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Obama v. Dobson
by Lucy Lindblad
| June 26, 2008 |
Evangelical leader blasts 2006 Obama speech| |
Excerpt: The future Democratic presidential candidate told the group that the United States is a highly diverse nation, and no one religious belief has a monopoly on moral values. Even within Christianity, he said, there are many ways to apply the Bible's moral principles.
"Would we go with James Dobson's [interpretation] or Al Sharpton's?" Obama asked the cheering crowd, referring to the two widely different religious leaders. "Which passages of Scripture would guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which says that slavery is OK but eating shell fish is an abomination… Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount -- a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application?" |
I haven't found the text of Dr. Dobson's rant, but the NPR link has the audio. To sum this up though, the fact is that evangelical preachers' sermons basically *live* in the Old Testament. If they were forced to stick with the New Testament they would run out of things to re-preach about -- because the New Testament is shorter and pretty clear, especially the first four books (excluding Revelations, of course.)
And it is about Action, as in WWJD, not politicking. So OF COURSE evangelical pick and choose from the Old Testament. They do it ALL the time. You recall how the Southern Baptist Convention was formed? They split from mainstream Baptists because they disagreed on the question of slavery.
As a side note, today we read that 44% of Americans support torturing terrorism suspects. Since far more than 56% of Americans claim to be "Christian", it is easy to conclude that many Christians are supportive of torture -- of course Christian-In-Chief Bush supports it... duh. And most evangelical leaders were in favor of the Iraq War... and still are in favor of more wars. Not many of these people preach forgiveness, or even diplomacy, and not a one will turn the other cheek when slighted in the least.
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I grew up in an utterly mainstream evangelical church, years and years before anyone started saying "WWJD", but trying to do what Jesus would do was a cornerstone of what our church was about. And I can half-understand the appeal of so-called "evangelicals" to people who don't want to be bothered with true Christian principles, 'cuz true Christian principles aren't easy. Ever tried turning the other cheek?
But really, nobody with even a reasonable layman's understanding of Christ and Christianity should even call screwballs like Dobson Christians. I mean, take a look at Matthew 21:12-13 -- is James Dobson more like Jesus, or more like the people He threw out of the temple?
And of course, the response of the charlatans and their defenders is always Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that ye be not judged," which I think is the only Bible passage a lot of spineless Christians know. Well, mine ain't the final judgement, but "Judge not" isn’t supposed to trump everything else Jesus ever said. "Judge not" isn't the ultimate lesson of the New Testament. I don't think Jesus would hesitate to criticize charlatans like Fred Phelps or Pat Robertson or James Dobson, "evangelicals" who stand foursquare against everything Christ ever taught. I sure as Hell don't think Jesus will be happy to meet such hypocrites -- or the so-called Christians who never spoke out against them.
And meanwhile, if Barack Obama has the courage to stand up to these faux Christians from a Christian perspective, well, it's been a long time coming and I will just say thank you, Jesus.
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Helen & Harry
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Scam supreme
by Herb Ruhs, MD
| June 26, 2008 |
The US does not have a foreign policy. It has a massive extortion scam run by the financial sector.
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Herb Ruhs, MD
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When the "news" isn't news
by MonkeyMan
| June 26, 2008 |
Re Doubtful
Yeah, I'm with you. I get my news more and more from sources OUTSIDE of the U.S. border. When I was in high school we had career day, for which we were supposed to choose a occupation we were interested in, research it and interview someone working in that profession. I chose journalism. I was excited by the idea of knowing the facts before other people and getting to tell them in print and pictures. I ended up in the military and life took me a different direction, even though I still had that romantic idea in the back of my mind.
Reporters are supposed to be the ones who dig past the lies to get to the truth: dumpster diving, source finding, fact checking, and good old nose for news. College papers require more than one source and you have to prove they are credible sources. Shouldn't a national news program be at least held to that standard?
I never thought I would live long enough to see outright lies being passed off as news. I can't believe that there aren't FCC regulations about titles for shows based on their content. There should be some criteria for having "News" in the program title. Otherwise, if it is fiction, it should be called entertainment. If a radio station plays mostly gospel music, they are called a gospel station. If a program presents mostly lies or facts from unproven sources, that shouldn't be called news. Should be called suppositions. Or Murdoch's murmurs. Or
We-don't-actually-know-
anything-but-we-look-good-in-front-of-the-camera-and-we-read-the-news-as-it-presented-to-us-
by-our-boss ... but that is cumbersome.
One civilian death is unacceptable. No matter what color they are.
One child sold for sex is unacceptable. No matter what color they are.
One war criminal in the White House is unacceptable. No matter what color they are.
