PLEASE, pray for the family of an arson task force, Glazer was the HERO that was killed in action tonight. He leaves a wife & daughter.
On the same call another HERO was hurt & is in the hospital. PLEASE pray for him also. I don't know his name.
This is really very sad. Pray for all of our Hero's who fight fires, & police offers who serve you & me.
God bless them all.
Our heavenly Father lay your healing hands on the family of Glazer & also the other task force officer that is in the hospital. We thank you Lord for answered prayer.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
LEGISLATION - BAILOUTS FROM SENATOR ROBERTS OF KANSAS
The Roberts Report
May 21, 2010
Financial Regulatory Reform
Senator Roberts pushed for a bipartisan financial reform bill that will end bailouts and not penalize small banks. Roberts is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee which reported out highly partisan legislation he opposed on derivatives, which is a key part of financial regulation reform. He supported a bipartisan alternative that would bring complete transparency to the currently unregulated swaps market and increase regulatory oversight.
Recently, Senator Roberts took to the Senator floor and said, “The American people are right to demand that they are never again put on the hook to bail out a failed company. They are right to demand that those who got us into the financial mess not be allowed to do so again. Unfortunately, the financial regulatory reform bill that the Senate approved, does not achieve these goals. It sends a signal that the government will bail out institutions just as it did with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two troubled mortgage giants that have received $125.9 billion in direct government funding and now have an unlimited U.S. credit line. It’s troubling that there is no mention of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in this current bill which will keep taxpayers on the hook for more bailouts of these entities. I supported several amendments to address this issue but unfortunately they were voted down on party lines.
“At a time when the unemployment rate is at 9.7 percent, the last thing Congress should do is make it more difficult for small businesses to start up and be successful. Small businesses are, as the president has acknowledged, the leading job creators in the country, especially in Kansas. I agree we need better regulation of our financial system but this current financial regulatory reform bill does not achieve that goal. However, it does increase the federal bureaucracy and make it more difficult and costly for consumers to obtain credit for their families and small businesses. This approach will not benefit consumers, community banks or our economy. We should improve this bill as it is vital for our economy that we get it right when addressing financial regulatory reform because the consequences will be seen for years to come.”
To watch Senator Roberts’ floor speech on financial reform, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYOxMVXTsZM and to hear audio of this speech, go to: http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/robertsfloor042710.mp3 .
Immigration Debate
In reaction to Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s address to the Joint Session of Congress attacking Arizona’s new tough immigration policy, Senator Roberts said, “We need to respect that the Legislature and Governor of Arizona thought that the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act was the best way to address such a complex issue for the safety and well-being of the people in their state. It was improper for President Calderon to use his address to attack the new law in Arizona and call for comprehensive immigration reform. Just as the United States has immigration laws, so does Mexico and President Calderon would expect U.S. Citizens to follow these laws when they visit Mexico. It was also wrong for Calderon to use the expiration of the assault weapons ban as the rationale for violence along the border and in Mexico.
“For years I have called for more stricter enforcement of our immigration laws. I am already hearing from Kansans who are outraged by President Calderon’s comments and I share your frustration and disappointment with his statements. Rest assured should immigration reform come before Congress, I will continue my efforts to oppose amnesty for illegal aliens and be outspoken on the need to secure our borders first.”
Marine Corps Bill
To recognize the service and sacrifice of the Marine Corps, Senator Roberts, a former Marine, is leading efforts in the Senate to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and the Marine Corps. The bill corrects a long standing disparity by which the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy by simply adding “and Marine Corps” to the title of the service. The Department of the Navy would become the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps and the Secretary would become the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. It does not move funds, change promotions or take away mission or jurisdiction.
Senator Roberts said, “By adding three words, we can credit the Marine Corps as a full service and publicly acknowledge that the Secretary of the Navy is also the head of the Marine Corps. We can acknowledge the Corps is on an equal footing with other services. And we can do this at a time when we are asking all of our servicemen and women to make great sacrifices for our country. This legislation does not detract from the tremendous commitment and dedication of our U.S. Navy personnel or any other service. It is not possible to overstate the service and sacrifice of any man or women who wears or has worn the Marine Corps uniform, whether in Iwo Jima 65 years ago or today.”
Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina has led the effort in the House of Representatives which passed the companion bill unanimously with a record 426 co-sponsors.
To hear Senator Roberts discuss his Marine Corps Bill: http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/roberts51110.mp3 .
Tanker Competition
Senator Roberts criticized Department of Defense’s decision to extend the deadline by 60 days for proposals in the competition to select a new aerial refueling tanker for the Air Force.
“It is unfortunate that after years of delays, DOD has decided to ignore its own deadlines. Given the controversy of this acquisition, I should think DOD would want to run an undeniably fair competition instead of allowing further games to be played with the process. I am confident Boeing can build the best plane for the Air Force, no matter the competition," Senator Roberts said. "However, I urge the Department of Defense to run a fair competition and avoid coddling EADS to the detriment of American warfighters who have waited eight years for this contest to end and decades for a new tanker. I urge EADS to quit delaying and make a decision on entering the competition."
Senator Roberts has long fought to replace the nation’s aging tanker fleet at the earliest possible date, to give men and women in uniform the safest and best plane to complete their mission. The current tankers being used by the Air Force are from the Eisenhower era.
Senate Aerospace Caucus
In order to ensure a strong, secure and competitive American Aerospace sector, Senator Roberts recently joined the newly formed and bipartisan Senate Aerospace Caucus.
Senator Roberts said, “Over half of the world’s general aviation aircraft are built in Kansas. I am pleased to join my colleagues to work on behalf of an industry critical to our great state. We are the ‘Air Capital of the World.’ In 2008, the aviation industry employed over 40,000 people in Kansas. While that number came down a bit due to the economy, we’re starting to see the signs of growth. The Senate Aerospace Caucus will be chaired by Senator Kit Bond of Missouri and Patty Murray of Washington. I thank them for their leadership and look forward to tacking these important issues with the help of the Caucus.”
Flag Requests
United States Flags are available upon request from Senator Roberts’ office. Flags can be flown over the U.S. Capitol to honor family, friends or for special occasions. They can also be flown on a specific date if requested.
Each flag will be accompanied with a certificate signed by the Architect of the U.S. Capitol certifying the date that the flag was flown over the United States Capitol and listing the name of the person/persons or organization for whom the flag was purchased. Flags that have not been flown over the Capitol are also available for purchase. Normal processing time for flags flown over the Capitol is 4 to 6 weeks. All prices listed are at cost, and no profit is incurred. A $4 shipping charge is included in the price of the flag. To order a flag, please visit Senator Roberts’ website, complete this form and mail with the payment: http://roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=FlagRequests . If you have additional questions, please contact my Washington, DC office at (202) 224-4774.
United States Senate Youth Program
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is a unique and educational experience for outstanding students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The program emphasizes education, leadership and public service including a visit to our nation’s capital. Two high school students from Kansas will have the opportunity to learn about the procedures and history of the United States Senate, meet with high level elected officials in the federal government and receive encouragement to explore a career in public service.
Teachers, principals, students, and parents can recommend this prestigious program to qualified students throughout Kansas. For more details on the availability of the program and scholarship to the high school juniors and seniors in our state, visit the United States Senate Youth Program’s website at http://www.ussenateyouth.org/ .The Washington Week for the selected students takes place March 5-12, 2011 and each student delegate will receive an undergraduate scholarship to the college or university of their choice. Students are chosen by the Kansas State Department of Education and the deadline for application for 2011 is October 10, 2010. Interested students should contact their high school principal or the Kansas State Department of Education, 120 SE 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612, (785) 296-4950.
Kansas Guard Troops in Africa
Senator Roberts commended the 567 Kansas National Guard soldiers of the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry who recently deployed to the Horn of Africa for a year-long mission to promote stability. Based in Kansas City, Kansas with sub units in Wichita, Lawrence, Lenexa, Emporia and Manhattan, the soldiers were honored at a deployment ceremony in Salina.
