We All Should Be Outraged!!!

Outrage from Catholics causes bill to be shelved

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

After outrage from area Catholics against a proposed state law that would strip bishops and parish pastors of their financial authority, a state Senate bill was withdrawn from consideration Tuesday. The bill came in the wake of financial scandals involving Catholic priests in Greenwich and Darien. Under the proposed legislation, a board of elected laypersons would be set up to handle parish finances while bishops and priests would oversee “matters pertaining exclusively to religious tenets and practices.” Now the bill will not be heard this session and a scheduled public hearing of the full Legislature has been canceled. Bishop William E. Lori, head of the Bridgeport diocese, spoke out this week against the bill and there was outcry from throughout the Catholic community in the state. In an official statement regarding the proposed bill, the diocese said the bill “...is a thinly-veiled attempt to silence the Catholic Church on the important issues of the day, such as same-sex marriage.” The diocese also referred to the bill as “irrational, unlawful and bigoted.” In response to e-mailed questions, Bishop Lori said that although this current legislation is aimed at the Roman Catholic Church, other denominations should fear the same. “Every denomination should fear the wide-ranging implications of this proposed bill. While it is directed unfairly at the Roman Catholic Church, all churches could face a loss of religious liberty which is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution,” he wrote. “It is blatantly unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment,” he added. “The guarantee of religious freedom in the U.S. Constitution applies not only to the private beliefs of individuals but also protects the autonomy of organized churches — all churches.” Recent scandals have given the diocese a bit of a financial black eye. Two financial reviews at St. Michael the Archangel Parish found that former pastor Michael Moynihan stole $400,000 from the church to keep for himself and to make payments to his personal credit cards. Last February, Mr. Moynihan, who was at St. Michael’s from 1992 until 2006, was defrocked after it was discovered he was in a relationship with another man. The same year the diocese’s financial review uncovered Mr. Moynihan’s two unauthorized accounts, Darien priest Michael Jude Fay pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1 million from his parish. Monsignor Frank Wissel, pastor of St. Mary Parish on Greenwich Avenue told the Post Tuesday he was happy to see the bill dead for at least this legislative session, citing the outpouring against it not only from Catholics around the state but also from people of other religions who fear they might be next. “These kinds of attacks against us are nothing new,” Msgr. Wissel said. “The Catholic Church has been criticized for many things over the years and these kinds of attacks are because of our stances on issues like abortion and same-sex marriage. There’s no question in my mind.” Msgr. Wissel said he isn’t ignoring scandals involving Mr. Moynihan and Mr. Fay, calling them “embarrassing,” but pointed out their behavior wasn’t indicative of Catholics as a whole. “The church is attacked because we have a certain set of ethics,” Msgr. Wissel said. “We’re not perfect but certainly the failings that have been shown can be attributed to the human condition. This is not a problem that exists across the board.” In Hartford Originally it was thought the bill was being written by state Sen. Andrew McDonald (D-27) and state Rep. Mike Lawlor (D-99), co-chairmen of the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee. But on Monday, they released a statement that they were not advocating for the bill and were simply introducing it as part of a request for a hearing from constituents. “It has been incorrectly characterized that this legislation originated from the two of us as an attack on the church and freedom of religion. That is not the truth, and the facts do not support such a claim,” the statement said. Mr. McDonald told Hersam Acorn Newspapers Tuesday he had not written the bill. “A number of parishioners from lower Fairfield County asked the judiciary committee to consider this proposal, including Greenwich attorney Tom Gallagher and Fairfield University professor Paul Lakeland, who has been writing on this subject for several years now,” Mr. McDonald said. Mr. McDonald said parishioners who suggested the bill are “victims of embezzlement” who are seeking to have “a greater say in the administrative and financial functions of the church.” This isn’t the first time Mr. Gallagher has asked for a hearing to consider this. Former state Rep. Claudia “Dolly” Powers told the Post Tuesday she recalled working on “much narrower” legislation last year at the behest of Mr. Gallagher, one of her constituents in the 151st District. Ms. Powers said she doesn’t remember specific language used, except that it was “literally one line” and that it was never raised by the Legislature. Ms. Powers said she filled out what it is known as a proposed bill form with the one line and it was submitted to the Legislative Commissioner’s Office. She said she can’t recall which committee the form was then sent to, but said it died there and was never brought up again. “I remember being told about this and thinking, ‘Wow, let’s see if we can narrow it a little bit,’” Ms. Powers said, recalling that she wanted to check with attorneys to make sure any legislation did not violate laws separating church from state. When asked about the new proposed legislation, Ms. Powers, who is no longer in office, said she didn’t want to comment. Mr. Gallagher could not be reached for comment. Despite the bill being taken out of consideration, state Senate and House Republicans are going forward with their own hearing on it, scheduled for noon tomorrow in room 2C of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Sign-up for the hearing begins at 9:30. Also, a rally against the bill, organized by the Catholic Church, was scheduled for outside the Capitol on Wednesday; as of press time, it was still being held. In another statement released Tuesday, Mr. McDonald and Mr. Lawlor said they don’t want to consider any changes to the laws governing Roman Catholic corporations until it is clear whether the state’s existing laws are constitutional. They said the Legislature’s public hearing was canceled at the request of those advocating for the bill. They said they plan to check with Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Greenwich resident, for his opinion on the constitutionality of the existing law, which sets different rules for five named religions separately.

Never Forget!

9/11 defendants: We're 'terrorists to the bone'

Five charged with war crimes refer to 9/11 as 'the great attack on America'

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Five men charged in the Sept. 11 attacks mock U.S. authorities and proclaim themselves "terrorists to the bone" in a war crimes court filing released Tuesday.