One person denied medical care is unacceptable. No matter what color they are.
One ounce of blood shed for another's profit is unacceptable. No matter what color the flag.
*** *** ***
I hate these people and their obfuscating language. "Fallen ministers" makes is sound insignificant little bump. These are the people in constant dialogue about what is moral, talking about family values, and of late these jerks are influencing public policy.
A program for restoring fallen ministers & religious leaders
If you don't support abortion, don't have one.
If you don't support gay marriage, don't have one.
If you support torture, you should go first.
If you want to secure our nation, don't sell it.
If you want to protect marriage, ban divorce.
If you want to protect marriage, criminalize infidelity.
If you want to have a war on drugs, start with the doctors prescribing them.
If you want to have a war on drug gangs, start with GlaxoSmithKline.
If you want to kill bears to get the oil, you do it face to face, unarmed.
I'd give a month's pay to see that!
These people are the worst of the do as I say, not as I do.
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MonkeyMan
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Chick peas with turmeric
by JS Magruder
| June 26, 2008 |
I had no idea the turmeric I already cook with had medicinal value. Cool. I make curries and other turmeric-heavy dishes pretty often.
Before you force yourself to drink another V-8 (ick) with turmeric, try this quick little salad. If you use tinned chick peas, it can be ready in five minutes (and I promise it will taste better than V-8 (ick, again). For a complete meal, serve it over rice.
Chick Peas With Turmeric | |
3 tablespoons olive oil
8 fresh sage leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of cinnamon
2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 4 cups fresh cooked with extra salt added to compensate)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat the oil with the sage and garlic over medium heat in a large pan. Cook about three minutes or until fragrant. Stir in the other spices. Add the chick peas, toss. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Even better the next day. |
More money than they can spend
by JR Mooneyham
| June 26, 2008 |
Dubai plans 'moving' skyscraper
In Dubai these days, they're busy spending a big chunk of that money we're paying for gas to set up some of the most spectacular localized man-made calamities ever.
Basically because they can't think of anything better to do with all that money (as happens to many rich folks, as described in 'What the rich do with their amazing freedom from taxes'), they're throwing together gigantic, seemingly laws-of-physics defying buildings and man-made island collections which not only will almost certainly be unable to withstand various earthquakes, storms, and other natural disasters, but very likely will collapse or be abandoned much sooner than expected due simply to much gentler forces like tidal currents and sky-high maintenance costs.
Money is indeed a powerful thing. But even the super-rich can reach too far when challenging the universe, and fall flat on their face.
*** *** ***
McCain: World War III would justify draft
I've seen some of McCain's Republican peers claim we're ALREADY in WWIII (ala the War on Terror) -- or maybe even WW4, if the Cold War is considered to have been WWIII.
So it could easily be that McCain considers instituting a new draft on inauguration day as perfectly legitimate and prudent.
Turkey, gosh, I mean turmeric
Re Turmeric for diabetes
Thanks for the additional info. on turmeric. I’ve been using it for a long time. I first learned about it in Iran where it is the cheap version of saffron. Sometimes Iranians like to have their rice and other dishes turn yellow which is what the turmeric does if you add some. As for its taste, to me, if you add only 1 or 2 tsp. of it to a pot or just sprinkle some into a salad and stir it in, it has little or no taste. Also, that amount will only slightly change the color. I assume that in the curry powder mixture of spices, it is the ingredient that is turning things yellow. It is the other spices that cause the curry taste, a taste I’ve discovered I don’t like that much. I like Mediterranean flavors best.
Anyway, since first reading about its health benefits, I’ve upped the amounts I use and the only difference I’ve noticed is that the taste seems a little more “complex.” The tomato, onion, garlic, vegetable flavors, etc. will still dominate, so I put some in almost every soup/main & vegetable dish I cook (where the slight change in color won’t matter). PLEASE don’t say that it tastes foul -- who eats it “straight” anyway? Actually, in Turkey it’s considered a “foreign” spice, so it is a little more expensive than the more typical spices Turks like -- but it is available which is all that matters to me.
I’m always the one that suffers no upset stomach even when others might. If that’s because of the turmeric -- then, thank you, turmeric.
P.S. (1) This article mentions 20 reasons to use it.
P.S. (2) For Marlene, this article suggests that turmeric can help fight cystic fibrosis. There’s also this article which says that turmeric can help with CF, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, alcohol-related liver disease, and Alzheimer’s. Actually, there are lots of articles using the search terms “cystic fibrosis & turmeric” and lots using “turmeric health benefits.” Others mention it being useful for treating allergies, asthma, skin problems, and lowering cholesterol.
