reserve Note, denominated in "dollars." Dollars were originally Spanish coins with a constant - more or less - amount of gold grains.

The Federal Reserve System is the American "face" for the world's network of central banks, which operate on the principal of debt ( engenders "discipline" - many suffer under its chains even now). Money is "loaned" into the political economy of America at interests and typically without reality - beyond "ink on a ledger book" or "keyboard minting." Paul Warburg, a Euro-American financier, who was also Jewish, was the most influential advocate of such a system, which was born in conspiracy at Jekyl Island.

Meanwhile, with Russia subdued and in the process of being butchered, many of the Jewish "children of the night" began to migrate from the Workers' Paradise"  to the fertile revolutionary field of the Americas. Soon, instability became the order of the day in South America. In North America severe depressions wiped out pockets of gentile wealth, and, thus, the inequalities that Jewish immigrants perceived began to diminish. Jews could then look the bewildered gentiles in the eyes and say: "Do you want to make a deal? How does it feel? When you're all alone? How does it feel?" 

Aware that they had an agenda, while the gentiles only had a love of vanity, these Russian-born Jews began to make the trek to political power and policy creators. By the time of FDR Jews were very clearly prominent as advisers and cabinet secretaries. By the time of William Jefferson Clinton over 50% of the high political, appointive positions went to Jews. This is a close approximation to the Jewish proportion found within the U.S.S.R. No one has ever brought up the matter of "disparate results" in regard to Jews. Why? By the time of William Jeffeson Clinton Jewish leaders had engineered what amounts to a majority "position" within the Democrat Party. Of course, the Golden Rule applied: He who has the gold rules. [Don't expect the Supreme Court to outlaw this union of religion and government.]

So, that brings us back to President Obama and his Jewish advisers. Please note: by now one need not be Jewish to be a devote of the Jewish System. It’s taught in all the best schools. Parenthetically, the last time I heard statistics on the matter back in the ’90s, Harvard University had a total scholar-student ratio of 40% Jewish. With ample support from the media and entertainment, opponents of the Jewish System were relentlessly portrayed as “simple” and often “uncouth.” Young folks wanted no part of such labels. Neither does Mr. President Obama.

Yet, Abraham Lincoln was, in effect, an enemy of the Jewish System, as he directed his Secretary of the Treasury to have printed and spent into the economy legal tender “Greenbacks,” which were not loaned into the system by banks but spent into the economy by the federal government to fund the fighting of the Civil War. The suggestion had been gained from an old friend, Colonel Taylor. The principle is as valid today as then. Constructive purposes for spending the money into the economy are as valid as destructive ones, such as war and mayhem.

With this in mind, I like to follow up on a suggestion made by JetINight in a blog. He had suggested that two trillion “Greenbacks” be spent into the economy through free grants to small businesses. It would be administered through the Small Business Administration. As small businesses hire 80% of American workers, they would be the best primary area into which massive funds should be injected. LET THEM DEPOSIT THEIR CHECKS IN THE BANKS OF THEIR CHOICE. At the same time the Treasury Department would oversee the removal and destruction of the Federal Reserve Notes in the American economic system.

I suggest that a very substantial, tax-free dividend of legal tender Greenbacks be issued to people now receiving Social Security. It would be administered by the Social Security Administration. This would promptly introduce a vast amount of liquidity to a very needy and deserving portion of America. This money would work its way into the banking system. However, as the banking system in private hands has proven to be unstable, this period should be used by President Obama to devise a National Banking System, which functions not to monger debt but to offer safe harbor to the citizens for money storage. It would charge a tiny percent annually for this service. It would also be the primary source to initiate legal tender injections, as is needed. It could also watch for forgeries and other crimes against the citizenry of this sort.

As this is a brief commentary, I shall draw up my warhorse here. My last comment is: Let the world follow our good example; let’s not follow their bad one. Let’s keep the rabbis out of the Oval Office.

All rights reserved. Nomoonnight, 2009.