The five Guantanamo prisoners use the six-page document to try to justify the killing of nearly 3,000 people, portraying the attack as a response to U.S. actions in Israel, Iraq and elsewhere that is supported by their Muslim faith.

"We fight you over defending Muslims, their land, their holy sites, and their religion as a whole," they write in the document, which was submitted to the Guantanamo war crimes court and released by the Pentagon, in English, over the objections of attorneys for two of the men.

To read the rest of this story click here.

Paul Ibbetson Joins Us Tonight Do The Right Thing Radio

Don't forget that we will have Paul A. Ibbetson as our special guest at 11:00 pm eastern on Do The Right Thing Radio.

Click here to listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/cyberpastor/2009/03/11/Do-The-Right-Thing-Radio-with-CyberPastor-Annieb

Click here to read more about Paul and his book: Feeding Lions- The Book

or here: Paul Ibbetson to Join Us on Do The Right Thing Radio

Trevor Shares Some Positives

So at first I was debating weather I should post this on a political blog since most posts are so serious and are of a political nature. However I felt that I should post this just to share something a little more light-hearted since most things that are news-worthy tend to be about very serious issues that bring out very strong opinions from everyone.

This post is on the lighter side of things and focuses on some of the more good things going on. This post is to share with you the truth that there are young people and yes even some in Hollywood who share our faith in Jesus Christ. Just a heads up this post is kid friendly and you might want to share it with your kids or grandchildren or other young family relatives or good friends.

Many people look at Hollywood as a place that doesn't embrace the truth of Jesus Christ or the fact that many "Celebrities" are in fact Christians who are very firm in their faith but are told to keep quiet or might not get acting roles if they are to public about their Christian faith.

There are many in Hollywood who are working heard to change the anti-christian attitude in the movie industry. I think we have seen great success so far with the popularity of movies such as "Fireproof" and many others.

While this is a good thing many people don't realize the strong Christian revival happining with "Young Holywood". Now get ready folks because you might not reconize the names of the celeberties I'm about to share with you but trust me your kids do.

Miley Cyrus
The Jonas Brothers.
Selena Gomez
Luke Benward
Annasophia Robb
Corbin Bleu
Jordin Sparks

Now what do all these people have in common? They are all Christians and are publicly open about their faith in Jesus Christ. Many of the younger people within the entertainment business are getting tired of the secular attitude in the industry and are using their mainstream secular popularity in movies music and television to share the gospel with those who will listen.

Music groups like the Jonas brithers got their start in Christian music and while they may not always share the gospel in their music they do so during live concerts and other events.

A recent example of this is teen superstar Miley Cyrus who most kids know as Disney's "Hannah Montana" now if you do a simple internet search or watch one of her youtube channel videos you will see her faith expressed and now even more so in a new book just released where she shares her story and faith called "Miles To Go" by Miley Cyrus.

Here is the music video for Miley Cyrus' latest single called "The Climb" where she sings about keeping the faith. While it is considered a secular song which is featured in the "Hannah Montana" movie coming out April 10th. It has gained respect in the Christian music world and has been featured on the Gospel Music Channel for it's Christian theme and inspirational video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs

Another Sad Day For America!

Obama Allows Embyronic Stem Cell Research

March 9, 2009 Dear Pastor and Mrs Ed, Today marks another sad day in the history of our country. A few hours ago President Obama signed an executive order that will allow your tax dollars to fund human embryonic stem cell research. This decision comes on the heels of several executive decisions to fund the destruction of human life at taxpayers’ expense. President Obama’s executive order rolls back an executive order that President Bush signed on August 9, 2001 that banned the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research with the exception of existing stem cell lines. In other words, no new embryos could be created for destruction. President Obama has now opened the door for scientists to create embryos for the sole purpose of destroying them to conduct research using your tax dollars. President Obama promised to bring hope to our political process, but today’s decision does not bring hope to the most vulnerable among us. Today’s decision doesn’t even bring concrete hope for medical cures, as President Obama himself admitted today, “the full promise of stem cell research remains unknown, and it should not be overstated.” What is hopeful are the amazing medical results that have been achieved through adult stem cell research, a process that does not involve the destruction of human life. True scientific integrity is advancing successful science that respects moral standards and the inherent value of human life at all stages. Compassion can never be built upon callous disregard for human life. Today’s decision is just the latest attack on Life from President Obama. Already he has directed American tax dollars toward international abortion providers by overturning the pro-life Mexico City Policy. His decision to fund the United Nations Population Fund will subsidize the destruction of unborn children around the world. Add these decisions to his expected rollback of conscience protections for pro-life medical professionals and we find an alarming trend: respect for human life, and the consciences of American taxpayers are casually dismissed in favor of an abortion industry bailout and the funding of immoral science that has yet to yield a single success. Despite these challenges, we must keep up our fight to defend innocent human life! We can stop the anti-Life assault. By taking our fight to the Senate, we can reach the 41 Senators we need to block President Obama's anti-Life demands. We can end the use of more of your tax dollars for the destruction of innocent human life. Please join me in fighting President Obama’s agenda in the Senate by giving a gift today! Thank you for your commitment to protecting human life. For Life, Marjorie Dannenfelser Susan B. Anthony List President 703-875-3370 www.sba-list.org Check out the SBA blog: www.suzyb.org P.S. Thank you for caring enough to get involved. Would you please consider giving a small gift to the Susan B. Anthony List to support our Stop the Abortion Bailout campaign? With your help, we can make a difference for Life! P.P.S. Don't miss a thing -- add information@sba-list.org to your safe senders list.

