Fwd: suicide prevention hotline

I was depressed after the election, I called Lifeline.

Got their call center in Pakistan.

I told them I was suicidal.

They got all excited and asked if I could drive a truck.

Bill Joins the Hillary Nutcracker

You've probably seen the Hillary Nutcracker at hillarynutcracker.com. I got one, along with a bag of Clinton's nuts. Unlike its namesake, my Hillary Nutcracker remains virgin because, now that I have one of these collector's items, I can't imagine eating anything that's been between those thighs.

Well, now they've added the Bill Clinton Corkscrew. (If you visit hillarynutcracker.com, don't miss the 30-second video of Bill rising to the occasion) I wanted one to complete my set, but now I've realized that I'd never want to drink from a bottle that Bill's corkscrew had been stuck into.

P.S.: If you need a bit more background to fully appreciate the poetry of the corkscrew idea, just yahoo "clinton peyronie."

P.P.S.: I have replaced the verb to google in my lexicon with the verb to yahoo. I don't know whether Yahoo! is better, but I do not wish to increase the ad revenues of a company that spies on Chinese citizens and censors conservative American web sites.

BO: African-Arab-American-American

Barrack Obama looks sort of Black, but is he really African-American?

Rich Wheeler

Modesto, CA

28 Sept. 2008

The question shouldn't matter, but due to the attitudes of many and the representations of a few, it does.

African-American denotes Americans with primarily African heritage, which would include African Arabs as well as Afrikaners (Afrikaans-speaking people mainly of northwestern European descent and established in Southern Africa since the 17th century -- Wikipedia). In this literal, general sense, Obama is half African-American. Moreover, he was raised by his white maternal line and therefore grew up in a primarily white culture. This might tip him in the direction of an American-American label.

However, African-American also connotes a Black African heritage, which makes up only one quarter of Obama's heritage, the other quarter being Arab, which renders him three quarters Caucasian (white). More specifically, it connotes a Black African who was kidnapped by other Africans and sold into slavery, which makes up zilch, zip, nada percent of Obama's heritage.

On the other hand, as a young adult, Oh-bummer chose to associate himself with African-Americans. "As a man thinks in his mind, so is he." Therefore, if he participates in the African-American culture, then he is, by culture, African-American.

On the OTHER other hand, a basic tenet of the African-American gestalt (world-view) holds that their lives are the way they are because white America thrust their circumstances upon them (even though many cling to those circumstances to justify the bitterness and hatred that comes from a lack of forgiveness). Since such circumstances were thrust upon neither Obama nor his paternal line, he can no more choose that heritage than I can.

So it depends on your point of view. One factor tips him one way while another factor tips him another. Most people won't think that deeply about it. They will ignore Obama's personal history and the European bone structure, and will note only the color of his skin and the curliness of his hair.

In itself, race has no direct relevance, but openness and honesty about it carries tremendous weight in judging a man's character; and character, as we have seen in recent decades, has tremendous relevance to a presidential candidate's qualification for office.

If Obama really wanted to unite us, he would identify himself as a Blended-American. He has profited, however, from choosing not to blend; and too many among us are just fools for the faux.

(c) 2008 Forward freely or publish for non-profit purposes

Parentage, Personality, Politics, and Polecats

Parentage, Personality, Politics, and Polecats

R. Wheeler

Modesto, CA

28 Sept. 2008

I'm not surprised that Barack Obama does not honor

his mother or grandmother. From the silence about

why his mother left him with granny, I surmise that,

at least from young Barry's point of view, this was

just another act of abandonment. Obama's father's

half-Arab heritage makes him, technically, three

quarters Caucasian; and he neither wishes to honor

his alienated maternal line not to undermine his racial

support.

It's also clear from his speeches that his grandmother,

intentionally or not, wounded his self-esteem because of

his mixed race. Considering that Obama's father left him,

his stepfather left him, and finally even his mother left him,

there's no surprise in the suggestion that he turned to

government to be the Great Parent of us all.

Now, consider a man whose father's approval he could

never earn; whose mother had another ethnic heritage,

one that was blamed for suppressing the father's race.

Give that man associates who spread racial hatred and

have committed violence for political purposes. Finally,

place him into a time when people look to the government

to rescue huge portions of the economy from ruin.

I hope I didn't trick you with that last paragraph. As I

recall, that description matches Vladimir Lenin pretty

closely, but actually, it describes Adolph Hitler.

Nobody would foolishly accuse Barack Obama of

planning genocide or world domination. Nevertheless,

you can see which way the scales tip.

(c) 2008 Forward freely; publish for non-profit purposes only

Something You Can Do about Nobama

Three practical things you can do to oppose B.O.:

All of them cause the left-wingers to spend money on you,

money that otherwise would have supported their cause.

1. Watch for voter registration tables out in front of stores.

When you see one that say something like, "Democrats

Register Here to Vote," go ask the person manning the

table whether he/she is a volunteer or paid. If the person

is paid, sign up for the Democrat Party.

Three reasons:

- Paid workers get a commission for each signature.

Volunteers don't.

- The Democrat Party has to pay their staff to process

the paperwork.

- I know how I'm going to vote, so if somebody is going

to waste money sending me junk mail, I want it to be

the Democrats. Besides, my wife is too straight-laced

to do this, so we'll still get her Republican junk mail.

NOTE: Prepare for the following steps by looking up the

phone number of your local Democratic headquarters.

<http://www.yellowpages.com/no-location?search_context=Democratic>

I also suggest using a substitute name. I used "Leebahr

Al Wainahr". If you don't want to use your own address,

you might use the address of the local Republican office --

they'll know what to do with the items.

