This horror reminds me of another atrocity from decades past: Three years ago, I saw a picture taken in 1965. An unclothed woman, bent over at the waist, back to the camera, lay dead in a motel room. A river of gore wept prolifically from her midsection.
The seven-months-pregnant woman lay dead - abandoned by her own surgeon - in this case the baby’s father. The man had attempted a late-term abortion on his girlfriend, the “surgery” went horribly awry, and the expectant father turned tail and ran to evade prosecution.
I beg everyone - no matter what your views on abortion may be - to avoid accusing me of utilizing “scare tactics.” Let’s move beyond stereotypes for once. This 43-year-old story, and the news story above, both bear similarities: the male partner attempted to destroy viable human life to avoid a problem.
Moreover, I distinctly remember reading about the woman in the 1965 picture. Like myself, she was pregnant and unmarried (I do not remember how old she was at the time). The prospect of prurient moral hysteria - a cruelty I faced quite often 33 years ago and know very well - was too much for her to bear.
Who is blameworthy here? A whole lot of people, in my opinion. I faced this weird, neurotic scrutiny from so many - and I wasn’t even showing. Who knows what difficulties this long-dead woman feared.
Do I condone this act? How could I? Her life, and the life of a viable fetus, was lost. How could I be complacent about such a tragedy? Yet I remember the desperation and emotional agony I faced. I and my mother could have extricated myself from the situation at hand - that is my regret. I had no way of knowing, back then, that my idiocy would one day inspire a very funny scene in “Borat”.
But abortion really isn’t funny; my travels last weekend buttressed that point. Even now, I find it untenable to condemn other women for an act I could not avoid. I probably should have sought spiritual succor last weekend, but I refuse to compel a priest to defend his church’s position - the totality of that position with which I cannot wholly comply.
That, too, was probably a tragedy. After all, the Gay Pride event last weekend probably wasn’t organized to encourage isolation…….
‘Greenhouse gases highest for 800,000 years’ http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1440399320080514
“Greenhouse gases are at higher levels in the atmosphere than at any time in at least 800,000 years, according to a study of Antarctic ice on Wednesday that extends evidence that mankind is disrupting the climate.
…
“We can firmly say that today’s concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane are 28 and 124 percent higher respectively than at any time during the last 800,000 years,” said Thomas Stocker, an author of the report at the University of Berne.”
A graph of CO2, methane, and temperatures over the past 800,000 years (starts 1000 years from present)
Is marriage an old-fashioned, outmoded institution? Is it merely a piece of paper, having no real impact on our lives?
Researchers are finding that marriage has a much greater impact in our lives than many have assumed. This is especially true in the area of adult health and well-being. Sociologist Linda Waite and researcher Maggie Gallagher explain, “The evidence from four decades of research is surprisingly clear: a good marriage is both men’s and women’s best bet for living a long and healthy life.”1 Men and women who are in their first marriages, on average, enjoy significantly higher levels of physical and mental health than those who are either single, divorced or living together. The research on this is very strong.
Leading social scientist, James Q. Wilson, explains:
Married people are happier than unmarried ones of the same age, not only in the United States, but in at least seventeen other countries where similar inquiries have been made. And there seems to be good reasons for that happiness. People who are married not only have higher incomes and enjoy greater emotional support, they tend to be healthier. Married people live longer than unmarried ones, not only in the United States but abroad.2
Research conducted at the University of Massachusetts concludes, “One of the most consistent observations in health research is that the married enjoy better health than those of other [relational] statuses.”3
Dr. Robert Coombs of UCLA reviewed more than 130 empirical studies published in this century on how marriage impacts well-being. He found that these studies indicate “an intimate link between marital status and personal well-being.”4
Alcoholism
Coombs’ review found that 70 percent of chronic problem drinkers were either divorced or separated, and only 15 percent were married. Single men are more than three times as likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver.5
Long and Healthy Life
Unmarried people spend twice as much time as patients in hospitals as their married peers and have lower activity levels.6
Research conducted at Erasmus University in Rotterdam reports that “married people have the lowest morbidity [illness] rates, while the divorced show the highest.” Professor Linda Waite of the University of Chicago finds that the “relationship between marriage and death rates has now reached the status of a truism, having been observed across numerous societies and among various social and demographic groups.”7
In her 1995 presidential address to the Population Association of America, Waite explained that the health benefits of marriage are so strong that a married man with heart disease can be expected to live, on average, 1400 days longer (nearly four years!) than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. This longer life expectancy is even greater for a married man who has cancer or is 20 pounds overweight compared to his healthy, but unmarried, counterpart. The advantages for women are similar.8 Additional research from Yale University indicates that a married man who smokes more than a pack a day can be expected to live as long as a divorced man who does not smoke. This researcher explains with a touch of humor, “If a man’s marriage is driving him to heavy smoking, he has a delicate statistical decision to make.”9
Dr. Coombs’ research agrees with these findings: “Virtually every study of mortality and marital status shows the unmarried of both sexes have higher death rates, whether by accident, disease, or self-inflicted wounds, and this is found in every country that maintains accurate health statistics.”10
Research published in JAMA finds that cures for cancer are significantly more successful (eight to 17 percent) when a patient is married and being married was comparable to being in an age category 10 years younger.11
Mental Health
Research dating back to 1936 shows that first-time psychiatric admission rates for males suffering from schizophrenia were 5.4 times greater for unmarried men than for married men. Dr. Benjamin Malzberg, the author of this study, concludes, “The evidence seems clear that the married population had, in general, much lower rates of mental disease than any of the other marital groups.”12
More recent research conducted jointly at Yale University and UCLA reports the following:
One of the most consistent findings in psychiatric epidemiology is that married persons enjoy better health than the unmarried. Researchers have consistently found the highest rates of mental disorder among the divorced and separated, the lowest rates among the married and intermediate rates among the single and widowed. They also found that a cohabiting partner could not replicate these benefits of marriage.13
General Happiness
A study published in the Journal of Marriage and the Family examined the link between personal happiness and marital status in 17 industrialized nations that had “diverse social and institutional frameworks.” This study found the following:
[M]arried persons have a significantly higher level of happiness than persons who are not married. This effect was independent of financial and heath-oriented protections offered by marriage and was also independent of other control variables including ones for sociodemographic conditions and national character.”14
Increased levels of happiness among the married was found in other studies as well.15
Miscellaneous
Additional research shows that marriage …
Provides the highest levels of sexual pleasure and fulfillment for men and women16
Protects against feelings of loneliness17
Protects women from domestic and general violence18
Enhances a parent’s ability to parent19
Helps create better, more reliable employees20
Increases individual earnings and savings21
Research conducted at the University of Colorado indicates why marriage is so beneficial to adults: “Generally, compared with those who are not married, married individuals eat better, take better care of themselves, and live a more stable, secure and scheduled lifestyle.”22
Clearly, married men and women provide better things for society than their unmarried peers. Husbands and wives are not as likely to be a burden to the health care system or be a drain on a company’s health insurance benefits because of their better health and increased ability to recover from illness quicker and more successfully. They are less likely to miss work because of illness. They are not likely to jump from job to job. They are less likely to suffer from alcoholism and other substance abuse and less likely to engage in other risk behaviors. Married women are significantly less likely to be victims of any kind of violence, either by her spouse or by a stranger. They are less lonely and happier. Happier people make better citizens, employees and neighbors. Married people earn and invest more money. They report enjoying the job of parenting better and they are more successful at it. This mountain of social science research tells us marriage is a serious and valuable community treasure.
Glenn T. Stanton is Director of global insights and trends, and Senior Analyst for marriage and sexuality at Focus on the Family.
——————————————————————————–
1 Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially, (New York Doubleday, 2000), p. 64.
2 2James Q. Wilson, The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), p. 16.
3 Katherine Reissman and Naomi Gerstel, “Marital Dissolution and Health: Do Males or Females Have Greater Risk?” Social Science and Medicine 20 (1985): 627-635.
4 Robert Coombs, “Marital Status and Personal Well-Being: A Literature Review,” Family Relations 40 (1991) 97-102.
5 Coombs, 1991, p. 97.
6 Lois Verbrugge and Donald Balaban, “Patterns of Change, Disability and Well-Being,” Medical Care 27 (1989): S128-S147.
7 I.M. Joung, et al., “Differences in Self-Reported Morbidity by Marital Status and by Living Arrangement,” International Journal of Epidemiology 23 (1994): 91-97.
8 Linda J. Waite, “Does Marriage Matter?” Presidential Address to the American Population Association of America, April 8, 1995; Linda Waite, “Does Marriage Matter?” Demography 32 (1995): 483-507.
9 Harold Morowitz, “Hiding in the Hammond Report,” Hospital Practice (August 1975), p. 39.
10 Coombs, 1991, p. 98.
11 James Goodwin, et al., “The Effect of Marital Status on Stage, Treatment, and Survival of Cancer Patients,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 258 (1987): 3152-3130.
12 Benjamin Malzberg, “Marital Status in Relation to the Prevalence of Mental Disease,” Psychiatric Quarterly 10 (1936): 245-261.
13 David Williams, et al., “Marital Status and Psychiatric Disorders Among Blacks and Whites,” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 33 (1992): 140-157.
14 Steven Stack and J. Ross Eshleman, “Marital Status and Happiness: A 17-Nation Study,” Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60 (1998): 527-536.
15 Coombs, 1991, p. 100.
16 16Robert T. Michael, et al., Sex in America: A Definitive Survey, (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1994), p. 124-129; Edward O. Laumann, et al., The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994), p. 364, table 10.5; Andrew Greeley, Faithful Attraction: Discovering Intimacy, Love and Fidelity in American Marriage, (New York: Tom Doherty Association, 1991), see chapter 6.
17 Randy Page and Galen Cole, “Demographic Predictors of Self-Reported Loneliness in Adults,” Psychological Reports 68 (1991): 939-945.
18 18Jan Stets, “Cohabiting and Marital Aggression: The Role of Social Isolation,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 53 (1991): 669-680; Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (March 1994), p. 31, NCJ-145125.
19 Ronald Angel and Jacqueline Angel, Painful Inheritance: Health and the New Generation of Fatherless Families (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1993), pp. 139, 148.
20 Janet Wilmoth and Gregor Koso, “Does Marital History Matter? Marital Status and Wealth Outcomes Among Pre-retirement Adults,” Journal of Marriage and Family, 64 (2002): 743-754.
