The Prayer of St. Francis
I never would have stumbled upon this gem if I hadn't been obsessed with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." This is by no means the first time I've seen the episodes to which I'm about to refer, but I've just now decided to blog about it.
In the last few episodes of Season Six, Buffy's best friend Willow, grief-stricken over the accidental death of her true love at the hands of a man who was attempting to murder Buffy, goes on a magic-fueled quest for vengeance that ends with her attempting to destroy the entire world in a furious rage. Buffy's Slayer strength is no match against Dark WIllow, and all seems lost until Willow's other best friend, Xander, talks her down from destroying the world by refusing to get out of her way and telling her he loves her over and over again until the humanity in Willow resurfaces and she collapses into a weeping heap, ready to face Tara's death humbly and without hatred in her heart.
As the last episode of Season Six, "Grave," winds down, a beautiful melody starts playing. I'm enthralled, because I immediately recognize the singer is Sarah McLachlan. And as I listen to the words, it becomes apparent the song sounds like a prayer... Sure enough, after doing some research on the good old Internet, it IS a prayer-- the Catholic prayer called "The Prayer of St. Francis." Here are the "lyrics" Sarah sang:
"Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen."
WOW. What a great prayer. Joss Whedon (creator of "Buffy") may be an unabashed atheist, but that man injects a surprising amount of religiosity into his shows.
This prayer... I can only imagine what a great world this could become of each of us who pray would pray this every night... And mean it.
If you've never heard Sarah's cover of this song, I suggest you do a search for it on iTunes and buy it for 99 cents. It's on an album of hers called "Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff, Vol. 2." Just search for "Prayer of St. Francis" and it's the first thing that pops up. Beautiful song.
In the last few episodes of Season Six, Buffy's best friend Willow, grief-stricken over the accidental death of her true love at the hands of a man who was attempting to murder Buffy, goes on a magic-fueled quest for vengeance that ends with her attempting to destroy the entire world in a furious rage. Buffy's Slayer strength is no match against Dark WIllow, and all seems lost until Willow's other best friend, Xander, talks her down from destroying the world by refusing to get out of her way and telling her he loves her over and over again until the humanity in Willow resurfaces and she collapses into a weeping heap, ready to face Tara's death humbly and without hatred in her heart.
As the last episode of Season Six, "Grave," winds down, a beautiful melody starts playing. I'm enthralled, because I immediately recognize the singer is Sarah McLachlan. And as I listen to the words, it becomes apparent the song sounds like a prayer... Sure enough, after doing some research on the good old Internet, it IS a prayer-- the Catholic prayer called "The Prayer of St. Francis." Here are the "lyrics" Sarah sang:
"Lord make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light.
And where there is sadness, joy.
O divine master grant that I may
not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love
For it is in giving that we receive
And it's in pardoning that we are pardoned.
And it's in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen."
WOW. What a great prayer. Joss Whedon (creator of "Buffy") may be an unabashed atheist, but that man injects a surprising amount of religiosity into his shows.
This prayer... I can only imagine what a great world this could become of each of us who pray would pray this every night... And mean it.
If you've never heard Sarah's cover of this song, I suggest you do a search for it on iTunes and buy it for 99 cents. It's on an album of hers called "Rarities, B-Sides, and Other Stuff, Vol. 2." Just search for "Prayer of St. Francis" and it's the first thing that pops up. Beautiful song.
Spunky attacked by a dog: UPDATE: Bad News :(
Hopefully by now, my SodaFriends, you have read my prior blog (My dog and my dad just got attacked) regarding how my beautiful Corgi was attacked by a Dalmation (yes, Dalmation, not Golden Lab as I thought, I was apparently blind with rage when I looked in the owner's car from my doorstep). Well, things seemed to be looking up if you read the updates to it, but things have taken a turn for the worse today (11/15 10AM).
My parents just came back from the vet... Without Spunky. No, he's not dead, thank God, but it's getting bad. The vet had been keeping an eye on this, but some dark patches were spreading around the wounds... Turns out those were areas of dead skin where the skin had been ripped from the muscle, severing the blood flow. Right now, Spunky is undergoing surgery of a couple kinds. They're sedating him completely, cutting out the dead patches, grafting his skin over those patches, and taking out the staples and replacing them with stitches (Spunky had been scratching at them, and they were loose). We may be able to take him home late tonight, but it's very possible he may have to stay there overnight.
I'm super, super upset about all this. I (perhaps naively) thought we were out of the woods, that the worst was over, that he would just heal up fine and his hair would grow back and the world would be peachy keen again. But I guess nothing is ever that simple. By the way, if you haven't taken a look yet, there is a picture of what Spunky looked like the day of the attack right after he came home from the vet in the Media section on my profile. I'll post a pic of Spunky post-surgery in the next few days, most likely.
I ask my friends to keep Spunky and our family in your thoughts and (if you pray) prayers, because this is a really difficult time for all of us. Thank you for continued support, my SH friends.
