It's time for the people to push the agenda and put impeachment on the table. It's time for a certain Madame Speaker from San Fran to wake up to the people's demands.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
When Christians speak do Christians listen ?
Al Franken's SUPPLY SIDE JESUS
part of the Pope's Easter sermon
How many wounds, how much suffering there is in the world! Natural calamities and human tragedies that cause innumerable victims and enormous material destruction are not lacking. My thoughts go to recent events in Madagascar, in the Solomon Islands, in Latin America and in other regions of the world. I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence, which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons. I look with apprehension at the conditions prevailing in several regions of Africa. In Darfur and in the neighboring countries there is a catastrophic, and sadly to say underestimated, humanitarian situation. In Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the violence and looting of the past weeks raises fears for the future of the Congolese democratic process and the reconstruction of the country. In Somalia the renewed fighting has driven away the prospect of peace and worsened a regional crisis, especially with regard to the displacement of populations and the traffic of arms. Zimbabwe is in the grip of a grievous crisis and for this reason the Bishops of that country in a recent document indicated prayer and a shared commitment for the common good as the only way forward.
.
Likewise the population of East Timor stands in need of reconciliation and peace as it prepares to hold important elections. Elsewhere, too, peace is sorely needed: in Sri Lanka only a negotiated solution can put an end to the conflict that causes so much bloodshed; Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability; in the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees. In Lebanon the paralysis of the country's political institutions threatens the role that the country is called to play in the Middle East and puts its future seriously in jeopardy. Finally, I cannot forget the difficulties faced daily by the Christian communities and the exodus of Christians from that blessed Land which is the cradle of our faith. I affectionately renew to these populations the expression of my spiritual closeness.
.
Dear brothers and sisters, through the wounds of the Risen Christ we can see the evils which afflict humanity with the eyes of hope. In fact, by his rising the Lord has not taken away suffering and evil from the world but has vanquished them at their roots by the superabundance of his grace. He has countered the arrogance of evil with the supremacy of his love. He has left us the love that does not fear death, as the way to peace and joy. "Even as I have loved you he said to his disciples before his death so you must also love one another" (cf. John 13:34).
Pope Benidict, 8 Apr 07
.
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Recently I have come to believe that there should be an Eighth Deadly Sin…….
Presumption
The belief that we’re so close to God that He is on our side, that all our ways our His ways, that we deserve all earthly and spiritual blessings while others warrant punishment, that we deserve His mercy while others earn retribution, and that we deserve Heaven while others merit Hell.
*
All Souls’ Day--- Teresa Healy
http://www.teresahealy.ca/allsoulsday/fallujah_128.htm
part of the Pope's Easter sermon
How many wounds, how much suffering there is in the world! Natural calamities and human tragedies that cause innumerable victims and enormous material destruction are not lacking. My thoughts go to recent events in Madagascar, in the Solomon Islands, in Latin America and in other regions of the world. I am thinking of the scourge of hunger, of incurable diseases, of terrorism and kidnapping of people, of the thousand faces of violence, which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion, of contempt for life, of the violation of human rights and the exploitation of persons. I look with apprehension at the conditions prevailing in several regions of Africa. In Darfur and in the neighboring countries there is a catastrophic, and sadly to say underestimated, humanitarian situation. In Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo the violence and looting of the past weeks raises fears for the future of the Congolese democratic process and the reconstruction of the country. In Somalia the renewed fighting has driven away the prospect of peace and worsened a regional crisis, especially with regard to the displacement of populations and the traffic of arms. Zimbabwe is in the grip of a grievous crisis and for this reason the Bishops of that country in a recent document indicated prayer and a shared commitment for the common good as the only way forward.
.
Likewise the population of East Timor stands in need of reconciliation and peace as it prepares to hold important elections. Elsewhere, too, peace is sorely needed: in Sri Lanka only a negotiated solution can put an end to the conflict that causes so much bloodshed; Afghanistan is marked by growing unrest and instability; in the Middle East, besides some signs of hope in the dialogue between Israel and the Palestinian authority, nothing positive comes from Iraq, torn apart by continual slaughter as the civil population flees. In Lebanon the paralysis of the country's political institutions threatens the role that the country is called to play in the Middle East and puts its future seriously in jeopardy. Finally, I cannot forget the difficulties faced daily by the Christian communities and the exodus of Christians from that blessed Land which is the cradle of our faith. I affectionately renew to these populations the expression of my spiritual closeness.
.
Dear brothers and sisters, through the wounds of the Risen Christ we can see the evils which afflict humanity with the eyes of hope. In fact, by his rising the Lord has not taken away suffering and evil from the world but has vanquished them at their roots by the superabundance of his grace. He has countered the arrogance of evil with the supremacy of his love. He has left us the love that does not fear death, as the way to peace and joy. "Even as I have loved you he said to his disciples before his death so you must also love one another" (cf. John 13:34).
Pope Benidict, 8 Apr 07
.
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
Recently I have come to believe that there should be an Eighth Deadly Sin…….
Presumption
The belief that we’re so close to God that He is on our side, that all our ways our His ways, that we deserve all earthly and spiritual blessings while others warrant punishment, that we deserve His mercy while others earn retribution, and that we deserve Heaven while others merit Hell.
*
All Souls’ Day--- Teresa Healy
http://www.teresahealy.ca/allsoulsday/fallujah_128.htm
Friday, April 06, 2007
Good Friday
18 “If you find that the world hates you, know it
has hated me before you.
19 If you belonged to the world,
it would love you as its own;
the reason it hates you
is that you do not belong to the world.
But I chose you out of the world.
20 Remember what I told you:
no slave is greater than his master.
They will harry you
as they harried me.
