tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66439112012-02-16T12:21:21.068-05:00Recovering Catholic's view from the last pew.Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.comBlogger771100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-19472646531790712852009-02-10T09:05:00.000-05:002009-02-10T09:06:24.448-05:00

Indulgences!In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin.The fact that many Catholics under 50 have never sought one, and never heard of indulgences except in high school

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-25635315066713699552008-11-22T11:29:00.001-05:002008-11-22T11:29:17.477-05:00

Not from the Onion.This one from the Onion is right on.

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-28360211910940544452008-10-07T11:43:00.001-04:002008-10-07T11:43:25.050-04:00

In the NY Times' article by David Kirkpatrick today, A Fight Among Catholics Over Which Party Best Reflects Church Teachings, we learn that the church is currently divided as to which political party best reflects the full spectrum of church teachings. Catholics make up about 1/3 of the voting electorate.Today is annual "respect life" Sunday for Catholics across America and there are those who

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-20916451882200979212008-08-23T08:03:00.001-04:002008-08-23T08:03:32.410-04:00

Whenever we read ... the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize humankind. And, for my own part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel.-- Thomas

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-90444370987032161092008-07-09T09:55:00.001-04:002008-07-09T09:55:49.860-04:00

God is not enoughmore here

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-23364425739905570102008-06-30T11:30:00.000-04:002008-06-30T11:32:05.882-04:00

Sisters and goddessesFrom the Guardian UK By William Dalrymple:Legend has it that it was the apostle, Thomas, the doubting one, who brought Christianity to Southern India - and now, aside from the odd jealous spat, the Virgin Mary and goddess Bhagavati are worshipped with equal fervour"Yes, yes, the Virgin Mary is Bhagavati's younger sister," explained Vasudeva, the head priest, matter of factly,

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-51049797381982459582008-06-02T14:21:00.001-04:002008-06-02T14:21:28.972-04:00

From the TimesOnlineSocieties worse off 'when they have God on their side'RELIGIOUS belief can cause damage to a society, contributing towards high murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide, according to research published today.According to the study, belief in and worship of God are not only unnecessary for a healthy society but may actually contribute to social problems.[...]The

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-54519710789545594322008-05-30T07:17:00.001-04:002008-11-12T21:42:34.335-05:00

From the story at Yahoo News: The Vatican issued its most explicit decree so far against the ordination of women priests on Thursday, punishing them and the bishops who try to ordain them with automatic excommunication."The decree was written by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and published in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, giving it immediate effect."A

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-90248529152192473492008-05-19T10:56:00.001-04:002008-05-19T10:56:50.691-04:00

No sooner did California overturn the ban on homosexual marriage when Pope Benedict came out stating that marriage is only moral if between and man and a woman. Catholics worldwide are probably snickering. I am. So much for morality then.What if one of the parties in a so called "moral" marriage is a closeted homosexual living a lie and makes both parties miserable? I imagine that there are

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-49920481514578369432008-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:002008-11-12T21:42:34.689-05:00

One of the things about religion that really gets to me is that we are expected to suspend belief in that which makes sense and that which is rational in modern times in order to accept antiquated notions written by antiquated people in ancient times. Not everyone in the olden days was all that fucking bright... not even those who wrote the bible. They were quite superstitious. Today, people

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-67029422125536412872008-05-16T06:59:00.001-04:002008-05-16T07:01:52.536-04:00

With all the hoopla about Rev Wright's so called "hate speech," you oughta take a look at John Hagee's hate speech.