Pastor Killed During Sunday Services

Baptist pastor murdered during Sunday morning service

MARYVILLE, Ill. - A gunman walked down the aisle of an Illinois church during a Sunday service and killed the pastor, then stabbed himself and slashed two other people as congregants wrestled him to the ground, authorities said.

The man walked into the sprawling red brick First Baptist Church shortly after 8 a.m. and briefly spoke with The Rev. Fred Winters before pulling out a .45-caliber handgun and shooting Winters once in the chest, said Illinois State Police Master Trooper Ralph Timmins.

The gun jammed before the man could fire again, Timmins said. The attacker then pulled out a knife and injured himself before churchgoers subdued him. Two parishioners involved in the struggle also suffered knife wounds, Timmins said.

Timmins said officials don't know whether Winters, a married father of two who had led the church for nearly 22 years, and the gunman knew each other.

Officials did not know the suspect's name.

"We don't know the relationship (between the gunman and pastor), why he's here or what the circumstances came about that caused him in the first place to be here," Timmins said.

The Rev. Mark Jones, another pastor at First Baptist, said he did not recognize the gunman, who he saw briefly before the man pulled out his weapon. Jones went into an adjacent room and did not see the shooting, though he heard a sound like miniature fire crackers.

"We have no idea what this guy's motives were," Jones said outside the church. "We don't know if we'll ever know that."

Winters was pronounced dead at Anderson Hospital, spokeswoman Natalie Head said. Two people who were injured at the church were flown to another hospital, Head said.

The gunman and one victim, 39-year-old Terry Bullard, were being treated at St. Louis University Hospital, spokeswoman Laura Keller said. Bullard underwent surgery for stab wounds and was in serious condition, she said.

Keller said the gunman underwent surgery Sunday afternoon but could not provide his name, condition or type of injuries.

The other victim, Keith Melton, was treated and released from Gateway Regional Medical Center, spokeswoman Kate Allaria said. A man who answered the phone at a listing for Keith Melton in Troy identified himself as Melton's stepson and said Melton had been stabbed but was going to be fine.

First Baptist had an average attendance of 32 people when Winters became senior pastor in 1987; it now has about 1,200 members, according to the church's Web site. Winters also was former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and an adjunct professor for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to the site.

"Our great God is not surprised by this, or anything," Nate Adams, executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association, said in a statement. "That He allows evil and free will to have their way in tragedies like this is a mystery in many ways."

The church sits along a busy two-lane highway on the east side of Maryville, a fast-growing village of more than 7,000 people about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. A farm sits directly across from church, but subdivisions of newer homes can been seen from every side.

"Things like this just don't happen in Maryville," Mayor Larry Gulledge said. "We've lost one of the pillars of our community, one of our leaders."

Congregant Sharla Dryden pulled into the church parking lot for a 9:30 a.m. service in time to see "just a lot of chaos, lot of police, fire, and people just devastated."

"They just said there had been a shooting," said Dryden, 62. "I would have been devastated if anyone had been shot, but to hear it was the pastor was terrible. You just never expect this to happen at a church."

But Jeffrey Hawkins, executive director of the Christian Security Network - a national organization that deals with security, safety and emergency planning for churches, schools and ministries - noted in a statement that while the shooting is a tragedy, it is "one that has been witnessed many times over the years."

Last month, a man shot and killed himself in front of a cross inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller's Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, Calif. In November, a gunman killed his estranged wife in a New Jersey church vestibule as Sunday services let out.

The Party House

Obama kicks up White House entertaining

WASHINGTON (AP) - The White House is the place to be on Wednesdays.

Since the presidency changed hands less than six weeks ago, a burst of entertaining has taken hold of the iconic, white-columned home of America's head of state. Much of it comes on Wednesdays.

The stately East Room, where portraits of George and Martha Washington adorn the walls, was transformed into a concert hall as President Barack Obama presented Stevie Wonder with the nation's highest award for pop music on Wednesday.

A week before that, the foot-stomping sounds of Sweet Honey in the Rock, a female a cappella group, filled the East Room for a Black History Month program first lady Michelle Obama held for nearly 200 sixth- and seventh-graders from around the city.

Cocktails were sipped during at least three such receptions to date, all held on Wednesdays.

Click the link at the top of the post to finish reading this article.

The Gipper Doing God's Work!

Though they discussed arms control and regional conflicts, book reveals President Reagan tried to convince Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev of the existence of God.

Click below to read full article.

Cube-Steak Americans vs. The Wagyu-Beef White House

By Michelle Malkin
March 6, 2009

Maybe thrift isn't dead after all. The Year of the Bottomless Bailout has yielded a much needed correction in the lives of ordinary Americans. While fiscal restraint is AWOL in Washington, individual frugality has made a cultural comeback. Better late than never.

In large and small ways, we are cutting back. An online Zogby International survey this week reported that 70 percent of households are foregoing movies and restaurants. Forty percent of those polled said they were delaying the purchase of major items such as automobiles, home entertainment electronics or a computer; the same percent said they were giving up vacations. Notably, Reuters pointed out, "nearly 80 percent of younger adults, aged 18-29, said they have scaled back on going out, compared to 55 percent of people 65 years and older."

Pollster John Zogby called the results "depressing." I beg to differ. Out of necessity, a consumption-based society is learning to live within its means. For decades, government policies fueled that insatiable appetite -- and new government programs are desperately trying to preserve it. But the Obama administration's frantic efforts to encourage more brainless home buying, car buying and consumer borrowing aren't producing their desired results. Generational theft, it seems, has a silver lining.

