The decision was finally made by the Supreme Court today, in the case of the Mojave Desert Cross, which has been the center of controversy for the last several years. The cross has been covered in plywood throughout that time as the argument ensued. Since it was said that the cross could not be displayed on government land, a proposal was in place to transfer the spot of land which the cross sits on into private hands, so the cross could stay. A lower court had formerly denied the request, saying that the transfer did not sufficiently eliminates the concerns of those who did not want a religious symbol on public land, such as the Mojave National Preserve.
The Supreme Court announced today, however, that that lower court had gone too far by ordering that the cross be removed from it’s long time home on top of a remote rocky hill in California’s Mojave desert. The congressionally endorsed war memorial was erected by the VFW on the federal reserve over 75 years ago. In a 5 to 4 vote, the Supreme Court supported the land transfer and decided that the cross can stay. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, “Here one Latin cross in the desert evokes far more than religion. It evokes thousands of small crosses in foreign fields marking the graves of Americans who fell in battles, battles whose tragedies are compounded if the fallen are forgotten.” He added aloud, “The goal of avoiding governmental endorsement does not require eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm.”
The cross was first erected in 1934, to honor soldiers who were killed in WWI and was taken care of for 50 years by John Riley Brimley, who was a World War One Army medic. People have been gathering at the site for Easter services and the like, which became routine in 1984. Various volunteers have cared for the cross since then. It was boarded up in 2002, and The Liberty Legal Institute a law firm founded in 1997 to protect religious freedoms and First Amendment rights, thankfully teamed up with The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and other veterans service organizations to defend the Mojave Cross from removal.
The whole long drawn out drama was started when a National Parks Employee complained about the transfer. Justice Samuel Alito stated that he never would have allowed the employee to bring the objection about the land being placed into the hands of the VFW to have went to court in the first place. Chief Justice John Robertswas a little more comical with his opinion. In the lower court argument, a lawyer for the side wishing to stop the land transfer suggested that they would have no problem if the cross were taken down, the land sold to the VFW, and then the cross re-erected. “I do not see how it can make a difference for the government to skip that empty ritual and do what Congress told it to do - sell the land with the cross on it,” Roberts said.
It is about time our Supreme Court and justice system stood up for our freedoms. Although it is a small victory, it is a victory nonetheless, and I, for one, am glad to accept it, not only on the behalf on Christians everywhere, but in honor of those who died for this country, so that we would have the right to place a cross in the middle of a desert without worrying that complaints would have it taken down. And as for the National Parks Employee who complained? Let's all pray for them, they seem to need it!
It’s all over Facebook, “President Obama has decided that there will no longer be a “National Day of Prayer” held in May. He doesn’t want to offend anybody. Where was his concern about offending Christians last January when he allowed the Muslims to hold a day of prayer on the capitol grounds. As a Christian American “I am offended.” if you agree copy and paste no matter what religion you are, this country was built on Freedom!!!”
And then there are the comebacks, “Not entirely true….snopes.com…..” showing that the message is not entirely correct, as it is written. The President did not cancel the entire day, he couldn’t even if he wanted to. A government can make laws about where you pray out loud, but they will never be able to stop anyone from praying- anywhere, anytime they wish, even if it is silent prayer.While it is true that prayer in America is under attack, no, President Barack Obama did not cancel the National Day of Prayer. What he DID do is announce the decision to cancel any observance of the day in the White House. There will be no prayer meeting at the White House as was tradition before Obama came into office. He made the same announcement last year.
Since much of American history has been removed from the history books, it is quite possible that some will disagree, but The National Day of Prayer is a very vital part of the nation’s heritage. The first call by the government for American citizens too pray was sent out by Congress in 1775, asking the colonies to pray for wisdom in forming a nation. The very nation which now tries to claim that American forefathers did not intend for the citizens to mix prayer and government. The very same government which took a letter from Thomas Jefferson, cut out the words, “separation of church and state” and made it a law that America cannot have anything in it’s school and government buildings to imply religion. When these words were first written, school and church was held in the very same building, and the intent was to never allow government to make any rules about church, or religious beliefs.