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-77935707846163664132008-05-10T09:37:00.000-04:002008-05-10T09:39:38.338-04:00

Here's something I had never learned in the seminary. From TheNazareneWay.comWHEN St. John Chrysostom (D. 407), in his homily on Matthew xxii, 1-14, tells us that "flesh-meats and wine serve as materials for sensuality, and are a source of danger, sorrow, and disease," he does not stand alone.Writing, in confutation of Jovinian, a monk of Milan, who abandoned asceticism, St. Jerome (D. A.V. 440)

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-2814816340670053532008-04-18T05:43:00.000-04:002008-05-10T09:42:30.461-04:00

While the Pope was calling for treating people with human dignity and for proper treatment of Latino immigrants, (The United States must do “everything possible to fight…all forms of violence so that immigrants may lead dignified lives,” the pope said when asked if he would address the issue of Latin American immigrants with the US leader.)the bushistas chose to carry out immigration raids at

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-81978258918915877092008-04-09T09:11:00.000-04:002008-11-12T21:42:34.824-05:00

The Economist has an interesting article on the Science of Religion.The first task of CERN's [the European particle-physics laboratory (CERN) at Geneva] new machine, the Large Hadron Collider, which is due to open later this year, will be to search for the Higgs boson—an object that has been dubbed, with a certain amount of hyperbole, the God particle. The €2m, by contrast, will be spent on the

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-66451021293743878522008-04-06T09:43:00.000-04:002008-05-10T09:45:18.510-04:00

John Hagee, teh christian zionist who endorsed John McCain (but didn't get half the bad press that Obama's pastor, Rev. Wright received from the media for being a total wacko) just announced donations of $6 million to Israeli causes "and said that Israel must remain in control of all of Jerusalem."Hagee and his group, Christians United for Israel, joined keynote speaker Benjamin Netanyahu, the

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-91738995714730501852008-03-30T10:45:00.000-04:002008-05-10T09:47:12.650-04:00

Finally, the idea that Christianity is a lifestyle choice can be put to rest. If you're a Christian, you cannot help it for you were born that way.hat tip slatev

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-84060753167290316342008-03-25T05:47:00.000-04:002008-05-10T09:48:17.612-04:00

Wow MSNBC Political analyst Pat Buchanan has really lost it in A Brief for Whitey. He doesn't get the reasons for the racial divide in this country, but thinks he does like many lily white rich men. And he wants black people to show gratitude towards white people. Really. He sounds like the rich, white, well to do racists I grew up with... he's got all their talking points down, but he misses

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-3609253070544879212008-03-23T11:29:00.000-04:002008-05-10T09:50:48.039-04:00

Brownback, Lieberman Introduce Ten Commandments ResolutionThursday, March 13, 2008WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) today introduced the Ten Commandments Weekend Resolution, which would designate the first weekend of May 2008 as Ten Commandments Weekend."It is important for Americans to remember the importance the Ten Commandments have in our nation," said

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-61795869870088098492008-03-13T09:51:00.001-04:002008-05-10T09:53:00.897-04:00

Plans for 'doomsday ark' on the moonBy Roger Highfield, Science Editor, TelegraphPlans are being made for the first experiments to pave the way for a "doomsday ark" on the moon.The ark would contain DNA, embryos and all the essentials of life and civilisation, to be activated should Earth be devastated by a giant asteroid, a climate flip or nuclear holocaust.The information bank would provide

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-68300227185752253252008-03-07T10:03:00.000-05:002008-05-10T09:53:34.203-04:00

One article at Wired Drugs, Body Modifications May Create Second Enlightenment that talks about a "smart pill" bringing on a second "enlightenment", inspired me to look up more information on the connection between coffeehouses and the enlightenment in Europe, particularly London, in the 17th century. Even without reading anything, one could easily surmise that caffeine served up in coffeehouses

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-18614584720235880112008-02-27T16:17:00.000-05:002008-05-10T09:54:41.170-04:00

I've been reading this at Pew Research: The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey Reveals a Fluid and Diverse Pattern of Faith. They surveyed 35,000 people 18 and over. I think many of you would find it interesting.A few quick tidbits of note from Summary of Key Findings:16% are not affiliated with any denomination. That's more than double the number who said that they were unaffiliated when they were

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-11656276078233227692007-05-10T09:50:00.000-04:002007-05-10T10:05:00.841-04:00

