The Browser, the Internet & You

One of the most dangerous tools for infecting your computer is one that you, if you’re anything like the average computer user, are using everyday! Once infected, a computer can and often does fall victim to a whole host of ailments: everything from crashes to computer slow-downs to absolute failure to boot up. Your unique identity, credit card and personal banking information can be stolen. Occasionally all of the above happens. Sound frightening? It is, and it’s happening to countless computer users the world over.
Why? Because of the internet browser they are using. Ah, yes… Internet Explorer, the web surfing tool bundled with the Microsoft Operating System (OS.) Don’t bother to try and remove
it because you can’t! Microsoft built Internet Explore into its OS in such a way that the two are one. Don’t bother getting upset over it. Microsoft has already been sued, to no avail, over this
bundling business.  Instead, choose a different Browser to surf the web, in this case, what you don’t use won’t hurt you. There are two Internet Browsers that I recommend: Firefox by Mozilla & Opera by Opera Software. The reason these Browsers are safer than Internet Explorer (I.E.) is twofold.
First, every hacker out there targets Microsoft’s browser exactly because it is the most used.
Second I.E. has a scripting language built into it called “Active X.” While Active X allows neat things to be done through your browser and to your computer, it is also true that malicious Active
X codes now abound on the internet. All you have to do is go to the wrong website and bang!  You’re infected! With the sheer number of websites and the advanced skills of the underworld of hackers, nearly any site could become the unsuspecting host of these malicious codes. While “Active X” can be installed in Firefox and possible in Opera, it is not installed in either by default. So the good news is that you don’t have to give up your ticket to the world’s largest library. Just download one or both of these free Browsers and you’re set. To recap then, because neither Firefox nor Opera use “Active X” natively, you are able to avoid being infected  by websites that knowingly or unknowingly have code that exploit Active X. By changing the Browser that you surf the web with (Internet Explorer) you have successfully removed you & your computer from the highly targeted zones allotted to browsers like Internet Explorer. All you need to do is simply type “Opera” or “Firefox” into your preferred search engine (Google, Yahoo or DogPile for example) and follow the link to the download site. Once you’ve determined that it’s a safe legitimate source click on the download button and then install the Browser. There should not be any forms or online paperwork to fill out and of coarse no money paid. Now that you know what you can do to better secure your computers take the time to do this for your other systems and your family members. As a parting tip, if and when you start to see Firefox on everyone else PC, it’s a good time to switch Browsers to Opera or another lesser focused on (targeted) Browser… Good health to you and your computer(s)!

For More On Computer Security Visit Our Site: www.northcarolinapcs.com

During this current global economic crisis, people are searching for new ways to earn income. Many find great success making money online. There are many ways to make money online, and the question becomes: what is the best way to make money online?

There are many options to make money online. Some are very lucrative, while other ways to make money online can be boring and time consuming while yielding very little results. However, there is one option often overlooked when searching for the best way to make money online, and that is the fun and exciting world of online casinos. Lately, more and more people are enjoying online casinos as they make money online.

Online Casinos are an ideal choice for those looking to make money online and thousands of satisfied players can happily confirm that they were able to make money online, lots of it. Clearly, it is the most fun option for those looking to make money online. Where else can one play games as they make money online?
 

For Immediate Release

 

> Contact: Rachel Galanter/Family Support Program Manager

 

> Phone number:  491-1889

 

>

 

> April Is Child Abuse Prevention Month:

 

> Kids:  You Can't Beat 'em

 

>

 

>

 

> 4/27/09 - According to Prevent Child Abuse America, the nation's leading

 

> child abuse prevention organization, forty-three percent of American

 

> parents report spanking or hitting their child, 37 percent report

 

> insulting or swearing at their child, and two percent report having

 

> kicked, bit or punched their child.  More than 3 million children were

 

> reported to child protective

 

> service agencies as alleged victims of child abuse or neglect each year,

 

> and approximately 1 million of these reports are confirmed.

 

>

 

> Tens of thousands of these children live in our state.  In fact, more than

 

> 100,000 children were reported as abused or neglected this past year, with

 

> over 27,000 confirmed victimizations.

 

>

 

> The Durham Exchange Club's Family Center is the local affiliate of Prevent

 

> Child Abuse North Carolina.  Our mission is to prevent child abuse and

 

> neglect before it happens.

 

>

 

> On April 30th at 11 am the Durham County Child Protective Service workers

 

> will begin a walkathon to raise money for Department of Social Service's

 

> child abuse prevention fund.  The CPS workers have to handle angry

 

> parents, scared children, and heavy caseloads; without them we would not

 

> be able to verify suspicions of abuse and keep our children safe.  To

 

> recognize their efforts to not only investigate suspected cases of abuse

 

> and protect our children, but to raise funds to prevent child abuse, we

 

> will present each social worker at the end of the walkathon with a small gift.

 

  The walkathon will begin and end at the

 

> Department of Social Services office on 220 E. Main St.

 

>

 

> Child Abuse Prevention Month has been observed each April since its first

 

> presidential proclamation in 1983.  Since that time, individuals and

 

> organizations have joined during April to raise the public's awareness of

 

> child abuse and its prevention.

 

>

 

> The Exchange Clubs' Family Center provides services to the community

 

> through three programs:  an in-home parent support program, support to

 

> teachers and parents of children with challenging behaviors in their child

 

> care settings, and program for parents of youth involved in high risk behaviors.

 

 We are committed to helping families directly and by

 

> publicizing the importance of supporting families and preventing child

 

> abuse.

 

WHO:              SAFE Haven for Cats

 

WHAT:            Pet Adoptathon 2009

 

WHERE:         SAFE Haven for Cats

 

                        8431-137 Garvey Drive

 

                        Raleigh, NC 27616

 

WHEN:            Saturday, May 2 from 10 am – 4:30 pm

 

                        Sunday, May 3 from 11 am – 5:00 pm

 

WHY:               To Save the Lives of Many Homeless Cats

 

 

Pet Adoptathon:

 

SAFE Haven for Cats is excited to announce Pet Adoptathon 2009. The weekend when animal organizations worldwide join together to find a home for each and every shelter pet is taking place on May 2nd and 3rd.

 

 

The event will feature:

 

 

Special adoption fees: Every cat and kitten adopted will be only $75 (normal fees $85-$100)

 

Free Hills Science Diet food with every adoption.

 

Raffles for the adults.

 

Over 40 real, live, adorable and adoptable cats and kittens ready to be adopted.

 

 

Come to SAFE Haven for Cats on May 2nd and 3rd and adopt a loving homeless pet. You’ll get a lifetime of companionship and unconditional love from a cute and cuddly furry friend. For more information about Pet Adoptathon 2009 call 919 872-1128 or visit us on the web at www.safehavenforcats.org.

 

 

 

About SAFE Haven for Cats and SAFE Care Feline Spay/Neuter Clinic

 

SAFE Haven is the Triangle’s authentic no-kill shelter. The mission is to rescue 500 abandoned, neglected and abused cats every year and adopt them into enduring homes. The SAFE Care Clinic sterilizes 1,500 cats yearly, providing low cost services for stray, feral and owned cats in the Triangle.

