According To A Right Wing Fundamentalist Website...

I'm a Secular Humanist.

Here are my test results:

Your classification is: Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker

Your score is: 55 points of 166 possible, 33%

Scoring/Ratings Chart
Strong Biblical Worldview Thinker 75% - 100%
Moderate Biblical Worldview Thinker 50% - 74%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker 25% - 49%
Socialist Worldview Thinker 0% - 24%
Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker under 0%

Results for Age Group: 26-35
Strong Biblical Worldview Thinker 64.6%
Moderate Biblical Worldview Thinker 20.0%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker 5.7%
Socialist Worldview Thinker 3.3%
Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker 6.5%



Total Results for Everyone
Strong Biblical Worldview Thinker 56.2%
Moderate Biblical Worldview Thinker 26.4%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker 9.6%
Socialist Worldview Thinker 3.4%
Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker 4.3%

Even better is the laughable suggestions to save my soul and change it into a brainwashed Right Wing Extremist Fungelical bible literalist:

Click here to view global results for all test takers


See the Test Frequently Asked Questions.
To improve your biblical worldiew or that of your teen we recommend the following things:

Attend a Worldview Weekend near you.
Send your 16 to 25 year olds to a two-week Summit camp in Colorado. (You will find a link to their web page on every page of our website)
Adults should consider a one week Summit experience at our Adult/Educators Conf held at the Navigator's Glen Eyrie Conference Center.
Begin teaching or attending a 13 week course of study entitled Thinking Like A Christain. This course is for sale at our onlne bookstore at www.worldviewweekend.com
Read the following worldview books which are available at our online bookstore at www.worldviewweekend.com
Mind Seige by Dr. Tim LaHaye and Dr. David Noebel
God & Government I, II, and III by Gary DeMar
No Retreats, No Reserves, No Regrets, by numerous authors
Original Intent by David Barton
Reasons for Believing By Frank Harber
The Battle For Truth, by David Noebel
Revised and Expanded Answers Book by Ken Ham
Thinking Straight in a Crooked World by Gary DeMar

Then retake the test and see what improvements you or your teen have made.
For a refutation of this statement the following statements:

If you want to study the original source of law, then study the previous decisions of judges since our laws are always evolving based on the most recent decisions of our nation's judges.

Since God is not the author of law, the author of law must be man. In other words, the law is the law simply because the highest human authority, which is the state, has said it is law and is able to back it up by force.

Please see John Eidsmoe, Christianity & the Constitution (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987, 2003).

Here is a bias breakdown of my test results:

