Disaster Strikes the Space Program again...
NASA STATEMENT ON LOSS OF COMMUNICATIONS WITH COLUMBIA
A Space Shuttle contingency has been declared in Mission Control, Houston, as a result of the loss of communication with the Space Shuttle Columbia at approximately 9 a.m. EST Saturday as it descended toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla. It was scheduled to touchdown at 9:16 a.m. EST.
Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. EST at an altitude of about 203,000 feet in the area above north central Texas. At the time communications were lost. The shuttle was traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18). No communication and tracking information were received in Mission Control after that time.
Search and rescue teams in the Dallas-Fort Worth and in portions of East Texas have been alerted. Any debris that is located in the area that may be related to the Space Shuttle contingency should be avoided and may be hazardous as a result of toxic propellants used aboard the shuttle. The location of any possible debris should immediately be reported to local authorities.
Flight controllers in Mission Control have secured all information, notes and data pertinent to today's entry and landing by Space Shuttle Columbia and continue to methodically proceed through contingency plans.
Saturday, February 01, 2003
Friday, January 24, 2003
Follow Up
In regards to Thursday's post, I wanted to add a few comments.
Before I went to class, the way I responded was soley.... "Of course they aren't letting homosexuals carry leadership positions!" I mean, why would they? IV is a Christian organization and having someone in a leadership position who clearly did not represent the standards that the group is professing would be counterproductive and would make people outside the organization question its merit (hypocritical).
The discussion in class, while it did not really change my stance on the issue made me think about it more in depth and realize more of the other side of the picture. Some of the points made against IV in this case were IV is carrying the school's name and logo along with the organization name. Also, they're using school facilities for their meetings (etc). In addition, some schools (mainly private schools) offer all campus organizations funding from the student activities fee. If the school professes to not discriminate (as VT does for example) against age, sex, race, or sexual orientation then campus organizations do not have the right to discriminate either as long as they're using the school name, logo, facilities, or funding.
This is all well and good, but I still don't agree. Here's an example.... Would the Black Student Alliance have a white person as president???/ I don't think so.... Would the Society of Women Engineers have a male in a leadership position??? No again.
On the other hand, why would a homosexual, or anyone for that matter, want to be a part of an organization that professes different values and morals that differ from those of themselves?? It just doesn't seem like someone would go through the trouble to be a part of a group that clearly condones some value they posses, like homosexuality for example.
I brought this point up in class and the teacher made the point that maybe a person wants to get in leadership to reform the group. Well... maybe they should make their OWN organization that professes that Homosexuality is not condoned within Christianity.
Anyway, that's just what I think!
Until next time...
~Stefie
In regards to Thursday's post, I wanted to add a few comments.
Before I went to class, the way I responded was soley.... "Of course they aren't letting homosexuals carry leadership positions!" I mean, why would they? IV is a Christian organization and having someone in a leadership position who clearly did not represent the standards that the group is professing would be counterproductive and would make people outside the organization question its merit (hypocritical).
The discussion in class, while it did not really change my stance on the issue made me think about it more in depth and realize more of the other side of the picture. Some of the points made against IV in this case were IV is carrying the school's name and logo along with the organization name. Also, they're using school facilities for their meetings (etc). In addition, some schools (mainly private schools) offer all campus organizations funding from the student activities fee. If the school professes to not discriminate (as VT does for example) against age, sex, race, or sexual orientation then campus organizations do not have the right to discriminate either as long as they're using the school name, logo, facilities, or funding.
This is all well and good, but I still don't agree. Here's an example.... Would the Black Student Alliance have a white person as president???/ I don't think so.... Would the Society of Women Engineers have a male in a leadership position??? No again.
On the other hand, why would a homosexual, or anyone for that matter, want to be a part of an organization that professes different values and morals that differ from those of themselves?? It just doesn't seem like someone would go through the trouble to be a part of a group that clearly condones some value they posses, like homosexuality for example.
I brought this point up in class and the teacher made the point that maybe a person wants to get in leadership to reform the group. Well... maybe they should make their OWN organization that professes that Homosexuality is not condoned within Christianity.
Anyway, that's just what I think!
Until next time...
~Stefie
Thursday, January 23, 2003
An Article from my Religion Class
In my religion class, we're required to subscribe to a Daily Relgious News Email service, OnReligion.com. One article we were required to read spouted some interest in my mind... (from the Washington Times 1/18/03):
InterVarsity status shaken by bias accusations
Richard N. Ostling
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 18, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After 65 years of work on American college campuses, the respected InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has been battling recently with administrators at several dozen schools.
At issue are university rules that forbid recognized on-campus student organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion or sexual orientation.
InterVarsity requires students who lead its chapters — though not the other participants — to adhere to its eight-point doctrinal platform, and the traditional Christian teaching against homosexuality.
"A person's religious convictions are a relevant factor when selecting him or her to lead a religious organization," undergraduate leaders of an independent but InterVarsity-related Christian fellowship at Harvard said in a recent statement. The issue is under discussion at Harvard.
InterVarsity seeks to settle such disputes privately, said the group's attorney, David French. It almost always wins, defending its policies on the basis of religious freedom, said Mr. French, whose efforts are supported by the Alliance Defense Fund of Scottsdale, Ariz.
But at Rutgers University, a local chapter was suspended in September, subsequent talks stalled and InterVarsity filed suit in federal court Dec. 30 for the first time anywhere.
The same day, news broke that Chancellor James Moeser of the University of North Carolina overruled the student activities director, who had told InterVarsity students to drop their leadership restrictions by Jan. 31 or be thrown off campus.
North Carolina's rules, similar to those elsewhere, require campus clubs to allow "full membership and participation" without regard to religion, sexual orientation or other factors.
Mr. Moeser decided InterVarsity could continue as a recognized campus club without changing its rule about leaders. Because it makes "valuable contributions to student life" and since membership is open to all, "on balance," Mr. Moeser explained, "preserving freedom of expression is the more crucial consideration."
Originating at England's University of Cambridge 126 years ago, InterVarsity reached the University of Michigan in 1938 and currently has chapters on 560 U.S. campuses.
Its missionary convention at the University of Illinois every three years is the biggest religious event in America for college students; it drew 18,730 in 2000.
Yet deeply religious students tend to find themselves marginalized on campus, said Alan Charles Kors, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
They wind up as the only group expected to live with "a hostile environment," he said.
Mr. Kors, a University of Pennsylvania historian and nonreligious Jew, thinks such students should insist on their rights, as InterVarsity is doing.
"A large number don't fight back," he said.
Apparently, college religious organizations often avoid conflict by operating off-campus — or by simply winking at campus rules. But Mr. French said "integrity" requires InterVarsity chapters to state their leadership policies.