2. Let MoveOn.org pay to send you a free Obama

bumper sticker.

<https://pol.moveon.org/obamastickers/?rc=homepage>

3. Let MoveOn.org pay to send you a free Obama button.

<https://pol.moveon.org/obamabuttons/?rc=homepage>

4. Let the Senate Democrats send you a free bumper sticker.

<http://www.dscc.org/order>

With a few snips, you can make it say, "Sorry Dems, I'm the decider."

5. Let the ACLU send you one, too; but don't use your

real name.

<https://secure.aclu.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=bumper_sticker&s_s=email1>

Palin vs. the Democrat Politicians

Some Republicans have defended Gov. Sarah Palin's qualifications by comparing them to those of the current Democrat candidates and of past Democrat presidents. Since Barack Obama has no experience in foreign affairs besides visiting relatives in Africa and giving a speech in Europe, it just doesn't work to compare Palin, McCain's second-string player, with first-string player Obama. Nobody remembers the peanut-farming governor from Georgia, so he's useless, too. That leaves us with the more recent Democrat president who came from the governor's office in Arkansas.

Really, Palin doesn't stack up well against him (although he'd like to try).

Premier Clintong had considerable foreign policy experience while governor of Arkansas. Has everybody forgotten his collaboration with communist Chinese agent John Huang, smuggling arms to the Nicaraguan Contras, providing cover to the Central American drug runners in Mena? And don't underestimate the value of networking with his Soviet partners while organizing anti-American protests in Europe! Why, Gov. Palin's foreign policy experience doesn't even begin to compare to Willie Yam Clintong's.

It also bears mentioning that Gov. Palin couldn't hold a candle next to Gov. Clintong, not only in foreign affairs, but also in domestic affairs. During his multiple terms as AG and as governor, Clintong accumulated in-depth experience in domestic affairs too vast to list. There was Juanita (the nurse), Eileen, Jane Doe (Yale), Paula, Jane Does (plural, UArk), Genifer, Susan, Elizabeth, Jane Does (trooper reports), Carolyn, Sandra, Christy, Jane Doe (flight attendant), Juanita (the chef), Linda, (never mind Kathleen, Barbra, and Monica; they came later).... Indeed, Clintong by far eclipsed Palin in domestic affairs.

Yes, it really is impossible to compare Gov. Palin to the Democrats.

McAfee Warns: The Storm Worm's Latest Disguise

[Any time you download ANY file (other than from trusted sources such as Microsoft and iTunes), save it to your desktop, make sure your virus scanner is up-to-date, and then scan the new file (right-click and select Scan for Viruses) before opening the file. -PhD]

Storm worm exploits U.S., Iran tensions

McAfee warns users to be wary of e-mails with the headers 'The beginning of World War III' and 'USA declares war on Iran'

By Oliver Garnham
July 10, 2008

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/10/Storm_worm_exploits_US_Iran_tensions_1.html

The authors of Nuwar -- also known as the Storm worm -- are exploiting the escalating political tensions between the U.S. and Iran to encourage users to download the malware, according to McAfee Avert Labs.

The security firm has warned people to be wary of e-mails with the headers "The beginning of World War III" and "USA declares war on Iran." The e-mails promise to link to a video showing the beginning of World War III, but clicking on the link actually triggers an automatic download of the file iran_occupation.exe, McAfee said.

The Storm worm was first detected in January 2007, but has reappeared in various guises several times over the past 18 months.

The malware has been used in a confirmation spam scam and has been employed in blogs and Web message forums. It also hit the headlines in April when malware makers gave it an April Fool's Day theme.

Bam! Pow! When Prayer Ministry Gets Violent

[When the disciples told Jesus about some non-disciples who were ministering in Jesus' name, the Lord told his disciples to let them alone. If they are not against us, then they are for us, He reasoned. Paul also spoke of people who preached Jesus in spiteful competition with the apostle, and his joy that Jesus was preached outweighed any personal wound. We should not, therefore, judge a brother, even though we must judge the gospel he preaches.

Even so, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" and Moses commanded that any prophet who even occasionally got it wrong should be stoned in the days of Israel's theocracy. The lack of a healthy skepticism among charismatics places them in danger of also failing to discern a false gospel when it comes along -- as it frequently does.

The author of the following article falls into that class, failing to heed his own warnings. Despite that, I found his article informative and even amusing. -rw]

Bam! Pow! When Prayer Ministry Gets Violent

J. Lee Grady

Charisma +ONLINE e-mail newsletter

6/18/2008 3:08:41 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time

Lakeland Revival leader Todd Bentley's unusual prayer methods have triggered questions about Holy Spirit etiquette.

For weeks the blogosphere has been sizzling with comments, pro and con, about the unusual ministry style of Todd Bentley, the leader of the Lakeland Revival in Florida. Thousands of people have watched the tattooed evangelist shout "Bam! Bam!" as he prays for the sick and interviews those who say they were instantly healed.

Nobody could ever accuse Bentley of lacking zeal. And he always gives Jesus the credit for the healings he announces on God TV every night. But he has come under fire because of video clips from a sermon in which he says the Holy Spirit told him to use violent means to heal people.

The sermon, preached in Lakeland and posted on YouTube, features Bentley demonstrating how he (1) banged a woman's crippled legs "like a baseball bat" on a stage; (2) tackled, mounted and choked a man to free him from a demon; (3) shoved a Chinese man to the ground to pray for him (causing the man to lose a tooth); (4) kicked an older woman in the face with his biker boot to heal her; and (5) "leg-dropped" a pastor—a professional wrestling tactic, popularized by Hulk Hogan, in which the aggressor jumps in the air and lands on his opponent with one leg outstretched.