Your detailed question breakdown follows:
Section: Civil Government section score: 50%
Moderate Biblical Worldview Thinker
As long as government is serving the purpose for which God created it, government is approved by God. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
American founding fathers violated New Testament principles when they founded America. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The more a government resembles a pure democracy the more disorder and confusion occur. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Individual freedoms would be advanced and protected under a one-world government under United Nations authority. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Under some circumstances Christians are called to disobey the laws of government. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Making the incomes of its citizens as equal as possible should be one of the top priorities of any legitimate government. Your answer: Tend to Agree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The founding fathers had no biblical reason in mind when they made America a Constitutional Republic instead of a pure democracy. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
A God given responsibility of government is to protect the righteous and punish the wicked. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Section: Economics section score: 25%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
The Bible states that money is the root of all evil. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The biblical purpose for wealth is to provide for one's family, proclaim the Gospel, be a blessing to others, test your stewardship and one's loyalty to God. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
It is the responsibility of the federal government to create wealth. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Physically and mentally healthy adults that do not work should not be protected from suffering the consequences of their actions. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Making as much money as you can is more important than whether you have a good reputation. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
All forms of government-sponsored socialism stifle economic growth and prosperity to one degree or another. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Christians should be directly opposed to a state lottery for numerous biblical and economical reasons. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
When you study the Bible as a whole, it becomes clear that God is very supportive of an economic system that is based on private property, the work ethic, and personal responsibility. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Section: Education section score: 25%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
The federal government should fund school-based health clinics which would include safe-sex counseling. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The federal government should be directly involved in determining which students go to college and which students go into the work place and what jobs they hold. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The federal government should require that only a federally licensed teacher be permitted to teach or instruct a child in an educational setting. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Science, history, literature and other advanced educational skills and facts can be taught without a religious or philosophical foundation. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Values clarification courses or situational ethics should be taught to students in our educational system. Your answer: Tend to Agree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The federal government should require students to pass a national test before graduating from high school. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Section: family section score: -33%
Communist/Marxist/Socialist/Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
Since it is her body a women should be free to end her pregnancy with an abortion. Your answer: Tend to Agree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The federal government should pass legislation allowing doctors and family members to decide when a loved one should be put to death based on the individual's quality of life. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Homosexual marriages should be legalized. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Section: law section score: 19%
Socialist Worldview Thinker
If you want to study the original source of law, then study the previous decisions of judges since our laws are always evolving based on the most recent decisions of our nation's judges. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Civil disobedience by Christians is always wrong and unbiblical. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The original intent of our founding fathers was a form of government that was free to set its own policy only if God had not already ruled in that area. Our founders believed that our man made laws were not to contradict the laws of God. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Legislating morality is a violation of the separation of church and state. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The wording "separation of church and state" is found in the U.S. Constitution. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The separation of church and state must be enforced, prohibiting the acknowledgment of God in the public schools, governmental buildings, meetings & property. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
There are no specific, God-given principles related to law, or if there are, they should not be the foundation of today's legal systems. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Since God is not the author of law, the author of law must be man. In other words, the law is the law simply because the highest human authority, which is the state, has said it is law and is able to back it up by force. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Our judicial system should allow judges, through their decisions and rulings, to guide and shape the foundational basis of law. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
There must be absolutes if there is to be moral and legal order. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Bible specifically instructs the people of a nation to base the selection of their judges on biblical principles. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Bible states that the government does not bear the sword in vain. Numerous verses throughout the Bible make it clear that capital punishment administered by the government, for those that have committed capital crimes, is biblically acceptable. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Ten Commandments originally provided a basis for our legal and political system creating justice and peace. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Section: Religion section score: 48%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
One of the Ten Commandments is, "thou shalt not kill;", thus it stands to reason that God is opposed to war and nations going to war. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Family, church and state are institutions ordained by God. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Bible is a reflection of God's character and nature. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
To know God we must study the Bible and be taught by the Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Salvation is a gift from God that cannot be earned. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
While there is evidence for the defense and reason of a biblical worldview and the claims of Christ and Christianity, it is impossible to please God without faith. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Every person who has ever lived on earth, but Adam and Eve and Jesus Christ, was born with a sin nature. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Holy Spirit does not really exist. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
God is the Creator of the universe. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
God had no beginning and has no end. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Ultimately every individual will bow their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Bible and a biblical worldview played an instrumental role in building our American civilization, original laws and form of government. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Bible is a consistent revelation from beginning to end. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Your worldview is the foundation of your values and your values are the foundation of your actions. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
All religions are equally true. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The Bible is God's revealed Word and should be the basis of our worldview. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Jesus was crucified on the cross but was NOT physically raised from the dead. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
If God does not exist, all things are permissible. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Believers should not only base their philosophy in Christ, but they should know how to respond to the critics and skeptics of Christianity with the reasoning and basis of our biblical worldview. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
God is the creator of all life. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
There is more than one way to God. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
There is a Bible verse that states that God helps those that help themselves. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Satan is real. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Individuals must ultimately face the consequences of their actions before a Holy God. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
A good person can earn his or her way to heaven if their good deeds outweigh their bad deeds. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
A Christian can develop a biblical worldview for every major area of life by studying the Bible from beginning to end in context. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
The Bible, rightly divided, should be the foundation for all our beliefs, actions, and conduct. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Both Secular Humanism and Marxism are religious worldviews. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Section: Science section score: 12%
Socialist Worldview Thinker
There is no reason why a biblically-minded Christian should be opposed to human cloning. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
If the research and theory of a group of scientists contradicts the Word of God, the error is with the scientists, not the Bible. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
There is no evidence for a world-wide flood. Your answer: Tend to Agree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Adam and Eve were fictional characters that never really lived. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The more one discovers about the universe, the more one discovers design. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
God used the process of biological evolution to create the world as we know it today. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Biological evolution (life from non-life to human beings) runs contrary to reason, science and history. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Life begins at conception. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
Section: social issues section score: 43%
Secular Humanist Worldview Thinker
Truth is either nonexistent or unknowable. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
One of the greatest virtues one can posses is the virtue of tolerance as defined by our postmodern world; namely, we accept everyone's lifestyles as equal. Your answer: Tend to Agree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
The Bible says, judge not lest you be judged, which means we are not to judge the choices or behavior of a person as right or wrong. We all make mistakes, and thus we should not judge someone's actions or behavior according to any particular standard. Your answer: Strongly Agree (-1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Biblically minded Christians should look at the issues of the world as falling into one of two categories, the secular and the sacred. Your answer: Strongly Disagree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Pastors and Christians that speak out publicly against homosexuality should be prosecuted for hate speech and a hate crime. Your answer: Tend to Agree (0 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Truth is discovered by man, not created by man. Your answer: Tend to Agree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree
If it "works" for you then it must be true. Your answer: Tend to Disagree (1 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Disagree
Immoral ideas that are put into practice have consequences. Your answer: Strongly Agree (2 points)
Correct answer: Strongly Agree