Sparked by Mexico's recent legalization of abortion, the Pope sided with Mexican Catholic Church leaders that Catholic politicians who back abortion, even if they are just pro-choice, must be excommunicated:"Yes, this excommunication was not an arbitrary one but is allowed by Canon (church) law which says that the killing of an innocent child is incompatible with receiving communion, which is

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-15253359759955133302007-04-08T09:51:00.000-04:002008-11-12T21:42:35.169-05:00

The blogswarm against theocracy this weekend is not just for atheists. It's about sensible people of all faiths or no faith who understand just how thin the line is getting between separation of church and state in our republic. There is a strong danger of fascism rising when religion rears its ugly head in public discourse and influences public policy. One simply has to open a history book to

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-4982619772622972612007-04-07T10:06:00.000-04:002007-04-08T10:07:10.399-04:00

The pope has written his first book. I detect some irony here.VATICAN CITY (Reuters) ... In the 400-page book, called "Jesus of Nazareth," the Pope offers a modern application of Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan, who stopped to help a man who had been robbed by thieves when others, including a priest, had not."The current relevance of the parable is obvious," the Pope writes."If we apply it

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-796944679789970812007-03-08T09:45:00.001-05:002007-03-08T09:45:40.698-05:00

The "christian" "right" is very upset with the National Association of Evangelicals because they seem to have jumped the "liberal" climate change and global warming band-wagon. The so called "christian right" should not be confused with actual Christians- these are fascist political operatives.According to the NY Times:The conservative leaders say they are not convinced that global warming is

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-62957190989723844772007-03-05T08:12:00.001-05:002007-03-05T08:12:35.144-05:00

March 4, 2007 NY Times Magazine By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIG God has always been a puzzle for Scott Atran. When he was 10 years old, he scrawled a plaintive message on the wall of his bedroom in Baltimore. “God exists,” he wrote in black and orange paint, “or if he doesn’t, we’re in trouble.” Atran has been struggling with questions about religion ever since — why he himself no longer believes in God

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1166622245161532902006-12-20T08:40:00.000-05:002006-12-20T08:44:05.176-05:00

I'd like to see as much outrage towards perverted priests as there is against politicians who support women's rights by Catholics.Anti-abortion group: Omit 'heretical' Pelosi from sacrament Raw Story: Tuesday December 19, 2006 An anti-abortion group is lobbying a Washington, DC Catholic Church to stop Speaker of the House-designate Nancy Pelosi from attending mass, RAW STORY has learned. Rep.

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1160141760131320002006-10-06T09:34:00.000-04:002006-10-06T09:36:00.133-04:00

GOP's Hold on Evangelicals WeakeningParty's Showing in Midterm Elections May Be Hurt as Polls Indicate Support Dropping in BaseBy Alan CoopermanWashington Post Staff WriterFriday, October 6, 2006; Page A06ANOKA, Minn. -- Lynn Sunde, an evangelical Christian, is considering what for her is a radical step. Come November, she may vote for a Democrat for Congress.Sunde, 35, manages a coffee shop and

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1160141616979838112006-10-06T09:32:00.000-04:002006-10-06T09:33:36.996-04:00

By LAURIE GOODSTEIN NY TimesPublished: October 6, 2006Despite their packed megachurches, their political clout and their increasing visibility on the national stage, evangelical Christian leaders are warning one another that their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.At an unusual series of leadership meetings in 44 cities this fall, more than 6,000 pastors are hearing dire forecasts from

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1158334610071243202006-09-15T11:36:00.000-04:002006-09-15T11:36:50.100-04:00

On Tuesday it was widely reported that the Pope had quite a bit of bad stuff to say about Islam and the prophet Mohammad. "Benedict said Christianity is tightly linked to reason and contrasted this view with those who believe in spreading their faith by the sword."Actually some christian theology is linked to reason (I will write about that some time) but he is way off by saying that Islam

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1156769054876046582006-08-28T08:43:00.000-04:002006-08-28T08:44:14.880-04:00

