Character Counts First

IN REPLY TO (IRT)
TERRA GAZELLE:
“COLSON”

IRT:
“We will let the Republicans spin their wheels on wedge issues like gay rights and abortion that is how they get their base out to vote. We will keep the laws on privacy, women’s reproductive rights, and civil rights to all people.”

ANS:
As to reproductive freedom look what it has wrought Your civil rights have already been impugned by the liberal left-wing Supreme Court who maligned the natural right to life by redefining the nature of man. For their effort, they have legally caused the legal murder of over 48 million unborn.

To sustain Roe v. Wade, Blackmon created a new kind of being. No more is a woman with child. She is with a “thing.” Blackmon’s Trimester Theory defined a new kind of being that astonished all the medical society.

Under Blackmon’s Trimester Theory, the conceived was not a human. In the first trimester, the conceived was 1/3rd human. In the second trimester, it was 2/3rd human. In the end, a woman was never pregnant with a child.

What caused the child was it being completely free of the mother, While the child was being born, it still wasn’t human and therefore could be legally murdered by partial birth abortion. Thus, not man, not woman caused a human being, but the air in the delivery room made this "thing," a mutation of nature, a human. That is an outstanding theory and a portrayal of how far the radical left will go to commit social suicide.

Partial Birth Abortion is a child being born and a butcher, called a doctor, plunges a surgical scissor into the base of the baby’s skull, and proceeds to suck out its brains. Hence, the child’s organs remain intact to be sold on the open market.

Over 48 million unborn have died from abortion and their organs sold on the open market. Those who survived abortions have, by some, been drowned or strangled to death.

New born handicapped infants have been left In utility rooms to die of starvation and dehydration. The defenseless are put to death by at the hands of Judges and Lawyers that are to protect them. Is that your world of compassion, the Culture of Death you are defending?

Who is spinning their wheels? How many have died and been seriously stricken by AIDS and STDs? How many families have been broken up by fornication, adultery, and homosexuality? Over two million alone have died in Africa from AIDS, some 28 million throughout the world. The PCs rail against smoking but panegyrize and eulogize abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia and the right to suicide, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Why is suicide one of the leading causes of death in our country? One gay leader in Los Angeles said more people in the gay community are dying from suicide than from AIDS. Have you ever wondered why there are so many perverts running around the country assaulting women, children, and students? The answer is the devaluation of human life by the Culture of Death.

Why is our nation experiencing one of the highest rates of divorce in our history? Try Reproductive Freedom.

Reproductive freedom is vividly personified in the Black community. Jesse Jackson called abortion Black genocide till it was politically expedient to support it. Bill Cosby said 70 percent of Black pregnancies are out of wedlock and over half of them end in abortion. Seventy five percent of Planned Parenthood clinics are planted in poor neighborhoods and they are mostly Black.

The “why” of all these iniquities is the Sexual Revolution and the disregard for the Moral Law.

IRT:
The Constitution is the laws of this nation, not the bible.

ANS:
De 6:15
"Because the Lord thy God is a jealous God in the midst of thee: lest at any time the wrath of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and take thee away from the face of the earth."

God trumps all things, especially man’s fragilities, his arrogance, and his machinations. The Constitution is based on man's inalienable rights given to man by God as the Declaration states.

They are inviolable, and if consistently violated, man has a duty to overthrow the government and replace it with a proper government (Declaration of Independence). “For who is like unto God?” The foolishness of man is certainly not a substitute for the wisdom of God.

Vanity and narcissism are prime vices of a man who thinks he knows more than the God who created him. Lucifer means Light & Brilliance; Satan was above all creatures; he and his minions fell from the heavens like a thunderbolt into the fiery pits of Hell for eternity.

Adam, was the first man to think he could be like God, and sin and death entered into the world. Man was condemned to darkness and eternal damnation till Christ’s death and resurrection freed him to choose heaven and enter it. The Founding Fathers never meant the Constitution to replaced God. If that were true, it would never have been passed.

IN REPLY TO (IRT)
TERRA GAZELLE:
“COLSON”
“We care about the Enviroment, Health care, getting us out of the War of Selection so that we can spend the money and effort on what really will keep us safe...fighting the AQ and the Taliban in Afghanistan,
and stopping the drugs that are coming out of their”

ANS:
We have the greatest environment in the world. Global Warming is a farce by any standards of competent climatologist. Only the gullible believe in Global Warming. The planet may be warming, that is may, but it is not due to man but to natural causes. Everything other than that truth is speculating without the facts, and a scam for Global Warming hucksters.

The Taliban and AQ aren’t just in Afghanistan. They’re all over the world. They are in Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan for starters. Now they’ve struck in Ser Lanka killing and wounding over a hundred people.

Maybe we should wait till they hit us again. No such thing as "self-defense," exists on the left. They prefer first the enemy kill a few thousand Americans before anything is done. That's happened and the left still doesn't want to do anything.

The Dems repealed the Patriot Act. They later were force to pass it. Harry Reid went before the nation and bragged about it. "We killed the Patriot Act," he said. They've fought every program that protects Americans and they even tried to surrender Iraq to the Terrorists, as they surrendered Vietnam to the Viet Cong. Moreover, they're balking on wire tap surveillance on terrorists.

IRT:
“Doing something about the education of our future,..."

ANS:
First, no matter how much money you pour into Public Education (PEd), it will fail to produce an educated man. PEd only teaches half of man, namely, his material side. It does not produce a moral and spiritual formed man, and that is the failure of PEd. It does not prepare man spiritually and morally to live in society, but only teaches one to exist in society without a true purpose of life. Man has a spiritual side and by Law, PEd can not address man’s spirituality in the Public Square.