EDIT: 11/16. I meant to write this update yesterday, but it was a little hectic around here. Spunky had his surgery and came home yesterday evening. He looks like a little mini Frankenstein now. :( He had more of his side shaved, and he has these big nasty-looking stitch lines running down his side. Spunky's in a lot of pain, but he's being a trooper again. He has to have hot and cold compresses three times a day, he has to take pain pills and more antibiotics... But he's fighting. It's sad to hear him whimpering. Spunky sleeps a lot but he's being brave. He goes back to the vet Tuesday.
My parents just came back from the vet... Without Spunky. No, he's not dead, thank God, but it's getting bad. The vet had been keeping an eye on this, but some dark patches were spreading around the wounds... Turns out those were areas of dead skin where the skin had been ripped from the muscle, severing the blood flow. Right now, Spunky is undergoing surgery of a couple kinds. They're sedating him completely, cutting out the dead patches, grafting his skin over those patches, and taking out the staples and replacing them with stitches (Spunky had been scratching at them, and they were loose). We may be able to take him home late tonight, but it's very possible he may have to stay there overnight.
I'm super, super upset about all this. I (perhaps naively) thought we were out of the woods, that the worst was over, that he would just heal up fine and his hair would grow back and the world would be peachy keen again. But I guess nothing is ever that simple. By the way, if you haven't taken a look yet, there is a picture of what Spunky looked like the day of the attack right after he came home from the vet in the Media section on my profile. I'll post a pic of Spunky post-surgery in the next few days, most likely.
I ask my friends to keep Spunky and our family in your thoughts and (if you pray) prayers, because this is a really difficult time for all of us. Thank you for continued support, my SH friends.
EDIT: 11/16. I meant to write this update yesterday, but it was a little hectic around here. Spunky had his surgery and came home yesterday evening. He looks like a little mini Frankenstein now. :( He had more of his side shaved, and he has these big nasty-looking stitch lines running down his side. Spunky's in a lot of pain, but he's being a trooper again. He has to have hot and cold compresses three times a day, he has to take pain pills and more antibiotics... But he's fighting. It's sad to hear him whimpering. Spunky sleeps a lot but he's being brave. He goes back to the vet Tuesday.
My dog and my dad just got attacked
I'm just writing a quick blog because I'm really upset. My beautiful six-year-old Corgi was attacked maybe 15 minutes ago by a freaking shelter dog who went psycho, and my dad was injured too. My Spunky has puncture wounds and was just taken to the vet to get stitched up. My dad's hand is bleeding pretty badly (he was attempting to pry that horrible animal off my baby) and he's going to the hospital after he and my mom get back from the vet. I was absolutely hysterical when I saw them, the kind of crying where you're hyperventilating and screaming. I haven't cried that hard in a really, really long time.
If you're a praying person, please pray for my dad and my dog, pray they don't get any diseases or anything from this attack. If you're not a praying person, maybe just keep them in your thoughts for a few minutes. Thanks, SodaFriends.
EDIT: Wanted to clarify first of all that I did not witness the attack, which is an extremely good thing because I would have been even more traumatized. If I freaked out this much just from seeing the wounds, I don't even want to know how upset I would have been to witness my dog being mauled. My dad says Spunky was scared to death.
EDIT: GOOD NEWS FROM THE VET. My dad just called and told me Spunky is going to be okay. The vet is putting a drain in his big wound so it doesn't get infected, and he's getting stitched up right now. Should take about half an hour, and then Spunky is coming home. I don't know how my dad is doing yet because he and my mom are taking care of Spunky first, bless them. I would still appreciate anyone wishing a speedy recovery.
EDIT: 4:39PM. Spunky just came home from the vet. He looks *terrible*. They had to shave a good portion of his side. He was bit right around his left shoulder. There are two major puncture wounds, so there is a drainage tube running through both of them. Spunky is very, very groggy. We were told to put a tshirt on him to absorb some of the blood. As my dad and I put it on him, we both got covered in Spunky's blood. We put one of our best throws down on his little bed, which is shaped like a sofa, and laid him into it. He's drifting between wakefulness and sleep, and right now he's refusing water and ice cubes and he wouldn't piddle when he was outside going from the vet to the car (we carried him to a tree, but he wouldn't go), so we're not sure how he's going to take care of his urinary and fecal necessities yet. But he's a little trooper. We're giving him antibiotics and taking him back to the vet on Wednesday to see if the drain can be removed by then. When the drain is removed, Spunky will be stitched up. Right now, he has the drain and some staples. The worst part is just seeing all the shaved area and the blood. It's seeping through his little tshirt and we're doing our best to keep him lying down so he doesn't hurt himself. Poor, poor baby of mine. As bad as it looks, I'm still very thankful to God that it isn't worse. Corgis have extremely large ears, and it's very possible one of them could have been torn off, or an eye gouged out, or any number of horrible things. That he got away with what will most likely be no permanent damage is an absolute miracle, and like I said, I'm very thankful for that.