 

 

In 2008 SAFE Haven rolled out a new adoption tool, Meet Your Match.  The Meet Your Match program is like eHarmony® for cats! Based on an evaluation, a cat is given one of nine distinct feline personalities (“feline-ality”) and can be paired with adopters whose personality and lifestyle fit the cat best.   All cats and kittens receive the following prior to adoption: Sterilization, a Rabies vaccine,  Distemper vaccines, testing for Feline Leukemia/FIV, treatment for fleas, intestinal parasites and ear mites, a thorough examination by a veterinarian, and a microchip including registration with a national registry (AKC). To learn more, visit www.safehavenforcats.org or call (919) 872-1128.

 

Endorsed by more than 250 celebrities, the popular campaign urges Raleigh residents to join the famous faces of wellness

 

For years, food scientists have attempted to manufacture new-age, wellness beverages. And though they’ve tried, none are as wholesome, naturally nutrient-rich and delicious as milk.  Lowfat and fat free milk provides an array of wellness benefits in a single glass. Milk has been endorsed by more than 250 celebrities and its benefits are supported by hundreds of scientific studies.  

 

 

From March to September, the national “got milk?” Milk Mustache Mobile Drink Well. Live Well. Tour is traveling coast-to-coast to reintroduce Americans to milk—a nutrient powerhouse. From Monday, April 20 to Wednesday, April 22, the Tour will be cruising through your city hosting free events to encourage Raleigh residents to live well.

 RALEIGH EVENT SCHEDULE & DETAILS:

Monday, April 20

Location:Pullen Park 520 Ashe Ave Raleigh, NC 27606 Time: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. On-site Activities: At events, Raleigh residents can:

 

 

 

 

 

 ·  Experience the “Wellness Oasis” and get tips on how to achieve wellness and balance in their life

 ·  Receive health screenings from a registered dietitian

 ·  Sample lowfat and fat free milk from Pet Dairy, Shamrock Farms and Dairy Fresh

 · Enjoy freshly made Soothie Smoothies

 · Relax with five-minute chair massages from a licensed massage therapist

 · Pose for souvenir Milk Mustache photos

FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information visit whymilk.com; media inquiries contact Katie Montiel at 312-988-2117 (office), 312-810-8195 (cell), or kmontiel@webershandwick.com.

 

 

Alternative approaches to preventing and handling common digestive disorders.  Do you suffer from the following:  acid reflux, hiatal hernia, gas or bloating, irritable bowel, diarrhea, stomach cramps, crohn's disease, constipation?  Do you wonder whats wrong?  Find out!

Presented by the Foundation of Wellness Professionals.  Guest speaker -  Dr. Daniel Bannard, D.C. FIAMA, FIACA

Monday, April 20, 09, 7:00pm at Anytime Fitness

2980 Kildaire Farm Rd., Cary, NC

Seating limited, please call 387-7077 to reserve your seat.

 

 

Shop to Fight Hunger

Thursday April 30

4:00—8:00p.m.

Ten Thousand Villages

Cameron Village

435 Woodburn Rd.

Raleigh, NC  27605

(919) 821-1100

www.tenthousandvillages.com

www.cporaleigh.org

 

15% of sales made between 4-8pm on April 30 will be donated to Catholic Parish Outreach food pantry.  If you can’t make it to the store, you may place a credit card order over the phone for store gift cards or in-stock merchandise.  Check out the website to see their products.  Only items purchased at the Raleigh store count toward the fundraiser.  Phone orders will need to be picked up within one week.

 

Your purchase will help more than just CPO...Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to disadvantaged artisans in developing regions of the world by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. Ten Thousand Villages of Raleigh is a nonprofit, fair trade retail store that is largely volunteer operated. The store offers unique gifts, house wares, toys, jewelry & accessories, musical instruments, coffee, chocolate, and lots more. You will find a wide selection of items for Mother’s Day, graduation, weddings, and other upcoming occasions.

 

 

 

 

 

my blogs home is not fox50 it is fox8 but i'm trying to get the wordout my blog is called the wack-job gamer i have 5 blog posts before this one i bring previews interviews and i'll admit stuff no one else will admitt

my blogs home is not fox50 it is fox8 but i'm trying to get the wordout my blog is called the wack-job gamer i have 5 blog posts before this one i bring previews interviews and i'll admit stuff no one else will admitt

The truth is...you can beat a Chevy to death and it still keeps running.

***

Having three children, in three years, all before you are twenty-one, means you have made choices that will 'veer' your life in a different path. Do I regret that? Of course not! I have three wonderful kids and six grandchildren!




But, being young and ignorant meant I worked a lot of hours and usually multiple jobs. It also meant I bought a lot of 'beater' type cars. To me, having even a junk car was a treasure. There were a lot of times, especially in the early years, where I had to walk miles to get to a job. Anytime that I could get a cheap car I was happy.

 Thru the years, I had a lot of 'end of the road' cars in a variety of makes and models. I would fix what I could and drive them til they reached the point that I couldn't afford to fix them or the engine would finally blow, and I would move on. 

Over time, it became apparent that on certain makes, you could count on certain parts to fail. One make might always have the master cylinder failing, or the starter, or the alternator...

 

 

 

*******
Anyone who is young, has children and lives paycheck to paycheck, knows exactly what I'm talking about...

***
I even remember one car not having reverse. If I wasn't lucky enough to park in a position that I could just put it in first and go...well, then that meant that, at the end of the day, if front of all of the other employees, I would have to put my car in neutral, get out, push it backwards and then...get back into my car and drive off. Talk about learning to hold your head high...as you're completely mortified and embarassed...

(Life lesson, life lesson, life lesson...)

***

With the Chevy it was different...They stood the test of time. Sure, they had the normal wear and tear, but overall they were the best.

When times are tough and when...no matter how hard you work, you don't seem to have enough money to feed your children and pay your bills,  the last thing you think about is 'maintenance' on your car. (Well...that's not true. You do think about it,  but there is nothing you can do about it other then to try to work harder.)

***

 One thing that I learned thru the years was that no matter how much abuse I unintentionally heaped on a Chevy...they seemed to always come thru for me...

 That meant a lot to me.

***

Cut to the present day in early 2008...My husband knew I needed a truck for my business so that I could do 'glass runs'. He asked me what I wanted and without hesitation I instantly answered,
"A Chevy Silverado."



I am now the proud owner of a beautiful white Chevy Silverado.
I love my truck.

Naturally, one day when a severe thunderstorm came rumbling in,
complete with half inch size hail,
I went running out of my store and thru my body over the hood of my Chevy to protect it...

***

December, 2008

Fact is...hard times appear to be here for a little while.

That's okay. We're Americans. We are strong, and we are resilient.

Having spent quite a few years dealing with some tough times, I can tell you...You will survive and you will become stronger. It will be a quiet strength.

To survive you must learn to take pleasure in the smallest of things. A breathtaking sunset, a child's smile, a beautiful flower, the warmth of the sun on your face.

