A Review of "No More Christian Nice Guy"

The title above provides a link to a review of this refreshingly provocative book that turns the tables on the "politically correct" but useless Jesus.

Here are some excerpts of the review...

"Yes, Christ taught his followers “not to judge” unwisely, but context is important here. He also praised individuals for making wise judgments. Remember John the Baptist? When Christian Leftists hypocritically judge people for judging, they are promoting mindless populism.

"Christians are called to be shakers, not pontificators of slippery values. But the truth is getting out there.

“'Nice' can’t confront this world’s sources of pain. Niceness makes people agreeable, not good. Somehow we have mistaken niceness for righteousness,” maintains Coughlin. American men, of course, need to toughen up for the challenges ahead. They need to stop “making nice” with Martini Marxists."

Sir Elton - Poster "Boy" for Anti-Religion

Its human nature: Smokers do it...alcoholics and addicts do it...gays do it... perverts do it... abortionists do it... thieves do it... Islamo-fascists and their sympathizers do it...illegal aliens and those who benefit from their law-breaking do it. When they tire of hearing that their behavior is wrong, they attempt to eliminate the source of the standard that constrains their behavior.

Sir Elton John is defending his Royal Gayness with a call to ban all religion. You can substitute any of the above-listed destructive predispositions for "gay" and end up with the same hope on the part of the lover of absolute libertarian behavior. You can substitute "law" or "ethics" for "religion" to refer to any standard that is inconveniently constraining.

I've actually heard a smoker defend her addiction by denying the validity of the studies that say smoking causes cancer. She rationalizes that if the same intensity of study were applied to stringbeans that stringbeans will be found to cause cancer, too. Addictions, habits, and predispositions, whether perverted or not, can be mind-bending, indeed.

So much so that a self-rationalization mechanism kicks in creating a Napolean complex that demands the outrageous. Case in point: Gay Sir Elton's defence of his behavior demands a ban on all religion as reported by Matt Drudge:

"ELTON JOHN: 'I WOULD BAN RELIGION COMPLETELY'Sat Nov 11 2006 15:42:55 ET
Sir Elton John wants religion banned completely -- because he believes it promotes hatred of gays. Speaking to the Observer Music Monthly Magazine the singer said religion lacked compassion and turned people into "hateful lemmings". The PRESS ASSOCIATION reports: In a candid interview for a dedicated Gay issue of the magazine he shared his views on topics as varied as being a pop icon to Tony Blair's stance on the war in Iraq. He said there was a lack of religious leadership, particularly in world politics, and complained that people do not take to the streets to protest any more. Sir Elton said: "I think religion has always tried to turn hatred towards gay people. Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays." But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion. From my point of view I would ban religion completely." Organised religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

Yes, Sir Elton, and our standards against murder and rape cause people to have a problem with murderers and rapists. How awful of us. How "lemming" of us. Sir Elton, why don't you just thank your "God of no standards" that you don't have aids...yet...and that you're not burdened with the "hassle" of procreation.

They Got the Wrong Guys!

But, hey, they're implementing President Bush's "Open Borders" policy.

So, there are these two border patrol guys near the Mexican border...they spot a couple of known drug smugglers; they attempt to apprehend them - they resist - the border patrol guys shoot one in the buttocks. Ouch!

So, there is this prosecutor who is trying to make President Bush happy by making an example of the border patrol guys. The audacity of them trying to stop illegal alien drug smugglers! So this dutiful prosecutor offers the buttocks-challenged drug smuggler immunity if he testifies against the border patrol guys. Hey, if you were an illegal alien drug smuggler, what would you do? "Somebody's got to do it" the smuggler thought to himself. Offer accepted. The result? Border patrol guys were sentenced 11 and 12 years in jail. Sore butt goes back to doing what he does best -being a drug smuggling illegal alien.

And so, in response to receiving a little criticism from the American public (well, OK, a lot), the prosecutor holds a news conference where he proclaims, "We are a nation of laws" at which time I vomit all over my TV set.

Is there something wrong with this picture? This is just too insane/inane for me to comprehend.

This chain of events reflects the priorities of our current presidency - open borders at any price - this will teach the damned, over-diligent border patrol agents a lesson. Viva la corruptionne. Viva la screw the laws of these nationee.

Know Your Enemy - The President Doesn't

After reading a portion of the transcript of a recent White House speech given by our President, I couldn't resist writing him to tell him what I thought. Click the title for the context.

Here it is...