When we asked Bentley about his unorthodox methods, he assured Charisma that none of the people were hurt and that many were healed. He also explained that British evangelist Smith Wigglesworth, a legend in the hall of fame of Pentecostal preachers, used similar methods.

So if Wigglesworth healed a man by punching him in the stomach, and Bentley sees similar results by using techniques borrowed from the World Wrestling Entertainment, does that mean we should teach all altar workers to become more aggressive?

I know that people have been healed in the meetings in Lakeland. I know of a woman from South Carolina who was healed of cystic fibrosis while sitting in one of Bentley's services. (She was never touched by anyone.) I also know a man from California who was healed of sleep apnea while watching the Lakeland revival on television. Jesus is most definitely still in the healing business.

I also know that Bentley is not performing Hulk Hogan stunts from the stage in Lakeland every night. But because his comments about violent prayer have been so widely broadcast, we need to call a timeout and make it clear that hitting people is wrong, period. Bentley's teaching on unorthodox prayer methods should include a disclaimer: "DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME." Here are three reasons why:

1. The Holy Spirit is gentle. Jesus boldly drove the moneychangers out of the temple with a whip. But when He prayed for sick people, there is no record of Him head-banging or leg-dropping anyone. He rebuked evil spirits authoritatively, but He never hit, slapped, choked, mounted or kicked a person. He was meek, which means He knew how to control His strength, and He never threw His weight around.

When He commissioned His followers to heal the sick, Jesus told them to "lay" hands on them (Mark 16:18). Since gentleness is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (along with kindness—see Gal. 5:22-23), any ministry we do should be tempered with mercy and concern.

2. If we minister in the flesh, we will reap flesh. Several years ago I was standing near the stage in a large meeting when a visiting evangelist said he wanted to pray for all the ministers in the room. Immediately some ushers yanked me up to the platform and the man of God raced over to "pray" for me. Before I knew it, I was assaulted in the name of the Lord.

Whack! The guy hit me so hard that I fell down and held my face in my hands to hide my grimace. The skin on my neck was stinging. When I finally went back to my seat, a friend ran over to congratulate me, saying, "Wow, I saw you go down under the power!" I had to grit my teeth and ask the Lord to help me forgive the preacher who inflicted pain instead of a holy impartation.

Why do we think that more bodies on the floor equals "more anointing"—especially when the evangelist shoves people to the ground or slaps them silly? To build a ministry on such foolish theatrics is to trust in the arm of the flesh.

3. Somebody's going to get hurt. We reported last week that a Tennessee man sued his charismatic church because its pastoral staff did not provide the proper "catchers" when he fell down during a prayer meeting last year. Matthew Lincoln of Knoxville said he struck the hard floor of the sanctuary with his head and aggravated a disc problem in his back, resulting in the need for surgery.

I don't know the specifics of the situation in Knoxville, Tenn., and it may be that this church has done everything possible to provide a caring atmosphere in their meetings. Plus, the man suing the church does not say anyone hit him or knocked him over. But serious accidents are bound to happen if we don't stress the importance of ministering with gentleness and wisdom.

In our zany charismatic world we often let our zeal run wild. I've been in services in which all kinds of injuries happened. Once I watched a 300-pound man fall on a frail woman. I've seen heads hit metal chairs. I've seen evangelists step on people's arms and legs. We may say the Holy Spirit is moving, but—more often than we want to admit—our chaos may be a sign of our immaturity.

Please understand me. I desperately want the power of God to invade our churches. I've been in meetings in which the Lord's glory was so thick that no one could stand up. I have felt the weight of His presence fall like a blanket on a congregation. And I remember falling to the floor when I got within four feet of a humble Indian preacher who barely touched people on the forehead when he prayed for them.

We don't have to force things to happen. God's power is real. May we never settle for a man-made imitation.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. You can read the article about the Tennessee lawsuit by clicking here.

Growing Up Oppressed

Help Delay Californica Homomarriage Ruling

Liberty Counsel (LC) has a petition calling for an emergency suspension of Californica's homosexual marriage ruling. The ruling -- that overturned the will of the people passed in Proposition 22 and declared homosexual marriage a "fundamental right" under Californica's constitution -- goes into effect in a few weeks. The petition won't stop the ruling from going into effect, but it will delay the ruling until after the November election, when the people will vote on a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.

LC's goal is 25,000 signatures. So far, they have about 20,000 signatures, but a lot of them are from out of state. I think they'll need several times that many to be effective.

If you would like to help stop officials from granting official marriage licenses to homosexuals and lesbians, please sign the petition at:

Videos of the week

Jackie Chan's 10 best stunts. He holds the Guinness record for most stunts by a living actor.

Probably for the most and worst injuries, too.

http://www.komando.com/videos/5-9.asp

Various things in slow motion... Too bad it doesn't include some of the Jackie Chan stunts!

http://www.komando.com/videos/5-1.asp

After watching those, you probably need a good laugh!

http://www.komando.com/videos/4-28.asp

The Woman of the People

The Woman of the People gets her own coffee

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqiPlzmB38c

She's not an elitist like Barak is... no, not at all!

Snow White and the Seven Memory Cards

[I found this pitiful one-liner on the web and thought it formed the seed of a cute story, so I stretched it out into a better version.]

