He's Not The Messiah

Are Christians the New Persecuted?

Christianity persecuted for thousands of years.

Islam Cannot Survive in a Secular Society

If Islam cannot survive in secular society, then what is Islam doing in a secular society? Why live in a society in which it cannot survive?

Ad Campaign Fight

Tax Double Standard Reasoning

Her reasoning why tax-cut for the rich is good and why tax-cut for the middle-class isn't good.

BACHMANN:[W]e’re pleased to see that we’re looking at a two percent reduction in the payroll tax, what we normally call the Social Security tax for employees. … What this will mean is a decrease in revenue for the Social Security Trust Fund. That will, again, add to the deficit going forward. So both of these measures that President Obama is proposing will actually have a cost towards increasing the deficit.

KELLY: Is it worth it to you though, to give the president the things that he’s asked for, like the extension of unemployment benefits, in order to preserve tax cuts for all Americans? [...]

BACHMANN: It’s curious to me that they say there’s a cost involved when people are allowed to keep their own money. And they’re talking about Americans being able to keep $700 billion of their own money. The cost is to the Treasury, but really it’s a cost out of the American peopeles’ pockets. So that’s a definition of terms.

The real cost will be in the outlay of unemployment benefits and in the reduction to the treasury in the Social Security taxes.

http://thinkprogress.org/2010/12/08/bachmann-tax-double-standard/

Top Accidents in the top Destinations in the World

Infographic by: www.mnui.com

Very interesting!

An Interviewer Interviews With Palin's Supporters

These are Americans. These are my people from my country. These are my neighbors. These are the faces of America. And most of these adults are parents, yes, they have children. These adults are primary providers of education for their children. And we all know that parents are the most important part in the equation of successive education. So, is it any wonder we, as a nation, lag so-very-behind in the world?

Why Unitarianism?

What Does Unitarian Universalists Believe?

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life Sing-Along

Perhaps, this is the way the GOP will tell those who are suffering in our current economic crisis that the key isn't to wonder why the rich needs more tax-cut but instead the key is to always look on the bright side of life. Remember, whether a house is lost, whether there is no money to pay bills, whether there is no health-insurance because it isn't affordable, whether a job merely pay the minimum wage without any benefits, whether Wall-Street receives some 144 billion dollars in bonus, whether banks make millions from others misery, whether life is absolutely shitty just remember always look on the bright side of life.

Thought of You

"World Spins Madly On" by The Weepies

Thought of You

Beautiful song and a beautiful video.

Nina Simone

Southern trees
Bear strange fruit
Blood on the leaves
And blood at the roots
Black bodies
Swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hangin'
From the poplar trees
Pastoral scene
Of the gallant south
Them big bulging eyes
And the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolia
Clean and fresh
Then the sudden smell
Of burnin' flesh
Here is a fruit
For the crows to pluck
For the rain to gather
For the wind to suck
For the sun to rot
For the leaves to drop
Here is
Strange and bitter crop

Maher Takes On Rally To Restore Sanity

"The message of the rally, as I heard it, was that if the media stopped giving voice to the crazies on both sides, then maybe we could restore sanity. It was all nonpartisan and urged cooperation with the moderates on the other side forgetting that Obama tried that and found out...there are no moderates on the other side. When Jon announced his rally, he said the national conversation was dominated by people on the Right who believe Obama's a Socialist and people on the Left who believe 9/11's an inside job, but I can't name any Democratic leaders who think 9/11's an inside job. But Republican leaders who think Obama's a Socialist? All of them."

Jaron & The Long Road to Love

I haven't been to church since I don’t remember when

Things were goin’ great ‘til they fell apart again

So I listened to the preacher as he told me what to do

He said you can’t go hatin’ others who have done wrong to you

Sometimes we get angry, but we must not condemn

Let the good Lord do His job and you just pray for them

I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill

I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to

I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls

I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls

I pray all your dreams never come true

Just know where ever you are honey, I pray for you

I’m really glad I found my way to church

‘Cause I’m already feelin’ better and I thank God for the words

Yeah I’m goin’to take the high road

And do what the preacher told me to do

You keep messin’ up and I’ll keep prayin’ for you

I pray your tire blows out at 100 and 10

I pray you pass out drunk with your best friend and wake up with his and her tattoos

I pray your brakes go out runnin’ down a hill

I pray a flowerpot falls from a window sill and knocks you in the head like I’d like to

I pray your birthday comes and nobody calls

I pray you’re flyin’ high when your engine stalls

I pray all your dreams never come true

Just know wherever you are, near or far, in your house or in your car,

wherever you are honey, I pray for you.