The request from government for Americans to pray has continued since then all throughout history, such as when Lincoln proclaimed a day of “humiliation, fasting, and prayer” in 1863. A joint resolution between Congress, which was signed by President Truman declared that there would be a National Day of Prayer, to be held annually. In 1988, President Reagan amended the law, and permanently set the day as the first Thursday in every May. It is a law, which means President Obama would have to amend or repeal it in order to cancel the entire day. He cannot wipe out a law with just an announcement…he would need to go though a similar ordeal as the one which passed the Health Care Reform.
The National Day of Prayer was meant as a day to recall and teach the way that America’s founding fathers looked to God for the wisdom they needed as a new baby nation. Despite Obama canceling the National Day of Prayer SERVICE, The 59th Annual National Day of Prayer will take place Thursday, May 6, 2010. Millions will unite in prayer at thousands of events across America. The theme for this year is “Prayer for Such a Time as This” and is based on the verse from Nahum 1:7 which states: “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him.” (nationaldayofprayer.org) America is in much need of healing, and prayer is a good step towards getting there. “2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
A school in Indiana will not go gently into that good night. They are absolutely refusing to give up the right to have prayer in their school without fighting the battle to it's end, although one of the school's top ranking student voted against the prayer.
In September, members of the graduating class of Greenwood High School shuffled into the school's auditorium for a vote on whether or not to have a prayer at the graduation ceremony. Most of these student voted in favor of the prayer. Eric Workman, the top ranking student, and suspected valedictorian of the school, voted "no."
Since the school was going ahead with the prayer, based on the majority vote, Workman decided to file a suit hoping to stop the prayer before his May 28th commencement. He has the ACLU backing his suit. The school, with the help of the community, is planning to spend whatever amount of money they need to in order to fight for the right to pray! "I think one of the reasons why people go along with the flow is you're dealing with a student and taxpayers' money. Then the ACLU gets involved and they're expecting the school to pay for everything, and you don't want to put the funds at risk. But there just comes a time when you just have to stand up," Farley said.
The odds are not in their favor.
• In 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that students at a Texas public high school could not vote to approve holding student-led prayers over the public address system during school football games.
• In 1992, a Supreme Court ruling outlawed prayers by clergy at public school graduations.
• Non-denominational prayer has also been deemed unconstitutional.
"A lot of these schools, to avoid lawsuits or fights, will settle or change their practices," said Charles Haynes, senior scholar for the Freedom Forum First Amendment Center in Washington, D.C., referencing a case in Florida last year in which a complaint by a student immediately resulted in an apology and reversal in school policy district-wide.
Last month, student-led prayer offered daily through the public address system at Alabama's Alexandria High School stopped after a student questioned its legality.
"A lot of school districts take the path of least resistance," Haynes said.
This story really got me thinking. I am a pretty much calm, easy-going law abiding citizen, but lately I have had thoughts like," So what if a court decides they cannot pray, they should do it anyway. What can they do, lock up everyone at the graduation? I mean really, if someone who is NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE SCHOOL, takes the mic to speak, and says a prayer, who could really stop everyone there who wanted to from praying along? Do we not still have freedom of speech? I mean no one is forcing anyone else to pray who does not want to. The school is not fighting for the right to fail or punish any student who does not wish to pray. They are being fair to everyone, if you do not want to pray, THEN DON'T, but stop trying to walk all over the rights of those who do!! And Christians, it is your own fault if you let them. Look at Daniel. It was against the law for him to pray but did that stop him? NO.
When I was in the sixth grade this subject worried me alot. I remember thinking, "How can they stop me from praying? No one can stop you from that." I wrote a little poem, and I have seen variations all over the place since. My original version said something like"Though Satan tries to stop us and the Supreme Court makes it's rules, as long as kids have prayer, there WILL be prayer in schools!"
The government needs to understand...it is NOT the right to pray that we fight for, for NO ONE can stop us from praying anytime, anywhere we want. It is the right to pray together, out loud, the same way everyone voices anything else they want. In Florida they are fighting for the right to show the video of Dawn Brancheau, the Sea World trainer, being pummeled to death by a killer whale. They are calling the right to put the video online "Freedom of Speech" Are you kidding me? This falls under freedom of speech but the right to say out loud "God help these students as they travel into adulthood" is not?!
