Unsettled Christianity

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April 29th, 2013

It’s Monday Morning in West Virginia

West Virginia Monday Morning

Tags: humor, west virginia
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April 23rd, 2013

WV Delegate wants Science Fiction Taught in Schools

English: Three star barnstar for Star Trek Česky: Tříhvězdičkové ocenění portálu Star Trek (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“In Southern West Virginia, there’s a bit of a Calvinistic attitude toward life – this is how things are and they’ll never be any different,” he said. “[Science fiction] serves as a kind of antidote to that fatalistic kind of thinking.”

via Bill for compulsory science fiction in West Virginia schools | Books | guardian.co.uk.

This is the same delegate, by the way, who suggest that children from homes who cannot afford school meals be forced to clean toilets and do other menial labor jobs to pay for it.

He’s a far right Republican, by the way, supporting things like Star Trek (no money used, no capitalism, sorta socialist, very tolerant, no human religious dogma) and the Postman (dystopian future caused by what could be called Libertarians but the civilization is saved by a belief in the Government).

Oh my frakin’ goodness. My blood pressure is gone for the day. Thanks Adam (via twitter)

Tags: Ray Canterbury, science fiction, Star Trek, west virginia
Posted in Religion and Politics | No Comments »

April 6th, 2013

Wistful

Downtown Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Photo credit: Uncommon Fritillary)

I was able to return to the city of my birth for a few days in order to visit my two precious Great aunts. With every visit, Baton Rouge changes. While it is still reeling from the population shift caused by Hurricane Katrina, it is experiencing a certain growth. Most impressive is downtown. Growing up in Baton Rouge, I remember downtown as a near vacant lot full of stories of this or that once impressive event, perhaps even a ghost or two. Now, thanks to the movie stars and their fancy moving picture shows constantly filmed in and around the Baton Rouge-New Orleans area, even the hotels remembered not for their swankiness but for their tales of murdered patrons are once again resurrected.

I lived for a short time in McComb, Mississippi. There was one exit that had anything meaningful. Now, there are three exits, a big mall, lots of hotels, and other amenities. Cities grow and cities die, I guess, but sometimes, I wish progress would go somewhere else. I remember the good people of Amite County that shopped in McComb. Farmers, timberers, and the like. Now? Now the city draws more than the back-40.

I’m not complaining, just a little wistful for the smaller towns of my not-so-long-ago youth.

On the other hand, I’ve always enjoyed leaving this part of the world. I once made it my life’s goal. I remember the first glimpses of the more-than-rolling-hills once you get past Meridian Mississippi, and the joyous view of Birmingham’s almost-mountains. It was in short order that I would then see mountains and then see West Virginia. I know where I’ll stop on the way home because that’s where I’ve always stopped when I trekked from here to there. Of course, the places are newer and larger, but I don’t care. I get to go back to my home among the mountains, among the good people of this earth, where progress is always tempered with tradition. These wide-open spaces are nothing compared to the surrounding warmth of our mountain mother. The bayous are fine, but they do not drawn the goings-on of the hollows, rather, the hollers.

Maybe the big cities no longer hold the fascination they once did, preferring instead smaller cities, smaller towns, or no towns except on Saturdays when you have to go. There are problems, no doubt, in West Virginia, and sometimes they are overwhelming, but once these people wake up and take their lives back, there is no stopping West Virginia. Enough of this concrete jungle, this view of nothing but another building, I want to see God’s green earth reaching up to do battle with the heavens when I hope my window! I simply cannot wait to return home.

Tags: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, west virginia
Posted in Devotional | 1 Comment »

March 1st, 2013

Did the Building block of Life come from Space?

The scientists used the National Science Foundation’s Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in West Virginia to study a giant cloud of gas some 25,000 light-years from Earth, near the center of our Milky Way Galaxy. The chemicals they found in that cloud include a molecule thought to be a precursor to a key component of DNA and another that may have a role in the formation of the amino acid alanine.

via Researchers Discover an Important Pair of Prebiotic Molecules in Interstellar Space | SciTech Daily.

BTW, before I lose you, this is the same observatory that may be closed soon.

So, a cloud older than what many would say the earth is (6,000 years and all that) showing similar patterns to our DNA.

Maybe that’s why they are shutting it down… because too many do not want to see Science progress.

Tags: Green Bank Telescope, west virginia
Posted in Science | 4 Comments »

February 2nd, 2013

Is Boone County Sheriff, Randall White, an idiot? #WV

He has written a letter to President Obama stating,

“It is with all due respect, I wish to inform you that as long as I am Sheriff of the county, I will not, nor shall I ever support any alterations to the Constitution of the United States or any of its amendments, specifically the Right to Bear Arms…I feel that resources such as money and time can be better spent by punishing the few citizens who commit crimes involving firearms. If we are to change any laws, I suggest enhancing the prison time for crimes involving firearms, which I feel are committed by a very small percentage of our population.”

Note that he has taken an oath to defend the Constitution, but has chosen to specify a corollary — as long as the Constitution doesn’t change.

So, let’s see.. considering that the Second Amendment, which even conservative judges has said is not unlimited, is a change in the Constitution, then by all rights, Sheriff White should not uphold that amendment, correct?

Or the end of slavery, the right for all people to vote, the limitation of presidential terms, voting rights for eighteen year olds, direct election of U.S. Senators and the other amendments, 27 in total.

Further, since the Constitution has in it the ability to change by amendment and enliven through interpretation, then what the Sheriff has actually said is that he refuses to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, but instead is attempting to pick and choose what he wants to obey. Wonder how he would feel if I went to Boone County and started a Plantation, complete with slaves? Or if the U.S. Government forced him to house soldiers? Again, all changes to the Constitution.