The phenomenon is spreading beyond America's borders. London-based economic journalist Hamish McRae recently observed: "We may be on the cusp of a big socioeconomic shift. We have had half a century when the developed world has gradually moved away from regarding thrift as a virtue. It has moved at different speeds in different countries, faster in the U.S. and UK than in Germany or China. ... We have created the institutional structure that has supported this shift: from credit cards to collateralized debt obligations (CDOs).

The world has clearly reached a point where it can go no further down that road. ... The pendulum will swing back. How far and how fast we cannot tell, but we can be sure that debt will be regarded differently a generation from now."

President Obama, celebrated by his liberal media admirers for a miraculous ability to groove with the common man, hasn't yet caught on to the new age of individual austerity. As always, he talks a good game of "personal responsibility" and "sacrifice." But while penny-pinching Americans head to Sonic Drive-Ins for $1 everyday value meals or stay at home for cheap cube-steak dinners (sales of the inexpensive meat are up 10 percent), the White House serves up high-grade Wagyu beef to congressional revelers. The luxury item was on the menu for the bipartisan stimulus dinner in January, and was also served at the governors' dinner hosted at the White House two weeks ago.

Team Obama's image experts, perhaps hung over from all the Camelot-re-creating Wednesday cocktail parties that are now a signature of the new administration, have fallen down on the job. The man who scolded Americans for wasting energy and turning their thermostats too high still hasn't lowered his own. "He's from Hawaii, OK?" senior adviser David Axelrod snickered to The New York Times in January. "He likes it warm. You could grow orchids in there."

In flyover country, the mood could not be more different. Party time is over. I heard from a reader in northwest Arkansas, now upside down on her house with two college-age kids, who is preparing to tighten the family belt. President Obama, meet personal responsibility:

"We are ultimately responsible for the mess we are in. If my husband and I have to live in his pickup and get ready for work at the community gym, so be it. If we lose our jobs, we will move in with (my husband's) mother, and he will hunt and I will garden. We have never been on unemployment, welfare or other assistance. We are Americans. Our ancestors fought in the American Revolution, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and his brother fought in Vietnam. Our family has faced tougher foes than this economy and Barack Obama. We will do as true Americans do; we will not whine, we will persevere."

Waste not, want not: Outside of Washington, it's the renewed American way.

Note: some may wonder what Wagyu beef is. If you have to ask then you are one of those....you know...er...cube steak Americans, aka, Chicken Fried Americans. At any rate, here is some info if you care; What Wagyu Beef Is

To heap more insult on us, guess who pays for this $150.00 per pound beef? That's right. You do. The American taxpayer.
While most of us working for a living and subsisting on fish heads and rice using your momma's recipe "1001 ways to make red beans and rice" daily, "Sponge" O'bama and the rest of his entourage are living high on the hog...er...well...high on expensive beef. Remember. Wednesday is party time at the White House.

A question for Spongebama. Since we, the taxpayers, are buying that expensive beef for you and your cronies to eat, don't you think the American taxpayer should at least be invited to the party??

UPDATE: White House nightlife under investigation

You angry yet? If not, why not?

This Week from Da Whip

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009
On Monday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (3 Bills)

1) H.Res. 210 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance (Sponsored by Rep. Moore (WI) / Education and Labor Committee)

2) H.Res. __ - Congratulating the National Assessment Governing Board on its 20th Anniversary in measuring student academic achievement (Sponsored by Rep. Castle / Education and Labor Committee)

3) H.R. 131 - Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act (Sponsored by Rep. Gallegly / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2009 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 10:30 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.

On Friday, no votes are expected in the House.

Suspensions (11 Bills)

1) H.Con.Res. 64 - Urging the President to designate 2009 as the ‘‘Year of the Military Family’’ (Sponsored by Rep. Skelton / Armed Services Committee)

2) H.Con.Res. 37 - Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the Greater washington Soap Box Derby (Sponsored by Rep. Hoyer / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

3) H.Con.Res. 38 - Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the National Peace Officers' Memorial Service (Sponsored by Del. Holmes Norton / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

4) H.Con.Res. 39 - Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run (Sponsored by Del. Holmes Norton / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

5) H.R. 813 - To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the "J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse" (Sponsored by Rep. Butterfield / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

6) H.R. 837 - To designate the Federal building located at 799 United Nations Plaza in New York, New York, as the "Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building" (Sponsored by Rep. Rangel / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

7) H.R. 842 - To designate the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the "R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse" (Sponsored by Rep. Thompson (MS) / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

8) H.R. 869 - To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 101 Barr Street in Lexington, Kentucky, as the "Scott Reed Federal Building and United States Courthouse" (Sponsored by Rep. Chandler / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

9) H.R. 887 - To designate the United States courthouse located at 131 East 4th Street in Davenport, Iowa, as the "James A. Leach United States Courthouse" (Sponsored by Rep. Loebsack / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

10) H.Res. 194 - Supporting the goals of International Women's Day (Sponsored by Rep. Schakowsky / Foreign Affairs Committee)

11) H.Res. __ - Recognizing the plight of the Tibetan people on the 50th Anniversary of His Holiness the Dalai Lama being forced into exile, and calling for a sustained multilateral effort to bring about a durable and peaceful solution to the Tibet issue (Sponsored by Rep. Holt / Foreign Affairs Committee)

H.R. 1262 - Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Oberstar / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

Possible Consideration of H.R. 157 - District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2009 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Del. Holmes Norton / Judiciary Committee)

Printable PDF

Rev Wrong Gets Something Wright

In this story at Fox News, I will give Rev Wrong credit when he says that Obama "ain't Jesus". --- Cyber Pastor

Rev. Wright Cautions: Obama 'Ain't Jesus'

President's longtime minister, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, says his former congregant is just like any other president and that he "ain't gonna improve your child's reading score."