Snow White and the Seven Memory Cards

Christmas came and the dwarves together gave Snow White a digital camera along with a 1 GB memory card from each of them. She had so much fun taking pictures of the dwarves and the forest creatures that she just couldn't wait to print them for a secret scrap book project.

Alas, she had no printer and the city was far, far away; so Snow had to send her seven memory cards via seven carrier pigeons to the WalMart Supercastle at the far edge of the forest to have the photos printed. The birds returned that evening with seven claim tickets.

A few days later, Snow sent the carrier pigeons back with the claim tickets and the family MasterSignet. She waited anxiously until the birds again returned with seven claim tickets and a note that said the printer had malfunctioned and she should check again in a few days.

Snow, about ready to send an apple to the WalMart manager, again sent her seven bird friends to pick up her photos. Later, the birds returned yet again with the seven claim tickets and a note begging her forbearance. They had fixed the malfunction but had run out of ink, and she should try again in seven days.

This so disappointed Snow White that she wept. She had wanted to give seven little scrapbooks to the seven dwarves for New Year's Day, and now it wouldn't be possible.

Snow wept and wept, for she wanted so much to give a gift to her beloved seven little hosts.

One by one, the dwarves tried to console the fair ex patriot. Finally, even Grumpy felt compassion and he came to console her. "Don't worry, Snow White," he said. Some day, your prints will come."

Test Your Kids' MySpace Knowledge

http://www.komando.com/myspace

Everything You Need to Know about Oprah.

Two clips on UTube show everything you need to know about Oprah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwGLNbiw1gk

One Act of Kindness

I read the other day that for every one critical thing you say to someone, you need to say at least five positive things; unless that someone is your spouse, in which case you'd better say at least twenty.

Whom you recognize can make a difference.

http://www.blueribbonmovie.com/

The Risks We Take

The car driven by Jacqueline Saburido, age 20 at the time, was hit by a drunk driver. It caught fire. She was burned over 60 percent of her body. She survived. But her life was transformed forever.

WARNING: This video contains graphic images. They're not gratuitous. They have a purpose. But steer clear if you are sensitive to graphic imagery.

http://www.komando.com/videos/4-6.asp

Share this with your teens. Share this any friends or family who might be tempted to drink and drive. This isn't hokey. It isn't corny. It's reality. This is the risk you take with others' lives when you drive impaired or distracted.

Drunk driving contributed to more than 15,000 fatalities in 2006. Sometimes, they are the lucky ones.

Nigerian Scammer Quits Scamming

This is wonderful news! The Nigerian criminals have given up scamming and gone into comedy!

In a message dated 4/1/2008 3:38:51 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time, info101231@zworg.com writes:

THE BENEFICIARY.
FRAUD VICTIMS/ BENEFICIARIES.
OUR REF: XX110112AFRI1XX
YOUR REF:AFRIBANK11X88

Attention,

SCAM VICTIMS REIMBURSEMENTS PROGRAMME.

I write to bring to your notice as a delegate from the Nigerian Government eimbursement Committee under the strict supervision of the United Nations to pay you a Nigerian 419 scam victims the sum of $5.3M USD (Five Million Three Hundred Thousand Dollars Only) each. You are however listed as one of the beneficiaries for these payments.You are expected to get back to us for your immediate reimbursement.

As a result of this laudable recommedations,you are hereby informed that during the last U.N. meeting held in Abuja, Nigeria, it was alarmed so much by the rest of the world on the loss of funds by various foreigners to the scam artists operating in syndicates all over the world today. In other to redeem the good image of our country, the President has
Ordered the immediate payment of $5,3M USD in your Favour as an affected victims in accordance with the U.N. recommendations. Due to the corrupt and inefficient Banking Systems in Nigeria, these payments are to be made by AFRIBANK NIGERIA, Nigeria as the corresponding paying bank under the funding assistance of the Central Bank of Nigeria.Presently, 184 Beneficiaries have been paid, more than 50% of the victims are from the United States, while about 40% are from other parts of the world. Your particulars were among those mentioned by some of the Syndicates that were apprehended in Lagos, Nigeria as one of the victims of the operations, you are hereby warned not to communicate or duplicate this message to anybody for any reason whatsoever as the U.S. secret service in conjunction with The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has swange into action to track this criminals down.Once again,you are expected to keep it secret until these criminals are all apprehen!
ded.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) (Motto: No Body is above the Law) have combined effort with the United Nation Anti-crime Commission to alleviate the plight of these victims as well as redeeming the image of our dear country.Many Banks, Universal firms, Companies and individuals have been in bankrupcy today due to the activities of these hoodlums. However, a thorough investigation have revealed that
these people have dropped over 500,000 victims across the world, after collecting their money falsely,many as a result of this have committed suicide, while others are nowliving in abject poverty.As regards these ongoing developmental strive, we have over 200 suspects at hand, 135 in kirikri prisons.While many are awaiting trial, we are still in search of others, who think they are wise, and hope that you will assist by giving any vital information that could lead to the apprehension of these hoodlums.You can receive your reimbursement via any of these options you Choose,ATM CARD PAYMENTor WIRE TRANSFER. We shall be waiting to hearing from you been certain that your response will be that you are satisfied and willing to claim your $5.3M USD (Five Million three Hundred Dollars Only) reimbursement funds.

(ATM PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS):NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE, AGE AND OCCUPATION.

(WIRE REQUIREMENTS): NAME, AGE ,OCCUPATION, BANK, ACCOUNT NUMBER AND ROUTING OR SWIFT CODE.