Take the test yourself here: Worldview Test.

Game Erases Bad Memories

Study Shows That '80s Fave Helps With Serious Disorder: How It Works

Most Relaxing Games in the World

Tetris relieves stress, a recent study says



Most people think video games drain the brain, and electronic entertainment bears the blame for a myriad of problems, including (and not limited to) laziness, obesity and teen violence. A recent report from Oxford University says otherwise – saying that playing the addictive game Tetris can help patients suffering from traumatic stress syndrome.

Researchers found that playing the popular game shortly after a traumatic event helped them wipe out bad memories. About 40 volunteers waited for half an hour, one half of the group played Tetris for 10 minutes and the other half did nothing. The group who played the game experienced fewer flashbacks than the control group the following week.

The researchers used Tetris because moving the colored blocks uses a large portion of the brain and competes with other things requiring brain resources – in this case, bad memories.

The team at Oxford is not sure other games would work in the same manner, but we say otherwise. Click to see 15 other games that will help you kick back and relax.

Rick Warren Gets Tepid Response

Rick Warren Gets Tepid Response
By Liza Porteus Viana
Jan 20th 2009 12:02PM
Filed Under:eDemocrats, Republicans, Barack Obama, Gay Rights, Obama Administration, Inauguration

About, oh, maybe 10 people eventually clapped when Rev. Rick Warren was introduced to give the invocation during Barack Obama's inauguration today. It did seem, however, that he got more claps than former President Bush.

The founder and senior pastor of the Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA, no doubt took the podium with at least a little trepidation, given the outcry over his selection by the gay community. Even though the Warren dustup wasted several days' worth of headlines after Obama announced his selection, it appears now no one cares too much and people just want to revel in the moment.

A new Gallup Poll just out shows that most Americans either approve of Warren giving the invocation or don't even know he was doing so, while just 9 percent disapprove of Warren's role. Even among liberals, support for Obama's choice far outweighs disapproval, 39 percent to 16 percent. Among Democrats, there is 37 percent approval compared to 10 percent disapproval. Approval is obviously higher among Republicans and conservatives.