Dear Mr. President:

I have read the following transcript of a talk you recently gave:

"Islam is a religion that brings hope and comfort to more than a billion people around the world. It has transcended racial and ethnic divisions. It has given birth to a rich culture of learning and literature and science... ...Ramadan is the holiest month in the Muslim calendar. For Muslims in America and around the world, Ramadan is a special time of prayer and fasting, contemplation of God's greatness, and charity and service to those in need. And for people of all faiths, it is a good time to reflect on the values we hold in common, including love of family, gratitude to God, the importance of community, and a commitment to tolerance and religious freedom."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061016-6.html Link to White House press release of transcript of Iftaar dinner at the White House

Mr. President, with all due respect, you must be kidding. Your words are contributing to the confusion of a nation.

If what you said is true, then...

• Why is Islam known for such extreme violence?
• Why does Islamic violence increase during Ramadan, their "holiest month"?
• Why are Islamic women denied their human rights?
• Why is Islam known to be the most intolerant religion on the planet?
• Why does a central point of Islamic theology require forced conversions?
• Why are the majority of teachers of Islam teaching conquest and Sharia law?
• Why is this nation spending billions of dollars defending against the Islamo-fascist threat?

The better question is, why are you pandering to such a religion? Are you hoping your kind, but erroneous words will change their theology?

The concept of "Moderate Islam" is a hopeful, but self-deluding myth. Your statements reflect a head-in-the-sand understanding of today's Islam. Or at best, reflect the state of Islam 50 years ago. Islam is going through a reformation - a return to their theological roots. These roots are vested in violence and conquest. The Muslims who may be "moderate" based on our Christian world view are in a reformist-Islam intimidated minority. Few speak out against their violent mainstream counterparts.

We will experience success when we know our enemy. You do not speak as if you know our enemy. God help us.

Back Surgery: Don't Leave Home Without It

It began within months of taking Vytorin for high cholesterol. The "muscle pain" in the buttocks and leg increased over the weeks. I finally went to my cardiologist and asked "what's up with this statin (which is what Vytorin is)...I heard it causes muscle pain and it could be serious and the warnings say I should see my doctor and I'm having muscle pain and here I am, doc." So he took me off of Vytorin. My imagination told me the pain went away over the following weeks...but in fact it was still there and a little worse.

The primary symptoms included soreness and tingling in my theigh, and occasionally, when standing for more than a few minutes, a numbness all the way down my leg, and a loss of feeling. I went to my GP a few months later who immediately guessed "spinal stenosis", a narrowing of the passage in the vertibrae where the nerves pass through. Click on the title of this blog for a web site that describes spinal stenosis.

After a series of x-rays and an MRI, the diagnosis was confirmed. There was indeed a narrowing in the lumbar that was pinching the nerves that run into the butt and leg. A myelogram (a dye-sensing x-ray) was then prescribed and I was referred to a neurosurgeon for further evaluation. Based on the myelogram, he noted a total constriction of fluid between L-2 and L-3 and scheduled surgery. The surgery occurred last Tuesday, six days ago. Its name: laminectomy. It involved the removal of some of the material between two vertibrae, and drilling away some of one vertibra to expand the opening to allow a bit more room for the nerves. The surgery took about an hour. This procedure is described here: http://www.spine-health.com/topics/surg/overview/lumbar/lumb04.html

The surgery began at around 1pm and I was in my hospital room by 3pm. I was up walking a bit later that evening. The next day I walked the halls for an hour or two which later led to a discovery that I had muscles I didn't know I had. It's amazing how we substitute the use of one set of muscles for another - which I did. The doc checked me out that afternoon (Wednesday) and I was home by 6pm.

I've been able to perform a bit more unencumbered activity each day... the leg pain is gone, and I've noted a slight daily reduction in back pain at the site of the incision. The doctor and the literature state that this procedure will not reduce pain from arthritis, which is typically also a part of the condition. I am advised not to drive for another week. I expect to be back at work (primarily a desk job) next week. Clarinet practice can begin in two weeks; tennis in a month.

My advice to others who exhibit similar symptoms: Have it checked out...follow through. At this point, the juice seems to be worth the squeeze. It will be interesting to see how many years it takes for the symptoms to return, which I am promised they will. One of my nuggets of wisdom: Everything is temporary. By the way, in case my comments about Vytorin (or statins in general) lead you to believe this was the cause, I can assure you it had nothing to do with my stenosis. Stenosis is a clearly observable physical condition.

