This will never happen...RIGHT??

I'm reading this for the first time, am I shocked?? Kinda, but it just sickens me and makes me want to fight harder than ever to rid our government of the evil that is trying to ruin our country!

Mar 31, 2011

Republican Leader Eric Cantor Says He Opposes Keeping Social Security Around

In an incredibly revealing moment that exposed the radical House Republican agenda, Republican Leader Eric Cantor (VA-07) said that “we have to come to grips” with the fact that Social Security “cannot exist” any longer. House Republicans have begun pushing forward on budget proposals that include privatization of Social Security on Wall Street and cuts to benefits for senior citizens. Recently, House Speaker John Boehner called for cuts to benefits.
 

• Republican Majority Leader Eric Cantor Opposes Continuing Social Security: “We're going to have to come to grips with the fact that these programs cannot exist if we want America to be what we want America to be.” [NPR, 3/29/11]

• Republican Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan and House Speaker John Boehner have made clear they intend to push forward a plan that privatizes Social Security and dismantles Medicare. [AP, 3/11/11; Wall Street Journal, 3/4/11]

• Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Paul Ryan’s roadmap and the plan to privatize Social Security and dismantle Medicare is “something we need to embrace.” [The Hill, 1/23/11]

Do you take this talk seriously? Do you believe if we had a Republican controlled Congress and White House that this shit would not come to light? They want to fundamentally CHANGE this country! The righties will say oh come on, this won't happen, well , we never thought the GOP would come back so soon after Bush did we??  If you liberals don't start paying attention and get every single person you know registered to vote and to the voting booth, we are fucked.....

Rand Paul lies to Fox viewers..

Teabagger Rand Paul is a M Effin liar.



On March 1, the United States Senate passed - by unanimous consent, no less, so that would include Sen. Rand Paul - Senate Resolution 85 which, among other things:

... urges the United Nations Security Council to take such further action as may be necessary to protect civilians in Libya from attack, including the possible imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory...

 Fox Noise watchers get NO factual news. It's where all Republicans can go to lie to the people and get away with it. Until WE highlight them, that is...

Wednesday's homily - Love is the fulfilling of the Law

Here's a short (5 min) homily based on tomorrow morning's Gospel reading from Matthew 5:17-19:


‘...Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one lett not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven...'

