Tax Exempt Politicking?

I had always understood that the rule for tax-exempt organizations was that they were not allowed to participate in the political process.  I've known pastors who toed that line very, very carefully.  I've also known pastors who didn't care, who thought that they had a responsibility to educate their flock, and who were not afraid to call a politician out, or to recommend that one be voted in, or voted out.

I understand the prohibition, and I also understand why some pastors pay no attention to it.  Evidently, there is some movement to change the rule.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says he's behind President Trump's vow at the National Prayer Breakfast today to "destroy" the rule that keeps tax-exempt organizations, including religious institutions, from participating in political campaigns.
Trump told the breakfast that because of "the right to worship according to our own beliefs," he "will get rid of and totally destroy the Johnson Amendment and allow our representatives of faith to speak freely and without fear of retribution."

Either way, I'm okay with it.  But, it should be the pastor's choice.  And, changing the rule should speed up the slow-walking that the IRS is still doing to conservative organizations who apply for tax-exempt status.

Has Trump fired Koskinen yet?

Unexplained

There are unexplained things in this world and the religious among us will tell us that we see through a glass, darkly.  As a police officer I've seen and heard things I can't explain, none as dramatic as this news item that pauses us to reflect.

Four police officers rushing to an overturned car in an icy Utah river say they all heard the same thing: a mysterious female voice calling out “Help,” from inside the vehicle.

All four say they heard it, and there's nothing as compelling to a police officer as a cry for help.

 But the driver of the car was dead and her 18-month-old daughter, while still alive, couldn’t have been the speaker.

If the woman was dead, that's tragic, but the baby is alive, but who was calling for help?

It was a mystery that continues to haunt the officers – and may never be explained. 

There are many things that we cannot explain, but I am convinced that angels live among us.

Friday Thuds

A great day for news, talking about the state of the country.  I see that the health system sent out a bunch of bad tax notices.

The Obama administration says it sent about 800,000 HealthCare.gov customers the wrong tax information, and officials are asking those consumers to delay filing their 2014 taxes. …

Lovely.  If you send bad information to the government, it's a felony.  If they send you bad information, it's nobody's fault.  However, another article tells us that almost half of the people who are uninsured don't realize that they may have to pay a penalty this year.

As of Dec. 2014, 25 percent of uninsured Americans above the poverty line said they’d heard “nothing at all” about the fine. Another 20 percent said they had heard “only a little.” A slight majority, 53 percent, reported hearing some or a lot about the tax (which the Obama administration calls the “individual shared responsibility payment”).

We've only been talking about this for six years, and there are still people who don't know that elections have consequences?  They will soon find out about that, good and hard.

In other news, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee is willing to be bought.

 Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s office offered to change her position on medical marijuana if a major Florida donor recanted his withering criticism of her, according to emails obtained by POLITICO.

She'll be willing to flip on an issue if the guy stops saying bad things about her.

In good news, the Archbishop of San Francisco is reminding this flock that he's.... Catholic. Lawmakers got offended, and the Archbishop replied to the lawmakers.

“Would you hire a campaign manager who advocates policies contrary to those you stand for, and who shows disrespect for you and the Democratic Party in general?” Cordileone asked the lawmakers in the letter.

 Good for you, your Eminence.

Now, if you'll all excuse me, I think I'm going to declare Happy Hour.

To Gain the World, but Lose the Soul

There's an article over at The Week, that tells us we lost, that in the battle for public opinion, Christians have lost the war, but that there might be a silver lining.

As I wrote last year, the culture war is over, and conservatives lost. For Christians, though, there might just be a silver lining.

Now, of course, it's understandable why many of my fellow cultural conservatives mourn the decline of Christian values in the public arena, inasmuch as they had a powerful influence on the rise of western civilization. Historians like Rodney Stark and sociologists like Mary Eberstadt (and many others) have chronicled this phenomenon. It's not simply about "losing power and market share," but mourning the very real downstream effects of secular liberal policies on issues such as defending the unborn.