From NewsdayThe Rev. Ledyard Baxtor, pastor, Old Steeple Community Church, Aquebogue:We need to promote the idea that they coexist. I'm distressed that the continuing attempts on the part of some to divide science from faith. There are at least four ways that historically, faith and science have been related through conflict, independence, dialogue and integration. ... Even Galileo said something

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1156768967267870392006-08-28T08:41:00.000-04:002006-08-28T08:42:47.306-04:00

Sat Aug 26, 3:01 PM ETNot surprisingly, the Bible Belt region lives up to its name with states like Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and West Virginia containing the highest percentage of those who believe the Bible is literally true. Alabama and Arkansas came out on top as 75% say they believe the Bible is literally true. West Virginia (70%) and Tennessee (68%) are close behind. The northeast

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1156527117587149972006-08-25T13:26:00.000-04:002006-08-25T13:48:20.743-04:00

If it weren't for fertility clinics, there wouldn't be so many unwanted "embryos" that are simply tossed when they run out of room. Those embryos could be donated to science to possibly cure one of your children or grandchildren. The Anything But Religious Right prefers to defend the embryo's right to life but does nothing about their being put to the trash bin.Watch this "human life" literally

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224600979589302006-05-21T11:16:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:16:40.980-04:00

Today, on Air America you can listen to the national radio show, State of Belief.Whether you are a person of faith or not, it is important to understand why and be armed with information pertaining to the takeover of America's churches by right wing politics. It is through faux christianity that our democracy is at stake. Right wing think tanks came up with the plan for the take over. Three

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224569615681112006-05-19T11:15:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:16:09.616-04:00

from HRC email news.National Coalition of Religious Leaders Speak Out Against the Federal Marriage AmendmentReligious Leaders from Across the Country to Gather in Washington on May 22ndWASHINGTON – On May 22nd, Clergy for Fairness, a broad coalition of mainstream religious voices in America, will host clergy members and other religious leaders from across the country in Washington, D.C. to defend

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224475966669242006-05-09T11:14:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:14:35.966-04:00

Since pharmacists think that they know more than doctors and the religious fanatics refuse to consider science even though most of them rely on scientific and medical advances to keep their sorry lives livable, American gynecologists are fed up with all the political nonsense surrounding Plan B, Emergency Contraception, which as we know, is not an abortion pill.Solution: Ask your ob/gyn for an

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224411416161672006-05-02T11:13:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:13:31.416-04:00

Read Unplanned Pregnancy Increases among Poor

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224359532947872006-05-01T11:12:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:12:39.533-04:00

As a mother and a woman I am outraged. Simply outraged at the politics that surround science in America, supposed land of the free, home of the brave. Actually I am nauseous after reading this piece, Political Science by Michael Specter of The New Yorker.Merck & Co applied to the FDA for a license to sell a vaccine that protects women against the human papilloma virus, HPV, the most common STD in

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224307027988282006-04-30T11:11:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:11:47.033-04:00

My Sunday Sermonette will try to answer Rabbi Marc Gellman's Trying to Understand Angry Atheists in Newsweek.I like the Rabbi and I enjoy his column with Father Tim Hartman in Newsday every Saturday and television show when they appear as The God Squad.Unfortunately after studying so much about the Christian/Catholic Church after earning my MDiv in 1992, I lost interest in religion all

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224182004491552006-04-12T11:08:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:09:42.006-04:00

We eat candy for breakfast on Easter Sunday. I started this tradition when my son was old enough to chew, because I could finally live out some of my childhood fantasies when I became the matriarch... so report me to the Pope, see if I care. I was merely trying to play down the Christian Blood Cult theme.I also thought it might be interesting to have 'woast wabbit' for dinner with a side of Peeps

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224094719633262006-04-11T11:07:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:08:14.723-04:00