For many years, there seemed to be no problem. The pressures on InterVarsity first became public at Tufts University in 2000, when a member filed a complaint that student leaders of the local chapter barred her from holding office because she is a lesbian who disagreed with InterVarsity's view of homosexuality.
Eventually the campus judiciary decided the lesbian had been discriminated against, but InterVarsity's policy did not violate Tufts' rules so it could continue operating.
Mr. French said he believes public universities such as Rutgers are bound by U.S. Supreme Court decisions that guarantee religious clubs equal access to campus facilities and funding from mandatory student-activity fees. In addition, the court has backed the right of private associations — in a Boy Scouts case — to select leaders on the basis of moral tenets.
The Rutgers dispute pits adherence to InterVarsity's doctrinal requirements against the university rule that "membership, benefits and the election of officers" will not be made on the basis of "religious affiliation."
The InterVarsity chapter could operate off-campus like many religious ministries do, concedes InterVarsity staff adviser Laura Vellenga.
But she said that would relegate it to "second-class status," losing guaranteed access to campus facilities and a rightful share of student-activities fees.
Emmet A. Dennis, Rutgers' vice president for student affairs, said Monday that the school believes a group receiving student fees should open leadership posts to any active participant.
He sees InterVarsity as a national organization seeking to veto local leaders by insisting on its doctrinal standards, although Miss Vellenga said the Rutgers students themselves want to make sure like-minded Christians continue to lead the group.
The issue is simply the right of assembly and "whether groups can come together under particular beliefs," according to Jonathan Crowe, who was student co-leader of the InterVarsity chapter during the Tufts University dispute.
"If you take that away, forcing a Republican group to have a Democratic president or a Hillel group to have a Holocaust denier, you're undermining the integrity of the group."
In my religion class, we're required to subscribe to a Daily Relgious News Email service, OnReligion.com. One article we were required to read spouted some interest in my mind... (from the Washington Times 1/18/03):
InterVarsity status shaken by bias accusations
Richard N. Ostling
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published January 18, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After 65 years of work on American college campuses, the respected InterVarsity Christian Fellowship has been battling recently with administrators at several dozen schools.
At issue are university rules that forbid recognized on-campus student organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion or sexual orientation.
InterVarsity requires students who lead its chapters — though not the other participants — to adhere to its eight-point doctrinal platform, and the traditional Christian teaching against homosexuality.
"A person's religious convictions are a relevant factor when selecting him or her to lead a religious organization," undergraduate leaders of an independent but InterVarsity-related Christian fellowship at Harvard said in a recent statement. The issue is under discussion at Harvard.
InterVarsity seeks to settle such disputes privately, said the group's attorney, David French. It almost always wins, defending its policies on the basis of religious freedom, said Mr. French, whose efforts are supported by the Alliance Defense Fund of Scottsdale, Ariz.
But at Rutgers University, a local chapter was suspended in September, subsequent talks stalled and InterVarsity filed suit in federal court Dec. 30 for the first time anywhere.
The same day, news broke that Chancellor James Moeser of the University of North Carolina overruled the student activities director, who had told InterVarsity students to drop their leadership restrictions by Jan. 31 or be thrown off campus.
North Carolina's rules, similar to those elsewhere, require campus clubs to allow "full membership and participation" without regard to religion, sexual orientation or other factors.
Mr. Moeser decided InterVarsity could continue as a recognized campus club without changing its rule about leaders. Because it makes "valuable contributions to student life" and since membership is open to all, "on balance," Mr. Moeser explained, "preserving freedom of expression is the more crucial consideration."
Originating at England's University of Cambridge 126 years ago, InterVarsity reached the University of Michigan in 1938 and currently has chapters on 560 U.S. campuses.
Its missionary convention at the University of Illinois every three years is the biggest religious event in America for college students; it drew 18,730 in 2000.
Yet deeply religious students tend to find themselves marginalized on campus, said Alan Charles Kors, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
They wind up as the only group expected to live with "a hostile environment," he said.
Mr. Kors, a University of Pennsylvania historian and nonreligious Jew, thinks such students should insist on their rights, as InterVarsity is doing.
"A large number don't fight back," he said.
Apparently, college religious organizations often avoid conflict by operating off-campus — or by simply winking at campus rules. But Mr. French said "integrity" requires InterVarsity chapters to state their leadership policies.
For many years, there seemed to be no problem. The pressures on InterVarsity first became public at Tufts University in 2000, when a member filed a complaint that student leaders of the local chapter barred her from holding office because she is a lesbian who disagreed with InterVarsity's view of homosexuality.
Eventually the campus judiciary decided the lesbian had been discriminated against, but InterVarsity's policy did not violate Tufts' rules so it could continue operating.
Mr. French said he believes public universities such as Rutgers are bound by U.S. Supreme Court decisions that guarantee religious clubs equal access to campus facilities and funding from mandatory student-activity fees. In addition, the court has backed the right of private associations — in a Boy Scouts case — to select leaders on the basis of moral tenets.
The Rutgers dispute pits adherence to InterVarsity's doctrinal requirements against the university rule that "membership, benefits and the election of officers" will not be made on the basis of "religious affiliation."
The InterVarsity chapter could operate off-campus like many religious ministries do, concedes InterVarsity staff adviser Laura Vellenga.
But she said that would relegate it to "second-class status," losing guaranteed access to campus facilities and a rightful share of student-activities fees.
Emmet A. Dennis, Rutgers' vice president for student affairs, said Monday that the school believes a group receiving student fees should open leadership posts to any active participant.
He sees InterVarsity as a national organization seeking to veto local leaders by insisting on its doctrinal standards, although Miss Vellenga said the Rutgers students themselves want to make sure like-minded Christians continue to lead the group.
The issue is simply the right of assembly and "whether groups can come together under particular beliefs," according to Jonathan Crowe, who was student co-leader of the InterVarsity chapter during the Tufts University dispute.
"If you take that away, forcing a Republican group to have a Democratic president or a Hillel group to have a Holocaust denier, you're undermining the integrity of the group."
Friday, January 17, 2003
A New Semester
It's Friday, finally! This first week of the spring semester has gone so SLOWLY. I'm taking 18 credit hours and working in an Aerospace Engineering Senior Design Team. I also made the Hokie Hoops Pep Band and the University Symphony Band (one of my credit classes). Here's my class schedule...
Monday
* 10:10 am - Engineering Fundamentals
* 11:15 am - Religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Tuesday
* 9:30 am - Intro to Programming in C++
* 11:00 am - Calculus II
* 12:30 pm - Vector Geometry
* 2:00 pm - Physics I
* 3:30 pm - (Aero Design Team)
* 5:00 pm - Symphony Band
Wednesday
* 9:05 - Physics Recitation
* 10:10 am - Engineering Fundamentals
* 11:15 am - Religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam
* 2:00 pm - Physics Lab (every other week)
Thursday
* 9:30 am - Intro to Programming in C++
* 11:00 am - Calculus II
* 2:00 pm - Physics I
* 3:30 pm - Aero Design Team
* 5:00 pm - Symphony Band
Friday
* 11:15 am - Religion: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
They're heavy Tuesdays and Thursdays, but that's okay. I should have some good posts deriving from my religion class.... Like on Wednesday, the whole class was devoted to a class discussion on what we think the definition of religion is. There were some pretty off the wall ideas. For example, one person was saying that quantum physics could be a religion because it defines the history and mechanics of the universe.