AP

Thursday, March 05, 2009

SELMA, Ala. -- President Barack Obama's longtime minister, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, gave an assessment Thursday of his former congregant's short time in the White House: Obama is just like any other president.

Speaking in a brief interview with The Associated Press before giving a speech at a civil rights landmark, Wright smiled at the mention of the name of the nation's first black president.

"He's like any other president," Wright said. "He's a politician and he's got to do what politicians do."

Click here to finish reading this article.

Op-Ed: Moderates Make Me Want to Vomit!

H/T Fort Hard Knox.
By Jenn Sierra

Hey, that’s not my idea. That came from God:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth…” - Revelation 3:15, 16 NKJV

I’ve been hearing lately from so many people who seem to believe that being a political “moderate,” during a time when our country is being destroyed is somehow a virtue. Some even have the gall to say, “Moderation in all things!” when challenged on this issue, as if their “moderation” is somehow condoned by God.

When asked, most of these “moderates,” couldn’t tell you where that phrase is in the Bible, or what the original context of it is. All they know is that it gives them a convenient excuse to occasionally postulate and opine on political events from their comfortable armchairs, but never actually take a stand or do anything - all supposedly with the blessing of their Creator.

Well, here’s that verse in the Bible - keep in mind that the chapter these verses are contained in was written to a bunch of very passionate, very radical (my our current definition of the word) church workers, evangelists, and ministers:

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” - Philippians 4:4-6 NKJV

The “moderation” Paul was talking about in these scriptures had nothing to do with refraining from getting too excited, or radical about anything. Paul, after all, was one of the most passionate Christians in history - he wrote a large portion of the New Testament, and was eventually beheaded for his fervor for God. The “moderation” spoken of in this passage relates to selflessness - eschewing an over-reliance on the things of this world for the work of God.

Political “moderates,” want to dabble a little on the right, then a little on the left. They want to try to stay popular with their friends on both sides of the fence. They want to avoid taking a stance on any issues for which they will be held responsible. Many simply enjoy amusing themselves by heckling and ridiculing those who are sincerely passionate about their beliefs, while never espousing any real beliefs or convictions of their own.

Political “moderates” often still haven’t decided on their way to the polls how they are going to vote. They end up making their decision based on some irrelevant “feeling,” or “whim,” or “funny” cartoon they read on the way. After they’ve voted they are not able to defend their decision in a way that makes sense to anyone - if, indeed, they can even remember who they voted for.

Much like the Christians in Name Only that John the Revelator wrote about in Revelations chapter 3, these political moderates are neither liberal nor conservative, and they make those of us (often on both sides) who have taken a stand want to puke. We wish they would just poop or get off the pot, already. We encourage them to quit straddling the fence - They look so silly there.

Politicians who dream of somehow reconciling the two very different visions for the future (one based on values, traditions, lessons learned by history, respect for our Creator, and the other based on the self-centerdness of man usurping the role of God and finding fulfillment in humanistic pursuits) are misguided.

There are some things you can’t reconcile: Oil and water, good and evil, left and right. Some things are opposites, and efforts to please everyone on both sides are doomed from the onset.

Moderates - quit deluding yourselves. You don’t look cute or clever. You look ignorant, and wish-washy. Political moderation is not a virtue - it’s simply a form of cowardice. It’s not an intellectually “elite” position; it’s a foolish one…which reminds me of another Bible quote about vomit:

“As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” -Proverbs 26:11, 12 NKJV

New Poem by Don Louderback: Show Love

Show love

Jesus showed the world the love He has for us all,

the day that the Roman soldiers gave Jesus a call.

Jesus died on the cross that day, so we could all live,

what more could a sinless man, like our Savior, give.

We are all sinners until death, but Jesus did not care,

He gave us another chance, so our love we could bear.

Let us, as we go through life, show love to our brother,

so that the love of Jesus, will be passed on to another.

Written by Don Louderback

An Anti-Gun Myth

An Anti - Gun Myth

A deceptive picture of anti-gun regulations and their effectiveness was painted by Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, in a recent interview in his home state of Indiana. And he's probably using the same approach in other states..

Helmke claims firearms regulation is pitiful in the Hoosier state. He notes Indiana received only eight of a possible 100 votes on the scorecard prepared by his Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence -- points he says come largely from "not doing bad things."

First, the Brady scorecard is not gospel. And if eight points is enough to rank 31^st of 50 states on the strength of its gun laws, it tells you something about the grading curve. Forty-two states earned 28 points or less; only one state scored higher than 63 and that was California at 79.

Here the reader would conclude California, which has the most gun control of any state, must be one of the world’s safest places.

Not so. It has a 14 percent higher violent crime rate and a 23 percent higher murder rate than the rest of the country.

So the Brady Campaign’s “good” scores appear to be a bad thing; the “bad” grades not something that should shame Hoosiers.. Federal crime data indicates the scorecard message actually is just the opposite of what the anti-gun organization seeks to convey: -- Most of the 38 states with Brady scores of 20 points or less experience total violent crime, murder and robbery rates below the national rates. -- For the 10 states with the lowest total violent crime, murder and robbery rates, Brady’s average scores were 12, 12 and nine points, respectively.

When Mr. Helmke says Indiana “hasn’t done anything on guns one way or the other” (tho that’s highly misleading) I say good for us … sounds like we’re a whole lot better off that way.

Another point that is not exactly gospel is Mr. Helmke’s assertion: “If someone wants a gun, I’m not against that.”

I am not about to suggest he is disingenuous in that statement. But what all of us gun owners/gun hobbyists/shooting sportsmen have observed over the years is a relentless effort by the Brady organization and others like them to take an inch and go for a mile. They have demonstrated their long-term objectives are far more aggressive than closing the gun show “loophole” and requiring firearms training for gun purchasers, which doesn’t exactly ensure there will be no gun violence.

