Twistory Revisited

I wrote an entry before about, what I call ‘Twistory’ (here).  So, I just came across a new article (here) showing more examples of an agenda being perpetuated in America’s schools to twist facts and brainwash children.  The article mentions that there are numerous textbooks that are distorting religion, giving school children the biased belief that Islam is correct and Christianity is a fraud.  From the article:

“Islam has a privileged position,” [Dennis Ybarra] said. “It’s not critiqued or criticized or qualified, whereas Judaism and Christianity are.“

Continuing:

“One example is in the glossary of “World History: Continuity and Change.” It calls the Ten Commandments “moral laws Moses claimed to have received from the Hebrew God,” while the entry for the Koran contains no such qualifier in saying it is the “Holy Book of Islam containing revelations received by Muhammad from God.“

Oh, that’s fair.  I think that parents need to monitor what their children are learning, and take the time to correct the fallacies and lies; it is your responsibility to train up your children with your values and morals…if you leave this to the schools, your child can end up with wrong, twisted beliefs and perceptions.

O’ Baby, There’s More…

As a follow-up to my “O’ Baby, Can This Be True” post, I wanted to offer up the following article from Yahoo (here), wherein O’ signed the order for federal funds – your money – to go to foreign groups that provide abortions.  The yahoo article states that:

“A White House spokesman, Bill Burton, said Obama signed an executive order on the ban [known as the "Mexico City Policy"], without coverage by the media, late Friday afternoon. That was in contrast to the midday signings with fanfare of executive orders on other subjects earlier in the week.”

Hmmm…I wonder why this particular executive order was signed, not with fanfare, but in the shadows and away from the media?  Granted, the media basically is in the tank for O’; I’ve seen non-stop news commentators blushing like school-girls with a crush when they mention him.  But, there is something eerie about the fact that such a controversial use of taxpayer money would not be open for everyone to see and hear about.

The article that I am referencing goes on to state that:

“In a move related to the lifting of the abortion rule, Obama also is expected to restore funding to the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), probably in the next budget. Both he and Clinton had pledged to reverse a Bush administration determination that assistance to the organization violated U.S. law.

The Bush administration had barred U.S. money from the fund, contending that its work in China supported a Chinese family planning policy of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization. UNFPA has vehemently denied that it does.

Organizations that had pressed Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.”

Isn’t that nice?  If we are going to help foreign countries kill innocent babies, then perhaps we should support multiple avenues in order to offer the best coverage, just in case one organization isn’t capable of killing enough children.  O’ is also expected to allow federal funding for stem cell research.  I guess I can figure out what sort of justices are going to be put on the Supreme Court when it’s time to nominate a new justice. And, history’s greatest genocide strides forth with a bold new assurance…

I wonder – truly wonder – if people really know what they are cheering for when they hear the bold, nationalistic rhetoric that speaks of Americans being better and Americans leading the world, but fail to see policies being enacted that lead to the senseless deaths of millions of innocent children.  America is better than this and I hope that one day we see the evil that abortion is.  In the meantime, aren’t you glad at the fiscal responsibility being shown here by your elected official?  In the midst of a recession, America has decided that the best use of taxpayer money is to send funds overseas to kill foreign babies.

O’ Baby, Can This Be True?

So, I read today (here) that “Fidel Castro believes in Obama.”  That’s right, that champion of liberty and democracy, Fidel Castro, actually hopes that the new President can carry out his ideas.  Now, am I the only one who wonders why a dictator and a communist is praising our newest president and his ideas?  Could it be that he knows something that we don’t about where some specific policies are likely to lead?  It just makes me wonder…

Also, you may love this little tidbit that should make you proud to be an American: The new president is expected to reverse a ban on federal funding for NGOs that offer abortions and abortion counseling outside of the US (here).  In other words, since we are “really going to reform spending in DC,” the new president has decided that a good use of America’s tax money should be to help kill babies in foreign countries.  That’s classy!  Apparently, O thinks that interrogation methods in Guatanamo and elsewhere is harsh and gives America a bad image to the world, but there’s nothing harsh or embarassing about the most blessed country on earth going and helping other countries kill innocent babies.