And, when you make it thru whatever troubling times you happen to be going thru, you will truly appreciate when life is good again.

It is the bad times that make us cherish and savor the good times.

P.S. And, it sure doesn't hurt if you view your circumstances as a 'life lesson' either!

 

www.missourijewel.com 

http://www.missourijewel.com/38AChevysavedmyLife.html
 

 

 

"Madoff's greed" need to be a new phrase if it is not already.   This man's love of money has touch everyone in the entire world. 

"Madoff's Greed" refers to a lust of money that can not be controlled or satisfied. 

How in the world can so many be fooled by one person.   Greed is a powerful, powerful enemy!  This enemy seems to be present in some corporate executives portfolios.

On one of the New Year's Eve specials, they were asking members of Congress what their goals were for 2009.  I was very surprised with how few of them mentioned the economy in any fashion.  I think they need to work on fixing the economy first.  I think it is clearly the biggest issue facing our country right now, and that seems to be reflected in the vast majority of polls.  But Congress just doesn't seem to get it.

Unfortunately, with the many band-aid bailouts that were passed in 2008, Congress seemed unwilling to even consider the long-term effects of what they were doing.  They didn't provide adequate methods for oversight or regulation of how the bailout money was spent.  And since the money was handed out, there have been a lot of news stories about how some of that money was wasted.  It doesn't seem logical to me that wasting additional taxpayer money will create long-term growth for the economy.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Minority Leader in the Senate, has been one of the few Congressional representatives who is talking about fixing the economy every chance he gets.  He is making two key points.  The first is that we don't waste any additional tax dollars.  The second point is that any economic stimulus/recovery plan needs to be well thought out.  I strongly agree with both of those points.  We need to make sure that any short-term fix doesn't have major negative long-term consequences.

One of the areas I am most concerned about is the power that President-elect Obama and the large Democratic majority in Congress will have to repay political favors.  Repaying those favors may come at the expense of truly fixing the economy.  For instance, labor unions spent well over $300 million to help elect Obama and strengthen the Democratic majority in Congress.  Now it seems the unions expect to get repaid for their support by having Congress quickly pass the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as the "Card Check" bill.

This bill would take away secret ballot elections in businesses where unions want to organize.  I have no problems with unions when the workers decide on their own to form one.  Especially in business sectors involving dangerous materials or processes, unions can serve a great purpose to protect worker safety.  But it doesn't seem to make any sense to take away the workers' right to decide whether to unionize in a secret ballot election.  Just as people were intimidated and coerced to vote certain ways in political elections in the early days of this country, the same thing would happen to workers who weren't able to keep their votes secret.  It would effectively stifle a lot of the debate because people with dissenting viewpoints would be opening themselves up to retaliation.

Plus, the fear of harassment could lead to "push-button" unions in a lot of businesses that really don't require them - like very small businesses.  Small businesses have always been the driving force of job growth and this bill could stifle them under excessive regulations.  And that would really hurt the long-term prospects for the economy.  I saw that the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is working to make sure everyone knows about the potential negative effects of this bill.  I encourage the other readers to sign their petition or directly contact their Congressional representative and ask them to protect worker privacy, fix the economy first, and fix the economy in the right way to ensure long-term growth.  Here's a link to the petition and some more information about the bill - friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?id=178

We've all seen amazing stories about lawsuit abuse.  People suing businesses because they spilled a hot drink on themselves, or because they were overweight, or because they didn't exercise common sense when using the products made by the business.  But this week I heard about an example of lawsuit abuse that beats all the rest.  It is one of the most incredible stories I've seen all year.

A couple of Canada geese took up residence outside a small pool maintenance store in Maryland.  The owners of the store tried to get the geese to leave, but their options were limited because of the Migratory Species Act.  The Act makes it illegal to disturb migratory birds, even when they aren't migrating.  So, it was illegal for the store owners to disturb the geese.  And because they weren't being disturbed, the geese stuck around.  Eventually, one of the geese honked at a shopper entering a DIFFERENT store.  The shopper was startled and fell down.  She decided to sue the pool maintenance store for damages, claiming the geese were the responsibility of the store owners.  The lawsuit was for $750,000.

I can't believe that something like that was even accepted by an attorney, much less actually go to trial.  What an incredible waste of the justice system.  Not only did it hurt the pool maintenance store, it wasted everyone's time who had to be involved with the case.  I'm sure that a lot of other cases could have benefited from having a shorter wait for a trial or more access to legal professionals who had to spend their time on this case.  You can see the entire story about the geese here - www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?id=185 . There's even a video where the owners of the pool maintenance store talk about their experiences.  It is such an incredible story, I don't feel like I've done it justice in words - check out the video to see it for yourself.

It seems like there is more negative economic news every day.  In a recession like this, employers may cut jobs, consolidate offices, not give raises, or ask people to cut their hours/take a voluntary pay cut.  But I was recently reminded that other organizations are trying to use the economic conditions to their benefit.  Labor unions in particular are trying to strengthen their position now because they know that many people are just happy to have a job, so the individuals won't stand up to the unions.

For instance, I've been reading about the "Card Check" plan that some unions are proposing.  Basically, those unions want to take away workers' ability to choose whether or not to join a union through secret ballot elections.  In other words, the union can persuade the workers through unethical means to approve the union's wishes and they will know exactly who votes with them and who votes against them.  That just seems scary to me.  I think unions should be truly optional.  If workers decide that they want one, that's fine.  But if they decide they DON'T want one, that should be fine, too.  And the ballots should be filled out in private, with no way to identify individual votes.  Otherwise, I think workers would have to fear reprisals - like losing their job or harassment - if they don't vote the "right" way.

Unions are gathering a lot of signatures on a petition to get Congress to pass "Card Check".  Unfortunately, Congress seems so preoccupied that they appear to be passing everything, without regard to the long term effects.  I hope "Card Check" doesn't get put in the same category.  That would be disastrous.  Not only for the potential to make workers do what they don't want to do, but this could cause more unwanted unions to form in small businesses.  If that happens, any economic recovery will be slowed or stopped because the small businesses would have less flexibility to react to new opportunities because of restrictive union regulations.  If you are against the "Card Check" initiative like I am, make sure you let Congress know how you feel.  I found a petition online set up by the Friends of the United States Chamber of Commerce that we can sign.  You can go here to make your voice heard, too:
http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/takeaction/index.c
fm?ID=78

Commander selvam also known as Sri Selvam siddhar / Dr.Commander Selvam is an Indian celebrity in USA founder of Hindu Temple of GA / Georgia . Siddhar  is the proud founder of lot of Hindu Temples in USA and Europe. Please contact swamiji @ 1-800-574 3427

COMMANDER SELVAM ALSO KNOWN AS SRI SELVAM SIDDHAR PASSED HIS CONCERN TO ARREST THE TERRORISTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE INDIAN PRESIDENT AND THE PRIME MINISTER

