Is Islam a religion? Of course it is...
This article about a Tennessee judge who refused to halt construction of a mosque, tells about the lawyer for the plaintiffs arguing that Islam is not a religion... the rationale for that position is that they (Muslims) have a political agenda.
Have you seen Christians (right and left wing) today? Christianity is a freakin' political party.
Of course Islam is a religion. There are devout practitioners, there are lax practitioners, and there are those who practice it strictly for their own vested purposes. Sounds very, very much like Christianity today.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101117/ap_on_re_us/us_tennessee_mosque
Could American be more xenophobic, or have a more short-sighted and self-absorbed world view?
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Bank of America Inept? ( A personal rant)
Boy I've been a Bank of America customer for just about a month and find their customer service horrible... The following is a note that I sent using their website communications.
---------------------------------------------
Several weeks ago, I opened a Bank of America checking account with a USAirways dividend miles debit card. At the time, the representative who opened the account said I didn't need to provide my USAirways Dividend account number, and that they would locate it by name and social security number. Now, there is no mention of my debit card or mileage on my USAirways Dividend miles account, or on my Bank of America on-line account info. THE ONLY REASON I switched from my existing bank, with all my accounts and my direct deposit was to take advantage of the USAirways miles on my debit card. Now, I've not received the reinstatement miles I should have gotten, I've not received the 1,000 bonus sign-up miles I should have received and I've spent thousands of dollars that have not added any miles.
I want someone to find out why my mileage isn't showing up, make sure that I get credited for my reinstated miles, my bonus sign-up miles and the amount I've spent on my Bank of America debit card since the account was opened, or I will close the account and recommend the same for all of my colleagues where I teach college and all of my professional associates, friends and family. I have already called Bank of America twice, have spoken with the representative at the local branch who opened the account, and still this matter remains unresolved. Please advise me who will be following up on this concern. This is a very, very poor beginning to my relationship with a new bank and your customer service has been very lax and unconcerned.
The account was opened at the Kettering Branch 10600 Campus Way South, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
I look forward to a quick response and resolution.
Thank you,
George W. Rizor, Jr.
---------------------------------------------
Several weeks ago, I opened a Bank of America checking account with a USAirways dividend miles debit card. At the time, the representative who opened the account said I didn't need to provide my USAirways Dividend account number, and that they would locate it by name and social security number. Now, there is no mention of my debit card or mileage on my USAirways Dividend miles account, or on my Bank of America on-line account info. THE ONLY REASON I switched from my existing bank, with all my accounts and my direct deposit was to take advantage of the USAirways miles on my debit card. Now, I've not received the reinstatement miles I should have gotten, I've not received the 1,000 bonus sign-up miles I should have received and I've spent thousands of dollars that have not added any miles.
I want someone to find out why my mileage isn't showing up, make sure that I get credited for my reinstated miles, my bonus sign-up miles and the amount I've spent on my Bank of America debit card since the account was opened, or I will close the account and recommend the same for all of my colleagues where I teach college and all of my professional associates, friends and family. I have already called Bank of America twice, have spoken with the representative at the local branch who opened the account, and still this matter remains unresolved. Please advise me who will be following up on this concern. This is a very, very poor beginning to my relationship with a new bank and your customer service has been very lax and unconcerned.
The account was opened at the Kettering Branch 10600 Campus Way South, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774
I look forward to a quick response and resolution.
Thank you,
George W. Rizor, Jr.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
THREE THINGS YOUR CHURCH PASTOR WON’T TELL YOU
1. The content of the Bible was voted on, and of the eligible voters, there were fewer voting for it than not voting for it.
The Cardinals of the Council of Trent in 1546 voted on the contents of the Roman Catholic Bible (which closed the Catholic Canon and because pressure from Martin Luther was partly responsible for the vote, pretty much sealed the contents of the Protestant Bible). That vote, for the book that Christians call divinely inspired and the Word of God, passed with 24 Cardinals voting for it, 15 voting against it, AND 16 ABSTAINING. Yep – that’s right – more of the Cardinals either abstained or voted against than agreed to vote for the Bible contents we recognize today.