Oh, one other thing: If you go for it, please have good medical insurance or lots of money.

Geneva Convention - My Letter to John McCain

I do not understand your position on the Geneva convention. I can see the value when nations engaged in war agree to the terms. But when we are fighting not a nation, but terrorists who are fighting assymetrical warfare and live a totally different standard of morality, the terms of the Geneva convention have no value. If our enemy does not abide by such rules, why should we.

My concern is for the future of this nation. If we fail to adapt to terms of battle established by our enemy, we lose. The analogy is the way the British fought in our revolution - strict rules of battle - the fledgling American fighters were probably thought of as fighting unfair - the British insisted on lining up in nice straight rows with their music playing... we know the outcome. We are doing the equivalent in our battle against Islamo fascists. I sense your thinking is warped by your experience as a POW. Not all sides play "fair". "Fair" is what is agreed to by both sides. We can agree to play by the terms of the Islamo Fascists...that would indeed become "fair." Please don't milquetoast us into oblivion with your soft, "proper" etiquette.

Islam: Religion of Perpetual Outrage

It is proven again that Islam deserves the title of "Religion of Perpetual Outrage."

I am not Catholic...but I wholeheartedly support the Pope's comments...and his refusal to apologize for them.

What did the Pope say to garner the rage of the Islamic world? Here it is, as the Pope quotes from a centuries old book recounting a conversation between 14th century Byzantine Christian Emperor Manuel Paleologos II and a Persian scholar on the truths of Christianity and Islam:

"The emperor comes to speak about the issue of jihad, holy war. He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

That was it. The Pope was speaking for tolerance - for accepting one another's faith. He correctly observed that the teaching of Mohammad is the opposite - no tolerance - in fact it is a teaching that good Muslims must force others to the Islamic religion by the sword - by force - by the consequence of Dhimmitude or death.

And once again Muslims - as shown by their rage at the Pope's words - are proving themselves to be the most INtolerant group of people on the face of the planet. At the same time, many of us in the US and Europe feel we have to cringe and apologize on behalf of the Pope when he speaks the truth. Why do we feel we need to be silent and submissive out of fear of the perpetual outrage of Muslims? Is this attitude because we just don't care - that we have so little faith and belief in anything anymore ourselves - so little that our easiest course is to be silent about the practices of a world religion seeking to dominate nations and individuals through terror and intimidation? If this be the case, woe to the next generation - they have little hope of sustained freedom. Woe to this nation - she has little hope in salvaging her heritage.

The Pope has it right. And its about time someone of his stature spoke out.

Michelle Malkin honored Oriana Fallaci, an outspoken critic of Islam, upon her death by quoting her here http://michellemalkin.com/archives/005934.htm Her writings demonstrate her passion and her fears of the worlds response to Islam's fanatical aggression. She is worth reading and understanding and sharing with others.

"Core Values Training": Reqired of wrong group

While our troops in Iraq get blown up, shot up and decapitated by the vilest amoral bunch of dogs to roam the earth, we are requiring them all to go through "core values training", which is the military equivalent of anger management training in civilian life. We want them to be sensitive to the culture of those they are fighting.

What is that culture again? The culture that values decapitating those who show cartoons of Muhammad, the leader of the "religion of peace" (gag). The culture that removes freedom of speech and other rights from anyone who practices a different faith from their own. The culture that becomes absolutely psychotic if they are offended in any way. We want to make our troops sensitive to these behaviors? Wow!

Expectations of our society don't seem to match the realities of this war and our enemy.

I deplore killing babies (if, in fact, our soldiers did that), unlike the values of the enemy they are fighting. I deplore the senseless killing of "innocents" (if, in fact, our soldiers did that), unlike the values of the enemy they are fighting.

Core values training. I think our President and Congress could use some "core values training" to remind them of the core values of our own culture. How about our core value of not killing our own babies through the unmitigated practice of abortion? How about our core value of enforcing our own laws and not letting them be ignored for the sake of cheap labor and enhanced corporate profits? How about our core value of respecting our culture and our own heritage and not letting who we are get diluted by rampant, cultural diversity that places a higher value on illegal aliens than on our own citizens?

I think "Core Values Training" for our leaders in Washington should be a much higher priority than Core Values Training for our troops in Iraq.

I Am So Mistaken - Nation of Laws: NOT

Our US Congress' dumbfounding reaction to the FBI's legal search and seizure of evidence from William Jefferson's office reveals a fatal flaw in my previous posts: I'm understanding now that we are not really a nation of laws. I claimed we were. I thought we were. But there is just too much evidence piling up that proves the contrary. My beliefs are based on an out-dated and wishful notion of our country's ethical standards.