21 Waite, 1995, p. 483-507; Waite and Gallagher, 2000, see chapter 8; Wilmoth and Koso, 2002, p. 743-754.
22 Richard Rogers, “Marriage, Sex, and Mortality,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 57 (1995): 515-526.
The climate scientists writing for realclimate.org do so on their own time with NO compensation. The generosity of EMS to pay for hosting a web-site (something probably costing around $50/month - whoopee!!!) so the truth of climate change can be presented in a manner non-climate scientists can understand has no influence on the content.
Yes, it seems to be biased towards science. Its agenda seems to be to educate and inform.
There are many oil industry-funded sites with a clear political bias, spouting crazy theories about socialists, communists, global conspiracies, and other fanciful tall tales, but RealClimate.org seems to entirely avoid that sort of manipulative alarmism.”
We wish to stress that although our domain is being hosted by Environmental Media Services, and our initial press release was organised for us by Fenton Communications, neither organization was in any way involved in the initial planning for RealClimate, and have never had any editorial or other control over content.
Neither Fenton nor EMS has ever paid any contributor to RealClimate.org any money for any purpose at any time. Neither do they pay us expenses, buy our lunch or contract us to do research.”
So American, you posted this spam from Focus on the Family. I know from previous postings that you oppose same sex marriage. So, am I to conclude that you want to deny these medical benefits listed in this article to people who are romantically and sexually attracted to people of the same gender?
The premise that gay marriage somehow threatens “traditional” marriage is completely unsupported. Period.
While I think Focus on the Family is the initiative of a very nasty man in one James Dobson, it is unfair for me to characterize the article as “spam”. It was made spam by American (of the USA?)’s posting of the entire thing when he already posted the link.
Post the link and summarize American. There was no need to post the whole thing.
Not only do they delete messages they do not agree with, they interject their own comments INSIDE of posters comments to post the politically correct answer.
First, almost all of those studies are done by fundies, duh.
Second….which came first the chicken or the egg. It’s almost MOST likely that the alcoholic old man dying alone ALSO had the drinking problem long before he got divorced. In other words, it isn’t the marriage that kept him sober, it’s the alcohol that ruined his marriage.
Same can be said for being in the hospital. Obviously if you have someone at home who can take care of you you’re less likely to be kept in the hospital, not the other way around.
Studies also show that married men and women gain more weight when they’re married, which is also one of the biggest contributors to early death.
Marriage does not keep women from being abused. If you remember back when divorce was a big deal, women were stuck in abusive marriages in very high numbers.
‘Hissink, CO2 and conspiracy theories’ http://timlambert.org/2005/01/hissink3
“It just isn’t possible for the CO2 concentration to change by that much in one year —- the difference corresponds to about 500 billion tons of carbon which is about the same amount of carbon in all plants in the entire world.”
Parkay knows that his efforts to ban abortion would be disasterous, but I really don’t think he cares. I think he believes that women have done something to deserve what happens to them.
That’s why he never addresses the reality. God will save you if you just believeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
WHile your distaste for anything “religious” is well noted on the blog, I sometimes think it colors your posts.
Your post “First, almost all of those studies are done by fundies, duh.”
Seems to ignore thes sources/studies that are more easily understood as non fundy:
3 Social Science and Medicine 20 (1985): 627-635.
4.
.
6 Lois Verbrugge and Donald Balaban, “Patterns of Change, Disability and Well-Being,” Medical Care 27 (1989): S128-S147.
International Journal of Epidemiology 23 (1994): 91-97.
11 Journal of the American Medical Association, 258 (1987): 3152-3130.
12 ,” Psychiatric Quarterly 10 (1936): 245-261.
13 d Journal of Health and Social Behavior 33 (1992): 140-157.
14 Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60 (1998): 527-536.
16 .
17 “Demographic Psychological Reports 68 (1991): 939-945.
,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 53 (1991): 669-680;
Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (March 1994), p. 31, NCJ-145125.
20 Marriage and Family, 64 (2002): 743-754.
21 Journal of Marriage and the Family 57 (1995): 515-526.
I eliminate all those that wre either books, or possibly self published stuff
NO one should feel safe without submitting to Islam, and those who refuse to submit must pay a high price. The Islam ist movement must aim to turn the world into a series of “wildernesses” where only those under jihadi rule enjoy security.
These are some of the ideas developed by al Qaeda’s chief theoretician, Sheik Abu-Bakar Naji, in his new book “Governance in the Wilderness” (Edarat al-Wahsh).
Middle East analysts think that the book may indicate a major change of strategy by the disparate groups that use al Qaeda as a brand name.
The Saudi police seized copies of the book last week as they arrested 700 alleged terrorists in overnight raids.
From Dan Froomkin’s discussion thread on the Washington Post:
*****
Kansas: I am reading McClellen’s book now. Have you read it? It seems to me that there is an apology — if you read between the lines — that says “well, at least we weren’t worse than the Clintons.” That seems to be a different line than what they would have said the first term.
Dan Froomkin: I have, and I read it slightly differently. I got the feeling he was just trying to spread the blame a bit, pointing out that Clinton started this whole “permanent campaign” thing that’s gotten so incredibly out of hand in the Bush years. But either way — “They started it” is a far cry from “restoring honor and integrity to the White House.”
*****
The things I am forced to do when this blog breaks down on a Wednesday morning.
IN a notable departure from past al Qaeda strategy, Naji recommends “countless small operations” that render daily life unbearable, rather than a few spectacular attacks such as 9/11: The “infidel,” leaving his home every morning, should be unsure whether he’ll return in the evening.
Naji recommends kidnappings, the holding of hostages, the use of women and children as human shields, exhibition killings to terrorize the enemy, suicide bombings and countless gestures that make normal life impossible for the “infidel” and Muslim collaborators.
This strategy is nothing new, it has been a, if not the, the primary strategy of the “policy implementation” arm of Islamist (as opposed to Muslim) movements (i.e., terrorists) for years. In fact, this strategy may have been what backfired in Iraq. The Iraqis got sick of the violent crap that Al Qaeda launched against most of the country, whether it was the “wrong” Muslims (Shiites) or the “insufficient” Muslims (most of the remaining Sunni population).
That being said, Naji’s words are chilling, as are the words of a number of Islamist activists around the world, even those not overtly involved in terrorism.
I don’t think the issue is families in general PM. The issue is how some wish families to be exclusively defined that is the issue.
It was a long list. Maybe I overlooked it, but I didn’t see anything in that long post about how a certain type of family arrangement was necessary for such benefits to exist
If there weren’t, then why wouldn’t advocates of “family” want our friends like PM to enjoy those benefits of family. All they need to do, is allow PM to get married to her partner.
“LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.”
Wrong avenue Political Mama.
There ARE studies that demonsrate what appear to be the beneficial effects of marriage, or at the very least an extremely strong correlation between being in a successful marriage and better health. I have no doubt whatsoever that the author referenced those studies.
The point is, Focus on the Family adopts a narrow definition of “traditional marriage”, defines it as the only real marriage, and then makes the claim that “gay marriage” and liberal lifestyle threatens marriage. Of course, this claim is predicated on their narrow definition. Then, when they start discussing the studies that indicate the benefits of marriage, they implicitly assume for the reader that these benefits are implicit and indeed dependent on their narrow definition of marriage, and that they are defending those benefits from those who would “redefine” and “threaten” marriage.
The reality is, however:
1) There is no evidence that these benefits are limited to the “traditional” marriages that are the only marriages that Focus on the Family would recognize.
2) That gay marriage would threaten other kinds of marriage at all.
In conclusion, the studies may indicate a high liklihood that there are benefits to being married, but they do not support the conclusions that Focus on the Family would have you draw about the exclusivity of their definition of marriage.
#
Political_mama
Posted July 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm | Permalink
LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.
—————————–
Yeah, American Medical Association or Psychiatric Quarterly is written by fundies.
More from me and the Danster:
*****
Kansas: Is it true that Bush now considers bin Laden worth pursuing as a way to shore up his legacy as a guardian of American safety? Why is he thinking of this so late in his term?
Dan Froomkin: Sarah Baxter wrote in the Times of London a few weeks back about Bush’s “final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.
“Defence and intelligence sources in Washington and London confirmed that a renewed hunt was on for the leader of the September 11 attacks. ‘If he [Bush] can say he has killed Saddam Hussein and captured Bin Laden, he can claim to have left the world a safer place,’ said a US intelligence source…..
“‘Bush is swinging for the fences in the hope of scoring a home run,’ said an intelligence source, using a baseball metaphor.”
Bush quickly dismissed the report as “a little bit of press hyperventilating.”
But it would be only human for Bush to really, really want to capture bin Laden before he leaves office. So it’s worth keeping an eye on how far he is willing to go.
Since we’ve presumably been trying as hard as reasonably possible for a while now (after Tora Bora), then all that’s left, if you want to try harder, is for us to get unreasonable, right?
*****
I have to respectfully disagree with the Danster on this one. Is it unreasonable for us to enter Pakistan when that country has allowed their border areas to be taken over by Al Qaeda? I do not think so, but they do have nukes, don’t they? Life is a risk, no?
Exactly Agnatha. I am still looking on American’s rather long thread. I still don’t see how a particular type of family is necessary for the benefits to be enjoyed.
So why not let PM marry and have a “family” of her own? If she wants to of course
“Political_mama
Posted July 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm | Permalink
LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.”
Please post a link that shows those that I lissted are published, sponsored, or written by “fundies”
I would be glad to listen. Did you even look at them?
Just for you Heckler! Islam, the religion of piece!
ISLAM - A SHORT SYNOPSIS OF HOW IT WORKS
Islam is not a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system. Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components. The religious component is a cover for all the other components.
Islamization occurs when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their so-called “religious rights.”
When politically correct and culturally diverse societies agree to the “reasonable” Muslim demands for their “religious rights,” they also get the other components under the table. Here’s how it works (percentages source CIA: The World Fact Book; 2007- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/).
As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful uniqueness:
United States — Muslim 1.0%
Australia — Muslim 1.5%
Canada — Muslim 1.9%
China — Muslim 1%-2%
Italy — Muslim 1.5%
Norway — Muslim 1.8%
At 2% and 3% they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs:
Denmark — Muslim 2%
Germany — Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom — Muslim 2.7%
Spain — Muslim 4%
Thailand — Muslim 4.6%
From 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. They will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply.
France — Muslim 8%
Philippines — Muslim 5%
Sweden — Muslim 5%
Switzerland — Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands — Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad &Tobago — Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islam is not to convert the world but to establish Sharia law over the entire world.