P.S. (3) This article discusses how traditional Indian Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine used it. It says that besides aiding digestive disturbances it can help with arthritis and offer some protection against heart attacks and strokes and cataracts. This article offers some precautions and side effects, too, although it is considered a safe herb.
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I guess taste varies a lot between people, but I'm with you on the taste of turmeric. It's kind of ghastly if you just sprinkle some on your hand and lick it, but what spice isn't? Mixing it into my ordinary recipes, though, I can barely taste the difference.
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Helen & Harry
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No, wait
by smartasswhiteboy
| June 26, 2008 |
Re I, FISA
Dead soldier asks, "Tell me again, what is it we're dying for?"
To stop WMD production in Iraq, no, to stop Al Qaeda in Iraq, no, to stop Saddam from brutalizing his people, no, to spread democracy to a country that needs it, no, to liberate people from a despotic leader, no, to fight them there so we don't have to fight them here, no, to buy the time necessary to help the new government get started, no, to help them stand up so we can stand down, no ...
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smartasswhiteboy
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Rape without touch
Re Rapists
Thanks to the creativity of man, you can now rape a woman without even touching her.
Consider the following from Time:
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Excerpt: The jihadis' religious beliefs forbade them from touching her so, she said, they had no idea how to measure her for the belt. She offered to give them her brassiere, but they had to first check with an imam whether Islam allowed a man to touch a woman's underclothes.
The belt the jihadists were measuring her for was a suicide bomb belt. She would later blow herself up. As the rapist puts it, "God is great! The stupid woman did it." |
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I always wonder what's the ratio of truth to propaganda in such reports, especially when it all meshes so perfectly with what America's liar-leaders want you to be afraid of. All the names have been changed, we're told, and as the article says halfway through, "aspects of their story are impossible to verify", so to believe it you've got to take Time at its word ...
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Helen & Harry
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A "balanced compromise"?
Vital part of housing bill is brainchild of banks| |
Excerpt: But Frank said the legislation was the result of many conversations with interested parties, including fair-housing advocates. Lawmakers and bank officials defend the provision as a balanced compromise, tempered by extensive input by government regulators, that gives homeowners a chance to stay in their homes while preventing the government from having to appropriate billions of dollars to buy nonperforming mortgages." |
Love the compromises based on lobbyist input. Banks will write down the losses and their tax accountants will use every tax loophole to come out with another under the table bailout.
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Wig
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Fictional citizens fight back
by Dave Patterson
| June 26, 2008 |
Hi again H and H, Hope all is well, or at least as much as can be expected considering. There is some satisfaction in the struggle, but it would be better just to win, I think sometimes.
But I write not to gossip, I am sure you are much too busy. I write to tell you of a book your readers might be interested in -- it is the story of a positive vision of the future, something to work towards, a society where We the People -- that is to say, the adults -- have finally managed to win a democratic election, and are making the changes in our society to reflect a place that works for us, instead of the rulers.
The rulers are not happy, of course, at this, and are engaged in an attempted regime change operation, with, of course, the willing assistance of the primary regime changers -- but they get a bit of a shock this time, as the citizens fight back, with a bit of help.
I think it's a good read in every way, but I of course am somewhat prejudiced as the writer. You can get a bit more of a look, and some excerpts of the writing, at Green Island (should you find some extra time on your hands and wish to read the whole thing, I would be happy to send you a PDF -- this is not an attempt to get you to buy the book! -- just to let others know of it, who can buy it if they wish).
Thanks again for your site -- and especially Herb, who would be much happier, I think, on Green Island (a lot of us would) ...
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I spent some time with a few of the excerpts and I'm intrigued. Looks like you've done good work, sir. If we have twenty bucks after paying the bills you might get an order. Meanwhile, yes indeed, folks should give the excerpts a read.
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Helen & Harry
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In case of WWIII
by Sherri B.
| June 26, 2008 |
Um, Houston, we have a problem...
McCain says only World War III would justify draft
*** *** ***
I know it's A.P. and I'm sorry but this just BURNS me:
Court rejects death penalty for raping children
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And McCain's just the man to make WWIII happen! :\
As for the death penalty for child rape, I'm just not able to work up a good head of outrage. The perps are behind bars, which satisfies my worries about public safety. I'm opposed to the death penalty on principle, so I don't want to see anyone executed, and once the bastards start expanding the death penalty they'll never stop.
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Mostly male
Re Rapists
Most lawmakers and police officers and prosecutors are male, don't have much more than a cursory understanding of rape, and don't want to think about it. That's why you get routine outrages like this.
14-year-old rape victim charged with rape
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