EDIT: 11/10. Spunky is much more alert and doing okay considering the circumstances. His appetite is very good (for both food and water), he's piddling and doing poopies like a good little puppy, he barked loudly when a UPS guy rang the doorbell and again when a Jehovah's Witness came, and the little guy even was about to chase a squirrel until my dad yelled at him to stop. However, he is bleeding a lot still. We keep finding Spunky's blood here and there on the hardwood floor. It's sad, and now there's a lot of bruising at the injury sites, so he looks worse than he did yesterday, but his mood seems to be improving along with the other things I mentioned. We took pictures of him yesterday and I'll be posting them in my Media section soon if anyone is brave enough to take a look at my little soldier. Thanks again for all the support, guys.
EDIT: 11/11. I uploaded a picture of Spunky after the attack if anyone wants to take a look. You can find it in my Media on my profile. I hope you can see why I've been so upset. :(
EDIT: Please read Part II for the most current information on Spunky.
If you're a praying person, please pray for my dad and my dog, pray they don't get any diseases or anything from this attack. If you're not a praying person, maybe just keep them in your thoughts for a few minutes. Thanks, SodaFriends.
EDIT: Wanted to clarify first of all that I did not witness the attack, which is an extremely good thing because I would have been even more traumatized. If I freaked out this much just from seeing the wounds, I don't even want to know how upset I would have been to witness my dog being mauled. My dad says Spunky was scared to death.
EDIT: GOOD NEWS FROM THE VET. My dad just called and told me Spunky is going to be okay. The vet is putting a drain in his big wound so it doesn't get infected, and he's getting stitched up right now. Should take about half an hour, and then Spunky is coming home. I don't know how my dad is doing yet because he and my mom are taking care of Spunky first, bless them. I would still appreciate anyone wishing a speedy recovery.
EDIT: 4:39PM. Spunky just came home from the vet. He looks *terrible*. They had to shave a good portion of his side. He was bit right around his left shoulder. There are two major puncture wounds, so there is a drainage tube running through both of them. Spunky is very, very groggy. We were told to put a tshirt on him to absorb some of the blood. As my dad and I put it on him, we both got covered in Spunky's blood. We put one of our best throws down on his little bed, which is shaped like a sofa, and laid him into it. He's drifting between wakefulness and sleep, and right now he's refusing water and ice cubes and he wouldn't piddle when he was outside going from the vet to the car (we carried him to a tree, but he wouldn't go), so we're not sure how he's going to take care of his urinary and fecal necessities yet. But he's a little trooper. We're giving him antibiotics and taking him back to the vet on Wednesday to see if the drain can be removed by then. When the drain is removed, Spunky will be stitched up. Right now, he has the drain and some staples. The worst part is just seeing all the shaved area and the blood. It's seeping through his little tshirt and we're doing our best to keep him lying down so he doesn't hurt himself. Poor, poor baby of mine. As bad as it looks, I'm still very thankful to God that it isn't worse. Corgis have extremely large ears, and it's very possible one of them could have been torn off, or an eye gouged out, or any number of horrible things. That he got away with what will most likely be no permanent damage is an absolute miracle, and like I said, I'm very thankful for that.
EDIT: 11/10. Spunky is much more alert and doing okay considering the circumstances. His appetite is very good (for both food and water), he's piddling and doing poopies like a good little puppy, he barked loudly when a UPS guy rang the doorbell and again when a Jehovah's Witness came, and the little guy even was about to chase a squirrel until my dad yelled at him to stop. However, he is bleeding a lot still. We keep finding Spunky's blood here and there on the hardwood floor. It's sad, and now there's a lot of bruising at the injury sites, so he looks worse than he did yesterday, but his mood seems to be improving along with the other things I mentioned. We took pictures of him yesterday and I'll be posting them in my Media section soon if anyone is brave enough to take a look at my little soldier. Thanks again for all the support, guys.
EDIT: 11/11. I uploaded a picture of Spunky after the attack if anyone wants to take a look. You can find it in my Media on my profile. I hope you can see why I've been so upset. :(
EDIT: Please read Part II for the most current information on Spunky.
For Christians: What do you wish anti-theists knew?
I saw a poll about what atheists wish Christians knew before talking to them. I thought I would write a blog asking almost the reverse question, but not aimed at my *atheist* friends here on SH-- warm, intelligent people who treat me and my fellow Christians with respect-- but rather to the *anti-theists* who seem to believe their raison d'etre is to belittle, bash, ridicule, mock, etc. Christians and God until Hell freezes over (that is, if they actually believed in Hell).
So, without further ado, here are ten things I wish anti-theists would know before they attempt to brighten their days by attempting to verbally assassinate me and my fellow Christians:
1. Please don't waste your time trying to convince us the universe was created from nothing by nothing for no reason at all. Congratulations for thinking life is meaningless. We're not buying it.
2. You may think you have eventually evolved from a one-celled organism that spontaneously sprang into life from non-life over a timespan of hundreds of millions of years (and if this were true, it seems some of you are more evolved than others), but we know we were created from a wholly unique design by a loving Creator in His image for a specific purpose with something no other beings possess: souls.
3. The Bible is literally the Word of God and the leading authority in our lives, so please don't pretend to be surprised or offended when we quote it to support our worldview.