I love this site…. Sunnipath.com - a great source for traditional Islamic info with a great Q&A section…. i received an email from them  – a round up of what has been going on lately on the site and one of their blog articles caught my eye – and anger i must admit.

The article – read it [ and please do browse the site it has some invaluable info], i felt for once was not up to the standard as like a lot of Muslims ( even Pashtun Muslims) they are not aware (though they may be Alims) of the suffering and grief that is falling on yet another Muslim Pukhtun community, clearly bringing Pukhtuns in Afghanistan to their knees and the division of Pukhtuns  in Afghanistan and Pukhtunkhwa via the Durrand Line is definately not enough.

Here is my “comment” on the article and i do wonder what the response will be – if any, i suspect i shan’t be receiving a reply, but miracles do happen.

Maybe it is about time we Muslims Pukhtuns started helping each other, any ideas how though? Clearly just saying the same old “we need education first” is not working, Pashtuns are very highly educated well the ones i know, maybe it is time we started using something education can’t provide – a sense of togetherness and common sense?

My comment:

Asalaamalaikum,

I love the sunni path site, have been visiting it for many years, however on this occasion it seems clear that what is being discussed is something you possibly have no knowledge off other then “the headlines” or are simply (accidently it maybe) not giving the full whole picture of something which is going to become another catastrophe for muslims.

If you would allow me to, inshAllah i would like to explain it the best i can as to what is going on as it is important for the Muslim Ummah to be aware, afterall what happens to one part of the Ummah should upset someone like it is happening to their own brother/sister?

Intro….

My ancestorial roots are from Pukhtunkhwa – formerly known as North West Frontier Province in which to the north Swat is located and have many family friends from that area specifically and i know from their direct experience what is going on.

The inhabitants of this area are Pashtuns they speak Pashto, and originate from Afghanistan, apparently we Pashtuns (Pukhtuns) are one of the, if not the biggest tribe in the world including our brothers and sisters of modern day Afghanistan. 99.99% of Pashtuns are sunni Muslims and culturally very religious and have contributed to the conversion to Islam of the majority of non Pashtun modern day Pakistanies and possibly even Indian Muslims. There are a number of well known Pashtun imams and awliya in the past the ones that most people might have heard of include Baba Ganj Baksh (May Allah have mercy on him) and Imam Raza Khan (may Allah have mercy on him) who is famous for being from Barelwi in India.

The Pashtuns have ruled over the whole of the south asian continent comprimising of modern day, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh and have always had very strong traditional Islamic views, that belong to no particular sect or group other then to be sunni Hanafies until the last few decades with the spread of “certain” groups, even then the Pashtun is a rigid Muslim that believes in, and isn’t afraid of following Islam all the way.

The matter itself…

To begin with, It is not lack of Islamic knowledge and Swat is not some backward poor village either, it is a massive mountainous district, the most beautiful part of Pakistan with some of the richest and poorest people just like in any other province or district of Pakistan or any other country

It has as is traditional with Pashtuns anyway, a very strong sense of following Islam no matter what, they have Madrasah’s that are for girls and girls there are educated Islamically in the basics as well as getting a non secular education as anywhere else in the Islamic World and if someone wished to pursure an Islamic education or secular education it has never been prohibited. With many women in the region who can afford it just as their male counterparts, strving to be Medical doctors or any such highly regarded profession, the case is very similar with all the other districts too, until now.

History is repeating…

Muslims are on the verge – no Muslims are being slaughtered as i type here, and the whole province is on the brink of history repeating itself, what happened to Afghanistan is going to happen to the whole province it is just starting in Swat it has already spread to the neighbouring District Dir and has already affected the District of Bajaur.

I feel like i am writing and explaining this how i would to a non Muslim, but it seems there is no help and support for the Pashtun Muslims why was there no blog article when internal refugees where created in Bajaur? How much longer will Pashtuns have to suffer in silence? When will the rest of the Ummah rise and help them?