Anyway, it should be a good semester. I'll return eventually to post once again.
It's Friday, finally! This first week of the spring semester has gone so SLOWLY. I'm taking 18 credit hours and working in an Aerospace Engineering Senior Design Team. I also made the Hokie Hoops Pep Band and the University Symphony Band (one of my credit classes). Here's my class schedule...
Monday
* 10:10 am - Engineering Fundamentals
* 11:15 am - Religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam
Tuesday
* 9:30 am - Intro to Programming in C++
* 11:00 am - Calculus II
* 12:30 pm - Vector Geometry
* 2:00 pm - Physics I
* 3:30 pm - (Aero Design Team)
* 5:00 pm - Symphony Band
Wednesday
* 9:05 - Physics Recitation
* 10:10 am - Engineering Fundamentals
* 11:15 am - Religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam
* 2:00 pm - Physics Lab (every other week)
Thursday
* 9:30 am - Intro to Programming in C++
* 11:00 am - Calculus II
* 2:00 pm - Physics I
* 3:30 pm - Aero Design Team
* 5:00 pm - Symphony Band
Friday
* 11:15 am - Religion: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
They're heavy Tuesdays and Thursdays, but that's okay. I should have some good posts deriving from my religion class.... Like on Wednesday, the whole class was devoted to a class discussion on what we think the definition of religion is. There were some pretty off the wall ideas. For example, one person was saying that quantum physics could be a religion because it defines the history and mechanics of the universe.
Anyway, it should be a good semester. I'll return eventually to post once again.
Saturday, January 11, 2003
A New Year
So, I'm a little late, but I want to wish ya'll a happy new year! May it be a fun and productive year.
I don't have many wise words to start the year off... I don't really do the whole 'New Year's Resolution' thing... I don't see a point, because if there's something in your life that needs to be changed waiting for a new year to begin is just going to get you in the habit of putting off making that change, and thus make it harder to actually do.
I'm rambling... so I'm going to stop. Maybe I'll have some good post with deep thought put into it sometime in the near future.
So, I'm a little late, but I want to wish ya'll a happy new year! May it be a fun and productive year.
I don't have many wise words to start the year off... I don't really do the whole 'New Year's Resolution' thing... I don't see a point, because if there's something in your life that needs to be changed waiting for a new year to begin is just going to get you in the habit of putting off making that change, and thus make it harder to actually do.
I'm rambling... so I'm going to stop. Maybe I'll have some good post with deep thought put into it sometime in the near future.
Tuesday, December 24, 2002
Christmas Eve
Well, its that time of year... Christmas Eve. So many people get caught up in the chaos of the season that they neglect the true meaning of Christmas... Jesus Christ. And even for non-Christians, there should be more to Christmas than just rushing around getting angry because you can't find that perfect gift in time... its time to relax and enjoy the company of your family. So often, people get so wound up in the stress of everything that is going on here at this part of the year... Christmas concerts, shopping, dinners, parties, church services.... the list goes on... But, sometimes we just need to stop and say 'thank you lord' for the season. (I found this article on the origins of Santa Claus by the way)
So... here's a flash back to what the Christmas season is about... sit back and relax and remind yourself of why we celebrate... (have a Merry Christmas!)
According to the Gospel of Luke...
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, " Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
So this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying: "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which is translated, God with us."
Then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And called His name, Jesus.
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirnius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up out of Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea on the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who had been born the King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So the said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the Prophet: " But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel." Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found him, bring back word to me, the I may come and worship Him also."
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the manger, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, the presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, the departed for the own country another way.
Now there were in the country, shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring great tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. Now when they had seen Him, the made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning the Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,
And the government shall be upon His shoulders.
And His name will be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
to order it and establish it with judgment and justice,
from that time forward, even forever."
Well, its that time of year... Christmas Eve. So many people get caught up in the chaos of the season that they neglect the true meaning of Christmas... Jesus Christ. And even for non-Christians, there should be more to Christmas than just rushing around getting angry because you can't find that perfect gift in time... its time to relax and enjoy the company of your family. So often, people get so wound up in the stress of everything that is going on here at this part of the year... Christmas concerts, shopping, dinners, parties, church services.... the list goes on... But, sometimes we just need to stop and say 'thank you lord' for the season. (I found this article on the origins of Santa Claus by the way)
So... here's a flash back to what the Christmas season is about... sit back and relax and remind yourself of why we celebrate... (have a Merry Christmas!)
According to the Gospel of Luke...
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to the city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the House of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!" But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, " Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end."
Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"
And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, the Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."
Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, and angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name, Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins."
So this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying: "Behold a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emanuel, which is translated, God with us."
Then Joseph being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And called His name, Jesus.
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirnius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up out of Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and of the lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. So it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea on the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who had been born the King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered together all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So the said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the Prophet: " But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel." Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found him, bring back word to me, the I may come and worship Him also."
When they heard the king, they departed; and behold the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the manger, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshipped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, the presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, the departed for the own country another way.
Now there were in the country, shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, the angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring great tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in the manger. Now when they had seen Him, the made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning the Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen as it was told them.
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given,
And the government shall be upon His shoulders.
And His name will be called, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
to order it and establish it with judgment and justice,
from that time forward, even forever."
Thursday, December 12, 2002
Blogger Etiquette
I don't know if there is such a thing as blogger etiquette... but, since Robbie (HokiePundit) issued a good luck to me and another fellow Hokie on our exams, I figured I'd repay the favor.... So, to Robbie (and anyone else who may be taking them as well)... Good luck on your exams. I hope that your efforts will be repaid and that you won't be too stressed throughout exam week.
And, if I don't get a chance to tell you before then... Have a wonderful Christmas break and a great trip to San Francisco for the bowl game!
I don't know if there is such a thing as blogger etiquette... but, since Robbie (HokiePundit) issued a good luck to me and another fellow Hokie on our exams, I figured I'd repay the favor.... So, to Robbie (and anyone else who may be taking them as well)... Good luck on your exams. I hope that your efforts will be repaid and that you won't be too stressed throughout exam week.
And, if I don't get a chance to tell you before then... Have a wonderful Christmas break and a great trip to San Francisco for the bowl game!