Heh!  Some seem to think that in defending Christian values, I'm concerned about the culture war.  First, I didn't realize that I was in a war, and second, I take my solace from the Gospel of Mark, which asks us

 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The pendulum of public opinion swings, and people swing with it.  I don't much care what other people think, I'll continue to try to learn the will of God, and I'm not nearly as certain of His will as I was twenty years ago because He reveals Himself to me in amusing and delightful ways.  I will set my (very metaphorical) sails and go where He takes me.

May the Peace of our Lord be with you all.

Million Muslim March

Surfing around the Intertubes, I started seeing reference to a Million Muslim March scheduled for September 11, 2013.  So, I went to those same intertubes and started looking for information.  I thought that this was some bad joke.  But sure enough, over at US News I found an article.  Sure enough.

The American Muslim Political Action Committee is hosting what it hopes will be a gathering of one million people in Washington, D.C., on the 12th anniversary of 9/11 to urge the government to reveal "the truth" about the attacks.

They want the truth?  The truth behind the 9/11 attacks are well documented.  What happened was that a bunch of Muslims violated US laws, hijacked aircraft and flew them into buildings, most notably the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  In doing so, they killed thousands of US citizens and woke us up to the problem of Muslim terror.  That's the Truth.

 Protesters will also denounce "FBI traps," "illegal tapping and surveilling of Muslim Americans" and "media propaganda making the word terrorist synonymous with Muslim," he said.

As far as making the word terror synonymous with the word Muslim, let me remind you that you've done that yourself.  Muslims are responsible for bringing cutting edge technology to cowardly terror attacks.  When you llook at the denomination of the 9/11 hijackers, the Boston bombers, the cowardly Muslim Major at Fort Hood, the underwear bomber, the shoe bomber, and untold thousands of nearly anonymous bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Palestine, India, Yemen, Kuwait, and countless other places, what word pops up?  Muslim.  If you want to make any other point, then maybe strapping your sons with bombs might be a good idea.

The simple fact is that Islam is a religion that worships a pedophile prophet.  That should tell anyone all they need to know about the religion.  It's a backward religion that promotes violence.  It treats women like chattel, it demeans children.  That's the truth.  Here's another simple truth.  In most Muslim nations, they have trouble keeping the electricity flowing, most folks live in a state of fear, and civil war and sectarian violence is common-place.

It's well and good that the promoters want a million Muslims to march on Washington.  I'm sure our President will feel right at home.  If he's not on vacation.  But let's not pretend that Muslims weren't responsible for the attack on September 11, 2001.  That's well documented history.

Adeeb, in Comments

Back last September, I posted an entry entitled Crybaby Mohammed.  We were right in the middle of the Benghazi kerfluffle, and the Lightworker was blaming an amateurish movie that no one had seen.  The UN was considering sanctions on blasphemy, particularly blasphemy of the Mohametan variety.

Yesterday afternoon, late, I found a comment that had been posted by Adeeb, saying that he would never forgive me.  Let's read his comment in its entirety.

Adeeb alshareef said...

Do you think this is funny ??
This is the prophet of peace, the prophet of islam, the prophet of allah (the god)

You made a big mistake that you have to fix it

We love our prophet so we will not forgive you.

I think it's hilarious, Adeeb, on many levels.  The first level is that you waited nine months to post a comment.  I've often believed that your religion is behind the times, and that the followers of the pedophile prophet are basically illiterate, but you really should try to keep up with the conversation.

It's funny on another  level, Adeeb.  If he is the prophet of peace, why do so many of his followers behead people, threaten people, bomb people, and fly airplanes into buildings?  Is it because the followers of the pedophile don't believe in peace?  

What is not funny Adeeb?  It's that you and all the followers of the pedophile are so backward, evil, violent people.  You cannot manage your own affairs, you depend on others to manage your affairs for you.  You keep women in slavery, you abuse your children, and you generally make life a living hell for everyone around you.  Grow up!    If you keep coming to my blog and making asinine comments, I'll continue to abuse you verbally.  I hold your pedophile prophet in deep disdain.  The world would have been a better place if he had never lived.  The entire religion is doomed to eternal damnation, and it would be better for all of you if you convert immediately to Judaism.