Without Hope There Is No Living

When society forgets their most vulnerable members, they lose their humanity and they become apathetic to others. And when they forget their humanity and become apathetic to others, they become distrustful of others. And when they become distrustful of others, they begin to live in fear of others and of themselves. And when they begin to live in fear, they lose faith in others and in themselves. And when they lose faith, they lose hope. And without hope there is no living.

© Martinho Lutherine

God in America

A great program for anyone trying to understand America. This is the first part.

Watch the full episode. See more FRONTLINE.

10 Months Ago

These words must be re-heard by us all. In time of greater hardship, the nation must remember - particularly, a nation that professes to be a Christian nation - the plight of the poor during this very trying times.

Cornel West is much more of a fundamentalist than most of the so-called Christian fundamentalists. He knows that the truth of God's judgment befalls a nation when its wealthiest citizens treat our most vulnerable citizens as charity work and not as God's children. If God is on the side of the poor, then who can stand to be against the poor. And if nation stands against the poor, then will God not stand against that nation? We have protect and favor our wealthiest citizens. We have ignored our poor sisters and brothers who have fallen on harder time because of the greed that consumed the wealthiest citizens in our nation. How long can a nation stand when the nation stand against the poor who is favored by God? The wrath of God befalls on a nation because of their immorality against the poor. God's judgment befalls on a nation because of the nation injustice against the poor. This is what immorality is when a nation loses its sense of social-justice.

George Carlin on Pro Life, Abortion, & the Sanctity of Life

O Texans, Where Art Thou?

Last year, a story broke out in the Texas Monthly blog, the story was very scary, but like most story of great importance, most Texans simply ignored the reality of corruption and cronyism that has been present throughout Perry's time as Governor of Texas. Last year, Perry removed Linus Wright, a former Dallas school superintendent, as chair of the board that oversees the $88 billion Teacher Retirement System and has replaced him with R. David Kelly, a Dallas real estate investor, who is also a member of Perry’s campaign finance team. Now there are some evidences that Perry's campaign has been using some of the fund in the Teacher Retirement System. None of these behaviors are out of character for Perry, remember when the Governor's mansion was burn down by an arsonist, Perry used taxpayer money to pay for his lavish temporary residence in one of the most exclusive area in Austin. Also, a Perry legislative aide worked for a Spanish highway company that won a state contract to build a vast network of toll roads across the state. Furthermore, Bo Pilgrim, who is the king of chicken in Texas, donated $125,000 to Perry's GOP interests after the governor requested a waiver from the EPA's ethanol rules that Pilgrim wanted. In 2007, Perry's executive order mandating teenage girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted HPV virus was done after the pharmaceutical giant Merck donated to Perry's campaign. Finally, there will be further ethical concerns that will be raised as the campaign progress. So, the question will remain, particularly for teachers, will Rick Perry be reelected for a third term?

Is Sunday Still Segregated?

The answer to that question is "yes" and the "yes" is much more resounding "yes" when the church is Lutheran or more specifically the ELCA. The church needs to be less "gringo" -- okay, a lot less gringo in the case of the ELCA. The issue of integration is not only an issue in the ELCA for it is an issue that plagues the Christian church in America. Perhaps, the issue is more acute in the ELCA for we are the most segregated mainline denomination in this country -- the ELCA is 96% white. This is particularly more troubling when we are to consider the simple fact that the ELCA is the fourth or fifth largest denomination in this country. Our numbers show that we aren't integrated enough and we aren't very diverse either. Rev. Whitlock is right to challenge our churches in their lack of integration. The article from CNN, which interviews Rev. Whitlock, raises the right issue and question: "If Heaven is integrated, why not churches?" Yes, why not churches? And more especially, why not the ELCA? But, as the other report from CNN indicates most churchgoers prefer their church to be segregated. And that is an issue, an issue that churches aren't addressing enough. This is something the ELCA must address much more seriously because integration does hit at the heart of the matter on both evangelism and human sexuality -- particularly, on the issue of human sexuality, as we move forward in our acceptance and openness of our homosexual brothers and lesbian sisters. We can no longer accept our own status quo of 96% white. We, the members of the ELCA, and the leadership must challenge and push for more integration and diversity - more churches need more minorities in their leadership position. Too few people of colors are in leadership positions, particularly pastors, in the ELCA. We must get over our race issue at our churches. As Bishop Hanson said we can no longer have the heart of timidness in ministry and mission. I hope that also means that we can no longer be so segregated in our churches.