Sunday, December 08, 2002
In conjunction with yesterday's post, I noticed that my friend Robbie's (Hokie Pundit) Away message was along the same lines:
You know, I'm glad people think Bush is a moron. He had a 1206 on his SATs (before the readjustment). He got his BA and MBA from two Ivy League schools. He successfully ran a MLB team and an oil company, and then became the first Governor of Texas to ever win re-election. After this, he defeated a two-term incumbent Vice-President during an economic boom. He's forced the UN to go along with his will, and helped give his party control of both the legislature and executive branches.
Everyone gets what they want! Europeans and liberals get to whine about how dumb he is without having to put forth credible views or even evidence, and conservatives get their man in power!
You know, I'm glad people think Bush is a moron. He had a 1206 on his SATs (before the readjustment). He got his BA and MBA from two Ivy League schools. He successfully ran a MLB team and an oil company, and then became the first Governor of Texas to ever win re-election. After this, he defeated a two-term incumbent Vice-President during an economic boom. He's forced the UN to go along with his will, and helped give his party control of both the legislature and executive branches.
Everyone gets what they want! Europeans and liberals get to whine about how dumb he is without having to put forth credible views or even evidence, and conservatives get their man in power!
Saturday, December 07, 2002
A Matter of Country Unity
I understand that not everyone can be wise enough to understand certain things in life, but that doesn't mean that the liberals have to be so stubborn. Face it George W IS our president. He won the election, whether or not you like it.... nothing you say is or do is going to change that right now. So why don't you think about your country a little bit and COOPERATE! Things would be a LOT better for everyone if people didn't spend their time doing things like this...Mockery.
It really irks me that people do this stuff... as if making fun of someone is EVER going to help the state of our country. I mean if you feel so strongly against him, then why don't you spend your time more productively by sitting down and explaining in detail what poor "W" is doing wrong and how he can change it to do it better... with all the details worked out, mind you! Then send it to your congressman or maybe straight to the president himself.... maybe then your ideas will be heard... but doing stupid stuff like wasting your time trying to point out every little mistake the man makes is unacceptable! Come on, the only perfect 'person' to ever come to this world was Jesus Christ himself.
And that's my soapbox.
I understand that not everyone can be wise enough to understand certain things in life, but that doesn't mean that the liberals have to be so stubborn. Face it George W IS our president. He won the election, whether or not you like it.... nothing you say is or do is going to change that right now. So why don't you think about your country a little bit and COOPERATE! Things would be a LOT better for everyone if people didn't spend their time doing things like this...Mockery.
It really irks me that people do this stuff... as if making fun of someone is EVER going to help the state of our country. I mean if you feel so strongly against him, then why don't you spend your time more productively by sitting down and explaining in detail what poor "W" is doing wrong and how he can change it to do it better... with all the details worked out, mind you! Then send it to your congressman or maybe straight to the president himself.... maybe then your ideas will be heard... but doing stupid stuff like wasting your time trying to point out every little mistake the man makes is unacceptable! Come on, the only perfect 'person' to ever come to this world was Jesus Christ himself.
And that's my soapbox.
Sunday, December 01, 2002
Thanksgiving
Yes.. this is a little late coming, but I was reminded of something I could post on after reading someone else's blog.
Thanksgiving... a time to be... well, Thankful. So... here's my list of everything (well, at least everything I can think of) I'm thankful for (I mean besides the obvious... since everything derives from God anyway)....
I'm thankful for a loving family... they're always supportive of everything I'm doing. And since I've been at college, they've all been eager to come take me out to eat or pick me up and take me somewhere if I need a ride.... even though they all live in Roanoke (about 45 minutes away). They're all looking out for me and this week I think I got money "to help me out" from 3 sets of my family: my mom & dad, my aunt Paula, and my aunt Charlotte & uncle Bill. Anyway, they're very fun people and care about me a lot, which is something to TRULY be thankful for nowadays....
Secondly, I'm thankful for all the talent and ability I've been given by God. I'm so lucky to have the ability to play music (to some extent) and to enjoy that.. (this next part is going to sound arrogant... I really don't want it to)... I'm also thankful that I have the knowledge and ability to learn that I do... I have to work to learn, but it's not like my efforts don't pay off... i've seen it in some people where no matter how hard they try, they just can't get it... (whatever the 'it' is that they're studying)...
I'm thankful for my world and my country.. I was lucky to have grown up in my little town of Vinton. It was a nice place to grow up... no violence, safe, caring, close enough to a larger city (Roanoke) that I could be acustomed to the real world without having to fear it. America is a wonderful country and I'm so thankful to be living here were I can live the way I want to live without fearing the government... FREEDOM... such a thing to be thankful for.
Finally, I'm thankful for my friends. I'm so lucky to have friends like I do. they're all fun people, many of whom have genuine relationships with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Yes.. this is a little late coming, but I was reminded of something I could post on after reading someone else's blog.
Thanksgiving... a time to be... well, Thankful. So... here's my list of everything (well, at least everything I can think of) I'm thankful for (I mean besides the obvious... since everything derives from God anyway)....
I'm thankful for a loving family... they're always supportive of everything I'm doing. And since I've been at college, they've all been eager to come take me out to eat or pick me up and take me somewhere if I need a ride.... even though they all live in Roanoke (about 45 minutes away). They're all looking out for me and this week I think I got money "to help me out" from 3 sets of my family: my mom & dad, my aunt Paula, and my aunt Charlotte & uncle Bill. Anyway, they're very fun people and care about me a lot, which is something to TRULY be thankful for nowadays....
Secondly, I'm thankful for all the talent and ability I've been given by God. I'm so lucky to have the ability to play music (to some extent) and to enjoy that.. (this next part is going to sound arrogant... I really don't want it to)... I'm also thankful that I have the knowledge and ability to learn that I do... I have to work to learn, but it's not like my efforts don't pay off... i've seen it in some people where no matter how hard they try, they just can't get it... (whatever the 'it' is that they're studying)...
I'm thankful for my world and my country.. I was lucky to have grown up in my little town of Vinton. It was a nice place to grow up... no violence, safe, caring, close enough to a larger city (Roanoke) that I could be acustomed to the real world without having to fear it. America is a wonderful country and I'm so thankful to be living here were I can live the way I want to live without fearing the government... FREEDOM... such a thing to be thankful for.
Finally, I'm thankful for my friends. I'm so lucky to have friends like I do. they're all fun people, many of whom have genuine relationships with Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Saturday, November 30, 2002
Breakin'
Well, it looks as if I not only took a fall break physically from school, but also mentally from blogging...
That last week before my real break (up to the 22nd of Nov.) I was VERY busy with tests and projects and the sort... but I have no excuse for my week at home...
Nothing of substance comes to mind to talk about... Hopefully I can think up something soon!
Well, it looks as if I not only took a fall break physically from school, but also mentally from blogging...
That last week before my real break (up to the 22nd of Nov.) I was VERY busy with tests and projects and the sort... but I have no excuse for my week at home...