And Pat Robertson obligeth.It just wouldn't be Passover/Easter season without an hilarious story told by Pat Robertson reacting to something the Lord directly asked him to do. Pat Robertson and Rita Braver on CBS News Sunday Morning April 9th.PR: ... Well-- well anyhow, they thought she was demon possessed. And these women are in the conference, and they said, "Go cast demons out of her." And I

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148224051153363532006-04-10T11:06:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:07:31.153-04:00

This is an important commentary from Elaine Pagels regarding the Gospel of Judas and the National Geographic special which aired last night.Snippet from The Gospel TruthYet those early Christians who loved and revered such texts did not think of themselves as heretics, but as Christians who had received not only what Jesus preached publicly, but also what he taught his disciples when they were

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1148223991162664582006-04-04T16:10:00.000-04:002006-05-21T11:06:31.176-04:00

Since the hell when did being a Christian give you a right to be an bigoted asshole in a secular country? This shit would never fly in NY. It would be laughed out of court.Christians Sue for Right Not to Tolerate PoliciesMany codes intended to protect gays from harassment are illegal, conservatives argue.ATLANTA — Ruth Malhotra went to court last month for the right to be intolerant.Malhotra says

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1138374781267528942006-01-27T10:11:00.000-05:002006-01-27T10:13:01.280-05:00

Judge to Rule on Merit of Christ CaseBy MARTA FALCONI, Associated Press WriterVITERBO, Italy - An Italian judge heard arguments Friday on whether a small-town parish priest should stand trial for asserting that Jesus Christ existed.The priest's atheist accuser, Luigi Cascioli, says the Roman Catholic Church has been deceiving people for 2,000 years with a fable that Christ existed, and that the

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1137942411969096342006-01-22T10:04:00.000-05:002006-01-22T10:06:51.986-05:00

Swiped from Simply Left Behind with the author's permission.God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Us?December 25th, 2005By Actor 212No quotes, no headlines from articles. This post is from the heart.Today we celebrate the birth of arguably the greatest Teacher in the history of this measly little rock in space (which brings up most of this article). Be he God, or God-like, or merely an unusually gifted man

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1137077802806908112006-01-12T09:55:00.000-05:002006-01-13T11:34:49.973-05:00

I were god, I'd smite a lot of those people who speak in My name. They make God out to be a mean, vindictive, jealous, spiteful SOB who most thinking people wouldn't want to be stuck-with in the afterlife... not to mention that the afterlife would be one dull, dreary place filled with penitent people in hair shirts."heaven, heaven is a place where nothing, nothing ever happens." -The Talking

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1132584215393556302005-11-21T09:41:00.000-05:002005-11-21T09:43:35.533-05:00

As the poet said, 'Only God can make a tree' -- probably because it's so hard to figure out how to get the bark on.Eighty percent of success is showing up.How can I believe in God when just last week I got my tongue caught in the roller of an electric typewriter?How is it possible to find meaning in a finite world, given my waist and shirt size?I am at two with nature.I can't listen to that much

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1126619140438121872005-09-13T09:39:00.000-04:002005-09-13T09:45:40.443-04:00

I wouldn't expect the racist, hateful, bible thumpers to wake up, but at least the mainline churches are speaking out. At last!As much as I feel that religion is the root of war, I also learned in my Catholic upbringing that Christians are supposed to be the good guys.Good Reads:Bush Support Eroding as Christians Condemn Iraq Involvement9/11 And The Sport of God by Bill MoyersCan Jim Wallis save

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1125333578152891792005-08-29T12:34:00.000-04:002005-08-29T12:40:37.943-04:00

The following letter to the editor was in the Los Angeles Times on August 24, 2005 in response to Pat Robertson's fatwa to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez:If Christ were alive today he would be demanding that everyone receive healthcare at no cost, for starters. Remember: "Heal thy sick". Lawmakers not only commit the "sin" of compromise but completely disregard this important

Aginoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1122986278168521702005-08-02T08:35:00.000-04:002005-08-02T08:37:58.180-04:00