I would really value some comments please!

~~~~~~~

Not many days go by when certain sections of the British press decry the erosion of our legal sovereignty, especially to the European courts. But history shows that the laws of our land have been far from static. Over time, the Law has been applied, reapplied and redefined in differing times, places and situations.

Laws are sometimes introduced to respond to situations that with hindsight might be considered to be heavy handed where, if you like, the letter of the law is very different from it’s spirit; a sort of legal knee jerk.

The Law of Moses of which Jesus speaks in this morning’s Gospel reading, has been a source of light and inspiration to us over the centuries. It is foundation of the British legal system after all, but it was given by God in a particular time and place, to mark out the distinctiveness of His nomadic people - no intermarriage, the dietry laws, no mixed fibres, the avoidance of foreign Gods - are all about an ancient very practical holiness.

It is very tempting to looks at some of the Old Testament laws and dismiss them as being out of date, not fit for 21st century Christian living, but Jesus reminds us this morning, that he came not to do that,
‘...Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished...’

These words of Jesus are part of his Sermon on the Mount, which begins with a topsy turvey vision of God’s kingdom values where the last are first in the Beatitudes, and includes some very practical if not sometimes shocking teaching about faithful and Godly living. What Jesus teaches here does not remove the Law because it has been deemed unfulfilable, rather he reinterprets and reinforces the Law with words like, ‘...You have heard it said and eye for and eye... but I say to you...

History has proved that some laws no longer have relevance (the requirement to practice archery after Sunday worship for example), but Jesus comes to his own time and ours this morning, and reminds us that He comes not to sweep the law away, but to complete it. He calls not for law breaking but for Law keeping. Just as in his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well that we heard about in Sunday’s gospel reading - where Jesus broke every religious and social law - when asked about the nature of right worship, Jesus said it was not so much about the right place as the intent of our hearts. Being faithful to God, says Jesus, is about the spirit not the letter.

How we live as God fearing people still matters says Jesus. He is not advocating a sort of spiritual equivalent of what happened on London’s streets on Saturday, nor is He seeking the continuation of an almost Lybian style tyrannical rule of spiritual law.

Being faithful to God is about walking with Jesus on the Emmaus road of life, listening to him open the scriptures and revealing afresh to us the love of God. He calls us to a very practical holiness when we allow our lives to be viewed through the lens of the Gospel to see whether out living is loving to others, to God and ourselves; whether our living is compassionate and seeks to forgive and be forgiven; whether we live lives as people who long to to heal and to reconcile.

God’s Law of love calls us individually and together to be reconciled to Him and each other. This isn’t just when we break the Law of Moses, but rather when we fail to grasp the call of the Gospel - when we put ourselves before others or place them on the edge of our concern.

In this holy seasons of Lent - as we look to go deeper into God, to make new disciples, and to see Him transform our communities, let us be like the first disciples of Jesus, seeking to be like their Rabbi, and follow in the dust of his shoes. We come to Jesus with questions about how to go deeper, how to make new disciples, how to transform communities. As we walk and as we prayerfully wrestle with these questions Jesus comes alongside us, listens to our questioning and refocuses our searching through the Gospel’s lens and says, “you have fulfilled the law” or you are on the Way. Amen.

The teabagger minority wants to shut down OUR government

Republicans are threatening a shutdown of the government on April 8th unless Democrats cave to their demands....
Pressure is coming from teabagger republiscums, they want MUCH BIGGER cuts than has been considered by moderate Republicans and Democrats, but this minority of teabaggers refuse to compromise. WELL, then let this minority of  GOP baggers go ahead with their plans of a shutdown. Should be interesting to see how the country retaliates!

It's scary actually when a minority can threaten our leaders, forcefully shove their agenda down the throats of our Congressmen and women and the American people. These teabaggers are a MINORITY, so why are they getting away with these threats?

This talk of less spending and smaller government is coming from a group who knows not what they are talking about, yet demand the country listen. This group of teabagger rightwingers are focusing their anger on the wrong people. They are indeed conservative republicans, even if they deny it, they are indeed blaming our countries debt on the evil liberals. When in fact it is the Republican Party, who 30 yrs ago convinced Americans tax cuts would be a good thing and they could have these tax cuts without losing any services they have come to expect in this great nation.  So because of Republican policies our public debt jumped from $997 billion when Reagan took office to over 14 times that number today. Without those tax cuts we could be enjoying a thriving economy today. In 2008 we ranked 26th out of the 30 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in terms of our total tax burden, coming in almost 9 percentage points below the average of the group of wealthy nations.

NEW POLL OUT... 71% of teabaggers think President Obama is destroying the USA, while just 6% of non-teabagger Republicans think Obama is destroying America...

here are a few facts about our national debt...

We've always been in debt, the last time the public debt decreased was in the mid-1950s, so every year since we've hit a “record high” debt in dollar terms. But a better measure is how much debt we have in relation to our economic output, and that number peaked at around 120 percent of GDP during World War II. So why now are these teabagger patriots furious about our spending and debt?? We know, we know...

The Right fearmongers about China and our debt. The Chinese are not our bankers.  The reality is that, as of last year, China held 9.5 percent of our outstanding debt. The largest lender to the U.S. government is the people of the United States – we own 42.1 percent of the national debt in the form of Treasury bills held in our pension funds, 401(K)s, etc.

And 4.6 trillion – about a third – is held by the government itself. Almost 18 percent of the T-bills outstanding are sitting in the Social Security trust fund, earning interest and making the retirement program incredibly secure despite all the claims to the contrary.

We know Republicans leave more debt than Democrats. Between 1960 and 2010, federal spending as a share of the economy has bounced around within a fairly narrow range of between 17.7 percent (under Eisenhower) and 21.8 percent (during the first George Bush's term in office). Republicans are just as happy to spend, but they run on tax cuts, and the result is that since the middle of the last century, contrary to the “tax-and-spend” label, it's been Democrats who are far more conservative when it comes to keeping deficits under control than their Republican counterparts.

 When the Republicans talk about our national debt they always blame "entitlements" like Social Security (which hasn't added a penny to the national debt).When in fact much of our national debt payments are from past military spending.  Economist Robert Higgs calculated it like this:

I added up all past deficits (minus surpluses) since 1916 (when the debt was nearly zero), prorated according to each year's ratio of narrowly defined national security spending--military, veterans, and international affairs--to total federal spending, expressing everything in dollars of constant purchasing power. This sum is equal to 91.2 percent of the value of the national debt held by the public at the end of 2006. Therefore, I attribute that same percentage of the government's net interest outlays in that year to past debt-financed defense spending.

In 2007, when Higgs did that analysis, he came up with a figure of $206.7 billion just in interest payments on our past military adventures.

The Religious Right, the teabaggers, the Uber Conservative Republicans, are all fearmongering about our debt problem. They believe they can win elections by claiming to be fiscal conservatives, but what we are seeing out of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio etc.  is these teabagger politicians are overstepping with the spending cuts that are harming the middle class and the poor among us. The country is not falling for the lies and deceptions, we are not afraid of their threats to shut down the government, we won't fall lockstep with this minority who are trying to take our country back to the middle ages. They are fearmongers, they don't speak for the MAJORITY of Americans.

Sunday Podcast 2

Here is the sermon I preached this morning at 8am based on John 4.5-42.

Sunday Podcast 1

Here is the homily I preached last Sunday at 8am based on John 3:1-17.

Bright Sadness at the well

This is a shocking and surprising Gospel reading. It would have been unexpected for a Jewish man at that time to allow himself to be alone with a woman – leaving himself open to temptation, or perhaps just in danger of gossip! And this particular woman was a Samaritan - the hated neighbours of the Jews, the ultimate ‘others’ – to the extent that Jews and Samaritans would never dream of talking to each other, much less sharing a drink. And finally, the woman is of dubious character. Jesus himself points out that she has had five husbands, and now lives with someone she’s not married to – even by today’s standards, five husbands is quite a lot, and in those days, living with someone without being married to them was just not the done thing. She probably went to the well at the hottest part of the day when all sensible folk were indoors so that she could draw her water on her own, and not have to endure the hostile stares and tutting of her neighbours.