Senator Roberts said,“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the men and women and families of this group for their upcoming difficult and challenging mission to the Horn of Africa, a troubled and unsettled region. As a former Marine and member of the National Guard Caucus, I am proud of the selfless sacrifices of these citizen soldiers who make up the National Guard. They provide the United States with a vital war time and peace time capability in our effort to secure our way of life. These men and women perform their difficult jobs to provide for our national security in a land far from their homes. I share with all Americans the desire to see the return of our troops as soon as possible and am proud Kansas plays such a large role in our national security. I will pray for the safety and return of these Kansas Guard troops and their families as they depart for this deployment on the east side of Africa. Thank you for your sacrifice to our great country – Semper Fi!”
To follow Senator Roberts on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SenPatRoberts . To watch Senator Roberts on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SenPatRoberts .
-30-
May 21, 2010
Financial Regulatory Reform
Senator Roberts pushed for a bipartisan financial reform bill that will end bailouts and not penalize small banks. Roberts is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee which reported out highly partisan legislation he opposed on derivatives, which is a key part of financial regulation reform. He supported a bipartisan alternative that would bring complete transparency to the currently unregulated swaps market and increase regulatory oversight.
Recently, Senator Roberts took to the Senator floor and said, “The American people are right to demand that they are never again put on the hook to bail out a failed company. They are right to demand that those who got us into the financial mess not be allowed to do so again. Unfortunately, the financial regulatory reform bill that the Senate approved, does not achieve these goals. It sends a signal that the government will bail out institutions just as it did with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two troubled mortgage giants that have received $125.9 billion in direct government funding and now have an unlimited U.S. credit line. It’s troubling that there is no mention of Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac in this current bill which will keep taxpayers on the hook for more bailouts of these entities. I supported several amendments to address this issue but unfortunately they were voted down on party lines.
“At a time when the unemployment rate is at 9.7 percent, the last thing Congress should do is make it more difficult for small businesses to start up and be successful. Small businesses are, as the president has acknowledged, the leading job creators in the country, especially in Kansas. I agree we need better regulation of our financial system but this current financial regulatory reform bill does not achieve that goal. However, it does increase the federal bureaucracy and make it more difficult and costly for consumers to obtain credit for their families and small businesses. This approach will not benefit consumers, community banks or our economy. We should improve this bill as it is vital for our economy that we get it right when addressing financial regulatory reform because the consequences will be seen for years to come.”
To watch Senator Roberts’ floor speech on financial reform, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYOxMVXTsZM and to hear audio of this speech, go to: http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/robertsfloor042710.mp3 .
Immigration Debate
In reaction to Mexican President Felipe Calderon’s address to the Joint Session of Congress attacking Arizona’s new tough immigration policy, Senator Roberts said, “We need to respect that the Legislature and Governor of Arizona thought that the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act was the best way to address such a complex issue for the safety and well-being of the people in their state. It was improper for President Calderon to use his address to attack the new law in Arizona and call for comprehensive immigration reform. Just as the United States has immigration laws, so does Mexico and President Calderon would expect U.S. Citizens to follow these laws when they visit Mexico. It was also wrong for Calderon to use the expiration of the assault weapons ban as the rationale for violence along the border and in Mexico.
“For years I have called for more stricter enforcement of our immigration laws. I am already hearing from Kansans who are outraged by President Calderon’s comments and I share your frustration and disappointment with his statements. Rest assured should immigration reform come before Congress, I will continue my efforts to oppose amnesty for illegal aliens and be outspoken on the need to secure our borders first.”
Marine Corps Bill
To recognize the service and sacrifice of the Marine Corps, Senator Roberts, a former Marine, is leading efforts in the Senate to redesignate the Department of the Navy as the Department of the Navy and the Marine Corps. The bill corrects a long standing disparity by which the Marine Corps falls under the Department of the Navy by simply adding “and Marine Corps” to the title of the service. The Department of the Navy would become the Department of the Navy and Marine Corps and the Secretary would become the Secretary of the Navy and Marine Corps. It does not move funds, change promotions or take away mission or jurisdiction.
Senator Roberts said, “By adding three words, we can credit the Marine Corps as a full service and publicly acknowledge that the Secretary of the Navy is also the head of the Marine Corps. We can acknowledge the Corps is on an equal footing with other services. And we can do this at a time when we are asking all of our servicemen and women to make great sacrifices for our country. This legislation does not detract from the tremendous commitment and dedication of our U.S. Navy personnel or any other service. It is not possible to overstate the service and sacrifice of any man or women who wears or has worn the Marine Corps uniform, whether in Iwo Jima 65 years ago or today.”
Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina has led the effort in the House of Representatives which passed the companion bill unanimously with a record 426 co-sponsors.
To hear Senator Roberts discuss his Marine Corps Bill: http://src.senate.gov/public/_files/radio/roberts51110.mp3 .
Tanker Competition
Senator Roberts criticized Department of Defense’s decision to extend the deadline by 60 days for proposals in the competition to select a new aerial refueling tanker for the Air Force.
“It is unfortunate that after years of delays, DOD has decided to ignore its own deadlines. Given the controversy of this acquisition, I should think DOD would want to run an undeniably fair competition instead of allowing further games to be played with the process. I am confident Boeing can build the best plane for the Air Force, no matter the competition," Senator Roberts said. "However, I urge the Department of Defense to run a fair competition and avoid coddling EADS to the detriment of American warfighters who have waited eight years for this contest to end and decades for a new tanker. I urge EADS to quit delaying and make a decision on entering the competition."
Senator Roberts has long fought to replace the nation’s aging tanker fleet at the earliest possible date, to give men and women in uniform the safest and best plane to complete their mission. The current tankers being used by the Air Force are from the Eisenhower era.
Senate Aerospace Caucus
In order to ensure a strong, secure and competitive American Aerospace sector, Senator Roberts recently joined the newly formed and bipartisan Senate Aerospace Caucus.
Senator Roberts said, “Over half of the world’s general aviation aircraft are built in Kansas. I am pleased to join my colleagues to work on behalf of an industry critical to our great state. We are the ‘Air Capital of the World.’ In 2008, the aviation industry employed over 40,000 people in Kansas. While that number came down a bit due to the economy, we’re starting to see the signs of growth. The Senate Aerospace Caucus will be chaired by Senator Kit Bond of Missouri and Patty Murray of Washington. I thank them for their leadership and look forward to tacking these important issues with the help of the Caucus.”
Flag Requests
United States Flags are available upon request from Senator Roberts’ office. Flags can be flown over the U.S. Capitol to honor family, friends or for special occasions. They can also be flown on a specific date if requested.
Each flag will be accompanied with a certificate signed by the Architect of the U.S. Capitol certifying the date that the flag was flown over the United States Capitol and listing the name of the person/persons or organization for whom the flag was purchased. Flags that have not been flown over the Capitol are also available for purchase. Normal processing time for flags flown over the Capitol is 4 to 6 weeks. All prices listed are at cost, and no profit is incurred. A $4 shipping charge is included in the price of the flag. To order a flag, please visit Senator Roberts’ website, complete this form and mail with the payment: http://roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=FlagRequests . If you have additional questions, please contact my Washington, DC office at (202) 224-4774.
United States Senate Youth Program
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is a unique and educational experience for outstanding students interested in pursuing careers in public service. The program emphasizes education, leadership and public service including a visit to our nation’s capital. Two high school students from Kansas will have the opportunity to learn about the procedures and history of the United States Senate, meet with high level elected officials in the federal government and receive encouragement to explore a career in public service.
Teachers, principals, students, and parents can recommend this prestigious program to qualified students throughout Kansas. For more details on the availability of the program and scholarship to the high school juniors and seniors in our state, visit the United States Senate Youth Program’s website at http://www.ussenateyouth.org/ .The Washington Week for the selected students takes place March 5-12, 2011 and each student delegate will receive an undergraduate scholarship to the college or university of their choice. Students are chosen by the Kansas State Department of Education and the deadline for application for 2011 is October 10, 2010. Interested students should contact their high school principal or the Kansas State Department of Education, 120 SE 10th Avenue, Topeka, KS 66612, (785) 296-4950.