The Wrong Way vs The Right Way

The Wrong Way To Do It!

The Right Way To Do It!

As you can see it, there is no middle ground. Either you got it or you don't. And the Cowboys got nothing. O Cowboys, where art thou?

George Carlin on the American Dream

Speaking Out

Of late, all of us have been hearing lots of advice on morality from all political-ideological-theological spectrums, from both the Right and the Left camps. There is nothing wrong about “preaching” on morality or virtue. It is important that we, as a society, teach our children the value of being a morally conscientious human being, who is also gracious and forgiving. But only teaching our children will not do, because adults also need to be taught and reminded again and again on the importance of living a virtuous life. At times, adults need to hear more about the importance of living a morally-conscientious life. They need daily reminders that living a conscientious moral life is to live for the well-being of others. This means that there is a cost and the cost means that at times we must confront the evil befalling on our “neighbors.” We must speak against injustice because ultimately the judgment of our actions will be on how we treat the least among us (cf. Matthew 25:31-46).

The act of speaking out against immorality is essential if we are to confront the injustice befalling onto our weakest and voiceless “neighbors.” But, before we put our two pennies worth, it would be wise to reflect on our own past, present, and future. It is easy to forget our own propensity toward evil in thoughts and actions. We all have the potential for both evil and good. It is a constant reality that manifest itself out in our decisions, which each of us make daily, regardless of whether those decisions were made in full cognizance or not. True that most of us cannot imagine the unfathomable evil, e.g., the Holocaust, the Armenian Genocide, the Rwanda Genocide, Pol Pot, the Japanese Imperial Armies rape camps, as part of who we are. We cannot fathom seeing ourselves as orchestrating or assisting the demise of human beings because of their ethnical and religious background. But, at the same time, we must be completely sincere to ask the most fundamental question of “What would I have done if I was there?” That is, are we in all honesty really able to say that if we had been born white and living around the early part of the 1900s that we would protest and speak against lynching and racism? Can we say that we would have marched against Jim Crow if we were born as a White-Southerner man? Most likely not, and if we do believe that we would have protested and marched against the lynching of black bodies, then we are not being truly honest with ourselves because the question remains: what are we doing against the ugly state of affairs against our gay brothers and sisters currently plaguing our nation? Also, what are we doing against the dehumanization of illegal immigrants in this country? What actions are we taking to fight against the big-powerful financial companies exploiting the most financial vulnerable people in our country? Most of us are merely watching from the comfort of our living room. And we may raise a few voices of concern here and there, but in the end we are doing from a safe place where no ultimate consequence would befall us.

We are all product of our particular time and place. Thus, it is easier to speak out against lynching because many of us find such practice beastly horrifying. It is always easy to make a stand and speak out against evil when it is safe to stand and speak out against evil. We can all speak out against racism because we know that in large society sees racism as evil. But, can we be sincerely honest with ourselves so as to say that we could and would fight for interracial marriage during the 1920s? Could we have stand and fight against the mob as they prepare to lynch a black person? Could we have stand and fight against the genocide of Native Americans during the 19th century? It is easier to speak out and protest against immorality and evil when we are confident that there is no real cost in standing against injustice. The cost of standing against injustice has a tremendous price tag because there is no such thing as free justice. This may give us reason to stay quiet or to stay on the side line, but such stance is much more costly because it robs us of our humanity and it also shackles us to the chain of fear. By doing nothing, we become nothing – that is, we become less than human or no longer human. We also become slave, bound to fear and to merely living life. True freedom is the empowerment to live for life and not merely living life. Our silence in times of injustice silences our humanity, thus we become a bit less human by becoming enslaved and not free. And, in the end, we become no different from those who are pushing for inhumane, unfair, and injustice policies in this country and in the world. When we are silent against injustice, we speak for injustice.

An Asian Lutheran, that got to be rare!