4. Your morality may be based on whatever you personally deem good versus whatever you personally deem bad-- something that varies from person to person and from day to day at the whim of personal taste-- but we follow a strict code of right and wrong handed down from an Authority in whom there is no evil.
5. While we're on the subject of morality, you may believe sex with any person or persons of any or both genders at any age at any time for any reason is acceptable, but we don't and never will.
6. We're never going to agree with you on the moral acceptability of abortion, so please don't bother trying to convince us it's acceptable to "terminate" (feel free to substitute any other pleasant-sounding euphamism for murder) a blastocyst, zygote, embryo, fetus, or any other term for an unborn baby that's utilized specifically so a would-be mother and her friendly neighborhood abortionist can end said baby's life without feeling a single pang of guilt. None of us would be here if we hadn't first been blastocysts, zygotes, embryos, and fetuses, so we choose not to pretend these time periods aren't stages of human existence just as significant as infancy, toddlerhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
7. We are not perfect. We make mistakes. We screw up. We sin. This does not make us hypocrites, something with which we are constantly charged. If we *were* perfect and did *not* make mistakes and did *not* screw up and did *not* sin, we wouldn't be Christians.... We would have no need for Christ and His sacrificial death and amazing resurrection, the crowning achievement of His sinless life, if we ourselves could attain salvation due to our own unblemished goodness. Jesus Himself said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners"-- and we are those sinners. Going along with this admission of imperfection, we do not think we're better than you because we're Christians. To the contrary, we are the ones who see ourselves as we truly are-- utterly flawed, hapless beings in need of saving. We have no right to claim to be better than you because we are not the ones who found the truth... The Truth found us.
8. We're going to pray for you whether you like it or not. Praying is what we do. But know that when we pray, we do so not in a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou "God, I officiously pray for this unbelieving heathen who, unlike me, the wonderful and awesome worthy one, is going to burn in Hell and I'll laugh hysterically as he does" way. We pray in a "God, I'm so thankful You saved me from eternal separation from Your love and from an eternity of torment. Even though this person I'm praying for hates You and everyone who loves You, I hope he or she someday comes to know You and is spared the eternal suffering I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy" way.
9. Bring out all the slanted statistics you want, but intelligence has nothing to do with whether or not someone believes in God. To put it simply, you are not smarter than us because you don't believe in Him. You are not being "cutting-edge" and "hip" and "cool" by rebelling against religion. We see your proud strutting and "bold" posturing, and it's no different than the preening and self-adoration that has been going on for thousands of years before you were born. You're just one tiny person in a long line of people who have thumbed their noses in the face of God throughout history. If we're sheep for following Christ, you're similarly sheep for following in the footsteps of the God-mockers before you. Looks like no one on either side of this debate can claim points for originality.
And perhaps most importantly,
10. We've heard the taunts "You base your lives on fairy tales," "You rely on an imaginary man in the sky," "You follow the words of a book written thousands of years ago by crazy men," the particularly tasteful "You worship a dead Jewish zombie," and a host of other barbs. These cheap shots are extremely worn out and yawn-worthy, and childish name-calling and blatant attempts to be shocking and offensive are what people resort to when they've very obviously run out of logic, reason, and sanity.
My fellow Christians, is there anything else you would like to add to this list?
So, without further ado, here are ten things I wish anti-theists would know before they attempt to brighten their days by attempting to verbally assassinate me and my fellow Christians:
1. Please don't waste your time trying to convince us the universe was created from nothing by nothing for no reason at all. Congratulations for thinking life is meaningless. We're not buying it.
2. You may think you have eventually evolved from a one-celled organism that spontaneously sprang into life from non-life over a timespan of hundreds of millions of years (and if this were true, it seems some of you are more evolved than others), but we know we were created from a wholly unique design by a loving Creator in His image for a specific purpose with something no other beings possess: souls.
3. The Bible is literally the Word of God and the leading authority in our lives, so please don't pretend to be surprised or offended when we quote it to support our worldview.
4. Your morality may be based on whatever you personally deem good versus whatever you personally deem bad-- something that varies from person to person and from day to day at the whim of personal taste-- but we follow a strict code of right and wrong handed down from an Authority in whom there is no evil.
5. While we're on the subject of morality, you may believe sex with any person or persons of any or both genders at any age at any time for any reason is acceptable, but we don't and never will.
6. We're never going to agree with you on the moral acceptability of abortion, so please don't bother trying to convince us it's acceptable to "terminate" (feel free to substitute any other pleasant-sounding euphamism for murder) a blastocyst, zygote, embryo, fetus, or any other term for an unborn baby that's utilized specifically so a would-be mother and her friendly neighborhood abortionist can end said baby's life without feeling a single pang of guilt. None of us would be here if we hadn't first been blastocysts, zygotes, embryos, and fetuses, so we choose not to pretend these time periods aren't stages of human existence just as significant as infancy, toddlerhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
7. We are not perfect. We make mistakes. We screw up. We sin. This does not make us hypocrites, something with which we are constantly charged. If we *were* perfect and did *not* make mistakes and did *not* screw up and did *not* sin, we wouldn't be Christians.... We would have no need for Christ and His sacrificial death and amazing resurrection, the crowning achievement of His sinless life, if we ourselves could attain salvation due to our own unblemished goodness. Jesus Himself said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners"-- and we are those sinners. Going along with this admission of imperfection, we do not think we're better than you because we're Christians. To the contrary, we are the ones who see ourselves as we truly are-- utterly flawed, hapless beings in need of saving. We have no right to claim to be better than you because we are not the ones who found the truth... The Truth found us.
