Regarding “The Pig Trap” � Taxicab Depressions: But as I once heard David Codrea say, “If you have ever filled out a 4473, you are already on a list.”
lists
Sunday, April 20, 2014
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Stewardship.pdf
John Wesley “
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can
”
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can
”
Daily Meditations with Fr. Alfonse: Luke 12:39-48 Entrusted With So Much
Daily Meditations with Fr. Alfonse: Luke 12:39-48 Entrusted With So Much: " I sometimes imagine that at the end of my life I will be handed a few lists outlining all the things I complained about; all the time I wasted; all the excuses I made, and all the things (throughout my life) I considered to be very important. I fear that moment may be a bit embarrassing - not so much for what is on my lists - but when I compare it to God’s immense love and mercy I received throughout my life."
I fear this as well. I imagine God showing me all the people I could have helped and how their lives would have been changed if I cooperated with His grace to help them or serving them by a small act of love and didn't! Or all the times I complained to Jesus about my troubles, or what I thought was important, or what I loved more than HIm and see the fullblown "bad fruits" of it. The veil will be lifted. I am terrified..
I fear this as well. I imagine God showing me all the people I could have helped and how their lives would have been changed if I cooperated with His grace to help them or serving them by a small act of love and didn't! Or all the times I complained to Jesus about my troubles, or what I thought was important, or what I loved more than HIm and see the fullblown "bad fruits" of it. The veil will be lifted. I am terrified..
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.: Matthew 13:12
Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Luke 12:48 But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.: New Living Translation
But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Friday, April 18, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Friday, April 11, 2014
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
MRSA AMERICA & BEYOND™
MRSA AMERICA & BEYOND™
GARLIC
GARLIC
Garlic contains
a substance that is particularly effective in encounters with even the
hardiest bacterial strains. A young researcher at the University of
Copenhagen will soon be defending his PhD thesis on the positive
properties of the malodorous plant.
a substance that is particularly effective in encounters with even the
hardiest bacterial strains. A young researcher at the University of
Copenhagen will soon be defending his PhD thesis on the positive
properties of the malodorous plant.
Aggressive
multi-resistant infections constitute an increasing health problem all
over the world. Bacteria are developing resistance at an alarming pace,
so new pharmaceuticals that can combat this threat are in great demand.
"We
know that there is a potent chemical compound in the garlic plant that
neutralises resistant bacteria by paralysing their communication system.
My PhD thesis demonstrates that ajoene -- the substance present in
garlic -- specifically prevents the bacteria from secreting the toxin
rhamnolipid which destroys white blood cells in the body. White blood
cells are indispensable because they play a crucial role in the immune
defence system, not only warding off infection, but also killing
bacteria," explains Tim Holm Jakobsen, PhD Student at the Faculty of
Health and Medical Sciences, who will be defending his thesis on 21
February.
A tough sheath of biofilm
When
bacteria clump together in what is known as biofilm -- where they
surround themselves with a tough film of organic materials -- they
become resistant to antibiotics. Researchers have been devoting much of
their attention to Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, which cause
infections in patients with chronic leg ulcers, for example, and in the
lungs of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis.
"Ajoene
supports and improves treatment with conventional antibiotics. We have
clearly demonstrated this on biofilm cultivated in the laboratory and in
trials involving mice. When we add antibiotics to biofilm they have
very little effect, and ajoene alone barely makes any difference. It is
only when the two are combined that something significant happens,"
explains Tim Holm Jakobsen.
Combination treatment with ajoene and antibiotics kills more than 90 per cent of the normally virulent biofilm.
From
a technical perspective, the ajoene blocks the communication system --
known as Quorum Sensing -- in the bacteria, which is used for purposes
including creating infection.
Chemists outstrip nature
A
large number of natural substances have proved extremely effective as
medicines; taxol from the yew tree is used to treat breast cancer, for
example, while artemisinin from sweet wormwood is effective against
malaria. However, to improve on the original substances from nature --
and to assure sustainable pharmaceutical production -- researchers are
working to augment natural materials through chemical synthesis.
"Garlic
contains so little ajoene that you would need to eat around 50 a day to
achieve the desired effect. This means we have to pick up the ball from
Mother Nature and run with it," says Tim Holm Jacobsen, who hopes that
the pharmaceutical industry will be quick to turn its attention to
producing of the natural substance to which the research group currently
holds the patent.
"There's a lot of money in pharmaceuticals for
treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, but if we are to win the
race against bacteria, we need to bring new antibiotics into play.
Nature is a great starting point for developing medicines -- two-thirds
of all new pharmaceuticals are based on natural substances," concludes
Tim Holm Jakobsen.
multi-resistant infections constitute an increasing health problem all
over the world. Bacteria are developing resistance at an alarming pace,
so new pharmaceuticals that can combat this threat are in great demand.
"We
know that there is a potent chemical compound in the garlic plant that
neutralises resistant bacteria by paralysing their communication system.
My PhD thesis demonstrates that ajoene -- the substance present in
garlic -- specifically prevents the bacteria from secreting the toxin
rhamnolipid which destroys white blood cells in the body. White blood
cells are indispensable because they play a crucial role in the immune
defence system, not only warding off infection, but also killing
bacteria," explains Tim Holm Jakobsen, PhD Student at the Faculty of
Health and Medical Sciences, who will be defending his thesis on 21
February.
A tough sheath of biofilm
When
bacteria clump together in what is known as biofilm -- where they
surround themselves with a tough film of organic materials -- they
become resistant to antibiotics. Researchers have been devoting much of
their attention to Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, which cause
infections in patients with chronic leg ulcers, for example, and in the
lungs of patients suffering from cystic fibrosis.