Kansas Guard Troops in Africa
Senator Roberts commended the 567 Kansas National Guard soldiers of the 2nd Combined Arms Battalion, 137th Infantry who recently deployed to the Horn of Africa for a year-long mission to promote stability. Based in Kansas City, Kansas with sub units in Wichita, Lawrence, Lenexa, Emporia and Manhattan, the soldiers were honored at a deployment ceremony in Salina.
Senator Roberts said,“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the men and women and families of this group for their upcoming difficult and challenging mission to the Horn of Africa, a troubled and unsettled region. As a former Marine and member of the National Guard Caucus, I am proud of the selfless sacrifices of these citizen soldiers who make up the National Guard. They provide the United States with a vital war time and peace time capability in our effort to secure our way of life. These men and women perform their difficult jobs to provide for our national security in a land far from their homes. I share with all Americans the desire to see the return of our troops as soon as possible and am proud Kansas plays such a large role in our national security. I will pray for the safety and return of these Kansas Guard troops and their families as they depart for this deployment on the east side of Africa. Thank you for your sacrifice to our great country – Semper Fi!”
To follow Senator Roberts on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SenPatRoberts . To watch Senator Roberts on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SenPatRoberts .
-30-
I did not see any of these pictures on the news,much worse than I thought!
-------Original Message-------
From: Subject: Fw: Nashville flood - Great Pictures
----- Forwarded Message ----
From:
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 12:08 PM
Subject: Nashville flood - Great Pictures
Forwarding.................
We not only need to run our old Government Sleazes out of the Country, we need to run our News Media out of the country. They Alter History every day by picking the news events that guide our country to serve THEM!
No Looting, no riots and only 15 minutes of national coverage... and WHY IS THAT??
What will happen? The people of Nashville will pick up the pieces and go on...
Nothing like New Orleans... Why??
Click your mouse here: Nashville Flood
I hope this works & you can see the pictures if not it is on YOUTUBE
-------Original Message-------
From: Subject: Fw: Nashville flood - Great Pictures
----- Forwarded Message ----
From:
Sent: Thursday, May 13, 2010 12:08 PM
Subject: Nashville flood - Great Pictures
Forwarding.................
We not only need to run our old Government Sleazes out of the Country, we need to run our News Media out of the country. They Alter History every day by picking the news events that guide our country to serve THEM!
No Looting, no riots and only 15 minutes of national coverage... and WHY IS THAT??
What will happen? The people of Nashville will pick up the pieces and go on...
Nothing like New Orleans... Why??
Click your mouse here: Nashville Flood
I hope this works & you can see the pictures if not it is on YOUTUBE
Jefferson BibleBiblical canon and books
Jefferson Bible
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to:navigation, search
Part of a series on
The Bible
produced was inherited by his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, and was published in 1895 by the National Museum in Washington.
The book was later published as a lithographic reproduction by an act of the United States Congress in 1904. For many years copies were given to new members of Congress.[6] The text is in the public domain and freely available on the Internet.
[edit] Criticism
In the introduction to the Akashic Books 2004 edition of The Jefferson Bible, Percival Everett describes the work with a derogatory tone:
“ Jefferson's recasting of the four Gospels of the New Testament…was an interesting (or not) bit of play intellectualism. Many claim his "translation" amounts to little more than a paraphrasing of the parts of the Bible with which he agreed. In fact, a glance at [several earlier translations of the Bible] might lead one to agree with this assertion. Still, he took it upon himself to do it, whatever it was he did. He decided that the rules of the club to which he wished to belong were not the rules he wanted to play by. So instead of changing clubs, he changed the rule book by literally cutting and pasting together only the sections that he found relevant to his interpretation. ”
[edit] Editions in print
The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (2006) Dover Publications paperback: ISBN 0-486-44921-1
The Jefferson Bible, (2006) Applewood Books hardcover: ISBN 1-55709-184-6
The Jefferson Bible, introduction by Cyrus Adler, (2005) Digireads.com paperback: ISBN 1-4209-2492-3
The Jefferson Bible, introduction by Percival Everett, (2004) Akashic Books paperback: ISBN 1-888451-62-9
The Jefferson Bible, (2001) Beacon Press hardcover: ISBN 0-8070-7714-3
The Jefferson Bible, introduction by M.A. Sotelo, (2004) Promotional Sales Books, LLC paperback
Jefferson’s “Bible:” The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, introduction by Judd W. Patton, (1997) American Book Distributors paperback: ISBN 0-929205-02-2
[edit] See also
The Age of Reason
Jesus Seminar
Rationalism
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
[edit] References
1.^ Kosselak, Jeremy (November 1998). The Exaltation of a Reasonable Deity: Thomas Jefferson’s BIBLE of Christianity. (Communicated by: Dr. Patrick Furlong). Indiana University South Bend - Department of History. http://www.iusb.edu/~journal/1999/Paper9.html. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
2.^ R.P. Nettelhorst. Notes on the Founding Fathers and the Separation of Church and State. Quartz Hill School of Theology. http://www.theology.edu/journal/volume2/ushistor.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
3.^ a b Excerpts from the Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson Retrieved on March 30, 2007
4.^ Unitarian Universalist Historical Society profile of Jefferson, Retrieved on March 30, 2007
5.^ Reece, Erik (December 1, 2005). "Jesus Without The Miracles - Thomas Jefferson's Bible and the Gospel of Thomas". Harper's Magazine, v. 311, n. 1867. http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/Jesus-Without-Miracles1dec05.htm.
6.^ Hitchens, Christopher (January 9, 2007). What Jefferson Really Thought About Islam. Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2157314/. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
[edit] External links
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
Online text of the Jefferson Bible: “Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” - at University of Virginia Library
"Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth - at Google Book Search
"Jefferson’s Religious Beliefs". Archive from Monticello.org. Archived from the original on 2003-02-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20030212234400/http://www.monticello.org/resources/interests/religion.html.
PBS Frontline: Thomas Jefferson and his Bible
Front page image of Jefferson Bible manuscript
"Jefferson Bible reveals Founding Father's view of God, faith". Los Angeles Times. July 5, 2008. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs5-2008jul05,0,7730914.story.
Free download link (mirror of public domain copy)
Review of Jefferson Bible
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible"
Categories: 1804 books | Bible versions and translations | Books by Thomas Jefferson | 19th-century Christian textsPersonal tools
New featuresLog in / create accountNamespaces
ArticleDiscussionVariantsViews
ReadEditView historyActions
Search
Navigation
Main pageContentsFeatured contentCurrent eventsRandom articleInteraction
About WikipediaCommunity portalRecent changesContact WikipediaDonate to WikipediaHelpToolbox
What links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkCite this page
Print/export
Create a bookDownload as PDFPrintable version
Languages
EspañolItalianoSvenskaThis page was last modified on 18 May 2010 at 14:57.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to:navigation, search
Part of a series on
The Bible
produced was inherited by his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, and was published in 1895 by the National Museum in Washington.
The book was later published as a lithographic reproduction by an act of the United States Congress in 1904. For many years copies were given to new members of Congress.[6] The text is in the public domain and freely available on the Internet.
[edit] Criticism
In the introduction to the Akashic Books 2004 edition of The Jefferson Bible, Percival Everett describes the work with a derogatory tone:
“ Jefferson's recasting of the four Gospels of the New Testament…was an interesting (or not) bit of play intellectualism. Many claim his "translation" amounts to little more than a paraphrasing of the parts of the Bible with which he agreed. In fact, a glance at [several earlier translations of the Bible] might lead one to agree with this assertion. Still, he took it upon himself to do it, whatever it was he did. He decided that the rules of the club to which he wished to belong were not the rules he wanted to play by. So instead of changing clubs, he changed the rule book by literally cutting and pasting together only the sections that he found relevant to his interpretation. ”
[edit] Editions in print
The Jefferson Bible: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (2006) Dover Publications paperback: ISBN 0-486-44921-1
The Jefferson Bible, (2006) Applewood Books hardcover: ISBN 1-55709-184-6
The Jefferson Bible, introduction by Cyrus Adler, (2005) Digireads.com paperback: ISBN 1-4209-2492-3
The Jefferson Bible, introduction by Percival Everett, (2004) Akashic Books paperback: ISBN 1-888451-62-9
The Jefferson Bible, (2001) Beacon Press hardcover: ISBN 0-8070-7714-3
The Jefferson Bible, introduction by M.A. Sotelo, (2004) Promotional Sales Books, LLC paperback
Jefferson’s “Bible:” The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, introduction by Judd W. Patton, (1997) American Book Distributors paperback: ISBN 0-929205-02-2
[edit] See also
The Age of Reason
Jesus Seminar
Rationalism
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
[edit] References
1.^ Kosselak, Jeremy (November 1998). The Exaltation of a Reasonable Deity: Thomas Jefferson’s BIBLE of Christianity. (Communicated by: Dr. Patrick Furlong). Indiana University South Bend - Department of History. http://www.iusb.edu/~journal/1999/Paper9.html. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
2.^ R.P. Nettelhorst. Notes on the Founding Fathers and the Separation of Church and State. Quartz Hill School of Theology. http://www.theology.edu/journal/volume2/ushistor.htm. Retrieved 2007-02-20.