The congressional call to return this evidence in the name of "separation of powers", along with the Senate's stupifying amnesty legislation leads me to these conclusions:

• Congress does not give a damn about laws or the enforcement thereof
• They are concerned more about their own welfare
• As an institution, they are self-serving to the detriment of this nation

One of my pet peeves at any level of government is the establishment of laws for appearances sake, to satiate the complainers, with no resources or real intention to enforce the laws. To me, that is not just politics and "political correctness", but simple dishonesty and fraud.

This congressional call to defend their fellow criminal in the name of "separation of powers" reveals to me why these same self-serving SOBs (save our butts) don't care about enforcing our current immigration laws. There is too much in it for them. There's too many corporate contributions to be had. The laws be damned.

The Immigration Speech - Why I Believe the President Has Lost His Credibility

...the little he has left.

• This is the first time he has clearly, publicly articulated "amnesty": making a way for the illegals to become legal with little disruption to their flagrant disrespectful methods of being here.
• This will encourage still additional thronging hoards yearning to be anarchists storming our borders and violating our laws.
• He demonstrated he acknowledges there has been a problem; we all know it has built up over the past 6, 10, 20 years.
• The first six years he could have done something about it but didn't. Why? He doesn't believe in doing anything about it. And he still doesn't.
• We know his heart is not in doing this; it is in producing cheap labor "for the jobs Americans won't do." I don't believe that, either.
• Therefore his actions are disingenuous, with no real intention of following through with a long term program.
• He, like many others, portrays this issue in black/white terms: amnesty or mass deportation. Sure, amnesty is kinder and gentler than deportation and we're really not able to deport 12 million people (especially since we don't really want to). How much of a freakin red herring is THAT! We couldn't (didn't want to) keep them out. We don't even know who they are to kick them out (if we wanted to).
• He ignored the "middle ground: Attrition. Attrition is achieved by not rewarding the illegals with free education and health care and tax-free jobs. Many will trickle away. You wouldn't believe how much of our resources and taxpayer dollars are spent on these free services, plus the law enforcement problem from their law-breaking predisposition.

And yes, we do need private sector cooperation. It's the private sector that is hiring them and encouraging them to be here. Businesses need to be a part of the solution by exercising some responsibility for becoming a major part of the problem. A "tamper-proof" card system is part of the solution to assure businesses can rely on knowing who they hire. But I'm just waiting for the ACLU or equivalent complaining about the dehumanizing, discriminating aspects of having a card. They conveniently forget that we needed social security cards to get a job, but most of us didn't consider forging them.

Too little, too late, and too transparent (translated "disingenuous"). This is not the kind of transparancy in government we need.

A Spirit of "No Can Do"

China. This is rough terrain, okay. And they didn't have tractors or bulldozers. They did it with sweat and blood. Oh and the weather, not blistering hot but bone chillingly cold (high winds and heavy snow). And the length: 3,946 miles. Built during the 14th century. They built this wall for defensive purposes, and you know what? IT WORKED!!

.

Contrast the United States. The US/Mexico border is only about 1,400 miles long. We need to build a wall for "defensive" purposes, too. And you know what? IT WILL WORK. We won't keep everyone out, but we will stop the great majority. Let's say 10% make it over. 100,000 is a lot better than 1 million. But we hear excuses: It won't keep everyone out so don't do it, they say. From our President and from our Senate, both Republicans and Democrats. I'm surprised we have the political will to get up in the morning. What is driving our political stupor? Oh, I remember. Greed!

Let's All Support the "Illegal People"

Yes...let's open up all our jails and close our court rooms and lay off our police departments and what little there is of our border patrol in support of the "illegal people" of this nation.

The following is a news story from the Transylvania Times in Brevard, NC:

Locals Attend Immigration March In Asheville

On MondayJuan Martinez closed his restaurant, Cielito Lindo, pulled his children out of school and gathered his employees on Monday to join the thousands of people marching for immigration support in Asheville. “We closed because we want to support the illegal people and Hispanic population,” said Martinez, a legal immigrant who came to the states from Mexico City in the 1980s. “I wanted to show support and help change the laws in Congress. They need to change,” he said. Martinez estimates he lost $3,000 in sales at his Brevard restaurant. But he said it was worth it to support immigrants, both in the United States and across the borders.

Even in little Brevard, NC.