"Ajoene
supports and improves treatment with conventional antibiotics. We have
clearly demonstrated this on biofilm cultivated in the laboratory and in
trials involving mice. When we add antibiotics to biofilm they have
very little effect, and ajoene alone barely makes any difference. It is
only when the two are combined that something significant happens,"
explains Tim Holm Jakobsen.
Combination treatment with ajoene and antibiotics kills more than 90 per cent of the normally virulent biofilm.
From
a technical perspective, the ajoene blocks the communication system --
known as Quorum Sensing -- in the bacteria, which is used for purposes
including creating infection.
Chemists outstrip nature
A
large number of natural substances have proved extremely effective as
medicines; taxol from the yew tree is used to treat breast cancer, for
example, while artemisinin from sweet wormwood is effective against
malaria. However, to improve on the original substances from nature --
and to assure sustainable pharmaceutical production -- researchers are
working to augment natural materials through chemical synthesis.
"Garlic
contains so little ajoene that you would need to eat around 50 a day to
achieve the desired effect. This means we have to pick up the ball from
Mother Nature and run with it," says Tim Holm Jacobsen, who hopes that
the pharmaceutical industry will be quick to turn its attention to
producing of the natural substance to which the research group currently
holds the patent.
"There's a lot of money in pharmaceuticals for
treating chronic illnesses such as diabetes, but if we are to win the
race against bacteria, we need to bring new antibiotics into play.
Nature is a great starting point for developing medicines -- two-thirds
of all new pharmaceuticals are based on natural substances," concludes
Tim Holm Jakobsen.
Clostridium difficile - Google Search
Clostridium difficile - Google Search:
Clostridium difficile
Bacteria
Clostridium difficile, also known as CDF/cdf, or C. diff, is a species of Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that is best known for causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Clostridium difficile
Higher classification: Clostridium
Rank: Species
Clostridium difficile
Bacteria
Clostridium difficile, also known as CDF/cdf, or C. diff, is a species of Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria that is best known for causing antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Wikipedia
Scientific name: Clostridium difficile
Higher classification: Clostridium
Rank: Species
Monday, April 07, 2014
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Fwd: jokes - jdr1228@gmail.com - Gmail
Fwd: jokes - jdr1228@gmail.com - Gmail
A married Irishman went into the confessional and said to his priest,
'I almost had an affair with another woman.'
The priest said, 'What do you mean,
almost?'
almost?'
The Irishman said, 'Well, we got undressed and rubbed together, but then I stopped.'
The
priest said, 'Rubbing together is the same as putting it in. You're not
to see that woman again. For your penance, say five Hail Mary's and put
$50 in the poor box.'
priest said, 'Rubbing together is the same as putting it in. You're not
to see that woman again. For your penance, say five Hail Mary's and put
$50 in the poor box.'
The Irishman left the confessional, said his prayers, and then walked over to the poor box.
He paused for a moment and then started to leave.
The priest, who was watching, quickly ran over to him saying, 'I saw that. You didn't put any money in the poor box!'
The Irishman replied, 'Yeah, but I rubbed the $50 on the box, and according to you, that's the same as putting it in!'
Lemon Squeeze
There
once was a religious young woman who went to Confession. Upon entering
the confessional, she said, 'Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.'
once was a religious young woman who went to Confession. Upon entering
the confessional, she said, 'Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.'
The priest said, 'Confess your sins and be forgiven.'
The young woman said, 'Last night my boyfriend made mad passionate love to me seven times.'
The priest thought long and hard and then said, 'Squeeze seven lemons into a glass and then drink the juice.'
The young woman asked, 'Will this cleanse me of my
sins?'
sins?'
The priest said, 'No, but it will wipe that smile off of your face.'
Catholic Dog
Muldoon
lived alone
in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for company. One day the
dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, 'Father, my
dog is dead. Could ya' be saying' a mass for the poor creature?'
lived alone
in the Irish countryside with only a pet dog for company. One day the
dog died, and Muldoon went to the parish priest and asked, 'Father, my
dog is dead. Could ya' be saying' a mass for the poor creature?'
Father
Patrick replied, 'I'm afraid not; we cannot have services
for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane,
and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something for
the creature.'
Patrick replied, 'I'm afraid not; we cannot have services
for an animal in the church. But there are some Baptists down the lane,
and there's no tellin' what they believe. Maybe they'll do something for
the creature.'
Muldoon said, 'I'll go right away Father. Do ya' think $5,000 is enough to donate to them for the service?'
Father Patrick exclaimed, 'Sweet Mary, Mother of Jesus! Why didn't ya tell me the dog was Catholic?
Donation
Father O'Malley answers the phone. 'Hello, is this Father O'Malley?'
'It
is!'
is!'
'This is the IRS. Can you help us?'
'I can!'
'Do you know a Ted Houlihan?'
'I do!'
'Is he a member of your congregation?'
'He is!'
'Did he donate $10,000 to the church?'
'He will.'
Confession
An elderly man walks into a confessional. The following conversation ensues:
Man:
'I am 92 years old, have a wonderful wife of 70 years, many children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Yesterday, I picked up two
college girls, hitch-hiking. We went to a motel, where I had sex with
each of them three times.'
'I am 92 years old, have a wonderful wife of 70 years, many children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Yesterday, I picked up two
college girls, hitch-hiking. We went to a motel, where I had sex with
each of them three times.'
Priest: 'Are you sorry for your sins?'
Man: 'What sins?'
Priest: 'What kind of a Catholic are you?'
Man: 'I'm Jewish.'
Priest: 'Why are you telling me all this?'
Man: 'I'm 92 years old . . . . I'm telling everybody!'
Brothel Trip
An elderly man goes
into a brothel and tells the madam he would like a young girl for the night.
into a brothel and tells the madam he would like a young girl for the night.
Surprised, she looks at the ancient man and asks how old he is.
'I'm 90 years old,' he says.