2. Most Protestant religious services are so similar that denominational differences don’t make a difference.
Most pastors won’t admit, but there is frequently more difference WITHIN the various churches of a denomination than there are ACROSS denominations. If you stumbled into most Protestant churches today, it would be impossible to distinguish from the service, which denomination’s church you’d entered. The same with fellowship and social activities… Churches within a single denomination are more likely to be incredibly different due to different geographic location and churches of different denominations are more likely to be incredibly similar to churches in the same geographic area. Major theological differences between denominations are more likely to be manifested at the highest adjudicatory levels and not so much in the actual houses of worship.
In fact, since Vatican II in the early 1960’s, the Roman Catholic church services have become more and more ecumenical and many devout Catholics have even complained about the similarity to traditional Protestant services.
3. Church attendance is segregated.
The old adage (thank you, Dr. King) is that, in America, the most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning.
A 2008 “CNN Living” article, by John Blake said:
Only about 5 percent of the nation's churches are racially integrated, and half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, says Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of "United by Faith," a book that examines interracial churches in the United States.
DeYoung's numbers are backed by other scholars who've done similar research. They say integrated churches are rare because attending one is like tiptoeing through a racial minefield. Just like in society, racial tensions in the church can erupt over everything from sharing power to interracial dating.
Any good psychologist will tell you that the old adage, ‘Familiarty Breeds Contempt’ is wrong. We like to be with those who dress like us, behave like us, and think like us. It’s easier to give in to social convention than to be as radically inclusive as most religions would prescribe.
The Cardinals of the Council of Trent in 1546 voted on the contents of the Roman Catholic Bible (which closed the Catholic Canon and because pressure from Martin Luther was partly responsible for the vote, pretty much sealed the contents of the Protestant Bible). That vote, for the book that Christians call divinely inspired and the Word of God, passed with 24 Cardinals voting for it, 15 voting against it, AND 16 ABSTAINING. Yep – that’s right – more of the Cardinals either abstained or voted against than agreed to vote for the Bible contents we recognize today.
2. Most Protestant religious services are so similar that denominational differences don’t make a difference.
Most pastors won’t admit, but there is frequently more difference WITHIN the various churches of a denomination than there are ACROSS denominations. If you stumbled into most Protestant churches today, it would be impossible to distinguish from the service, which denomination’s church you’d entered. The same with fellowship and social activities… Churches within a single denomination are more likely to be incredibly different due to different geographic location and churches of different denominations are more likely to be incredibly similar to churches in the same geographic area. Major theological differences between denominations are more likely to be manifested at the highest adjudicatory levels and not so much in the actual houses of worship.
In fact, since Vatican II in the early 1960’s, the Roman Catholic church services have become more and more ecumenical and many devout Catholics have even complained about the similarity to traditional Protestant services.
3. Church attendance is segregated.
The old adage (thank you, Dr. King) is that, in America, the most segregated hour of the week is Sunday morning.
A 2008 “CNN Living” article, by John Blake said:
Only about 5 percent of the nation's churches are racially integrated, and half of them are in the process of becoming all-black or all-white, says Curtiss Paul DeYoung, co-author of "United by Faith," a book that examines interracial churches in the United States.
DeYoung's numbers are backed by other scholars who've done similar research. They say integrated churches are rare because attending one is like tiptoeing through a racial minefield. Just like in society, racial tensions in the church can erupt over everything from sharing power to interracial dating.
Any good psychologist will tell you that the old adage, ‘Familiarty Breeds Contempt’ is wrong. We like to be with those who dress like us, behave like us, and think like us. It’s easier to give in to social convention than to be as radically inclusive as most religions would prescribe.
A Thoroughly Embarrassing Person - Konstantin Revvin
What can I say about Konstantin Revvin? He is an embarrassing human being. A person so thoroughly enmeshed in a corrupt mindset that he barely warrants the title human? Too rough? Imagine EVERYONE living by that morality or lack, and you'll see why I don't think it's a harsh enough indictment. Shame on him...
He's at 2:10 in the video.
http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/students-busted-for-cheating-22954742
He's at 2:10 in the video.
http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/students-busted-for-cheating-22954742
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
The real upshot of the midterms...