Nothing of substance comes to mind to talk about... Hopefully I can think up something soon!
Thursday, November 14, 2002
CT Article
Yes, another busy week... looks as if next week won't be much better, but then its Fall BREAK!!! :) yayayay!
Anyway, today in the CT (Collegiate Times), Virginia Tech's newspaper... actually a pretty good source of campus, state, national, and worldwide news, considering the source... Well, today in the Opinions & Commentary section there was an commentary on Gun ownership...
The author, Jim Keeney, compares owning a gun to owning a car... both can be deadly, but are both useful as well...
A different slant, and a very good point!
Yes, another busy week... looks as if next week won't be much better, but then its Fall BREAK!!! :) yayayay!
Anyway, today in the CT (Collegiate Times), Virginia Tech's newspaper... actually a pretty good source of campus, state, national, and worldwide news, considering the source... Well, today in the Opinions & Commentary section there was an commentary on Gun ownership...
The author, Jim Keeney, compares owning a gun to owning a car... both can be deadly, but are both useful as well...
A different slant, and a very good point!
Sunday, November 10, 2002
Saturday, November 09, 2002
Dating vs. Courtship
I was presented with this new Christian view on dating about halfway through last school year... I still haven't developed an opinion on it but, here are some excerpts from a website I found about it (http://polynate.net/books/courtship/part1.html):
Dating was invented in the early part of this century. Prior to that time, marriage always involved much more input from the parents, and "trial relationships" leading up to marriage were not conducted at all. Courtship, as discussed in more detail subsequently, seeks to emulate the Godly models described in the Bible that were conducted by God's people up until the invention of dating.
Courtship is a word that has been adopted to describe a biblical model for the relationship leading up to marriage. In the Bible, the parents were always involved in the marriage process.
Once we are married, we recognize that certain things are sacred to our partner. Things such as co-habitation, kissing, intimate hugging, sex and bringing up children. We recognize that not only our physical body, but our emotions, even our spirit are dedicated to that one partner, for the rest of our life (according to our vows).
The dichotomy is this: in dating, we presume to partake of many of these privileges of marriage. We would be shocked if a married man had an emotional attachment to another woman, and yet it's quite acceptable for singles to have a different emotional attachment every week. On the one hand, we save sex for our partners (and some even do that sparingly), but on the other, we engage in rampant emotional promiscuity, giving pieces of our hearts away until one wonders what will be left for that special, life-long partner.
The primary purpose of marriage is not to please you, but to serve God.
So to have a successful marriage, the most important thing is to ensure that you follow His principles that He laid down when He designed marriage. The irony is, when we focus on His principles instead of our pleasure, we end up having a very satifying and pleasant marriage!
I'm going to be looking into these concepts a little more in order to form a more definitive stance on this stance on dating... Sometime in the near future I'll post again on this topic.
I was presented with this new Christian view on dating about halfway through last school year... I still haven't developed an opinion on it but, here are some excerpts from a website I found about it (http://polynate.net/books/courtship/part1.html):
Dating was invented in the early part of this century. Prior to that time, marriage always involved much more input from the parents, and "trial relationships" leading up to marriage were not conducted at all. Courtship, as discussed in more detail subsequently, seeks to emulate the Godly models described in the Bible that were conducted by God's people up until the invention of dating.
Courtship is a word that has been adopted to describe a biblical model for the relationship leading up to marriage. In the Bible, the parents were always involved in the marriage process.
Once we are married, we recognize that certain things are sacred to our partner. Things such as co-habitation, kissing, intimate hugging, sex and bringing up children. We recognize that not only our physical body, but our emotions, even our spirit are dedicated to that one partner, for the rest of our life (according to our vows).
The dichotomy is this: in dating, we presume to partake of many of these privileges of marriage. We would be shocked if a married man had an emotional attachment to another woman, and yet it's quite acceptable for singles to have a different emotional attachment every week. On the one hand, we save sex for our partners (and some even do that sparingly), but on the other, we engage in rampant emotional promiscuity, giving pieces of our hearts away until one wonders what will be left for that special, life-long partner.
The primary purpose of marriage is not to please you, but to serve God.
So to have a successful marriage, the most important thing is to ensure that you follow His principles that He laid down when He designed marriage. The irony is, when we focus on His principles instead of our pleasure, we end up having a very satifying and pleasant marriage!
I'm going to be looking into these concepts a little more in order to form a more definitive stance on this stance on dating... Sometime in the near future I'll post again on this topic.
Thursday, November 07, 2002
Wednesday, November 06, 2002
Election Results
Ahhh.. the morning after.... The elections silly! Yes, we all await the next morning so we know how our votes affected the elections.... Here's a run-down of the things I voted for....
* US Senate Election
John Warner walks away with the position as US Senator from Virginia for the 4th term (he's been in the Senate since 1978), carrying a wopping 84% of the votes. Also on the ticket were Jacob Hornberger and Nancy Spannaus under the independent label raking in 9 and 7 percent of the votes, respectively.
* US House of Representatives Election - VA 6th District
Bob Goodlatte amazingly pulls away with the position of representative to the US House of Rep's for his 6th term.... Its a good thing he ended up winning because he was running unopposed....
* Judicial Power and Jurisdiction Amendment to the VA Constitution
Ballot Question: Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to permit the Supreme Court to consider, as part of its original jurisdiction, claims of actual innocence presented by convicted felons in the cases and manner provided by the General Assembly?
* Exempt Property Amendment to the VA Constitution
65% yes! (this helps my college)
Ballot Question: Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow localities by ordinance, rather than the General Assembly by law, to exempt property from taxation that is used for charitable and certain other purposes, subject to the restrictions and conditions provided by general law?
* Educational Facilities Bond Issue
72% yes!
The purpose of the Act is to allow the Commonwealth to sell bonds to raise funds to pay for capital projects at state-supported colleges, universities, museums and other educational facilities. The capital projects contemplated in the Act have an estimated useful life of more than twenty-five years and include, but are not limited to, capital projects for the renovation of instructional facilities, construction of new academic space, construction of new research space, upgrades to heating and cooling systems, and improvements for handicapped accessibility.
* Parks and Recreational Facilities Bond Issue
The purpose of the Act is to allow the Commonwealth to sell bonds to raise funds to pay for capital projects at state-supported parks and recreational facilities. If this Act is approved, the Commonwealth may issue Commonwealth of Virginia General Obligation Bonds and sell the bonds to raise funds to pay for specific capital projects. The capital projects contemplated in the Act have an estimated useful life of more than twenty-five years and include, but are not limited to, capital projects for the acquisition of land for natural area preserves and parks, campground construction, visitor center renovation, road improvements, trail improvements and shoreline erosion repair.