A copy of your response is expected to be sent to the Director Payment
Department Mrs Gogo Ego on her Official email:
infopayment101@zworg.com


Yours faithfully,

Mr. Frank William
Processing/Transfer Officer,
FRAUD VICTIMS/ BENEFICIARIES DEPT.
AFRI BANK NIGERIA.

Hagin Warns Word-Faith Apostates

[Any "gospel" that does not bow to God's sovereign will or recognize our utter inability to contribute to our salvation is no gospel at all. Although God saves many charismatics before they learn the errors of Arminianism (God saves you, but you have to keep yourself saved), the overwhelming majority fall away from the doctrine of 100% grace. Word-faith teachers extend man's sovereignty even further by giving man supposed rule not only over God's spiritual blessings, but also over His earthly blessings. Still, it's good to see the following warning from the preacher who opened the door to the word-faith error.]

Kenneth Hagin's Forgotten Warning
Before he died in 2003, the revered father of the Word-Faith movement corrected his spiritual sons for going to extremes with their message of prosperity.

J. Lee Grady, editor, Charisma magazine

Charisma +online Newsletter

7 March 2008

Charismatic Bible teacher Kenneth Hagin Sr. is considered the father of the so-called prosperity gospel. The folksy, self-trained "Dad Hagin" started a grass-roots movement in Oklahoma that produced a Bible college and a crop of famous preachers including Kenneth Copeland, Jerry Savelle, Charles Capps, Jesse DuPlantis, Creflo Dollar and dozens of others—all of whom teach that Christians who give generously should expect financial rewards on this side of heaven.

Hagin taught that God was not glorified by poverty and that preachers do not have to be poor. But before he died in 2003 and left his Rhema Bible Training Center in the hands of his son, Kenneth Hagin Jr., he summoned many of his colleagues to Tulsa to rebuke them for distorting his message. He was not happy that some of his followers were manipulating the Bible to support what he viewed as greed and selfish indulgence.

Those who were close to Hagin Sr. say he was passionate about correcting these abuses before he died. In fact, he wrote a brutally honest book to address his concerns. The Midas Touch was published in 2000, several months after the infamous Tulsa meeting.

Many Word-Faith ministers ignored the book. But in light of the recent controversy over prosperity doctrines, it might be a good idea to dust it off and read it again.

Here are a few of the points Hagin made in The Midas Touch:

1. Financial prosperity is not a sign of God's blessing. Hagin wrote: "If wealth alone were a sign of spirituality, then drug traffickers and crime bosses would be spiritual giants. Material wealth can be connected to the blessings of God or it can be totally disconnected from the blessings of God."

2. People should never give in order to get. Hagin was critical of those who "try to make the offering plate some kind of heavenly vending machine." He denounced those who link giving to getting, especially those who give cars to get new cars or who give suits to get new suits. He wrote: "There is no spiritual formula to sow a Ford and reap a Mercedes."

3. It is not biblical to "name your seed" in an offering. Hagin was horrified by this practice, which was popularized in faith conferences during the 1980s. Faith preachers sometimes tell donors that when they give in an offering they should claim a specific benefit to get a blessing in return. Hagin rejected this idea and said that focusing on what you are going to receive "corrupts the very attitude of our giving nature."

4. The "hundredfold return" is not a biblical concept. Hagin did the math and figured out that if this bizarre notion were true, "we would have Christians walking around with not billions or trillions of dollars, but quadrillions of dollars!" He rejected the popular teaching that a believer should claim a specific monetary payback rate.

5. Preachers who claim to have a "debt-breaking" anointing should not be trusted. Hagin was perplexed by ministers who promise "supernatural debt cancellation" to those who give in certain offerings. He wrote in The Midas Touch: "There is not one bit of Scripture I know about that validates such a practice. I'm afraid it is simply a scheme to raise money for the preacher, and ultimately it can turn out to be dangerous and destructive for all involved."

(Many evangelists who appear on Christian television today use this bogus claim. Usually they insist that the miraculous debt cancellation will occur only if a person "gives right now," as if the anointing for this miracle suddenly evaporates after the prime time viewing hour. This manipulative claim is more akin to witchcraft than Christian belief.)

Hagin condemned other hairbrained gimmicks designed to trick audiences into emptying their wallets. He was especially incensed when a preacher told his radio listeners that he would take their prayer requests to Jesus' empty tomb in Jerusalem and pray over them there—if donors included a special love gift. "What that radio preacher really wanted was more people to send in offerings," Hagin wrote.

Thanks to the recent resurgence in bizarre donation schemes promoted by American charismatics, the prosperity gospel is back under the nation's microscope. It's time to revisit Hagin's concerns and find a biblical balance.

Hagin told his followers: "Overemphasizing or adding to what the Bible actually teaches invariably does more harm than good." If the man who pioneered the modern concept of biblical prosperity blew the whistle on his own movement, wouldn't it make sense for us to listen to his admonition?

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. The Midas Touch is available from Kenneth Hagin Ministries at rhema.org.

Libophrenia Confirmed!

[(Queue Twilight Zone opening theme here.)

I wrote a tongue-half-in-cheek essay in 1994 about "libophrenia." I sent it to Michael Savage years before he wrote his book, Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder; and I claim credit for at least planting the seed for his book. Seriously! 

1.  Now, a legitimate psychiatrist has verified my theory!

 

2.  Sharon Jasper has an extreme case of libophrenia and is the archetype of what LBJ's "Great Society" got us. ]

---

"When the modern liberal mind whines about imaginary victims, rages against imaginary villains and seeks above all else to run the lives of persons competent to run their own lives, the neurosis of the liberal mind becomes painfully obvious."