The Dogwood

There is a tree hereabout, the dogwood tree that blooms every year before Easter.  It is a small tree, a decorative that blooms in the understory of a forest.  We see them in these latitudes standing among the other trees, normally quiet and unassuming among the forest giants, but early each spring, they flower into glorious blooms, reminding us that spring is here and life flows anew.

I have heard a story since my childhood that originally the Romans used the dogwood tree to make the cross on which they crucified Jesus.  The dogwood tree, horrified that its wood would be used to kill the Savior, vowed to remain small, humble, useless for construction, because it never again wanted to be used for evil.  But, once a year it would gloriously flower into bloom to remind the world that Jesus is risen.

The dogwoods have flowered this year, right on time as always.  I see the dogwoods in the forest, even as Easter is early this year and I am reminded of the story of the crucifiction and resurrection, and the humble dogwood telling the story that I heard so long ago.  It is the dogwoods penance and its glory.  Jesus is risen.

Happy Easter, everyone.  Jesus is risen!

Crybaby Mohammed

I see that the religion of the perpetually aggrieved continues to make noise about their pedophile prophet.  They were at the UN today asking that the body consider sanctions on blasphemy in light of the recent assaults on Mohammed.  Seriously.

As the U.N. General Assembly convenes this week in New York, several leaders of mostly Muslim nations are suggesting that the world body consider sanctions on blasphemy, amid widespread protests against an amateur movie that denigrates Islam’s Prophet Muhammad.

As I understand their complaint, any depiction of the Pedophile Prophet is blasphemous, so in light of their sensitivities, I offer Crybaby Mohammed.

What they have to understand is that we revile pedophiles, we revere women, and we will grind your sacred cows into hamburger. I've heard since 9/11 that the majority of Mohammedans are gracious, moderate, kind people.  In that case, it doesn't seem like a stretch for them to tell the radicals to "get over it".

Just for the record, that idiot preacher in Florida, whatsisname?  I deplore his tactics as well, but it's really time for the moderate Mohammedans to assert themselves before their religion's perpetual whining becomes a buzz-kill for everyone.

More Mohammed Cartoons

No review of Mohammed cartoons would be complete without a viewing of Kurt Westergaard's drawing of Mohammed with a bomb on his head.   Done in stark black and white, the unsmiling prophet is poised to detonate, a metaphor for his perpetually aggrieved followers.

This cartoon, more than any, dramatizes for me the Mohammadan faith.  It's stark and deadly, capable of more damage to the Prophet than to some one at a safe distance.  The lesson is simple, keep a safe distance from the Pedophile Prophet and his followers.

The Mohammed Cartoon

I almost forgot about another Mohammed Cartoon I saw last week.  I've seen it before, but it resonates on how completely the Islamic world treats its women.  Here we see two Islamic women with only their eyes revealed.  The Prophet is revealed with his eyes covered.  That's a telling caricature of the Muslim faith.

You'll notice that the prophet is a gray-bearded man and that the women are fresh faced young ladies.  Actually, I'm not convinced that the ladies are old enough for the prophet, who much preferred his girls before they reached puberty.  He is without a doubt the most reviled pedophile in the world.

I was busy today, advancing the Christian faith, so I didn't have a chance to look for a Koran.  I'll be at an auction later today, so hopefully someone will be selling a box of books with a rat-eared paperback copy.  I need some scrap paper to test the penetration of shotshells and a Koran should do just fine.

Muslim Outrage

If you've been paying attention at all, you know that the Muslims from around the world are well and truly pissed that some bozo in this country made a really laughable movie about their really laughable prophet.  I mean, c'mon.  The guy was a pedophile.  Today, in a civilized country, Mohammed would either be a politician or a death-row inmate, the two being closely aligned, especially among the followers of Islam.

But, the Muslims are burning down cinemas, killing ambassadors, rioting in the streets in at least four countries, and now this French newspaper wants to publish satirical cartoons about the pedophile prophet.  Muslim outrage is simply everywhere.