He is not alone as at least three other West Virginia county sheriffs has said they would refuse to enforce laws related to gun control. Granted, the Putnam County Sheriff said that he would refuse to obey any executive order requiring him to arrest citizens with AK-47s — because we know that this reality is completely feasible. In other words, the Putnam County Sheriff is another buffoon with a badge. They all ignore both the Heller decision and the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. But hey, you try to ignore a law you think unconstitutional (because, you know, it is the citizens and not some Supreme Court Justicies, who decide the constitutionality of the law) and see if one of these Sheriffs will arrest and prosecute you.

These Sheriffs, but stating they will not obey their oaths of offices should be removed from office… else “there exists a state of lawlessness in the State of West Virginia.”

Sheriff Alan Botzheim’s Open Letter to the Citizens of Pend Oreille County Regarding 2nd Amendment (khq.com)
Some West Virginia sheriffs oppose proposed gun control (times-news.com)
Four Missouri Sheriffs: Gun Control Laws Will Not Be Enforced (breitbart.com)
229 Sheriff’s say “NO” to Gun Control (ascendingstarseed.wordpress.com)
W.Va. sheriffs say they wouldnt enforce assault weapons ban (wvgazette.com)
My Letter to Sheriff Michael J. DeLeo Lebanon County Pennsylvania January 31, 2013 concerning his Oath of Office (melissakirst.wordpress.com)

Tags: District of Columbia v. Heller, Randall White, United States Constitution, west virginia
Posted in Religion and Politics | No Comments »

January 5th, 2013

Pretty sure this explains #Buckwild

Tags: Buckwild, west virginia
Posted in Media | No Comments »

December 2nd, 2012

Is it okay to lie or misrepresent facts in a testimony to the WV State Legislature?

I intend to write an op-ed later about this, but I noticed a certain issue with Jeremiah Dys, the president of the Family Policy Council, and his final testimony to the West Virginia State Legislature. In his effort to prevent the inclusion of homosexuality as a protected status under anti-bullying laws, he tells a story about a child from over a year ago.

He writes of a child who received an assignment – to finish: “Christmas means:______.” According to Dys, the child was reprimanded for answering the question with Jesus’s Birthday:

A day or so later, he received his wide-ruled paper back from his teacher. On the face of the assignment over the words he had written, “Jesus’ birthday,” were 3 black lines. His teacher informed him that his simple answer was a violation of the separation of church and state. One teacher deemed the simple words of a ﬁrst grader’s assignment to be “offensive speech” and took it upon herself to censor it.

He does not source his fact. But, the internet gives the opposite view. Almost a year ago, The Elkin Tribute ran an article featuring statements from school children who answered the same assignment.

This is a clear and sad misrepresentation of the facts by Mr. Dys. There may be a child who this happened to, in West Virginia; however, without a source, and then sources to counter what he has said, it makes me wonder if Mr. Dys knew what he was actually talking about.

Read the testimony here: 11-27-12 – Final Testimony

Tags: family policy council, Jeremiah Dys, west virginia
Posted in Religion and Politics | 2 Comments »

August 9th, 2012

Dear FEMA, how low can you go?

“I strongly disagree with FEMA’s decision to deny sorely needed federal assistance to the victims of the unprecedented June 2012 derecho,” Gov. Tomblin said. “I intend to appeal this decision and ask our Congressional Delegation to arrange a meeting with the FEMA leadership as soon as possible so that I can explain firsthand the devastation that I witnessed in the wake of this storm. While I hope an appeal will reverse today’s federal decision, I understand there are many families struggling to recover from the significant financial impact of the storm, and I appreciate the many organizations throughout West Virginia that continue to provide assistance to them.”

The storm in WV did a lot, and I mean a lot of damage. Why would FEMA turn their back on us?.

Oh… maybe because our Governor, U.S. Senator, and a U.S. Congressman will not attend the Democratic National convention?

Ugh.

Tags: west virginia
Posted in Religion and Politics | 3 Comments »

July 14th, 2012

Personal insight into the gay agenda

I attended this meeting this afternoon. It was met with no protest and all those who attended seemed to “the choir” which I assume is the super secret gay code word for those who do not believe it is okay to kill the gays.

The discussions were friendly enough, until we retired to the sanctuary. There I learned the secret radical gay agenda.

If I suddenly disappear in the next day or two, you’ll understand why – because I am sharing with you these secrets.

They are attempting to love. That’s right. Their battleplan includes appreciation of the other person’s viewpoints as an equal standing as theirs. They are focusing on trying to see others as people first and viewpoints second. This is scary stuff. They preached loving those with different opinions and bodily functions than their own. They are preaching love.

I don’t like it. They want to force love upon the fundamentalists, as if all you need is love… of if we are to be known by how we love one another.

Garbage.

I’ll keep you updated.

Tags: west virginia
Posted in Homosexuality | 9 Comments »

April 20th, 2012

I kid you not… only in West Virginia

An Alum Creek man found wearing lingerie as he stood next to the carcass of a goat would stand trial in June on animal cruelty charges.

via Accused goat killer found competent to stand trial – News – The Charleston Gazette – West Virginia News and Sports -.

…..

Tags: humor, west virginia
Posted in Controversial | 2 Comments »

April 18th, 2012

Please pray for the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese

A man who spoke of “an emptiness where my soul should be” following years of sexual abuse testified Wednesday that a priest raped him at a home owned by the current West Virginia bishop and that he was told the bishop also sexually abused a boy.

The 48-year-old man also testified in a clergy-abuse trial that he saw the bishop, Michael Bransfield, with a car full of “fair-haired” boys. He said that his abuser told him Bransfield was having sex with the boy in the front seat.

via Witness: Priest said W.Va. bishop once abused teen – News – The Charleston Gazette – West Virginia News and Sports -.

No words… just prayer.