We spend more money on education than any country in the world. What do you suggest? Certainly not the Democrat solutions, the last Education Bill that was passed was nearly all written by Sen. Kennedy, and you appear to be dissatisfied with it. Forty years of Democrats in the House of Representatives is why education in the Public Schools is, for the most part, in dire shape.

One solution is VOUCHERS. They work, when they are tried. Second, remove the influence of the Teachers' Unions who protect incompetent teachers. Third, get the PCs out of the school text books. The President is for all three solutions, but Dems are blocking all three. The Dems, instead of changing the system, have the same solutions you have, pump more money that is being absorbed by the bureaucrats into a failing system.

IRT:
"...fixing the economy, getting tax breaks for the Middle class, not just the top class, and so much more.

ANS:
You’ve been swallowed up by the Dems left-wing propaganda. Try thinking for yourself. The deficit is going down. If you tax the rich anymore, they’ll simply quit making money and live on what they made. That has happened before.

Only the Rich Pay Taxes!
"Jan. 8, 2007: The NY Times Admits It's the Truth
•
"History of Federal Individual Income Bottom and Top Bracket:
The Top 50% pay 96.54% of All Income Taxes
The Top 1% Pay More Than a Third: 34.27%"

In addition, the Dems refuse to find a solution for SSI. It’s predicted in the near future two workers will be paying the SSI for one retired worker. The Republicans have offered several solutions, one being Stock Market Investment, The Dems said no, there is no problem.

Reagan had to solve the problem earlier that the Dem Congress caused by tacking on too many benefits. The Dems called him an idiot, but in the end, the Dems collapsed and Reagan and the Republicans fixed it. If you trust the Dems, especially Hillary, you might be interested in buying a bunch of last weeks New York Times at half price.

IN REPLY TO:

Mr Mark:
"Dear Ryan
No one is saying that Mr Colson should be barred from holding any job. I just wonder why he's given a public forum here. The man obstructed and is a convicted felon."

ANS:
I assume you couldn’t vote for the two reprobates running for co-president. So I am curious: do you wonder why the press is giving Hillary and Bill a national forum? Do you have no scruples about their resume? If you have no idea of her resume check the link below. Colson is a saint in comparison to these criminals.

http://www.uhuh.com/clinton/hrc-hits.htm

"Someone" wrote:
"As soon as someone is labeled a "Christian," problems like this occur. Jesus told Christians they would be persecuted for his name sake, and that is EXACTLY what happens in this society. Once someone is labeled a CHRISTian, their credibility and respect is destroyed."

Oh, puh-LEESE! You think Christians are PERSECUTED in America??? Last time I looked, you had the overwhelming numbers and power. Look at the Presidential candidates bending over backwards to convince you that they are like you. You don't pay any taxes on your megachurches, you got your "In God We Trust" emblazoned on the money... give me a break! I'm the one who only dares admit to being an atheist to close friends and family, or on an anonymous forum, because to do so publically could get me killed.

Your last sentence is correct as far as rational people go, but it doesn't translate into persecution, because mainly they'll keep it to themselves.

Is it that you feel persecuted because the vast majority (Christians included) don't want to tear down the wall between church and state that was wisely erected by the founding fathers? Have you read any history at all? Do you know how and why this country came to be, and what happened in Great Britain and Europe to precipitate it? Do you know, for instance, that Englishmen who changed from Catholicism to Anglicanism because their sovereign decreed it to be the new state religion (being, as he was, head of the church and ruler by Divine right), were then burned at the stake when his Catholic daughter ascended the throne?

I get the impression that you and Galatians are very young, and not terribly well educated. Am I wrong?

Galatians wrote:
G: "I am happy to answer your questions in the hope that you will come to Christ. There is only one Truth and it is found in the Bible, the literal word of God."

P: Well we certainly differ there!

P's former question: Do you actually, literally, believe that we are made in God's image (i.e., that God looks like a man)?

G:The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth as a human, so yes.

P: Pure obfuscation. Jesus didn't exist then - was 1,000s of years from existing. And when he came to Earth, he supposedly was fully human. There is talk of god "walking" in the garden, and later of having his feet washed. Is he shaped like a man? Who are we modeled after? Why do chimpanzees look so much like us. Is this some cosmic joke on God's part? You can't have it both ways, that Jesus was made in our image after we were made in his.

Pam's former question: What is this "we", "our", and "us" business? Was man, and maybe all of creation, made by multiple gods? A committee, as it were? That would go far toward explaining the mess we have here...

G: This is a clear reference in the Old Testament to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

P: Again, long before Jesus. At this time, there had been no fall yet, so no known need for Jesus to even ever exist. Or did God know what was going to happen? If so, and all is preordained, what's the point of any of this? There is then no free will.

G: 1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

P: Yeah, and have you ever sat down and tried to figure out how so few people became so many in just 4400 years, especially given all the killing in between. Mathematical impossibility.

G: Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

P: Yet a bit later God proscribes a lot of animals for eating (like pigs and shellfish). Did he change his mind? He's not perfect? And what's up with all the extinctions? Changed his mind again? Couldn't decide what kind of animals he wanted here?

G: Clearly, God gave man dominion over the whole earth. That's why this whole environmentalism movement is antibiblical nonsense. The Truth can only be found in the Bible, nowhere else. Besides, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to judge the good from the wicked, Christians shall be immediately sent to heaven (leaving their cars and everything else), while the sinners will be left to suffer while the Lord God destroys the earth. Praise God!

P: You are one sick puppy, G.