8. We're going to pray for you whether you like it or not. Praying is what we do. But know that when we pray, we do so not in a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou "God, I officiously pray for this unbelieving heathen who, unlike me, the wonderful and awesome worthy one, is going to burn in Hell and I'll laugh hysterically as he does" way. We pray in a "God, I'm so thankful You saved me from eternal separation from Your love and from an eternity of torment. Even though this person I'm praying for hates You and everyone who loves You, I hope he or she someday comes to know You and is spared the eternal suffering I wouldn't even wish on my worst enemy" way.
9. Bring out all the slanted statistics you want, but intelligence has nothing to do with whether or not someone believes in God. To put it simply, you are not smarter than us because you don't believe in Him. You are not being "cutting-edge" and "hip" and "cool" by rebelling against religion. We see your proud strutting and "bold" posturing, and it's no different than the preening and self-adoration that has been going on for thousands of years before you were born. You're just one tiny person in a long line of people who have thumbed their noses in the face of God throughout history. If we're sheep for following Christ, you're similarly sheep for following in the footsteps of the God-mockers before you. Looks like no one on either side of this debate can claim points for originality.
And perhaps most importantly,
10. We've heard the taunts "You base your lives on fairy tales," "You rely on an imaginary man in the sky," "You follow the words of a book written thousands of years ago by crazy men," the particularly tasteful "You worship a dead Jewish zombie," and a host of other barbs. These cheap shots are extremely worn out and yawn-worthy, and childish name-calling and blatant attempts to be shocking and offensive are what people resort to when they've very obviously run out of logic, reason, and sanity.
My fellow Christians, is there anything else you would like to add to this list?
"Peggy the Moocher" poll
I was going to start a poll on this, but I found one with the right video clips and everything.
Have you guys heard about the Obama supporter the media has dubbed "Peggy the Moocher"? Peggy Joseph, from Sarasota, FL was recorded as saying, "Because I never thought this day would ever happen. I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage. You know. If I help [Obama], he’s gonna help me.”
Is Peggy a complete idiot who completely misunderstood Obama's campaign and thinks she's going to get freebies now that Obama's going to be President... Or did she hit the nail exactly on the head and put into concrete terms what Obama's "spread the wealth" policy will really mean for America?'
Please visit the poll below (not mine) and mouth off about Peggy the Moocher!
Peggy the Moocher poll
:)
Have you guys heard about the Obama supporter the media has dubbed "Peggy the Moocher"? Peggy Joseph, from Sarasota, FL was recorded as saying, "Because I never thought this day would ever happen. I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car. I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage. You know. If I help [Obama], he’s gonna help me.”
Is Peggy a complete idiot who completely misunderstood Obama's campaign and thinks she's going to get freebies now that Obama's going to be President... Or did she hit the nail exactly on the head and put into concrete terms what Obama's "spread the wealth" policy will really mean for America?'
Please visit the poll below (not mine) and mouth off about Peggy the Moocher!
Peggy the Moocher poll
:)
People of all faiths: Pray for the next Prez
No, not pray so your guy wins. Regardless of who you vote for, and regardless of who wins, I ask my friends on SodaHead to pray for whichever man is our next President once the ballots come in. Everyone knows President of the United States is the toughest job on the planet, and whoever wins tomorrow is going to need the support of everyone in this nation-- Democrats, Republicans, Independents, whatever!-- to guide our nation to the best of his ability.
No matter your faith or party affiliation, let's all pray to give tomorrow's winner the strength, determination, and clear thought to keep America the proud nation she is and make her even better with each day that passes.
Thanks, guys!
No matter your faith or party affiliation, let's all pray to give tomorrow's winner the strength, determination, and clear thought to keep America the proud nation she is and make her even better with each day that passes.
Thanks, guys!
Christians only: 7 Reasons Why Barack Obama is Not a Christian
A friend forwarded me this website and I thought I'd share it with my fellow Christians and seek your input.
7 Reasons Why Barack Obama is Not a Christian
I can't watch the clips because the speakers are broken on my laptop, so I'm just going by the text, but I thought what I read was pretty revealing.
Tell me what you think!
EDIT: If anyone is going to throw that old "Christians should never judge anyone for anything at any time or at any place" line of baloney at me, please do yourself a favor and read 1 Corinthians 5 about Christians and judgment before yelling at me.
EDIT again: LOL people are downraving me for posting a website discussing proper behavior and beliefs for a Christian? Astounding.
7 Reasons Why Barack Obama is Not a Christian
I can't watch the clips because the speakers are broken on my laptop, so I'm just going by the text, but I thought what I read was pretty revealing.