When Muslims reach 10% of the population, they will increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions (e.g., Paris car-burnings). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings, threats and, sometimes, killing the offender (e.g., Amsterdam — Mohammed cartoons).
Guyana — Muslim 10%
India — Muslim 13.4%
Israel — Muslim 16%
Kenya — Muslim 10%
Russia — Muslim 10-15%
After reaching 20% expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning:
Ethiopia — Muslim 32.8%
At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare:
Bosnia — Muslim 40%
Chad — Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon — Muslim 59.7%
From 60% you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels:
Albania — Muslim 70%
Malaysia — Muslim 60.4%
Qatar — Muslim 77.5%
Sudan — Muslim 70%
After 80% expect State run ethnic cleansing and genocide:
Bangladesh — Muslim 83%
Egypt — Muslim 90%
Gaza — Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia — Muslim 86.1%
Iran — Muslim 98%
Iraq — Muslim 97%
Jordan — Muslim 92%
Morocco — Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan — Muslim 97%
Palestine — Muslim 99%
Syria — Muslim 90%
Tajikistan — Muslim 90%
Turkey — Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates — Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of ‘ Dar-es-Salaam’ — the Islamic House of Peace — there’s supposed to be peace because everybody is a Muslim:
Afghanistan — Muslim 99.9%
Saudi Arabia — Muslim 100%
Somalia — Muslim 100%
Yemen — Muslim 99.9%
Of course, that’s not the case. To satisfy their blood lust, Muslims then start killing each other for a variety of reasons.
‘Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel.’ — Leon Uris, ‘The Haj’
Anybody want to “turn the Other Cheek” and show everyone “how Politically Correct” we can be — Raise your hand now!
A good way to indicate whether or not a religion is a peaceful one is to look at its fanatics. Fundamentalist Muslims, Jews and Christians become immensely violent. Fundamentalist Jains are the least violent.
Fundamentalists from all religions deny that they are unreasonable MP. They just accuse the dessenters of being closed minded.
Case in point: American posts a good thread about family. When the point is made that there wasn’t a particular type of family needed for those benefits, American accuses the other two posters of being narrow minded.
CO2 measured at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. Except for different seasonal variations, the trends are very similar. http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/insitu.html
——————————-
Yes, well mixed…
Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!
Nope, but I am a poster who has recently “switched nics”.
“If so, you are intelligent and write and communicate well.”
Thank you.
“Why not try to be a little more open minded and read the article and also the footnote references?”
I did read it, it was still unnecessary for you to post it in its entirity when you already posted the link.
“You might learn some REAL facts about marriage!”
You evidently did not read my comments to Political Mama on this very subject. I am both quite “open minded” and aware of the “facts” of the subject. I am, in fact, a believer in marriage.
“Maybe you are being too narrow minded?”
I doubt it. Please demonstrate how the benefits of marriage are limited only to the sort of marriage that Dobson and his associates would recognize.
“Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!”
—————
Thank you, ‘Regular’, for helping to point out that most of Earth’s ATMOSPHERE is not heavily “populated”.
“Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!”
—————
Thank you, ‘Regular’, for helping to point out that most of Earth’s ATMOSPHERE is not heavily populated.
The best way to see if a religion is “peaceful” is to look at the centerpiece, the one the religion is founded upon, the one whom the religion follows.
“The best way to see if a religion is “peaceful” is to look at the centerpiece, the one the religion is founded upon, the one whom the religion follows.
For Christians that would be Jesus.”
“I come not to bring peace but a sword.”
“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
Yeah, real peaceful guy. The sort of cult leader that would have followers who are obsessed with guns and war. Where do you fit in Nathan?
#
cosmos_originally
Posted July 2, 2008 at 1:52 pm | Permalink
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!”
—————
Thank you, ‘Regular’, for helping to point out that most of Earth’s ATMOSPHERE is not heavily populated.
—————————-
Being as the atmosphere is primarily composed of water vapor and gas particles, I would certainly hope it is not heavily populated.
“I thought you claimed to be a Christian. Are you now renouncing the faith or was it a lie all along?”
Oh I am, but I have talked personally with Jesus and he told me to renounce you as a heathen and blasphemer. He is sick of you mocking him and taking his name in vain. Deut 13:1
On February 5, nearly two dozen states made their voice heard in the presidential primaries. To help equip Christian voters to fulfill their role during the election season, WallBuilders produced a Voters’ Guide that was distributed to millions of homes.
That Voters’ Guide proved to be a great threat to anti-Biblical secularists. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State therefore filed an official complaint requesting that the IRS investigate both WallBuilders and the American Family Association (headed by Don Wildmon) for distributing that Voters’ Guide.
We have absolutely no intention of backing down or altering our message. We will not be intimidated. Benjamin Franklin observed, “Make yourself sheep, and the wolves will eat you,” and Thomas Jefferson wisely advised, “In matters of principle, stand like a rock!” We will! We will not be intimidated from exercising our constitutional rights and encouraging other Christians to do so.
In fact, please urge your friends and family in states that have not yet voted to download the Voters’ Guide (click here) and distribute it. Because the real intent of the secularists is to keep Christians out of the civil arena, the Rev. Barry Lynn (head of Americans United), warned that “Any church that distributes these biased guides is risking its tax exemption and casting aside its integrity.” He is dead wrong! The Voters’ Guide was reviewed by numerous constitutional attorneys before we released it. Show him that Christians will not be silenced and that his threats will only result in more aggressive action from Christians as we take our stand as salt and light in the civil arena!
Some often marvel that the head of such a secularist group as AU goes by the title of “Reverend,” yet Barry Lynn is indeed an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (the same denomination of which Barack Obama is a member) – considered the most liberal (and fastest declining) of all American denominations.
The UCC was the first denomination to ordain an openly gay minister (way back in the early 1970s) and to call for recognition of homosexual marriages; and over 200 of its churches are led by openly homosexual ministers. The UCC is also a strong advocate of abortion and openly endorsed abortion a full two years before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court abortion decision in 1973. They even opposed the ban on partial-birth abortions.
The UCC does not accept fixed absolutes from the Bible, but instead believes that the Bible should be defined by the current culture and context. You can certainly understand why individuals with this worldview would not want Christians to vote Biblically.
Thus far throughout the primaries, Christian turnout has been high. Let’s keep it that way! Encourage your friends, family, and associates to remain involved!
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a time of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” Dante, The Inferno (circa 1315 A.D.)
No Nathan, your false Jesus a cult leader of your twisted false religion. The true Christ represents the true Christianity, the true religion which you seek to bastardize with your love affairs with demons and false prophets.
My boy, you need an exorcism to rid yourself of the demonic influences which have perverted your soul.
Just for you american. For every gay teenager in the world.
Survival of the Fittest
I was alone.
Vulnerable.
Separated from my pack.
Adolescents quickly smell weakness.
A ravening pack of merciless wolves,
it didn’t take them long to sniff out my fear.
I can still see them circling me now.
Their attacks were subtle at first…
nibbling at my insecurities, tasting me.
Savouring tiny morsels of my self-respect,
licking their chops
while grinning to my face
with their well-sharpened teeth.
Later, hungry jowls dripping with sarcasm,
they ventured larger mouthfuls, brazenly piercing
my flesh with malevolent mockery, until
angst, loathing–even hatred–freely flowed.
New experiences, which gave me
nowhere to retreat
to lick my wounds.
Still, it was a surprise to me
when they moved in for the kill…
remorseless fangs embedded in my throat,
howls of victory rebounding off
disemboweled innocence.
I never truly believed
that my own kind could be capable
of such atrocities.
I have survived, though my scars
remain clearly visible.
Time does not heal all wounds.
Still, it was not my attackers who severed
my faith in humanity.
So American are there any other alternatives other than Liberal or Conservative? I want to give you a chance to explain how that is not a false dilema.
I am not sure who you are, but have decided all lib lunches should be announced here. The announcements’ terroristic value of stimulating con paranoia is quite impressive.
Hey, KFG, I think I told you but I saw Angry Johnny and the Killbillies at Kirby’s Beer Store in 1998. Those guys were driving across the country in a 60’s era chevy van. They were one very strange and impressive act. [Remind me sometime, when my sweetie is not arround, to tell you the story of tatooed women]. I bought their CD What’s so Funny?. It is a prized possession of mine. My favorite song from that album is High Noon in Killsville - the lyrics for same follow. It is a story of a grocery store robbery that goes terribly wrong:
Same Gender Extremists do not believe in Democracy, but seek to manipulate the judicial system by stacking the courts with liberal justices to circumvent the democratic process and give “special rights” to those who would in conscience destroy the democracy for their own lifestyle choices and all this with no shame, but only with their own supposed glorification.
“Same Gender Extremists do not believe in Democracy, but seek to manipulate the judicial system by stacking the courts with liberal justices to circumvent the democratic process and give ’special rights’ to those who would in conscience destroy the democracy for their own lifestyle choices and all this with no shame, but only with their own supposed glorification.”
You, American, are in no position to be labeling others extemist. You’re exactly the sort of “extremist” that cost Phill Kline the AG and the Kansas School Board its conservative Christian agenda.
And “special rights” is a euphemism for “rights we don’t want the minority to share”.
Your projection as to the motivations of those people who merely wish to marry the person who they love reveals more about you than it reveals about the people you purport to describe.
American
Posted July 2, 2008 at 3:24 pm | Permalink
Same Gender Extremists do not believe in Democracy, but seek to manipulate the judicial system by stacking the courts with liberal justices to circumvent the democratic process and give “special rights” to those who would in conscience destroy the democracy for their own lifestyle choices and all this with no shame, but only with their own supposed glorification.
**********
Dude,
In all seriousness: talk to your M.D. about the new generation antipsychotics.
Equal rights are “special rights” - are you really from America?
Agnatha, As you said when you told us you were a new nic but it should be obvious who you had been — it was! Seems fair for someone to change their nic if they choose but I appreciate honesty so thanks for letting us know you had changed, and the guessing game was fun.
This has all of the BOGUS arguments of this ANTI-Independence Day crowd arguing against Equal Rights — I still havent figured out what country they come from… But there were a LOT of refugees when the old Soviet Union fell!! Maybe??
EVERY ONE of those strengths/values of marriage posted/copied upthread ALSO applies to a Gay Couple…. EVERY ONE of them….
And yet, these bozos want to DENY all of those strengths and values to Gay Couples!!
And at the same time they call for Family Values?? Balderdsh!! They want a new form of Communist Terrorism aimed at the Gay community!! THAT is the bottom line here…
This year marks 230 years since our Founding Fathers gave us our National Birth Certificate. We continue to be the longest on-going Constitutional Republic in the history of the world. Blessings such as these are not by chance or accidental. They are blessings of God.