Ryan:

I appreciate your posts! I don't know if you are a Christian or not, but really, that is irrelevant. I respect your defending Colson, because both of us know that no person is perfect, not you Ryan, not me, and not Colson. Isn't it amazing how powerful people’s biases is though? Isn't it amazing how CONTROLLING and BLINDING bias can be??? Here’s an example...

"""Gaby:

Well, Ryan, you have a point.

I just can't help to dislike the man. There's something sneaky about him."""

On a semi-different note…As soon as someone is labeled a "Christian," problems like this occur. Jesus told Christians they would be persecuted for his name sake, and that is EXACTLY what happens in this society. Once someone is labeled a CHRISTian, their credibility and respect is destroyed. But am I sad? Nope. People hate CHRIST in us, not us personally, so I know this is a burden I do not have to carry. Praise God!!! Christ is everything in my life, and I would not be alive today if it were not for Him and His love, and grace, and mercy.

Has Colson made mistakes? ABSOLUTELY. What about YOU??? Well, I'll let you answer that for yourself. People, what Colson is trying to do are help people, and it is a FACT that he has! Get a grip on yourself, and your BIAS! Stop being so frieking negative. This is a man who did wrong, who is very sorry for what he did and REPENTED of it, and who is genuinely trying to help society, and the LAST thing he needs is a bunch of biased, "bigotrous (yeah, I made that up)" Christian haters lying in the shadows, waiting for mistake they can pounce on. At least he IS trying to help society...are you?

(when I say "you", I am not speaking to anyone in particular)

I REALLY hate the crappy mechanics of this site!

"The man obstructedi and is a convicted felon," above should have been, "The man obstructed justice and is a convicted felon."

And I don't know what-the-h that H is doing at the end of my post.

Dear Ryan -

No one is saying that Mr Colson should be barred from holding any job. I just wonder why he's given a public forum here. The man obstructedi and is a convicted felon.

Anything he's done in the name of some imaginary god pales in comparison. There are plenty of people involved in helping prisoners, but I don't see them being given a regular column here.

Colson makes one long for the days when traitors slunk of in ignominy and spent their lives doing penance in a hairshirt. But no, like his criminal boss Nixon, he's on a mission to rehabilitate himself. Of course, in the meanwhile, he actively works to block equal rights for gays.

His recent antics with his non-profit show that he hasn't changed one iota. He's just taking advantage of a new group of suckers. H

Pam,

I am happy to answer your questions in the hope that you will come to Christ. There is only one Truth and it is found in the Bible, the literal word of God.

) Do you actually, literally, believe that we are made in God's image (i.e., that God looks like a man)?

The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth as a human, so yes.

2) What is this "we", "our", and "us" business? Was man, and maybe all of creation, made by multiple gods? A committee, as it were? That would go far toward explaining the mess we have here...

This is a clear reference in the Old Testament to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

3) Taken literally (as you love to do), I read that God gave us dominion over the *fish* in the sea, but not the mammals, arthropods, etc. that live there. And the *fowl* of the air - ducks, turkeys, and geese, but not egrets or songbirds. And cattle (odd that they got singled out), rocks and dirt, and creepy crawlies, but no sheep or horses, or dogs, or cats...

The verse states clearly that man shall have dominion over everything that crawls which includes all land animals. See also Genesis 9:1-3

1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Clearly, God gave man dominion over the whole earth. That's why this whole environmentalism movement is antibiblical nonsense. The Truth can only be found in the Bible, nowhere else. Besides, when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to judge the good from the wicked, Christians shall be immediately sent to heaven (leaving their cars and everything else), while the sinners will be left to suffer while the Lord God destroys the earth. Praise God!

For more discussion on these topics, please see my blog at http://galatiansc4v16.wordpress.com/

"good character and competence"

You mean like Dick Nixon or George Bush?

Anonymous,
a thor's hammer is a small pendent on a chain, not a big hammer. And if a prisoner can wear a cross then another prisoner should beable to wear Thor's hammer.

Now a sword is certainly not needed...it is not nesseccary to the practice of that religion...no more then an Athame is absolutly nesseccary for the pratice of Wicca. A Rune staff is not a huge piece of branch...it is anything that has up to five runes on it that mean something in connection; such as love, protection...etc. Think of it as a prayer paper. It can be wood, clay, paper...anything in a pinch.

Christians tend to think of things literally...Paganism is not literal usually.

terra

Galatians wrote:
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

Thanks for bringing this up, Galatians; I've been meaning to ask one of you literalist thumpers about this.
1) Do you actually, literally, believe that we are made in God's image (i.e., that God looks like a man)?
2) What is this "we", "our", and "us" business? Was man, and maybe all of creation, made by multiple gods? A committee, as it were? That would go far toward explaining the mess we have here...
3) Taken literally (as you love to do), I read that God gave us dominion over the *fish* in the sea, but not the mammals, arthropods, etc. that live there. And the *fowl* of the air - ducks, turkeys, and geese, but not egrets or songbirds. And cattle (odd that they got singled out), rocks and dirt, and creepy crawlies, but no sheep or horses, or dogs, or cats...

JAD, very clever - a well delivered rebuttal of Brambleton's sanctimoniousnesses (Rich Blessings, indeed).

For my part, I could not support a candidate born with a silver equivocation in his mouth.

Providence

Galatians,
Ok I just spit coffee all over my monitor. lol

Ok,no I am certainly no atheist..I am a polytheist...I got more gods then your mama does. Ok so I am just having a giggle. Do I believe in your god? I will say this...I do not believe in your version of god. What you describe is not any god of mine. I am a Pagan, a Wiccan.