If Jesus had been anyone else, he would not have struck up a conversation with this woman. And, of course, we know all about him from the rest of the gospel stories of his life and ministry and teaching: that he was quite happy to touch lepers, to name tax collectors among his best friends, to eat with sinners, outcasts, and other misfits. We know that he said ‘the first will be last’ and made no attempt to curry favour with the influential leaders of his own Jewish faith.
What we end up with is this chance (or not-quite-chance) encounter between Jesus and the nameless woman of Samaria; this woman is not looking for him, but she does seem to have a deep thirst that goes beyond the needs of her physical body, and right into her soul. Maybe her personal life and history are symptoms of some kind of seeking, longing, for meaning, for a relationship that will work, for someone who will be faithful to her.

She seeks meaning in worship, too – is it right to meet God here or there? This mountain or that temple? Again, this is a kind of seeking, but it’s one that misses the point. Perhaps it’s even an excuse – if we can’t even agree on how to go about meeting God, then maybe there is nothing of substance there to meet. Again, Jesus gently knocks this one on the head: the place isn’t important, but the integrity is.

For that woman, encounter with God is happening right then, by the well. She did not come to find Jesus, but she encounters him, in spirit and in truth, and recognises him because Jesus comes to where she is, because Jesus breaks down the first barrier by starting the conversation, because Jesus speaks the truth with compassion, because Jesus accepts her hospitality and because Jesus offers her something amazing.
She then responds and goes out and carries the good news to others. In that act of mission, the living water that Jesus offers her starts to bubble up and overflow. And Jesus is so excited about it that when the disciples come back he can’t even eat. He has eyes only for all that newly revealed potential for the gospel outside his own Jewish nation – outside of the chosen people, the ‘usual suspects’. So what about us?

This story challenges us to think about the way or ways that we encounter Christ. When was the last time you met God not just in church, but wherever you found yourself? Even if you didn’t think you were looking for him? When was the last time you’ve been aware of God making the first move, starting the conversation, even if he used someone else to do it? When is the last time you had the courage to ask God to gently speak the truth to you, to see you for who you really are? When is the last time you were aware of the hospitality that you offer to God, in your life, in your home, in your priorities, in the way you spend your time?

This gospel story also challenges us to think not only about how we encounter Christ, but about the ways that we enable others to meet him too. What if we add to the list of questions: ‘when was the last time that your encounter with Christ made you want to go and tell your friends and family and neighbours the good news of who Jesus us and what he offers us?’ That’s a tough one for most of us.

Jesus came to where the woman would be – he came where he would find the rejected and despised, showing them the love and acceptance of God. What would it mean for the church to act like this kind of Christ? If we are to be this kind of Christ, what would it mean here, and who would we meet and how would we meet them?

Jesus broke down the first barrier by starting the conversation with the woman. How confident do we feel about starting a God-conversation with others?

Jesus spoke the truth with compassion. This is a really tricky one! But is it something about speaking out on the global moral issues of each era, being a church that is not content to turn a blind eye to corruption and institutional sin.

Jesus accepted the woman’s hospitality – he drank the water she drew for him, and stayed in her city, as a foreigner. How confident are we in our own identity as Christians so that we too can risk stepping outside our comfort zone into what can feel like the ‘foreign territory’ of the world around us?

Finally, Jesus offered the woman something amazing – something she realised would fill the void in her life. This season of Lent is a chance to celebrate what God gives us, and in the midst of Lent’s bright sadness, to rediscover a joy in Christ so great that our faith overflows to those around us. Amen.

Palin in India, for WHAT???

I stole this youtube clip of Sarah Palin from Immoral Minority. Gryphen said it best, "I am amazed that this young woman continues to smile thorough this train wreck of an interview, and does not once turn to the camera to mouth the words, "What the fuck?"  In my opinion that shows almost super human restraint on her part."

You got that right Gryphen! Palin interviews worse than an 8 yr old! She can't answer a simple question asked of her like what sights have you seen in India? And Linda would vote Palin over Obama?? This shows the mentality of our wingnut citizens.  Linda, do you cringe when you watch that woman?



"However", Gryphen said, "Palin actually avoided the Indian people like the plague, or like they HAD the plague. Remember, " Sources confirmed that the Palins had no direct interaction even with room service and that for two whole days (the entire duration of her visit) Sarah Palin confined herself to her room." Clearly Palin was only in India for a paycheck, and hoped to have to interact with as few brown people as possible while she was tossing her word salad."

Palin/Bachmann 2012..... How much fun is this gonna be!!

Donald Trump wants to be OUR next President! LOL

If you are a member of the Republican Party, are you embarrassed yet? Are you humiliated, disgusted, down right MAD as hell and you're not gonna take it anymore??

 Donald Trump is gonna take a stab at the presidency, he thinks he can win the GOP nomination, And he thinks he can beat Barack Obama! He said this on the highly informative, non-biased "news" and entertainment show Fox and Friends (ugh, I hated typing those words!!)"

"I think I probably have more experience of anybody [in the GOP field] — whether I sell them real estate for tremendous amounts of money. I mean, I’ve dealt with everybody. And by the way, I can tell you something else. I dealt with Gaddafi. I rented him a piece of land. He paid me more for one night than the land was worth for two years, and then I didn’t let him use the land. That’s what we should be doing. I don’t want to use the word ‘screwed’, but I screwed him. That’s what we should be doing."

PLUS.. he's going all out to secure the looney tunes base of the rethug party by claiming to be a BIRTHER!! He is "just not convinced Obama's birth certificate is legit, he is not convinced Barack Obama was born in Hawaii"!  This supposedly "smart" man is saying President Obama and the state of Hawaii fabricated Obama's birth certificate, and the Honolulu newspapers fabricated his birth announcement in 1961, in order to help elect Obama by fraudulent means 47 years later!
Eeeegads, how embarrassing is THAT??

Now Michele Bachmann has decided she will form an exploratory committee because she's thinking of putting her name in the hat for Prez. of the USA. Accomplishments please Michele?? Got any?? I mean besides forming a teabagger caucus and studying the Constitution and American History 101 (LOL!). Yikes, super embarrassing for sane moderate republicans....

Actually I believe Bachmann is trying to fill Sahara Palin's red patent leather high heels. Palin has been kinda quiet lately, 'course she has been on a whirlwind trip around the globe. Hmmmm, maybe she is running and needs to bone up on her world leaders.

Seriously people, the list of potential GOP candidates for POTUS is the worst I have seen in all my years of voting. If liberals are asking what the hell happened to the republican party, you gotta believe the common folk righties are asking the same thing.

Trump??? Bachmann??? Paw...Paw...Lenty???   ick..... Christie, Huckabee.....Jindal...Gingrich...Cain...

Book Review for Love Wins

My initial plan with this review was to write first about all the nasty things that have been said about Rob Bell and his book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. However, I think that writing an actual review of this book might be a bit more urgent at this point. I will still be writing a blog about the common criticisms of Rob Bell (some of which are good, and many of which are bad), but that will probably have to wait until the weekend. For now, I'll say that I don't believe that a belief in eternal torment in hell is an essential for the Christian faith, and I sometimes get a little frustrated with those who do.

Now to the review. Rob Bell is an incredibly lucid and talented writer. Many people accuse Rob Bell of "confusion" and insist that people need "clarity" instead of the emergent theology or such. Honestly though, if you read the book, you will probably find it pretty clear.

Maybe "confusion" is thoughtful questions to assumed doctrines. If that be the case, than I think a little bit of confusion is needed. In fact, Rob Bell's questions were my favorite part of the book. The first part of his questions could be summed up in the phrase "Hell: isn't it a little bit weird?" Secondly, he believes that there might not be a clear way to tell whether or not someone is "in" or "out" when it comes to heaven/hell. To support this claim, Rob Bell cites several Bible passages -about a dozen- that show that there is a great deal of ambiguity on this subject.

This is something that many Christians know already -espeically those who are emergent. The fact that evangelicalism wants this to be clear and exclusive might be part of the reason why evangelicalism can be culturally clueless. If you think that you and your exclusive club are the only one's who get in, than those are the only people you deeply associate with. If those are the only people you associate with, than you have a self-perpetuating social-proof of what makes someone "in." It becomes harder to understand those who are "out." It is a sub-culture that things it is relevant to the main culture, when it is in fact semi-autistic.

There is another charge that was tossed against Rob Bell. Rob Bell does "hermenutical gymnastics" to make his points. For sake of example, you can probably examine Rob Bell's assertion regarding the word "hell" in the Gospels. It comes from the word Gehenna when spoken by Jesus. This is really important point since many assert that Jesus spoke of eternal torment and hellfire, since he did -in fact- mention "hell." However, Rob Bell says that when Jesus was saying gehenna he was referencing Jerusalem's disgusting, burning, city dump. Here's why:

• The etymology of word Gehenna


• Relevant historical facts about Jersusalem in Jesus' time


• The usage of the word Gehenna in Jesus' time.

How is that "hermenutical gymnastics"? Isn't that what you are supposed to do when you exegete a Bible passage?

I obviously haven't read every last internet critique of Love Wins, but I have not found anyone who actually addresses Rob Bell's point here: When Jesus says "hell," he is not referring to the nine layers of Dante's inferno. He is referring to garbage dump outside Jerusalem. This only one example of Rob Bell's exegesis, and cannot address all of them for you here.

Now many have criticized Rob Bell for not dealing with certain issues. It is true that Rob Bell did not address any of the predictable objections to his view. Yet, sometimes these critics demand to much. For instance, why did not Rob Bell discuss the two wills of God or limited atonement? I would venture to guess it is because Rob Bell is not a Calvinist (which should be obvious!) and is not writing to Calvinists. Why didn't Rob Bell expand on a particular issue, like penal substitution? I suppose because he is writing a popular book -which introduces and surveys a topic- rather than a article for an academic journal -which is very specific and narrow.

Despite all that, I still feel that the major weakness of Rob Bell's book was that he never answered any particular objections. Doing such, in my opinion, is one of the most important things you can do when you drop a bomb like this. Greg Boyd's God of the Possible was equally if not more controversial. In that book, Boyd devoted an entire chapter to answering objections in fair, direct, and polite manner. A simple addendum to Love Wins would have been equally desirable. It would have been nice if Rob Bell offered an alternative to penal substitution in this book too.

Ultimately though, I feel that all reviews of the book will fall short. Much of the internet does not deal with the substance of the Love Wins, but instead cry "liberal" or other anathemas. Like the Harry Potter series, many evangelicals have decided that it is wrong already and have not bothered to give it read.

The next blogs will mention a few of those other anathemas. Until then, thank you for reading, commenting, and reposting.

Who will care about our dying citizens

When asked, "what are we doing in Libya?", most commentators will say we are trying to save the Libyan people from slaughter at the hands of dicktator Muammar Qaddafi,  OKAY, that's good, Americans should be proud right? Yes dicktators do slaughter their own people and it's open for all to see, they don't hide it or pretend it's not happening. Well what about us, what about Americans who die by the thousands at the hands of our countries leaders, not by gunshot or missile fire, but by legislation and laws that are passed without regard for human life.

Our lack of good affordable health insurance for ALL Americans results in thousands dying every year. Leaders will say nobody is turned away, they can get care in the emergency room of your local hospital. Sure that's fine if you have the flu, or a sprained ankle, but what about those with cancer who need chemo and surgery? What about those who need a kidney transplant or open heart surgery? Yes we have death panels but not the ones Palin and Angle were talking about. Thousands will die for lack of preventative care. Thousands will die because states are claiming they can't AFFORD to keep citizens alive.

When you have government defunding organizations like Planned Parenthood it takes away health screenings for low income women and children. Thousands will die without the care they get from such organizations.

When you have government stripping away laws that protect our water and air and food chain from pollution, the results are environmental health issues like cancer clusters, and childhood cancers.  Thousands do die from lack of environmental protections.

Besides the thousands who die for health reasons, there are the innocent citizens who die for lack of gun control laws. We are the only nation on earth where guns are in almost every citizens homes. What is our obsession with guns? Gun shows, gun shops, guns on the web, guns on the streets, guns that shoot 31 rounds, machine guns... gun lovers say guns don't kill, people kill. Yea, that makes it ok. Americans murder Americans, and I for one think this can be controlled if our gun laws were adequate.

Without your health you have nothing. The homeless, the uninsured, the ignored veterans and mentally ill sleeping on the street, the poverty stricken poor, the babies, the elderly, thousands are dying every day. Our government needs to pay attention to us, WE should be top priority.

Who wants to defend the rich?? Anyone?? I can't hear you......

I don't believe I had one conservative come and defend the evil-doings of Rick Snyder in my last post. Proof they can not come to the defense of these teabagger governors and their agendas to eliminate the middle class. If they could defend the acts wouldn't you think they'd want to share? We're open to hearing from them. For the record my brother did comment on FB, his defense of Snyder was "the state is bankrupt and Snyder is trying to fix it". OKAY nuff said...

First was Walker, then Snyder, now we have 12 states that have plans to shift the tax burden onto the middle class while cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthy. In 3 states conservatives are proposing massive estate tax cuts for millionaires as income equality is at its worse since the 1920's. Here are the details as documented by Think Progress:

MAINE: Tea Party Gov. Paul LePage’s (I) tax reform package would raise the state’s estate tax exemption from $1 million to $2 million — allowing four hundred of the state’s wealthiest estates to escape taxation. At the same time, the tax plan would raise property taxes on middle class Mainers while freezing health care funding for working parents, cutting money for schools, and raising the retirement age for public workers. Republican legislators want to go even further, and are currently considering eliminating the estate tax altogether. 

OHIO: In January, House Speaker William Batchelder (R) called Gov. John Kasich’s (R) proposal to completely eliminate the estate tax one of the Republican-controlled legislature’s “top priorities.” But already, the bill has garnered strong opposition from local governments, who depend on estate tax revenue and are already concerned state spending cuts. Even while finding room for estate tax reductions, Kasich’s proposed budget cuts 25 percent of funding for local schools, $427 million for nursing homes, $1 million for food banks, $12 million from children’s hospitals, and $15.9 million from an adoption program for children with special needs.

NEW JERSEY: In his 2011 budget proposal, Gov. Chris Christie called for raising the state’s estate tax exemption from $675,000 to $1 million even while proposing cuts to the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit and homestead rebates for working poor families. And last year Christie vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature that would have raised taxes on the state’s millionaires to help fund property tax relief for Main Street.
Last December, the federal government set the precedent for estate tax cuts when the bi-partisan tax deal signed by President Obama cut the estate tax rate to its second lowest level since 1931.


 Nothing makes my blood boil more than to read this crap. These conservatives (I will hold my tongue) don't even try to hide their evil plans any more, they are wide open for all of us to read about and enjoy. How can anyone defend these teabagger governors? They are arrogantly throwing into the faces of working middle class citizens, telling them they need to do more to save the states from bankruptcy! What are people like Linda and silverfish thinking when they(I'm assuming they are middle class, but maybe not, maybe they are a part of the elite class) have to pay more in taxes while their governors are handing the fat cat rich fuckers more and more loot to line the pockets of their silk smoking jackets.

I want someone to prove to us little folks this giving of more and more to the rich will one day benefit us. It's been over 2 yrs and we are still hearing the same old worn out "we're just not convinced yet, .... we're just not comfortable investing in America, .....Obama hasn't shown us the economy is improving enough for us to get up off our billions and help out a wee bit"  Baaaa Boooo Hooo!  Oh cry me a river you sick bastards who hate our country.....

You don't have to point out the part where Obama signed the tax deal which cut estate tax rate to it's second  lowest level since 1931. I have typed it twice, I know and I'm not happy about it. I can criticize my president when he deserves it, can conservatives criticize their party when their elected put forth legislation that hurts the majority of Americans? No, I never hear it, never...

The Kingdom of Love

Here is the sermon preached by Ben Masters on Sunday 20th March, based on John 3:1-17.

As I speak, may You speak, and may Jesus be glorified. Amen

People, power, revolution, government, justice, change, democracy, hope, future, a few words that touch the tip of the iceberg of what is going on in Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt. What has all this got to do with Palestine 2000 years ago? More pointedly, what has it got to do with Nicodemus and Jesus? What has it got to do with you or me?

Just as in Libya, the ordinary Jewish people were seeking revolution against their government, as they were occupied by the pagan Romans. This revolution was going to bring about the Kingdom of God. The question on the lips of everyone was “what does the kingdom of God look like?”

There were many different factions, some collaborative, some quietly subversive, and others violently demonstrative. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, he would have believed that the way to bring the kingdom of God to earth would have been to keep the Torah. For the Torah was God’s given way of living, and if people lived as God intended then His kingdom would come! The thing was that there were many different ideas about what living the Torah looked like! And so Nicodemus opening sentence begins to make sense, Jesus has come from God, and if he has come from God then God’s kingdom is on it’s way. So Nicodemus wants to know Jesus version of living Torah, or how to bring the kingdom of God now, here to earth in the present.