Friend sent me this sermon, the quality of the sound is a bit poor, and it took me by surprise. First, it was an interesting and very stimulating sermon with lots of hidden sublime messages. The ending was a bit weak, but then this guy was apparently preaching in a Lutheran congregation (ELCA). Second, this is an Asian guy and by his last name he maybe Korean. Third, as a Korean, I am not sure why he is not pursuing ordination within the PCUSA denomination.

Still, the sermon is quite good. He has great potential. But, I do wish him the best of luck in a very racist denomination. C'mon, honestly, with 96% white demographic one can't but think this is a racist denomination. I know that not all of them are racist but merely biased preference toward white color. I know that the ELCA is doing lots of work to attract Hispanics, but with all honesty what denomination is not trying to court Hispanics. The Hispanic demographic is the fastest growing demographic and every mainline denomination knows that without the Hispanic demographic the mainline church will keep on dwindling. So if you are Hispanic and you speak Spanish, all the denomination will be courting after you so play your cards right.

It is still hard to believe that the ELCA is close to 97% white. Rural America is more diverse than that. The ELCA and all of the other Lutheran sects have the lowest number of minorities. I know three Asians, who have left the ELCA and one left the LCMS, because they couldn't get a first call and after three years they were asked to reapply to the whole process of entering the ELCA call process, apparently that is the rule in the ELCA - not sure what the rule is at the LCMS. So, they all left the Lutheran traditions and went to other denominations and in their first year they all found churches to pastor. So, I really want to wish this guy the best. But my advise to him is to start looking for another job because if one is not white or Hispanic, one will have a real hard time getting hired as a pastor. The only other possibility is if this guy has some amazing and incredible background like living among the poorest in the world or fighting against oppression to the point of being endangered to lose one's life or being eccentric-punk for Christ or a guru for the "emerging" denomination or some other stuff. This is a very exclusive denomination; they are quite "gringo." He has a better chance to become Scandinavian than to become an Asian pastor in the ELCA.

http://www.pmlc.org/files/prestonmeadow/files/Sermon%202010-10-2.mp3

He really needs to change denomination. Be an Episcopalian, you have a better chance at becoming a priest than becoming a pastor in the ELCA. And with all honesty, we, the Episcopalians, are always looking to steal good candidates from other denominations and traditions (e.g., 'Father Oprah').

George Carlin on the Ten Commandments

The Decline Membership

Because of my job, I get to travel to different parts of our country, which also means that I get to visit different Lutheran churches - that is if I have to stay over the weekend. In my very brief time spent in these different Lutheran churches in the ELCA, I hear a common grunt of displeasure and uneasiness. The displeasure arises from the recent vote of the ELCA to openly accept homosexuals and lesbians in the office of Word and Sacraments; the uneasiness arises from the fact that a good number of churches are leaving the ELCA. Nothing alarming but at the same time the numbers aren't to be taken lightly either. Now those grunts of displeasure and uneasiness could be understandable if our current decline in membership could be directly attributed to our current stance on human sexuality. Those grunts of dissatisfaction could also be understandable if our current decline in membership could be directly attributed to the so-called "liberal" agenda.

Now it is true that the ELCA lost members because of our more "open" and "welcoming" stance on human sexuality, but to say that our current stance is the sole reason for our decline in membership is an inaccurate portrait of the ELCA - and to attribute our decline solely on the so-called "left" agenda is really to vilify those on the left. Those in the left are no more righteous than those in the right; and those in the right are no more biblical than those in the left. As the ELCA reported since 1987, the ELCA has only two years of growth, and even those two years are debatable if we look at the data much more closely. The ELCA has been loosing members long before the take over from the so-called "liberal" agenda. The real reason in our decline is much more to do with our birth rate, particularly white birth rate in this country. There is no longer a high numbers of Germans and Northern Europeans immigrants coming to this country - and even those who are coming aren't Lutherans. Also, in light of our demographic make up, the ELCA is close to 97 percent white - in the early 70s, the Lutheran tradition was close to 99 percent white - which means that our current white birth rate in the ELCA can't support any numerical growth if we are solely to depend on birth rate and immigration as we have been depending on for a very long time.