In fact, Warren just prayed. He wasn't trying to convert anybody or espouse any perceived "anti-gay" message. In fact, as he prayed, you saw people with hands outstretched, crying. They were taken with the moment. It was a testament to Obama's inclusion of people of all views.

Mom Let 3-Year-Old Son Smoke

Mom Let 3-Year-Old Son Smoke
AOL / Wire Services
posted: 17 HOURS 54 MINUTES AGOcomments: 312filed under: World News

LONDON (Jan. 22) - A British woman has pleaded guilty to child cruelty for allowing her 3-year-old to smoke in front of her.

Prosecutor Jonathan Rees said video taken by a mobile phone showed the small child popping a cigarette into his mouth, lighting it with a lighter and taking a drag.
Rees told a court in the Welsh town of Merthyr Tydfil that the boy's mother, 24-year-old Kelly Marie Pocock, was sitting next to him and talking on the phone at the time.
The video was shot by Pocock's friend, Natasha Dudley, who showed the footage to social workers.
"It doesn't cause him any discomfort," Rees said, according to the British Broadcasting Corp. "It is clear that the boy, at the age of three, knows what to do with a lighter and cigarette."
Judge John Curran said Thursday it was clear Pocock's child was a habitual smoker and called the situation appalling.

Pocock was given a 40-week suspended sentence.
According to the Daily Mail, the judge told Pocock he did not want to separate the single mom from her son and two other small children. He also took into account that she had completed a parenting class.
"This offense would normally cross the custody threshold but I do not want to cause your children any further emotional harm by separating them from you," he said.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Copyright 2009, Reuters
2009-01-22 19:13:17

I have no comment other than that my mom never let me smoke---let alone when I was 3. I had to try it in secret with a friend when I was 10 and I still got caught and in trouble for it---but the good thing is when I tried smoking, I hated it and thankfully never did it again. Anyways, this news article is a good example of when to show grace to the world. So what are your thoughts?

Fundamentalist Praying For Obama To Fail

If you think Todd Friel is a nutcase read this from another Fundamentalist nutcase:

Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Pray Obama Fails?
This article by Joseph Farah explains why:

Many American Christians believe, as an article of faith, that we are to pray for the success of our leaders.

It has become a sort of conventional wisdom among soft-minded believers. The biblical proof-text for this misguided way of thinking is Romans 13:1-4:
"Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

"For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil."

What could be more clear-cut? At face value, it would seem the Bible is telling us government is a God-ordained good and that we are not to resist its terrors.

Many a coward has been bolstered in his conviction against challenging tyranny by not reading too deeply into the Scriptures. Yet, nowhere does the Bible ever suggest evil rulers are to be obeyed. When the rule of men conflicts with the commands of God, the Bible leaves no doubt about where we should stand.

That's why I do not hesitate today in calling on godly Americans to pray that Barack Hussein Obama fail in his efforts to change our country from one anchored on self-governance and constitutional republicanism to one based on the raw and unlimited power of the central state.

It would be folly to pray for his success in such an evil campaign.

I want Obama to fail because his agenda is 100 percent at odds with God's. Pretending it is not simply makes a mockery of God's straightforward Commandments.

So you will not see me joining in the ritual of affirming Obama and his mission in public or private prayer this week – or any other week.

Instead, I uphold the words of Jesus in Matthew 15:14: "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." And I take warning from Isaiah 9:16: "For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed."

And please don't tell me about "rendering unto Caesar."

It's important to consider the circumstances and the audience behind Jesus' instructions to "render unto Caesar." The Sadducees were attempting to trap Jesus into advocating open contempt for Caesar. He recognized their wicked and hypocritical little game and answered them with a totally truthful response that astonished everyone.

But think about it. There are two components to Jesus' words. We are to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's," but we are also to "render unto God the things that are God's." Well, everything ultimately belongs to God. But, most of all, this injunction by Jesus instructs us that government laws cannot trump God's laws – ever.