I want to be very clear about this, as we heard in the Gospel reading, “how can anyone be born after having grown old?” Nicodemus wasn’t hoping for a place in heaven when he died, and referred to that as the Kingdom of God, he was hoping for the Kingdom of God on earth, now, just as it is in heaven.

Was Jesus collaborative, subversive or violent? What did the kingdom of God look like through His eyes? This is what Nicodemus wanted to know! Jesus first speaks of the grace of God, for to see the kingdom of God one must be born from above, or in other words a work of God first takes place. So we are to look away from ourselves, from the things we can do, to see what God can do and has already done.

Jesus was and IS calling for a revolution beginning with you and me, beginning at the centre of our lives, the very core of who we are. He is calling for us to be born from above, by His spirit, we are to be transformed from those who live in the here and now with no thought for tomorrow, to those who live in the here and now,so that God’s kingdom may come.

Jesus, leader of this revolution, wiped out the Romans with his military might and prowess and reestablished the Jews to their land. Wrong! Jesus leader of this revolution, chose ordinary people, like you or I to follow him. Peter, a fisherman, Matthew a tax collector, Andrew another fisherman... No military might there! The blind could see, the lame walked, the deaf hear, the mute sing for joy, the dead are raised. Where was this revolution going? As Jesus said in the Gospel reading we heard earlier, “The son of man must be lifted up...” Golgotha, the skull, an execution site, amongst thieves, murderers, pagan Romans, death....death...

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This is so alien to Nicodemus, he just doesn’t get it, a crucified saviour? a contradiction in terms surely? Is it not alien to us? We love to follow the successful, we seek to be like them, and if we were like them perhaps our lives would be a great deal better! Here Jesus is proposing that we follow a crucified king, a king who let the darkness of the world do its worst to him, crowned not with gold but thorns!

We know that Jesus was resurrected, we know that the grave could not hold him, and that sin and death were defeated, we know that He lives and reigns now, as on that Sunday when he rose again.

And yet Jesus travelled the road to the cross, he gave himself in love for us, so that as those who looked to the serpent in the wilderness were healed of their affliction, so those who look and believe in Him would be part of His kingdom.

So Jesus our crucified and resurrected king ascended to heaven, so now we are his hands and feet. We are born from above, by the indwelling of Gods Spirit in us. So God continues to send His Son to the world, in and through us, to establish God’s kingdom on earth.

What does this look like? We proclaim the crucified and resurrected Jesus, we tell the world that Jesus is Lord, that the wrongs we have done, and death itself have been conquered and that God is working to restore and reconcile the world to himself.

We love one another as Christ loved us. He gave his life for us, and so we must be life giving. We give a voice to those who can’t speak, we lift the poor out of their poverty, we work for the equality of all people, Jews and Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Men, Women, Children, whatever nationality, culture, colour, or creed the kingdom of God is for the whole world and knows no bounds.

A documentary, where celebrities lived in the slums of kabira for a couple of days to raise awareness for comic relief was shown the other day. Lenny Henry, asked to live with a family, the parents long dead, the 16 year old boy, worked to pay for his younger brothers and sisters to go to school and so that they could have one meal a day. They lived in a hut that was directly next to where the open latrine was placed, it had been blocked for 4 months. These children were sleeping no more than 10 feet away from raw sewage. Lenny outraged at the injustice begged for his wallet back. His words, “if I can’t change these kids lives, I might as well go home now” He bought those children a house with a separate working toilet, and lifted them up out from where they were. During the viewing they showed a clip where Lenny just breaks down and sobs, his heart broken at what he has seen.

This is what the kingdom of God looks like.

The kingdom of God begins with grace, it is God who calls us to himself, to be part of His kingdom and be his hands and feet in the world, in 1 Corinthians 1 Paul puts it like this:

Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards,* not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one* might boast in the presence of God. He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, in order that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’

What the Hell is Rick Snyder Doing to Michigan??

If you thought Scott Walker was a dictator out to destroy Wisconsin then you need to pay attention to Michigan and it's dictator, Rick Snyder! While the country was focused on Japan and Wisconsin, the Michigan state legislature quietly passed a bill giving Snyder martial control over the state!

From Extreme Liberal:
This governor  passed legislation that will give state government the power not only to break up unions, but to dissolve entire local governments and place appointed “Emergency Managers” in their stead. But that’s not all — whole cities could be eliminated if Emergency Managers and the governor choose to do so. And Snyder can fire elected officials unilaterally, without any input from voters. It doesn’t get much more anti-Democratic than that.

Except it does. The governor simply has to declare a financial emergency to invoke these powers — or he can hire a private company to declare financial emergency and take over oversight of the city. That’s right, a private corporation can declare your city in a state of financial emergency and send in its Emergency Manager, fire your elected officials, and reap the benefits of the ensuing state contracts.

Michigan’s new Republican governor is cutting funding to municipalities, and if they struggle financially as a consequence, he will have the power to simply take over those municipalities if he believes he should.
And once Snyder does take over these local governments, by virtue of his own whims, he can impose a local dictator — called an “Emergency Manager” — who will have the authority to undo collective bargaining agreements, scrap contracts, and even undo the results of elections.
And if that weren’t quite enough, the local dictator, at the behest of the new Republican governor or a designated corporate ally, can even “disincorporate or dissolve” an entire municipal government — effectively making a local government disappear — without any input from the public whatsoever.

 The Tea Party crowd — those folks who worry about excessive government overreach and power-grabs — thinks all of this is just great.
One of the Republican state lawmakers who supports this effort characterized the plan as “financial martial law” — and as far as he’s concerned, that’s not a criticism, that’s a defense for this little scheme.

All the stories are the same with these extremist governors. They ran as moderate republicans promising to put states on a fiscal path to recovery but what we're seeing is dictatorships destroying the middle class while handing the states over to multi-millionaires from Wall Street!

Look at Snyder's budget... This fraud is going after ordinary citizens pensions. He wants to tax these pensions, some are only $20,000 a year, and give the money to businesses by cutting corporate income taxes by 81%!  In order to do this thievery he has to increase taxes on the poor, elderly and middle class by 36%! See the pattern? These evil-doers(yes I said it!) CLAIM their states are broke yet they DO NOT propose raising corporate taxes, which would remedy their "situations".

 As David Sirota noted in a recent column, cities and states can never really go bankrupt as they always retain the ability to raise revenue by increasing taxes. By eschewing any discussion of this as an option, Snyder and his like attempt to disappear the concept from the publics mind, instead focusing on budget cuts as the only possible source of income for the state.

I didn't think anyone could be worse than Scott Walker, but Rick Snyder has surpassed Walker on the evil radar...
Snyder has said repeatedly that his budget plan represents "shared sacrifice" and puts Michigan on the path to a better future because it helps to solve the fiscal woes of the state, which is facing an estimated $1.4 billion shortfall. His $45.9 billion proposal includes spending cuts for schools and would eliminate many personal tax breaks while slashing business taxes. Among the proposals: ending exemptions from the state income tax for most pension income.
The governor reiterated Monday that his overall budget proposal, while containing some "difficult cuts," is necessary.
"Those are tough calls," he said. "But I'm making those decisions on the basis of what's good for all of us in the long run so we can all win together."

Look at the budget cuts, look who they hurt, look how these thugs refuse to raise taxes on the rich to balance their budgets but have no problem whatsoever raising taxes on poor and middle class! How can conservatives in their right minds turn a blind eye to this activity??  Rick Snyder is a liar, a fraud, a scumbag rethuglican and I believe the good people of Michigan will prevail in their recall efforts, just like Wisconsin!

UGH.....GOP Govs.=Apocalyptic

The four horsemen of the Apocalypse.....

Scott Walker
John Kasich
Rick Snyder
Chris Christie

Hell, why not...The Anti-Christ......
Mike Huckabee
                                                                                                              Good night, sleep tight

ADDED addition:

Minnesota Republicans say: Poor people with money should be outlaws

By Staff |

March 15, 2011

Read more articles in Poor People's Movements