On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Two days afterwards – July 4th – the early draft of the Declaration of Independence was signed, albeit by only two individuals at that time: John Hancock, President of Congress, and Charles Thompson, Secretary of Congress. Four days later, on July 8, members of Congress took that document and read it aloud from the steps of Independence Hall, proclaiming it to the city of Philadelphia, after which the Liberty Bell was rung. The inscription around the top of that bell, Leviticus 25:10, was most appropriate for the occasion: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.”
To see the turmoil in other nations, their struggles and multiple revolutions, and yet to see the stability and blessings that we have here in America, we may ask how has this been achieved? What was the basis of American Independence? John Adams said “The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” Perhaps the clearest identification of the spirit of the American Revolution was given by John Adams in a letter to Abigail the day after Congress approved the Declaration. He wrote her two letters on that day; the first was short and concise, jubilant that the Declaration had been approved. The second was much longer and more pensive, giving serious consideration to what had been done that day. Adams cautiously noted: “This day will be the most memorable epic in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”
It is amazing that on the very day they approved the Declaration, Adams was already foreseeing that their actions would be celebrated by future generations. Adams contemplated whether it would be proper to hold such celebrations, but then concluded that the day should be commemorated – but in a particular manner and with a specific spirit. As he told Abigail: “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
John Adams believed that the Fourth of July should become a religious holiday – a day when we remembered God’s hand in deliverance and a day of religious activities when we committed ourselves to Him in “solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” Such was the spirit of the American Revolution as seen through the eyes of those who led it, evidenced even further in the words of John Quincy Adams, one who was deeply involved in the activities of the Revolution.
In 1837, when he was 69 years old, he delivered a Fourth of July speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts. He began that address with a question: “Why is it, friends and fellow citizens, that you are here assembled? Why is it that entering on the 62nd year of our national existence you have honored [me] with an invitation to address you. . . ?”
The answer was easy: they had asked him to address them because he was old enough to remember what went on; they wanted an eye-witness to tell them of it! He next asked them: “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?”
An interesting question: why is it that in America the Fourth of July and Christmas were our two top holidays? Note his answer: “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”
According to John Quincy Adams, Christmas and the Fourth of July were intrinsically connected. On the Fourth of July, the Founders simply took the precepts of Christ which came into the world through His birth (Christmas) and incorporated those principles into civil government.
Have you ever considered what it meant for those 56 men – an eclectic group of ministers, business men, teachers, university professors, sailors, captains, farmers – to sign the Declaration of Independence? This was a contract that began with the reasons for the separation from Great Britain and closed in the final paragraph stating “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Dr. Benjamin Rush, the father of American Medicine and a signer, recorded that day in his diary. In 1781, he wrote to John Adams “Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the House when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe to what was believed by many at that time to be our death warrants? The silence and gloom of the morning was interrupted, I well recollect, only for a moment by Colonel Harrison of Virginia (a big guy) who said to Mr. Gerry (small in stature) at the table: ‘I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing… From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.’ This speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”
These men took this pledge seriously. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania is an example of the highest level of integrity. He was chosen as the financier of the American Revolution. What an honor, except that there was no bank willing to give any loans to help fund the revolution. It was three years and the Battle of Saratoga before America got any kind of funding at all. After winning that battle, foreign nations like France, Holland, and others decided maybe we weren’t such a bad risk and began loaning us money. So where did we get money for the first three years? Congress, at that time, could not have obtained a loan of one thousand dollars, yet Robert Morris effected loans upon his own credit, of tens of thousands. In 1781, George Washington conceived the expedition against Cornwallis, at Yorktown. He asked Judge Peters of Pennsylvania, “What can you do for me?” “With money, everything, without it, nothing,” he replied, at the same time turning with anxious look toward Mr. Morris. “Let me know the sum you desire,” said Mr. Morris; and before noon Washington’s plan and estimates were complete. Robert Morris promised him the amount, and he raised it upon his own responsibility. It has been justly remarked, that: “If it were not demonstrable by official records, posterity would hardly be made to believe that the campaign of 1781, which resulted in the capture of Cornwallis, and virtually closed the Revolutionary War, was sustained wholly on the credit of an individual merchant.” America couldn’t repay him because there was no money and yet Robert Morris never complained because he had given his word.
You see the same thing in the life of John Hart. He was a strong Christian gentleman and Speaker of the House of Representatives in New Jersey. He promised to help provide them with guidance and leadership. There were three things that were important in his life; his Savior, his family and his farm. Because of his signature on the Declaration, the British were seeking him (and the rest of the signers) to execute as traitors. John Hart fled his home after which his farm was ravaged, his timber destroyed, his cattle and stock butchered for the use of the British army. He did not dare to remain two nights in the same location. After Washington’s success at the battle of Trenton, he finally returned home to find that his wife had died and his children scattered. He lost almost everything that was important to him but kept his word.
John Hancock, a very wealthy individual lived in a mansion reflecting his princely fortune – one of the largest in the Province of Massachusetts. During the time the American army besieged Boston to rid it of the British, the American officers proposed the entire destruction of the city. “By the execution of such a plan, the whole fortune of Mr. Hancock would have been sacrificed. Yet he readily acceded to the measure, declaring his willingness to surrender his all, whenever the liberties of his country should require it.” A man of his word, he demonstrated his integrity.
The 16 Congressional proclamations for prayer and fasting throughout the Revolution were not bland (i.e., the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, the quoting of Romans 14:17, etc.); however, this is not unusual considering the prominent role that many ministers played in the Revolution.
One such example is John Peter Muhlenburg. In a sermon delivered to his Virginia congregation on January 21, 1776, he preached verse by verse from Ecclesiastes 3 – the passage which speaks of a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. Arriving at verse 8, which declares that there is a time of war and a time of peace, Muhlenburg noted that this surely was not the time of peace; this was the time of war. Concluding with a prayer, and while standing in full view of the congregation, he removed his clerical robes to reveal that beneath them he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Continental army! He marched to the back of the church; ordered the drum to beat for recruits and nearly three hundred men joined him, becoming the Eighth Virginia Brigade. John Peter Muhlenburg finished the Revolution as a Major-General, having been at Valley Forge and having participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint, and Yorktown.
Another minister-leader in the Revolution was the Reverend James Caldwell. His actions during one battle inspired a painting showing him standing with a stack of hymn books in his arms while engaged in the midst of a fierce battle against the British outside a battered Presbyterian church. During the battle, the Americans had developed a serious problem: they had run out of wadding for their guns, which was just as serious as having no ammunition. Reverend Caldwell recognized the perfect solution; he ran inside the church and returned with a stack of Watts Hymnals – one of the strongest doctrinal hymnals of the Christian faith (Isaac Watts authored “O God Our Help In Ages Past,” “Joy to the World,” “Jesus Shall Reign,” and several other classic hymns). Distributing the Watts Hymnals among the soldiers served two purposes: first, its pages would provide the needed wadding; second, the use of the hymnal carried a symbolic message. Reverend Caldwell took that hymn book – the source of great doctrine and spiritual truth – raised it up in the air and shouted to the Americans, “Give ‘em Watts, boys!”
The spiritual emphasis manifested so often by the Americans during the Revolution caused one Crown-appointed British governor to write to Great Britain complaining that: “If you ask an American who is his master, he’ll tell you he has none. And he has no governor but Jesus Christ.”
Letters like this, and sermons like those preached by the Reverend Peter Powers titled “Jesus Christ the King,” gave rise to a sentiment that has been described as a motto of the American Revolution. Most Americans are unaware that the Revolution might have had mottoes, but many wars do (e.g., in the Texas’ war for independence, it was “Remember the Alamo”; in the Union side in the Civil War, it was “In God We Trust”; in World War I, it was “Remember the Lusitania”; in World War II, it was “Remember Pearl Harbor”; etc.). A motto of the American Revolution directed against the tyrant King George III and the theologically discredited doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings (which asserted that when the king spoke, it was the voice of God speaking directly to the people) was simple and direct: “No King but King Jesus!” Another motto (first suggested by Benjamin Franklin and often repeated during the Revolution) was similar in tone: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
Preserving American liberty depends first upon our understanding the foundations on which this great country was built and then preserving the principles on which it was founded. Let’s not let the purpose for which we were established be forgotten. The Founding Fathers have passed us a torch; let’s not let it go out.
To learn more about the quest for our freedom, read WallBuilder resources such as Celebrate Liberty!, the Lives of the Signers and Wives of the Signers reprints, and the booklet, The Spirit of the American Revolution; or listen to the stories recounted by David Barton in America’s Birthday. These, and many more, are available from our online store. To order or request a FREE catalog, call toll-free 800-873-2845; or you may write to us at P.O. Box 397, Aledo, TX, 76008.
WTF? If we don’t have enough troops to back up our forces in Afghanistan, how are we going to fight a war in Iran?
Oh please let the Draft resume. Let’s spread the casualties around so everybody gets to share the pain.
Date: July 1, 2008
Contact: Communications Team
Phone: (316) 268-4351
In observance of the 4th of July holiday, all City of Wichita facilities will be closed Friday, July 4. This includes City Hall, Park Recreation Centers, Wichita Public Library branches and Neighborhood City Halls. Transit services will not be operating.
All Municipal golf courses and City of Wichita swimming pools, weather permitting, will be open. Botanica and the Animal Shelter will be open holiday hours from 1 to 5 p.m.
All Library locations will maintain regular business hours on Saturday and Sunday. Normal bus operations will run on Saturday.
213 Comments
This, I believe, is the tragic news story which Parkay cited late yesterday:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,375025,00.html
This horror reminds me of another atrocity from decades past: Three years ago, I saw a picture taken in 1965. An unclothed woman, bent over at the waist, back to the camera, lay dead in a motel room. A river of gore wept prolifically from her midsection.
The seven-months-pregnant woman lay dead - abandoned by her own surgeon - in this case the baby’s father. The man had attempted a late-term abortion on his girlfriend, the “surgery” went horribly awry, and the expectant father turned tail and ran to evade prosecution.
I beg everyone - no matter what your views on abortion may be - to avoid accusing me of utilizing “scare tactics.” Let’s move beyond stereotypes for once. This 43-year-old story, and the news story above, both bear similarities: the male partner attempted to destroy viable human life to avoid a problem.
Moreover, I distinctly remember reading about the woman in the 1965 picture. Like myself, she was pregnant and unmarried (I do not remember how old she was at the time). The prospect of prurient moral hysteria - a cruelty I faced quite often 33 years ago and know very well - was too much for her to bear.