Tell me what you think!
EDIT: If anyone is going to throw that old "Christians should never judge anyone for anything at any time or at any place" line of baloney at me, please do yourself a favor and read 1 Corinthians 5 about Christians and judgment before yelling at me.
EDIT again: LOL people are downraving me for posting a website discussing proper behavior and beliefs for a Christian? Astounding.
Where have I been?
Just a note to let all my SodaFriends know I'm alive and well.
I'm just getting back on these last couple days and responding to things from early October!
I'm sorry I haven't been in much communication this past month. I've been working really hard and facing stupid ailment after ailment and just haven't been on SH.
I still miss all of you and think fondly of you, though, so please-- don't think I'm abandoning or jumping ship, because I'm by no means doing either! I'm just a busy little bee these days. I probably won't be on much this coming month either, but rest assured, I'm still here.
Lots of love to all of you.
I'm just getting back on these last couple days and responding to things from early October!
I'm sorry I haven't been in much communication this past month. I've been working really hard and facing stupid ailment after ailment and just haven't been on SH.
I still miss all of you and think fondly of you, though, so please-- don't think I'm abandoning or jumping ship, because I'm by no means doing either! I'm just a busy little bee these days. I probably won't be on much this coming month either, but rest assured, I'm still here.
Lots of love to all of you.
Why I'm dreading Election Day
I'm voting for McCain-Palin. No question about that. The sad fact is Obama is pretty much a shoo-in for President because people have been drinking his Kool-Aid and worshiping him like there's no tomorrow. I dread Election Day because if that man wins, there are so many bad things that will strike our nation.
The biggest one I have a problem with is the Freedom of Choice Act Obama is foaming at the mouth to codify into national law. This is, after all, "The first thing I'd do as president," Obama told the wonderful Planned Parenthood association back in July of 2007. In the name of "the right to choose," this bill would fully nullify ALL bans on the disgusting form of murder known as "partial-birth abortion" by those who prefer our babies alive and "third-trimester abortion" by those who support this "legitimate medical procedure." Where partial-birth abortions are legal, they're carried out in any circumstance at any time under the misleading phrase of "protecting the mother's health," where "health" is so ill-defined that it can include things like depression a would-be mother supposedly experiences because of the horribly unfair burden of pregnancy and can ONLY be cured through the killing of the child inside of her. God forbid you, I don't know, seek counseling then put the kid who's 8 months in the oven up for adoption after he or she is born... It also would overrule State laws that ban government funding of abortions, more properly known as "Using your tax dollars to slaughter unborn babies." Laws that would also be overturned include parental notification laws required by some states, laws requiring girls and women to learn about fetal development and alternatives to abortion as well as a 24- or 48-hour waiting period before undergoing the procedure after first consultation, laws allowing doctors to decline to perform an abortion due to what pro-lifers call "conscience laws" and pro-abortionists who don't like or know the word "conscience" call "refusal clauses..." It goes on and on. We trust a guy who has no problem with killing unborn children at any stage of development for any reason to safeguard our nation?
Second, I have issues with Obama's ideas about foreign policy. He thinks we can sit down and have tea with dictators like Mahmoud "I never met a Jew I didn't want to drive into the sea and wipe his homeland off the face of the earth" Ahmadinejad and secure world peace. He wants to withdraw from Iraq not when we've won, but as soon as possible so our currently brave soldiers will be forced to whimper away with their tails between their legs as the Islamic terrorists over there dance their dance of victory and boast of how weak the Great Satan has become. McCain, you know, someone who actually has served in the military and actually has a clue about what war entails, knows this is the last thing America should be doing.
Third, I don't want my taxes raised. Allegedly, Obama wants to raise taxes for those earning $250,000 or more-- the people Obama has arbitrarily labeled "the rich." He feels these people apparently don't deserve their money and wants to force them to "spread the wealth," as he so famously told Joe the Plumber, with nice tax hikes. However, just the other day, Biden slipped and stated the definition of those with a tax hike would be not $250k, but $150k. How long before Obama decides $100k is the definition of rich, or $75k, or $50k? The truth is that people who work hard, succeed, and get paid well because of their efforts should NOT be forced to fork over their cash to people who refuse to do so. That's Marxist and ridiculous. I shouldn't have to give you my cash because you're too lazy to get a job or you can't get a decent job because you dropped out of high school or refused to go to college. But Obama thinks I don't know how to take care of my own money and that anyone who works hard and succeeds should "spread the wealth" around because that's what's good for America.
Fourth, if Obama has his way, he'll create a single-payer health care system. He has stated this repeatedly. Obama claims those of us who have private insurance will get to keep it, but eventually he wants to move everyone into socialized medicine. Crappier care and longer wait times, boys and girls, as we lose our right to choose our doctors so everyone gets the exact same health care whether you work or refuse to work.
I think I've rambled on enough. This is depressing as hell. Look for me on Wednesday. I'll be the one dressed in all black after the media and the leftists are crowning their golden boy Supreme Ruler of the Universe and utilizing their now well-worn drool buckets.