St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Republicans are pushing legislation that would make it a crime for people on public assistance to have more $20 in cash in their pockets any given month. This represents a change from their initial proposal, which banned them from having any money at all.

here's some good news for a change..the wingnuts will LOVE this ! NOT!!! HUGE RECALL OF A THUGLICAN!
After a recall vote kicked Miami mayor Carlos Alvarez out of office yesterday, 2 Live Crew leader Luther "Uncle Luke" Campbell has become a favorite to win the position in the upcoming election. The once-controversial rapper and label executive has a chance after Norman Braman, a billionaire businessman, orchestrated the first successful recall in the history of Dade County. More than 88 percent of voters wanted Alvarez out.

 House Republicans had an "emergency" meeting yesterday....not on jobs...but to schedule a vote to defund NPR!! dumbfucks....

God Bless Bernie!

Sen. Bernie Sanders voted against the House budget because it made devastating cuts to Head Start, Pell grants, community health centers, LIHEAP, the Social Security Administration and many other programs that are vitally important to millions of middle-class families.
“The Republicans want to move toward a balanced budget by slashing programs for working families at exactly the same time as they want more tax breaks for the rich.  I find it ironic that, at a time when poverty is increasing because of the recession, the Republicans want to cut programs for low income children, the sick and the elderly," Bernie said. "At the same time, while the rich are getting richer, they want more tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Clearly, any serious deficit reduction proposal must include shared sacrifice. The wealthiest people in this country must be asked to pay a little more in taxes to help this country move toward a balanced budget. It cannot just be the poor and working families who are asked to sacrifice.”

Where is the sacrifice from the rich??? What the hell is going on in this country?? We all know from the past we need to pull together , we need to work together! What is ONE sacrifice the rich have made in the past 3 years?? NAME ONE!!

Republiscums hate children, unless they are still in the womb.....The Republican House budget would slash Head Start by 20 percent, or $1.1 billion, forcing 218,000 children from the education and nutrition program and causing 55,000 layoffs nationally.

Rethuglicans love denying healthcare for all, they say it's a privilege not a right to have good health.....Community health centers and community support programs would be decimated throughout the country. The Republican House budget slashes $1.3 billion in funding for community health centers denying primary health care to 11 million patients.

Rushpubliscums HATE the well-educated, they LOVE to deny Americans the chance for a higher education......As a result of $5.7 billion in proposed cuts to Pell Grants, tuition assistance would fall an average of 17 percent, reducing or eliminating Pell Grants for 9.4 million low-income college students across the country.

Rethuglicans do not want Americans to go back to work, they don't want us on the path to recovery because that would reflect positively on President Obama, God-Forbid.....The cuts included in the Republican House budget would further harm the economy which continues to have trouble recovering from the recession which began more than three years ago in December 2007. Overall, the legislation passed by the Republican House is estimated to cause 700,000 job losses nationally.

 Republiscums HATE needy people, disabled and seniors...... the House budget slashes the Community Services Block Grant program by $405 million which could reduce or eliminating emergency food, housing and heating assistance to 20 million seniors, families with children and the disabled.


Democrats are not without fault, I will condemn them when follow those slugs in Congress too! God Bless Bernie Sanders......he said this...“I voted against the Democratic proposal because, if the Democrats are serious about deficit reduction they have to raise revenue along with spending cuts.  As part of an Emergency Deficit Reduction Fund, I will be introducing legislation that calls for a 5.4 percent surtax on millionaires as well as eliminating tax breaks for big oil companies,” he said.
“At a time when the gap between the very, very wealthy and everyone else is growing wider, will we try to balance the budget on the backs of the poor, the elderly, the sick, and the children? That is the question that we have to address right now,” Bernie said.  “In the midst of a major a recession, it is morally wrong—and economically bad policy—to balance the budget on the backs of people who are already hurting.”

 Get with the program Democrats! We have the upper hand because WE are listening to the people. All across the country is proof of what the GOP wants to do to this country, all over the internet people are furious, fed up with those lying hypocrites! "Give us a chance we will do better" the GOP said!

'Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me'

 update: 
House Republicans just opposed a motion that would ensure funds are NOT used to privatize Social Security or voucherize Medicare. .....assholes

A Quick Survey

We are in the process of doing some listening to you! So, if you live in Leverstock Green, we'd like 5 minutes of your time to fill in this short questionairre here.

In advance, thank you very much indeed!

Say One For Me

is a dedicated prayer website from the Church of England.

You can post your own prayers during Lent which runs between March 8th and April 23rd this year and these will be prayed for by various Christian communities throughout the country.

Prayers will be moderated to make sure they don't contravene the guidelines of the site and may be edited to retain privacy.

This year there is also have a Facebook page where you can post your comments and any answers to prayer.

Give it a go here or via the 'Places to Pray' tab above...

Please feel free to pray others' prayers while on the site.

In Contempt??

Sen. Fitzgerald: Email re: Senate Democrat voting privileges in standing committees 3/14/2011 From: Sen.Fitzgerald Sent: Monday, March 14, 2011 3:52 PM To: *Legislative Senate Republicans Subject: Senate Democrat voting privileges in standing committees Dear Members, With the return of the Senate Democrats this weekend, questions have arisen regarding Democrat members’ participation in Senate standing committee public hearings and executive sessions. Please note that all 14 Democrat senators are still in contempt of the Senate.Therefore, when taking roll call votes on amendments and bills during executive sessions, Senate Democrats’ votes will not be reflected in the Records of Committee Proceedings or the Senate Journal. They are free to attend hearings, listen to testimony, debate legislation, introduce amendments, and cast votes to signal their support/opposition, but those votes will not count, and will not be recorded. If you have any questions, feel free to contact my office. Thank you, Scott Fitzgerald Senate Majority Leader  13th Senate District            OKAY, so how long will the thugs hold the 14 Democrats "in Contempt"?  Long enough to pass all their contemptuous legislation?

2 Lentern Prayers

The Prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian:

O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter.

Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love.

O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen.








The 'Living God's Love' prayer:

Living God,
draw us deeper into your love;
Jesus our Lord,
send us to care and serve;
Holy Spirit,
make us heralds of good news.
Stir us, strengthen us,
teach and inspire us
to live your love
with generosity and joy,
imagination and courage;
for the sake of your world
and in the name of Jesus,
Amen.

The fascists are here!

The fascists are here!
 Many liberal bloggers have talked about the Republican Party and the similarities to fascism. It's really quite interesting especially when rightwingers call President Obama a fascist. With all this talk of debt and budget crises these past few months and with more Republicans in governorships, it's more obvious now how the republicans resemble the fascists from the 1920's and 30's. The European fascists used the poor economy to gain power, so goes the GOP. This is the reason we had a deluge of GOP governors elected and the GOP takeover of the House. This is afterall what the rethugs will tell you, it's the economy, stupid.
    They CLAIM the people spoke and wanted them(the GOP) to DO SOMETHING about JOBS and the ECONOMY since Obama and the Dems were fucking up big time. BUT Mr. Bonehead where ARE the jobs? All we're hearing is talk of budget crises, so what's the first thing Republicans do?, give tax breaks to the rich so they WILL therefore hire. Well Mr. Bonehead, where are the jobs?

 Here are some examples of how the Republicans are indeed  fascists......
Fascism is the ultimate manifestation of social change and moral revolution,  Republicans are all about culture wars and  preaching morality. Fascists, like Republicans today, reject democracy and liberalism. Many Republicans called for violently overthrowing the government if the 2010 midterm elections didn’t go their way and have viciously attacked liberalism. Fascists also reject internationalism and pacifism and support militarism and war. Republicans have been calling for the United States to pull out of the United Nations since the 1950′s and have since 2001, been the party of war as evidenced by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the calls to attack Iran, North Korea, and most recently Libya. Fascists also promote heroism and violence.

Republicans claim to be the party of family values(cough,cough), this is what fascists believe too! Fascists believe a womans role is homemaker, Mother, wife....Fascists, I mean Republicans, killed any chance for equality in the workplace when it comes to wages. They like their women barefoot and pregnant...which brings us to birth control. Fascists banned literature on birth control and increased penalties for abortion in Italy1926, declaring both crimes against the state. Republicans will deny this but they want to ban birth control too, they think the pill is aborting a fetus. And we all know their stance on abortion and the justifiable murders of abortion doctors.

