False Sense of Maturity

I’m not the most seasoned out there when it comes to many things, politics being one, but that is more of a reason to share my thoughts…I am probably about average for the general voting public.  I began thinking about this and about Obama’s campaign and how they are sort of the same message.  So I’ll explain that and more of my thoughts.  —Nice picture below Ron—

The fact remains that Obama received a huge amount of financial support throughout his campaign as he still does; while McCain has largly tapped into interest groups and religion.  Obama IS changing this, so that the little guy can be heard, can be a part of the process.  So why can’t some normal guy speak about politics?

McCain lost his ‘I’m more experienced’ argument when he chose his running mate.  I mean, he could kick the bucket any second.

McCain WAS a maveric, that got old and realized that if he wanted to accomplish his dream, he had to sell out.

Hey everyone, it’s a crucified Frog Jesus!

An art museum in northern Italy said Thursday it will continue displaying a sculpture portraying a green frog nailed to a cross that has angered Pope Benedict XVI and local officials.

The board of the foundation of the Museion in the city of Bolzano voted to keep the work by the late German artist Martin Kippenberger, the museum said in a statement.

I ran across something I haven’t read in a while. I thought I’d share…

From David Hume. An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined. Why is it more than probable, that all men must die; that lead cannot, of itself, remain suspended in the air; that fire consumes wood, and is extinguished by water; unless it be, that these events are found agreeable to the laws of nature, and there is required a violation of these laws, or in other words, a miracle to prevent them? Nothing is esteemed a miracle, if it ever happen in the common course of nature. It is no miracle that a man, seemingly in good health, should die on a sudden: because such a kind of death, though more unusual than any other, has yet been frequently observed to happen.

One of the highest profiles religious figures in Minnesota is the Rev. Mac Hammond. Besides his large congregation, he also has a TV show, and now a problem with the IRS. So far, his defense has been to imply that his attackers are Satanic:

The Rev. Mac Hammond, founder of Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park, told his congregation in a letter that an IRS investigation is “politically motivated,” and part of “a very clear effort, on a national scale, to discredit, defame and intimidate ministries and preachers of what has been called the ‘prosperity gospel.’”

In his first public comments about the IRS inquiry, Hammond, who heads one of the state’s larger churches with nearly 10,000 members and reaches a greater audience through Sunday TV broadcasts, said that those “behind these attacks [are] enemies of the gospel.”

“They are fearful not only of the moral imperative communicated by these ministries, but the growing wealth and influence of those constituencies,” he wrote.

I don’t think this defense for go over very well if he keeps it for his October 2nd court date.

Kinda-New religious discrimination manual released.
Supposedly religious discrimination is up.

WASHINGTON — Citing changing demographics and a steady increase in complaints from people of faith, a federal agency last week released an updated compliance manual on religious discrimination in the workplace.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the guidance after consultation with religious groups, employers, and labor organizations. The number of religious-discrimination charges reported to the agency has more than doubled over the last 15 years.

Why did they consult ‘religious groups’? That’s like asking a squeaky wheel if it wants grease?

Yes, they are probably pointing their fingers at us too. That is why I say we joining forces. Call ourselves the Logicologists and our sabbath is Monday. We will pick holidays and require special privileges…

This is certainly a strange idea:

An Italian priest and theologian said Sunday he is organizing an online beauty pageant for nuns to give them more visibility within the Catholic Church and to fight the stereotype that they are all old and dour.

The “Miss Sister 2008″ contest will start in September on a blog run by the Rev. Antonio Rungi and will give nuns from around the world a chance to showcase their work and their image.

I think if you’re going to have a beauty pageant, you should go all out, but Rungi’s vision is disappointingly tame:

“We are not going to parade nuns in bathing suits,” Rungi said by telephone from his town of Mondragone. “But being ugly is not a requirement for becoming a nun. External beauty is gift from God, and we mustn’t hide it.”

Troy mentioned this story a couple of days back, but I though I’d give my thoughts on it.

It this post Will & Grace era, it’s easy to forget that a lot of the country still hates gays, or at least are irrationally fearful of them. Such is the case in a Florida school district, and the principal plays the leading role:

When a high school senior told her principal that students were taunting her for being a lesbian, he told her homosexuality is wrong, outed her to her parents and ordered her to stay away from children.

He suspended some of her friends who expressed their outrage by wearing gay pride T-shirts and buttons at Ponce de Leon High School, according to court records. And he asked dozens of students whether they were gay or associated with gay students.

The American Civil Liberties Union successfully sued the district on behalf of a girl who protested against Principal David Davis, and a federal judge reprimanded Davis for conducting a “witch hunt” against gays. Davis was demoted, and school employees must now go through sensitivity training.

And despite all that, many in this conservative Panhandle community still wonder what, exactly, Davis did wrong.

MSN has created a fun little Hypocrisy Hall of Shame, and no list of hypocrites would be complete without plenty of religious figures. This entry is a no-brainer:

Ted Haggard

He was pastor to thousands, president of the National Association of Evangelicals and consultant to presidential strategist Karl Rove. Ted Haggard, 52, was also a regular customer of male prostitute Mike Jones, who in 2006 claimed monthly, drug-fueled romps with the preacher. Haggard confessed to “sexual immorality” and resigned from his Colorado Springs’ New Life Church. As Jones later told the New York Times, “Here is Ted preaching about being shameful — You won’t see the kingdom of God if you’re gay, and blah, blah, blah — and then he sneaks around with me.”

This is also new news! Not trying to start a ’school’ theme.

A former teacher at a Christian school in Powder Springs has been arrested on child molestation charges. Sgt. Brent Miller with the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office says the allegations against Holly Michelle Barnes involve a 14-year-old male. Barnes is a former teacher at Grace Baptist Church and Christian School.

Not much to add. Here is the link.

This moronic police officer should have a suit for slander on his hands. He’s trying to educate or humiliate?

The officer, John F. Gay III of the Cheyenne Police Department, picked out six or seven Windsor High School students’ MySpace page and began to criticize photos, comments and other content until one student left the room crying.

“He told the entire student body that he had shared her info with a sexual predator in prison,” said Ty Nordic, whose daughter Shaylah Nordic’s MySpace page was put on display.

Nordic said Gay then told the student body that the predator said he would masturbate to her picture.

Here’s the whole article…

THEN READ THIS ONE: About a principal that brought his religious beliefs to the school. It’s no wonder there are so many sheep.

“We are a small, rural district in the Bible Belt with strong Christian beliefs and feel like homosexuality is wrong,” said Steve Griffin, Holmes County’s school superintendent, who keeps a Bible on his desk and framed Scriptures on his office walls.

Kisik Lee, the United States archery coach, is taking some heat for possibly forcing his religious beliefs onto his athletes. Not only has he personally baptized multiple members of his team, but he also includes Bible education in his training regimens:

During the Olympics, Lee and at least three of the five United States archers who qualified to compete in Beijing met every morning to sing hymns and read from the Bible, and to attend church together in the chapel at the Olympic Village. Lee believes having a strong faith makes for better archers because it helps quiet their minds. To that end, he tailored Ellison’s Olympic schedule to include spiritual and athletic objectives.

“I give him six tasks a day, including reading the Bible and education,” Lee said. “And he’s doing it.”