God has nothing to do with our decline, it is solely mathematics. If the number of birth given by white people decrease, the number of membership in a 97 percent white denomination also decrease. This is elementary math. There aren't enough white people to go around for the ELCA to grow. Thus, we can either demand our members to birth more white children, as some white-racist fearmongering do, or we can truly be a church that has been baptized into one body, one faith, one Spirit, one Lord, and one God. To do this, the ELCA must shed our "gringo" preference in theology and in leadership. Too many of our leaders look like me, white, we need more diverse leaders in our churches and Synods. Too few people of colors are serving in the office of Word and Sacrament. And, honestly, how can one of the largest congregation in the ELCA not have one person of color as a pastor? Okay, I am not sure if Mount Olive Lutheran Church is in the ELCA, but if they are still part of the ELCA, then we must seriously wonder how can this church not have any minority in their pastoral staff? Are you seriously telling me that there is no minority where this church is located? This is a common issue throughout many of our largest churches in the ELCA, yes, there are few expectations but those expectations aren't enough to make any difference in our current trend.

We are making some progress in our Hispanic outreach missions. But, we are also ignoring many people of colors already in our system awaiting first call in the office of Word and Sacraments. I know of three who have been waiting for a very long time for their first call. I also know two minorities, who aren't Hispanic, that left the ELCA because there were no churches for them to minister after three years. Both of them have gone to the UMC and they are currently serving churches (they waited less than a year). If the ELCA is serious about making the ELCA much more diverse, the ELCA must seriously address the current lack of diversity in its leadership office. We must stop complaining and mourning the loss of members in the ELCA for the days of growth through birth and immigration is no longer viable, and thank goodness for that, the ELCA must reach out beyond its "gringo" preference and go to the borderlines, where Jesus himself spent most of his time ministering. The face of our leaders must also reflect the diversity we find in our country. Too many of our leaders in our churches and the bishops in our Synods look like me, a white-male. The leaders of our churches, the bishops of our Synods, and our current Bishop need to do more to challenge the silent racism plaguing our community. The decline in membership will most likely continue, even if we are more diverse, but keep in mind that the Gospel is much more offensive than many churchgoers assume to be and also we must keep in mind that the-power-that-be crucified Jesus for his political message of God's Kingdom breaking in? The offensive nature of the Gospel has been replace to the simple conviction of personal sin in need of salvation to escape eternal damnation. There is nothing offensive, nothing challenging the-power-that-be, because it is all about personal-private reality that has no demands to change public-reality as Jesus did with his ministry of words and deeds. It doesn't shake the-power-that-be because it doesn't confront the systematic evil in our political-economical system. The Gospel does confront and that message is very treating to the-power-that-be because the Gospel has a truly and completely radical political-economical system that would upset both the Right, the Left, and the Centrist.

Addressing the lack of diversity in our denomination does not mean that the ELCA will grow numerically. But numerical growth is not the reason to address the issue of race and sex. We are to tackle these issues because they are human issues and we are human beings. The ELCA can't keep on tiptoeing around critical human issues. Thus, we must do something about our lack of diversity in our churches.

Blessed Assurance

One can't have enough of "Blessed Assurance" particularly when it is sang with such fervent.

Blessed Assurance

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Still Stuck in the Medieval Europe

Good for you, but you know that the protestantism lost the war. The pope is not the anti-christ as Luther pronounced during his horrible bowel twisting moment. And if the pope is no longer the anti-christ, Lutheranism has nothing to stand on against the pope. So, it is time be a good and faithful Lutheran and come back to the true church as Luther always hopeful for after the anti-christ has been removed from the holy see seat of St. Peter.

I know. I see that your issue is with Calvinism. But honestly, in the end of the day, Lutherans have a much bigger issue to deal with. For if the pope is no longer the anti-christ, which was Luther's sole reasoning for breaking the church apart, then Lutherans have no real ground to stand on against the pope. Thus, it is time to be humble and begin a journey back into the true catholic church, the Roman Catholic Church.

The Dean of Black Preachers

Rev. Dr. Cleophus J. LaRue

Change without watering down the truth.

Our Crazy Country

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Losing His Religion
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

George Carlin on Child Worship

George Carlin on Voting

The funny thing about this skit is that the audience doesn't seem to be aware that they are part of the problem.

George Carlin - "I'm Modern Man"

Black on Politics & Religion

George Carlin on Rights

Lewis Black's Take on the Old Testament

George Carlin on Religion & God

Leave Huckabee Alone!