Who is blameworthy here? A whole lot of people, in my opinion. I faced this weird, neurotic scrutiny from so many - and I wasn’t even showing. Who knows what difficulties this long-dead woman feared.
Do I condone this act? How could I? Her life, and the life of a viable fetus, was lost. How could I be complacent about such a tragedy? Yet I remember the desperation and emotional agony I faced. I and my mother could have extricated myself from the situation at hand - that is my regret. I had no way of knowing, back then, that my idiocy would one day inspire a very funny scene in “Borat”.
But abortion really isn’t funny; my travels last weekend buttressed that point. Even now, I find it untenable to condemn other women for an act I could not avoid. I probably should have sought spiritual succor last weekend, but I refuse to compel a priest to defend his church’s position - the totality of that position with which I cannot wholly comply.
That, too, was probably a tragedy. After all, the Gay Pride event last weekend probably wasn’t organized to encourage isolation…….
Oh, I think WE Blog is experiencing technical difficulties.
(chortles)
Hank Price,
CO2 is a long-lived greenhouse gas, that can stay in the atmosphere for a century, or longer.
What happens if you deposit a small percent more into a coin jar than you withdraw, for many decades?
The amount of money in the jar slowy increases — like global CO2 has been doing.
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/insitu.html
‘Greenhouse gases highest for 800,000 years’
http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL1440399320080514
“Greenhouse gases are at higher levels in the atmosphere than at any time in at least 800,000 years, according to a study of Antarctic ice on Wednesday that extends evidence that mankind is disrupting the climate.
…
“We can firmly say that today’s concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane are 28 and 124 percent higher respectively than at any time during the last 800,000 years,” said Thomas Stocker, an author of the report at the University of Berne.”
A graph of CO2, methane, and temperatures over the past 800,000 years (starts 1000 years from present)
‘Ice cores reveal fluctuations in the Earth’s greenhouse gases’
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-05/uoc-icr050808.php
Why Marriage Matters
http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000440.cfm
by Glenn T. Stanton
Is marriage an old-fashioned, outmoded institution? Is it merely a piece of paper, having no real impact on our lives?
Researchers are finding that marriage has a much greater impact in our lives than many have assumed. This is especially true in the area of adult health and well-being. Sociologist Linda Waite and researcher Maggie Gallagher explain, “The evidence from four decades of research is surprisingly clear: a good marriage is both men’s and women’s best bet for living a long and healthy life.”1 Men and women who are in their first marriages, on average, enjoy significantly higher levels of physical and mental health than those who are either single, divorced or living together. The research on this is very strong.
Leading social scientist, James Q. Wilson, explains:
Married people are happier than unmarried ones of the same age, not only in the United States, but in at least seventeen other countries where similar inquiries have been made. And there seems to be good reasons for that happiness. People who are married not only have higher incomes and enjoy greater emotional support, they tend to be healthier. Married people live longer than unmarried ones, not only in the United States but abroad.2
Research conducted at the University of Massachusetts concludes, “One of the most consistent observations in health research is that the married enjoy better health than those of other [relational] statuses.”3
Dr. Robert Coombs of UCLA reviewed more than 130 empirical studies published in this century on how marriage impacts well-being. He found that these studies indicate “an intimate link between marital status and personal well-being.”4
Alcoholism
Coombs’ review found that 70 percent of chronic problem drinkers were either divorced or separated, and only 15 percent were married. Single men are more than three times as likely to die of cirrhosis of the liver.5
Long and Healthy Life
Unmarried people spend twice as much time as patients in hospitals as their married peers and have lower activity levels.6
Research conducted at Erasmus University in Rotterdam reports that “married people have the lowest morbidity [illness] rates, while the divorced show the highest.” Professor Linda Waite of the University of Chicago finds that the “relationship between marriage and death rates has now reached the status of a truism, having been observed across numerous societies and among various social and demographic groups.”7
In her 1995 presidential address to the Population Association of America, Waite explained that the health benefits of marriage are so strong that a married man with heart disease can be expected to live, on average, 1400 days longer (nearly four years!) than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. This longer life expectancy is even greater for a married man who has cancer or is 20 pounds overweight compared to his healthy, but unmarried, counterpart. The advantages for women are similar.8 Additional research from Yale University indicates that a married man who smokes more than a pack a day can be expected to live as long as a divorced man who does not smoke. This researcher explains with a touch of humor, “If a man’s marriage is driving him to heavy smoking, he has a delicate statistical decision to make.”9
Dr. Coombs’ research agrees with these findings: “Virtually every study of mortality and marital status shows the unmarried of both sexes have higher death rates, whether by accident, disease, or self-inflicted wounds, and this is found in every country that maintains accurate health statistics.”10
Research published in JAMA finds that cures for cancer are significantly more successful (eight to 17 percent) when a patient is married and being married was comparable to being in an age category 10 years younger.11
Mental Health
Research dating back to 1936 shows that first-time psychiatric admission rates for males suffering from schizophrenia were 5.4 times greater for unmarried men than for married men. Dr. Benjamin Malzberg, the author of this study, concludes, “The evidence seems clear that the married population had, in general, much lower rates of mental disease than any of the other marital groups.”12
More recent research conducted jointly at Yale University and UCLA reports the following:
One of the most consistent findings in psychiatric epidemiology is that married persons enjoy better health than the unmarried. Researchers have consistently found the highest rates of mental disorder among the divorced and separated, the lowest rates among the married and intermediate rates among the single and widowed. They also found that a cohabiting partner could not replicate these benefits of marriage.13
General Happiness
A study published in the Journal of Marriage and the Family examined the link between personal happiness and marital status in 17 industrialized nations that had “diverse social and institutional frameworks.” This study found the following:
[M]arried persons have a significantly higher level of happiness than persons who are not married. This effect was independent of financial and heath-oriented protections offered by marriage and was also independent of other control variables including ones for sociodemographic conditions and national character.”14
Increased levels of happiness among the married was found in other studies as well.15
Miscellaneous
Additional research shows that marriage …
Provides the highest levels of sexual pleasure and fulfillment for men and women16
Protects against feelings of loneliness17
Protects women from domestic and general violence18
Enhances a parent’s ability to parent19
Helps create better, more reliable employees20
Increases individual earnings and savings21
Research conducted at the University of Colorado indicates why marriage is so beneficial to adults: “Generally, compared with those who are not married, married individuals eat better, take better care of themselves, and live a more stable, secure and scheduled lifestyle.”22
Clearly, married men and women provide better things for society than their unmarried peers. Husbands and wives are not as likely to be a burden to the health care system or be a drain on a company’s health insurance benefits because of their better health and increased ability to recover from illness quicker and more successfully. They are less likely to miss work because of illness. They are not likely to jump from job to job. They are less likely to suffer from alcoholism and other substance abuse and less likely to engage in other risk behaviors. Married women are significantly less likely to be victims of any kind of violence, either by her spouse or by a stranger. They are less lonely and happier. Happier people make better citizens, employees and neighbors. Married people earn and invest more money. They report enjoying the job of parenting better and they are more successful at it. This mountain of social science research tells us marriage is a serious and valuable community treasure.
Glenn T. Stanton is Director of global insights and trends, and Senior Analyst for marriage and sexuality at Focus on the Family.
——————————————————————————–
1 Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better Off Financially, (New York Doubleday, 2000), p. 64.
2 2James Q. Wilson, The Marriage Problem: How Our Culture Has Weakened Families (New York: Harper Collins, 2002), p. 16.
3 Katherine Reissman and Naomi Gerstel, “Marital Dissolution and Health: Do Males or Females Have Greater Risk?” Social Science and Medicine 20 (1985): 627-635.
4 Robert Coombs, “Marital Status and Personal Well-Being: A Literature Review,” Family Relations 40 (1991) 97-102.
5 Coombs, 1991, p. 97.
6 Lois Verbrugge and Donald Balaban, “Patterns of Change, Disability and Well-Being,” Medical Care 27 (1989): S128-S147.
7 I.M. Joung, et al., “Differences in Self-Reported Morbidity by Marital Status and by Living Arrangement,” International Journal of Epidemiology 23 (1994): 91-97.
8 Linda J. Waite, “Does Marriage Matter?” Presidential Address to the American Population Association of America, April 8, 1995; Linda Waite, “Does Marriage Matter?” Demography 32 (1995): 483-507.
9 Harold Morowitz, “Hiding in the Hammond Report,” Hospital Practice (August 1975), p. 39.
10 Coombs, 1991, p. 98.
11 James Goodwin, et al., “The Effect of Marital Status on Stage, Treatment, and Survival of Cancer Patients,” Journal of the American Medical Association, 258 (1987): 3152-3130.
12 Benjamin Malzberg, “Marital Status in Relation to the Prevalence of Mental Disease,” Psychiatric Quarterly 10 (1936): 245-261.
13 David Williams, et al., “Marital Status and Psychiatric Disorders Among Blacks and Whites,” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 33 (1992): 140-157.
14 Steven Stack and J. Ross Eshleman, “Marital Status and Happiness: A 17-Nation Study,” Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60 (1998): 527-536.
15 Coombs, 1991, p. 100.
16 16Robert T. Michael, et al., Sex in America: A Definitive Survey, (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1994), p. 124-129; Edward O. Laumann, et al., The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994), p. 364, table 10.5; Andrew Greeley, Faithful Attraction: Discovering Intimacy, Love and Fidelity in American Marriage, (New York: Tom Doherty Association, 1991), see chapter 6.
17 Randy Page and Galen Cole, “Demographic Predictors of Self-Reported Loneliness in Adults,” Psychological Reports 68 (1991): 939-945.
18 18Jan Stets, “Cohabiting and Marital Aggression: The Role of Social Isolation,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 53 (1991): 669-680; Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (March 1994), p. 31, NCJ-145125.
19 Ronald Angel and Jacqueline Angel, Painful Inheritance: Health and the New Generation of Fatherless Families (Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1993), pp. 139, 148.
20 Janet Wilmoth and Gregor Koso, “Does Marital History Matter? Marital Status and Wealth Outcomes Among Pre-retirement Adults,” Journal of Marriage and Family, 64 (2002): 743-754.
21 Waite, 1995, p. 483-507; Waite and Gallagher, 2000, see chapter 8; Wilmoth and Koso, 2002, p. 743-754.
22 Richard Rogers, “Marriage, Sex, and Mortality,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 57 (1995): 515-526.
‘Is realclimate.org biased?’