I realize this is a long post, but it is very important to me. I am getting frustrated with those who will not stand up. I write and get no feedback, I share and get no response, but I cannot stop. If we stop, we lose. Somewhere we forgot who we are. We are God's children, The same God who shut the Lion's mouth when Daniel was thrown into the den FOR PRAYING. And now when we are told we are not allowed to pray, we let it hurt our hearts for a moment, we lower our heads, we turn the other cheek, and we walk away...into that dark night. I , for one, will NOT go quietly!!! Who will stand with me?!?! Who will voice it out loud, in comments here, on their own profiles, who is not ashamed to let the world know, we will not go quietly!
Here is what Andy Rooney thinks of prayer...I was sent this in an email yesterday, and it fit so well, that I am posting it here.
PLEASE PASS THIS ON!!
Keep this going around the globe. Read it and forward every time you receive it. We can't give up on this issue.
Andy Rooney and Prayer
Andy Rooney says:
I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue
somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree
with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school
teacher taught his Theory of Evolution.
Life, liberty, or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered
because someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game. So
what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the entire
Book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and asking him
to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going home from
the game.
But it's a Christian prayer, some will argue. Yes, and this is the United
States of America, a country founded on Christian principles. According
to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all others
better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect, somebody chanting Hare
Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect to hear
a Jewish prayer. If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to
hear a Muslim prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would
expect to hear someone pray to
Buddha.
And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me one bit.
When in Rome...
But what about the atheists, is another argument? What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized. We're not going to pass the
collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds. If that's asking too much,
bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit the
concession stand. Call your lawyer!
Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell thousands
what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a football
game is going to shake the world's foundations. Christians are just sick
and tired of turning the other cheek while our courts strip us of all our rights.
Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray before
we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a handful of
people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying.
God, help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well, just sue me.
The silent majority has been silent too long.. It's time we tell that one or two
who scream loud enough to be heard that the vast majority doesn't care what
they want. It is time that the majority rules! It's time we tell them, "You
don't have to pray; you don't have to say the Pledge of Allegiance; you don't
have to believe in God or attend services that honor Him. That is your right,
and we will honor your right; but by golly, you are no longer going to take our
rights away. We are fighting back, and we WILL WIN!"
God Bless us one and all... Especially those who denounce Him, God Bless America,
despite all her faults; she is still the greatest nation of all. God Bless our service
men and women who are fighting to protect our right to pray and worship God.
Let's make this the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back
as the foundation of our families and institutions. And our military forces
come home from all the wars. Keep looking up.
It has been a very busy week. Traveling with the controversial, self-proclaimed "King of Kings" or "Son of God" has been quite an experience! First there was "Palm Sunday", when Jesus rode into town. The crowds were horrible that day. With all of the political tension so thick in the air, it was surprising that Jesus even showed up, but He sure did! In His last trip into Jerusalem, Jesus rode in on a donkey, but just as triumphantly as the King which He is, with His followers waving Palm Fronds in reverence. "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!" the crowds yelled. One of the Pharisees were overheard telling Jesus to rebuke the crowds for saying such things, but He answered in a strange way. "If they kept quiet, the stones along the path would burst into cheers!" He told them.
Next on the agenda for this week was The Last Supper. It was held in the guest room of a house in Jerusalem. The exact location is being withheld to protect the owner's identity. Peter and John went ahead to prepare the meal and they did a terrific job. All of this occurred on Holy (Maundy) Thursday. All 12 of Jesus's disciples were in attendance Jesus had very interesting things to say during this feast. During a very serious moment, Jesus told them all that one of them would betray Him and that Peter would deny even knowing Him, not once but three times! Well, with the political upheaval that was happening, this was not too hard to believe. It is not exactly smiled upon to be a follower of Jesus. Jesus also told everyone in attendance that He was going to be crucified.