From what i have heard, the people that are destroying these schools – are randomly abducting grown men, and murdering them, how many people would have known that? Why are you giving the same image and putting out the same propaganda i would expect from a non muslim media article?

InshAllah i would love to pursue an Islamic education, and become an Alimah simply to be able to teach my children one day and bring them up as practising Muslims inshAllah from day one and hopefully contribute to the Muslim Ummah in ways Allah knows best.

For now though – what of the Alims and Alimahs there are now, what are they doing for the muslims suffering throughout the world? Islam is not just about pursuing knowledge, why are we Muslims if we are not going to act on our so called Imaan?

As Imam Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said, action without knowledge is vanity, and knowledge without action is insanity.

How long are we going to be insane? Becoming an Alim or Alimah, what is the next step for such people to actively help their fellow Muslims? Or is it simply become an Alim/Alimah and teach others, and just hope Allah answers the prayers of those oppressed throughout the world let alone the Islamic world?

I apologise for my tone but sometimes it just is necessary to be firm…

JazzakAllah, and may Allah have mercy on all of us and may infinite Peace and blessings be on our beloved Nabi Sallahu alehe wasallam.

p.s

The people that are causing this trouble (all men) when their dead bodies have been found they are not even circumcised, clearly they are not Muslims as all Pashtuns are Muslim and circumcised,to simply say it is some “mad Mullah” is not correct, the problem is a lot bigger and a lot more complex.

To spell it out……. the Pakistan army is saying they can’t control whoever it is that is causing this trouble “the unknown enemy”

- the women of this region who are seeing their fathers, brothers, husbands and sons murdered without a cause, and are being left destitute, some have had their husbands murdered their livelihoods – any businessess they possessed blown up, are so heart broken are praying that if our own Muslims can’t help us, let the US in, at least someone will help.

I hope that makes it clear, soon Pakistan will be hosting a few more guests, i would bet on it…. if it wasn’t haram.

On election day in a Georgia Middle School, students were asked to participate in the Presidential election in their classes by voting for McCain or NObama, a psychological pun that was obviously meant to indicate that voting for Obama was wrong. The portrayal of NObama and Obama Bin Laden was written in by students who had obviously been influenced by their parents – not particularly surprising in a white dominated Republican area. While angry at the negative portrayal of now President-Elect Obama, I felt it wasn’t worth mentioning because of the mandate that Obama received from the general electorate; I was wrong. Those in the GOP that have forgotten what our constitution embodies and continue to slam a President that hasn’t even taken office are setting the stage to resist anything and everything the American people came out in droves to accomplish – and to remain silent, as the MSM is doing, is another long list of failures of the MSM to expose and chastise racism in the United States. Much to their credit, the teachers attempted to explain how comparing Obama to Osama Bin Laden was wrong, but children are influenced more by their parents than at at school – which demonstrates that racism and bigotry appear to be alive and well throughout the United States.

The school bus in Idaho whose students were chanting “assassinate Obama” were elementary students, again an example of children who were mirroring conversations they had heard from their parents. (IMO) This story appeared on RAW Story, and reading the accompanying comments were almost as bad, if not worse than the story itself! For so-called Democrats, Liberals and Progressives to suggest that “nuking” this den of anti-Obama rednecks is appropriate is mirroring the Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter types that began this extremist dialogue in the first place – and to me, it places them in the same vein of those who we have finally voted out of office. If this busload of children were chanting for President Bush’s assassination, there’s no doubt each student and their parents would have been scrutinized by the Secret Service, but as long as Bush is in office – this appears to be acceptable behavior.