3.^ a b Excerpts from the Correspondence of Thomas Jefferson Retrieved on March 30, 2007
4.^ Unitarian Universalist Historical Society profile of Jefferson, Retrieved on March 30, 2007
5.^ Reece, Erik (December 1, 2005). "Jesus Without The Miracles - Thomas Jefferson's Bible and the Gospel of Thomas". Harper's Magazine, v. 311, n. 1867. http://www.mindfully.org/Reform/2005/Jesus-Without-Miracles1dec05.htm.
6.^ Hitchens, Christopher (January 9, 2007). What Jefferson Really Thought About Islam. Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2157314/. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
[edit] External links
Wikisource has original text related to this article:
The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth
Online text of the Jefferson Bible: “Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth” - at University of Virginia Library
"Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth - at Google Book Search
"Jefferson’s Religious Beliefs". Archive from Monticello.org. Archived from the original on 2003-02-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20030212234400/http://www.monticello.org/resources/interests/religion.html.
PBS Frontline: Thomas Jefferson and his Bible
Front page image of Jefferson Bible manuscript
"Jefferson Bible reveals Founding Father's view of God, faith". Los Angeles Times. July 5, 2008. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-beliefs5-2008jul05,0,7730914.story.
Free download link (mirror of public domain copy)
Review of Jefferson Bible
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible"
Categories: 1804 books | Bible versions and translations | Books by Thomas Jefferson | 19th-century Christian textsPersonal tools
New featuresLog in / create accountNamespaces
ArticleDiscussionVariantsViews
ReadEditView historyActions
Search
Navigation
Main pageContentsFeatured contentCurrent eventsRandom articleInteraction
About WikipediaCommunity portalRecent changesContact WikipediaDonate to WikipediaHelpToolbox
What links hereRelated changesUpload fileSpecial pagesPermanent linkCite this page
Print/export
Create a bookDownload as PDFPrintable version
Languages
EspañolItalianoSvenskaThis page was last modified on 18 May 2010 at 14:57.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
THIS IS REALLY WHAT THOMAS JEFFERSON THOUGHT OF CHRISTIANS & THE WORD
Jefferson, Thomas, 1743-1826. Letters
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library
| Table of Contents for this work |
| All on-line databases | Etext Center Homepage |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALVIN AND COSMOLOGY
To John Adams
Monticello, April 11, 1823
1823041
DEAR SIR, -- The wishes expressed, in your last favor, that I may continue in life and health until I become a Calvinist, at least in his exclamation of `mon Dieu! jusque à quand'! would make me immortal. I can never join Calvin in addressing his god. He was indeed an Atheist, which I can never be; or rather his religion was Daemonism. If ever man worshipped a false god, he did. The being described in his 5. points is not the God whom you and I acknolege and adore, the Creator and benevolent governor of the world; but a daemon of malignant spirit. It would be more pardonable to believe in no god at all, than to blaspheme him by the atrocious attributes of Calvin. Indeed I think that every Christian sect gives a great handle to Atheism by their general dogma that, without a revelation, there would not be sufficient proof of the being of a god. Now one sixth of mankind only are supposed to be Christians: the other five sixths then, who do not believe in the Jewish and Christian revelation, are without a knolege of the existence of a god! This gives compleatly a gain de cause to the disciples of Ocellus, Timaeus, Spinosa, Diderot and D'Holbach. The argument which they rest on as triumphant and unanswerable is that, in every hypothesis of Cosmogony you must admit an eternal pre-existence of something; and according to the rule of sound philosophy, you are never to employ two principles to solve a difficulty when one will suffice. They say then that it is more simple to believe at once in the eternal pre-existence of the world, as it is now going on, and may for ever go on by the principle of reproduction which we see and witness, than to believe in the eternal pre-existence of an ulterior cause, or Creator of the world, a being whom we see not, and know not, of whose form substance and mode or place of existence, or of action no sense informs us, no power of the mind enables us to delineate or comprehend. On the contrary I hold (without appeal to revelation) that when we take a view of the Universe, in it's parts general or particular, it is impossible for the human mind not to percieve and feel a conviction of design, consummate skill, and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1467-
indefinite power in every atom of it's composition. The movements of the heavenly bodies, so exactly held in their course by the balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces, the structure of our earth itself, with it's distribution of lands, waters and atmosphere, animal and vegetable bodies, examined in all their minutest particles, insects mere atoms of life, yet as perfectly organised as man or mammoth, the mineral substances, their generation and uses, it is impossible, I say, for the human mind not to believe that there is, in all this, design, cause and effect, up to an ultimate cause, a fabricator of all things from matter and motion, their preserver and regulator while permitted to exist in their present forms, and their regenerator into new and other forms. We see, too, evident proofs of the necessity of a superintending power to maintain the Universe in it's course and order. Stars, well known, have disappeared, new ones have come into view, comets, in their incalculable courses, may run foul of suns and planets and require renovation under other laws; certain races of animals are become extinct; and, were there no restoring power, all existences might extinguish successively, one by one, until all should be reduced to a shapeless chaos. So irresistible are these evidences of an intelligent and powerful Agent that, of the infinite numbers of men who have existed thro' all time, they have believed, in the proportion of a million at least to Unit, in the hypothesis of an eternal pre-existence of a creator, rather than in that of a self-existent Universe. Surely this unanimous sentiment renders this more probable than that of the few in the other hypothesis. Some early Christians indeed have believed in the coeternal pre-existance of both the Creator and the world, without changing their relation of cause and effect. That this was the opinion of St. Thomas, we are informed by Cardinal Toleto, in these words `Deus ab aeterno fuit jam omnipotens, sicut cum produxit mundum. Ab aeterno potuit producere mundum. -- Si sol ab aeterno esset, lumen ab aeterno esset; et si pes, similiter vestigium. At lumen et vestigium effectus sunt efficientis solis et pedis; potuit ergo cum causâ aeterna effectus coaeterna esse. Cujus sententiae est S. Thomas Theologorum primus' Cardinal Toleta.