The biggest one I have a problem with is the Freedom of Choice Act Obama is foaming at the mouth to codify into national law. This is, after all, "The first thing I'd do as president," Obama told the wonderful Planned Parenthood association back in July of 2007. In the name of "the right to choose," this bill would fully nullify ALL bans on the disgusting form of murder known as "partial-birth abortion" by those who prefer our babies alive and "third-trimester abortion" by those who support this "legitimate medical procedure." Where partial-birth abortions are legal, they're carried out in any circumstance at any time under the misleading phrase of "protecting the mother's health," where "health" is so ill-defined that it can include things like depression a would-be mother supposedly experiences because of the horribly unfair burden of pregnancy and can ONLY be cured through the killing of the child inside of her. God forbid you, I don't know, seek counseling then put the kid who's 8 months in the oven up for adoption after he or she is born... It also would overrule State laws that ban government funding of abortions, more properly known as "Using your tax dollars to slaughter unborn babies." Laws that would also be overturned include parental notification laws required by some states, laws requiring girls and women to learn about fetal development and alternatives to abortion as well as a 24- or 48-hour waiting period before undergoing the procedure after first consultation, laws allowing doctors to decline to perform an abortion due to what pro-lifers call "conscience laws" and pro-abortionists who don't like or know the word "conscience" call "refusal clauses..." It goes on and on. We trust a guy who has no problem with killing unborn children at any stage of development for any reason to safeguard our nation?
Second, I have issues with Obama's ideas about foreign policy. He thinks we can sit down and have tea with dictators like Mahmoud "I never met a Jew I didn't want to drive into the sea and wipe his homeland off the face of the earth" Ahmadinejad and secure world peace. He wants to withdraw from Iraq not when we've won, but as soon as possible so our currently brave soldiers will be forced to whimper away with their tails between their legs as the Islamic terrorists over there dance their dance of victory and boast of how weak the Great Satan has become. McCain, you know, someone who actually has served in the military and actually has a clue about what war entails, knows this is the last thing America should be doing.
Third, I don't want my taxes raised. Allegedly, Obama wants to raise taxes for those earning $250,000 or more-- the people Obama has arbitrarily labeled "the rich." He feels these people apparently don't deserve their money and wants to force them to "spread the wealth," as he so famously told Joe the Plumber, with nice tax hikes. However, just the other day, Biden slipped and stated the definition of those with a tax hike would be not $250k, but $150k. How long before Obama decides $100k is the definition of rich, or $75k, or $50k? The truth is that people who work hard, succeed, and get paid well because of their efforts should NOT be forced to fork over their cash to people who refuse to do so. That's Marxist and ridiculous. I shouldn't have to give you my cash because you're too lazy to get a job or you can't get a decent job because you dropped out of high school or refused to go to college. But Obama thinks I don't know how to take care of my own money and that anyone who works hard and succeeds should "spread the wealth" around because that's what's good for America.
Fourth, if Obama has his way, he'll create a single-payer health care system. He has stated this repeatedly. Obama claims those of us who have private insurance will get to keep it, but eventually he wants to move everyone into socialized medicine. Crappier care and longer wait times, boys and girls, as we lose our right to choose our doctors so everyone gets the exact same health care whether you work or refuse to work.
I think I've rambled on enough. This is depressing as hell. Look for me on Wednesday. I'll be the one dressed in all black after the media and the leftists are crowning their golden boy Supreme Ruler of the Universe and utilizing their now well-worn drool buckets.
The difference between "atheists" and "anti-theists"
I notice as of late, the anti-Christian attitude on this site has seeminly ridiculously multiplied in intensity. I have no problem with atheists... Or shall I define what I consider an atheist?
To me, the definition of an atheist is quite simple: it's exactly what the word means if you break it down. "Theist" is someone who believes in God, and the prefix "a-" means "not," as in "asymmetrical," "asexual," "apathetic" (to clarify, "apathetic" doesn't mean "not pathetic" but rather "a-" plus "-pathos" meaning feeling, meaning "not feeling") and so on and so forth.
Atheists, by this definition, simply do not believe in God. They are "not theists." And atheists are not problematic on SodaHead.
It is a completely different sort of people who are the problem-causers on SodaHead, people who, in a particular case, proudly label themselves as "anti-theists." As you can guess, these individuals can be defined exactly how their name breaks down: "theist" again meaning someone who believes in God and the prefix "anti-" meaning "against." These people do not simply have no faith in God; they actively seek out ways to blaspheme Him and harass and persecute those who do believe in Him. And it is THESE individuals who attempt to ruin SodaHead.
These "anti-theists" are not seeking meaningful dialogue with believers of all faiths to understand them, explain their own point of view, and perhaps solidify their own reasons for why they do not believe. No, these individuals are out there simply to spread hatred, sow discord, elicit negative reactions, engage in as much blasphemy as possible, and frighten away those weak in the faith, whatever faith that may be.