They will respect your words
As much as they respected mine.
21 All this they will do to you because of my name,
for they know nothing of him who sent me.
(JOHN 15)
has hated me before you.
19 If you belonged to the world,
it would love you as its own;
the reason it hates you
is that you do not belong to the world.
But I chose you out of the world.
20 Remember what I told you:
no slave is greater than his master.
They will harry you
as they harried me.
They will respect your words
As much as they respected mine.
21 All this they will do to you because of my name,
for they know nothing of him who sent me.
(JOHN 15)
please read.....
John Ch. 13
from Jesus Christ Superstar.....
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Holy Week begins; a simple lesson so hard to accept
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For Christians of most every stripe among the western churches today is Palm Sunday. Palms are present along with the first reading of the Passion of Christ during this ‘Holy Week’.
The Passion for so many centuries has been used incorrectly to justify anti-Semitism. The Jews didn’t kill Christ. Power, feeling threatened killed Jesus. The Religious authority threatened by His popularity and expressed ideas feared He would bring unfavorably dangerous attention to them and their community from occupation powers. But most of all they feared and loathed the challenge to their authority. The politically unpopular occupation appointed governor feared any threat to his power or negative attention from occupation rulers. The occupation administrator of the land feared for local instability and any career-ending negative attention upon himself. When the people were granted the traditional holiday choice of freeing a prisoner they choose the violent insurrectionist, their freedom fighter, over the man of love and peace.
Those were the choices that resulted in the death penalty for Jesus. We’re wrestling with these same choices to this very day in our land and around the globe.
The corrupt self-centeredness of power is not surprising but why do people so often willingly chose violent ways over that of peace. The people who yelled for the insurrectionist undoubtedly felt they were in fact loyal followers of their faith who, living under an unjust occupation and feeling threatened, were making the proper patriotic choice of God and country.
Who would you scream for?
http://musingsfromtheoutskirtsofcognition.blogspot.com/2007/01/who-would-you-scream-for.html
Outside of legitimate self defense it seems to me there’s always a leader functioning as the catalysts who stirs up the people by boisterously exclaiming the dangers poised by some nation or group, the justification for vengeance or the economic and political advantage of conquest, suppression and ill-treatment. Next, there’s the citizens tied to those in charge who cast their lot in with them regardless of what they are proclaiming because they find benefit from doing so. Then there’s the blind sheep; who have a history of following those in charge and continue to do so unquestioningly, while some are swept up by the passion of conflict and follow along aimlessly, while still others are intellectually inclined to be duped into following along because of their own voluntary ignorance or apathy, and some are in fear of going against what seems popular with their peers causing them to halt any questions they may have floating around in their conscience.
Woe to those whose spirit compels them to speak against the flood of popular vengeance. The desire to strike back against a foe is so strong anyone trying to quell the rising tsunami of violence is flooded with anger, revulsion and distrust. The courage it takes to express legitimate descent is ignored as is their deep felt loyalty and patriotism. Throughout history their lot has been plagued with torture, exile and death.
Nailed to a hunk of wood in the hot sun bleeding to death He forgave those who put Him there. A spear pierced His heart to insure He was dead. It’s the deep love contained in that same Precious Bleeding Heart we celebrate this week.
The Passion for so many centuries has been used incorrectly to justify anti-Semitism. The Jews didn’t kill Christ. Power, feeling threatened killed Jesus. The Religious authority threatened by His popularity and expressed ideas feared He would bring unfavorably dangerous attention to them and their community from occupation powers. But most of all they feared and loathed the challenge to their authority. The politically unpopular occupation appointed governor feared any threat to his power or negative attention from occupation rulers. The occupation administrator of the land feared for local instability and any career-ending negative attention upon himself. When the people were granted the traditional holiday choice of freeing a prisoner they choose the violent insurrectionist, their freedom fighter, over the man of love and peace.
Those were the choices that resulted in the death penalty for Jesus. We’re wrestling with these same choices to this very day in our land and around the globe.
The corrupt self-centeredness of power is not surprising but why do people so often willingly chose violent ways over that of peace. The people who yelled for the insurrectionist undoubtedly felt they were in fact loyal followers of their faith who, living under an unjust occupation and feeling threatened, were making the proper patriotic choice of God and country.
Who would you scream for?
http://musingsfromtheoutskirtsofcognition.blogspot.com/2007/01/who-would-you-scream-for.html
Outside of legitimate self defense it seems to me there’s always a leader functioning as the catalysts who stirs up the people by boisterously exclaiming the dangers poised by some nation or group, the justification for vengeance or the economic and political advantage of conquest, suppression and ill-treatment. Next, there’s the citizens tied to those in charge who cast their lot in with them regardless of what they are proclaiming because they find benefit from doing so. Then there’s the blind sheep; who have a history of following those in charge and continue to do so unquestioningly, while some are swept up by the passion of conflict and follow along aimlessly, while still others are intellectually inclined to be duped into following along because of their own voluntary ignorance or apathy, and some are in fear of going against what seems popular with their peers causing them to halt any questions they may have floating around in their conscience.
Woe to those whose spirit compels them to speak against the flood of popular vengeance. The desire to strike back against a foe is so strong anyone trying to quell the rising tsunami of violence is flooded with anger, revulsion and distrust. The courage it takes to express legitimate descent is ignored as is their deep felt loyalty and patriotism. Throughout history their lot has been plagued with torture, exile and death.
Nailed to a hunk of wood in the hot sun bleeding to death He forgave those who put Him there. A spear pierced His heart to insure He was dead. It’s the deep love contained in that same Precious Bleeding Heart we celebrate this week.
3
"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
6
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me.
Matthew Chapter 5
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