Bread loaves, and wine was among the food which was served. At one point, Jesus took a cup of wine and said thanks over it. Then He passed it to the 12 men and told them to share it among themselves. He also took a loaf of bread and tore it into pieces after thanking God for it also. While handing it out to His disciples, He said, "This is my body, given for you, This do in remembrance of me. This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you, an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you." It was a foreboding moment, and Jesus seemed to be in a rare solemn mood. Incidentally, Jesus was seen praying in the garden after supper, asking God to please let Him escape the horrors to come if it were at all possible. He seemed to be sweating blood. "Not My will but Thine be done," He added. It seems that Jesus trusts His Father unconditionally.
While He was in the garden, soldiers came to arrest Him. Judas, one of His 12 disciples, was with them, and betrayed Jesus with a kiss. Judas told the soldiers to arrest the one which he greeted with a kiss, and then walked over to kiss Jesus. He was paid 30 pieces of silver for his trouble. It is unclear if he ever got to spend any of it, since he committed suicide by hanging himself soon after Jesus was arrested. The disciples tried to stop the arrest, and one even cut off a soldier's ear, but Jesus simply placed the ear back on the man's head, and healed him.
Good Friday turned out to show exactly why Jesus was so serious during the supper. The masses eventually got to Pilot, it seems. Everyone wanted Jesus to be crucified, but Pilot was having a hard time understanding why this man should die. He had committed no crime, and had never harmed anyone. In fact, He had healed many people, and spoke of loving others on many occasions. Of course, politically it was the right thing for Pilot's career to follow the majority's wishes. He did try to appease them with a thief named Barabbas, but they wanted to see Jesus die. It was obviously with reluctance that Pilot conceded and let Barabbas go. He then handed Jesus over to be beaten with a lead tipped whip. While Jesus was being questioned by the religious and political leaders, three different people asked Peter if he knew Jesus. He denied that he did, three different times.
According to witnesses, Jesus had never been seen harming anyone. He spent 33 years of His life doing only good for the people around Him. They beat Him. It was a horrific event to see. The whips were swung until it seemed the soldier's arms would fall off, and then they would switch up. He bled, His skin was shredded, yet He never cursed at them. It was said that He took those stripes so that healing would be available to His people. "For by His stripes we are healed."
The soldiers made fun of Him, and laughed at the fact that He had called Himself the "King of Kings." Placing a purple robe on Him, they made a crown of long, painful looking thorns and shoved it onto His head. Several of them hit Him in the head with sticks. They saluted Him sarcastically saying "Behold the King of the Jews!" The soldiers spit on Him, and then fell to their knees in mock worship, and stood to spit on Him again. Not until they had exhausted themselves of mocking Him did they finally lead Him away to be crucified. They placed a very large, heavy wooden cross on Jesus's shoulder and demanded that He carry it up Golgatha's Hill, to the town's crucifixion site. He finally fell under the strain, having lost so much blood from the torture which they made Him endure. A man named Simon, from Cyrene was made to carry the cross the rest of the way up the hill. Two thieves were also being crucified that day, however they were not tortured the way Jesus was.
After the beating He had already endured, the soldiers decided to nail Jesus to the cross. While masses of people who Jesus had came to earth to save screamed "Crucify Him!", soldiers nailed His arms and feet to the cross, each strike of the hammer echoed through the town. It was almost unbearable to see. They suspended Him in the air, between the two thieves. The usual custom is to break the legs of those being crucified, but they did not break His legs. He asked for something to drink, but they gave Him vinegar. One soldier stabbed Jesus in the side. Jesus suffered for quite a long time. At one point He was overheard asking "My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?" Amazingly enough He still offered no curses or ill will to his torturers.