One "anti-theist" in particular has, from what I have observed, posted poll after poll after poll of incendiary content with no obvious purpose other than to inflame believers with their ridiculous questions and express utter disdain, no, rather hatred, of anyone who dares to believe in God from any walk of life... But particularly those of us "foolish" enough to stake our eternal souls in Christ and His promises.
My advice to my fellow believers in God, of any faith, but particularly of the Christian faith because it is we who are being most strongly targeted, is to completely ignore such polls. If you see a question transparently designed with no purpose other than to spew bile at your faith or someone else's, don't even go into it, not even to support or defend your faith. Let these polls remain cesspools of hatred, simply collections of like-minded individuals who apparently have nothing better to do than sit around day after day thinking, "Gee, what can I do today that will arouse someone else's anger? I know! I'll make an inflammatory poll against those idiots who believe in God! Something wildly new and different for me! I'm absolutely brilliant." If you feel compelled to post in one of these "arenas of free speech," just don't even bother. Do as the disciples were instructed to do by Christ: shake the dust off your robes as a testimony against them.
Let me clarify I am not saying do not engage in civil discourse with atheists. By no means! I have met some wonderful atheists on this site and had many great conversations with individuals who do not believe in God. This kind of person, someone who does not believe as you do yet is always willing to discuss your differing beliefs with mutual respect and consideration, is someone to cherish. It is only the "anti-theists," those who consider themselves fashionable rebels and pride themselves on spreading their filth as far as possible, who should be disregarded and ignored.
I know many good people have been chased away from SodaHead to the delight of the "anti-theists" who, again, are out simply to promote hatred of believers of all stripes in the name of "free speech" and "setting free captured minds..." although I don't even think they're intending to be helpful and "free" our minds, I rather think they're merely out there to anger and wound. To individuals considering leaving SodaHead, I ask you to consider all the good things SodaHead has to offer, namely private groups where you can fellowship with people like you and grow as a person. There is far too much good on SodaHead to let a few bad apples ruin it.
To me, the definition of an atheist is quite simple: it's exactly what the word means if you break it down. "Theist" is someone who believes in God, and the prefix "a-" means "not," as in "asymmetrical," "asexual," "apathetic" (to clarify, "apathetic" doesn't mean "not pathetic" but rather "a-" plus "-pathos" meaning feeling, meaning "not feeling") and so on and so forth.
Atheists, by this definition, simply do not believe in God. They are "not theists." And atheists are not problematic on SodaHead.
It is a completely different sort of people who are the problem-causers on SodaHead, people who, in a particular case, proudly label themselves as "anti-theists." As you can guess, these individuals can be defined exactly how their name breaks down: "theist" again meaning someone who believes in God and the prefix "anti-" meaning "against." These people do not simply have no faith in God; they actively seek out ways to blaspheme Him and harass and persecute those who do believe in Him. And it is THESE individuals who attempt to ruin SodaHead.
These "anti-theists" are not seeking meaningful dialogue with believers of all faiths to understand them, explain their own point of view, and perhaps solidify their own reasons for why they do not believe. No, these individuals are out there simply to spread hatred, sow discord, elicit negative reactions, engage in as much blasphemy as possible, and frighten away those weak in the faith, whatever faith that may be.
One "anti-theist" in particular has, from what I have observed, posted poll after poll after poll of incendiary content with no obvious purpose other than to inflame believers with their ridiculous questions and express utter disdain, no, rather hatred, of anyone who dares to believe in God from any walk of life... But particularly those of us "foolish" enough to stake our eternal souls in Christ and His promises.
My advice to my fellow believers in God, of any faith, but particularly of the Christian faith because it is we who are being most strongly targeted, is to completely ignore such polls. If you see a question transparently designed with no purpose other than to spew bile at your faith or someone else's, don't even go into it, not even to support or defend your faith. Let these polls remain cesspools of hatred, simply collections of like-minded individuals who apparently have nothing better to do than sit around day after day thinking, "Gee, what can I do today that will arouse someone else's anger? I know! I'll make an inflammatory poll against those idiots who believe in God! Something wildly new and different for me! I'm absolutely brilliant." If you feel compelled to post in one of these "arenas of free speech," just don't even bother. Do as the disciples were instructed to do by Christ: shake the dust off your robes as a testimony against them.
Let me clarify I am not saying do not engage in civil discourse with atheists. By no means! I have met some wonderful atheists on this site and had many great conversations with individuals who do not believe in God. This kind of person, someone who does not believe as you do yet is always willing to discuss your differing beliefs with mutual respect and consideration, is someone to cherish. It is only the "anti-theists," those who consider themselves fashionable rebels and pride themselves on spreading their filth as far as possible, who should be disregarded and ignored.
I know many good people have been chased away from SodaHead to the delight of the "anti-theists" who, again, are out simply to promote hatred of believers of all stripes in the name of "free speech" and "setting free captured minds..." although I don't even think they're intending to be helpful and "free" our minds, I rather think they're merely out there to anger and wound. To individuals considering leaving SodaHead, I ask you to consider all the good things SodaHead has to offer, namely private groups where you can fellowship with people like you and grow as a person. There is far too much good on SodaHead to let a few bad apples ruin it.
