September 11th Around The Blogosphere

Shuck and Jive: September 11:

Inhabitatio Dei: A Real 9/11 Reflection---

Dan has what I’d consider to be a reflection on 9/11 that really has some substance:

As today, is September 11th, I thought I would engage in a bit of remembering — it is, after all, important to recall moments of our history, for this is the story in which we live.

On this day in 1973, Augusto Pinochet’s American-backed coup overthrew the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende. This resulted in seventeen years of torture, terror, and disappearances in Chile, and (according to people like Milton Friedman, who saw Chile as a textbook example of the type of world he wished to create) set a precedent for the way in which the United States acted in Latin America (particularly in the ’70s and ’80s… although they are at it again, as Obama’s government backed the Honduran coup which overthrew the democratically elected government of Manuel Zelaya in June of this year).

Sponsoring terror, imposing military rule, depriving local populations of their rights, their food, their land, their livelihood, their health, their children and their lives… this is the way that the US continues to engage with the world at large. It is enough to make some people want to fly planes into buildings. Which, not altogether surprisingly, is what happened on another September 11th.

Posted in American Politics, Peacemaking.

8 comments
By Halden – September 11, 2009

Threads from Henry's Web: The Problem with Revenge---preview:

It’s 9/11 and the events eight years ago are on most people’s minds. Many Christians will be praying today, as my wife wrote in her devotional. What will those prayers consist of? What is a Christian response?

Shortly before the second gulf war began, I wrote an essay simply titled Revenge! I want to quote from it here:

As a nation, we have been living in the role of Michael Palin’s character. We see the bad guys in our sights and we shout “Revenge!” in the hope that when revenge has taken place we will be safer, life will return to pre-9/11 normalcy, and we can forget all about this extra security. Most of us know this won’t be the case, but that doesn’t stop the wishful thinking.

This was illustrated during the bombing of Afghanistan, and later during the ground war. Repeatedly the reporters would ask various military spokesmen whether they had caught or killed Osama bin Laden yet. The answer? Nobody knew. But why was that the question? Did we really think that a bombing campaign could be so targeted as to kill a single individual? Sure, he might die, but bombs are not weapons of assassination in the normal course of events. Did we think that if Osama were caught or killed that the terrorism would end? Surely we aren’t that naive!

But there is that little program in our brains that wants to yell “Revenge!” and expects that life will be a little sweeter when it is accomplished.

In some ways we face a similar situation with Iraq. I know there is a powerful motivation for revenge. I am a veteran of the 1991-1992 gulf war. It annoys me every time I see Saddam Hussein expressing himself on television. I confess I wouldn’t mind having the driver’s seat of a steam roller with Saddam’s feet stuck in setting cement. I’d yell “Revenge!” and “Take that!” and roll over him, and on the other side I’d feel good!

But then would my family be any safer? Would my country be more secure? Would anything be more normal when all was said and done? Very likely not.

I need to let that resentment go. I need to tone down the shout “Revenge!” I need to consider what will actually make things more secure.

Finally here are 2 posts of mine on the subject from last year: TheoPoetic Musings: 9-11 Remembered and TheoPoetic Musings: 9-11 Continued.

Typewriter Art

Here's something my mom sent me in my email:

He lived at Rose Haven Nursing Home (Roseburg, OR) for years.
Paul Smith,the man with extraordinary talent was born in
Philadelphia on September 21, 1921 with severe cerebral palsy.
Not only had Paul beaten the odds of a life with spastic cerebral
palsy, a disability that impeded his speech and mobility but also
taught himself to become a master artist as well as a terrific
chess player even after being devoid of a formal education as a
child.

"When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one.
Since he couldn't press two keys at the same time, he almost
always locked the shift key down and made his pictures using
the symbols at the top of the number keys. In other words, his
pictures were based on these characters--@ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ .
Across seven decades, Paul created hundreds of pictures. He
often gave the originals away. Sometimes, but not always, he
kept or received a copy for his own records. As his mastery
of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques to create
shadings, colors, and textures that made his work resemble
pencil or charcoal drawings."