Also, not surprisingly in Vay, Idaho, “The Secret Service is investigating a sign erected by a northern Idaho landowner that advertises a “free public hanging” of President-elect Barack Obama and other political figures.” Unfortunately, the bulk of the comments I have read are blaming these outbursts in Idaho on the Mormons – which I believe is incorrect. I was raised in the Mormon Church, and even though I am no longer a practicing Mormon and quit being active in the 1970’s, none of this behavior is consistent with the teachings of the LDS Church. Mormons are taught they must comply with the “law of the land”, and for the most part, are one of the most strict religions that I’m personally aware of; Mormons are not allowed to drink alcohol, caffeine, and are taught to respect the family unit and care for their own – which they do better than any church in existence, even now some 30 years since I was a member. Travel back to the era of Howard Hughes; his personal guards were almost 100% Mormon, not because they were necessarily the best as far as security was concerned, but because of their legendary morals and honesty. Thousands of Mormons work in Las Vegas Casinos, again based on their morals, their unwavering commitment not to consume alcohol, and their record for being almost beyond corruption. As a whole, Mormons have the reputation of being some of the most honest and dependable employees in the United States – a fact that is unequaled among other religions. A Mormon that supports the assassination of Barack Obama is not a true believer – and therefore should not be labeled as a “Mormon.” While I now disagree with many of the beliefs of the Mormon Church, I still respect the Mormon people who diligently follow their faith – and based on personal knowledge – I can assure you it IS NOT Mormon’s in Idaho that support Barack Obama’s assassination. We should all remember that Idaho has for years been a stronghold of white supremacists – and even though many in the state are Mormons, they aren’t the ones who are advocating harm to our President-Elect. (IMO) The one factor I have never understood about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is their unwavering support of the Republican party; all Christians consider the Mormon religion to be a cult, and when it comes to the Presidency, a Mormon has as much chance of being elected President as a serial killer – yet they still allow themselves to be manipulated by the GOP.

Two days ago, Georgia’s NAACP says Obama’s election has resulted in ‘acts of intimidation and retaliation’. As examples of such behavior, they cited several examples – and below are several examples listed in their report:

— African-American parents are reporting that their kids – from elementary to high school -are being verbally and physically harassed by their white classmates while their teachers turn the other way.

— Teachers and principals have told students that they cannot in any way discuss President-elect Obama and the election or they will face disciplinary action, even though prior to Nov. 4, teachers held regular class discussions on the upcoming election.

— At the workplace, employees are being ordered by their employers not to mention the name Obama or the election.

— One worker was told to move her car out of the company parking lot because she had an Obama bumper sticker on her vehicle.

— Both African-American students and employees are reporting that they’re receiving all kinds of slights, cold shoulders, and uncomfortable stares from their white classmates and colleagues.

The icing on the cake comes from “A South Carolina Roman Catholic priest who told his parishioners that they should refrain from receiving Holy Communion if they voted for Barack Obama because the Democratic president-elect supports abortion, and supporting him “constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil.” Considering that 54% of Catholics voted for Obama in South Carolina, apparently, thousands of “souls” would appear to be at risk – an idea that is as absurd as the proclamation by the Priest that issued the edict.

You will find few, if any of these stories on the mainstream news media. As usual, the “corporatists” in the MSM prefer to allow the anti-Obama backlash to grow rather than exposing it for the bigotry it is.
It appears the GOP is fostering, by and through their public attack dogs, an atmosphere of hate and disrespect for our President-Elect. As one commenter on RAW Story stated, “I’m sick of the lowest common denominators of society setting the tone of this country.” I share his sentiments; if these remarks had been against President Bush, several people would now rightfully be incarcerated. It’s time for the country to understand the purveyors of hate and racism have been rejected by the American public – and if they keep it up, their actions can only be described as subversive – and that’s a crime under the rule of law which most of us honor and cherish.

William Cormier

NOTE: After this story was written, there was more, and unless it is checked, rather than diminish, it will continue to grow. Those who choose racism and bigotry over equality and our belief in the rule of law, Obama’s Presidency will be derailed by hate and ignorance – the founding principles of the GOP.

Report: North Carolina cops investigated for possible racial slurs against Obama

California’s Prop 8 is nothing new. Other states have essentially banned gay marriage by “defining” marriage as a union between a man and woman. The question is: who gave them the right?