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.The privileged remain privileged and the underprivileged remain underprivileged.
The powerful remain powerful and the powerless remain powerless.
The free remain free and the oppressed remain...
Well, you get the idea.
Come quickly, Lord, hasten your day, because we sure as hell can't count on the rational behavior of the American people to deliver us from indecency.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Uh huh... sure.
In a revelation in the book that former President Bush has written, which will be released next week, President Bush says that he considered dropping Dick Cheney as his Vice-President...
But then Cheney chided Bush for using his private number, which Cheney says Bush should have remembered was only for 'really important stuff.' The matter was dropped and never revisited in any way, shape or form.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101102/pl_yblog_upshot/in-new-book-bush-admits-he-considered-replacing-cheney
But then Cheney chided Bush for using his private number, which Cheney says Bush should have remembered was only for 'really important stuff.' The matter was dropped and never revisited in any way, shape or form.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101102/pl_yblog_upshot/in-new-book-bush-admits-he-considered-replacing-cheney
Monday, November 1, 2010
A FALSE DICHOTOMY
During the Bush administration, we heard frequently that if you weren't a supporter of the war in Iraq, then you didn't love your country. Bull. That's a false dichotomy, that you either are for the war or you hate the country. Back the war, or you're un-American. I love my country, but it is my country by accident of birth. I served my country as part of its military during a time of war and I wish my country and its inhabitants well. But the war was a costly and moral mistake and it was wrong.
It was a FALSE dichotomy, that you had to be one, and if not, you were, by default, the other.
Similarly today, there are many - mostly on the right - who are saying that if you don't agree with their thinking, you're divisive. You're tearing the country apart and - surprise - you're not patriotic... you're un-American. Only if you 'go along' are you a true American. Well (see the first paragraph), bull. There are moral rights and wrongs and there are better or worse moral decisions and positions in the current political climate and the coming election.
Voting against Democrats because you're unwilling to give them or the President enough time is wrong. Voting for those who oppress the poor, uphold and foster the rich, and disregard civil rights for anyone is wrong. Voting for those whose knee-jerk response to immigration issues is: "I've got mine, don't let anyone else in." is wrong. Unless and until we begin to admit that there are political and societal issues that are wrong, not just partisan but wrong, we're never going to begin to address the quagmire of very real problems facing out nation.
In general, I'm going to stand by my position and my perceptions and say that Democratic values are more generous, decent, caring, egalitarian and worthy than are Republican values. I find Republican values suspiciously self-serving and class-based.
This is not a blanket condemnation of all Republicans, but the preponderance of issues and evidence related to those issues convinces me that voting Democratic is the more decent and caring American thing to do. And it's not divisive or un-American to point out real differences between the two factions vying for our votes tomorrow.
Please be responsible.
Please vote.
Please give that vote a lot of thought.
It was a FALSE dichotomy, that you had to be one, and if not, you were, by default, the other.
Similarly today, there are many - mostly on the right - who are saying that if you don't agree with their thinking, you're divisive. You're tearing the country apart and - surprise - you're not patriotic... you're un-American. Only if you 'go along' are you a true American. Well (see the first paragraph), bull. There are moral rights and wrongs and there are better or worse moral decisions and positions in the current political climate and the coming election.
Voting against Democrats because you're unwilling to give them or the President enough time is wrong. Voting for those who oppress the poor, uphold and foster the rich, and disregard civil rights for anyone is wrong. Voting for those whose knee-jerk response to immigration issues is: "I've got mine, don't let anyone else in." is wrong. Unless and until we begin to admit that there are political and societal issues that are wrong, not just partisan but wrong, we're never going to begin to address the quagmire of very real problems facing out nation.
In general, I'm going to stand by my position and my perceptions and say that Democratic values are more generous, decent, caring, egalitarian and worthy than are Republican values. I find Republican values suspiciously self-serving and class-based.
This is not a blanket condemnation of all Republicans, but the preponderance of issues and evidence related to those issues convinces me that voting Democratic is the more decent and caring American thing to do. And it's not divisive or un-American to point out real differences between the two factions vying for our votes tomorrow.
Please be responsible.
Please vote.
Please give that vote a lot of thought.
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