Of the nature of this being we know nothing. Jesus tells us
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1468-
that `God is a spirit.' 4. John 24. but without defining what a spirit is {pneyma o Theos}. Down to the 3d. century we know that it was still deemed material; but of a lighter subtler matter than our gross bodies. So says Origen. `Deus igitur, cui anima similis est, juxta Originem, reapte corporalis est; sed graviorum tantum ratione corporum incorporeus.' These are the words of Huet in his commentary on Origen. Origen himself says `appelatio {asomaton} apud nostros scriptores est inusitata et incognita.' So also Tertullian `quis autem negabit Deum esse corpus, etsi deus spiritus? Spiritus etiam corporis sui generis, in suâ effigie.' Tertullian. These two fathers were of the 3d. century. Calvin's character of this supreme being seems chiefly copied from that of the Jews. But the reformation of these blasphemous attributes, and substitution of those more worthy, pure and sublime, seems to have been the chief object of Jesus in his discources to the Jews: and his doctrine of the Cosmogony of the world is very clearly laid down in the 3 first verses of the 1st. chapter of John, in these words, `{en arche en o logos, kai o logos en pros ton Theon kai Theos en o logos. `otos en en arche pros ton Theon. Panta de ayto egeneto, kai choris ayto egeneto ode en, o gegonen}. Which truly translated means `in the beginning God existed, and reason (or mind) was with God, and that mind was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things were created by it, and without it was made not one thing which was made'. Yet this text, so plainly declaring the doctrine of Jesus that the world was created by the supreme, intelligent being, has been perverted by modern Christians to build up a second person of their tritheism by a mistranslation of the word {logos}. One of it's legitimate meanings indeed is `a word.' But, in that sense, it makes an unmeaning jargon: while the other meaning `reason', equally legitimate, explains rationally the eternal preexistence of God, and his creation of the world. Knowing how incomprehensible it was that `a word,' the mere action or articulation of the voice and organs of speech could create a world, they undertake to make of this articulation a second preexisting being, and ascribe to him, and not to God, the creation of the universe. The Atheist here plumes himself on the uselessness of such a God, and the simpler hypothesis of a self-existent universe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1469-
The truth is that the greatest enemies to the doctrines of Jesus are those calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them for the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in his genuine words. And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this the most venerated reformer of human errors.
So much for your quotation of Calvin's `mon dieu! jusqu'a quand' in which, when addressed to the God of Jesus, and our God, I join you cordially, and await his time and will with more readiness than reluctance. May we meet there again, in Congress, with our antient Colleagues, and recieve with them the seal of approbation `Well done, good and faithful servants.'
At the beginning this is where I got this copy of a letter from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams.
Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library
| Table of Contents for this work |
| All on-line databases | Etext Center Homepage |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CALVIN AND COSMOLOGY
To John Adams
Monticello, April 11, 1823
1823041
DEAR SIR, -- The wishes expressed, in your last favor, that I may continue in life and health until I become a Calvinist, at least in his exclamation of `mon Dieu! jusque à quand'! would make me immortal. I can never join Calvin in addressing his god. He was indeed an Atheist, which I can never be; or rather his religion was Daemonism. If ever man worshipped a false god, he did. The being described in his 5. points is not the God whom you and I acknolege and adore, the Creator and benevolent governor of the world; but a daemon of malignant spirit. It would be more pardonable to believe in no god at all, than to blaspheme him by the atrocious attributes of Calvin. Indeed I think that every Christian sect gives a great handle to Atheism by their general dogma that, without a revelation, there would not be sufficient proof of the being of a god. Now one sixth of mankind only are supposed to be Christians: the other five sixths then, who do not believe in the Jewish and Christian revelation, are without a knolege of the existence of a god! This gives compleatly a gain de cause to the disciples of Ocellus, Timaeus, Spinosa, Diderot and D'Holbach. The argument which they rest on as triumphant and unanswerable is that, in every hypothesis of Cosmogony you must admit an eternal pre-existence of something; and according to the rule of sound philosophy, you are never to employ two principles to solve a difficulty when one will suffice. They say then that it is more simple to believe at once in the eternal pre-existence of the world, as it is now going on, and may for ever go on by the principle of reproduction which we see and witness, than to believe in the eternal pre-existence of an ulterior cause, or Creator of the world, a being whom we see not, and know not, of whose form substance and mode or place of existence, or of action no sense informs us, no power of the mind enables us to delineate or comprehend. On the contrary I hold (without appeal to revelation) that when we take a view of the Universe, in it's parts general or particular, it is impossible for the human mind not to percieve and feel a conviction of design, consummate skill, and
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1467-
indefinite power in every atom of it's composition. The movements of the heavenly bodies, so exactly held in their course by the balance of centrifugal and centripetal forces, the structure of our earth itself, with it's distribution of lands, waters and atmosphere, animal and vegetable bodies, examined in all their minutest particles, insects mere atoms of life, yet as perfectly organised as man or mammoth, the mineral substances, their generation and uses, it is impossible, I say, for the human mind not to believe that there is, in all this, design, cause and effect, up to an ultimate cause, a fabricator of all things from matter and motion, their preserver and regulator while permitted to exist in their present forms, and their regenerator into new and other forms. We see, too, evident proofs of the necessity of a superintending power to maintain the Universe in it's course and order. Stars, well known, have disappeared, new ones have come into view, comets, in their incalculable courses, may run foul of suns and planets and require renovation under other laws; certain races of animals are become extinct; and, were there no restoring power, all existences might extinguish successively, one by one, until all should be reduced to a shapeless chaos. So irresistible are these evidences of an intelligent and powerful Agent that, of the infinite numbers of men who have existed thro' all time, they have believed, in the proportion of a million at least to Unit, in the hypothesis of an eternal pre-existence of a creator, rather than in that of a self-existent Universe. Surely this unanimous sentiment renders this more probable than that of the few in the other hypothesis. Some early Christians indeed have believed in the coeternal pre-existance of both the Creator and the world, without changing their relation of cause and effect. That this was the opinion of St. Thomas, we are informed by Cardinal Toleto, in these words `Deus ab aeterno fuit jam omnipotens, sicut cum produxit mundum. Ab aeterno potuit producere mundum. -- Si sol ab aeterno esset, lumen ab aeterno esset; et si pes, similiter vestigium. At lumen et vestigium effectus sunt efficientis solis et pedis; potuit ergo cum causâ aeterna effectus coaeterna esse. Cujus sententiae est S. Thomas Theologorum primus' Cardinal Toleta.
Of the nature of this being we know nothing. Jesus tells us
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1468-
that `God is a spirit.' 4. John 24. but without defining what a spirit is {pneyma o Theos}. Down to the 3d. century we know that it was still deemed material; but of a lighter subtler matter than our gross bodies. So says Origen. `Deus igitur, cui anima similis est, juxta Originem, reapte corporalis est; sed graviorum tantum ratione corporum incorporeus.' These are the words of Huet in his commentary on Origen. Origen himself says `appelatio {asomaton} apud nostros scriptores est inusitata et incognita.' So also Tertullian `quis autem negabit Deum esse corpus, etsi deus spiritus? Spiritus etiam corporis sui generis, in suâ effigie.' Tertullian. These two fathers were of the 3d. century. Calvin's character of this supreme being seems chiefly copied from that of the Jews. But the reformation of these blasphemous attributes, and substitution of those more worthy, pure and sublime, seems to have been the chief object of Jesus in his discources to the Jews: and his doctrine of the Cosmogony of the world is very clearly laid down in the 3 first verses of the 1st. chapter of John, in these words, `{en arche en o logos, kai o logos en pros ton Theon kai Theos en o logos. `otos en en arche pros ton Theon. Panta de ayto egeneto, kai choris ayto egeneto ode en, o gegonen}. Which truly translated means `in the beginning God existed, and reason (or mind) was with God, and that mind was God. This was in the beginning with God. All things were created by it, and without it was made not one thing which was made'. Yet this text, so plainly declaring the doctrine of Jesus that the world was created by the supreme, intelligent being, has been perverted by modern Christians to build up a second person of their tritheism by a mistranslation of the word {logos}. One of it's legitimate meanings indeed is `a word.' But, in that sense, it makes an unmeaning jargon: while the other meaning `reason', equally legitimate, explains rationally the eternal preexistence of God, and his creation of the world. Knowing how incomprehensible it was that `a word,' the mere action or articulation of the voice and organs of speech could create a world, they undertake to make of this articulation a second preexisting being, and ascribe to him, and not to God, the creation of the universe. The Atheist here plumes himself on the uselessness of such a God, and the simpler hypothesis of a self-existent universe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-1469-
The truth is that the greatest enemies to the doctrines of Jesus are those calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them for the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in his genuine words. And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this the most venerated reformer of human errors.
So much for your quotation of Calvin's `mon dieu! jusqu'a quand' in which, when addressed to the God of Jesus, and our God, I join you cordially, and await his time and will with more readiness than reluctance. May we meet there again, in Congress, with our antient Colleagues, and recieve with them the seal of approbation `Well done, good and faithful servants.'
At the beginning this is where I got this copy of a letter from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams.