SO, Daniel Pipes at Fox comes up with an idea I like. Let's overload those pedophile followers with outrage.  Let's give them something to truly whine about.

Which prompts this question: What would happen if publishers and managers of major media outlets reached a consensus -- “Enough of this intimidation, we will publish the most famous Danish Muhammad cartoon every day, until the Islamists tire out and no longer riot”? What would happen if Korans were recurrently burned?

That's a great idea, and I'm all over it. If they want outrage, let's give them outrage.  Let's see:

That's a good one.  We could make him into a bobblehead.  I'll call him Dash Board Mohammed.

Maybe more tomorrow, I've got a lot to do this afternoon.  Big day at the Christian church tomorrow.  And remember, it's your Christian duty to piss off a Muslim every day.  Tomorrow, I'll see if I can find a Koran.

Crucifiction

It's fitting on a Sunday to reflect on the life, teachings and death of Jesus Christ, who was nailed to a cross for his teachings.  It's also instructive to look to the Middle East, where Islam continues this brutal practice.  From World Net Daily. 

A Sky News Arabic correspondent in Cairo confirmed that protestors belonging to the Muslim Brotherhood crucified those opposing Egyptian President Muhammad Morsi naked on trees in front of the presidential palace while abusing others.

In fairness I can only find one other link supporting this story, and it seems that they quote from the same source. However, I'm not seeing a lot of news out of Egypt. The ruling party seems to have clamped down on reporting, so this might be a good report, or it might be fabricated. However, nailing someone naked to a tree is a particularly horrific punishment.

Finally, it is telling that only a few months ago, and for the first time in Egypt’s modern history, an Egyptian MP proposed to institutionalize Sharia’s most draconian punishments—including crucifixion. In short, under the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the bottle has been uncorked and the Islamic Genie set loose. Expect much worse to come.

Indeed. If there was ever a time for the Copts to leave Egypt, it seems that the time has come.

Sunday morning

I woke this morning and found that I hadn't been raptured, so I made coffee and went down to the church house, none of those folks had been raptured either. I noticed cars in the parking lots of churches along the way, it looked like those folks had been left behind as well.

I guess we'll just have to wait until the Lord works in His time.



Until then, we'll take faith in those ways we've always taken faith.

Rapture

Did y'all know that tomorrow, May 21, 2011 is supposed to be the Rapture, when Jesus Christ descends to the Earth and all true believers are called to Heaven?

Maybe so, but I'll put my faith in the scripture of Matthew 24:36.

36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Still, it's interesting to note these things.

Not April Fools Day

Yesterday when I talked about an April Fools Day link, I was referrring to the news that an idiot pastor in Florida had burned a Koran, and that incited people halfway around the world to storm a UN compound and kill a bunch of folks, none of them Americans.

...the most prominent of them, Mullah Mohammed Shah Adeli, Afghanistan should cut off relations with the United States. “Burning the Koran is an insult to Islam and those who committed it should be punished,” he said.

Yeah, right. Burning the Koran is an insult to Islam, so lets destroy a compound halfway around the world and kill a bunch of people who didn't burn the Koran. Makes perfect sense to me.

Freedom of speech eludes some people. I may not like what you're saying, but if I try to kill you for saying it, you've got no freedom. I've got no freedom either. It's funny like that.

Is that idiot pastor culpable for the actions of a bunch of folks halfway around the world? No, it's not his fault that there are murderous thugs who kill people for burning a book. He tries to make the point that Islam is a violent religion, but that falls flat too. The actions of some mob no more make Islam a violent religion than his own actions make Christianity an idiot religion. If you link the one, then you've got to link them both.

Christians everywhere should disavow the antics of that idiot pastor. His book burning was needlessly hateful and served no useful purpose than to draw attention to his idiot brand of backward religion. Thinking people everywhere should condemn him. Likewise, the actions of a bunch of idiots halfway around the world should likewise be condemned by rational people. At this stage of the debate, I'm looking for a rational Muslim.