Be careful lest you allow one thing to totally dominate your thinking and blind you to the rest of the world/reality - be it the Bible, the Koran, or any other ideology.

Equality Doesn't Play Favorites

Whether any faction, religious or not, should be allowed access to America's public schools is an issue of great debate. Bringing religion into play usually turns said debate into a very ugly creature, particularly if that debate involves the religious right. I recall once hearing the "horrible" news from my IFB pastor that a school somewhere was going to teach the children about Islamic practices - the whole church was mortified that such terrible things could be happening in America. Funny thing, though, that those same people were also offended when people wanted to limit Christian influences in school. Christian conservatives who push for prayer in public schools seem to forget that there are other forms of prayer that don't involve Jesus or the Christian God - it's not an "attack" on Christianity. 

Sacred Panties & Secret Rites: Mormonism

http://awaypoint.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/are-mormon-underwear-magic-between-the-sheets/


Quite an interesting article. Here is a thought that really stuck out to me:


"I cannot believe I let another grown man ask my wife and I what kind of underwear we were wearing and volunteer the information with a cheery smile. What was even more sick is that I believed in a tyrannical God that cared about what kind of underwear I was wearing." Mortimer


There are a great many things about the Mormon church that are downright creepy, but sacred underwear takes the cake for being both hilarious and creepy.


Now, just think - America could have a president who wears sacred underwear in the White House! Mitt Romney in sacred underwear.... *shudder* Not sure someone who buys into creepy things like sacred underwear and secret temple rites is the best choice to be leading America.


Plan to discuss Mormonism in more depth in the future.

Laughable but Serious

Here's some reading that is scary, serious, hilarious... etc. These sets of belief have some similarities, and remind me of the freaky cults whose members end up drinking "kool-aid."

Scientology: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology
The teachings of David Icke: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Icke

You'll probably be left wondering, "Who on earth believes this stuff?" The list is surprisingly long and includes many people who could be considered brilliant. Smart people do/believe dumb things. People (especially crackpots) can be extremely persuasive about their ideas. Don't allow yourself to be swept up by such people or their ideas - do your homework, do your homework, do your homework!!!!

So... we really do like to see comments on the blog. It's true! We even like comments that disagree with what we say. We just don't like comments that say "You're a blithering idiot!" or other such unnecessary bashing. If you have a sincere question, we will try to answer it (eventually if not immediately). Constructive criticism is good. Relevant information is good. Humorous anecdotes are good.
Discussions are awesome, so please help us start discussions!

Bias, Courage, & a Reporter

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/anderson-cooper-the-fact-is-im-gay.html

I have been a big fan of Anderson Cooper since I watched him cover the Arab Spring. His cynical brand of humor is certainly entertaining, but that's not what I love and respect him for. He is honest - brutally so - and he has managed to be perhaps the most unbiased sounding reporter I have yet to hear. His interviews are marked by respect and fairness for those he is interviewing - he's there to get facts, not score an agenda. He has regularly covered a variety of events and people, often stories that other reporters usually ignore or simply deem unworthy of international/national news.

All that being said, I can now add to this description that Anderson Cooper is gay. Guess what - it doesn't change anything. He's a great person, great reporter, and he happens to be gay.

I cannot begin to imagine the new flack he will receive over this announcement. I say new because there has been speculation for years about Cooper's sexual orientation. The argument has been made that his orientation makes him biased and therefore the wrong person to be reporting on issues that involve, say, homosexuality. Funny thing is, everyone is biased - that's a cold hard fact of life. Even funnier is any outcry that a homosexual is reporting on homosexuality, because heterosexuals can report on heterosexual issues without people becoming upset at them for their bias. Reporters are people, not robots, so they will all be biased about something. Christian reporters, Muslim, Jewish, etc. all have a bias that affects their worldview - and I submit that their bias is no different than the bias of homo or heterosexuals. What really matters is how one's biases influence the telling of facts.

So long as Anderson Cooper (or any other reporter) continues to tell the facts - all of them - in the most unbiased way possible, I will support and respect him. The courage and class he exhibited in not only "coming out" but also the manner in which he did so has only increased my respect for him. He is clearly a man who has accomplished much in his life, likes who he is, and is deeply contented with himself - he's truly happy. The world can learn much from a man like this.

Kudos to Anderson Cooper. :-)