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080214094138AA4BQFA
“The correct answer is “NO”, not at all.
The climate scientists writing for realclimate.org do so on their own time with NO compensation. The generosity of EMS to pay for hosting a web-site (something probably costing around $50/month - whoopee!!!) so the truth of climate change can be presented in a manner non-climate scientists can understand has no influence on the content.
If the guys at realclimate wanted to make money, they’d make a heck of a lot more prostituting themselves to the energy industry, where a single paper can easily net one $10,000.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/feb/02/frontpagenews.climatechange
————-
Yes, it seems to be biased towards science. Its agenda seems to be to educate and inform.
There are many oil industry-funded sites with a clear political bias, spouting crazy theories about socialists, communists, global conspiracies, and other fanciful tall tales, but RealClimate.org seems to entirely avoid that sort of manipulative alarmism.”
Is this the guy we want with his finger on the button?
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/42844.html
We might not like the Samdinistas but when you are on a DIPLOMATIC mission you shuold keep your cool.
http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2005/02/a-disclaimer/
“Readers of the Feb. 14th, 2005 Wall Street Journal may have gotten the impression that RealClimate is in some way affiliated with an environmental organisation.
We wish to stress that although our domain is being hosted by Environmental Media Services, and our initial press release was organised for us by Fenton Communications, neither organization was in any way involved in the initial planning for RealClimate, and have never had any editorial or other control over content.
Neither Fenton nor EMS has ever paid any contributor to RealClimate.org any money for any purpose at any time. Neither do they pay us expenses, buy our lunch or contract us to do research.”
So American, you posted this spam from Focus on the Family. I know from previous postings that you oppose same sex marriage. So, am I to conclude that you want to deny these medical benefits listed in this article to people who are romantically and sexually attracted to people of the same gender?
The premise that gay marriage somehow threatens “traditional” marriage is completely unsupported. Period.
While I think Focus on the Family is the initiative of a very nasty man in one James Dobson, it is unfair for me to characterize the article as “spam”. It was made spam by American (of the USA?)’s posting of the entire thing when he already posted the link.
Post the link and summarize American. There was no need to post the whole thing.
realclimate.org is an extremely biased Blog.
Not only do they delete messages they do not agree with, they interject their own comments INSIDE of posters comments to post the politically correct answer.
That’s not science, that’s dictatorship.
Agnatha…
Why can’t that name be said without lisping?
First, almost all of those studies are done by fundies, duh.
Second….which came first the chicken or the egg. It’s almost MOST likely that the alcoholic old man dying alone ALSO had the drinking problem long before he got divorced. In other words, it isn’t the marriage that kept him sober, it’s the alcohol that ruined his marriage.
Same can be said for being in the hospital. Obviously if you have someone at home who can take care of you you’re less likely to be kept in the hospital, not the other way around.
Studies also show that married men and women gain more weight when they’re married, which is also one of the biggest contributors to early death.
Marriage does not keep women from being abused. If you remember back when divorce was a big deal, women were stuck in abusive marriages in very high numbers.
Mult-nic’d ‘Regular’,
Have you found ANY science to support your (completely bogus) claim that global CO2 levels were around 400 ppm during the 1940’s? No. . .?
‘More Nonsense about CO2′
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2006/10/more_nonsense_about_co2.php
‘Hissink, CO2 and conspiracy theories’
http://timlambert.org/2005/01/hissink3
“It just isn’t possible for the CO2 concentration to change by that much in one year —- the difference corresponds to about 500 billion tons of carbon which is about the same amount of carbon in all plants in the entire world.”
cosmos admits that the computer climate models are inaccurate, yet he claims that they can predict the future’s climate.
cosmos is not a scientist.
cosmos has no peer reviewed papers in climate science.
cosmos worships at the altar of the Goracle.
Parkay knows that his efforts to ban abortion would be disasterous, but I really don’t think he cares. I think he believes that women have done something to deserve what happens to them.
That’s why he never addresses the reality. God will save you if you just believeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Gas collection samples along busy city streets reveal that 1000ppm of co2 can be concentrated in worker areas.
Of course, cosmos wouldn’t recognize real technical or scientific work like that as cosmos is not a scientist.
He just wants his boys to be able to tell the ‘bad girls’ from the ‘marrying material’.
cosmos, here is the appropriate response to this sort of post…
“cosmos admits that the computer climate models are inaccurate, yet he claims that they can predict the future’s climate.
“cosmos is not a scientist.
“cosmos has no peer reviewed papers in climate science.
“cosmos worships at the altar of the Goracle.”
Appropriate Response:
“…”
__________________________________________________
“Agnatha…
“Why can’t that name be said without lisping?”
Hey, what’s in a name?
Political Mama-
WHile your distaste for anything “religious” is well noted on the blog, I sometimes think it colors your posts.
Your post “First, almost all of those studies are done by fundies, duh.”
Seems to ignore thes sources/studies that are more easily understood as non fundy:
3 Social Science and Medicine 20 (1985): 627-635.
4.
.
6 Lois Verbrugge and Donald Balaban, “Patterns of Change, Disability and Well-Being,” Medical Care 27 (1989): S128-S147.
International Journal of Epidemiology 23 (1994): 91-97.
11 Journal of the American Medical Association, 258 (1987): 3152-3130.
12 ,” Psychiatric Quarterly 10 (1936): 245-261.
13 d Journal of Health and Social Behavior 33 (1992): 140-157.
14 Journal of Marriage and the Family, 60 (1998): 527-536.
16 .
17 “Demographic Psychological Reports 68 (1991): 939-945.
,” Journal of Marriage and the Family 53 (1991): 669-680;
Criminal Victimization in the United States, 1992,” U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, (March 1994), p. 31, NCJ-145125.
20 Marriage and Family, 64 (2002): 743-754.
21 Journal of Marriage and the Family 57 (1995): 515-526.
I eliminate all those that wre either books, or possibly self published stuff
Still a long list
NO one should feel safe without submitting to Islam, and those who refuse to submit must pay a high price. The Islam ist movement must aim to turn the world into a series of “wildernesses” where only those under jihadi rule enjoy security.
These are some of the ideas developed by al Qaeda’s chief theoretician, Sheik Abu-Bakar Naji, in his new book “Governance in the Wilderness” (Edarat al-Wahsh).
Middle East analysts think that the book may indicate a major change of strategy by the disparate groups that use al Qaeda as a brand name.
The Saudi police seized copies of the book last week as they arrested 700 alleged terrorists in overnight raids.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/07012008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/al_qaedas_plan_b_117936.htm?page=0
From Dan Froomkin’s discussion thread on the Washington Post:
*****
Kansas: I am reading McClellen’s book now. Have you read it? It seems to me that there is an apology — if you read between the lines — that says “well, at least we weren’t worse than the Clintons.” That seems to be a different line than what they would have said the first term.
Dan Froomkin: I have, and I read it slightly differently. I got the feeling he was just trying to spread the blame a bit, pointing out that Clinton started this whole “permanent campaign” thing that’s gotten so incredibly out of hand in the Bush years. But either way — “They started it” is a far cry from “restoring honor and integrity to the White House.”
*****
The things I am forced to do when this blog breaks down on a Wednesday morning.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2008/06/29/DI2008062901238.html
I think the Danster, hit the nail on the head, here. What do you all think?
IN a notable departure from past al Qaeda strategy, Naji recommends “countless small operations” that render daily life unbearable, rather than a few spectacular attacks such as 9/11: The “infidel,” leaving his home every morning, should be unsure whether he’ll return in the evening.
Naji recommends kidnappings, the holding of hostages, the use of women and children as human shields, exhibition killings to terrorize the enemy, suicide bombings and countless gestures that make normal life impossible for the “infidel” and Muslim collaborators.
LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.
Heckler,
This strategy is nothing new, it has been a, if not the, the primary strategy of the “policy implementation” arm of Islamist (as opposed to Muslim) movements (i.e., terrorists) for years. In fact, this strategy may have been what backfired in Iraq. The Iraqis got sick of the violent crap that Al Qaeda launched against most of the country, whether it was the “wrong” Muslims (Shiites) or the “insufficient” Muslims (most of the remaining Sunni population).
That being said, Naji’s words are chilling, as are the words of a number of Islamist activists around the world, even those not overtly involved in terrorism.
I don’t think the issue is families in general PM. The issue is how some wish families to be exclusively defined that is the issue.
It was a long list. Maybe I overlooked it, but I didn’t see anything in that long post about how a certain type of family arrangement was necessary for such benefits to exist
If there weren’t, then why wouldn’t advocates of “family” want our friends like PM to enjoy those benefits of family. All they need to do, is allow PM to get married to her partner.
“LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.”
Wrong avenue Political Mama.
There ARE studies that demonsrate what appear to be the beneficial effects of marriage, or at the very least an extremely strong correlation between being in a successful marriage and better health. I have no doubt whatsoever that the author referenced those studies.
The point is, Focus on the Family adopts a narrow definition of “traditional marriage”, defines it as the only real marriage, and then makes the claim that “gay marriage” and liberal lifestyle threatens marriage. Of course, this claim is predicated on their narrow definition. Then, when they start discussing the studies that indicate the benefits of marriage, they implicitly assume for the reader that these benefits are implicit and indeed dependent on their narrow definition of marriage, and that they are defending those benefits from those who would “redefine” and “threaten” marriage.
The reality is, however:
1) There is no evidence that these benefits are limited to the “traditional” marriages that are the only marriages that Focus on the Family would recognize.
2) That gay marriage would threaten other kinds of marriage at all.
In conclusion, the studies may indicate a high liklihood that there are benefits to being married, but they do not support the conclusions that Focus on the Family would have you draw about the exclusivity of their definition of marriage.
#
Political_mama
Posted July 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm | Permalink
LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.
—————————–
Yeah, American Medical Association or Psychiatric Quarterly is written by fundies.
tin-foil anyone?
More from me and the Danster:
*****
Kansas: Is it true that Bush now considers bin Laden worth pursuing as a way to shore up his legacy as a guardian of American safety? Why is he thinking of this so late in his term?
Dan Froomkin: Sarah Baxter wrote in the Times of London a few weeks back about Bush’s “final attempt to capture Osama Bin Laden before he leaves the White House.
“Defence and intelligence sources in Washington and London confirmed that a renewed hunt was on for the leader of the September 11 attacks. ‘If he [Bush] can say he has killed Saddam Hussein and captured Bin Laden, he can claim to have left the world a safer place,’ said a US intelligence source…..