If government commands you to do evil, as a Christian you must resist. There is no alternative. Citing the "render unto Caesar" line is an apologetic for accountability to God – nothing more, nothing less.

Furthermore, it needs to be pointed out that in America we don't have a Caesar. Never have, never will. You see, our system of government is called a free republic, and it is based on the concept of constitutional self-government. We have no "rulers" in America – except ourselves and our God. We believe in the rule of law, not the rule of men.

This is an important distinction, not a semantic one.

Nowhere in the Bible does it teach us to obey evil rulers. Nowhere.

This is a time for principled biblical resistance, not phony Christian appeasement.
posted by Kennyo at 12:04 AM

I must say that I agree with his statement against the Calvinazis abuse of Romans 13 but to call Obama an "evil leader" is absurd.

Fundamentalist Radio Station Changes Name

Way Of The Master radio changes it's name to Wretched radio. The name change seems to befit the underlying material of the radio show, which is indeed wretched with fundamentalist drivel and ultra-conservative right wing nutcases. Now you can pay $5.95 a month for extra brainwashing.

Remembering Martin Luther King

Martin Luther King, Jr. was perhaps one of the best Baptist Preachers in history besides Harry Emerson Fosdick, so here are some links to Fosdick's influence on MLK:

Harry Emerson Fosdick's Influence On Martin luther king jr

"How to Use the Bible in Modern Theological Construction"

Martin Luther King, Jr.

And of course, Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" speech was influenced by Fosdick:

Unfortunately, King’s fame has obscured the contributions of James Farmer, Ella Baker, John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hamer, and others, who, like King, mastered Gandhian strategy in the quest for racial justice.

But King’s fiery yet magisterial language convinced whites to tear down the walls of legalized segregation. He triumphed by reviving the slaves’ vivid identification with the biblical Hebrews trapped in Egyptian bondage, a strategy especially evident in “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” Trained by African American folk preachers, he adopted their assumption that language is a shared treasure, not private property. King often borrowed sermons without acknowledgment from Harry Emerson Fosdick and other liberal preachers. This borrowed material appears in scores of King’s published and unpublished addresses and essays, including “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” “I Have a Dream,” the Nobel Prize Address, and “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.” By synthesizing black and white pulpit traditions, King persuaded whites to hear the slaves’ cry, “Let my people go!”

---Martin Luther King, Jr.
(1929-1968)

Vatican Opens Up About Secret Tribunal

Gregorio Borgia, AP
A prelate hears confessions at the Vatican during Lent in March 2008. Roman Catholic officials are trying to persuade more of the faithful to go to confession.

Vatican Opens Up About Secret Tribunal
By NICOLE WINFIELD, AP
posted: 5 DAYS 1 HOUR AGOcomments: 912filed under: World News

ROME (Jan. 15) -- One of the Vatican's most secrecy-shrouded tribunals, which handles confessions of sins so grave only the pope can grant absolution, is giving the faithful a peek into its workings for the first time in its 830-year history.
The Vatican has long lamented that fewer and fewer Catholics are going to confession, the sacrament in which the faithful can receive forgiveness if they sincerely confess their sins to a priest.

To combat the decline, the so-called "tribunal of conscience" invited the public into the frescoed halls of its imposing 16th-century palazzo for a two-day conference that ended Wednesday.
The aim was to explain what the Apostolic Penitentiary actually does, and thereby encourage more of the faithful to go to confession, said Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, the tribunal's No. 2 official.
"Even though it's the oldest department of the Holy See, it's very little known — specifically because by its nature it deals with secret things," he said. "We want to relaunch the sacrament of penance."
By lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding the tribunal's work, the Vatican hopes to emphasize the fundamental role the sacrament plays in saving souls, the Vatican's No. 2, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said in a paper delivered at the conference.