By sriselvamsiddhar

SHIVA VISHNU TEMPLE OF GEORGIA FOUNDER DR COMMANDER SELVAM IS VERY UPSET ON THE RECENT TERRORISTIC ATTACKSSRI SELVAM SIDDHAR PASSED HIS CONCERN TO ARREST THE TERRORISTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE TO THE INDIAN PRESIDENT AND THE PRIME MINISTERSRI SELVAM SIDDHAR/ DR COMMANDER SELVAM PRAYING WITH HIS 27 PRIESTS IN THE HINDU TEMPLE OF GEORGIA IN USA FOR THE LOST SOULS TO REST IN HEAVENSRI SELVAM SIDDHAR MEETING WITH THE INDIAN PRESIDENT ON 29 TH NOVEMBER 2008  ON BEHALF OF THE INDIAN AMERICANS IN GEORGIA IN USA TO CONDEMN THE ACTIONS OF THE TERRORISTsSRI SELVAM SIDDHAR IS PRAYING FOR THE LOST SOULS IN MUMBAI ON 29TH NOVE 2008 WITH 108 PRIESTS IN THE INDIAN PRESIDENT’S HOME

COMMANDER SELVAM ALSO KNOWN AS

DR COMMANDER SELVAM/ SELVAM SIDDHAR ‘S HINDU TEMPLE IS SENDING 108 PRIESTS TO MUMBAI TO PAY FOR THE LOST SOULS

Tags: mumbai attack, mumbai terrorist attack, mumbai maasacre terrorist attack in india, bomb blast in mumbai, TAJ HOTEL ATTACK, OBEROI HOTEL ATTACK TERROR mumbai bomb blast and firing live video 26th november taj hotel oberoi Bombay terrorist attack 27th nov india bombay terror HINDU TEMPLE OF GEORGIA SHIVA

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas less than a month away, how has the economy directly affected you this year?  What did you do differently and what are you planning on doing differently?

There seem to be a lot of news stories about consumers in general, but I'm interested in individual perspectives.  The news stories have suggested that holiday travel is down for the first time in years, that people are buying fewer gifts for their family, that they are giving gifts to fewer people, that people are not using credit cards to buy gifts, and that they are being more selective about which stores they shop at.  Are any of those things true for you?  Also, it seemed like the parking lots of the restaurants open Thanksgiving day were fairly empty and the crowds out shopping the day after Thanksgiving were quite a bit less than previous years.  Did anyone else notice similar things or were your experiences different?  What other changes have you noticed?

One of the things that got me thinking about this was the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website.  They have a poll up about the holidays and they are asking for personal videos about the economic slowdown affecting holiday choices.  The videos will help them know where to focus their efforts.  If you'd like to get your voice heard too, you can vote in the poll on their website and submit your video story on the page page that comes up after you vote.  Here's the link - http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?i
d=175

This is a printed conversation I had with a number of people on a public Fox News blog forum concerning equal rights for homosexuals… Although their comments are sometimes humorous in their simplicity, some are extremely violent as well.  I believe it shows the long road ahead we have to eradicating these type of typical misinformed beliefs about gay people.  Their statements are in bold, and mine are in normal type-face and blue.  My screen name is ‘aaglaas’.   Since I like to believe that all human beings, no matter how indoctrinated by a certain form of religion, or geographically isolated they might be, still retain the ability to use their mind and their reasoning, I am posting this.  I need to notify you that this is a VERY long post by the way.  If you lack the mental capacity and cannot take the time to read anything you'd like to refute, then don't take the time to make a comment that is probably already addressed in this post.  Just ignore it and go on to easier reading.  I invite any comments you might care to give, but only after reading the entirety of it which includes both historical, and biblical points to consider.  Thank you and have a great day.

Aaglaas, the last time I read the constitution, it was very evident that our nation has been, from the very beginning, founded on CHRISTIAN principles. If you look at our legal system, our laws are in fact, based on the Dreaded 10 Commandments. Morality has always been the strong suit, if not of our elected officials, at the very least, the majority of our unelected population. You can read in both Leviticus (old testement for you non-readers), and in the apostle Paul's letter to the Romans,
that the practice of homosexuality is an abomination to our God. My point is this....
we have for too many displays of immorality in
front of our young people now, with throwing
flamer in front of them too. Excersize your
christian principles.....Love the person, but
HATE the action. I prove my po int.......we are now the "hateful" ones according to Democrats. Yes, I am proud to be "hateful" too.......I hate the sin, as does God. I just wish I could hate all sin like he does. I`m human and still sin in different areas. The difference? I know it is sin and repent and try again to do right. I don`t go in the streets protesting for my right to enjoy sin. You guys just want to drop your drawers and make all of us see your sinful behavior and try to take away our right to own guns. You are abnormal and sinful.

Your reading of our Constitution is incorrect.  The Founding Fathers were not religious men, and they fought hard to erect, in Thomas Jefferson's words, "..a wall of separation between church and state."  John Adams opined that if they were not restrained by legal measures, Puritans (the Christian fundamentalists of their day) would "whip and crop, and pillory and roast."

The historical epoch had afforded these men ample opportunity to observe the corruption to which established priesthoods were liable, and as Jefferson wrote " the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time."

The argument here is that you can believe that that is a sin because your own church or faith tells you so, but what you cannot do, is force that religious view on someone who does not view themselves as a 'sin'.
That's why our country is special as in it guarantees in the totality of our Constitution the right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness" as originally stated in the Declaration of Independence.
My particular pursuit of happiness would have been to grow up in a country where I didn’t have to go to some special area of a major city just to be able to safely meet someone with the same feelings as myself.

 Try for even a few seconds to imagine some stranger trying to separate you from your wife or girlfriend because in their religious views, your relationship is a sin.... hopefully you would rise up and demand justice if that were tried upon you.
You are not my God, your religious views are not my own, and the White House, and this country's laws, are not a white church, and a bible.
Governments and countries that have tried to enforce one religion are contrary to our American values and ethics.

Let me make this as clear as possible. Unless you view the fact of you being able to first openly meet, then date, then marry, share a life with your wife, have a sexual relationship as well, and all the other integral human needs of having that essential relationship in your life as a 'right'... then you take it for granted.
The only way to understand is for you to try to imagine that 'right' being denied or taken away from you. It's inconceivable I know.
But, let's say in some alternate universe that were done, and the utter anguish, rage, and bewilderment you would feel over another human trying to deny you that.
You're talking about apples and oranges man. This isn't about 'dropping drawers' or owning a gun, or something that a 'majority vote' even should have the right to vote on. You are supporting the notion that this most integral need to have a 'mate' same-gender or not, can be 'allow ed' or 'taken-away' by a group of citizens who find it a 'sin' based on their own personal religious beliefs.
You have stated that you do not have a degree or are a student of history. You've seen enough of my posts to hopefully know that I'm not a bull-shitter and I tell you this: the 'abnormality' on this subject is the current time-period, and the last 1600 years or so. The 'normal' view of this subject, based upon the entire scope of human history, which has been my passion and area of study, is that this is something entirely natural. The 'ancients' would have been puzzled to the point of bewilderment at the thought that this is something that can legislatively be denied a group of humans.