As He was dying, and looking down at those who had spat on Him, tortured Him, beaten Him, stabbed him in the side, shoved a crown made of thorns into His head, and nailed his arms and feet to a cross, which they then suspended Him from to die….as He hung between life and death watching His torturers, He offered no curses, no ill will, no hate. He only offered love with the words He prayed to God, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” As He gasped for His last few breaths, He could be heard saying "It is finished." Then Jesus died. His crucifixion was held at 9 am on Friday morning. Immediately the earth turned dark as night. Earthquakes shook the land, and lightening flashed angrily. One soldier shouted "Surely this was the Son of God!" The curtain in the temple, which kept man separated from God was ripped down the middle, forever allowing man to pray to God himself, and ask forgiveness for his own sins. No longer will a sacrifice by a high priest be necessary, for Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Jesus's body was then taken to be buried. The soldiers made sure that the stone door of Jesus's tomb was sealed tightly.
Saturday was a sad day of mourning for Jesus's followers. Some of them finally fell alseep, exhausted on Saturday night. They woke to the screams of Mary Magdalene. She was insisting that Jesus was no longer in His grave! Apparently, sometime during the early morning hours, an angel rolled the stone away from the tomb, and Jesus woke up! He was resurrected from the dead in a miracle not seen since Lazareth. Although Thomas did not believe it at first, Jesus allowed him to touch the scars in His hands where the nails had been. Jesus had CAME to this earth knowing exactly what His sacrifice was to be. He SAW the condition of the world, and the sadness and sin in it. And He CONQUERED death, hell , and the grave. He gave His own life to be the sacrifice for sin, so that man could be forgiven.
He was resurrected on the first Easter Sunday, and after visiting with many of his followers, He ascended into heaven to be with His Father once again. He waits there for everyone who has accepted His gift of Salvation. His ultimate sacrifice was for everyone who has had breath since His was extinguished. The blood He shed was to cover the sin of man. If anyone wants to be forgiven for their sins and have the blood of Jesus cover their lives, He died to make that possible. The only requirements are to believe that He died on the cross for you. Pray to Him and ask Him to come into your heart and forgive you for your wrongdoings. Jesus did not teach people to judge. He did not even judge his torturers, He offered forgiveness and love. That is what Christianity is truly about. I suspect this day will go down in history, and people will be thanking Jesus for His great sacrifice for thousands of years to come. I am honored to have had the chance to witness these events, and wish to take a moment to thank Jesus for giving His life for me. Please watch the embedded video which portrays these events below.
I have seen MANY websites and articles for and against the Health Care Bill. I have read hundreds of comments from people giving their opinions since it is my job to write articles on the hot topics in the news. One comment called the people who were against the bill 'stupid' and said most of us probably had not even read it. They were right about that part. The bill is almost 2000 pages long and very hard to understand.
In response to articles about the chip that is going to be implanted in the skin as a requirement of the healthcare bill..it is real, people, it is called 'Veri-chip' http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VeriChip and many people have said it was ludicrous to think it would ever happen. Others cannot understand why it is such a frightening thing to anyone. http://www.antichips.com/ Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Revelation 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Revelation 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (666)
NOW GO BACK AND READ THE WIKIPEDIA DEFINITION AGAIN!!! IT SAYS...."About twice the length of a dime, the device is typically implanted between the shoulder and elbow area of an individual’s right hand."
Now do you think this cannot happen? Well I looked through a copy of the health care bill that I FINALLY found online.http://docs.house.gov/rules/health/111_ahcaa.pdf Whether or not it is the entire bill I do not know. It is, as I said very hard to understand...but this part seemed pretty clear:
‘‘(2) GOALS FOR FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSACTIONS.—The goals for standards
under paragraph (1) are that such standards shall,
to the extent practicable—
‘‘(A) be unique with no conflicting or redundant standards;
‘‘(B) be authoritative, permitting no additions or constraints for electronic transactions,
including companion guides;
‘‘(C) be comprehensive, efficient and robust, requiring minimal augmentation by paper
transactions or clarification by further communications;
‘‘(D) enable the real-time (or near real
time) determination of an individual’s financial
responsibility at the point of service and, to the
extent possible, prior to service, including
whether the individual is eligible for a specific
service with a specific physician at a specific facility, on a specific date or range of dates, include utilization of a machine-readable health
plan beneficiary identification card or similar
mechanism;
This sounds to me as if they are saying that they will determine if you are eligible for healthcare, and what type of care, what doctor, what hospital, on what date you are allowed to have it. And the way they will determine this is by a machine readable ID Card OR SIMILAR MECHANISM. (VeriChip here we come!!)