Highlights from an article I found in the Roanoke paper... "Triumphant GOP Looks to new Agenda"
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush and his party savored sweeping midterm election victories Wednesday and began sketching an agenda for a new, Republican-controlled Congress. The leader of defeated House Democrats, Rep. Dick Gephardt, signaled he would step down.... Republicans were assured of 51 seats in the new Senate, a gain of two. Democrats had 47 and the support of one independent....In the House, Republicans had 227 seats — a gain of four — and led for one more. Democrats won 203, and led for three. There was one independent. Senior aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gephardt intended to declare on Thursday that he would not seek a fifth term as House Democratic leader. The 61-year-old Missouri lawmaker is a potential challenger for the White House in 2004, but it was not known whether he would discussion his presidential ambitions when he made his announcement....The elections marked a remarkable triumph for Republicans, who bucked history to gain seats in a midterm election in which they held the White House."
Not only did the Republican party end up with majorities in the House and Senate, but also a majority of the governorships throughout the country, even Governor Jeb Bush of Florida came out on top.
I'm not a republican, but I am conservative and Republicans tend to be more conservative than Democrats, so I guess it was a great day for Republicans and a not so shabby day for conservatives alike.
Ahhh.. the morning after.... The elections silly! Yes, we all await the next morning so we know how our votes affected the elections.... Here's a run-down of the things I voted for....
* US Senate Election
John Warner walks away with the position as US Senator from Virginia for the 4th term (he's been in the Senate since 1978), carrying a wopping 84% of the votes. Also on the ticket were Jacob Hornberger and Nancy Spannaus under the independent label raking in 9 and 7 percent of the votes, respectively.
* US House of Representatives Election - VA 6th District
Bob Goodlatte amazingly pulls away with the position of representative to the US House of Rep's for his 6th term.... Its a good thing he ended up winning because he was running unopposed....
* Judicial Power and Jurisdiction Amendment to the VA Constitution
Ballot Question: Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to permit the Supreme Court to consider, as part of its original jurisdiction, claims of actual innocence presented by convicted felons in the cases and manner provided by the General Assembly?
* Exempt Property Amendment to the VA Constitution
65% yes! (this helps my college)
Ballot Question: Shall the Constitution of Virginia be amended to allow localities by ordinance, rather than the General Assembly by law, to exempt property from taxation that is used for charitable and certain other purposes, subject to the restrictions and conditions provided by general law?
* Educational Facilities Bond Issue
72% yes!
The purpose of the Act is to allow the Commonwealth to sell bonds to raise funds to pay for capital projects at state-supported colleges, universities, museums and other educational facilities. The capital projects contemplated in the Act have an estimated useful life of more than twenty-five years and include, but are not limited to, capital projects for the renovation of instructional facilities, construction of new academic space, construction of new research space, upgrades to heating and cooling systems, and improvements for handicapped accessibility.
* Parks and Recreational Facilities Bond Issue
The purpose of the Act is to allow the Commonwealth to sell bonds to raise funds to pay for capital projects at state-supported parks and recreational facilities. If this Act is approved, the Commonwealth may issue Commonwealth of Virginia General Obligation Bonds and sell the bonds to raise funds to pay for specific capital projects. The capital projects contemplated in the Act have an estimated useful life of more than twenty-five years and include, but are not limited to, capital projects for the acquisition of land for natural area preserves and parks, campground construction, visitor center renovation, road improvements, trail improvements and shoreline erosion repair.
Highlights from an article I found in the Roanoke paper... "Triumphant GOP Looks to new Agenda"
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush and his party savored sweeping midterm election victories Wednesday and began sketching an agenda for a new, Republican-controlled Congress. The leader of defeated House Democrats, Rep. Dick Gephardt, signaled he would step down.... Republicans were assured of 51 seats in the new Senate, a gain of two. Democrats had 47 and the support of one independent....In the House, Republicans had 227 seats — a gain of four — and led for one more. Democrats won 203, and led for three. There was one independent. Senior aides, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Gephardt intended to declare on Thursday that he would not seek a fifth term as House Democratic leader. The 61-year-old Missouri lawmaker is a potential challenger for the White House in 2004, but it was not known whether he would discussion his presidential ambitions when he made his announcement....The elections marked a remarkable triumph for Republicans, who bucked history to gain seats in a midterm election in which they held the White House."
Not only did the Republican party end up with majorities in the House and Senate, but also a majority of the governorships throughout the country, even Governor Jeb Bush of Florida came out on top.
I'm not a republican, but I am conservative and Republicans tend to be more conservative than Democrats, so I guess it was a great day for Republicans and a not so shabby day for conservatives alike.
Tuesday, November 05, 2002
Election Day
In honor of one of the greatest American freedoms: voting
I voted for the first time today. That's one of the good parts about being 18! And I got one of those stickers to show that I participated in my country! But, today's post is related to the elections.... Political Parties....
There are many, many, many independent parties in the United States.... Some of these include:
* The American Reform Party - breakaway from the Reform party known for by Ross Perot
* The American Nazi Party
* Communist Party USA
* The Constitution Party - (a personal favorite for the 2000 presidential election) formerly known as the US Taxpayers Party... and basically a very serious Religious Right platform
* The Green Party - highly liberal
* The Labor Party - liberal group created by labor unions
* The Libertarian Party - Libertarians are neither left nor right... they believe in total individual liberty and total econmic freedom (this is a party I tend to lean toward more now than before)
* Reform Party - Ross Perot
* Socialist Party USA - advocate left-wing electoral change versus militant revolutionary change.
* and many more.....
However many independent parties exist, however, America is highly a bipartisan system.... balanced between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
* Democratic Party (DNC): right now have a 50-49-1 majority over the Senate because one Repubican was suayed into converted to independent and thus throwing the majority (by one) to the democrats... That's why this years election is so crucial, because the majority could go back to the Republicans and our President can actually get something done without getting shot down.
* Republican Party (RNC): currently control a slim majority in the House of Representatives, several key Governorships, and the White House.
To read more on these parties, I've found a really good resource: http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm.
I've said before that I'm VERY conservative. But I never said what party I am... That's because I don't believe in choosing one party. Especially, Democratic or Republican because there are liberals and conservatives in both. I prefer to choose who I vote for based on their political views and platform, comparing them with my own personal ideology. I hope that other people feel the same way too.
Finally, voting is a very important freedom for Americans to take advantage of. If you don't vote, then you have absolutely no right to complain about the government.... NONE! If you're able to go out and vote, do it! Don't assume that other people will vote the way you want them too... Take matters into your own hands and make a say in your country!
In honor of one of the greatest American freedoms: voting
I voted for the first time today. That's one of the good parts about being 18! And I got one of those stickers to show that I participated in my country! But, today's post is related to the elections.... Political Parties....