August 1, 2005Bible Course Becomes a Test for Public Schools in TexasNY TIMESBy RALPH BLUMENTHAL and BARBARA NOVOVITCHHOUSTON, July 31 - When the school board in Odessa, the West Texas oil town, voted unanimously in April to add an elective Bible study course to the 2006 high school curriculum, some parents dropped to their knees in prayerful thanks that God would be returned to the classroom,

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1122555487627506772005-07-28T08:55:00.000-04:002005-07-28T08:58:07.633-04:00

Religion in America: A Christian thorn speaks outPosted 7/19/05By Caroline Hsu US NEWSAs the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, Jack Spong ordained the first openly gay Episcopal priest in 1989. He has claimed that over 50 percent of Roman Catholic priests are gay and that even the Apostle Paul was homosexual. For these and other opinions, his opponents have called Spong a heretic. His

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1121438035703071872005-07-15T10:30:00.000-04:002005-07-15T10:35:11.610-04:00

Benny (a.k.a. Pope Benedict XVI) has identified the latest form of evil spreading across the world. That vile form is blasphemy is...(drum roll please)...Harry Potter!Benny wants to get in on the culture wars. I can't blame him. There's some great publicity involved for sure. From Yahoo/AP:Pope disapproves of Harry Potter, letters suggestPope Benedict believes the Harry Potter books subtly seduce

Aginoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1121192457459475982005-07-12T14:09:00.000-04:002005-07-12T14:28:13.660-04:00

PART ONE:It's been eighty years since the Scopes Monkey Trial yet the war between Evolution and Creationism lives on. I admit I don't know that much about Darwin's theory of evolution. Maybe that's because I slept through biology class in high school and managed to fulfill my science requirements in college with environmental science, not biology. Anyways, getting to the point . . . it appears

Aginoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1121087290166576372005-07-11T09:06:00.000-04:002005-07-11T09:08:10.176-04:00

10:00 09 July 2005NewScientist.com news service (Registration Required)Debora MacKenzieON 10 July 1925, a drama was played out in a small courtroom in a Tennessee town that touched off a far-reaching ideological battle. John Scopes, a schoolteacher, was found guilty of teaching evolution (see "The monkey trial - below"). Despite the verdict, Scopes, and the wider scientific project he sought to

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1120144885904334822005-06-30T11:20:00.000-04:002005-06-30T11:21:25.913-04:00

Last night we watched Morgan Spurlock's new television show 30 days. I typically hate reality shows but I found this show to be wildly entertaining and educational.In this particular episode, a Christian man from West Virginia went to live in Dearborn, Michigan as a Muslim for 30 days. Dearborn has the highest population of Muslims in the United States, and has had some controversy about Muslim

Aginoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1120067755431037102005-06-29T13:50:00.000-04:002005-06-29T17:07:14.470-04:00

Pope Benedict XVI's views on rock n' roll in 1985:"Rock music seeks release through liberation from the personality and itsresponsibility ... [it is] among the anarchic ideas of freedom which today[1985] predominate more openly in the West than in the East. But that isprecisely why rock music is so completely antithetical to the Christian conceptof redemption and freedom, indeed its exact

Aginoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1119887771255931542005-06-27T11:39:00.000-04:002005-06-27T12:01:17.863-04:00

Good ol' Catholic Boy Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) just can't keep away from his obsession with sexual behavior. Two years ago he compared homosexuality to "man on dog" bestiality. Now he is delving into pedophilia--the holy kind.Thanks to John at Blogenlust I learned of this story at Capital Buzz:In an op-ed for Catholic Online, Rick Santorum writes that "Whenthe culture is sick, every element

Aginoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1119734664332465092005-06-25T16:45:00.000-04:002005-06-25T17:28:20.946-04:00

Well, this is my first post here at Was Blind But Now I See. First I'd like to thank BlondeSense Liz for the opportunity to blog here. I mostly write about politics, media and war over at my main blog Agitprop. I occasionally touch on themes of religion and the culture wars, but this blog will give me a forum to direct all of my religion-themed posts for now on.I attended twelve years of Catholic

Aginoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1117286323565845402005-05-28T09:17:00.000-04:002005-05-28T09:18:43.583-04:00

By John RennieScientific AmericanJune 18, 2002 Opponents of evolution want to make a place for creationism by tearing down real science, but their arguments don't hold up When Charles Darwin introduced the theory of evolution through natural selection 143 years ago, the scientists of the day argued over it fiercely, but the massing evidence from paleontology, genetics, zoology, molecular

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1115478657846934132005-05-07T11:09:00.000-04:002005-05-07T11:10:57.863-04:00

Below is the first of 2 creation accounts in the bible. The folks in Kansas believe that the bible trumps science because science can't be proven. Scientists believe that the earth is about 4.5 billion years old and the universe may be about 15 billion years old or so. Creationists have all sorts of theories but the mouthiest ones in the US are claiming that the earth and universe are about 6,000

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113319297485066252005-04-12T11:10:00.000-04:002005-04-14T22:31:55.113-04:00

Bush has declared that we Americans support a culture of life just like the Pope. Well we don't. The culture of life refers to a consistent ethic of life. The consistent ethic of life does not separate the abortion issue as the most important life issue nor the euthanasia issue. All the life issues go together. You can't value one life issue over another. The late great Cardinal Bernardin, a

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113319547314855342005-03-30T11:24:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:25:47.316-04:00

NEW RULESThe culture of life applies to all life.If you claim to be christian then act like it. Especially in publicNo more hypocrisy. You cannot be selective about whose life you want to defend. All life is sacred in a culture of life.The culture of life also covers lives of those who are not Americans. That includes the lives of innocent people being killed and tortured by American and

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113320173384670182005-03-29T11:31:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:51:17.166-04:00

Originally Posted at BlondesenseThis series is not meant as an insult to Jews at all. If it insults fundamentalist Christians, good. You're not supposed to be interpreting the Old Testament. I am illustrating how ridiculous it is to try to do so._______________________________________These are the first 5 Commandments straight from the Bible. Commandment 1: Exodus 20: 2 I am the LORD thy God,

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113320530614333972005-03-29T10:40:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:43:59.016-04:00

To Kill or Not To KillCommandment 6: Exodus 20:6. You shall not kill.This commandment is open to all sorts of interpretation. We all know that we shouldn't kill other people... well unless they killed someone we love and they go to the gas chamber, or we're at war with them and stuff like that.Our laws include murder as a crime. So we finally get to a commandment that we can find in our law books

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113320741641386192005-03-29T09:44:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:45:41.643-04:00

Before we go on, I should snarkily point out that the Roman Catholic Church has different commandments than the Protestants and the Jews. The Catholic Church left out the second commandment against making graven images. Probably because the Catholics love graven images. So they had to come up with an extra commandment to make it 10 and they made a 9th commandment which isn't part of the

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113320977181587552005-03-29T08:45:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:50:04.833-04:00

The next commandment is number 8. Thou shalt not steal. That one's on the law books. This law is an oldie and is not a law peculiar to Christianity or Judaism.Commandment number 9: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. That means don't make up lies about others. It's illegal to do that in certain circumstances and this is another commandment that is not peculiar to Christians or

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113321374900141282005-03-29T07:51:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:56:14.903-04:00

The first 4 parts of my series on the 10 commandments covered the traditional commandments which are being debated in the supreme court of all places, at the moment.Some believe that these commandments are the foundation for our laws. As we looked at the commandments as they appear in Exodus 20, it was evident that perhaps a couple of them are included in our laws but these laws didn't need much

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113321727289237522005-03-29T07:01:00.000-05:002005-04-12T12:02:52.426-04:00

We've been covering Moses in Exodus and his instructions from God with a capital G in the previous parts. Now we're up to Exodus Chapters 21 -23 which include how to treat your slaves and more reasons to kill others for their sins.In Exodus Chapter 24, God calls Moses up to the mountain again because he has more instructions on offerings, tabernacles and priestly robes. By Chapter 29, we have