This great man passed away on June 25, 2007, but left
behind a collection of his amazing artwork that will be an
inspiration for many.
(These pictures are unbelievable. Strange we should just now be hearing
about him. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did. And we think OUR lives
are challenged?)

Typewriter Art
Can you believe that this art was created using a typewriter?



If you want to see more------


Click here: Paul Smith Typewriter Art Gallery

Inhabitatio Dei: Why Men Shouldn’t Be Ordained

Here's a funny reversal on the classic sexist and bigoted arguments that Fundamentalists make in opposition to the ordination of women:

Why Men Shouldn’t be Ordained
To good to pass up re-posting this:

10. A man’s place is in the army.

9. For men who have children, their duties might distract them from the responsibilities of being a parent.

8. Their physical build indicates that men are more suited to tasks such as chopping down trees and wrestling mountain lions. It would be “unnatural” for them to do other forms of work.

7. Man was created before woman. It is therefore obvious that man was a prototype. Thus, they represent an experiment, rather than the crowning achievement of creation.

6. Men are too emotional to be priests or pastors. This is easily demonstrated by their conduct at football games and watching basketball tournaments.

5. Some men are handsome; they will distract women worshipers.

4. To be ordained pastor is to nurture the congregation. But this is not a traditional male role. Rather, throughout history, women have been considered to be not only more skilled than men at nurturing, but also more frequently attracted to it. This makes them the obvious choice for ordination.

3. Men are overly prone to violence. No really manly man wants to settle disputes by any means other than by fighting about it. Thus, they would be poor role models, as well as being dangerously unstable in positions of leadership.

2. Men can still be involved in church activities, even without being ordained. They can sweep paths, repair the church roof, change the oil in the church vans, and maybe even lead the singing on Father’s Day. By confining themselves to such traditional male roles, they can still be vitally important in the life of the Church.

1. In the New Testament account, the person who betrayed Jesus was a man. Thus, his lack of faith and ensuing punishment stands as a symbol of the subordinated position that all men should take.

Posted in Gender, Humor.

6 comments
By Halden – September 11, 2009

Ancient Synagogue Found in Israel

Here's another interesting finding for Biblical Archaeology:

Ancient Synagogue Found in Israel

By KEVIN FLOWER, CNN
posted: 2 HOURS 4 MINUTES AGOcomments: 38filed under: Travel News, World NewsWith HP wireless printers, you could have printed this from any room in the house. Live wirelessly. Print wirelessly.


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JERUSALEM (Sept. 11) -- In what was slated to be the site of a new 122-room hotel, archaeologists say they have discovered one of the world's oldest synagogues in Northern Israel.
The site, which was unearthed as preparations were being made for construction of the hotel near the Sea of Galilee, is believed to date back some 2000 years from 50BCE to 100CE.

In the middle of the 120 square meter main hall of the synagogue archaeologists discovered an unusual stone carved with a seven branched menorah. "We are dealing with an exciting and unique find," said excavation director and Israeli Antiquities Authority archaeologist Dina Avshalom-Gorni.
The menorah engraving is the first of its kind to be discovered from the Early Roman period, according Avshalom-Gorni who said the site joins just six synagogue locations that are know to date from the same time.
She said synagogues from this period were extremely rare in part because many Jews during that time were in the habit of visiting the main temple in Jerusalem three times a year as opposed to attending local houses of worship.
Avshalom-Gorni posited that the engraved menorah was done by an artist who had visited the main synagogue in Jerusalem known as the Second Temple where the actual menorah was believed to be kept.

In addition to the engraved stone Avshalom-Gorni said they discovered preserved frescoes on the walls with "vivid" colors.
The synagogue was discovered in area called Migdal, historically an important settlement along the Sea of Galilee, which researchers say was mentioned in ancient Jewish texts as playing a prominent role during what is known as the Great Revolt, when Jews attempted to rebel against Roman rule. Migdal also figures in early Christian writings as the place where Mary Magdalene accompanied Jesus and the Apostles.