There are many, many, many independent parties in the United States.... Some of these include:
* The American Reform Party - breakaway from the Reform party known for by Ross Perot
* The American Nazi Party
* Communist Party USA
* The Constitution Party - (a personal favorite for the 2000 presidential election) formerly known as the US Taxpayers Party... and basically a very serious Religious Right platform
* The Green Party - highly liberal
* The Labor Party - liberal group created by labor unions
* The Libertarian Party - Libertarians are neither left nor right... they believe in total individual liberty and total econmic freedom (this is a party I tend to lean toward more now than before)
* Reform Party - Ross Perot
* Socialist Party USA - advocate left-wing electoral change versus militant revolutionary change.
* and many more.....
However many independent parties exist, however, America is highly a bipartisan system.... balanced between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
* Democratic Party (DNC): right now have a 50-49-1 majority over the Senate because one Repubican was suayed into converted to independent and thus throwing the majority (by one) to the democrats... That's why this years election is so crucial, because the majority could go back to the Republicans and our President can actually get something done without getting shot down.
* Republican Party (RNC): currently control a slim majority in the House of Representatives, several key Governorships, and the White House.
To read more on these parties, I've found a really good resource: http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm.
I've said before that I'm VERY conservative. But I never said what party I am... That's because I don't believe in choosing one party. Especially, Democratic or Republican because there are liberals and conservatives in both. I prefer to choose who I vote for based on their political views and platform, comparing them with my own personal ideology. I hope that other people feel the same way too.
Finally, voting is a very important freedom for Americans to take advantage of. If you don't vote, then you have absolutely no right to complain about the government.... NONE! If you're able to go out and vote, do it! Don't assume that other people will vote the way you want them too... Take matters into your own hands and make a say in your country!
Sunday, November 03, 2002
Thoughts of the Day
(this blog is quickly turning non-political... but that's okay)
Assurance of Help in Temptation
"No Temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." ~ I Corinthians 10:13
Christ the Center
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." ~ Galatians 2:20
(this blog is quickly turning non-political... but that's okay)
Assurance of Help in Temptation
"No Temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." ~ I Corinthians 10:13
Christ the Center
"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." ~ Galatians 2:20
Thursday, October 31, 2002
Halloween
Many Christians celebrate holidays, such as Halloween, without thinking about where it originated or its true meanings... I've never really had a problem with Halloween, but then again, I've never really taken the time to look into why some Christians do not participate in this holiday. So, that's what this post is meant to be: My exploration of this holiday.
How did Halloween come to exist?? For several hundred years before Christ, the Celts inhabited what is now France, Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland. Celtic priests were called Druids. These people were eventually conquered by the Romans.Greek and Roman writings about the Druids dwell heavily on their frequent and barbaric human sacrifices. The ancient Irish texts say little about human sacrifices, but detail the Druids' use of magic to raise storms, lay curses on places, kill by the use of spells, and create magical obstacles.
October 31st was celebrated by the Druids with many human sacrifices and a festival honoring their sun god and Samhain, the lord of the dead. They believed that the sinful souls of those who died during the year were in a place of torment, and would be released only if Samhain was pleased with their sacrifices.
Irish records tell of the fascination the Catholic monks had with the powerful Druids, and Druids soon became important members of their monasteries. Pope Gregory the Great decided to incorporate the Druids' holiday into the church. He made the proclamation, "They are no longer to sacrifice beasts to the devil, but they may kill them for food to the praise of God, and give thanks to the giver of all gifts for His bounty." Pope Gregory III moved the church festival of October 31st to November 1st and called it All Hallows or All Saints' Day. Pope Gregory IV decreed that the day was to be a universal church observance. The term Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve.
The founding fathers of America refused to permit the holiday to be observed because they knew it was a pagan holiday. Halloween was not widely celebrated in the U.S. until about 1900. In the 1840's there was a terrible potato famine in Ireland which sent thousands of Catholic Irish to America. They brought Halloween with them.
The modern custom of going from door to door asking for food and candy goes back to the time of the Druids. They believed that sinful, lost souls were released upon the earth by Samhain for one night on October 31st while they awaited their judgment. They were thought to throng about the houses of the living and were greeted with banquet-laden tables. People greatly feared these spirits and thought that the spirits would harm and even kill them if the sacrifices they gave did not appease Samhain. They carved demonic faces into pumpkins or large turnips, placing a candle in them to keep the evil spirits away from their homes.
The tradition of bobbing for apples and giving out nuts came from a Roman addition to the Druidic New Year’s eve. The Romans worshiped Pomona who was the goddess of the harvest. They combined their harvest festival to Pomona with Halloween.
Okay well, that's the background... but so what?? That's what it began as but does that have anything to do with whether or not we should participate??
In advance of Halloween for 1999, Focus on the Family, a Fundamentalist Christian agency conducted a poll of their web site visitors concerning their plans to observe Halloween. The Results were:
30% Avoid it because it is evil
29% Enjoy costumes and candy
29% Turn it into a fall festival
9% Ignore it for lack of interest
4% Observe it as Reformation Day -- a recognition of the founding of Protestantism.
Every act around Halloween is in honor of false gods, which are spirits in the realm of the Satanic. Those who have been deeply involved in witchcraft and who are now free, declare that even those who say they worship spirits of nature are in actuality contacting the Satanic realm without knowing it. The Bible instructs us to have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness. Both Christian and Jew are forbidden to participate in the occult practices listed in Deuteronomy 18:10.
This is what William J. Schnoebelen had to say about the holiday..
An old proverb says, "When you sup with the devil, use a long spoon." Presumably, NO genuine Christian would want to sup with the devil at all and yet many may be doing so in ignorance.
As a former witch high priest now saved by Jesus, I was astonished by how many Christians let their kids celebrate Halloween. Some churches even sponsor "haunted houses" and similar events on what is the Number One satanic "helliday" of the year. Halloween used to be called Samhain, and is still celebrated as an ancient pagan festival of the dead by witches all over the world. Unfortunately, just giving the date a "holy" name like All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Eve cannot change its grisly character. Halloween is an occasion when the ancient gods (actually demons) are worshiped with human sacrifice. The apostle Paul warns us: "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils" (1 Cor. 10:20).
If you are a Christian parent, God has given you a precious responsibility in your children. Remember, their ability to resist spiritual wickedness is much less than yours. If you allow your children to participate in Halloween (Trick or Treating, costume parties, etc.) you are allowing them to play on "the devil’s turf," and Satan will definitely press his home court advantage. You are opening up doorways into their young lives for evil by bringing them into a kind of "fellowship" with these ancient "gods."
We are commanded not to become involved with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11). Both from my experience as a witch, and since getting saved, as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have seen far too many examples of how breaking this command works out in lives. Remember, while we have God's promise of protection for ourselves and our children, that promise may not hold if we allow our children to celebrate this dark holiday. Case after case has come to us of children in rebellion. In many of these families, the problem can be traced back to the children being exposed to Halloween at a young age. It is hard enough to raise children these days in a Godly way without exposing them to Satan's realm.