For those who do not understand why any of this is a problem....who think the Veri-chip actually sounds like a good idea...it can after all make medical records of unconscious people available in seconds, keep up with Alzheimer's patients, rid the need for cash(it can be used just like a debit card) locate missing children who have been implanted, and many other seemingly great things. So you may wonder "What's so bad about that?" Revelation 14:9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Revelation 14:11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
For those reading this who do not believe in God, I am sorry, I truly am. I cannot understand how anyone can watch the events, which were prophesied in the Bible THOUSANDS of years ago, happening right in front of your eyes and still not see. I am not writing this to offend anyone or their beliefs. I am writing because it is what I am called to do. It burns like fire shut up in my bones..and I HAVE to tell whomever hath an ear to hear....God please let them hear. I do not write out of judgment, I write out of love, my heart hurts for those who do not know, and will not see, my eyes tear and my heart bleeds for you.
For those who think I am making this stuff up, I have included links to back up what I am saying. My daddy is a preacher. He taught me from the pulpit when I was very small not to EVER take anything that any preacher said to me as truth without getting my Bible out and seeing for myself. He said, "That goes for me too, Angie, if I tell you something, you look it up!" I still stand by that, and I have searched for days before bringing this to anyone who will listen. And I bring you the same challenge: Don't take anything I say as fact, LOOK IT UP FOR YOURSELF. I'm just here trying to make people who may not see yet aware of what is happening. I am not trying to stop it. We cannot stop it. GOD said it would happen and it WILL. I am simply trying to help everyone get through it without losing their souls....
(This is cut and pasted from a Facebook note that I wrote this morning.) I know this will sound a little silly or even totally ridiculous to some of you, but I had to write something about it. I was changing my status, using status shuffle, when the page which I have attached here popped up. In case you cannot read it, it says "Tired of your relationship? Take a naughty break" and then offers a button to click which says "Join BE NAUGHTY" It struck me as so ludicrous that I had to go and learn how to use "snipping tool" to capture a picture of my screen so that I could share what I am referring to. We all know the world is getting to be a pretty bad place at times. We also know it is very hard for relationships to make it in with all of the problems that face us on a daily basis. The sad thing is, relationships used to be supported by the media, and advertisements. Marriage was a precious, holy, protected union between a MAN and a WOMAN (yes I said it, if it offends you, then maybe I shouldn't be on your friend's list) and even commercials and ads did not support anything which would cause relationships to fall apart. No, this ad does not say "marriage" it says "relationship" but either way, the basis of the ad is to encourage cheating AND to provide you with an avenue to do so. "Well if your mate doesn't know what's the harm?" you may think. You know very well what the harm is. Whether your husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend ever even knows that you have done this, YOU know, and you are being dishonest, and keeping secrets, which to be frankly honest, is the same as feeding a slow-acting poison into the heart of your relationship. Marriage, relationships, and family are the foundations of our country, our world, and when that foundation is under attack, and begins to crumble, so does everything good that we know. I am not launching this as a campaign to get rid of these ads, I am not judging anyone who has ever clicked on one, I myself have done things online that I am not proud of, I simply needed to speak out, to voice my opinion, like my blog says, "Put in my two cents" Whether or not a person clicks on these ads is their own choice, and none of my business, I am simply saying that I find it absolutely ridiculous that they are even there to click in the first place.
http:///content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2009/11/sc-license-tag-with-cross-and-i-believe-ruled-unconstitutional/1
Yes, In South Carolina there is a battle going on by people who simply want to express their religious beliefs on their car tag. A company actually BOUGHT the ''I BELIEVE'' statement so that it would be legal for them to use it on their tags, but this also was named ''Unconstitutional''. As stated by a few people on a news interviews I saw..''We can have wildlife, save the whales, and football teams, but our Faith is not allowed. Maybe I don't want to see (name of a football team I won't repeat) supported but only religion is being ruled by government.'' And yes, this makes me want to paint all over my car ''I BELIEVE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!PRAISE GOD, NO WEAPON SHALL PROSPER!'' and drive right across that Georgia state line into South Carolina. I bet I'd have quite a lot of people in the convoy with me!