'90?' replies the woman. 'Don't you realize you've had
it?'
it?'
'Oh, sorry,' says the old man. 'How much do I owe you?'
Pest Control
A woman was having a passionate affair with an Irish inspector from a pest-control
company. One afternoon they were carrying on in the bedroom together when her husband arrived home unexpectedly.
company. One afternoon they were carrying on in the bedroom together when her husband arrived home unexpectedly.
'Quick,' said the woman to the lover, 'into the closet!' and she pushed him in the closet, stark naked.
The husband, however, became suspicious and after a search of the bedroom discovered the man in the closet. 'Who are you?' he asked him.
'I'm an inspector from Bugs-B-Gone,' said the exterminator.
'What are you doing in there?' the husband asked.
'I'm investigating a complaint about an infestation of moths,' the man replied.
'And where are your clothes?' asked the husband.
The man looked down at himself and said, 'Those little bastards! '
Marriage Humor
Wife: 'What are you doing?'
Husband: Nothing.
Wife: 'Nothing . . . ? You've been reading our marriage certificate for an hour.'
Husband: 'I was looking for the expiration date.'
------------------------------
Wife : 'Do you want dinner?'
Husband: 'Sure! What are my choices?'
Wife: 'Yes or no.'
------------------------------
Stress Reliever
Girl: 'When we get married, I want to share all your worries, troubles and lighten your burden.'
Boy:
'It's very kind of you, darling, but I don't have any worries or troubles.'
'It's very kind of you, darling, but I don't have any worries or troubles.'
Girl: 'Well that's because we aren't married yet.'
------------------------------
Son: 'Mum, when I was on the bus with Dad this morning, he told me to give up my seat to a lady.'
Mom: 'Well, you have done the right thing.'
Son: 'But mum, I was sitting on daddy's lap.'
______________________________
A
newly married man asked his wife, 'Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?'
newly married man asked his wife, 'Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?'
'Honey,' the woman replied sweetly, 'I'd have
married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE!'
married you, NO MATTER WHO LEFT YOU A FORTUNE!'
------------------------------
A wife asked her husband: 'What do you like most in me, my pretty face or my sexy body?'
He looked at her from head to toe and replied: 'I like your sense of humor!'
Husbands are husbands
A man was sitting reading his papers when his wife hit him round the head with a frying pan.
'What was that for?' the man asked.
The wife replied , 'That was for the piece of paper with the name Jenny on it that I found in your pants pocket.
The man then said 'When I was at the races last
week , Jenny was the name of the horse I bet on.'
week , Jenny was the name of the horse I bet on.'
The
wife apologized and went on with the housework. Three days later the
man is watching TV when his wife bashes him on the head with an even
bigger frying pan, knocking him unconscious.
wife apologized and went on with the housework. Three days later the
man is watching TV when his wife bashes him on the head with an even
bigger frying pan, knocking him unconscious.
Upon re-gaining consciousness the
man asked why she had hit again.
man asked why she had hit again.
Wife replied. 'Your horse phoned'
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Total recall call recording and sgs3 - Page 2 - xda-developers
Total recall call recording and sgs3 - Page 2 - xda-developers: Personal Call & Voice Recorder
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello
Paul
Harvey
Conveniently Forgotten Facts.
Back in 1969 a group of Black Panthers decided that
a fellow black
panther named Alex Rackley needed to die. Rackley
was suspected of
disloyalty. Rackley was first tied to a chair. Once
safely
immobilized, his friends tortured him for hours by, among other
things, pouring boiling water on him.
When they got tired of torturing Rackley, Black Panther
member,
Warren Kimbro took Rackley outside and put a bullet in his
head.
Rackley's body was later found floating in a river about 25 miles north
of New Haven, Connecticut .
Perhaps at this point you're curious as to what happened
to these Black Panthers?
In 1977, that's only eight years later, only one of
the killers was still in jail.
The shooter, Warren Kimbro, managed to get a scholarship to
Harvard
and became good friends with none other than Al Gore.
He later became
an assistant dean at an Eastern Connecticut State
College.
Isn't that something!!!
As a '60s radical you can pump a bullet into someone's
head and, a
few years later, in the same state, you can become an
assistant
college dean!
Only in America !!!
Erica Huggins was the woman who served the Panthers by
boiling the
water for Mr. Rackley's torture .. Some years later
Ms. Huggins was
elected to a California School Board.
How in the world do you think these killers got off so easily?
Maybe it was in some part due to the efforts of two people
who came to the defense of the Panthers.
These two people actually went so far as to shut down Yale
University with demonstrations in defense of the accused
Black
Panthers during their trial.
One of these people was none other than Bill Lan
Lee. Mr. Lee, or
Mr. Lan Lee, as the case may be, isn't a college dean. He
isn't a
member of a California School Board. He is now head of the
United
States Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, appointed by
none
other than Bill Clinton.
O.K., so who was the other Panther defender? Is
this other notable
Panther defender now a school board member? Is this other
Panther
apologist now an assistant college dean?
No, neither!
The other Panther defender was, like Lee, a radical law
student at
Yale University at the time. She is now known as The "smartest
woman
in the world." She is none other than the former Secretary
of State
and former Democratic senator from the State of New York ---- the
former First Lady, the incredible Hillary Rodham Clinton .
And now, as Paul Harvey said; "You know the rest of the
story".
Pass this on!
This deserves the widest possible press.
Also remember it when she runs for President!
Mark S. Gilstrap
Member of the Kansas Senate
1997-2008
Paul
Harvey
Conveniently Forgotten Facts.
Back in 1969 a group of Black Panthers decided that
a fellow black
panther named Alex Rackley needed to die. Rackley
was suspected of
disloyalty. Rackley was first tied to a chair. Once
safely
immobilized, his friends tortured him for hours by, among other
things, pouring boiling water on him.