As far as the Madrasa? Madrasa is Arabic for SCHOOL. There are secular schools in Indonesia. yes when Obama was 6 years old with his mother in Indonesia...as she was there helping Muslim women, He was in school...where else would a 6 year old be. He was raised in Hawaii by his white Christian grandparents after his one year in Indonesia.He is a member of the Trinity Church of God in Chicago, Il. He is Christian, always has been.It was not Obama that used the Koran but congressman Keith Ellison, and it was Thomas Jefferson's Koran. ; ) You really need to change where you get your news and info.

Oh and as far as me being an elitist? Its you and your ilk that feel that you are the special ones. You have the elitist talk not me.

The DEMOCRATIC party is a political party, it is open to all people who have the same world view. There are Atheists and Christians, Jews and Buddists, Pagans and Muslims, there are young and old, fat and thin, city slickers and country folks...smart and not so smart..in fact we are welcomeing to all citizens. We do not claim to be the party of god, we are the party of the constitution and rights.

apostasy? lol next you'll claim we be heretics.

terra

The dominionists and the Jesus freaks didn't let us down .... pretty easy to yank their chain.
JJ at least posts some original, if off-the-wall stuff.

Thor's hammer, a rune staff and a sword???
Sounds like that stuff might be against prisons regs, especially for a guy that's in the slammer for aggravated assault and robbery.

a good object lesson for the unsuspecting -
'never try to con a con' .... they don't stop even when they're behind bars and they're damned good at what they do....but usually not good enough to avoid detection, prosecution, and incarceration.

They also make damn fine preachers .........

"Select...men who fear God"
EXACTLY the point Mr Colson!
But the problem is WHO GOD IS.
The Muslim god is not a god at all but a fallen angel, and the Mormon god is one of their own making.
Should we elect someone who does not believe God even IS, hiding their eyes from their own consciences, the witness of creation daily before them, the testimony of millions upon millions of witnesses and the Bible, God's own word?
Shall we elect Hillary, who thinks she is god?
Or how about Obama who isn't even sure who God is: muslim one day, professing Christian the next, and proclaiming atheism other days?
Should we obey the word of God, Yahweh is His name, and elect a man who fears the God who is God? Yes, I agree with you! But you are in error to say the President should not be a man a of Biblical character.
A Christian knows God is, who He is and knows Him personally. A man who fears Yahweh has experienced Him, knows Jesus is the LORD by the changed man he has become through his trust in the Messiah. A Christian knows God through the daily sanctification process every Believer undergoes at the hands of the Holy Spirit. A Christian has believed and has been made clean through his penitent trust in the sacrifice of the Only Christ, Jesus, God in the flesh.
The Christian candidate has died with Jesus and has been made new in Christ's rebirth, his every perspective is to Glorify Jesus in all that he does, says and thinks.
Why should we vote for a Christian?
Because a Christian President honors Yahweh in all that he does, will be the man who considers the best for the nation and will not be ruled by anyone or anything but his Biblically informed conscience.
I believe Mike Huckabee is that man and I will be voting for him every time.

Terra Gazelle,

I can tell by your shrill eltitst tone that you are an athiest. Admit it, tell the readers that you do not believe in the Lord our God. And while you're at it, why not admit that the democrat party is dominated by atheists? I'd like to see a party leader come out and tell the American public that most democrats at the national level are athiests.

Or Muslim, like Barack Hussein Obama. He attended madrasa overseas when growing up. He may have appeared to convert to Christianity on the surface, but it is nothing but a political muse. I'll admit Obama is smart, but he's deceptive. It is a fact that when he was sworn in to congress, he refused to use the Bible. Instead, he used the koran. He's a Muslim.

You list the supposed "virtues" of your godless part. You mentioned environmenalism. Let me tell you that is further evidence of the apostasy of the democrat party.

From Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

"Select...men who fear God"
EXACTLY the point Mr Colson!
But the problem is WHO GOD IS.
The Muslim god is not a god at all but a fallen angel and the Mormon god is as one of their own making.
And should we leect someone who does not believe God even is, hiding their eyes from their own consciences, the witness of creation before them and the testimony of millions of witnesses?
Shall we elect Hillary, who thinks she is god?
Or Obama who isn't even sure who God is: muslim one day, professing Christian the next, and proclaiming atheism other days?
Or shouldwe obey the word of God, Yahweh is His name, and elect a man who fears the God who is God?
A Christian knows God is, who He is and knows Him personally. A man who fears Yahweh has experienced Him, knows Jesus is the LORD by the changed man he has become through his trust in the Messiah. He knows God through the daily sanctification process every Believer undergoes at the hands of the Holy Spirit. He has believed and has been made clean through his penitent trust in the sacrifice of the Only Christ, Jesus, God in the flesh.
The Christian candidate has died with Jesus and has been made new in Christ's rebirth, his every perspective is to Glorify Jesus in all that he does, says and thinks.
Why should we vote a Christian?
Because a Christian President honors Yahweh in all that he does, will be the man who considers the best for the nation and will not be ruled by anyone or anything but his Biblically informed conscience.
I believe Mike Huckabee is that man and I will be voting for him every time.

Please see how a Wiccan Wife, trying to take advantage of a 'Dead Husband' [pbuh] who cannot talk!

Fact: Ms. Stewart now or ex-Mrs. Stewart, is a Wiccan. Not Her husband !

Fact: If one examin's his, Commission papers, via Military religious preferences, that he indeed is not a Wiccan! If you speak to his iraqi Military 'Buddy's" one will realize that he is Christian!