We have seen the Brady Campaign launch one tactic after another to restrict or ban gun ownership.

The Brady Campaign’s Legal Action Project sought to counter right-to-carry laws adopted across the country by encouraging corporations to ban firearms in parked and locked automobiles on business property. Of course, that’s where many right-to-carry licensees would keep their guns if the firearms were not allowed in the workplace. The Brady group proposed employee violators should be fired, but Brady lost legal battles on that tactic in Florida.

Another approach by Brady is a cooperative effort with Working Assets, a credit card, cell phone and long distance service venture, to achieve judicial change.

“As judges retire one by one, the two groups want them replaced with radicals who believe that a total ban on handguns and on using guns for self-defense is ‘reasonable’ gun control,” reports the American Hunter in its August, 2008, issue.

Responsible gun owners believe in and preach firearms safety. We teach it to our children. We demand it of hunting partners. One of our groups, the NRA, supports and sponsors many firearms safety programs across Indiana and nationally. And we believe if you use a gun irresponsibly, “dangerously” or in a crime you should pay a heavy consequence.

But we haven't heard of any gun safety courses being provided by Brady -- just information about how unsafe firearms are.

And we are starting to hear them again talk up the idea of "assault weapon" bans -- a tactic in which they always provide the media with illustrations of military-type rifles and yet write proposed legislation with wording that would encompass tons of semi-automatic firearms used by hunters and shooting sportsmen. That is one more step in the Brady gun ban agenda.

Their concept of taking guns out of the hands of every United States citizen is unsound.

Criminals are going to have guns, whether they come from vast inventories in various offshore locations or are produced in your neighbor’s basement. Gun manufacture is not necessarily high-tech. That was vividly demonstrated to me on a tour of one of our state prisons when the warden displayed three lethal firearms that had been secretly manufactured by inmates … mostly using common, everyday items!

And it is wrong to suggest we would all be safer if guns were banned. That hasn’t worked in Australia, despite anti-gun efforts to massage the statistics, and it’s not working elsewhere.

Some people in Washington seem to forget or discredit the wisdom of our Founding Fathers.

However, I believe Thomas Jefferson was correct when he wrote in his “Commonplace Book”:

“Laws that forbid the carrying of arms … disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes … Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.”

Organized efforts to rid the country of guns have attempted to convince citizens of states voting on right-to-carry laws that the provision could lead to shoot-outs like the Old West.

Again, the anti-gunners’ position has proven to be upside down: crime rates have dropped dramatically in state after state adopting right-to-carry. That's because the bad guy can’t be sure who may be carrying a weapon and knows how to use it.

Major L. Caudill, USMC (Ret) addressed the subject this way: “When I carry a gun, I don’t do so because I am looking for a fight, but because I’m looking to be left alone … It doesn’t limit the actions of those who would interact with me through reason, only the actions of those who would do so by force.”

Some politically powerful folks in Washington have been making a lot of noise about working hard with the new administration toward getting a gun ban law.

Many Americans clearly resent that prospect, as evidenced by their buying and registering firearms in record numbers in the last few months. And they are also buying large quantities of ammunition as the learn the gun-banners are planning another type of gun control -- making ammunition cost-prohibitive by requiring serial numbers on all bullets and cartridges or creating astounding taxes on ammo.

These citizens know those measures would violate the Second Amendment, as confirmed last year by the Supreme Court. And they would be bad for America.

Roger Metzger

PS. A very real legislative effort now in the United States House is called HR45 Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009/Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009. To learn more about it and its proposed infringements on the Second Amendment, go to http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h45/text or just Google HR 45 Blair Holt.

"We're Sorry" - Obama Voters Express Their Regrets

H/T Pat Dollard.

Doug Powers has launched the perfect spoof on behalf of pathetic Obama supporters suffering buyers’ remorse everywhere. A sample:
The drones Obama voters have begun sending me photos expressing their sorrow in voting for the Won.

Obama’s sorry cultists.

The Wisdom of Crowds and Obamanomics

 The scariest chart ever

The Other McCain has something to say about David Brooks, NYFishWrap,aka NYSlimes, aka, NYT

“My blog, my rules. If you want ‘free speech,’ go get your own blog!”

Contrary to what some bloggers and some blog readers seem to believe, a private blog is not a “public space.” Yes, most are open to the public for reading, but the blogger is ultimately responsible for the content on his or her blog (including the content in the comment section), and is under no obligation to allow readers to comment.

Comments are a great way to network, and interact with readers, but just as in a private home or in a private business, the blogger has the right to set the tone and ambiance, and to kick unruly guests out at will.

And no, it is not hypocritical to support “free speech,” and first amendment rights and at the same time to implement what more obnoxious commenters may refer to as “gestapo” tactics that would rival airport security. Just like our Dad’s used to tell us (paraphrased), “My blog, my rules. If you want ‘free speech,’ go get your own blog!”

The irresponsible, the angry, the obscene and the stupid have virtually taken over many Internet dialogues. But there is an easy fix, and websites owe it to society to use it. Just ban anonymous postings and send the trolls packing.

Blog Troll, aka, septic neurocritic

1.(n) -A pathetic and moronic person who maintains a blog with an unhealthy obsessive-compulsive drive, especially angsty goths (sorry to all the likeable goths out there). The content of their blogs usually includes events that no sane person would care about. Here's sample of what a blog troll might write on their blog:

"today, I ate a sanwich. It bad - it was just ok, mediocre, I guess you could call it. After that I read a few chapters out of an Anne Rice book and was deeply moved by her erotic descriptions of gay vampires fornicating. . Then I took a nap.