When they got tired of torturing Rackley, Black Panther
member,
Warren Kimbro took Rackley outside and put a bullet in his
head.
Rackley's body was later found floating in a river about 25 miles north
of New Haven, Connecticut .
Perhaps at this point you're curious as to what happened
to these Black Panthers?
In 1977, that's only eight years later, only one of
the killers was still in jail.
The shooter, Warren Kimbro, managed to get a scholarship to
Harvard
and became good friends with none other than Al Gore.
He later became
an assistant dean at an Eastern Connecticut State
College.
Isn't that something!!!
As a '60s radical you can pump a bullet into someone's
head and, a
few years later, in the same state, you can become an
assistant
college dean!
Only in America !!!
Erica Huggins was the woman who served the Panthers by
boiling the
water for Mr. Rackley's torture .. Some years later
Ms. Huggins was
elected to a California School Board.
How in the world do you think these killers got off so easily?
Maybe it was in some part due to the efforts of two people
who came to the defense of the Panthers.
These two people actually went so far as to shut down Yale
University with demonstrations in defense of the accused
Black
Panthers during their trial.
One of these people was none other than Bill Lan
Lee. Mr. Lee, or
Mr. Lan Lee, as the case may be, isn't a college dean. He
isn't a
member of a California School Board. He is now head of the
United
States Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, appointed by
none
other than Bill Clinton.
O.K., so who was the other Panther defender? Is
this other notable
Panther defender now a school board member? Is this other
Panther
apologist now an assistant college dean?
No, neither!
The other Panther defender was, like Lee, a radical law
student at
Yale University at the time. She is now known as The "smartest
woman
in the world." She is none other than the former Secretary
of State
and former Democratic senator from the State of New York ---- the
former First Lady, the incredible Hillary Rodham Clinton .
And now, as Paul Harvey said; "You know the rest of the
story".
Pass this on!
This deserves the widest possible press.
Also remember it when she runs for President!
Mark S. Gilstrap
Member of the Kansas Senate
1997-2008
Monday, March 10, 2014
gottagetdrunkfirst
gottagetdrunkfirst
A Hero
A
quote from a man I TRY to emulate. Samuel Adams. He was a poor man, and
terrible with his own finances, but he was one of the most respected
men amongst his peers. So much that the residents of his colony pooled
their money to buy him a suit (his first ever) after he was elected to
Congress. He went there and was one of the best stewards of OTHER
people's money ever. If only we had him now! And NO he did not brew
beer!
In a state of tranquillity, wealth, and luxury, our descendants would
forget the arts of war and the noble activity and zeal which made their
ancestors invincible. Every art of corruption would be employed to
loosen the bond of union which renders our resistance formidable. When
the spirit of liberty, which now animates our hearts and gives success
to our arms, is extinct, our numbers will accelerate our ruin and render
us easier victims to tyranny. If ye love wealth better than liberty,
the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom—go
from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick
the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may
posterity forget that ye were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
A Hero
quote from a man I TRY to emulate. Samuel Adams. He was a poor man, and
terrible with his own finances, but he was one of the most respected
men amongst his peers. So much that the residents of his colony pooled
their money to buy him a suit (his first ever) after he was elected to
Congress. He went there and was one of the best stewards of OTHER
people's money ever. If only we had him now! And NO he did not brew
beer!
In a state of tranquillity, wealth, and luxury, our descendants would
forget the arts of war and the noble activity and zeal which made their
ancestors invincible. Every art of corruption would be employed to
loosen the bond of union which renders our resistance formidable. When
the spirit of liberty, which now animates our hearts and gives success
to our arms, is extinct, our numbers will accelerate our ruin and render
us easier victims to tyranny. If ye love wealth better than liberty,
the tranquillity of servitude than the animating contest of freedom—go
from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick
the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may
posterity forget that ye were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Sunday, March 09, 2014
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: Sultan Knish: A Maddow in MSNBC land MSNBC has lost the ability to talk to ordinary people. Even other liberals are beginning to evince a distaste for it.
This magnetic force draws MSNBC’s audience of transgender activists, white privilege professors, terrorist supporters, Israel boycotters, women-of-color microaggression Tumblr bloggers, Whole Foods shoppers going from their egalitarian yoga class to their amnesty protest while sipping a Fair Trade wheatgrass drink and listening to a Decembrists’ song.
This magnetic force draws MSNBC’s audience of transgender activists, white privilege professors, terrorist supporters, Israel boycotters, women-of-color microaggression Tumblr bloggers, Whole Foods shoppers going from their egalitarian yoga class to their amnesty protest while sipping a Fair Trade wheatgrass drink and listening to a Decembrists’ song.
Fw: Short and Profound - jdr1228@gmail.com - Gmail
Fw: Short and Profound - jdr1228@gmail.com - Gmail
These three statements tell you a lot about our government and our
culture:
1. We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few
lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a
few lunatics. Funny how that works.
And another statement for consideration--
2. We constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of
money. How come we never hear about welfare running out of money?
What's interesting is the first group "worked for" their money, but the
second didn't.
Finally ..
3. The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of
free Meals and Food Stamps ever ---
culture:
1. We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few
lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a
few lunatics. Funny how that works.
And another statement for consideration--
2. We constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of
money. How come we never hear about welfare running out of money?
What's interesting is the first group "worked for" their money, but the
second didn't.
Finally ..
3. The Food Stamp Program, administered by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, is proud to be distributing this year the greatest amount of
free Meals and Food Stamps ever ---
to 47 million people,
as of the most recent figures available in 2013.
Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S.
Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." The
stated reason for this policy
is because
"The animals will grow dependent on handouts and
Meanwhile, the National Park Service, administered by the U.S.
Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." The
stated reason for this policy
is because
"The animals will grow dependent on handouts and
will not learn to take care of themselves."