GEERT WILDERS DUTCH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT HIS COMMENTS ON EUROPES BECOMING A MUSLIM COUNTRY
Geert Wilders is a Dutch Member of Parliament.
America as the last man standing
'In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe ?'
Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands , at the Four Seasons, New York , introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem .
Dear friends,
Thank you very much for inviting me.
I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.
First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe . Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem .
The Europe you know is changing.
You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.
All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe . These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe , street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.
There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe . With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.
Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam , Marseille and Malmo in Sweden . In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.
In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.
Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.
In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin . The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.
In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels , because he was drinking during the Ramadan.
Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya , Israel . I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.
A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe . San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.
Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France . One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.
The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey .
Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.
Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.
The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.
Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.
Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel . First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.
This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines , Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan , Lebanon , and Aceh in Indonesia . Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.
The war against Israel is not a war against Israel . It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel , Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.
Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel , they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands , 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a danger greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome , Athens and Jerusalem .
Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe , American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe 's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.
We have to take the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.
Please take the time to read and understand what is written here, Please send it to every free person that you know, it is so very important.
IF THIS DOESN'T WAKE OF AMERICA & SEE HOW OBAMA HAS NEVER DENIED ABOUT BEING MUSLIM, THIS IS VERY BAD FOR ALL OF US!!! ARE YOU READY TO GIVE UP YOUR FREEDOM?
America as the last man standing
'In a generation or two, the US will ask itself: who lost Europe ?'
Here is the speech of Geert Wilders, Chairman, Party for Freedom, the Netherlands , at the Four Seasons, New York , introducing an Alliance of Patriots and announcing the Facing Jihad Conference in Jerusalem .
Dear friends,
Thank you very much for inviting me.
I come to America with a mission. All is not well in the old world. There is a tremendous danger looming, and it is very difficult to be optimistic. We might be in the final stages of the Islamization of Europe. This not only is a clear and present danger to the future of Europe itself, it is a threat to America and the sheer survival of the West. The United States as the last bastion of Western civilization, facing an Islamic Europe.
First I will describe the situation on the ground in Europe . Then, I will say a few things about Islam. To close I will tell you about a meeting in Jerusalem .
The Europe you know is changing.
You have probably seen the landmarks. But in all of these cities, sometimes a few blocks away from your tourist destination, there is another world. It is the world of the parallel society created by Muslim mass-migration.
All throughout Europe a new reality is rising: entire Muslim neighborhoods where very few indigenous people reside or are even seen. And if they are, they might regret it. This goes for the police as well. It's the world of head scarves, where women walk around in figureless tents, with baby strollers and a group of children. Their husbands, or slaveholders if you prefer, walk three steps ahead. With mosques on many street corners. The shops have signs you and I cannot read. You will be hard-pressed to find any economic activity. These are Muslim ghettos controlled by religious fanatics. These are Muslim neighborhoods, and they are mushrooming in every city across Europe . These are the building-blocks for territorial control of increasingly larger portions of Europe , street by street, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.
There are now thousands of mosques throughout Europe . With larger congregations than there are in churches. And in every European city there are plans to build super-mosques that will dwarf every church in the region. Clearly, the signal is: we rule.
Many European cities are already one-quarter Muslim: just take Amsterdam , Marseille and Malmo in Sweden . In many cities the majority of the under-18 population is Muslim. Paris is now surrounded by a ring of Muslim neighborhoods. Mohammed is the most popular name among boys in many cities.
In some elementary schools in Amsterdam the farm can no longer be mentioned, because that would also mean mentioning the pig, and that would be an insult to Muslims.
Many state schools in Belgium and Denmark only serve halal food to all pupils. In once-tolerant Amsterdam gays are beaten up almost exclusively by Muslims. Non-Muslim women routinely hear 'whore, whore'. Satellite dishes are not pointed to local TV stations, but to stations in the country of origin.
In France school teachers are advised to avoid authors deemed offensive to Muslims, including Voltaire and Diderot; the same is increasingly true of Darwin . The history of the Holocaust can no longer be taught because of Muslim sensitivity.
In England sharia courts are now officially part of the British legal system. Many neighborhoods in France are no-go areas for women without head scarves. Last week a man almost died after being beaten up by Muslims in Brussels , because he was drinking during the Ramadan.
Jews are fleeing France in record numbers, on the run for the worst wave of anti-Semitism since World War II. French is now commonly spoken on the streets of Tel Aviv and Netanya , Israel . I could go on forever with stories like this. Stories about Islamization.
A total of fifty-four million Muslims now live in Europe . San Diego University recently calculated that a staggering 25 percent of the population in Europe will be Muslim just 12 years from now. Bernhard Lewis has predicted a Muslim majority by the end of this century.
Now these are just numbers. And the numbers would not be threatening if the Muslim-immigrants had a strong desire to assimilate. But there are few signs of that. The Pew Research Center reported that half of French Muslims see their loyalty to Islam as greater than their loyalty to France . One-third of French Muslims do not object to suicide attacks. The British Centre for Social Cohesion reported that one-third of British Muslim students are in favor of a worldwide caliphate. Muslims demand what they call 'respect'. And this is how we give them respect. We have Muslim official state holidays.
The Christian-Democratic attorney general is willing to accept sharia in the Netherlands if there is a Muslim majority. We have cabinet members with passports from Morocco and Turkey .
Muslim demands are supported by unlawful behavior, ranging from petty crimes and random violence, for example against ambulance workers and bus drivers, to small-scale riots. Paris has seen its uprising in the low-income suburbs, the banlieus. I call the perpetrators 'settlers'. Because that is what they are. They do not come to integrate into our societies; they come to integrate our society into their Dar-al-Islam. Therefore, they are settlers.
Much of this street violence I mentioned is directed exclusively against non-Muslims, forcing many native people to leave their neighborhoods, their cities, their countries. Moreover, Muslims are now a swing vote not to be ignored.
The second thing you need to know is the importance of Mohammed the prophet. His behavior is an example to all Muslims and cannot be criticized. Now, if Mohammed had been a man of peace, let us say like Ghandi and Mother Theresa wrapped in one, there would be no problem. But Mohammed was a warlord, a mass murderer, a pedophile, and had several marriages - at the same time. Islamic tradition tells us how he fought in battles, how he had his enemies murdered and even had prisoners of war executed. Mohammed himself slaughtered the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza. If it is good for Islam, it is good. If it is bad for Islam, it is bad.
Let no one fool you about Islam being a religion. Sure, it has a god, and a here-after, and 72 virgins. But in its essence Islam is a political ideology. It is a system that lays down detailed rules for society and the life of every person. Islam wants to dictate every aspect of life. Islam means 'submission'. Islam is not compatible with freedom and democracy, because what it strives for is sharia. If you want to compare Islam to anything, compare it to communism or national-socialism, these are all totalitarian ideologies.
Now you know why Winston Churchill called Islam 'the most retrograde force in the world', and why he compared Mein Kampf to the Quran. The public has wholeheartedly accepted the Palestinian narrative, and sees Israel as the aggressor. I have lived in this country and visited it dozens of times. I support Israel . First, because it is the Jewish homeland after two thousand years of exile up to and including Auschwitz, second because it is a democracy, and third because Israel is our first line of defense.
This tiny country is situated on the fault line of jihad, frustrating Islam's territorial advance. Israel is facing the front lines of jihad, like Kashmir, Kosovo, the Philippines , Southern Thailand, Darfur in Sudan , Lebanon , and Aceh in Indonesia . Israel is simply in the way. The same way West-Berlin was during the Cold War.
The war against Israel is not a war against Israel . It is a war against the West. It is jihad. Israel is simply receiving the blows that are meant for all of us. If there would have been no Israel , Islamic imperialism would have found other venues to release its energy and its desire for conquest. Thanks to Israeli parents who send their children to the army and lay awake at night, parents in Europe and America can sleep well and dream, unaware of the dangers looming.
