Our Constitution protects citizens from having religion forced upon them, meaning no individual should have to subsidize anyone else’s religious organization through their tax dollars. As federal lawmakers consider ways to reduce our country’s deficit, these costly tax privileges for ministers should be among the first programs put on the chopping block. Read more . . .
The sole purpose of creationism is to defend the biblical book of Genesis. It exists only for religious purposes and it abandons anything that even remotely approaching scientific research. Creationism is an insult to the collective of human intelligence. Living a life according to myths and fairy tales is nothing short of childish and those who would cause detriment to the proper education of our children amount to little more than the “blind leading the blind” and they should have no place in deciding who is taught anything. Read more . . .
. . . [G]iven all the current brouhaha over what should be cut from the federal budget, people might be interested to see some of examples of how the DoD is spending countless millions of taxpayer dollars every year to Christianize the military . . . [T]he rampant promotion of evangelical Christianity under the guise of Spiritual Fitness is going on in all branches of the military . . . Evangelizing the children of service members is one of the largest areas of spending . . . One of the reasons given by Cadence for the success of its “Strategic Ministry” is: “Deployment and possibly deadly combat are ever-present possibilities. They are shaken. Shaken people are usually more ready to hear about God than those who are at ease, making them more responsive to the gospel.” Read more . . .
I am currently reading Saul D. Alinsky’s, 1971, “Rules For Radicals,” (Conservatives run for cover, be afraid, be very afraid! This book is like a gateway drug; the next thing you know, I will pick up “Fugitive Days: Memoirs of an Anti-War Activist,” by Bill Ayers. After that it’s “turtles all the way down.” Ask your local atheist what the hell that turtles thing was all about.) Alright, I’m back, it happens okay, son of a . . . Anyhow, three pages into the fifth chapter titled, “Communication,” Mr. Alinsky addresses a fundamental (Conservatives, the word was fundamental, not fundamentalist, don’t worry, the Islamofascists are not coming to get you, no need to run to Wal-Mart to load up on ammo; just sit back, relax, and sound out the words that follow. I am writing this slowly so you may be able to keep up.) As I was saying, Mr. Alinsky addresses a fundamental principle of effective communication concerning the sharing of certain experiences familiar to all. He shares an interesting story that addresses the unique lenses from which each of us view life. I thought I would share it with you, it reads as follows: [MSH]
It is one thing for a person, either disapproving of gravity or disbelieving in its power, to step off of a ledge. The only people he harms are himself and the potential person he might land on below. But it is simple insanity to put the fate of the United States – and, indeed, the fate of the world – into the hands of such a person. Read more . . .
It is hard to find a tax cut that Congressional Republicans dislike. Unless it is a tax cut pushed by President Obama . . . “ Republicans will have to stand up to the fact if they oppose it they are for tax cuts for the rich but not for the middle class . . . ” Lower- and middle-income workers are the greatest beneficiaries of the tax cut . . . Democrats note that Republicans had no problem extending the so-called Bush tax cuts of 2001, even though those cuts were also originally designated as temporary. “This seems to be one of those situations where, since Obama says yes, we say no,” Read more . . .
Throughout the U.S. military, with chapters on virtually every military installation worldwide, lurks an organization of over 15,500 fundamentalist Christian military officers who think their real duty is not to protect and defend the Constitution, but to raise up “a spiritually transformed military, with ambassadors for Christ in uniform, empowered by the Holy Spirit.” These officers belong to an organization called the Officers’ Christian Fellowship (OCF), and range in rank from future officers in ROTC and at the U.S. military’s service academies to generals and admirals. Read more . . .
Christian conservatives in America are not more militant than ever. Pat Robertson, a Christian minister, ran for president in 1988. Robertson was, actually, a dominionist. “There will never be world peace until God’s house and God’s people are given their rightful place of leadership at the top of the world,” he wrote. Read more . . .
Always Question Authority 