“‘Bush is swinging for the fences in the hope of scoring a home run,’ said an intelligence source, using a baseball metaphor.”
Bush quickly dismissed the report as “a little bit of press hyperventilating.”
But it would be only human for Bush to really, really want to capture bin Laden before he leaves office. So it’s worth keeping an eye on how far he is willing to go.
Since we’ve presumably been trying as hard as reasonably possible for a while now (after Tora Bora), then all that’s left, if you want to try harder, is for us to get unreasonable, right?
*****
I have to respectfully disagree with the Danster on this one. Is it unreasonable for us to enter Pakistan when that country has allowed their border areas to be taken over by Al Qaeda? I do not think so, but they do have nukes, don’t they? Life is a risk, no?
Exactly Agnatha. I am still looking on American’s rather long thread. I still don’t see how a particular type of family is necessary for the benefits to be enjoyed.
So why not let PM marry and have a “family” of her own? If she wants to of course
Agnatha,
AKA kansasfrmgrrl?
If so, you are intelligent and write and communicate well.
Why not try to be a little more open minded and read the article and also the footnote references?
You might learn some REAL facts about marriage!
Maybe you are being too narrow minded?
Political Mama,
The chicken came first.
“Political_mama
Posted July 2, 2008 at 12:53 pm | Permalink
LJ, just because it’s called a JOURNAL doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a bias or published, sponsored, or written by fundies.”
Please post a link that shows those that I lissted are published, sponsored, or written by “fundies”
I would be glad to listen. Did you even look at them?
Just for you Heckler! Islam, the religion of piece!
ISLAM - A SHORT SYNOPSIS OF HOW IT WORKS
Islam is not a religion nor is it a cult. It is a complete system. Islam has religious, legal, political, economic and military components. The religious component is a cover for all the other components.
Islamization occurs when there are sufficient Muslims in a country to agitate for their so-called “religious rights.”
When politically correct and culturally diverse societies agree to the “reasonable” Muslim demands for their “religious rights,” they also get the other components under the table. Here’s how it works (percentages source CIA: The World Fact Book; 2007- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/).
As long as the Muslim population remains around 1% of any given country they will be regarded as a peace-loving minority and not as a threat to anyone. In fact, they may be featured in articles and films, stereotyped for their colorful uniqueness:
United States — Muslim 1.0%
Australia — Muslim 1.5%
Canada — Muslim 1.9%
China — Muslim 1%-2%
Italy — Muslim 1.5%
Norway — Muslim 1.8%
At 2% and 3% they begin to proselytize from other ethnic minorities and disaffected groups with major recruiting from the jails and among street gangs:
Denmark — Muslim 2%
Germany — Muslim 3.7%
United Kingdom — Muslim 2.7%
Spain — Muslim 4%
Thailand — Muslim 4.6%
From 5% on they exercise an inordinate influence in proportion to their percentage of the population. They will push for the introduction of halal (clean by Islamic standards) food, thereby securing food preparation jobs for Muslims. They will increase pressure on supermarket chains to feature it on their shelves — along with threats for failure to comply.
France — Muslim 8%
Philippines — Muslim 5%
Sweden — Muslim 5%
Switzerland — Muslim 4.3%
The Netherlands — Muslim 5.5%
Trinidad &Tobago — Muslim 5.8%
At this point, they will work to get the ruling government to allow them to rule themselves under Sharia, the Islamic Law. The ultimate goal of Islam is not to convert the world but to establish Sharia law over the entire world.
When Muslims reach 10% of the population, they will increase lawlessness as a means of complaint about their conditions (e.g., Paris car-burnings). Any non-Muslim action that offends Islam will result in uprisings, threats and, sometimes, killing the offender (e.g., Amsterdam — Mohammed cartoons).
Guyana — Muslim 10%
India — Muslim 13.4%
Israel — Muslim 16%
Kenya — Muslim 10%
Russia — Muslim 10-15%
After reaching 20% expect hair-trigger rioting, jihad militia formations, sporadic killings and church and synagogue burning:
Ethiopia — Muslim 32.8%
At 40% you will find widespread massacres, chronic terror attacks and ongoing militia warfare:
Bosnia — Muslim 40%
Chad — Muslim 53.1%
Lebanon — Muslim 59.7%
From 60% you may expect unfettered persecution of non-believers and other religions, sporadic ethnic cleansing (genocide), use of Sharia Law as a weapon and Jizya, the tax placed on infidels:
Albania — Muslim 70%
Malaysia — Muslim 60.4%
Qatar — Muslim 77.5%
Sudan — Muslim 70%
After 80% expect State run ethnic cleansing and genocide:
Bangladesh — Muslim 83%
Egypt — Muslim 90%
Gaza — Muslim 98.7%
Indonesia — Muslim 86.1%
Iran — Muslim 98%
Iraq — Muslim 97%
Jordan — Muslim 92%
Morocco — Muslim 98.7%
Pakistan — Muslim 97%
Palestine — Muslim 99%
Syria — Muslim 90%
Tajikistan — Muslim 90%
Turkey — Muslim 99.8%
United Arab Emirates — Muslim 96%
100% will usher in the peace of ‘ Dar-es-Salaam’ — the Islamic House of Peace — there’s supposed to be peace because everybody is a Muslim:
Afghanistan — Muslim 99.9%
Saudi Arabia — Muslim 100%
Somalia — Muslim 100%
Yemen — Muslim 99.9%
Of course, that’s not the case. To satisfy their blood lust, Muslims then start killing each other for a variety of reasons.
‘Before I was nine I had learned the basic canon of Arab life. It was me against my brother; me and my brother against our father; my family against my cousins and the clan; the clan against the tribe; and the tribe against the world and all of us against the infidel.’ — Leon Uris, ‘The Haj’
Anybody want to “turn the Other Cheek” and show everyone “how Politically Correct” we can be — Raise your hand now!
A good way to indicate whether or not a religion is a peaceful one is to look at its fanatics. Fundamentalist Muslims, Jews and Christians become immensely violent. Fundamentalist Jains are the least violent.
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Gas collection samples along busy city streets reveal that 1000ppm of co2 can be concentrated in worker areas.”
—————
And WHAT does that have to do with the level of well-mixed GLOBAL CO2?
Graphs of CO2 data from towers at different heights in North Carolina and Wisconsin. Lower heights show the diurnal changes.
http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/diurnal.html
CO2 measured at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. Except for different seasonal variations, the trends are very similar.
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/insitu.html
American
I am not Agnatha.
You, however, are STILL an idiot.
Fundamentalists from all religions deny that they are unreasonable MP. They just accuse the dessenters of being closed minded.
Case in point: American posts a good thread about family. When the point is made that there wasn’t a particular type of family needed for those benefits, American accuses the other two posters of being narrow minded.
Isaac…Ishmael. You two boys learn to get along.
#
cosmos_originally
Posted July 2, 2008 at 1:35 pm | Permalink
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Gas collection samples along busy city streets reveal that 1000ppm of co2 can be concentrated in worker areas.”
—————
And WHAT does that have to do with the level of well-mixed GLOBAL CO2?
Graphs of CO2 data from towers at different heights in North Carolina and Wisconsin. Lower heights show the diurnal changes.
http://www.cmdl.noaa.gov/ccgg/diurnal.html
CO2 measured at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. Except for different seasonal variations, the trends are very similar.
http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/insitu.html
——————————-
Yes, well mixed…
Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!
Oops
I meant to say:
You, however, are STILL a bigoted idiot.
WTF happened to all the other posts today?
The fundies couldnt take it?
The spirit one guy is still a gangsta
Angry Johnny and the Killbillies are still correct.
And Kansas is STILL as bigoted as you think!
“Agnatha,
“AKA kansasfrmgrrl?”
Nope, but I am a poster who has recently “switched nics”.
“If so, you are intelligent and write and communicate well.”
Thank you.
“Why not try to be a little more open minded and read the article and also the footnote references?”
I did read it, it was still unnecessary for you to post it in its entirity when you already posted the link.
“You might learn some REAL facts about marriage!”
You evidently did not read my comments to Political Mama on this very subject. I am both quite “open minded” and aware of the “facts” of the subject. I am, in fact, a believer in marriage.
“Maybe you are being too narrow minded?”
I doubt it. Please demonstrate how the benefits of marriage are limited only to the sort of marriage that Dobson and his associates would recognize.
Oh, and I forgot a couple.
Obama is still a panderer who would throw ANYONE under the bus to get to the white house.
And generalissimo franco is STILL dead…
“CO2 is not causing global warming, in fact, CO2 is lagging temperature change in all reliable datasets.”
See also my forthcoming paper: “Chickens do not lay eggs, because they have been observed to hatch from them”.
Posted by: z | March 31, 2008 8:20 PM
http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2008/03/remember_eg_becks_dodgy.php#comment-813954
Hank, what is the ORIGINAL source of the crap you posted. It sure didn’t come from the CIA and I strongly doubt it came from your head.
Back in Forgotonstan:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080702/wl_nm/afghan_violence_dc_3
If Russia, or Iran have their own Charlie Wilson, we’re in even deeper trouble in Afghanistan.
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!”
—————
Thank you, ‘Regular’, for helping to point out that most of Earth’s ATMOSPHERE is not heavily “populated”.
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!”
—————
Thank you, ‘Regular’, for helping to point out that most of Earth’s ATMOSPHERE is not heavily populated.
Hmmmm… wonder if THIS link caused the problems?
Six Bullets for Jesus is STILL funny. Censorship be damned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HtUE9YkNIA
Funny that anything would be censored given the porn spam the WE cant seem to do anything about!
Chas
Posted June 30, 2008 at 3:01 am | Permalink
“You are one of the biggest liars here!! I do not swear at posters — Just another one of your lies”
http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/06/open-thread-629-2/#comment-376050
Chas
Posted June 28, 2008 at 9:08 pm | Permalink
“I DONT THINK SO BITCH!!!”
http://blogs.kansas.com/weblog/2008/06/open-thread-628-2/#comment-375452
Maggotpunk,
The best way to see if a religion is “peaceful” is to look at the centerpiece, the one the religion is founded upon, the one whom the religion follows.
For Christians that would be Jesus.
#
Agnatha
Posted July 2, 2008 at 1:46 pm | Permalink
Hank, what is the ORIGINAL source of the crap you posted. It sure didn’t come from the CIA and I strongly doubt it came from your head.
Chas., is that you?
LOL
“The best way to see if a religion is “peaceful” is to look at the centerpiece, the one the religion is founded upon, the one whom the religion follows.
For Christians that would be Jesus.”