Many in Europe argue in favor of abandoning Israel in order to address the grievances of our Muslim minorities. But if Israel were, God forbid, to go down, it would not bring any solace to the West. It would not mean our Muslim minorities would all of a sudden change their behavior, and accept our values. On the contrary, the end of Israel would give enormous encouragement to the forces of Islam. They would, and rightly so, see the demise of Israel as proof that the West is weak, and doomed. The end of Israel would not mean the end of our problems with Islam, but only the beginning. It would mean the start of the final battle for world domination. If they can get Israel , they can get everything. So-called journalists volunteer to label any and all critics of Islamization as a 'right-wing extremists' or 'racists'. In my country, the Netherlands , 60 percent of the population now sees the mass immigration of Muslims as the number one policy mistake since World War II. And another 60 percent sees Islam as the biggest threat. Yet there is a danger greater danger than terrorist attacks, the scenario of America as the last man standing. The lights may go out in Europe faster than you can imagine. An Islamic Europe means a Europe without freedom and democracy, an economic wasteland, an intellectual nightmare, and a loss of military might for America - as its allies will turn into enemies, enemies with atomic bombs. With an Islamic Europe, it would be up to America alone to preserve the heritage of Rome , Athens and Jerusalem .
Dear friends, liberty is the most precious of gifts. My generation never had to fight for this freedom, it was offered to us on a silver platter, by people who fought for it with their lives. All throughout Europe , American cemeteries remind us of the young boys who never made it home, and whose memory we cherish. My generation does not own this freedom; we are merely its custodians. We can only hand over this hard won liberty to Europe 's children in the same state in which it was offered to us. We cannot strike a deal with mullahs and imams. Future generations would never forgive us. We cannot squander our liberties. We simply do not have the right to do so.
We have to take the necessary action now to stop this Islamic stupidity from destroying the free world that we know.
Please take the time to read and understand what is written here, Please send it to every free person that you know, it is so very important.
IF THIS DOESN'T WAKE OF AMERICA & SEE HOW OBAMA HAS NEVER DENIED ABOUT BEING MUSLIM, THIS IS VERY BAD FOR ALL OF US!!! ARE YOU READY TO GIVE UP YOUR FREEDOM?
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
THANK GOD FOR THE PRESIDENT, WHY?
Boy, I hope this is true
THANK GOD FOR THE PRESIDENT, WHY?
Written by an 82-year-old very wise lady. She gives us a whole new slant on the amazing job Obama is doing:
That is right - I will say it "(THANK GOD FOR THE PRESIDENT)."
1. He destroyed the Clinton Political Machine - Driving a stake thru the
heart of Hillary's Presidential aspirations - something no Republican was
ever able to do. Remember when a Hillary Presidency scared the daylights out
of you!
2. He killed off the Kennedy Dynasty - No more Kennedy's trolling Washington
looking for booze and women wanting rides home. American women and Freedom
are safer tonight!
3. He is destroying the Democratic Party before our eyes!
Dennis Moore had never lost a race - quit
Evan Bayh had never lost a race - quit
Byron Dorgan - had never lost a race - quit
Harry Reid - Soon to be GONE
These are just a handful of the Democrats whose political careers Obama has
destroyed! By the end of 2010 dozens more will be gone!
In December of 2008 the Democrats were on the rise. In the last two election
cycles they had picked up 14 senate seats and 52 house seats. The press was
touting the death of the Conservative Movement and the Republican Party. In
just one year, Obama put a stop to all of this and will probably give the house,
if not the senate back to the Republicans.
4. He has completely exposed liberals and progressives for what they are.
Every Generation seems to need to relearn the lesson on why they should
never actually put liberals in charge. He is bringing home the lesson very well!
Liberals tax, borrow and spend - check
Liberals won't bring themselves to protect America - check
Liberals want to take over the economy - check
Liberals think they know what is best for everyone - check
Liberals aren't happy till they are running YOUR life - check
5. He has brought more Americans back to conservatism than anyone since
Reagan. In One year he rejuvenated the Conservative movement and brought
out to the streets millions of Freedom Loving Americans. Name me one other
time in your life that you saw your friends and neighbors this interested in
taking back America!
6. His amazing leadership has sparked the greatest period of sales of
firearms and ammunition this country has seen. Law abiding citizens have
rallied and have provided a "stimulus" to the sporting goods field while
other industries have failed, faded or moved off-shore!
7. In all honesty one year ago I was more afraid than I had ever been in my
life. Not of the economy but of the direction our country was going. I
thought Americans had forgotten what this country was all about. My
neighbors, friends, strangers proved to me that my lack of confidence of the
Greatness and Wisdom of the American people was flat out wrong.
8. When the American People wake up no smooth talking teleprompter reader
can fool them!
Barak Obama woke up these Great Americans! Again I want to say Thank you
Barak Obama! This is exactly the kind of hope and change we desperately
needed.
THANK GOD FOR THE PRESIDENT, WHY?
Written by an 82-year-old very wise lady. She gives us a whole new slant on the amazing job Obama is doing:
That is right - I will say it "(THANK GOD FOR THE PRESIDENT)."
1. He destroyed the Clinton Political Machine - Driving a stake thru the
heart of Hillary's Presidential aspirations - something no Republican was
ever able to do. Remember when a Hillary Presidency scared the daylights out
of you!
2. He killed off the Kennedy Dynasty - No more Kennedy's trolling Washington
looking for booze and women wanting rides home. American women and Freedom
are safer tonight!
3. He is destroying the Democratic Party before our eyes!
Dennis Moore had never lost a race - quit
Evan Bayh had never lost a race - quit
Byron Dorgan - had never lost a race - quit
Harry Reid - Soon to be GONE
These are just a handful of the Democrats whose political careers Obama has
destroyed! By the end of 2010 dozens more will be gone!
In December of 2008 the Democrats were on the rise. In the last two election
cycles they had picked up 14 senate seats and 52 house seats. The press was
touting the death of the Conservative Movement and the Republican Party. In
just one year, Obama put a stop to all of this and will probably give the house,
if not the senate back to the Republicans.
4. He has completely exposed liberals and progressives for what they are.
Every Generation seems to need to relearn the lesson on why they should
never actually put liberals in charge. He is bringing home the lesson very well!
Liberals tax, borrow and spend - check
Liberals won't bring themselves to protect America - check
Liberals want to take over the economy - check
Liberals think they know what is best for everyone - check
Liberals aren't happy till they are running YOUR life - check
5. He has brought more Americans back to conservatism than anyone since
Reagan. In One year he rejuvenated the Conservative movement and brought
out to the streets millions of Freedom Loving Americans. Name me one other
time in your life that you saw your friends and neighbors this interested in
taking back America!
6. His amazing leadership has sparked the greatest period of sales of
firearms and ammunition this country has seen. Law abiding citizens have
rallied and have provided a "stimulus" to the sporting goods field while
other industries have failed, faded or moved off-shore!
7. In all honesty one year ago I was more afraid than I had ever been in my
life. Not of the economy but of the direction our country was going. I
thought Americans had forgotten what this country was all about. My
neighbors, friends, strangers proved to me that my lack of confidence of the
Greatness and Wisdom of the American people was flat out wrong.
8. When the American People wake up no smooth talking teleprompter reader
can fool them!
Barak Obama woke up these Great Americans! Again I want to say Thank you
Barak Obama! This is exactly the kind of hope and change we desperately
needed.
AUL
Dear Friend of Life,
A week ago, President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to fill the soon-to-be-vacated seat of Justice John Paul Stevens. Our legal team has been preparing for this nomination for more than six months, and we have extensive resources available for you right now at aul.org.
Fox News recently reported on Kagan's pro-abortion views and included some of AUL's research. Click here or on the image below to watch the video.
It is no surprise that the most pro-abortion President in U.S. history has chosen a pro-abortion nominee. Don’t believe the spin that she is “centrist” and will listen impartially to all points of view.
Our research on Kagan clearly documents a record of involvement with the abortion lobby and a troubling admiration for judicial activism. We’ve been sharing this information with leaders here in Washington, and it’s also important that you are armed with the facts.
Here are three key points on Kagan’s record -- you can find more detail at aul.org.