Only his , phony bolona, Roberta tried to Promote Wiccan , as if Faith via such a shamefull conspiracy as 'Placing or pinning a Wiccan-Starlike" [knowing that it will explode internationally, attention unwise) on a dead man grave, with the background Vintriloquists whom she engages with. Or Had Sex behind Mr. Stewart's Back [pbuh]!

Please see:

http://altreligion.about.com/b/2007/08/29/bush-snubs-wiccan-war-widow.htm AND;

Note: Please know that PAGAN/WICCAN is a CELTIC (GAY Irish etc..) Nordic Anglo Saxon Pre-Apocalyptic System! It's mostly for Lesbian Homosexual White Folk, not Brown or browner No! Just White Celtic, example, Irish etc.. See: aboutdotcom.

Make a Brighid's Cross for Imbolc
I know, I know, we're just past Yule, and yet it's only a few weeks until Imbolc, a celebration which is basically a precursor to spring. In the Gaelic-speaking countries of the Celtic world, Imbolc wasn't really recognized, but it did become a day of significance honoring the goddess Brighid in Ireland. Imbolc, which falls on February 2, is known in some parts of the world as Brighid's Day, or the Christian holiday of Candlemas.

If you want to honor Brighid, the goddess of hearth and home, for Imbolc, one thing you can do is make a Brighid's Cross. It's simple, you can put one together with your kids, and then hang it over your hearth for protection and abundance.

More Imbolc stuff to come as I get it posted!
Wednesday January 2, 2008.

Please see that SATRU's/Pagans/Wiccan's Need Knives/Swords, Hammers & more in PRISON lately.

This is the Latest Case involving getting more Wicca/Paga/Asutra Attention as if religion! And those {Pagan/Wiccan Organizations & unscrupulous Characters} on the outside are helping this/These INMATES file , as if PRO SE!???????

Note The Timing: Soltice JUNE & Soltice DECEMBER of the Wiccan/Paggan Law Suits timing!????????? Yes, A PATTERN! Every thing has a Pattern! One only needs insight on how to see them. They PRE-Apocalyptarian's cannot Fool US ECLATi-ON(s) aka APOCALYPTARIAN's , aka HUMATES! Maybe you. And Not our great President, that's for sure! Ya Ya!

Inmate Says He Needs Thor's Hammer, Drum etc.. And out of all places it is now in UTAH (Mormon Country) Note: That's the M.O.!

This cameout Friday, December 21, 2007

SALT LAKE CITY, (AP).

An inmate is suing the Utah Department of Corrections for denying him his right to practice an ancient Nordic religion while behind bars.

Michael Polk
is serving time for aggravated assault and robbery. He filed a lawsuit against corrections officials in federal court, accusing them of denying him religious items that he says are necessary to practice the Asatru religion.

The religion worships ancient Nordic gods like Odin, Thor, Tyr and Heimdal.

In the lawsuit, Polk says he has been a member of the Asatru faith since 2005, and in order to properly practice it he needs items including: a Thor's Hammer, a prayer cloth, a Mead Horn used for drinking Wassail, a drum made of wood and boar skin, a rune staff and a sword.

Information from: Deseret Morning News

Here is a case from JUNE.2007.

6.06.2007

Imprisoned Asatru and Thor's Hammer

David L. Hudson Jr. at the First Amendment Center reports on a recent legal case in which an imprisoned adherent to Asatru (Nordic Paganism) won the right to wear a Thor's Hammer pendant. Even more remarkable is the fact that the prisoner, Forest Fisher, represented himself in court.

"Inmate Forest Fisher sued the Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) and various prison officials after they denied his request for Thor's Hammer, while allowing inmates of other religions to wear various medallions. Fisher, who proceeded pro se - without an attorney - contended that these actions violated his First Amendment to freely exercise his religious faith, the federal law known as the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and his equal-protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment."

The Virginia Department of Corrections' case wasn't helped by the fact that prison officials denied Fisher his legal due process in his applications to wear a Thor's Hammer.

"However, in his May 25 ruling in Fisher v. Virginia, U.S. Magistrate Michael F. Urbanski took issue with the prison officials' failure to follow their own procedure in submitting Fisher's request to the Faith Review Committee ... Urbanski stressed that the defendants' arguments "flatly ignore the fact that Fisher submitted the appropriate paperwork to the appropriate institutional employee for FRC consideration, but that the employee failed to forward his request as required under the VDOC FRC procedures." Because of this, Urbanski ruled that there were enough disputed factual issues to merit a trial on Fisher's constitutional claims. He also denied the defendants' request for qualified immunity, a doctrine that enables government officials to avoid liability for constitutional or statutory violations if they do not violate clearly established rights."

It is cases like this (and the Veteran Pentacle Quest) that remind you that an unwilling bureaucracy can be just as efficient at denying constitutionally protected rights to its citizens as a tyrannical government. It is especially easy for such things to happen in the American prison system where punishment is emphasized (and often encouraged) over rehabilitation, and the public empathy runs low. If this one Asatruar hadn't stepped up, the quiet banning of a legitimate religious symbol could have continued for years. If religious freedom doesn't apply to all of us equally, then we don't have religious freedom.

Labels: Asatru, First Amendment Center, Forest Fisher, Paganism, Prison, Thor's Hammer.

So, Please Kettle, do not call the Pot Black! ya Ya!

An eternal lake of fire doesn't sound that bad to me - you might want to get more creative and fill it with venom and goat piss like the Vikings did. No one wants that.

JJ, please check your spelling...and as far as being not worthy to lick Colson's shoes? thank you.

terra

Oh and Galatians,

It is the Democratic Party. And the Democratic party wants to bring equality to all Americans...not just the White, Straight and Brittle.