Top psychiatrist concludes liberals are nuts!
Makes case ideology is mental disorder
Posted: February 15, 2008
3:40 pm Eastern

(c) 2008 WorldNetDaily
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56494

WASHINGTON - Just when liberals thought it was safe to start identifying themselves as such, an acclaimed, veteran psychiatrist is making the case that the ideology motivating them is actually a mental disorder.  "Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded," says Dr. Lyle Rossiter, author of the new book, "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness."  <http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=6&SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=20&
ITEM_ID=2285>  [Point of fact:  The book was published in 2006.]

 

"Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave."

While political activists on the other side of the spectrum have made similar observations, Rossiter boasts professional credentials and a life virtually free of activism and links to "the vast right-wing conspiracy."

For more than 35 years he has diagnosed and treated more than 1,500 patients as a board-certified clinical psychiatrist and examined more than 2,700 civil and criminal cases as a board-certified forensic psychiatrist. He received his medical and psychiatric training at the University of Chicago.

 

Rossiter says the kind of liberalism being displayed by the two major candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination can only be understood as a psychological disorder.

"A social scientist who understands human nature will not dismiss the vital roles of free choice, voluntary cooperation and moral integrity - as liberals do," he says. "A political leader who understands human nature will not ignore individual differences in talent, drive, personal appeal and work ethic, and then try to impose economic and social equality on the population - as liberals do. And a legislator who understands human nature will not create an environment of rules which over-regulates and over-taxes the nation's citizens, corrupts their character and reduces them to wards of the state - as liberals do."

Dr. Rossiter says the liberal agenda preys on weakness and feelings of inferiority in the population by:

*    creating and reinforcing perceptions of victimization;
*    satisfying infantile claims to entitlement, indulgence and compensation;
*    augmenting primitive feelings of envy;
*    rejecting the sovereignty of the individual, subordinating him to the will of the government.

"The roots of liberalism - and its associated madness - can be clearly identified by understanding how children develop from infancy to adulthood and how distorted development produces the irrational beliefs of the liberal mind," he says. "When the modern liberal mind whines about imaginary victims, rages against imaginary villains and seeks above all else to run the lives of persons competent to run their own lives, the neurosis of the liberal mind becomes painfully obvious."

Get your copy of The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness
<http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=6&SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=20&
ITEM_ID=2285>
Get Michael Savage's prophetic Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder
http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=6&SUBDEPARTMENT_ID=20&ITEM_ID=1972

Welfare Ain't What It Used To Be

[Author unknown, but here's evidence the article is not a hoax.
http://blog.nola.com/updates/2007/12/housing_officials_claim_surplu.html
http://urbangrounds.com/2007/12/23/sharon-jasper/

[What's even more astounding is that the anonymous writer of the second article is actually sympathetic to Jasper.  I included a couple of links to show that the article is real, because I didn't believe it, either.  It will restore your faith in the vital role played by the institution of homelessness.]

Sharon Jasper has been victimized. Sharon Jasper has been rabidly wronged. She has become a Section 8 carcass-the victim of ever changing public housing policies.

Sharon Jasper has spent 57 or her 58 years dedicated to one cause and one cause only, and has nothing to show for her dedicated servitude. She has lived in Section 8 housing all but 1 of her 58 years. It was a legacy passed down from her parents who moved into Section 8 housing in 1949 when she was six months old. She has passed the legacy down to her children, but fears they may have to get jobs to pay for the utilities and deposits. She laments about her one year hiatus from the comfort of her Section 8 nirvana, 'I tried it for a year. you know...working and all. It's not anything I would want to go through again, or wish on anyone in my family, but I am damn proud of that year.'

Sharon was moved out of her St. Bernard housing project after hurricane Katrina and into a new, yet albeit, substandard quarterage. As can be noted from the above photo of her new Section 8 home, it is repugnant and not suitable for someone of Sharon Jasper's seniority status in the system. 'Don't be fooled by them hardwood floors,' says Sharon. 'They told me they were putting in scraped wood floors cause it was more expensive and elegant, but I am not a fool - that was just a way to make me take scratched up wood because I am black. The 60 inch HD TV? It may look nice but it is not a plasma. It's not a plasma because I'm black.  Now they want me to pay a deposit and utilities on this dump. Do you know why?'

She has held her tongue in silence through the years of abuse by the system, but it came to a head at the New Orleans' city council meeting where discussions were under way about the tearing down of the St. Bernard projects. When a near riotous exchange between groups opposing the tearing down of St. Bernard and groups wanting the dilapidated buildings torn down and newer ones built, Sharon unleashed verbal hell with her once silenced tongue. The object of her oratory prowess was an acquiescent poor white boy in attendance. The context of her scathing rebuke was, 'Just because you pay for my house, my car, my big screen and my food, I will not be treated like a slave!' and 'Back up and Shut up! Shut up, white boy! Shut up, white boy!'

Recapping from the mental log of the city council minutes in her head, Sharon repines, 'Our families have been displaced all over the United States. They are being forced to commit crimes in cities they are unfamiliar with. It is a very uncomfortable situation for them. Bring them back, then let's talk about redevelopment.' 

Sharon directs the reporter's attention across the street to Duncan Plaza where homeless people are living in tents and states that, 'I might do better out there with one of these tents.' She further lamented her sentiments about her situation, 'I might be poor, but I don't have to live poor.'

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(Queue Twilight Zone closing theme. . . . )

Word of the Day
Libophrenia, noun
A mental condition characterized by confusion of inductive thinking and emotional reaction with logic; often accompanied by a failure to grasp object permanence.
[Contraction of English liberal + Greek root phrenia, mind]

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Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living.