Fascists pushed policies designed to reduce the number of women in the workforce. Republicans are assaulting unions that represent professions held by mostly women, like nurses and teachers, and are highly critical of single Mothers who work.

 Republicans and fascists have education in common too.
Fascist states pursued policies of social indoctrination through propaganda in education and the media and seek to regulate the production of educational and media materials. We see Republicans doing this every day. They have their own news network that uses blatant lies and misinformation to paint liberalism as evil.  The GOP's attempts to destroy public education is nothing more than an effort to create private schools designed to do their ideological bidding. Private schools can deny an education to anyone and can discriminately hire any teacher they wish which means an army of conservative teachers that will only teach the Republican ideology and their view of history. Fascists created their systems of education to glorify their movement and sought to inform students of its historical and political importance to the nation. In Texas and the South the Confederacy is being glorified and Joe McCarthy is portrayed as a hero!

Republicans cut millions from public education every chance they get. It's their number one priority, after abortion that is...They want to abolish the Department of Education! Republicans and fascists hate the well-educated, they want their followers to be stupid in order to manipulate them.  Fascism tends to be anti-intellectual and so does the Republican Party.

Another major aspect of fascism is its relationship with corporations. In 1925 the Fascist regime in Italy  created a Ministry of Corporations that organized the Italian economy into 22 sectoral corporations, banned workers’ strikes and lock-outs. Even Hitler banned unions.  Republicans are attempting to reintroduce the idea that corporations should run states and the government.  Fascists dismantled working-class organizations, significantly reduced wages in certain areas, abolished taxes on inheritance and war profits. Republicans seek to do ALL of these things. They have called for an end to the minimum wage, are ending union rights state by state, most recently in Wisconsin where Republicans slammed through an anti-union bill illegally, and seek to destroy any and all corporate taxes and taxes on the wealthy.

Republicans and fascists share a hatred of gays and anyone different than themselves.  Just as fascists banned homosexuality in 1931 and hated certain groups like gypsies and Jews, Republicans seek to make homosexuality illegal and have made it clear that they intend to persecute those they feel are inferior such as Muslims, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other ethnic groups. The current hearings in Congress specifically targeting Muslims is sufficient proof of that, not to mention their constant racial attacks on President Obama and the laws being passed against Hispanics in Arizona.

Fascists and Republicans share in an obsession with Christianity. The Republican party is one with the Christian Right today. Their goal is to make Christianity the national religion in order to create a Christian state. Republicans hate separation of church and state and have vowed to destroy it. Republicans have even gone so far as to make up quotes and falsely attribute them to the Founding Fathers to make it seem like they wholeheartedly agree with them. They actually do not agree. This obsession with religion is very familiar, in fact its Hitleresque.

The time for compromise with Republicans is over. The time for tolerance of them is also over. Republicans are fascists? Looks obvious to me.....
You can read the rest here...

A Sermon to end Fairtrade Fortnight 2011

Lord Finchley tried to mend the electric light himself. It struck him dead: And serve him right! It is the business of the wealthy man to give employment to the artisan.

A rhyme by Hilaire Beloc may seem a rather flippant start to a serious sermon on fair trade, but actually Hilaire Belloc is expressing the same thought as the writer of Ecclesiasticus’s words that I read at the beginning of the service: “Do not cheat a poor person of his livelihood or keep him waiting with hungry eyes”.

Jesus also said that the labourer is worthy of his wages, but just as surely, in order to be worthy of those wages, the labourer must first be acknowledged to be worthy of a job. And it’s up to us, the ‘Lord Finchleys’ of today’s world, to use our comparative wealth to help provide opportunity and livelihoods for others. We are, after all, our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.

Christians have always emphasized the importance of charity in helping to alleviate the lot of those worse off than we are. Traditionally, the concept has been that this would either involve donating money or, for those with the necessary talents and opportunity, rolling up your sleeves and getting down to work helping out in person. But there is another way: trade.

It’s a dirty word to some, trade. At one end of the political spectrum, the landed gentry always looked down on anything as grubby as commerce, while to those on the far left, trade, caricatured as capitalism, was the ultimate enemy.

But for a faith whose founder worked in the family business, this cannot be a Christian attitude. It is incumbent on us to use to the best of our ability those talents with which we’ve been blessed, to meet our own needs and help meet the needs of others. Just as important is the need to use those talents to ensure that all our brothers and sisters in Christ have the same opportunity. And that applies as much to us as a society as it does to us as individuals. The way we conduct our trade, the demands we make on poorer nations, are, ultimately, a matter of personal responsibility. And that is perfectly biblical – think of Jesus’ parable of the talents and the master’s rejection of the servant who hadn’t invested his money wisely.

Of course, a plea for more and fairer trade can be difficult particularly during the current recession with it’s deep worries about unemployment but, in fact, it is in our own interest as well as that of the producers. For if we buy developing world products, such as honey, the producers will have money and will in turn buy what we produce.

And, like honey, the benefit spreads even more widely. As a result of having money in their pockets, previously impoverished farmers have access to health care and education for their children, which not only increases the sum of human happiness, in the long term it will benefit every one of us. In the words of the adage: “Money is like manure; it works best when you spread it around.”

As an example of the mutual benefits that fair trade can bring, honey is an obvious choice. It is a product much in demand but, despite the recent expansion in bee- keeping as a hobby or a business here in the UK, we can only satisfy around 12 per cent of the domestic market from our own resources; we have to rely on beekeepers overseas for the rest.

The nectar gathered by bees is a sustainable natural resource, the exploitation of which has no detrimental environmental effects, indeed rather the opposite. And, after the initial comparatively modest outlays on training and equipment, bee-keeping is a skilled activity, producing a high-value product that people want to buy.

For the Christian, honey also has great symbolic resonance. “A land flowing with milk and honey” is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament, and it continues to the end of the New Testament. The angel’s word’s to John in Revelation 10 compares the words of the scroll of God’s message to it: “...in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.”
Our Gospel reading this morning reminds us that Lent offers us the opportunity to take time to reflect with Jesus in the wilderness on our fallen world, to decide what words and principles we will live by, to face our temptations and to determine how we will repent and respond.
Today’s world is one of gross unfairness, where half the world’s people live in poverty – despite there being enough for all.

The rich world’s refusal of restraint and the temptation to put our material comfort before godliness are part of the problem. We have created an unfair global trading system that allows us to enjoy cheap clothes and food but causes others to suffer (see section on cotton subsidies).

But God wills life and offers the healing power of repentance. And we, by grace and following Christ’s example, can reject temptation. One way is through Fairtrade, which is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Its purpose is to create opportunities for producers and workers who have been economically disadvantaged or marginalized by the conventional trading system. Fairtrade is good news – and a way we can respond practically to our hurting world. It is our duty as Christians to apply that sweet message of God’s love practically to ensure His whole world flows with milk and honey and not just our small corner of it. Amen.

The Lenten fast, let us repent of "politics."

"The hope for the world is not in Washington" -Erwin McManus during the 2008 elections

Today is the first week in the season of Lent. A time when Christians prepare ourselves to receive God's coming as the pilgrims in Jerusalem did on the first "Palm Sunday." This is a time when people often fast from one thing or another in order to examine conscience.

Here's an interesting thought, why not deepen one's spiritual life by giving up political news media? Forty days, isn't really that long.

It may seem like a strange recommendation, and what fast you choose is always what is best for you. It might be consistent with the Gospel, though. Chaplin Mike at Internet Monk wrote a great piece -that could be good sermon- on "repenting" of the political mindset. This does not mean repenting of being a republican, a democrat, or changing some stance. It means, it seems to me, repenting of the belief that the hope for the world is somehow 'in' our often hateful political system.

This is in fact, what a large part of Jesus' call to discipleship meant. During his time there were plenty of angry, oppressed, Jewish peasantry who had one way or another to get their vision of the world accomplished. Some wanted a violent overthrow of Rome. Others wanted a peaceful co-existence until God vindicated them. Many "sold-out" to Roman political power. A few decided to go off into the wilderness and ignore the "apostates." To all these people Jesus said, "drop your political agendas, and sign on for the Kingdom of God." If Jesus was here today, would he encourage us to stay-tuned to Glenn Beck, Rachael Maddow, or even the Daily Show? What if all such is building political towers of babel?