We care about the Enviroment, Health care, getting us out of the War of Selection so that we can spend the money and effort on what really will keep us safe...fighting the AQ and the Taliban in Afghanistan, and stopping the drugs that are coming out of their. Doing something about the education of our future, fixing the economy, getting tax breaks for the Middle class and not just the top class and so much more. We will let the Republicans spin their wheels on wedge issues like gay rights and abortion, that is how they get their base out to vote. We will keep the laws on privacy, womens reproductive rights and civil rights to all people.

The Constitution is the laws of this nation, not the bible.

terra

Galatians,

So you are a Drudge reader or you watch Faux Snooze? Obama is not, was not, and will not be Muslim. He is Christian...a member of the Trinity Church of Christ of Chicago, Il. Raised by his Christian grandparents in Hawaii...religion is not set in a person's DNA.

His middle name is middle eastern, my first name is Spanish and my middle name is after a Greek Goddess of peace...I am not that either. I used to be married to a man whose name meant...little gray man of the forest...umm he wasn't.

So really get real...if Obama was Muslim, so what?

terra

BillC,

You wrote

"What makes Colson's Christianity suspect is his continued support for and campaigning for Republicans. If he were a sincere thoughful Christian, he'd see that faith transcends political affiliation, that one can be a Christian and also a Democrat or Socialist or Green etc. Instead by limiting his highly partisan sdvocacy to support only Republicans, he undermines himself and Christianity. The day Colson draws on his Christian faith to oppose war, poverty, human exploitation, and environmental degradation will be the day I'll accept his sincerity."

Let's start with your Christianity. I can tell that you are not a true Christian. The fact is that almost all true Christians a vote Republican. Look in contrast to the democrat party, where you will find godless liberals and atheists, even radical Muslims like Obama. The Republican party is willing to take the Biblical position on abortion and homosexuality!

You need to do some critical self-examination or you will find yourself in the eternal lake of fire.

Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo has posted elsewhere on On Faith a commentary titled "Presidential Spirituality, not Religion – Please!!" It's one of the most incisive comments on religion and politics I have read. It's "must read" for all.

and you basis such an assertion of racism by Pagans/Wiccans on what, exactly?

Ryan,
Colson wiretapped, planned breaking and entering,was found guilty of obstruction of justice all for Nixon and the Republican party. What he did was against the Democratic party and their employees...all to win. He was given a 1 to 3 year sentence but only served 7 months../that was in 74...in 76 he decided to find jesus.

Now lets skip to 2002...Chucky signed a theological letter all for attacking Iraq...what he called a Just War...he had his list of points and the last point?
the human cost on both sides would be justified by the intended outcome.

Still willing to win at any cost. His prison outreach? It gets alot of fed money...Where else can a lier and a opprotunist earn such a living?

Now, as someone old enough to remember what Nixon and his pet hengeman did...I do not forgive the constitutional crisis that this hypocrite caused.Nixon should never have been pardoned by Ford.

I would much rather be lied to about a few BJ's.
terra

IN REPLY TO:
JAD
"I'm confused. Is Chuck Colson lecturing us about morality? I'm afraid I don't have a refined enough sense of irony to process that."

ANS:
He who is without sin throw the first stone, and her accusers walked away one by one. And Jesus turned to the adulteress and said, “Go and sin no more; your sins are forgiven thee.” St. John writes that he who says he has no sin is a liar. 1John1: 8 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

Am I to assume that you’ve never made a mistake, and if you did, should you never be forgiven for it? That would be very sad indeed. If Jesus can forgive the thief on the Cross, and if He can sacrifice His life up for the forgiveness of sins, notwithstanding He is God, shouldn’t all men be forgiving? Namely, the adage is love the sinner and hate the sin.

Matthew 18:21-35
"Then came Peter unto Him and said: 'Lord, how often shall my brother offend against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times? Jesus saith to him, 'I say not to thee, till seven times; but till seventy times seven times.

Wasn’t it God’s command to be just, and to be merciful?

Did Jesus not say, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself?” Is it not written, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” Moreover, it is also written for man to forgive others as your Father in Heaven forgives you.

If God could forgive those who were murdering Him, then it’s certainly not asking too much for someone to forgive something that happened nearly 40 years ago after the man had repented and has made restitution for it ever since.

Moreover, even if you were an atheist or an agnostic, these aphorisms are recognized by the astute as to their acuity and comprehensive grasp of reality. These maxims show a deep erudition and wisdom in respect to man's deep internal peace of mind. They are the bases for generating a social order that is neither disruptive nor always in turmoil as we often see in the Middle East and the Far East.

Besides, what Colson did pales in comparison to what the Clintons did. Unfortunately, they may return to the White House. Moreover, Colson is a piker in comparison to what Johnson, and the Kennedy brothers did in office.

Victor Hugo's novel, "Les Miserables," portrays Inspector Javert, as an unforgiving relentless nemesis of Jean Valjean. Javert had based his whole life on the Law and Justice; he lived in his self-made world of Strict Justice without Mercy. In the end, Javert found he had based his entire life on a fallacy and committed suicide because he couldn't forgive and thought he couldn't be forgiven, when a Merciful Forgiving God was waiting for him to ask.

Javert was merciless in his pursuit of Justice. The law became his God. He found that with out mercy there are no just laws. When his view of the law failed him, his life lost its meaning and direction.

Colson, in my opinion, is a modern day saint. He has given his life to the service of others. That is the true definition of Love. "Colson has received fifteen honorary doctorates. In 1993, he was awarded the Templeton Prize, the world's largest cash gift (over $1 million)."