Saturday, March 08, 2014
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: Be True to Your School
I’ll say it again: These Tea Party groups made the mistake of wanting to participate in the process of legitimization in the first place.
Had they NOT applied for tax-exempt/charity status, this wouldn’t have happened to them. And had they been true to their principles, they would not have applied to join the same club they insist they want to burn down. - - Five Feet of Fury
Your Say (6)
I’ll say it again: These Tea Party groups made the mistake of wanting to participate in the process of legitimization in the first place.
Had they NOT applied for tax-exempt/charity status, this wouldn’t have happened to them. And had they been true to their principles, they would not have applied to join the same club they insist they want to burn down. - - Five Feet of Fury
Your Say (6)
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: Conservatives expend tremendous effort changing elected officials every other November — and then are surprised that it doesn't make much difference.
Culture trumps politics — which is why, once the question's been settled culturally, conservatives are reduced to playing catch-up, twisting themselves into pretzels to explain (including in the pages of this magazine) why gay marriage is really conservative after all, or why 30 million unskilled immigrants with a majority of births out of wedlock are "natural allies" of the Republican party. - - Mark SteynOnline
Culture trumps politics — which is why, once the question's been settled culturally, conservatives are reduced to playing catch-up, twisting themselves into pretzels to explain (including in the pages of this magazine) why gay marriage is really conservative after all, or why 30 million unskilled immigrants with a majority of births out of wedlock are "natural allies" of the Republican party. - - Mark SteynOnline
Friday, March 07, 2014
Monday, March 03, 2014
Sunday, March 02, 2014
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: Peace, peace! he is not dead, he doth not sleep -
He hath awakened from the dream of life -
'Tis we, who lost in stormy visions, keep
With phantoms an unprofitable strife,
And in mad trance, strike with our spirit's knife
Invulnerable nothings. -We decay
Like corpses in a charnel; fear and grief
Convulse us and consume us day by day,
And cold hopes swarm like worms within our living clay.
Adonais by Percy Bysshe Shelley
He hath awakened from the dream of life -
'Tis we, who lost in stormy visions, keep
With phantoms an unprofitable strife,
And in mad trance, strike with our spirit's knife
Invulnerable nothings. -We decay
Like corpses in a charnel; fear and grief
Convulse us and consume us day by day,
And cold hopes swarm like worms within our living clay.
Adonais by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Friday, February 28, 2014
The Top 40: Comment on Hillary-- Because Vagina! "What Difference At This Point Does It Make? "
The Top 40: Comment on Hillary-- Because Vagina! "What Difference At This Point Does It Make? ": But Hillary has, in fact, told us over and over again that she has severe memory problems. The records show that she has repeatedly said, "I don't remember, I can't remember, I have no recollection of that event, I don't know, and I have no idea." She even made thousands of dollars in the cattle futures market but doesn't remember how she did it. (Myself, I would have taken notes.) Would she be able to remember her Secret Service Code name? Nuclear codes? Bill's email account password?
Sunday, February 23, 2014
gottagetdrunkfirst
gottagetdrunkfirst: In a state of tranquility, wealth, and luxury, our descendants would forget the arts of war and the noble activity and zeal which made their ancestors invincible. Every art of corruption would be employed to loosen the bond of union which renders our resistance formidable. When the spirit of liberty, which now animates our hearts and gives success to our arms, is extinct, our numbers will accelerate our ruin and render us easier victims to tyranny. If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude than the animating contest of freedom—go from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains sit lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen! - Samuel Adams
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello: Guy goes in an adult store and asks for an inflatable doll.
Guy behind the counter says, 'Male or female?'
Customer says, 'Female.'
Counter guy asks, 'Black or white?
Customer says, 'White.'
Counter guy asks, 'Christian or Muslim?'
Customer says, 'What the hell does religion have to do with it?'
Counter guy says, 'The Muslim one blows itself up.'
Guy behind the counter says, 'Male or female?'
Customer says, 'Female.'
Counter guy asks, 'Black or white?
Customer says, 'White.'
Counter guy asks, 'Christian or Muslim?'
Customer says, 'What the hell does religion have to do with it?'
Counter guy says, 'The Muslim one blows itself up.'
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello
Curmudgeonly & Skeptical presents Boned Jello: Guy goes in an adult store and asks for an inflatable doll.
Guy behind the counter says, 'Male or female?'
Customer says, 'Female.'
Counter guy asks, 'Black or white?
Customer says, 'White.'
Counter guy asks, 'Christian or Muslim?'
Customer says, 'What the hell does religion have to do with it?'
Counter guy says, 'The Muslim one blows itself up.'
Guy behind the counter says, 'Male or female?'
Customer says, 'Female.'
Counter guy asks, 'Black or white?
Customer says, 'White.'
Counter guy asks, 'Christian or Muslim?'
Customer says, 'What the hell does religion have to do with it?'
Counter guy says, 'The Muslim one blows itself up.'
Monday, February 17, 2014
John Sedgwick - Wikiquote
General John Sedgwick - Wikiquote: What? Men dodging this way for single bullets? What will you do when they open fire along the whole line? I am ashamed of you. They couldn't hit an elephant at this distance.
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: As P.J. O'Rourke wrote over 20 years ago,
"Cuban cigars are rationed in Havana, you can't get good Chinese takeout in Beijing, and that tells you all you need to know about socialism". The premise still holds. - - Posted by: waltj
"Cuban cigars are rationed in Havana, you can't get good Chinese takeout in Beijing, and that tells you all you need to know about socialism". The premise still holds. - - Posted by: waltj
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: There is a price we will not pay." "There is a point beyond which they must not advance."