Also , Home Depot has fired a man, Trevor Keezer, for wearing a button that said ''One Nation Under God Indivisible''http://www.christianpost.com/article/20091028/ex-home-depot-worker-to-file-religious-discrimination-lawsuit/index.html
This one is so sad to me. And yes, I know that the Bible states that these things would happen, but to the anonymous commenter who said that we should not be upset by it, I am sorry, but I am. I am saddened, outraged, and disgusted by a lot that is happening now. And although it is prophecy fulfilled, I do not feel that I am supposed to sit quietly by and watch as my belief, my rights, and my God are degraded, trampled on, and pushed out. Jesus's Death was prophecy also, so was Peter's betrayal, however I just don't think that I could have sat peacefully by, smiling to myself as I watched it all happen. Prophecy or not, it stinks.
This is yet another matter of ''Separation of Church and State''. So....how many of you think that this is actually IN The Constitution? http://www.allabouthistory.org/separation-of-church-and-state.htm IT IS NOT! Read this exerpt from the preceeding link if you do not wish to read the whole article.
"Separation of church and state" is a common metaphor that is well recognized. Equally well recognized is the metaphorical meaning of the church staying out of the state's business and the state staying out of the church's business. Because of the very common usage of the "separation of church and state phrase," most people incorrectly think the phrase is in the constitution. The phrase "wall of separation between the church and the state" was originally coined by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to the Danbury Baptists on January 1, 1802. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was used exclusively to keep the state out of the church's business, not to keep the church out of the state's business.
The constitution states, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." Both the free exercise clause and the establishment clause place restrictions on the government concerning laws they pass or interfering with religion. No restrictions are placed on religions except perhaps that a religious denomination cannot become the state religion.''
This will be a rather long post. I watched a Documentary last night on PBS, called ''Secrets of the Dead-The Battle for the Bible'' It was very enlightening to me, and I want to share what I have learned. You do not have to come along on this journey if you do not wish, however I think it is extremely important that we know the truth about this whole ''Separation of Church and State''. They use the First Amendment to control what we can and cannot say, wear, or hang in our offices. It is outrageous, since the First Amendment actually was written so that the government CANNOT decide how we are allowed to express our religious beliefs! I had been taught that our forefathers came to this country simply because they did not agree with or like the Catholic religion in the way it was worshiped at that time, and so they came here to start their own. While this is a very watered down version of the truth, it does not at all explain what they went through, or how dedicated they were to their beliefs and their God. Here...is the whole story as much as I can put here....
In the 1500s, In England, the only Bibles were from the Old Testament, and were not allowed to be read by the public. The Roman Catholic Church had the only translations, and there were no English translations for common people to read. This meant that only Priests/Church Leaders were allowed to read the Bible, only their interpretations were accepted, and that these were accepted as law, since the Government ran the Church.Church attendance was not by choice, it was mandatory for all citizens. Basically, the government interpreted the Bible the way it saw fit and citizens were forced to comply. Among these beliefs were that Mass, Communion, and good deeds were the only way into heaven.
A few people were able to translate the Bible for themsleves, and felt that the Church's interpretation was wrong, and the wealth the Church was obtaining from the people through religion was sickening. Three of these men were, William Tindale, John Wycliff, and Thomas Cranmer. These three men began to translate the Bible into English so that everyone could read it for themselves and make their own judgments. Of course the church did not like this at all, for it allowed the people, for the first time in history, to read the Bible and to decide for themselves.