The prize is given each year to the one person in the world who has done the most to advance the cause of religion. He donated this prize, as he does all speaking fees and royalties, to further the work of Prison Fellowship.”—Wikipedia

His crime was obstruction of Justice in a cover-up of a raid on the office of Ellsberg’s psychiatrist seeking Ellsberg’s records. Ellsberg leaked classified information. Ironically, Nixon could have had the Court and FBI get the documents in a legal investigation of leakers.

Our former dual presidency obstructed Justice, lied to the American people, and was affronted and enraged because they got caught. The American people glorified the Clintons by reelecting them. They may reelect them again because America never blamed them.

St. Augustine was a sinner for a great deal of his life, and yet he repented and became one of the most profound theologians of the Catholic Church. Moreover, Augustine was declared a saint by the Church, and therefore is in Heaven with the One who forgave him.

Christ is the paragon of love and forgiveness. He is the paragon for man's moral exigency. Isn’t man to imitate Jesus in his mercy and kindness? If Jesus can forgive those who were murdering Him while He was being crucified, it shouldn't be asking too much for people to forgive what ever Colson did in 1971.

I believe Colson is an exemplary paradigm of moral virtue by showing his compassion for his fellowman.

I believe if anyone knows anything about what a politician should be, especially a president, Colson qualifies. He’s been there, and he knows the pit falls of being a president; so his word to the wise should be sufficient.

Well, Ryan, you have a point.

I just can't help to dislike the man. There's something sneaky about him.

Gaby,

Teachers, doctors, lawyers, writers, actors, psychiatrists and psychologists, sociologists, professors, accountants,... heck, nextdoor neighbors are all in great positions to manipulate people in their varying ways.

Is Mr. Colson to be barred from all the professions?

Moreover, I am under the distinct impression that Mr. Colson is not, in fact, an ordained minister in any denomination.

As far as I can tell, his only crime in the last 30 years has been to establish a prison ministry whose participants experience 1/3 the recidivism rate of the general prison population. In other words, he's helping men and women who have committed crimes to change their ways and make something of themselves for society.

And apparently commenting for the WaPo when asked to do so.

That doesn't seem so bad.

RYAN HABER:

I agree that Mr. Colson has paid his debt to society. However, what I find striking about the man is that he went from politician to clergy. Both are positions in which you can easly manipulate people. I find that very odd!

Ash:

You wrote, "No one is perfect, but how many nations have you betrayed? How many democratic governments have you tried to subvert?"

Ah, true. It is a pretty horrible thing to subvert our government. But let's not get self-righteous. It's very easy to pick a sin or crime to which we ourselves aren't tempted and label that "the very worst thing." It's also hypocritical.

Mr. Colson paid his debt to the public and has repudiated past wickedness. He has since shown no desire, nor been caught making an attempt, to break into hotels or opponent's headquarters.

I believe in the reformability of the human person because it makes sense (it is dependent upon and logically follows from our ability to change and grow) and because I have experienced it in others and in myself.

Do you believe that people can change? Do you know Mr. Colson well enough that despite his clean public record for over 30 years you can assert with authority of your personal experience that he is still a bad man? Or is it that you don't like your enemies, and for those who oppose you, no slur or slander is too low?

Maybe you just don't realize how shrewish it is to bring up thirty years' common knowledge as if anyone on the blog didn't know what Mr. Colson has done.

Mr. Colson, it occurs to me that it really is a compliment that those who detest you, a public figure, have nothing on the public record against you more recent than Watergate.

Chuck said right up front, "In choosing a president, good character and competence are the two most important qualities."

And we can judge him, (Mr Nixon) by the character and competence of the people he picks to do his crimes. The difference between the "good thief" and the bad one is the bad thief got caught. But Jesus turns thieves that get caught into "good thieves." Jesus did not then and does not now get them off their crosses -soothes but does not heal.

http://www.hoax-buster.org page 2 explains it all - good thieves with "character and competence." If they were really all that good, (competent) would they get caught? Somebody caught a woman claiming to be the "son of God" and now they call her Jesus. Didn't work then but does work now Chuck?

Your essay eliminates Republicans altogether doesn't it? You found Jesus as the judge passed sentence and now you're a Democrat - going your way and sinning on the QT?

One again we see the Calvanist approach to life: salvation by faith alone. A good out, just like "the poor are always with you". "Good works" (really GOOD works) seem to be left out; predestination left in. Really now...........

The problems of 1. evil, and 2, first cause, should always come up in any reasonable discussion. Let's try those for a change (and no circular proofs, please).

First two lines of the Rotarians four way test:

1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?

See the others and discussion at their site. These used to posted in almost every business and school.
I have not seen one in years.

Brambleton,

No one is perfect, but how many nations have you betrayed? How many democratic governments have you tried to subvert?

I'll assume that Chuck is one-up on all of us in both categories.

http://famousmormons.net/ Ya Ya!

From Mr. Colson’s submission, from the same paragraph.
“. . . a candidate’s religious beliefs are relevant”
“No candidate has to defend his religion or even explain it”

Hmm…. How the heck can it be ‘relevant’ and yet unavailable/off limits for examination and questioning?

It's odd. Some people will excuse anything in their favorite persons until the day they die while they hold their enemies in contempt over actions thirty years old.

I am not speaking of Mr. Colson here, but of those who throw Watergate in his face everytime he writes a column about his favorite pattern of wallpaper or whatever other topic On Faith has selected.