Winston Churchill said, "The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we're spirits—not animals." And he said, "There's something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty." You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness. A TIME FOR CHOOSING (The Speech – October 27, 1964)
Winston Churchill said, "The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we're spirits—not animals." And he said, "There's something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty." You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness. A TIME FOR CHOOSING (The Speech – October 27, 1964)
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: There is a price we will not pay." "There is a point beyond which they must not advance."
Winston Churchill said, "The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we're spirits—not animals." And he said, "There's something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty." You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness. A TIME FOR CHOOSING (The Speech – October 27, 1964)
Winston Churchill said, "The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we're spirits—not animals." And he said, "There's something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty." You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We'll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we'll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness. A TIME FOR CHOOSING (The Speech – October 27, 1964)
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes
AMERICAN DIGEST Essays, News, Notes, and Quotes: By 1794, as he contemplated retirement, Washington began organizing his affairs so that in his will he could free all the slaves whom he owned outright.
.... At the time of Washington's death in 1799, 317 slaves lived at Mount Vernon: 123 were owned by Washington himself, 154 were held by his wife as "dower slaves", and 40 others were rented from a neighbor. Washington's will provided for all of his slaves to be freed upon the death of his widow, but she chose to free them about 12 months after his death. The will also provided for the training of the younger former-slaves in useful skills and for the creation of an old-age pension fund for the older ones. - - George Washington
.... At the time of Washington's death in 1799, 317 slaves lived at Mount Vernon: 123 were owned by Washington himself, 154 were held by his wife as "dower slaves", and 40 others were rented from a neighbor. Washington's will provided for all of his slaves to be freed upon the death of his widow, but she chose to free them about 12 months after his death. The will also provided for the training of the younger former-slaves in useful skills and for the creation of an old-age pension fund for the older ones. - - George Washington
Friday, February 14, 2014
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death: I've never dared to comment on your blog before, but I've been reading you for years. Thanks for the beautiful writing and sharing of your life's journey, in part. Have you ever read The Four Loves, by C.S. Lewis? Seems you'd find some common ground there. May you be blessed with years more of good health and worthwhile journeying.
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
And, so ...
At the end of life, three things remain: faith, hope and love. The reason love is the greatest is because it is the only thing that will extend beyond the grave. (Who needs faith after he sees God and who needs hope after he's obtained the prize?) God Himself is love and spiritual love is eternal.
If all our love is given to things carnal, we will certainly fear death and the end of all we love. God intends that we develop a love for things eternal in this life. If we accomplish that we have much to look forward at the end.
This is what my mind understands, but my spirit struggles mightily to fulfil.
And, so ...
At the end of life, three things remain: faith, hope and love. The reason love is the greatest is because it is the only thing that will extend beyond the grave. (Who needs faith after he sees God and who needs hope after he's obtained the prize?) God Himself is love and spiritual love is eternal.
If all our love is given to things carnal, we will certainly fear death and the end of all we love. God intends that we develop a love for things eternal in this life. If we accomplish that we have much to look forward at the end.
This is what my mind understands, but my spirit struggles mightily to fulfil.
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
And, so ...
At the end of life, three things remain: faith, hope and love. The reason love is the greatest is because it is the only thing that will extend beyond the grave. (Who needs faith after he sees God and who needs hope after he's obtained the prize?) God Himself is love and spiritual love is eternal.
If all our love is given to things carnal, we will certainly fear death and the end of all we love. God intends that we develop a love for things eternal in this life. If we accomplish that we have much to look forward at the end.
This is what my mind understands, but my spirit struggles mightily to fulfil.
And, so ...
At the end of life, three things remain: faith, hope and love. The reason love is the greatest is because it is the only thing that will extend beyond the grave. (Who needs faith after he sees God and who needs hope after he's obtained the prize?) God Himself is love and spiritual love is eternal.
If all our love is given to things carnal, we will certainly fear death and the end of all we love. God intends that we develop a love for things eternal in this life. If we accomplish that we have much to look forward at the end.
This is what my mind understands, but my spirit struggles mightily to fulfil.
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death: In every government, though terrors reign,
Though tyrant kings, or tyrant laws restrain,
How small, of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure!
From Oliver Goldsmith's Traveller (1764)
Though tyrant kings, or tyrant laws restrain,
How small, of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure!
From Oliver Goldsmith's Traveller (1764)
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death
AMERICAN DIGEST: Comment on Notes on Love and Death: In every government, though terrors reign,
Though tyrant kings, or tyrant laws restrain,
How small, of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure!
From Oliver Goldsmith's Traveller (1764)
Though tyrant kings, or tyrant laws restrain,
How small, of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure!
From Oliver Goldsmith's Traveller (1764)
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Thought Police: Firms must swear ObamaCare not a factor in firings | Fox News
Thought Police: Firms must swear ObamaCare not a factor in firings | Fox News: Putin is a reminder not just of our dark past, where raw force, not morality, adjudicated behavior, but, more worrisome, perhaps of a dark future as well… He ends up existing to warn us in the West of what we are not, and to demonstrate that in a strange sort of way our loud principles without toughness are not much better than his toughness without principles. In that regard, he gives us a valuable look into ourselves – we the hollow men, the stuffed men of dry voices and whispers.”
Monday, February 10, 2014
Saturday, February 08, 2014
America was built on a belief in God, and there’s just no way to deny that fact | The Matt Walsh Blog
America was built on a belief in God, and there’s just no way to deny that fact | The Matt Walsh Blog
The country was founded on a belief in a creator God and has OFFICIALLY endorsed
the concept from the very beginning. That is the reality. It is not
really up for debate. You may wish to turn America into something else,
but do not pretend that you are turning it into what it was always
designed to be. Have the courage of your convictions. Make your case for
an Atheist America, but do not stand there and tell me that America has
always been atheist.
The evidence against you is staggering:
-Five mentions of God in The Declaration of Independence.