2.(n) -A depraved individual who sits in front of a computer all day and posts flames of an idiotic or pseudo-intellectual nature on public forums and private websites. Many of these people actually become emotional about what is said on the afore-said mediums and feel it is their duty to punish those who disagree with them. They too may pursue this object in an obsessive-compulsive manner.

The Common Blog Troll

Scientific name: Blogus-trollus

Physical Characteristics: Since the common blog troll is a very elusive species and tends to emulate homo sapiens when confronted in Real Life (the habitat of homo sapiens) it has thus escaped proper description. It is said that its head is covered with green warts and its body largely resembles a cone.

Color: Yellow-green, orange, red, black, white, purple and variations there-of.

Habitat: The common blog troll can be found nosing around any weblog that allows the posting of comments.

Belongs to the common troll group.

The Common Blog Troll is a recently discovered species, most likely evolved from the Common Usenet Troll or perhaps its close cousin, the Common Forum Troll. Its primary source of nourishment is a response to its excrement, which is left in the form of a comment on any weblog which allows comments. Its best not to feed the troll, otherwise it might make itself at home and litter said blog with ever growing piles of excrement. Once the pest moves into a weblog the best way to eradicate it is by the use of "IP Ban" which comes free with many forms of weblog -- if yours does not possess such feature you can always enlist the help of a local system administrator.

It should be noted that even an IP ban is not entirely effective in removing the most persistent of trolls - as the more clever ones have the ability of using different IP addresses. In that case only vigillance, patience and time will get rid of the pest completely. As always there are exceptions to that. Do The Right Thing and a few other friendly blogs have the same blogus-trollus frequenting the various comment sections, posting IT's inane, irrelevant lies for the sole purpose of reminding us just how stupid this particular trollus ignoramous is.

Excerpts taken from; 5 Ways To Defeat Blog Trolls and Cyberstalkers;

Essentially, a troll is a person who posts with the intent to insult and provoke others, Wood explains. The goal is to disrupt the normal traffic of a discussion group beyond repair. "A group is considered to be cohesively destroyed when two-thirds to three-quarters of the messages are a result of [trolls'] comments," Wood explains. They often target new users, who are more likely to take offense, hence the term "troll" (as in "trolling" for newbies).

Many trolls are characterized by having an excess of free time and are probably lonely and seeking attention, Wood says. "They often see their own self-worth in relation to how much reaction they can provoke," he says.

Woods categorizes trolls in the following ways:

Spamming troll: Posts to many newsgroups with the same verbatim post.

Kooks: A regular member of a forum who habitually drops comments that have no basis on the topic or even in reality.

Flamer: Does not contribute to the group except by making inflammatory comments.

Hit-and-runner, (aka, drive-by): Stops in, make one or two posts and move on.

Psycho trolls: Has a psychological need to feel good by making others feel bad.

Cyberstalkers

Cyberstalkers can also assume many different forms, according to Wood, although they're basically characterized by a continuing pattern of communication that the recipient considers to be offensive. Other common traits of cyberstalkers are malice, premeditation, repetition, distress to the victim, an obsession on the part of the stalker, seeking of revenge, threats that make victims fear for their physical safety and disregarded warnings to stop.

As with trolls, there are several different types of cyberstalkers, according to Wood:

Intimate partner: The most common type of stalker, this is usually a man who has a history of controlling and emotional abuse during a relationship.
Delusional stalkers: This type of stalker builds an entire relationship with the victim in his or her mind, whether any prior contact has taken place or not. Such stalkers are likely to have a major mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or erotomania, which means they believe the victim is in love with them. The typical delusional stalker is unmarried, socially immature and a loner who is unable to sustain close relationships with others.

Vengeful stalker: This type of person is angry with the victim due to some real or imagined insult or injury. Some of these stalkers are psychopaths -- a person affected with an antisocial personality disorder -- who have no conscience or remorse. They may have paranoid delusions, often feeling that they themselves are victims and are striving to get even.
 

 
What to do

In many cases, victims feel they have very little ammunition -- whether legal, technological or tactical -- to stop the abuse. However, there are some things bloggers and other online contributors can do to try to avoid this kind of harassment or at least keep it from crossing into the physical world.

1. Know the trolls' tactics

According to Wood, the first rule for dealing with trolls is to avoid being deceived by them in the first place. Don't trust anything you receive or read without verifying the poster through known, reliable sources, he says. Also, ignore postings or private e-mails that are suspicious, such as those that praise, flatter or evoke a sympathetic response.

2. DFTT

This is one of the more important acronyms in the blog world, meaning, "Don't feed the trolls." "Just like in-person bullies, trolls feed off your reaction." "Under no circumstances should you acknowledge the behavior or repay it with anger or defensiveness. If you don't react, they'll get bored and go away."

Even if ignoring the harasser doesn't get him to stop, at least you won't fan his flames, Wood says. "The more a person responds, the more they teach the stalker about themselves or divulge information they shouldn't," he says.

3. Maintain your privacy

Don't publish any personal information, such as your address or phone number. If you need to, use a Post Office box number. Wood suggests asking your state's motor vehicles and voter registry to put a block on your address and phone number. "Otherwise, any person may obtain them just for inquiring," he says.

Some longtime bloggers, such as Bray and his wife Lauren Wood, a senior technical program manager at Sun, refrain from posting photos of their children on their blogs.

4. Block and ban

If you're experiencing abuse on a moderated blog, you can appeal to the administrator, who can try banning the troll. Be prepared to include a history of the troll's posts, including full headers.