Bernie Ward Puts Modesto in Headlines Again

Poor Bernie.  (See link below).  Too bad he didn't live in Berkeley.
There, leftists like Ward get away with assault.


Word of the Day
prat,  noun
buttocks; root of pratfall, a (usa. comic) fall onto one's buttocks
[Origin: uncertain, ~1560; no apparent relation to prate, prattle]
"The Right pays far more dearly than the does the Left for moral pratfalls;
and so they should:  On the Left, sin does not constitute hypocrisy."



Subject: Re: FW: Time to Clean out your talk Show staff

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/iteam&id=5956230

<http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/iteam&id=5956230>

Word of the Day
perp = Ward

    -------------- Original message --------------  

    

Here's the best method I've found to clean your computer screen.
http://theglobalbible.com/temp/screenclean.swf
   

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Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living.

Welfare Ain't What It Used To Be

Incredible.  Sharon Jasper is the archetype of what Johnson's "Great Society" got us.  But what's even more astounding is that the anonymous writer of the article is actually sympathetic to Jasper.

 

It will restore your faith in the vital role played by the institution of homelessness. 

 

 
Here is an article with the picture of her place and some of the quotes.
http://blog.nola.com/updates/2007/12/housing_officials_claim_surplu.html
 
Here is a supporting video

http://urbangrounds.com/2007/12/23/sharon-jasper/

 

 

Welfare Ain't What It Used To Be

 

Sharon Jasper has been victimized. Sharon Jasper has been rabidly wronged. She has become a Section 8 carcass–the victim of ever changing public housing policies.
 
Sharon Jasper has spent 57 or her 58 years dedicated to one cause and one cause only, and has nothing to show for her dedicated servitude. She has lived in Section 8 housing all but 1 of her 58 years. It was a legacy passed down from her parents who moved into Section 8 housing in 1949 when she was six months old. She has passed the legacy down to her children, but fears they may have to get jobs to pay for the utilities and deposits. She laments about her one year hiatus from the comfort of her Section 8 nirvana, 'I tried it for a year. you know…working and all. It's not anything I would want to go through again, or wish on anyone in my family, but I am damn proud of that year.'
 
Sharon was moved out of her St. Bernard housing project after hurricane Katrina and into a new, yet albeit, substandard quarterage. As can be noted from the above photo of her new Section 8 home, it is repugnant and not suitable for someone of Sharon Jasper's seniority status in the system. 'Don't be fooled by them hardwood floors,' says Sharon. 'They told me they were putting in scraped wood floors cause it was more expensive and elegant, but I am not a fool – that was just a way to make me take scratched up wood because I am black. The 60 inch HD TV? It may look nice but it is not a plasma. It's not a plasma because I'm black. Now they want me to pay a deposit and utilities on this dump. Do you know why?'
 
She has held her tongue in silence through the years of abuse by the system, but it came to a head at the New Orleans' city council meeting where discussions were under way about the tearing down of the St. Bernard projects. When a near riotous exchange between groups opposing the tearing down of St. Bernard and groups wanting the dilapidated buildings torn down and newer ones built, Sharon unleashed verbal hell with her once silenced tongue. The object of her oratory prowess was an acquiescent poor white boy in attendance. The context of her scathing rebuke was, 'Just because you pay for my house, my car, my big screen and my food, I will not be treated like a slave!' and 'Back up and Shut up! Shut up, white boy! Shut up, white boy!'
 
Recapping from the mental log of the city council minutes in her head, Sharon repines, 'Our families have been displaced all over the United States. They are being forced to commit crimes in cities they are unfamiliar with. It is a very uncomfortable situation for them. Bring them back, then let's talk about redevelopment.'
 
Sharon directs the reporter's attention across the street to Duncan Plaza where homeless people are living in tents and states that, 'I might do better out there with one of these tents.' She further lamented her sentiments about her situation, 'I might be poor, but I don't have to live poor.'

---

Delicious ideas to please the pickiest eaters. Watch the video on AOL Living.

The Fuzzy-Wuzzy World of Charismatic Morality

[Both examples cited by Grady involve women preachers.  Even in his own conclusion, Grady sidesteps the Biblical standard that divorce/remarriage disqualifies one for pastoral ministry.  Since charismatics rationalize so much already (such as women preachers), is it any surprise that they would rationalize divorce, too? -- rw]

 

The Fuzzy-Wuzzy World of Charismatic Morality

J. Lee Grady

Charisma Online (e-mail newsletter)

2/1/2008 6:03:09 A.M. Pacific Standard Time
Christian leaders who flippantly divorce without adequate explanation are confusing young believers and mocking biblical standards.

 

In an era when evangelical ministers are endorsing pro-abortion candidates and an Episcopal bishop is marrying his gay lover, I guess it is no surprise that our own charismatic church leaders are sending out confusing signals about morality these days. It seems that in 2008, up is down, right is wrong and biblical absolutes are up for grabs.

 

This is especially true when it comes to marriage, an institution that once was considered sacred by all Christians. Nowadays, many preachers and even famous evangelical authors have created a new trend: Throwaway wedding vows. Christian divorce today is cheap, easy and not that much more expensive than a facelift. And some of our superstar preachers have figured out a way to use Bible verses to support their moral failures.

 

Take Paula White, for example. The high-powered preacher announced last August that her marriage to Randy White was over, with no clear explanation why, and she continued on her whirlwind ministry circuit without skipping a beat. The Whites said adultery was not the reason for their breakup, although Randy said the whole mess was his fault. We were all left scratching our heads.