-In God we trust – the motto found in the National Anthem and on coins dating as far back as 1860.
-The Continental Congress issuing the first national proclamation of thanksgiving to God.
-The Continental Congress calling for national repentance of sins.
-Church services being held inside the Capitol Building during the time of the Founders.
-The President swearing in on a Bible. (This is not required, but
it’s a custom many have followed. George Washington kissed a Bible
after swearing his oath.)
-Swearing on a Bible in court, “so help you God.”
-Federal Oaths that require federal officials to say “so help me God.”
-The Chaplain of the United States Senate.
-Every Senate session beginning with a prayer.
-“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and favor.” – George Washington.
-“You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and
above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater
and happier people than you are. Congress will do every thing they can to assist you in this wise intention…” – George Washington’s speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs.
-“The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human
government upon the first precepts of Christianity.” – John Adams
The list goes on and on.
Two can play at the “Founding Fathers religion quotes” game, I
realize. I’m sure hundreds of secularists are busily Googling “Thomas
Jefferson anti-religion quotes” as we speak. It’s true that some of the
Founders were skeptical of “organized religion” (as opposed to
disorganized religion, I guess?) but none of them were atheists.
Jefferson was a Deist; a fact that only enhances the case for him
being very accepting of God in the public square. Deists believe that
the truth of a Divine Creator can be ascertained through observation and
reason. In other words, they viewed God as an Absolute Reality (same as
any other theist) but disagreed on the application of the reality.
Would Jefferson the Deist think that the governors of men should be required to ignore the Absolute Reality of God?
I doubt it. And the Declaration of Independence seems to indicate otherwise.
After all, we don’t need to cherry pick random statements from dead
men, or even analyze the religiosity that is undeniably ingrained in our
official laws and customs. We need only think about the philosophy that
serves as the foundation of our country. It is a philosophy of Natural
Rights. Our Natural Rights come from Natural Law. Natural Law
— particularly since Augustine and, later, St. Aquinas’ Summa
Theologica — has been understood as a set of foundational moral laws
that are inherent in human beings.
Natural Law, and
thus Natural Rights, either come from nature itself, or they come from
the Creator of Nature. If they come from nature itself, then all
democratic notions are in stark defiance of Natural Law. In nature, the strong survive and the weak are preyed upon. That is the law of the jungle; the law
of beasts. We, however, subscribe to the transcendent notion that all
humans possess a certain dignity which entitles them to certain
liberties. This immaterial dignity did not come through an evolutionary
process. It was endowed somehow. If it means anything, then it must be
more than a “social contract” or a policy of government.
The dignity exists. It is real. It means something. It comes from somewhere.
That “somewhere” must be God.
Without God, your rights are an abhorrent perversion of the only True Natural Law — the Law
of Mother Nature – and they are conditionally granted to you by
bureaucrats and politicians, who can revoke them at any time and for any
reason.
The Declaration of Independence might not be a legal document, but it
is a philosophical document. It is America’s Manifesto. It explains
that we have rights which are endowed on us by a Creator God. Every good
thing about America has grown from this basic starting point.
But… the Separation of Church and State, you shout.
Should I insult your intelligence by reminding you that no such
phrase exists in the Constitution? In fact, the First Amendment makes no
mention of “separation,” “church,” or “state,”
in any order or combination. The First Amendment puts no limit on
religion at all. Instead, it limits the governments ability to interfere
in religion, and permanently codifies our right to the “free exercise
thereof.”
When Thomas Jefferson used the notorious phrase “Separation of Church and State”
in his letter to the Danbury Baptists, he was describing a one-sided
wall where the corruption of the Government could not infiltrate and
infect the operations of the Church. He only chose those particular
words because he was speaking to Baptists. He thought it might resonate
with that crowd, considering the founder of the Baptist Church in
America, Roger Williams, had written 150 years earlier about the need
for a “wall of separation between the garden of the Church and the wilderness of the World.”
So when the Supreme Court later used this letter to justify its legal
opinion in Everson vs. Board of Education, it was really deciding case law based on part of a sentence written by a 17th century Baptist preacher.
Stellar work there, Your Honors.
Remember, the settlers were escaping a country that persecuted
Catholics after King Henry VIII threw a hissy fit when the Pope wouldn’t
change Canon Law to suit the
king’s habit of divorcing and/or murdering his wives. The Crown was
declared the “only supreme head of the Church in England,” and guys like
Thomas More were summarily beheaded and chopped into pieces for
refusing to recognize the king’s spiritual authority.
In other words, they were leaving a country where government had intruded on religion — not the other way around.
(**NOTE: I’m not saying that most of the North American settlers were
Catholics fleeing Henry VIII. I’m only using this as an example of the
sort of persecution religious people suffered under British rule.)
But, my atheist friends, I think you know all of this. Or at least some of it.
This country was built by God fearing men and women who intended
to enshrine and protect the very rights that could only come from God
Himself. God has always been central to America, both officially and
unofficially, publicly and personally. This is
the incontrovertible truth. It is a historical reality, and not one that
can be reasonably debated.
If you would like to change America into something else, you are free to try. But have the guts to admit what you are doing. Be honest.
The country was founded on a belief in a creator God and has OFFICIALLY endorsed
the concept from the very beginning. That is the reality. It is not
really up for debate. You may wish to turn America into something else,
but do not pretend that you are turning it into what it was always
designed to be. Have the courage of your convictions. Make your case for
an Atheist America, but do not stand there and tell me that America has
always been atheist.
The evidence against you is staggering:
-Five mentions of God in The Declaration of Independence.
-In God we trust – the motto found in the National Anthem and on coins dating as far back as 1860.
-The Continental Congress issuing the first national proclamation of thanksgiving to God.
-The Continental Congress calling for national repentance of sins.
-Church services being held inside the Capitol Building during the time of the Founders.