George Carlin on "Proud Parents" Bumper Stickers

Professor Richard Wiseman Finds the World's Funniest Joke

Jesus Wants Him To Love His Enemies

A rare reality in this country. Campolo is a Christian who believes in biblical inerrancy of the bible and who is a democrat. We need more of the so-called "Red Letter" Christian in this country. The narrow-mindedness of the Christian right is dominating the conversation. They aren't the majority just like the scaremongering in the current political conservative right.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Tony Campolo
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Set Yourself Free

The truth will set you free. Be free!

We Need Left Fundamentalist

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Tony Campolo
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

That is something I wonder too: Why does biblical literalist don't take the bible seriously? They criticize others for not taking the Bible seriously. But at the same time, the literalists are the worse offenders in not taking the bible seriously. It is literal when it is just right for their own values but not literal when it deals with divorce and remarriage. "Ain't that convenient!" Campolo is right God is neither Republican nor Democrat. God is neither for or against this country. God is not an American and God will never be an American.

What Do You Call An Agnostic?

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bart Ehrman
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

"An atheist without balls"

That was funny!

American Orthodox

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - American Orthodox
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

The Gospel According to Judas

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Elaine Pagels
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Christian Churches Today Are Not Engines Of Change

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Peter J. Gomes
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

He is right. Christianity has not being an engine of change for a long time. We are once again an engine of conservatism.

Spoofing Megachurches

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

It's Just the Normal Symbol of the Resting Place of the Dead

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
The Word - Symbol-Minded
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Lewis Black's Take on the Old Testament

'Daily Show' Takes on Glenn Beck's Nazi Comparisons

Back in Black - Glenn Beck's Nazi Tourette's

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

How can anyone take Glenn Beck seriously? Are those people out of their mind? The worse thing is those so-called Christians who follow Glenn Beck. Where are these so-called Christians coming out from?

Cartman's 7 Dirty Words

7 'Dirty' Words

Children Are Biased Toward Lighter Skin

Should this surprise us? Honestly, we act as if this is surprising. Just look at our language and the way we use to describe what is negative in our world. We describe evil as dark. When referring to redemptive or good experiences, we describe them by referring with lighter color like white -- the white dove is symbolic of peace and the angel of death is black. The dominance of white as the good color is deeply embedded in our psyche -- particularly where the Western culture is the dominant culture. An example of this dominance is in our tendency to say that light, which is good, is white and that dark, which is evil, is black. It is easy to spot racism when it is a flagrant miscarriage of justice, but the real problem is our silent racism, which is very hard to uncover and it is truly the driving power that still grips our society. One great example is in our metaphorical language to describe positive and negative matrix. This reporting by Anderson Cooper merely asserts the known truth that racism still has a very strong hold on our psyche.

Silent racism is the true destructive power that hold us captive by dividing us against one another and also by putting us against each other.

Silence racism has a strong hold on us; its shackles are invisible and unassuming in daily life. It is also very defensive -- i.e., to say that most of us in mainline America would be most offended and also fervently defend against any accusation of prejudice and racism. As long as, we aren't truly able to see our sin; the truth of our being, we will not be able to free ourselves from the shackles of bigotry, intolerance, prejudice and racism.

Learn To Walk On Water

Okay, it isn't quite walking on water; it is more like running on water. Maybe not as cool as walking on water like Jesus but still very cool. So, how long have these guys spend trying to figure out a way to do what they are doing in this video?

Betty White Nails SNL

Beautiful One

Wonderful so wonderful is Your unfailing love
Your cross is spoken mercy over me
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart can fully know
How glorious, how beautiful You are

Chorus:
Beautiful one I love
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing

Powerful so powerful Your glory fills the skies
Your mighty works displayed for all to see
The beauty of Your majesty awakes my heart to sing
How marvelous, how wonderful You are

Chorus:

Beautiful one I love
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing

You opened my eyes to Your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
‘Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as You

Jesus

You opened my eyes to your wonders anew
You captured my heart with this love
‘Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as You

Chorus:

Beautiful one I love
Beautiful one I adore
Beautiful one my soul must sing

My soul, My soul must sing (x3)
Beautiful one x2

Having Nothing but Giving All

This is a great story of discovering true faith in the most unexpected of places. Faith isn't about personal salvation -- i.e., faith is not about faith in a Savior so as to get out of hell or to escape eternal damnation. Quite contrary, faith is about the meaning of existence. It is about the reason to be and the meaning of being human beings. Faith is discovering the meaning of what it means to be human in the fullest sense of the word. And for us, Christian, it means to be human in the fullest of sense of being created in God's image.