 Nov 8, 2008 | 11:00 AM

Aaglaas, for those of you who keep comparing this homosexual rights issue to the civil rights movement concerning blacks you need to find a new platform. First of all the civil rights movement was made on the behalf of all persons oppressed, women, blacks, hispanics and any other minority groups who were being blocked from reaching their full potential. You guys want special rights, not equal rights!
This putting together homosexuals and blacks and bring up the topic of civil rights is used as a platform by homosexuals and people who support their lifestyle. I don’t want homosexuals to start marrying which will affect all normal marriages.  It’s agains God’s law.

Me getting married to another guy or anybody else getting married to the same gender doesn't affect you at all except for your own personal ignorance and hatreds. Unless you spend your time peeping in people's windows, or having some listening device so you can hear if the neighbors are engaging in a 'God-approved' style of sex... this doesn't affect you at all!! Do you worry endlessly about your heterosexual married neighbors, and how their marriage affects your own? Of course not.

This affects ME... this affects anyone like me... this doesn't affect you. You cannot say 'choose a better platform other than the Black civil issue in the past'... they were beaten, they were killed, they were arrested. Your party was on the wrong side of history then, and gave the same arguments you're giving now, and your party is once again on the evil and wrong side of history on this issue, using the same old relig ious arguments to validate your own hatred and prejudices against other American citizens... the election has shown that, and I only try to enlighten you so that your grandchildren will not be ashamed that you allowed your life this time period, to be on that wrong side... that hateful side.... Your party hasn't been on the right side of history on social issues, since the Civil War. The Republican Party today has fallen away from its former greatness.

It would be interesting for the ones mentioning that every society that embraced homosexuality has fallen to list their examples. I'd like their list of those 'societies', how they fell, and how it related at all to homosexuality. I have a strong feeling they might mention Greeks or Romans (or more likely the Sodom story), but not really be able to say more. As to 'special rights'... The day I can walk into any courthouse in any state and legally get married to the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, then I will need no 'special rights'. They probably aren't even aware that this is a moral issue the major churches are grappling with… with more and more realizing they have been wrong. Don't mention Leviticus unless you're willing to kill any shellfish eaters, or wearers of mixed-fiber clothes. A very few passages before the one you're mentioning, lists those as 'abominations' in the eyes of 'God' as well, and the penalty is death. I'm starting my weekend now. Have a great one people, even the hateful and misguided ones. :-)

aaglaas: taking scripture out of context is the answer. LOL With past societies it is from the spiritual level they were allowed to fall in the natural. Man sins and God will bring consequences. What may appear to stem from a natural source totally unrelated to the sin is usually caused by that very sin. One example is the sins of the fathers being passed down to the children and a few more generations after that. Sin isn`t just isolated to the original sinner many times. In ancient times when something bad would befall a person the first question asked many times would be, what did his father or grandfather do? The tower of Babel shows us what happens when humans try to go past God’s law.. Please take a good bible study course before you attempt to dissect and argue scripture with well known propaganda.  Do you think you’re a Christian or something?

No, I no longer call myself a Christian, although I have always had, and have, a deeply spiritual life.  How could I align myself with a religion that tells me that what I was born, is an abomination or a sin? Your particular religious beliefs cannot be forced upon other American citizens. There are many religions with no concept of 'sin', and as the freedom to practice whatever religion is best suited to your nature is enshrined in the Constitution, you do not have the right to use your concept of sin to deny my human rights…the right to join with a partner being foremost amongst them. Mentioning the tower of Babel, some Old Testament law, or anything else from the Bible holds no weight over me, because it's just one religion out of many. If I started using Vedic scripture to dictate how you should live your life, I'm sure you would resist, so don't try to do the same to me or anyone else with your particular religion.

Since you have a very dim grasp of human history, I'm including some knowledge for you concerning the original Native Americans, famous life-long partners from Greece, China, and Japan, although I could go with a list of every human civilization. It goes on and on. You have no idea of history because all you know is what your pastor has told you, and the poor fare offered in public high-schools prior to university. I doubt you'll take the time to read this, but here are many examples proving that you are the ones mislead about the normalcy of homosexuality:

NATIVE AMERICANS:

Gay traditions were prevalent in most American Indian tribes. There are reports of both women and men living in same-sex marriages, of women who dressed and acted as men and men who acted and dressed as women.

The European chroniclers who first came across such behavior and customs descri bed them in terms that belonged to their own world. So American Indian homosexual men were called 'berdaches' - French for 'slave-boys', used to refer to passive male homosexuals. The name stuck - although its servile connotations were quite inappropriate in the Native American context where berdaches were accorded considerable social prestige.

Indeed, gay transvestites were often the shamans or healers of the tribe. Sometimes they had specific religious duties. Among the Crow Indians, for example, the tree that was used in the Sun Dance ceremony would be cut down by homosexual men. Berdaches were regarded as having special intellectual, artistic and spiritual qualities.

They were also reputed to be hard workers. Their ability to combine female and male qualities often put them into the role of mediators between the sexes. When asked 'when you die ... what will you be in the spirit land? A man or a woman?', one Sioux 'winkle' naturally replied 'both'.

It appears to have been fairly easy for women in North American Indian societies to take traditionally male roles and live as men. Girls in the Yukon who declined marriage and child-bearing would dress as men and take part in hunting expeditions, reported Edward Carpenter in the late nineteenth century. This was also true of Sioux women who became warriors and married women. In the Kaska Indian families of Canada, parents would raise one of their daughters to become a warrior. Her sexual experiences would be with other women. Indeed, if there was sexual contact with a man it would ruin the lesbian's luck with game.

But it was not all hunting and war-making. The Kutrenai Indians of the Plateau speak of a woman who left the tribe for a year and married a white man. When she returned she had changed her name to 'Gone to the Spirits' and from then on behaved 'as a man'. She went on to achieve fame not only as a hunter and warrior, but also as a shaman, healer, prophet and guide.

 

The distinction between homosexual and heterosexual was not always clear or constant. Friendship rather than identity could determine the course of events. As women spent most of their time with women and men with men they were often emotionally closer to members of their own sex than to members of the opposite sex. A nineteenth-century army officer, who studied Indian customs closely, reported on male pairs, saying: 'They really seem to fall in love with men and I have known this affectionate interest to live for years.'

The union of two men was often publicly recognized in a 'friendship dance'. Historian Walter M Williams argues that these friendships were not necessarily homosexual, but that for all males who felt erotic attraction to other men, these relationships provided a natural avenue for same-sex behavior. He cites a report from the 1920s saying that for the Yumas: 'Casual secret homos exuality among both men and women is well known. This is not considered objectionable.'

GREEKS:

Here, then are textual references for long-term (in some cases life-long) homosexual relationships in the Greek texts.