Some blog services offer technologies that enable you to block offensive participants. Using Wordpress, Silverstein can moderate the comments of anyone who hasn't contributed to the site before, which helps eliminate the hit-and-run type of trolls. "That allows me to weed out 90% of the abuse I get," he says.

Another plug-in enables him to ban certain IP addresses. "That's especially good for the really crazy people, if they post one comment that goes beyond the pale," he says.

5. Keep a log

Be sure to keep a copy of anything you receive from the harasser, Lauren Wood suggests. If they contact you by phone rather than e-mail, take notes on what they say and how often they call, she says. "You'll need proof rather than, 'I think he was calling three times a day,'" she says. "You'll want a log that says, 'He called at 9:14 p.m."

Above all, when you have an online presence, you need to prepare yourself for the possibility of becoming a target, Wood adds. "Just like in the real world, you need to realize which dark alleys you shouldn't enter at night, and if you do, have protection and know what you should do when," she says.

Adds Silverstein, "you're very vulnerable as a blogger. You're out there hanging on the line, and anyone can take a shot at you."

The comment section is for the readers of Do The Right Thing, a place for political conservatives and Christians to share information and discuss current events. We are not "fair and balanced," and we aren't refereeing a "free speech zone." Intelligent, funny, and on-topic comments are welcome. Trolls, spam, left wing fools, liberal propaganda, and cyber stalkers are not. We may occassionally approve a comment with an obvious lefty-slant so that we can amuse ourselves by making fun of it, but most will be deleted. (Why? Because we're busy, we have lives, and when we want to talk to you we'll go visit you on Digg or the Daily KOS or your own pathetic blog.)

This is a private blog, and we reserve the right to make up our own rules as we go along. The few comments which manage to squeak by our censors reflect the opinion of the commentator, and not necessarily the staff of Do The Right Thing.

While it may be fun to "whack a troll," the best policy is to ignore them. The more vile manifestations of trolls expose themselves as the slimy gutter crawlers and cave dwellers they are.

Trolls are utterly worthless to any decent discussion. They systematically inject their own hatred, spewing whatever dreamed up or conjured untruths they think will impress readers to disrupt a discussion. Most are in various stages of dementia while some can even be classified as psychopathic narcissists.

The solution is to ban and delete them whenever they rear their ugliness. Most go to great lengths to hide their identities, using multiple on line aliases, random I.P. generators, and false emails set up for the purpose of projecting more of their inner hatred to those they stalk.

We keep logs of all comments. Particularly those of the more vile cave dwellers, gutter rats, and moonbats.

Finally, as a warning to our daily readers we ask that you not respond to the vitriolic nonsense that may on occassion make it past our moderators.

Remember DFTT.

 

 

 

Feeding Lions- The Book

More on Feeding Lions by Paul A. Ibbetson, who will be on Do The Right Thing Radio on March 9th at 11 pm eastern.

Need a God Lift; Get Some!

Paul Ibbetson to Join Us on Do The Right Thing Radio

Paul A. Ibbetson is the author of the book "Feeding Lions" a book that champions the conservative values of God, Family, and Country. He will be our very special guest on Do The Right Thing Radio on Tuesday, March 9^th.

His show, The Conscience of Kansas, is on KSDB Manhattan “The WildCat 91.9 f.m.” www.wildcat919.com from 5:00-6:00p.m. CST every Tuesday.

You can listen to it on the internet anywhere at that time live from that link, and you can see the guest line up at: www.ibbetsonusa.com

Here is the Amazon link for Paul’s book:

http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Lions-Conservative-Philosophy-Politically/dp/1438920083/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235959777&sr=1-1

Paul was on Snooper’s show “Take our Country Back” this past week, and you can listen to that show by clicking this link:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/stations/HeadingRight/takeourcountryback/2009/02/20/Paul-Ibbetson-on-BTR .

Looking forward to spending some time with Paul on the 9^th at 11:00 pm eastern!

"Need a God lift, Get Some"!

Hello "Do The Right Thing"! -- My Name Is Trevor

Hello "Do The Right Thing"! -- My Name Is Trevor

First off I want to say hello to everyone at the "Do The Right Thing" blog. The crew has offered me the chance to share my thoughts and to be an "adopted" part of their "Cyber Crew".

My political views are shaped by my faith in Jesus Christ. My faith in him shapes everything I believe in and do in my life. So you will hear alot about how faith plays a part in many of my posts here on this blog.

If it is alright with you I might from time to time post things on the lighter side such as a Christian music video or something if I feel the LORD put it on my heart. I might be younger then many of the crew on this blog but I see this as a good thing and I pray you do as well?

I want to share something with you in regard to what I thought of CPAC. I was very proud and yes even somewhat amazed at the impact of CPAC this year. I may be wrong here but I think this is one of the first times the main-stream media has covered as much as they did of this event.

Lots of things got my attention. Yes, there was Rush, Mitt and others but the one person who got my attention was the 14 year old conservative author Jonathan Krohn. He reminds me so much of myself at his age. He may be young but I think he could have a good chance at being a big force in the GOP if he stays on this path.

Although he only spoke for a few minutes he echoed my exact feelings I had around his age and what the basics of conservatism for me were.

I'm sure many of you have already seen his CPAC remarks so I am posting this video from this mornings FOX & Friends" broadcast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxVsE-weTNE

God Bless to everyone and thank you for letting me be a part of this grassroots movement for conservative principles.

Trevor

Obama without his teleprompter

Reagan Tells Obama To Shut Up!

One of those funny but not funny videos.

Man, I miss RWR!!!

Ronald Reagan`s Funny answer

This never gets old!!!!

God Bless the memory of "The Gipper"