"I just hope that people who are in really rough situations will realize that God didn't forget about them. God is just trying to prepare them for something even bigger, even greater and even more blessed than they can even imagine." That is a honorable thought.

Samsara

Samsara is the story of spiritual love set in the majestic landscape of Ladakh, Himalayas. This is a quest of one man's struggle to find spiritual enlightenment through renouncing the world. And one woman's struggle to keep her enlightened love and life in the world. But their destiny comes to a surprise ending.

Come, Christians, Join to Sing

Come, Christians, join to sing
Alleluia! Amen!
Loud praise to Christ our King;
Alleluia! Amen!
Let all, with heart and voice,
Before His throne rejoice;
Praise is His gracious choice.
Alleluia! Amen!

Come, lift your hearts on high,
Alleluia! Amen!
Let praises fill the sky;
Alleluia! Amen!
He is our Guide and Friend;
To us He'll condescend;
His love shall never end.
Alleluia! Amen!

Praise yet our Christ again,
Alleluia! Amen!
Life shall not end the strain;
Alleluia! Amen!
On heaven's blissful shore,
His goodness we'll adore,
Singing forevermore,
"Alleluia! Amen!"

Jesus Shall Reign

Jesus shall reign where e'er the sun
doth his successive journeys run;
his kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
till moons shall wax and wane no more.

To him shall endless prayer be made,
and praises throng to crown his head;
his Name like sweet perfume shall rise
with every morning sacrifice.

People and realms of every tongue
dwell on his love with sweetest song;
and infant voices shall proclaim
their early blessings on his Name.

Blessings abound where e'er he reigns:
the prisoner leaps to lose his chains,
the weary find eternal rest,
and all the sons of want are blest.

Let every creature rise and bring
peculiar honors to our King;
angels descend with songs again,
and earth repeat the loud amen.

President Obama and Jay Leno at White House Correspondents Dinner

That was some great comedic routine. But, I still think Bush and his conscience, played by Steve Bridges, was the best comedic routine by a president. That was the funniest monologue.

Praise The Father; Praise The Son

Verse 1
O sovereign God, O matchless King
The saints adore, the angels sing
And fall before the throne of grace
To You belongs the highest praise

Verse 2
These sufferings, this passing tide
Under Your wings I will abide
And every enemy shall flee
You are my hope and victory

Chorus
Praise the Father, Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, Three in One
Clothed in power and in grace
The name above all other names

Verse 3
To the valley, for my soul
Thy great descent has made me whole
Your word my heart has welcomed home
Now peace like water ever flows

Bridge
Yours is the kingdom and the power
Yours is the glory
Forever

Can You Trust Science?

Morality Without God

Ocean Wide

Look outside
It's already light and the stars ran away with the night
Things we're said, words that we'll try forget,
it's so hard to admit I know we've made mistakes
I see through all the tears but that's what got us here

If love is an ocean wide
We'll swim in the tears we cry
They'll see us through to the other side
We're gonna make it
When love is a raging sea
You can hold on to me
We'll find a way tonight
Love is an ocean wide

I'll stay right here
It's where I'll always belong
Tied with your arms
Days like this, I wish the sun wouldn't set
I don't want to forget
What made us feel this way
You see through all my fears
And that's what got us here

If love is an ocean wide
We'll swim in the tears we cry
They'll see us through to the other side
We're gonna make it
When love is a raging sea
You can hold on to me
We'll find a way tonight
Love is an ocean wide

Love is an ocean wide enough to forget
Even when we think we can't

A Lot of Talk About the Tea Party Racial Make-up

This entry has nothing to do with the Tea Party. The only relation with the Tea Party is with the apparent racial make-up that some in the news medias have pointed out about those in the Tea Party rallies. Most of the news medias tell us that the Tea Party is made up mainly of white right-winger Christian Republicans. This particular group makes up about 85% of the Tea Party. So many in the news medias have pointed out the racial issue in the Tea Party - whether there is a sublime racial issue. Now, this should be a wakeup call for many in the ELCA. If the Tea Party is 85% white, which are numbers that the ELCA can only hope for, particularly with their 97% white presence. The ELCA is more white than the Republican party and more white than the Tea Party. In all honesty, the ELCA is more white than most town in this country. The only real whitopia one can find in this country.

Lutherans you're on notice!

Easter is Coming

Okay, Easter came but it doesn't hurt to re-reflect again about Easter.