Orestes and Pylades,
-Orestes is the hero of the Oresteia cycle. He and Pylades were bywords for faithful and life-long love in Greek culture.
-see Lucian (2nd C. CE): Amores or Affairs of the Heart, #48
Damon and Pythias
-Pythagorean initiates
-see Valerius Maximus: De Amicitiae Vinculo
Aristogeiton and Harmodius
-credited with overthrowing tyranny in Athens.
-see Thucydides, Peloponnesian War, Book 6
Pausanias and Agathon
-Agathon was an Athenian dramatist (c. 450-400 BCE). He was famous as an "effeminate" homosexual. It was in his house that the Dinner Party of Plato's Symposium takes place.
-see Plato: Symposium 193C, Aristophanes: Thesmophoriazusae
Philolaus and Diocles
-Philolaus was a lawgive at Thebes, Diocle s an Olympic Athlete
see Aristotle, Politics 1274A
Epaminondas and Pelopidas
-Epaminondas (c.418-362 BCE) led Thebes in its greatest days in the fourth century. At the battle of Mantinea (385 BCE) he saved the life of his life-long friend Pelopidas
-see Plutarch: Life of Pelopidas
Members of the Sacred Band of Thebes
-see Plutarch: Life of Pelopidas
Alexander the Great and Hephasteion
-Atheaneus, The Deinosophists Bk 13

CHINESE:

The names of the emperors, with their acknowledged favorites were recorded in the official histories of the period by Sima Qian and Ban Gu.

The Ten Han Emperors [with "favorites"]
Emperor Gao r.206-195BCE and Jiru
Emperor Hui r.194-188BCE and Hongru
Emperor Wen r.179-141BCE and Deng Tong, and Zhao Tan, and Beigong Bozi
Emperor Jing r.156-141BCE and Zho Ren
Emperor Wu r.140-87BCE and Han Yan, and Han Yue, and Li Yannian
Emperor Zhao r.86-74BCE and Jin Shang
Emperor Xuan r.73-49BCE and Zhang Pengzu
Emperor Yuan r.48-33BCE and Hong Gong, and Shi Xian
Emperor Cheng r.32-7BCE and Zhang Fang, and Chunyu Zhang
Emperor Ai r.6BCE-1CE and Dong Xian

Following emperors from later periods also had open homosexual relationships:

Pei Kai 237-291
Yu Xin 513-581 and Wang Shao
Zhang Hanbian c.265-420 and Zhou Xiaoshi
Emperor Jianwen c.550
Emperor Xizong r. 874-889 and Zhang Langgou
Emperor Wuzong r.1506-1522
Emperor Shenzong r.1573-1620
Emperor Xizong r.1621-1628
Emperor Pu Yi - the last Qing [Manchu] emperor

JAPAN:
SAMURAI TRADITION

A well-known example of samurai 'bonding' is Oda Nobunaga, one of Japan's most revered and powerful daimyo. He was killed in an ambush in 1582, along with his teenaged lover, Mori Panmaru.  This is but one example in a long history of same-sex relationships between daimyo and their "beloved retainers". (Leupp, 42)

The love of the shogun has been referred to as "martial homosexuality" (Leupp, 27), developing out of relationships of fealty between warriors and their younger page-boys. Often, these lord-vassal relationships were valued above those between men and women, since dandoshi  or 'male bonding' extended to the loyalty of the sword-bearer, who would fight--and even die--for his lord. During this period, the Chinese characters (ai - love) and  (chu - loyalty/fealty) were nearly interchangeable. (Tanaka et al) In exchange for loyalty, the you nger partners received education and military training.

There is some evidence that the younger partner in these relationships assumed a 'feminine appearance'--a possible precursor to the androgyny of the later Tokugawa period. Furthermore, the importance of same-sex relationships may have flourished, in part, due to the lack of female influence in the battlefield. Nevertheless, many of the lord-vassal relationships among the samurai were highly valued, and exhibited strong commitments and bonds between the men. Furthermore, they built on a long history of same-sex traditions that existed in monastic communities.

MONASTIC LOVE:

"By the time of increased samurai ascendancy from the thirteenth century, there was already a well-established homoerotic tradition in Japanese monasteries in which boys, not women, were constructed as fitting objects for adult male desire, a tradition which was well suited to the masculine ideals of an increasingly militaristic society."(Jnanavira)
Even before its adoption by the samurai, male-male love was a common practice in the Buddhist monasteries. Sexual relationships between a monk and his acolyte were widespread. These acolytes or 'boy-lovers' were also known as chigo, and a collection of stories known as chigo monogatari ("acolyte stories") details many of these relationships. "Though the Buddhist code of discipline prohibited monks from any sexual activity, many monks felt that this did not apply to same-sex relationships. This inspired art and literature centered on the young male ideal and the love which sprang between monks and youths."

Although chastity among monks is one of the precepts of Buddhism, in Heian era Japan this came to be understood as sex with women. Sex between monks and their acolytes came to be viewed as the 'beautiful way' (bido), and the idea developed that homosexuality was "a reasonable and forgivable compromise between heterosexual involvements and complete sexual abstinence" (Leupp 35). Because Japanese Buddhism often focused on the intentions or outcomes of acts, rather than the acts themselves, same-sex involvements could be identified as a way of communicating with the Buddha.

 

The prevalence of monk-acolyte relationships in monastic communities, particularly in the Buddhist centers of Mt. Koya and Mt. Hiei, is said to have originated with the monk Kukai (774-835), also known as Kobo Daishi, who brought back Buddhist teachings from his travels in China to found the Shingon sect. Folk tales accrediting Kukai with the beginnings of shudo  or 'The Way of the Young' did not emerge until the 11th century, but Kukai's insistence on celibacy makes such assumptions questionable. However, the fact that China itself had a long history of revered same-sex relationships suggests that such beliefs may have been imported from the mainland. At the same time, as Buddhism blended with the existing Japanese indigenous beliefs, so did the acceptance of homosexuality. ("Kukai)

So, although those are probably too many examples for you to take in, it just goes to show you that your limited understanding of homosexuality throughout human history is extremely flawed, not to mention skewed. It's your very recent view of it as a 'sin' that is the abnormality, the norm is quite apparent to anyone who knows history.

Nov 10, 2008 | 1:11 PM

aaglaas...so all of these 'societies' are in existence and flourishing today? you are right i do not know my history well...and correct me if i'm wrong...but aren't these societies with the indigenous people almost non existent today? if in fact they are...i believe former_detroit was correct in her statement that all homosexual embracing societies fall. i don't believe that just because something has been around for a long time, makes it right...Satan for example.

The only degradation of those cultures, which aside from the Greek and Roman ones, all exist today, is from Western cultures forcing their morals, military might, or colonization upon them. Homosexuality itself had and has nothing to do with it. Your argument has no foundation or basis in fact.

Again.... your concept of 'Satan' and/or religious beliefs are yours to hold in your personal life, not to inflict or force upon other American citizens who have different religious beliefs than yours. This is not Iran or Saudi Arabia where the government is a theocracy and can inflict harm or force to make people conform to a religious doctrine. If you attempt to do so, you are as bad as they are.

Another strong point: Those civilizations flourished for thousands of years with homosexuality being either an honored part, or well-accepted part of humanity, and in the Native Americans' case, for tens of thousands of years. This country is barely over 200 years old. The case that homosexuality brings down a civilization holds no weight at all.  You might mock the knowledge of history, but you cannot rationalize the comparison of our fledgling civilization's current view on this topic to ones that lasted so many thousands of years without having a problem over it.