I fully understand that most religious organizations and other organizations consider homosexual relations to be immoral. That’s their prerogative! No one has to approve of (or engage in) homosexual relations unless they want to! Somewhere along the line, however, governments got involved. Now stop and think about that for a minute! We are in a society where the governments are into the business of who can marry who. I don’t know about you, but to me that seems like something a government should keep at arms length.

I’m a pragmatist, however, and understand that that’s the way it is — and the way it has been for literally hundreds of years: you need government permission (state, county, city — whatever) to get married. Some say there are good reasons for government involvement in marriage: to track who’s married to who — for income tax purposes being the chief one of those reasons. OK, I guess I can buy that . . . even though the reason the income tax code needs to differentiate between married people and unmarried people is very fuzzy.

What’s not fuzzy is the fact that our governments (states as well as Federal) are fully invested in the business of bringing religion into the marriage licensing process; and I say that because the main reason those who are opposed to gay marriage are so opposed is because they say homosexuality is “immoral”! Where do you suppose they got that idea? Could it have been from mainstream religions? The other argument against gay marriage is that it “redefines” marriage . . . well I guess that depends on whos definition you are using.

Going beyond Proposition 8: such a proposition should not have been necessary because the original court ruling, allowing gays to marry, should not have been necessary; because the basic definition of marriage is simply two people falling in love and vowing to spend their lives together. That arrangement, regardless of who the two people are, should automatically be accepted by every government! Rejecting that arrangement should not, in fact, be a government option.

Essentially, state governments by adopting rules against gay marriages are adopting religious teachings and beliefs and codifying them within their state Constitutions. That represents everything that the Founding Fathers, the framers of our constitution, did NOT want to happen. Freedom of religion means just what it says and if a religious organization wants to bless a marriage between two men or two women the government should not only stand back and not interfere, the government should remain completely uninterested.

Keith Oberman, the MSNBC news commentator, presented a beautifully logical, yet impassioned dialogue berating those who had the nerve to vote FOR Proposition 8; that dialogue has been captured on YouTube — I strongly urge everyone on either side of the issue to click this link and watch it.

News Links:

International Herald Tribune: After Calif. loss, gays get right to wed in Conn.

San Jose Mercury News: California may vote on gay marriage again in 2010

Blog Links:

Sweat Tears or the Sea: Traditional Family DOES NOT Equal Homophobia

Instant Pride: Proposition 8 protests planned across the US

This seemed like the logical thing to do in light of a presidential election of epic proportions. I am of course, referring to the recent US election which saw the first black president ever to be elected into office. Naturally, there are reasons to celebrate this. For the first time, a minority is going to be what is the most powerful person in the world.  But let us not fool ourselves here. While there are great reasons to celebrate, there are still work to be done. Simply electing a black person into office does not mean that racism is over. Nor does this mean that white people are “off the hook,” so to speak.

Systemically speaking, the structures that privilege hetero-sexual white middle-class males are still intact. GLBTQ folks are not afforded the same rights as their hetero-sexual brothers and sisters. Women still earn less than men. Nobody seems to want to talk about the lower classes. (Evangelical) Christianity is privileged over other religions. And, persons of color continue to be marginalized in an increasingly xenophobic environment while white privilege continues to operate. Many of the things that I am addressing may not be overt (though some are). Indeed, what makes the system of oppressions work so well is that it is hidden from us. It operates through consensus rather than through force. I am of course, drawing on Antonio Gramsci’s concept of hegemony as well as Foucault’s analysis of power, both in which are reinforced through so-called timeless truths.

I am not attempting to short-change or bum out people’s celebrations and self “patting on the back” mentality that seems to be pervading across those who voted for “Change.” But I am also well-aware of America’s propensity to forget about their past. Historical amnesia merely serves the powers-that-be to create new discourse and hagiographies on their beloved leaders. Make no mistake, hagiographies or heroic depictions of our leaders are detrimental to the way we confront the challenges ahead of us. On the flip side, those who do nothing but demonize those less-than-desirable leaders are making the same mistakes of the hagiographers.  We need to construct histories that address the complexities and multiplicities of political leaders as well as in communities. The notion that “America is the best there is in the world” is not helpful. And constructing a history to build a glorious future will always bound to fail. Be hopeful, yes, but we must keep them in tension with our mistakes and failures as a community or nation.