Pro-Abortion Connections:
•Kagan has contributed money to the National Partnership for Women and Families, a pro-abortion organization with strong ties to Emily’s List and NARAL. She has campaigned for a pro-abortion candidate (Dukakis), clerked for pro-abortion judges (Judge Mikva and Justice Marshall), and worked for pro-abortion presidents (President Clinton and President Obama). As pro-abortion Senator Barbara Boxer stated: "I have no reason to think anything else except that [Kagan] would be a very strong supporter of privacy [abortion] rights because everyone she worked for held that view."
Taxpayer-Funding of Abortion:
•Kagan has extensively criticized the Supreme Court’s decision in Rust v. Sullivan, where the Court ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations that prohibit Title X family planning funds from being "used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning” were constitutional. The Title X funds also cannot be used to promote or counsel for abortion. Kagan argued that the Title X regulations amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
Judge Barak, Kagan’s “Judicial Hero”:
•Kagan is a judicial activist in the making. She openly admires one of the world’s leading judicial activists, Aharon Barak, the retired President of the Supreme Court of Israel, describing him as “my judicial hero.” Kagan’s “hero” wrote a book, The Judge in a Democracy, which has been called “a textbook for judicial activists” and referred to as establishing “a world record for judicial hubris.”
Elena Kagan would be a reliable, pro-abortion vote on the Supreme Court and would use her position to impose her views on the American people. A judge is tasked with impartially interpreting the law, not legislating from the bench.
AUL attorneys are working continuously to inform our elected leaders on the pro-abortion, activist record of the nominee they are being asked to consider for this lifetime appointment. We will continue to fight this fight for Life in the coming weeks leading up to June 28th – when the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings are scheduled to begin – and we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments.
For Life,
Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Americans United for Life Action
A week ago, President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to fill the soon-to-be-vacated seat of Justice John Paul Stevens. Our legal team has been preparing for this nomination for more than six months, and we have extensive resources available for you right now at aul.org.
Fox News recently reported on Kagan's pro-abortion views and included some of AUL's research. Click here or on the image below to watch the video.
It is no surprise that the most pro-abortion President in U.S. history has chosen a pro-abortion nominee. Don’t believe the spin that she is “centrist” and will listen impartially to all points of view.
Our research on Kagan clearly documents a record of involvement with the abortion lobby and a troubling admiration for judicial activism. We’ve been sharing this information with leaders here in Washington, and it’s also important that you are armed with the facts.
Here are three key points on Kagan’s record -- you can find more detail at aul.org.
Pro-Abortion Connections:
•Kagan has contributed money to the National Partnership for Women and Families, a pro-abortion organization with strong ties to Emily’s List and NARAL. She has campaigned for a pro-abortion candidate (Dukakis), clerked for pro-abortion judges (Judge Mikva and Justice Marshall), and worked for pro-abortion presidents (President Clinton and President Obama). As pro-abortion Senator Barbara Boxer stated: "I have no reason to think anything else except that [Kagan] would be a very strong supporter of privacy [abortion] rights because everyone she worked for held that view."
Taxpayer-Funding of Abortion:
•Kagan has extensively criticized the Supreme Court’s decision in Rust v. Sullivan, where the Court ruled that the Department of Health and Human Services’ regulations that prohibit Title X family planning funds from being "used in programs where abortion is a method of family planning” were constitutional. The Title X funds also cannot be used to promote or counsel for abortion. Kagan argued that the Title X regulations amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.
Judge Barak, Kagan’s “Judicial Hero”:
•Kagan is a judicial activist in the making. She openly admires one of the world’s leading judicial activists, Aharon Barak, the retired President of the Supreme Court of Israel, describing him as “my judicial hero.” Kagan’s “hero” wrote a book, The Judge in a Democracy, which has been called “a textbook for judicial activists” and referred to as establishing “a world record for judicial hubris.”
Elena Kagan would be a reliable, pro-abortion vote on the Supreme Court and would use her position to impose her views on the American people. A judge is tasked with impartially interpreting the law, not legislating from the bench.
AUL attorneys are working continuously to inform our elected leaders on the pro-abortion, activist record of the nominee they are being asked to consider for this lifetime appointment. We will continue to fight this fight for Life in the coming weeks leading up to June 28th – when the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings are scheduled to begin – and we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments.
For Life,
Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Americans United for Life Action
ROSE
What a lesson!
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood
up to looked around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being..
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and
she gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married,
and have a couple of kids.'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to
be taking on this challenge at her age.
'I always dreamed of having a college education, and now I'm getting
one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a
chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we
would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized
listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and
experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon, and she
easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up, and she
revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students.
She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football
banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and
stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared
speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone
and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent
and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in
order, so let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed, she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop
playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and
achieving success. You have to laugh and find humour every day.
You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even
know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and
don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I
am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do
anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The
idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no
regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather
for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those
with regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in
our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree
she had begun all those months ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to
the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to
be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of
advice to your friends and family. They'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make
a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to
it, He will bring you through it.
'Good friends are like stars..... .....You don't always see them, but
you know they are always there.'
The first day of school our professor introduced himself and
challenged us to get to know someone we didn't already know. I stood
up to looked around when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.
I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me
with a smile that lit up her entire being..
She said, 'Hi handsome. My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old.
Can I give you a hug?'
I laughed and enthusiastically responded, 'Of course you may!' and
she gave me a giant squeeze.
'Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?' I asked.
She jokingly replied, 'I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married,
and have a couple of kids.'
'No seriously,' I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to
be taking on this challenge at her age.
'I always dreamed of having a college education, and now I'm getting
one!' she told me.
After class we walked to the student union building and shared a
chocolate milkshake.
We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we
would leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized
listening to this 'time machine' as she shared her wisdom and
experience with me..
Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon, and she
easily made friends wherever she went. She loved to dress up, and she
revelled in the attention bestowed upon her from the other students.
She was living it up.
At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football
banquet. I'll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and
stepped up to the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared
speech, she dropped her three by five cards on the floor.
Frustrated and a little embarrassed, she leaned into the microphone
and simply said, 'I'm sorry I'm so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent
and this whiskey is killing me! I'll never get my speech back in
order, so let me just tell you what I know.'
As we laughed, she cleared her throat and began, ' We do not stop
playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.
There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and
achieving success. You have to laugh and find humour every day.
You've got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die.
We have so many people walking around who are dead and don't even
know it!
There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up.
If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and
don't do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I
am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do
anything I will turn eighty-eight.
Anybody can grow older. That doesn't take any talent or ability. The
idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no
regrets.
The elderly usually don't have regrets for what we did, but rather
for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those
with regrets.'
She concluded her speech by courageously singing 'The Rose.'
She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in
our daily lives. At the year's end Rose finished the college degree
she had begun all those months ago.
One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.
Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to
the wonderful woman who taught by example that it's never too late to
be all you can possibly be.
When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of
advice to your friends and family. They'll really enjoy it!
These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.
REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL. We make
a Living by what we get. We make a Life by what we give.
God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage. If God brings you to
it, He will bring you through it.
'Good friends are like stars..... .....You don't always see them, but
you know they are always there.'
FASTING & PRAYER
When you do fasting & praying, leave out the world. You go into a place where you can be alone with God. Shut out business, family, pleasures, television,telephone & anything that will distract you from God.
Let the Holy Spirit work through you & be open to the Holy Spirit. Now, remember to test the spirits; make sure that it is Gods Holy Spirit. Also thank God for answers & being there. Talk with God with respect but, also as a friend. Let the Holy Spirit of God have full dominion over you, your home, temper, your tongue, & your thoughts of your heart for others & yourself.
Seek God & conquer self & cast out sin. And let the Holy Spirit of God have entire possession of all of you,
In Christ Jesus Name
Love,
Rev. Londa
Let the Holy Spirit work through you & be open to the Holy Spirit. Now, remember to test the spirits; make sure that it is Gods Holy Spirit. Also thank God for answers & being there. Talk with God with respect but, also as a friend. Let the Holy Spirit of God have full dominion over you, your home, temper, your tongue, & your thoughts of your heart for others & yourself.
Seek God & conquer self & cast out sin. And let the Holy Spirit of God have entire possession of all of you,
In Christ Jesus Name
Love,
Rev. Londa
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