There is a second thing, and this is where it hits me the hardest. I used to enjoy talk radio and political blogs quite a bit. Then, as I grew older I began to realize something. Much of the political talk -and I don't mean just radio personalities- is ... rage porn.. Many pundits exist not to inform you, but to get you angry. Anger is actually addictive, and you'll probably tune in a bit more for the adrenaline rush. I think this is actually worse when it is on TV because most of your cognitive functions shut down when you're watching the zombie-glow of the plasma screen. I personally count anger as almost always a sin, and try avoid people who are making me so on purpose.

Most Americans, in my humble opinion, feel that there is something wrong with pundits, sensationalism, and rage-porn. As Christians, we might just have an added call on top of that: abandon your political projects, and sign up with the Kingdom of God.

What steps can Christians take do so this Lenten season?

Democracy was kicked in the face tonight

My thoughts and prayers are with the good and decent Wisconsin citizens tonight. The Democratic Party has taken all they are gonna take, middle class working Americans will take to the streets tomorrow like you have never seen in the history of our country. Please do all you can to support the fight against the Republiscums. All across Northern America, from NJ to Alaska, states are coordinating their efforts to destroy the middle class. The thugs have taken the South, now their efforts are in the North. They won't get away with this hijacking of our rights.  Remember, take your fight to the voting booth, this is the way we win. And we will WIN!

They have SEX, go ahead say it

This video goes hand in hand with my previous 'suppressing the young vote' post.  Republicans just DON'T GET IT! They are hurting the 18 to 35 group by taking away funding for Planned Parenthood. These young people use the services provided by Planned Parenthood and I DO NOT mean ABORTION! These young people VOTE, They will VOTE in the 2012 presidential election. If you take away their rights they will punish you at the polls. Wake up Republican Party..... and Democrats who don't stand with the American people. Listen to the young people, their votes are the ones that will COUNT!

Wednesday Podcast

Here is a version of the sermon I preached this morning for Ash Wednesday...

Suppressing the Vote

Conservatives are scared shitless, they are so scared for the coming of the 2012 elections and the liberal onslaught that they want college kids, the elderly and the disabled banned from voting!

This from Alan Colmes  in it's entirety.....
Republican New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien is part of a nationwide effort to deny voting rights to students, the disabled, and the elderly. In O’Brien’s case, it’s because college students tend to be liberal.

He said that Plymouth, a college town, experiences 900 same-day voter registrations.

“They are kids voting liberal, voting their feelings, with no life experience,” he said.

So, “life experience” must mean you’re a conservative. Right, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates?  Think Progress notes 22 statehouses in America where conservatives are similarly working to disenfranchise voters. Some examples:

NORTH CAROLINA: Republican legislators have introduced a photo ID bill that the Institute for Southern Studies estimates will cost taxpayers more than $20 million…the legislation’s target is phantom “voter fraud” — even though in 2008 authorities reported only 40 voting irregularities out of 4.3 million votes cast.

SOUTH CAROLINA: Despite dying in the state senate last year, a bill requiring voters to present a photo ID has passed both legislative houses in contentious party-line votes. The two houses will now have to resolve their two different versions. One local NAACP official called the legislation “Jim Crow Jr.”

TEXAS: Despite facing a $10-11 billion budget shortfall, Gov. Rick Perry prioritized a voter ID bill as an “emergency item” last month — forcing the Texas legislature to act on the bill before dealing with the state’s budget crisis. Since then the Senate has passed a voter ID law that would be the most restrictive in the nation…

KANSAS: Monday the State Senate approved legislation, originally proposed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach, that would require proof of citizenship upon registering to vote…

TENNESSEE Two weeks a go, the State Senate passed a bill requiring voters to present a driver’s license before voting. The bill would create a significant burden to voting for the state’s more than 500,000 adults without a driver’s license.

Funny that with states crying poverty and the need for budget cuts that they are promoting voter ID plans that would cost millions of dollars.

OKAY, I know some will boo hoo this post, they will say this is liberal hysterics. But no, it is about conservatives realizing they can not win elections fair and square, there is just not enough Americans who vote republican, so they MUST suppress the vote! They do it every fuckin' time! This NH House Speaker is saying what he truly believes, young voters vote Democrat in hoards, and for 2012 this will destroy the GOP's plans to take the White House back from the evil liberals.


From a Yahoo news article..
Targeting students is nothing new: The "arguments against student voting" have been around for decades, says Susan Milligan in U.S. News & World Report. And they're still bunk. If students spend at least three-quarters of the year living, often working, and even paying taxes in their college town, they deserve the right to vote there. And that "lack of life experience" complaint? Funny you don't hear it when the GOP wants to send 18-year-olds off to war.
"New Hampshire Republicans wrong to attack college student voting"
Who's next... older voters? The GOP is right that "college students tend to be liberal and not think about consequences," says Alexandra Petri in The Washington Post. But so what? That's better than conservative elderly voters, who have "no incentive to make any sacrifices or enact any reforms, well, ever." So "where are the campaigns that scream, 'Don't let old people vote! They're conservative!'"
"Before limiting college students' voting rights, stop old people!"

How to get more young people in church...

Thanks to Anna for pointing me to this: I had to share...

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One of the most frequently asked questions I face as I visit parishes is, "How do we get young people to come to church?" I thought this week I would allow a genuine young person to answer that question. Tamie Fields Harkins served for four years as our chaplain to NAU Episcopal Canterbury Fellowship. Last week she had this to say about that question on her blog, which I share with you here.

+Kirk

Here is a step-by-step plan for how to get more young people into the church:

1. Be genuine. Do not under any circumstances try to be trendy or hip, if you are not already intrinsically trendy or hip. If you are a 90-year-old woman who enjoys crocheting and listens to Beethoven, by God be proud of it.

2. Stop pretending you have a rock band.

3. Stop arguing about whether gay people are okay, fully human, or whatever else. Seriously. Stop it.

4. Stop arguing about whether women are okay, fully human, or are capable of being in a position of leadership.

5. Stop looking for the "objective truth" in Scripture.

6. Start looking for the beautiful truth in Scripture.

7. Actually read the Scriptures. If you are Episcopalian, go buy a Bible and read it. Start in Genesis, it's pretty cool. You can skip some of the other boring parts in the Bible. Remember though that almost every book of the Bible has some really funky stuff in it. Remember to keep #5 and #6 in mind though. If you are evangelical, you may need to stop reading the Bible for about 10 years. Don't worry: during those 10 years you can work on putting these other steps into practice.

8. Start worrying about extreme poverty, violence against women, racism, consumerism, and the rate at which children are dying worldwide of preventable, treatable diseases. Put all the energy you formerly spent worrying about the legit-ness of gay people into figuring out ways to do some good in these areas.

9. Do not shy away from lighting candles, silence, incense, laughter, really good food, and extraordinary music. By "extraordinary music" I mean genuine music. Soulful music. Well-written, well-composed music. Original music. Four-part harmony music. Funky retro organ music. Hymns. Taize chants. Bluegrass. Steel guitar. Humming. Gospel. We are the church; we have an uber-rich history of amazing music. Remember this.

10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

11. Learn how to sit with people who are dying.

12. Feast as much as possible. Cardboard communion wafers are a feast in symbol only. Humans can not live on symbols alone. Remember this.

13. Notice visitors, smile genuinely at them, include them in conversations, but do not overwhelm them.

14. Be vulnerable.

15. Stop worrying about getting young people into the church. Stop worrying about marketing strategies. Take a deep breath. If there is a God, that God isn't going to die even if there are no more Christians at all.

16. Figure out who is suffering in your community. Go be with them.

17. Remind yourself that you don't have to take God to anyone. God is already with everyone. So, rather than taking the approach that you need to take the truth out to people who need it, adopt the approach that you need to go find the truth that others have and you are missing. Go be evangelized.

18. Put some time and care and energy into creating a beautiful space for worship and being-together. But shy away from building campaigns, parking lot expansions, and what-have-you.

19. Make some part of the church building accessible for people to pray in 24/7. Put some blankets there too, in case someone has nowhere else to go for the night.

20. Listen to God (to Wisdom, to Love) more than you speak your opinions.

This is a fool-proof plan. If you do it, I guarantee that you will attract young people to your church. And lots of other kinds of people too. The end.