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1113321445930464742005-03-29T06:56:00.000-05:002005-04-12T11:57:25.933-04:00

Here is my problem with the ten commandments- why exactly are there 10?You simply do not need ten. The list of ten commandments was artificially and deliberately inflated to get it up to ten. Here's what happened:About 5,000 years ago a bunch of religious and political hustlers got together to try to figure out how to control people and keep them in line. They knew people were basically stupid

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1087751727138532312004-06-20T13:15:00.000-04:002004-06-20T13:15:27.136-04:00

Evangelical Leaders Reexamine Principles LA Times 6/20/04 By Larry B. Stammer, Times Staff Writer The National Assn. of Evangelicals is circulating a draft of a groundbreaking framework for political action that strongly endorses social and economic justice and warns against close alignment with any political party. Steeped in biblical morality and evangelical scholarship, the

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1084632977273609022004-05-15T10:55:00.000-04:002004-05-15T10:56:17.273-04:00

Dear Bishop Sheridan, First we heard from St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke who barred John Kerry from accepting Communion, and then bishops in Boston, Portland and New Orleans had taken general stands that dissenting politicians should avoid taking it. Today I read that you have issued a pastoral letter saying Catholics cannot receive Communion if they vote for politicians who support abortion

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1084632417197903042004-05-15T10:46:00.000-04:002004-05-15T10:46:57.196-04:00

Dear Long Island Catholic, First we heard from St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke who barred John Kerry from accepting Communion, and then bishops in Boston, Portland and New Orleans had taken general stands that dissenting politicians should avoid taking it. I picked myself up off the floor after reading that Colorado Springs Bishop Michael Sheridan has issued a pastoral letter saying Catholics

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1084201470518882402004-05-10T11:02:00.000-04:002004-05-10T11:10:52.786-04:00

Matthew, Chapter 5 The Beatitudes 1And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:   3"Blessed are the poor in spirit,     For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4Blessed are those who mourn,     For they shall be comforted. 5Blessed are the meek,     For they shall inherit the earth.

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1082047213300397912004-04-15T12:39:00.000-04:002005-04-08T16:36:06.623-04:00

These are facts concerning what happened on 9/11.Below are some striking things that happened or striking things that Bush said that really stand out. Either he is a blatant liar or he is a very confused man and his competence to be president of the US should be investigated.Bush held a town meeting in Orlando Florida on December 4, 2001 and started the myth that he saw the first plane crash into

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1080241182683388382004-03-25T13:58:00.000-05:002004-03-25T14:03:52.030-05:00

I mentioned in this blog a few times how I just gave up on religion. Today I read Newsday while having lunch. Local Newsday columnist Ed Lowe got a letter from the Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center Board of Trustees explaining that Ed would not be the key note speaker this year because of: "...tenor and tone of your recent Newsday columns involving the Church." I thought, Did I write

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1080133027714842422004-03-24T07:55:00.000-05:002004-03-24T08:05:57.873-05:00

Great Summary of Peace Marches at Portland Indy Media. Stop the 9/11 Coverup -NY911Truth.org The Peace Movement Took To the Streets Worldwide on Saturday March 2004 to Mark the Anniversary of The War on Iraq. This Time It Made Headlines and Rightly So. This Time Protesters Also Demand An End to the 9/11 Cover Up and Rightly So. The Dictator Must Be Held Accountable.

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6643911.post-1079812267914310572004-03-20T14:49:00.000-05:002004-03-21T13:48:32.403-05:00

We are just a dot in the universe. Why can't we all get along as we hurdle through space on this rocketship earth? We all need the fuel. Galaxy Song Whenever life gets you down, Mrs Brown And things seems hard or tough And people are stupid obnoxious or daft And you feel that you feel That you've have had quite enough! Just remember that you're standing on a planet that's evolving And

Blondesense Liznoreply@blogger.com0