Nov 10, 2008 | 1:56 PM

well i don't know where setting guidelines if you will, is inflicting harm. no one is talking about killing or maiming homosexuals here. i just don't want a 'sin' to be embraced as being normal. and you are right that it is my religous beliefs which leads me to the conclusion that the act of homosexual sex is a sin...but without such beliefs and morals...where do you draw the line? Who decides what is right and just? You? Me? No One?

Again... 'normal' ?? I've just given you a small slice of the majority of human history showing you that homosexuality is completely 'normal', but to religious fanatics such as you, it's as if you don't even see what is before your very eyes.

You are perceiving an entirely natural variant of humanity as a 'sin'... 'You' or some church does not get to decide what is right or wrong for American citizens. If you haven't noticed, this hold-over from the Christian past of burning people at the stake for being 'heretics', or killing them for daring to translate the Bible into English, or saying the world isn't flat, or all the other injustices that have been perpetrated upon certain groups of people for perceived 'sin' and in the name of Christianity has been cast aside by most modern nations in Europe,  Canada, and two very enlightened states, that I must point out were two of the founding entities of this great nation.  I believe the spirit of true liberty flourishes naturally on that harsh but beautiful coastline..

Christians of your type were against woman being able to vote, and were against blacks being given true equality. You can see that educated and fair-minded people here in this country have realized that stigmatizing homosexuals, and their right to share in the full benefits of life-partnership is morally wrong, and goes against our Constitution. You can think it's a sin all you want, but since it is not a sin to people who do not believe as you do, and as to what our Constitution says, our right to live our lives as openly as you do will be protected in the future. You are on the wrong side of history if you keep clinging to the old hatreds that Christianity has fostered. The election has shown that most Americans are ready to move forward into an enlightened society, and not one where one religious group gets to meddle in the private lives of others.

I don't see Christians marching to oppress murderers, thieves, adulterers, shell-fish eaters, people who wear polyester and cotton clothing.... all the multitudes of 'sins' listed in the Bible, it's okay for your children to see that all around them, and yet this one 'sin' is the one you pick out of all of them to scare each other over. Question where that fear comes from on this one particular issue. Most likely you are afraid of facing the empathy you will find inside you.

Nov 10, 2008 | 2:58 PM

you still haven't addressed the question (neither has detroitlover)...where do you draw the line? who gets to decide what behavior is acceptable? you? me? no one? the government? who? what kind of society do you have without laws?

I, and Americans who want our country to be true freedom and justice for all, will draw the line at religious extremists attempting to interfere with mine, or anyone else's human rights to openly find, love, and spend my life with a mate, with the same legal benefits and honor accorded towards a heterosexual couple. Since there is nothing abnormal about it, or sinful, that is where the line will be drawn.

It will be the same as allowing blacks to have full equality, women to vote, and reason and education to speak openly without a particular religion's attempts to suppress it, and after that legislation has been passed, it will take another couple decades before the hate and irrationality that you spout, to be erased, and the younger generation to accept all natural variants of humanity as equal. I have addressed the question, but you didn't see it.

Hopefully this is so glaringly clear and simple that you can finally 'get it'. The laws will be the exact same in nature as the Civil Rights act of 1964, except for that they will be specifically addressing homosexuals' rights to full equality in all aspects of life as you get to enjoy so unthinkingly.

 Nov 10, 2008 | 5:32 PM

well aaglaas...i don't know why you accuse me of being hateful...i haven't called you names...I only have a different opinion than you...Proposal 8 was defeated...so I guess I and America have drawn the line...and for now you'll jusst have to deal with it.

Your kind has been on the wrong side of social issues every single time. People like you have been prominent in the Inquisition, in beating down blacks, in suppressing women... some character flaw inside you can't stand the notion of someone who doesn't share your particular beliefs of religion or sin as being looked-upon as a fully equal human being. You can't just live your life, practice your religion in private, and allow others to live their lives without endlessly worrying about how they love or have sex with each other. You are not God, you are not Jesus, you are not the only religion in the world. You do not have the right to interfere with my life, or any person's like me.

You will not get it, since you've already been brainwashed from an early age in a virulent form of Christianity, and all the past examples of people like you oppressing people like me in the name of your religion flies in one ear and out the other. I don't worry about it. I and anyone like me have had to put up with people like you every day of our lives. You can see when states, judiciaries, and entire countries are finally agreeing with what I'm saying, that you are again on the losing side of history. It's only because people like you in the 50's and 60's were forced through legislation to respect Americans that were a different color or gender, that you cannot act that way today, because that hate has been greatly eradicated by the passage of time, and children growing up here being taught that it is wrong to hate someone of a different color. It will be the same with legislation being enacted now and in the near future.

 Even your Republican governor of that state is speaking out against the passage of Proposition 8, and you can rest assured that with our new Democratic Party in power, these type of legislations that deny equal rights to all Americans will be struck down, and on a Federal level. I'm not worried in the slightest. The time of your party and attempting to mix your extreme form of religion with government has ended.

Nov 10, 2008 | 6:14 PM

you are right aaglaas....Jesus said there would be a great falling away before his return...

You've fallen away from Christ's message long ago..

I have never found anyone, in print or in person, who follows through on the argument that all the laws in the Bible should be observed. By this, I do not mean that people fail, from human weakness, to observe the commands in their own life. Rather, I refer to the universal practice of rejecting some laws while insisting on others. Those who argue that homosexual proof texts must, without question be obeyed, will, often in the same argument, wave away other legal texts.

Proof-texting is common, and done by all political persuasions. The conservatives are easiest to skewer. Leviticus 18:22 says "you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination," and Leviticus 20:13 says "if a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them." Yet, almost no conservatives favor enforcing the punishment, why? Where in the Bible does it say the punishment is not applicable? Leviticus 18:19 says "You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness" and we all agree this is unimportant now, but where is the warrant for saying that verse 19 is irrelevant and verse 22 is God's holy word, tampered with at risk of condemnation?

Where are the literalists thundering about obeying God’s holy word at the church’s ignoring the “clear word” on treatment for leprosy (Lev. 14) or shaving the edges of beards (Lev. 21:5)? One verse certainly implies that a fetus is not a person (Ex. 21:22, in imposing a reduced punishment for causing a miscarriage), yet it has not stopped those who oppose abortion.

Even more amazing is Proverbs 11:1: "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight." Why does the word "abomination" mean in Leviticus a situation on which our whole faith stands or falls, but when the same Hebrew word appears in Proverbs it is "politics" or "social action" and therefore to be waved away? This is all the more significant as there are more verses in the Old Testament devoted to false weights than there are verses devoted to homosexuality.

Various figures in the Old Testament are allowed moral practices that would not be considered acceptable by those opposed to homosexuality: multiple wives, aggressive military campaigns, and slaves. Strangely, no one seems to think there is any problem with rejecting these practices, yet they are in the "law book" of scripture.