Jose Miguel Abat, a legal representative for the company developing the land, Ark New Gate, said the company was thrilled at news of the find and planned to establish a multi-cultural and multi-religious center at the location.
"We are sure this finding and the planned center will attract tourists and visitors from Israel and from around the World," Abat said in a statement.

© 2009 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2009-09-11 15:56:35

Wikipedia Article Of The Day---Sept. 11, 2009

The Diocletianic Persecution was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman empire. In 303, Emperor Diocletian and his colleagues Maximian, Galerius, and Constantius issued a series of edicts rescinding Christians' legal rights and demanding they comply with traditional religious practices. Later edicts targeted the clergy and demanded universal sacrifice, ordering all inhabitants to sacrifice to the gods. The persecution varied in intensity across the empire—weakest in Gaul and Britain, where only the first edict was applied, and strongest in the Eastern provinces. Constantius' son, Constantine, on taking the imperial office in 306, restored Christians to full legal equality and returned property confiscated during the persecution. The persecution failed to check the rise of the church. By 324, Constantine was sole ruler of the empire, and Christianity had become his favored religion. Although the persecution resulted in the deaths of—according to one modern estimate—3,000 Christians, and the torture, imprisonment, or dislocation of many more, most Christians avoided punishment. The persecution did, however, cause many churches to split between those who had complied with imperial authority (the traditores), and those who had remained "pure". Modern historians have tended to downplay the scale and depth of the Diocletianic persecution. (Read more... Here.)

Anti-Abortion Activist Murdered

Anti-Abortion Activist Slain Near School
BY ED WHITE and TIM MARTIN, AP
posted: 4 HOURS 42 MINUTES AGOcomments: 405filed under: Crime News, National News
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OWOSSO, Mich. (Sept. 11) -- A 33-year-old man fatally shot an anti-abortion activist Friday outside a high school as horrified parents and students watched, authorities said. When police arrested him, the gunman said he was involved in the killing of a gravel pit owner earlier that day.
Officials found the body of Mike Fuoss, 61, in the office of his gravel production company, Sheriff George Braidwood said. Fuoss and the gunman knew each other.
Owosso Police Chief Michael Compeau said authorities did not know whether the suspect knew anti-abortion activist Jim Pouillon, 63, who was shot while protesting in the town about 70 miles northwest of Detroit.
Police declined to release the gunman's identity and no other injuries were reported. No motive was given for the shootings, but Compeau said he believed Pouillon appeared to be a target.
"I would speculate it was ... intended," Compeau said. "He was out protesting right across the street from the high school ... and there (were) multiple people around there and that person was targeted."
Students said Pouillon was a fixture outside the high school and regularly held graphic signs of aborted fetuses.
"I can see someone spitting on him or punching him, but shooting him is pretty stupid. It's not something you expect in Owosso," said 16-year-old Curtis Wisterman.
"There ain't no use in being in school when you can't concentrate," he said.
After the shooting all schools in the district were locked down, but opened up again after the suspect was arrested, said Julie Omer, business manager for Owosso Public Schools.
Troy Newman, president of the anti-abortion group Operation Rescue, said he wept when he received word that Pouillon, his friend and colleague, had been killed.
"He was just a kind, gentle man who loved life and endeavored to save other people's lives," Newman said.

Associated Press writers David Aguilar, Mike Householder, Jeff Karoub and Ben Leubsdorf in Detroit contributed to this report. 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.
2009-09-11 13:34:47

Just another way violence begets more violence.

Obama's Education Appointee Kevin Jennings: "Screw The Religious Right"

Here is part of the latest tirade that I got in my email box from the nutcases at Worldview Weekend:

President Obama has appointed Kevin Jennings, founder of GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) - which sponsored the conference that produced the notorious "Fistgate" scandal (in which young teens were guided on how to perform dangerous homosexual perversions including "fisting") - to head up "Safe Schools" efforts at the Department of Education. Jennings is a vicious, anti-religious bigot who once said "[F–k] 'em" to the "Religious Right." He supports promoting homosexuality and gender confusion as normative to even young students. He made that comment in a New York City church. TAKE ACTION: Urge your U.S. Congressman and Senators to call for the withdrawal of Jennings' appointment at the Education Department. Call Congress at 202-224-3121 or 202-225-3121.