Well.. that's what I've found in my search for knowledge and an opinion... oh and check this site out... Happy Halloween
Many Christians celebrate holidays, such as Halloween, without thinking about where it originated or its true meanings... I've never really had a problem with Halloween, but then again, I've never really taken the time to look into why some Christians do not participate in this holiday. So, that's what this post is meant to be: My exploration of this holiday.
How did Halloween come to exist?? For several hundred years before Christ, the Celts inhabited what is now France, Germany, England, Scotland and Ireland. Celtic priests were called Druids. These people were eventually conquered by the Romans.Greek and Roman writings about the Druids dwell heavily on their frequent and barbaric human sacrifices. The ancient Irish texts say little about human sacrifices, but detail the Druids' use of magic to raise storms, lay curses on places, kill by the use of spells, and create magical obstacles.
October 31st was celebrated by the Druids with many human sacrifices and a festival honoring their sun god and Samhain, the lord of the dead. They believed that the sinful souls of those who died during the year were in a place of torment, and would be released only if Samhain was pleased with their sacrifices.
Irish records tell of the fascination the Catholic monks had with the powerful Druids, and Druids soon became important members of their monasteries. Pope Gregory the Great decided to incorporate the Druids' holiday into the church. He made the proclamation, "They are no longer to sacrifice beasts to the devil, but they may kill them for food to the praise of God, and give thanks to the giver of all gifts for His bounty." Pope Gregory III moved the church festival of October 31st to November 1st and called it All Hallows or All Saints' Day. Pope Gregory IV decreed that the day was to be a universal church observance. The term Halloween comes from All Hallows Eve.
The founding fathers of America refused to permit the holiday to be observed because they knew it was a pagan holiday. Halloween was not widely celebrated in the U.S. until about 1900. In the 1840's there was a terrible potato famine in Ireland which sent thousands of Catholic Irish to America. They brought Halloween with them.
The modern custom of going from door to door asking for food and candy goes back to the time of the Druids. They believed that sinful, lost souls were released upon the earth by Samhain for one night on October 31st while they awaited their judgment. They were thought to throng about the houses of the living and were greeted with banquet-laden tables. People greatly feared these spirits and thought that the spirits would harm and even kill them if the sacrifices they gave did not appease Samhain. They carved demonic faces into pumpkins or large turnips, placing a candle in them to keep the evil spirits away from their homes.
The tradition of bobbing for apples and giving out nuts came from a Roman addition to the Druidic New Year’s eve. The Romans worshiped Pomona who was the goddess of the harvest. They combined their harvest festival to Pomona with Halloween.
Okay well, that's the background... but so what?? That's what it began as but does that have anything to do with whether or not we should participate??
In advance of Halloween for 1999, Focus on the Family, a Fundamentalist Christian agency conducted a poll of their web site visitors concerning their plans to observe Halloween. The Results were:
30% Avoid it because it is evil
29% Enjoy costumes and candy
29% Turn it into a fall festival
9% Ignore it for lack of interest
4% Observe it as Reformation Day -- a recognition of the founding of Protestantism.
Every act around Halloween is in honor of false gods, which are spirits in the realm of the Satanic. Those who have been deeply involved in witchcraft and who are now free, declare that even those who say they worship spirits of nature are in actuality contacting the Satanic realm without knowing it. The Bible instructs us to have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness. Both Christian and Jew are forbidden to participate in the occult practices listed in Deuteronomy 18:10.
This is what William J. Schnoebelen had to say about the holiday..
An old proverb says, "When you sup with the devil, use a long spoon." Presumably, NO genuine Christian would want to sup with the devil at all and yet many may be doing so in ignorance.
As a former witch high priest now saved by Jesus, I was astonished by how many Christians let their kids celebrate Halloween. Some churches even sponsor "haunted houses" and similar events on what is the Number One satanic "helliday" of the year. Halloween used to be called Samhain, and is still celebrated as an ancient pagan festival of the dead by witches all over the world. Unfortunately, just giving the date a "holy" name like All Hallows' Eve or All Saints' Eve cannot change its grisly character. Halloween is an occasion when the ancient gods (actually demons) are worshiped with human sacrifice. The apostle Paul warns us: "But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils" (1 Cor. 10:20).
If you are a Christian parent, God has given you a precious responsibility in your children. Remember, their ability to resist spiritual wickedness is much less than yours. If you allow your children to participate in Halloween (Trick or Treating, costume parties, etc.) you are allowing them to play on "the devil’s turf," and Satan will definitely press his home court advantage. You are opening up doorways into their young lives for evil by bringing them into a kind of "fellowship" with these ancient "gods."
We are commanded not to become involved with the unfruitful works of darkness (Eph. 5:11). Both from my experience as a witch, and since getting saved, as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I have seen far too many examples of how breaking this command works out in lives. Remember, while we have God's promise of protection for ourselves and our children, that promise may not hold if we allow our children to celebrate this dark holiday. Case after case has come to us of children in rebellion. In many of these families, the problem can be traced back to the children being exposed to Halloween at a young age. It is hard enough to raise children these days in a Godly way without exposing them to Satan's realm.
Well.. that's what I've found in my search for knowledge and an opinion... oh and check this site out... Happy Halloween
Excuses, Excuses
Sorry for the break in posts... I get busy from time to time here at college and have to pull myself away from the blogger scene.
On Sunday, after NLCF, I went to the Newman library for the first time since I've been at college. For some reason, I have no need to go to the library. I guess when you're not in an english class and not in any classes that would require you to go do book research, there isn't a reason to go.... but, I decided that I wanted to look into picking up C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity because a friend of mine reccommended it. Well, it turned out that the library's copy of this book was out, but I decided to look into some other books. I walked away on Sunday with 3 C.S. Lewis books related to Christianity and one by some other guy... Anyway, currently I'm reading C.S. Lewis' The Case For Christianity (hence my last post)... All of the books I picked up are really short, so I should go through them pretty quickly, pending I don't get too busy with my real schoolwork.
Sorry for the break in posts... I get busy from time to time here at college and have to pull myself away from the blogger scene.
On Sunday, after NLCF, I went to the Newman library for the first time since I've been at college. For some reason, I have no need to go to the library. I guess when you're not in an english class and not in any classes that would require you to go do book research, there isn't a reason to go.... but, I decided that I wanted to look into picking up C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity because a friend of mine reccommended it. Well, it turned out that the library's copy of this book was out, but I decided to look into some other books. I walked away on Sunday with 3 C.S. Lewis books related to Christianity and one by some other guy... Anyway, currently I'm reading C.S. Lewis' The Case For Christianity (hence my last post)... All of the books I picked up are really short, so I should go through them pretty quickly, pending I don't get too busy with my real schoolwork.
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