-The President swearing in on a Bible. (This is not required, but
it’s a custom many have followed. George Washington kissed a Bible
after swearing his oath.)
-Swearing on a Bible in court, “so help you God.”
-Federal Oaths that require federal officials to say “so help me God.”
-The Chaplain of the United States Senate.
-Every Senate session beginning with a prayer.
-“It is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of
Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and
humbly to implore His protection and favor.” – George Washington.
-“You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and
above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater
and happier people than you are. Congress will do every thing they can to assist you in this wise intention…” – George Washington’s speech to the Delaware Indian Chiefs.
-“The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human
government upon the first precepts of Christianity.” – John Adams
The list goes on and on.
Two can play at the “Founding Fathers religion quotes” game, I
realize. I’m sure hundreds of secularists are busily Googling “Thomas
Jefferson anti-religion quotes” as we speak. It’s true that some of the
Founders were skeptical of “organized religion” (as opposed to
disorganized religion, I guess?) but none of them were atheists.
Jefferson was a Deist; a fact that only enhances the case for him
being very accepting of God in the public square. Deists believe that
the truth of a Divine Creator can be ascertained through observation and
reason. In other words, they viewed God as an Absolute Reality (same as
any other theist) but disagreed on the application of the reality.
Would Jefferson the Deist think that the governors of men should be required to ignore the Absolute Reality of God?
I doubt it. And the Declaration of Independence seems to indicate otherwise.
After all, we don’t need to cherry pick random statements from dead
men, or even analyze the religiosity that is undeniably ingrained in our
official laws and customs. We need only think about the philosophy that
serves as the foundation of our country. It is a philosophy of Natural
Rights. Our Natural Rights come from Natural Law. Natural Law
— particularly since Augustine and, later, St. Aquinas’ Summa
Theologica — has been understood as a set of foundational moral laws
that are inherent in human beings.
Natural Law, and
thus Natural Rights, either come from nature itself, or they come from
the Creator of Nature. If they come from nature itself, then all
democratic notions are in stark defiance of Natural Law. In nature, the strong survive and the weak are preyed upon. That is the law of the jungle; the law
of beasts. We, however, subscribe to the transcendent notion that all
humans possess a certain dignity which entitles them to certain
liberties. This immaterial dignity did not come through an evolutionary
process. It was endowed somehow. If it means anything, then it must be
more than a “social contract” or a policy of government.
The dignity exists. It is real. It means something. It comes from somewhere.
That “somewhere” must be God.
Without God, your rights are an abhorrent perversion of the only True Natural Law — the Law
of Mother Nature – and they are conditionally granted to you by
bureaucrats and politicians, who can revoke them at any time and for any
reason.
The Declaration of Independence might not be a legal document, but it
is a philosophical document. It is America’s Manifesto. It explains
that we have rights which are endowed on us by a Creator God. Every good
thing about America has grown from this basic starting point.
But… the Separation of Church and State, you shout.
Should I insult your intelligence by reminding you that no such
phrase exists in the Constitution? In fact, the First Amendment makes no
mention of “separation,” “church,” or “state,”
in any order or combination. The First Amendment puts no limit on
religion at all. Instead, it limits the governments ability to interfere
in religion, and permanently codifies our right to the “free exercise
thereof.”
When Thomas Jefferson used the notorious phrase “Separation of Church and State”
in his letter to the Danbury Baptists, he was describing a one-sided
wall where the corruption of the Government could not infiltrate and
infect the operations of the Church. He only chose those particular
words because he was speaking to Baptists. He thought it might resonate
with that crowd, considering the founder of the Baptist Church in
America, Roger Williams, had written 150 years earlier about the need
for a “wall of separation between the garden of the Church and the wilderness of the World.”
So when the Supreme Court later used this letter to justify its legal
opinion in Everson vs. Board of Education, it was really deciding case law based on part of a sentence written by a 17th century Baptist preacher.
Stellar work there, Your Honors.
Remember, the settlers were escaping a country that persecuted
Catholics after King Henry VIII threw a hissy fit when the Pope wouldn’t
change Canon Law to suit the
king’s habit of divorcing and/or murdering his wives. The Crown was
declared the “only supreme head of the Church in England,” and guys like
Thomas More were summarily beheaded and chopped into pieces for
refusing to recognize the king’s spiritual authority.
In other words, they were leaving a country where government had intruded on religion — not the other way around.
(**NOTE: I’m not saying that most of the North American settlers were
Catholics fleeing Henry VIII. I’m only using this as an example of the
sort of persecution religious people suffered under British rule.)
But, my atheist friends, I think you know all of this. Or at least some of it.
This country was built by God fearing men and women who intended
to enshrine and protect the very rights that could only come from God
Himself. God has always been central to America, both officially and
unofficially, publicly and personally. This is
the incontrovertible truth. It is a historical reality, and not one that
can be reasonably debated.
If you would like to change America into something else, you are free to try. But have the guts to admit what you are doing. Be honest.
Humor
(1) Facebook: Boudreaux was driving down the road the other day, with his wife, Marie, and his mother-in-law in the car. Every couple hundred yards, the two women would take turns telling him something about his driving.
"Slow down ! Watch the other car ! Don't drive so close to the center line ! Look out for that curve ! Etc. Etc." After awhile this started to wear on Boudreaux. He slams on the brakes and pulls onto the shoulder of the road.
Turning to Marie he says, "Look, who's driving dis car? You or your Momma ?"
"Slow down ! Watch the other car ! Don't drive so close to the center line ! Look out for that curve ! Etc. Etc." After awhile this started to wear on Boudreaux. He slams on the brakes and pulls onto the shoulder of the road.
Turning to Marie he says, "Look, who's driving dis car? You or your Momma ?"
Thursday, February 06, 2014
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