Conservatives tend to advocate strict application of the rules on homosexuality, but do not tend to feel that way about “economic” texts that command tithing (Deuteronomy 14:22) or the forgiveness of debts (Deuteronomy 15:1)
Flogging when done by followers of Islam many consider to be primitive or ungodly, yet it is commanded for certain offenses by Deuteronomy 25:1-3.

Nor is your selective application limited to the Old Testament. What opponent of homosexuality considers Matthew 5:39 (“… do not resist an evildoer…”) normative, either for personal conduct or for a nation’s foreign policy?


Sodom, Gomorrah and Sodomites:

The assertion is often made that the story of Sodom and Gomorrah is primarily about homosexuality (as opposed to gang rape or inhospitality which is what the story actually refers to). We “all know” that it is about homosexuality, except that the Bible doesn’t seem to know this. When the story is referenced later in the Bible, the focus is not on homosexuality but usually using the fate of the city as a warning of the ultimate punishment God can inflict. Still more compelling is the point that if the attackers are homosexual, then the tactic of offering them a woman wi ll not likely be effective. Yet, because Sodom, in modern usage, is considered a synonym for homosexuality, it is common to assume these verses condemn homosexuality.

Here are the literal meanings of some translated words:

Certain words about prohibited sexual behavior do not always literally mean what they are assumed to mean. Examples would include the words often translated as “fornication” and “Sodomite.” “Fornication,” (ponhro,j,) then and now apparently means “sexual immorality.” We tend to assume that “sexual immorality” means what our society has traditionally condemned, but there is no explicit definition of this word in the Bible that would show it includes homosexuality. The word translated (especially in older English Bible versions) as “Sodomites” (avrsenokoi/tai, lit, “soft man”) is not a reference to Sodom at all. The underlying word likely refers to a type of homosexual behavior, perhaps specifically the man who is penetrated by another male, but the word is not a Greek form for “Sodom.” If you had asked someone in Biblical times what a “Sodomite” was, they simply would have said, “someone who lives in Sodom.”

Since most of you will use the argument that 'God' and 'Scripture' is against me to try to negate what I'm trying to share with you, here are some scriptures on which those Christians who find it so easy to hate can dwell upon instead to truly follow Christianity’s message.  If you can't follow these as well, you are not a 'Christian'....you would be a 'hypocrite'.... Here you go:

Isaiah 56. God’s welcome of foreigners and eunuchs into God’s “house of prayer for all
peoples.”
Book of Ruth and 1 Samuel 18 through 2 Samuel 1. A modeling for same-gender
couples in the love relationship heralded in scripture in the stories of Ruth and Naomi
(Ruth) and Jonathan and David (Samuel).
Micah 6:8. The emphasis of justice in the prophets: “God has told you, O mortal, what
is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18 and Luke 10:25-28. As other rabbis of his time
would have, Jesus blended Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (“Love God”) and Leviticus 19:18 (“Love
your neighbor as yourself”—note this comes between Leviticus 18 and 20!) in Matthew
22:34-40 as one of the greatest commandments, and the lens through which to interpret all of
the law and the prophets. To confirm this was a common pairing, see Luke 10:25-28, in
which Jesus solicits the same conclusion from an expert in religious law.

John 9. Jesus dissociates a human condition from a sinful cause when he declares a man
was not born blind because of his sin or that of his parents, but so that the glory of God
may be made manifest.
John 4. Jesus reveals his messianic identity to the outcast Samaritan woman at the well
who had had five husbands and was living with a man unmarried. She becomes the first
evangelist, bringing others from her village to meet Jesus.
Luke 10:25-37. The parable of the Good Samaritan, in which the most hated person to
Jesus’ listeners “loved his neighbor as himself” in helping a victim of robbers—what a
priest and a lay priest failed to do.
Acts 10 and 11. The full welcome of uncircumcised Gentiles into the church, whose
lifestyles were repugnant to the Jews.
 Galatians 5:1, etc. The many letters of Paul that assert freedom from law and custom in
Christ, such as Galatians 5:1, “For freedom Christ has set us free.”
1 John 4:16b. “God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides
in them.” What follows repeats the theme emphasized throughout scripture to not be
afraid, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. … We love because God commands us to.

I do not call myself a Christian because of the reason stated before and because of all the people who call themselves Christians, and instead practice hate that I’ve encountered in my life, but wanted to see if you practice what you preach.  I not only invite you, but truly welcome you to bring at least the biblical portion of my post, to your pastor or priest because I do not believe he or she could refute them. 

The reason major churches are splitting apart right now over this issue, is because you cannot support your point any longer using Scripture on this, than self-professed Christians in the past who were ultimately unable to use scripture to justify slavery, racism, torture of heretics, or burning at the stake to civilized and rational-minded people any longer.

midevil
Nov 13, 2008 | 1:10 AM

There's nothing wrong with homosexuality that a sharp knife, a flat stump, a hammer and two nails, some fuel and a match wouldn't correct.

Just for insurance, a gun with 1 bullet to ease the transistion after the fire, the cut, and the bleeding.

Chuck_U_Farley
Nov 14, 2008 | 9:39 PM

aaglaas, what needs to be done with homosexuals is just like you would do with diseased livestock propagating maladies within the herd.

Put'em all in a pile and burn'em.

 

Hindu Temple Leader Arrested
Post Chronicle - Nov 4, 2008
Annamalai Annamalai, 43, of Norcross, Ga., is accused of charging $1751 to a woman's credit card without her permission last July and of charging $14000 to ...

Hindu temple leader arrested
Times of the Internet, Ohio - Nov 4, 2008
Annamalai Annamalai, 43, of Norcross, Ga., is accused of charging $1751 to a woman's credit card without her permission last July and of charging $14000 to ...

Hindu temple leader arrested
United Press International - Nov 4, 2008
NORCROSS, Ga., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- The head of the Hindu Temple of Georgia has been charged with theft and practicing medicine without a license, said Gwinnett ...

Temple leader accused of theft, deception
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - Nov 4, 2008
... the Hindu Temple of Georgia looks more like a funhouse than a house of worship. And police say the Norcross temple’s leader, Annamalai Annamalai, ...

Norcross Hindu temple leader arrested
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - Nov 3, 2008
And police say the conduct of the Norcross temple’s leader, Annamalai Annamalai, aka “Dr. Commander Selvam,” may have be illegal. ...

Norcross Hindu temple leader arrested
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - Nov 3, 2008
And police say the Norcross temple’s leader, Annamalai Annamalai, aka “Dr. Commander Selvam,” may be as deceptive as a funhouse mirror. ...

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Thousands of North Carolina soldiers are coming home after fighting in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, only to fight a different battle. Car repossessions, home foreclosures, medical bills are just some of the devastating financial burdens.  North Carolina has seven military bases and the nation’s 4th largest military population. An estimated 12,000 wounded troops and their families live in the state.

“Help Wounded Tar Heel Troops” is a statewide fundraising initiative aimed at providing help. Go to www.HelpTarHeelTroops.com to find out more and make a donation.  The American Legion is administering the funds and will give the money collected to wounded North Carolina soldiers.