Now that the election is over, I have seen many from the losing side of the camp talking about wanting to relocate to another place, as if the US is going to hell now that a “liberal” and “socialist” is taking over the administration. These statements, to be honest, confound me . When Dubya was re-elected in 2004, it was the liberals who were talking about moving to Canada (or Australia or NZ).  The “if you don’t like it here, you can leave” mentality is at best, dubious and defeatist. There is no reason to leave a place (unless one’s life is threatened) when things are not going our way. If you really love the place where you were born, fight for it. Engage in the structures. Fight the injustice. Fight against the policies that you deem to be unfair or unconstitutional. Whether we like it or not, we cannot always get our way.

I cannot vote in the US as I am not a citizen of the country. I am grateful for what the opportunities afforded to me here. But I am not simply going to sit back and not critique the flaws and failures of this great nation. Failure to do so will only lead us down to blind loyalty and unexamined bigotry.

Remember our histories, and remember it well.

This election season, the Republican party seems to have found a specialty; it goes like this: “Look who my opponent has associated with in the past.”

Now that IS a valid question . . . AND a valid test of character! A person does choose his/her friends and associates among those who reflect the qualities that he/she admires, enjoys and hopes (sometimes secretly) to emulate. Politics aside, be honest — that’s how you choose your friends, right?

The McCain camp has used this tactic fairly effectively against Obama, because it seems that much of Obama’s political life has been filled with anarchists, America haters and other disreputable types . . . well at least I think that this type of person can fairly be called ‘disreputable’.

Now look what happened when Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole tried that tactic — or at least a similar tactic – against her North Carolina opponent Sen. Kay Hagan:

Senator Dole’s campaign released a video ad that accused Senator Hagan of being “godless” because she attended a fundraiser at the home of Woody Kaplan a member of the advisory board of the “Godless Americans Political Action Committee”, which supports the separation of church and state and consists mainly of atheists. Dole’s ad made it sound like Hagan was secretly attending a meeting with only ‘Godless Americans’ in attendance and implied that she secretly ‘made promises’ to these folks, when the fact is Mr, Kaplan was the only member of that organization in attendance and the gathering was also attended by a U.S. Ambassador and by Senator John Kerry. Additionally, Sen. Hagan is reportedly a regular church goer and, by some accounts, also a Sunday School teacher.

The response in the news media was immediate and overwhelming:

The Kansas City Star editorial page proclaimed: “Elizabeth Dole deserves to lose for cheap-shot godless ad”

The Miami Herald headline read: “Voters, church leader speak out against Dole’s `godless’ ad”

Sen. Hagan’s response was also immediate: her campaign released a video response and Sen, Hagan filed a lawsuit charging the Dole campaign with defamation and libel.

You can see both videos, Dole’s charge and Hagan’s response HERE.

It is apparent that, in Sen. Dole’s mind, Hagan’s brief association with atheists (well, at least one atheist) is as bad as Obama’s continual association with people who hate America, have no respect for our Constitution and want to convert our political system to a quasi-socialist system. It’s also apparent that Elizabeth Dole is a ‘Christian bigot!

Bad girl Elizabeth! Criticize a persons politics all day long but stay away from their religion. You were elected as a senator to serve your country, our Constitution and our political system . . . not to serve your church.

News Links:

Kansas City Star: Elizabeth Dole deserves to lose for cheap-shot godless ad

Miami Herald: Voters, church leader speak out against Dole’s `godless’ ad

Blog Links:

Truelogic’s Weblog: Dole: Godless Americans

Rambling On: Godless Americans and Bigotry In the U.S.