"Today it seems as though the sense of sin has been forgotten," he said.
Confessions of even the most heinous of crimes and sins — such as genocide or mass murder — are handled at the local level by priests and their bishops and are not heard by the tribunal.
Its work involves those sins that are reserved for the pope — considered so serious that a local priest or bishop is not qualified to grant absolution, said Cardinal James Francis Stafford, an American who heads the Apostolic Penitentiary.
These include defiling the Eucharist, which Catholics believe is the body and blood of Christ. Stafford said this offense is occurring with more and more frequency, not just in satanic rites but by ordinary faithful who receive Communion and then remove the host from their mouths and spit it out or otherwise desecrate it.
Others include a priest breaking the seal of the confessional by revealing the nature of the sin and the person who sought penance, or a priest who has sex with someone and then offered forgiveness for the act.
These sins bring automatic excommunication from the church. Once absolution is granted, the excommunication is lifted, Stafford said.
A fourth type of case that comes to the tribunal involves a man who directly caused an abortion — such as by paying for it — who then seeks to become a priest or deacon, Stafford said.

"That is an irregularity and it means he should not receive the ordination without a dispensation from the pope," he said.
Vatican officials frequently point to a study carried out by Italy's Sacred Heart University that found that 47 percent of people in Italy — a majority Roman Catholic country — never went to confession or did so a long time ago.
"We cannot hide that the sacrament of penance is threatened in this time of secularization," Girotti said. But he stressed that it remained "fundamental for salvation and the sanctification of souls."
For the most part, clerical sex abuse cases are handled by another Vatican office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which deals with more public issues of discipline and orthodoxy.
What makes the Apostolic Penitentiary unusual by Vatican standards is the speed with which it dispenses decisions, Girotti said — very often within 24 hours, or two to three days maximum.
The palazzo where it operates, in the heart of Rome's historic center, also houses two of the Vatican's other main tribunals, the Roman Rota, which decides marriage annulments, and the Apostolic Segnatura, the Holy See's highest court.
Taking up nearly an entire city block, it is just steps away from one of Rome's most profane piazzas — Campo dei Fiori, filled with bars catering to tourists and college-age Americans studying abroad.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2009-01-15 04:09:46

Who Would Name Their Kids This?

Kids With Nazi Names Taken From Home
AP
posted: 10 HOURS 42 MINUTES AGOcomments: 1628filed under: National News, Weird News

HOLLAND TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Jan. 14) - Three New Jersey siblings whose names have Nazi connotations have been placed in the custody of the state, police said. The children, ranging in age from 3 to under 1, were removed from their home Friday. They drew attention last month when a supermarket bakery refused to put the name of the oldest — Adolf Hitler Campbell — on a birthday cake.
State workers didn't tell police why the children were taken, police Sgt. John Harris said. A family court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
The other two children, both girls, are JoyceLynn Aryan Nation Campbell and Honszlynn Hinler Jeannie Campbell.
The father, Heath Campbell, had no comment when contacted by The Express-Times of Easton, Pa. The Associated Press could not locate a working telephone number for the family on Wednesday.
Kate Bernyk, a spokeswoman for the state Division of Youth and Family Services, said the agency doesn't comment on specific cases.
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2009-01-14 09:46:38

Wii Games

Sorry again for the lack of updates for awhile, but I've been playing around with the Wii lately. Since Vick asked on my last post---Santa got a Wii bundle which included Summer Sports Paradise and Monster 4X4: World Circuit (with wheel) along with 2000 Wii points as well as the already included Wii Sports. I also got Lego Star Wars, which I had gotten for my brother, but he already had it---so that is one reason Santa wanted to bring a Wii this year. My brother got me Wii Music. With some of my Christmas money, I got some Wii accessories as well as these games: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Wii Play with Wii Remote, Carnival Games: MiniGolf, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and I got Cooking Mama: Cook Off and Ultimate I Spy. My mom got Active Life Outdoor Challenge with some of her Christmas money as Wii Fits are hard to find and Active Life Outdoor Challenge works as a nice substitute.