 

Paula teaches people all over the nation how to live "a life by design," which is also the official name of her trademark success seminars. But I am left questioning what kind of design she's promoting—especially when she joined the staff of San Antonio pastor Rick Hawkins, who divorced his wife last year. By partnering with him in ministry, Paula is legitimizing his questionable choices.

 

When a local news reporter in Tampa, Fla., asked Paula about how she reconciles her faith with her decision to divorce, she quoted a verse from Ecclesiastes and implied that, just as there is "a time for everything under heaven," her divorce was just an unfortunate moment in her spiritual journey. She also glibly suggested that one day she and Randy might get back together since they are good friends.

 

Huh? What kind of talk is this, and what garbled message does it send to immature believers who don't know yet how to discern God's will for themselves? Many of them will take Paula's confusing words as license to do whatever they feel like doing. If there is a time for divorce, then there might as well be a time for binge drinking, a time for a porn movie or a time to steal from an employer. Morality gets morphed into an ooey-gooey concept that you shape for yourself.

 

I wish that Paula had said this: "Divorce is not God's will. It destroys families. If anyone out there is thinking about divorce, please don't choose that path until you have tried every avenue for restoration." But she didn't sound a clear trumpet. She gave us mishmash.

 

Then we have Bishop Thomas Weeks III, the estranged husband of celebrity preacher Juanita Bynum. Their marriage crashed and burned last August when she accused him of beating her in an Atlanta hotel parking lot. Weeks and Bynum have continued preaching since they announced plans to divorce, and Weeks told Gospel Today magazine last month that he's looking forward to finding wife No. 3 while he continues to oversee several churches. When asked what he needed to change, the bow-tied preacher replied: "I have to take vacations."

 

What is missing in both the Weeks-Bynum fiasco and the White's breakup is a clear admission that biblical principles have been violated. For the Whites, we are left feeling that if you drift apart from your spouse because of the demands of ministry, you just move on and keep preaching. (After all, as Paula says, "Your best days are ahead.") For Bynum and Weeks, the message is also muddled: If your marriage doesn't work out, it's probably because your partner didn't realize how powerful God's calling is on your life. (In other words, it's all about you.)

 

This sad scenario seems almost normal today because our standards have been totally compromised. In many independent charismatic churches we refuse to draw boundaries. We don't enforce biblical standards of leadership. We don't tell those who have failed morally to get out of the ministry long enough to find true healing.

 

Leaders must be godly examples. God does not require them to have perfect marriages, but He does raise the bar for all those called into the ministry by requiring marital faithfulness. We don't have the right to lower that bar just because we live in a permissive culture.

 

We must make biblical standards clear: (1) Marriage is indeed sacred, and divorce should never be viewed as a flippant choice; (2) Ministers of the gospel should have exemplary marriages; and (3) Leaders who fail at marriage can be instantly forgiven, but they have no business leading a church until they have walked though a healing process that includes full repentance and a heavy dose of accountability.

 

It is time for some backbone. Those of us who still believe the Bible is the rule book for marriage, sexuality, moral character and church discipline must confront this craziness. We must lovingly but firmly redraw the lines before they are blurred beyond distinction.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma. In the March issue of the magazine, due on newsstands Feb. 15, you can read "Is Marriage Still Sacred?"—a report on how church leaders are addressing the American marriage crisis.

 

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Who's never won? Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music.

Stimulus Rebates to Go to Illegals!

It's too late.  We've lost our country.

 

 

From the Desk of:
Steve Elliott, President, Grassfire.org Alliance
1/30/2008

The just-passed House Stimulus package intended to

jump-start a sagging economy by giving citizens rebates,
also includes cash benefits for illegal aliens!

Yes, you read that right.

According to FOX News, the plan would benefit those illegal aliens
who qualify as "resident aliens" - meaning they have
spent a substantial amount of time in the U.S. and have not
yet been deported.

These so-called "resident aliens" also must have been assigned
an Individual Tax Identification Number.

What?

Assigning a tax number to an illegal alien in-effect legitimizes
their right to be in the U.S.!

As Rep. Tom Tancredo said to FOX News, the bill will certainly
stimulate "more illegal immigration."

Richard, once again this is a slap in the face to citizen taxpayers,
and I'm calling on you to take immediate action with me by calling
your Senators and demanding rebates to illegal aliens be dropped
from this bill.

Here's your contact information for:

Sen. Feinstein      202-224-3841
Sen. Boxer      202-224-3553

This bill easily passed through the House (385-35), and it is my hope
that our Grassfire team will be able to restore some sense and sensibility
as this bill progresses through the Senate.

But don't delay. Call and express your outrage today.

Thank you for taking immediate action with me.

Steve
P.S: After calling your Senators, please forward this message on to your
taxpaying friends and family members. Encourage them first to sign our
petition by clicking below, and call their Senate leadership as well.

++ Sign our "Secure Our Borders" petition:


http://www.grassfire.org/42/petition.asp?RID=12135272

+   +  +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +  +  +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +

+ + Feedback or comments on this update?

Go to FireSociety.com and post your comments so that the Grassfire
staff along with thousands of citizens can benefit from your thoughts
and opinions:


http://www.firesociety.com/comments/21683/?src=111

+ + + + +
Grassfire.org Alliance is a non-profit 501(c)4 issues advocacy
organization dedicated to equipping our 1.5 million-strong network
of grassroots conservatives with the tools that give you a real
impact on the key issues of our day. Gifts to Grassfire.org are
not tax deductible.

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Start the year off right. Easy ways to stay in shape in the new year.