Folks, with President Obama's appointment of homosexual activist and GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) founder Kevin Jennings to head the "Safe Schools" efforts at the Department of Education, we will be rolling out Jennings' long record of radical statements and writings, his personal nastiness toward religious conservatives, and his group's promotion of unsafe behaviors (GLSEN sponsored the Tufts University conference that produced the infamous "Fistgate" scandal in which young teenagers were given how-to instruction on various ).

Americans For Truth About Homosexuality calls for the withdrawal of this divisive nomination - which is an affront to Christians, parents' rights and decent, moral citizens everywhere who oppose the indoctrination of students in a pro-homosexuality, pro-gender confusion agenda. The following comments by Jennings are from a paper I wrote for Concerned Women for America (CWA), titled, "When Silence Would Have Been Golden: Acts of Homosexual Promotion to Youth that We Wish Had Never Happened."

Get ready for a political fight. Appointing Kevin Jennings, a vicious homosexual activist, to head up a "Safe Schools" project for American youth would be like appointing David Duke to head up a national panel on racial reconciliation. If we had anything even close to a fair media in this country, Jennings would have been discredited long ago for GLSEN's role in "Fistgate." Something tells me that Obama's Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, hasn't heard of Fistgate. But he will now - and so will many more people. Much more coming on this breaking story. - Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.com

From the 2002 CWA paper:

GLSEN'S JENNINGS: !&%#! THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT!
Addressing a church audience on March 20, 2000 in New York City - just days before "Fistgate" - GLSEN Executive Director Kevin Jennings offered a stinging (and quite intolerant) assessment of how to deal with religious conservatives:

"Twenty percent of people are hard-core fair-minded [pro-homosexual] people. Twenty percent are hard-core [anti-homosexual] bigots. We need to ignore the hard-core bigots, get more of the hard-core fair-minded people to speak up, and we'll pull that 60 percent [of people in the middle] over to our side. That's really what I think our strategy has to be. We have to quit being afraid of the religious right. We also have to quit - I'm trying to find a way to say this. I'm trying not to say, '[F-] 'em!' which is what I want to say, because I don't care what they think! [audience laughter] Drop dead!" - Jennings speech to Marble Collegiate Church, March 20, 2000.

(Read the rest: Here).

My Thoughts: First of all, while Mr. Jennings' attitude isn't very nice---his sentiments on the Religious Right are correct. Secondly, Mr. Jennings can't promote homosexuality as it is not a choice to promote as a person is either born a homosexual or not. It is also imperative that the general public be educated about the subject as it is as natural as the ground and will not disappear. Thirdly, this statement: "appointing Kevin Jennings, a vicious homosexual activist, to head up a "Safe Schools" project for American youth would be like appointing David Duke" is absolutely wrong as the Religious Right are the only ones comparable to David Duke---being the true bigots. If it weren't for the Religious Right's idolatry of premillennial dispensationalism heretical views on Israel, they would promote anti-semitism as the bible says:

John 8:39-44 (English Standard Version)

You Are of Your Father the Devil
39They answered him,(A) "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, (B) "If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40but now(C) you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth(D) that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. 41You are doing the works your father did." They said to him,(E) "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have(F) one Father—even God." 42Jesus said to them, (G) "If God were your Father, you would love me, for(H) I came from God and(I) I am here.(J) I came not of my own accord, but(K) he sent me. 43(L) Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot(M) bear to hear my word. 44(N) You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires.(O) He was a murderer from the beginning, and(P) has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him.(Q) When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Lastly, who cares what the Religious Right have to say as they have corrupted Christianity, distort the name of Christ and worship the bible, America, the Republican party as the state, power, etc. as false gods and idols. So what are your thoughts?