It shows either an amazing amount of hatred (blind hatred, too, for never having actually met the man, I assume) or else an incredibly capacity to get stuck in the '70s. Mr. Colson seems to have moved on. Let's move on too, shall we, people?

Brambleton,

The difference is Hester Prynne, while unfairly branded with a scarlet letter, didn't try to push her moral sentimentality onto the public arena or appoint herself as a moral or political counselor to inform the 'morally weak'. Mr. Colson was guilty and did serve seven months in prison for Watergate crimes and while Jesus may forgive, the public must be aware and be on guard.

As for Thomas Jefferson, while a brilliant political thinker, he does lack credibility in the arena of slavery - even though he did sincerely try to legally ban it. Nevertheless, he accepted the economic necessity and owned slaves (so much for all men are created equal). This action, no matter what defense you wish to make, becomes even more egregious when in 1777, Vermont became the first U.S. Territory to abolish slavery while in 1780 Pennsylvania became the first State to abolish it. Even up to 1819, Jefferson still owned slaves. Seems he was a little behind the zeitgeist of his time in acting upon his conviction.

Aren't these just platitudes and cliches? Everyone wants a President who is honest, and moral, and a person of integrity. Any elementary school kid could tell you that. Isn't this a little like when Bush said his favorite philopher was Jesus? What does an answer like that get us? It just get us through this particular moment, into the next moment, but there is nothing new or interesting or worhtwhile about it.

Thanks

DO NOT BUY "LUK-oil" gasoline & their produts!

They use the proceeds to infiltrate the American Government elected "OFFICIALS"!

LUK-oil is a RUSSIAN-MAFIA Government 'Front' for President PUTIN, his hand-picked Croney's via DEMOCRAT 'Chuck Schumer & his Partner in CRIME, Hillary Cinton et al!

LUK-oil indirectly & stealthly is contributing to Mr. HILLARY CLINTON's Presidental Bid (Which is tantamount to illegally exceeding the Presidential "TERM-LIMTS" via Proxy & Nepotism of her lame-duck Prez not beinglame duck anymore!???? think about it!)

So do not buy any LUK, Russian Government Mafia Oil or Gas!

Thank You Fellow Eclati-On(s).

"You can fool some of Us in US some time, but not ALL the time!

What makes Colson's Christianity suspect is his continued support for and campaigning for Republicans. If he were a sincere thoughful Christian, he'd see that faith transcends political affiliation, that one can be a Christian and also a Democrat or Socialist or Green etc. Instead by limiting his highly partisan sdvocacy to support only Republicans, he undermines himself and Christianity. The day Colson draws on his Christian faith to oppose war, poverty, human exploitation, and environmental degradation will be the day I'll accept his sincerity.

ESmith,

I suppose Thomas Jefferson lacks credibility too because he engaged in slavery? If you want to hold the man accountable for his actions, I'm right behind you. But don't be such a lemming by branding him with a scarlet letter.

Rich blessings.

Note: This is recycled Mareial From Brethren(s) Anderson's page. Thank You Brethren Chuck, et al.

VOTE: Take Back A Sweet America & throw out the Russian Crude(s) so to speaketh (communists at heart & 1000 faces, who vie with 'Both" International Religious & nonReligious Mafiaoso Capitalist with Evilizing thoughts.)

Note: President Ronald Reagan rightly said, "..The EVIL EMPIRE.." [U.S.S.R.].

Is this a genuine conspiracy or What????

Please see 2nd hand Evidence here, via Russia Links!

1) Russia's energy giant Lukoil says it's been given the go-ahead to expand its oil and gas activities in Iran. Please see:

http://russiatoday.ru/business/news/18479

2) Lukoil and Rosneft say they'll consider selling their oil and gas in roubles instead of dollars, if the U.S. currency continues to depreciate. Please see:

http://russiatoday.ru/business/news/18426

Please, Sweet Fellow American(s),

VOTE: ((( Peace Love Rock nRoll nRap Mitt_ROMNEY for Prez 2008 YEA! )))))))))

Thank You , me fellow Eclati-On(s) & not Off(s)! Ya Ya!

Romney Romney Romney Romney!

America is in good hands With President Romney!

Does "Watergate Seven" ring a bell? I agree JAD, this article strains credibility. Good judgment and good character go hand in hand and good judgement should count somewhere toward the top of the qualifiers for being President - not religion. Professed morality and lack of good judgement has gotten us about where we are today.

Yours in Jesus' name

JAD/John,

Life must be pretty mundane when you live a life that is perfect, sin-less, and unquestionably moral. I'm dying to know the secret to how you've done it. Please enlighten me.

Rich blessings.

Mr. Colson, You are right the character of a man does not mean he must believe or "fear" being held responsible to the highest court of myth. It does require a person to be held up to the highest standards of ones conscience and value as a human being. I believe respect for these values are what are going to end this present debauchery.

I'm voting for a chief executive, not a chief priest.
I don't care if a candidate worships JHWH, Allah, Vishnu, Kali, or Isadora Duncan. I DO care about whether a candidate will uphold the Constitution, even if doing so conflicts with his/her personal religious beliefs.

VOTE: ((( Peace Love Rock nRoll nRap Mitt_ROMNEY for Prez 2008 YEA! )))))))))

Thank You , me fellow Eclati-On(s) & not Off(s)! Ya Ya!

Romney Romney Romney Romney!

America is in good hands Mit Romney!

Praise The LORD! Hallaluja!

"cannot be trusted to do the right thing for the common good"

You mean like Dick Nixon?

JAD,

Spot on, old bean.

I'm confused. Is Chuck Colson lecturing us about morality? I'm afraid I don't have a refined enough sense of irony to process that.