| WHY WE CAN'T BEAT THESE PEOPLE BY KELLY THOMAS
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The Golden Gloves is a national competition of amateur boxing in the United States composed of winners from each state. The national competition is called the Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions. Most of the "greats" have won this competition including Cassius Clay, Joe Louis, George Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, and the notorious Mike Tyson.
I remember as a youngster taking up boxing after having become, what I thought, was good enough to get me to the Golden Gloves in my state. A friend of mine agreed to spar with me. I was dancing around; and, suddenly, he let go with a "haymaker" and nearly knocked me out. I saw stars.
Later on, I was telling someone about it and said, "He was able to do that because I know how to box and he doesn't." Yeah, that makes sense! Not!
Talk about flawed reasoning, but I wanted to justify the fact that I could box when I could not. Luckily, after a few more bloody noses and a couple of black eyes, I wised up, and forgot about competing in the Golden Gloves.
The moral of my boxing story relates to the story of a Afghan journalist, Ali Mohaqeq Nasab, just released from jail in the country. Nasab crimes: suggesting that women should have equal rights to men in court, questioning physical punishment for crimes, and suggesting that those who convert from Islam should not be put to death. Nasab was originally sentenced to two years in prison. Too lenient said several clerical councils from around the country. They wanted him killed. So, in order to prevent being sent to the gallows, he had to apologize. He did apologize, after three months of incarceration, and was given a six month suspended sentence.
The problem is that we want and expect reasoning and thinking. Islam wants blind acceptance; hence, we know how to box and they don't. So, those youthful comments made only to tout my boxing abilities, did have some meaning after all. KT
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| Stealing Jesus and Some Thoughts on Pat Robertson by J H L
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STEALING JESUS.
Stealing Jesus(How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity) is the title of a super book which I definitely recommend. There has been alot of "Jesus" talk on TV over the last several days. Pat Robertson and an organization led by him are in negotiations to lease thirty-five acres of Holy Land (rolling hills and rocky shores of the Sea of Galilee, tucked between key sites in Jesus' ministry). Israel says evangelical leaders will raise 50 million dollars to build a Heritage Center on the land in hopes of attracting tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims. Talk about "laughable." And, unfortunately, Americans who don't like "to think" will flock to it.
I'm sure that Jesus is smiling if at all interested.
I think that Jim Baker (remember him in the documentary, among many references, in The Eyes of Tammy Faye.) should run it. He did so well with Heritage USA near Charlotte, North Carolina.
It never ceases to amaze me how those like Robertson and usually the very conservative types love to hear themselves talk and equate success with camera time. They know exactly what Jesus would say or do. What one commentator said is that it again shows the close connection between Israel and right-wing Christians.
My Dad use to say all the time that God would zap anybody who messed with the Jews. And, he had about as much knowledge about the Biblical concept of the Jews as a tree. Oh well! I doubt very seriously if the spirit of Jesus for love and tolerance and understanding can be found much in the so-called, Holy Land.
INTERPRETING AS OPPOSED TO READING
One cannot read a narrative of the New Testament as found in the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) about what Jesus said and did and not realize that Robertson and most of the so-called "right-wing fundamentalists" are much better at using their own opinions to interpret the Bible rather than reading it. They might do well to try reading the "gospels" on occasion. It probably would make little difference as their mantra is, "Don't confuse me with facts, I have my mind made up."
Right-wing and fundamentalist Christians are not the same as evangelicals. Evangelicals adhere to the basics of Christianity while the fundamentalists put their own spin on the basics which I think is flat out wrong. I did see where one Evangelical group was proposing that the best way to deal with Christmas was not to give presents, but to give what you would give to the poor. I know that will fly!-Right?
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| About The DVD: Jesus Christ Superstar by J H L
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Jesus Christ SuperStar. A good buddy of mine rents this seventies light opera always for pre-Christmas; He says it is his favorite thing to do during the holidays. My granddaughter and I saw it a couple of years ago and loved it. It's kind of a "hippie" Jesus, the opposite of the right-wing fundamentalists' portrayal of Him.
Right-wingers want to make Jesus into a rule requiring, stick in the mud, which they can't do, if they read the Gospels.
In the play, Jesus preaches nonviolence and uses the constant refrain that all of us are children in this world together. The disciples are all too human. And, the flower children are everywhere while thumbing their noses and waving palm fronds at the official government, the Romans.
Judas, poor guy, is too practical for his own good and grows disillusioned by all this Jesus partying. He is over concerned by the half -baked bunch of hanger-oners whom he thinks might become fanatical. Judas sees, at least in the play, Jesus as being irascible, a little on the flaky side, and preoccupied with Mary Magdalene, which is definitely not true. There is never any indication in the Bible that anything sexual was involved between the two. But, the "I don't Know How To Love Him" anthem is absolutely one of my favorite songs ever. At its core, Jesus Christ SuperStar is a witty testimonial to the power of faith and the dangers of faux spirituality. I am definitely going to watch the dvd again.
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| About Billy Graham And Other Musings
by J H L
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(AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
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I saw Larry King interviewing Billy Graham on TV one night last week. I've never particularly liked Larry King. He is a "marshmallow" interviewer. Larry King never asks the hard questions and doesn't put anybody too much on the spot. But, if you are halfway discerning and can keep up with things, he did ask Billy Graham some intriguing religious questions. Graham, who is incredibly frail by the way, should have been at home in front of the TV, not on it, wrapped up in a blanket before a blazing fire, reading stories to his grandkids.
Anyway, Larry probed Graham about the tolerance of Jesus: for example, if people who didn't believe were lost, etc. Billy, in a politically correct way, dodged the question somewhat, giving his personal viewpoint. He did make a couple of statements supporting his son, Franklin; who, if not religiously bigoted, is over the top in my view. Franklin said (paraphrasing), "Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami definitely is a message from God and sin." Oh, Thank you very much.
I often think that it is a miracle that more people aren't disillusioned. Tom Brokaw did a TV special called "In God We Trust" a couple of months ago on the influence of mega churches. He interviewed Ted Haggard, paster of the New Life Center with 11,000 members in Colorado Springs, California.-This guy, Haggard, with a "glued on smile." said(in the Tom Brokaw interview)... "Actually, it really is a rally atmosphere. But we teach the scriptures. We have a worship, which are the fundamentals of Christian worship for the last 2,000 years. But I like the lights. I like the fun. I like it fast moving."
Tom Brokaw did this walk through at one of the mega churches with a couple. The husband was trying to be honest, the wife was a lapsed Catholic and they liked the megachurch because of all it offers- "consumer religion" as it's called.
Basically, folks go to these megachurches because of what they can get: childcare for their kids, entertainment, some feel-good participation and even a great chance to network with like-minded individuals. (I recently talked with someone who was a bigtime cabinet maker. "Where do you get most of your business?" My Church. OK!)
I guess a good follow-up program is one I read about asking the question "Is the anti-Christ here?" I think so: Let's call him/her, consumerism. God bless us and God bless America. JHL
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