The liberals cry foul when a member of the armed forces kills a civilian; they say that we have lost our moral ability to lead; they call us barbarians.  Yet, where are the cries from the liberals when our country decides that it’s good policy to help foreign nations kill their own children?  Double standard?  Yep.  We, obviously, have no right to kill a terrorist or a genuine scum-bag that’s killing his own countrymen or ours, but we have all the right in the world to kill people who did nothing other than being conceived.

The liberals, in general, care more about a tree than a human being; in some places, you can go to jail for cutting down a tree, but killing a human is hunkey-dorey.  I thought it would have taken more than two days before such actions were taken, but I guess I was wrong.  Thanks to all of those who voted for rhetoric, eloquence and entitlements over conscience!  History’s largest genocide continues on!

A Good Video

If you get a chance, you should check out Trint’s Work From Home Friday video, which really has a good message.  Trint is quite a creative fellow, and I’m sure you will appreciate his hard work and deep thoughts on this video!  Perhaps one day I will do something with video, since Trint is always setting the bar so high on what is expected of bloggers…I’m sure that my fan (I think I have one out there…bueller…bueller) would appreciate that.

I’m All Booked Up

Well, I’ve been continuing in my development group at church, reading through and discussing many things with a great group of guys. Just to recap where I’m at and what I’m doing, I’ll list the four books that I’ve either finished or that I’m currently going through.

First, I’m still going through the One Year Bible (the English Standard Version versus the English Automatic Version); I’m now reading through the book of Judges on the Old Testament side and I think I’m into the book of John on the New Testament side. I say “I think” because I’ve fallen a few days behind on my reading. Anyway, the Old Testament stories are really amazing to read and I’m glad that I’m taking such an insightful journey.

A theme that I continue to notice, because, as those of you who read my blog know, I am really into understanding the past in order to understand the present and the future, is the theme of the people of Israel being warned against not teaching “these things” to their children. All throughout the desert, the Israelites would erect monuments of remembrance so that their children would not be ignorant of the things that God had done for them. Moses and Aaron both admonished the people of Israel to observe the days of remembrance so that the children, who had not seen the miracles in the desert, would know of the Lord and His awesome deeds.

We just finished reading Bill Hybel’s book Who You Are When No One’s Looking, which is an easy read, but which presents a lot of information that isn’t really too deep. The book is pretty much about having character, discipline, and imitating Jesus’ kind of love in different situations.

Now, we’re reading Robert E. Coleman’s Master Plan of Evangelism, which isn’t really about what you’d think the title suggests. I thought this book was going to tell me that I needed to start knocking on people’s doors like a Mormon or a Jehovah’s Witness, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the book looks at Jesus’ actual plan of evangelism, which is quite different. The book looks at how Jesus selected a few men to be his disciples and how, even when ministering to the crowds, he devoted himself to teaching and training these backwoods men. Jesus spent his entire three year ministry imparting himself into a group of men who, ultimately, came to change the world.

The point that the book really tries to make is that the church fails many times when its focus is on converting people over building relationships. I know that I’ve been involved in churches before where I was just a number and I didn’t have the relationships that are so necessary to fully develop and mature my faith; however, I’m now in such a great environment at Milestone, where relationships are seen in a whole ‘nother light. In Milestone, men and women are being taught and discipled in such a way that they can place their faith into action and disciple and mentor other believers. What a disservice we do when we bring someone into a church and we don’t take the time to make sure that they are discipled and given a chance to truly serve and get involved in the things that are going on.

In my spare time, what little of it I happen to find, I am reading The Confessions of Saint Augustine, which is another great book that is really opening my eyes. This book is about the life and conversion of a man who considered himself smart in the world. Augustine was a philosopher and a teacher of rhetoric who had a praying mother and a desire to find the truth. As Augustine learned more from the different philosophers, he found that their answers never seemed to lead him to the truth. He finally began hearing the scriptures and God spent a lot of time working on him, tearing him away from the things of the world. One of the most interesting glimpses of his life takes place in a garden where Augustine is seen wrestling with a decision to abandon the things of the world (fame, etc.) and to cling to God alone.

Currently, I’m reading through one of the books in The Confessions entitled Philosophy of Memory, which is amazing to say the least. Augustine talks about the memory and brings up the point that somewhere in our memory we all know what the truth is (the happy life) and that the truth is what we all ultimately desire. As soon as I have an opportunity, I’ll put one of my favorite quotes that Augustine makes on this philosophy.