Wycliff was born around 1320. He became convinced that the Scripture Itself, and NOT the Mass and Communion rituals, was the ONLY way into heaven. He and others who were translating or reading the Bible began to be persecuted and reading the Bible became illegal and considered heresy in 1407. However, Wycliff had died in 1384, but the spreading of the Bible, known as Lollarday, had continued far after his death. Many of his friends had been burned at the stake for heresy because of their beliefs. The Government was so determined to stop the spread of the Bible, and the followers of Wycliff that in 1428, the already dead Wycliff was tried for heresy, found guilty of 267 counts, his bones were resumed, and his body-dead for 44 years- was burned at the stake. I am so proud to say, ''No, this did not stop the spread of God's word.'' The next man I wish to talk about here is William Tindale. Tindale had been translating the Bible into English for a few years, when , in 1524, he had to flee the country, most likely to Germany, as it was, at that time , legal to translate and print Bibles in Germany. He released a version of the Old and New Testament in 1526. Martin Luther was starting the Protestant Movement in Germany at this time, and the English Government was becoming even more determined to stop the ''rebellion'' dead in its tracks. Tindale was persecuted, and saw many people he loved, including his best friend, die for the cause of spreading God's word, but still he persevered.He smuggled His Bibles into England by boat. In 1535, Tindale befriended and hired a man named Henry Phillips. Henry told Tindale that he was a Christian, and seeing a fellow believer down on his luck, he gave the man a job, and shared the details of his smuggling operation.One night Henry invited Tindale to dinner, but it was a trap. Henry betrayed him, and Tindale was deported to Brussels, where he was imprisoned. He was found guilty of heresy and spent a year in prison, never hearing his native tongue,English, spoken.There was never any question that he would be executed as this was the punishment for heresy, however it was decided that he would be strangled first, to make it more ''humane''. So a rope was put around his neck, and a stick placed in the rope, and twisted, until he was strangled unconscious. Sadly, he regained consciousness while burning alive at the stake. He yelled,''Dear God please open the King's eyes!'' Tindale never got to hear his beloved Bible read in his native tongue.
For a while after that, the religious pendulum swung back and forth from Protestant to Catholic. King Henry VIII wanted a divorce because his wife was barren and he wanted a son. When the pope refused to grant him one, he had to find a church that would. So the Protestants were on top for a while and Thomas Cranmer, who was greatly influenced by Luther, pulled the King in that direction. At his death, Mary, his sister, became Queen. She was a fierce Catholic who had Cranmer, along with 300 other Protestants burned at the stake. When Mary died, her sister, Elizabeth took the throne, and attempted to make peace between the two religions, but could not. Her attempts became what is known as the Catholic Church of today, a little of the Protestant beliefs but still holding to the Mass, Communion, and having a Priest intercede for salvation. The Puritans/Protestants were not happy with this. They felt the Church still was ruled by government, and so were their beliefs.Then King James took the throne. King James was determined to bring peace to Europe. The country was ripped apart by these religious wars, and he meant to stop it. He called conferences with both Puritans and Catholics in attendance. The group argued for quite a while but could reach no agreement. Finally a Puritan suggested that a NEW Bible, and NEW translation, be written that would be more acceptable to both parties. King James agreed and the King James Bible was created, as a way to appease both sides. This version was adopted as law. The Puritans, who could not accept still being forced to accept some of the Catholic Doctrine, and having their religious views still punishable by law, left England and formed the colonies. So no, our ''forefathers'' did NOT form this country just because they didn't ''like'' the way things were done in the Catholic Church, they were actually KILLED if they did not follow GOVERNMENT'S rules as to whether or not they could express their beliefs! And they did NOT create The First Amendment to stop kids from praying in school, or the 10 Commandments from being displayed in government worker's offices. They DIED to preserve or right to do just that....express our religion, whether the government agrees with it or not. They were tired of being persecuted,and punished for ''breaking government ruling'' on their beliefs. Sound familiar?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Seems to me like they are twisting, misinterpreting, and using our rights......to take away our rights. By, Angela Mason
I am a freelance writer from North Georgia, USA. Specializing in news articles, my work has been featured in 'Drudge Report', 'Fox News.com', and other news sites online. Aside from news articles, I also write poetry, songs, and short stories, as well as television review, and "how to" articles, and I have a great deal of experience with marketing promotion. According to the client's needs, my writing may be conversational, down to earth and humorous, or direct and factual. I have developed strong technical, informative, and creative writing skills, as well as a good eye for detail when editing and proofreading. Contact me at eyesofananjel@gmail.com
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