“I come not to bring peace but a sword.”
“But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.”
Yeah, real peaceful guy. The sort of cult leader that would have followers who are obsessed with guns and war. Where do you fit in Nathan?
#
cosmos_originally
Posted July 2, 2008 at 1:52 pm | Permalink
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Of course, we all know those huge population centers at Barrow, Mauna Loa, Samoa, and the South Pole. I mean they have malls and everything there!!”
—————
Thank you, ‘Regular’, for helping to point out that most of Earth’s ATMOSPHERE is not heavily populated.
—————————-
Being as the atmosphere is primarily composed of water vapor and gas particles, I would certainly hope it is not heavily populated.
cosmos is not a scientist.
kasfarmgrrl,
Always the bottom line for you is name balling and more name calling.
How childish and juvenile.
It shows your maturity level.
Don’t you have any good points to make?
kasfarmgrrl,
Always the bottom line for you is name calling and more name calling.
How childish and juvenile.
It shows your maturity level.
Don’t you have any good points to make?
Dad,
I was wondering the same thing. “Agnatha” turned up just after the little lunch meeting.
I had some feeling like it might have come up to try it just to see.
Maggotpunk,
I thought you claimed to be a Christian. Are you now renouncing the faith or was it a lie all along?
Maybe we should call the waaaaaaambulance for american?
Call Momma about the clubhouse, boy. Also, I have a name for the minister other than Chas.
Later.
If you dont want to be called a bigot, dont be one.
If you dont want to be called an idiot, dont be one.
Too simple for ya?
I renounce Christianism.
“Always the bottom line for you is name balling”
And… I’ll have you know…
I have NEVER balled a name!
KFG,
The only problem is that anyone who disagrees with homosexual marriage is a bigot according to you.
When you define the words based on agreement with you, it is a little more difficult “not to be one” according to you.
And trying to invent meaningless new words which are psychobabble.
“I thought you claimed to be a Christian. Are you now renouncing the faith or was it a lie all along?”
Oh I am, but I have talked personally with Jesus and he told me to renounce you as a heathen and blasphemer. He is sick of you mocking him and taking his name in vain. Deut 13:1
Hmmm… was it “gansta” that confused american?
See also: mark “the thrower” holick
Oh, I bet it was “waaaaaaambulance”
hehehehehehhe.HEE HEE HEE HEE HEEEE.
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAH
Sucks to be you
Agnatha,
Are you ksagnostic?
Maggotpunk,
In one sentence you call Jesus a cult leader and in the next you say you are talking to him.
I think I am finally understanding why you are so messed up in regards to this subject.
KFG :”name balling ”
Is this a new game?? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..
David Barton - 02/06/2008
February 6, 2008
Greetings!
On February 5, nearly two dozen states made their voice heard in the presidential primaries. To help equip Christian voters to fulfill their role during the election season, WallBuilders produced a Voters’ Guide that was distributed to millions of homes.
That Voters’ Guide proved to be a great threat to anti-Biblical secularists. Americans United for the Separation of Church and State therefore filed an official complaint requesting that the IRS investigate both WallBuilders and the American Family Association (headed by Don Wildmon) for distributing that Voters’ Guide.
We have absolutely no intention of backing down or altering our message. We will not be intimidated. Benjamin Franklin observed, “Make yourself sheep, and the wolves will eat you,” and Thomas Jefferson wisely advised, “In matters of principle, stand like a rock!” We will! We will not be intimidated from exercising our constitutional rights and encouraging other Christians to do so.
In fact, please urge your friends and family in states that have not yet voted to download the Voters’ Guide (click here) and distribute it. Because the real intent of the secularists is to keep Christians out of the civil arena, the Rev. Barry Lynn (head of Americans United), warned that “Any church that distributes these biased guides is risking its tax exemption and casting aside its integrity.” He is dead wrong! The Voters’ Guide was reviewed by numerous constitutional attorneys before we released it. Show him that Christians will not be silenced and that his threats will only result in more aggressive action from Christians as we take our stand as salt and light in the civil arena!
Some often marvel that the head of such a secularist group as AU goes by the title of “Reverend,” yet Barry Lynn is indeed an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ (the same denomination of which Barack Obama is a member) – considered the most liberal (and fastest declining) of all American denominations.
The UCC was the first denomination to ordain an openly gay minister (way back in the early 1970s) and to call for recognition of homosexual marriages; and over 200 of its churches are led by openly homosexual ministers. The UCC is also a strong advocate of abortion and openly endorsed abortion a full two years before the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court abortion decision in 1973. They even opposed the ban on partial-birth abortions.
The UCC does not accept fixed absolutes from the Bible, but instead believes that the Bible should be defined by the current culture and context. You can certainly understand why individuals with this worldview would not want Christians to vote Biblically.
Thus far throughout the primaries, Christian turnout has been high. Let’s keep it that way! Encourage your friends, family, and associates to remain involved!
“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in a time of moral crisis, maintain their neutrality.” Dante, The Inferno (circa 1315 A.D.)
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=6560
No Nathan, your false Jesus a cult leader of your twisted false religion. The true Christ represents the true Christianity, the true religion which you seek to bastardize with your love affairs with demons and false prophets.
My boy, you need an exorcism to rid yourself of the demonic influences which have perverted your soul.
For all of you out there, I made a typo. Typed “balling”, instead of “calling” and then reposted with the correct post.
But, leave it to the libs and lib radicals to go off in left field……….
What is it they say?
“A little child shall lead them”?
Well, my son isn’t that little anymore.
But yesterday, at the dentist office, he picked up a bible. I raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
He read for a few minutes and then said…
“Dang that book is silly. It goes all over the place and says stuff over and over.”
30 years older than my son. But to this day my take on Genesis remains much the same.
American I’m Independent , so put me in center field, please.
Being an independent doesn’t put you in center field.
A liberal can be Republican, Democrat or Independent, or Green party, etc………..
A conservative can be Republican, Democrat or Independent, or Green party, etc………..
HEE HEE HEE HEEEEEE….
Gster, I both “pitch” and “catch” ROFLMQAO!
Just for you american. For every gay teenager in the world.
Survival of the Fittest
I was alone.
Vulnerable.
Separated from my pack.
Adolescents quickly smell weakness.
A ravening pack of merciless wolves,
it didn’t take them long to sniff out my fear.
I can still see them circling me now.
Their attacks were subtle at first…
nibbling at my insecurities, tasting me.
Savouring tiny morsels of my self-respect,
licking their chops
while grinning to my face
with their well-sharpened teeth.
Later, hungry jowls dripping with sarcasm,
they ventured larger mouthfuls, brazenly piercing
my flesh with malevolent mockery, until
angst, loathing–even hatred–freely flowed.
New experiences, which gave me
nowhere to retreat
to lick my wounds.
Still, it was a surprise to me
when they moved in for the kill…
remorseless fangs embedded in my throat,
howls of victory rebounding off
disemboweled innocence.
I never truly believed
that my own kind could be capable
of such atrocities.
I have survived, though my scars
remain clearly visible.
Time does not heal all wounds.
Still, it was not my attackers who severed
my faith in humanity.
It was you.
You.
Who stood silently by
and watched.
http://allpoetry.com/poem/4224747
Wallbuilders? heheheheheheh
Now THAT just about says it all, no?
Go hide behind your wall dude. And soundproof it while yer at it…
Bigotry SHOULD be walled in.
So American are there any other alternatives other than Liberal or Conservative? I want to give you a chance to explain how that is not a false dilema.
I will even give you a hint. Moderate.
Or is gster either with you or against you?
Multi-nic’d ‘Regular’ posted,
“Being as the atmosphere is primarily composed of water vapor and gas particles, I would certainly hope it is not heavily populated.”
——————
Thank you for again proving my point ‘Regular’ — that’s why scientists measure global CO2 levels at remote sites.
And global CO2 was not at 400 ppm in the 1940’s, as ‘Regular’ incorrectly claimed.
…and the UCC um, ENDORSED abortion? WTF?
I think they endorse a woman’s right to chose.
But nice smear. You get gymnastic difficulty points.
“A liberal can be Republican, Democrat or Independent, or Green party, etc………..
A conservative can be Republican, Democrat or Independent, or Green party, etc………..”
And you are STILL a bigoted idiot!
Agnatha,
Hank thinks “Chas”
Linda thinks “ksagnostic”
I am not sure who you are, but have decided all lib lunches should be announced here. The announcements’ terroristic value of stimulating con paranoia is quite impressive.
Hey, KFG, I think I told you but I saw Angry Johnny and the Killbillies at Kirby’s Beer Store in 1998. Those guys were driving across the country in a 60’s era chevy van. They were one very strange and impressive act. [Remind me sometime, when my sweetie is not arround, to tell you the story of tatooed women]. I bought their CD What’s so Funny?. It is a prized possession of mine. My favorite song from that album is High Noon in Killsville - the lyrics for same follow. It is a story of a grocery store robbery that goes terribly wrong:
http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Angry-Johnny-The-Killbillies/High-Noon-In-Killville.html
Steven,
I am not paranoid. Agnatha has stated that the name was a nic switch. Of course we are going to try to guess who it is.
“My boy, you need an exorcism to rid yourself of the demonic influences which have perverted your soul.”
Or, you know, he might prefer a “come to Jesus” message delivered by a gun weilding Angry Johnny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HtUE9YkNIA
Nathaniel
Posted July 2, 2008 at 3:02 pm | Permalink
Steven,
I am not paranoid. Agnatha has stated that the name was a nic switch. Of course we are going to try to guess who it is.
*****
I guess you’re not too much paranoid… Who do you think it is? I have no clue at all.
“Chas., is that you?
“LOL”
No, and that is not a reply. You appear to have cut and pasted without attribution. Or is that entire post your work?
“Agnatha,
“Are you ksagnostic?”
We have a winner!
ksfarmgrrl,
Once again, your extremeism (e intended) and ignorance is showing.
Same Gender Extremists do not believe in Democracy, but seek to manipulate the judicial system by stacking the courts with liberal justices to circumvent the democratic process and give “special rights” to those who would in conscience destroy the democracy for their own lifestyle choices and all this with no shame, but only with their own supposed glorification.
Dance poodle, dance!
I love a good poodle dance in the afternoon.
“Same Gender Extremists do not believe in Democracy, but seek to manipulate the judicial system by stacking the courts with liberal justices to circumvent the democratic process and give ’special rights’ to those who would in conscience destroy the democracy for their own lifestyle choices and all this with no shame, but only with their own supposed glorification.”
You, American, are in no position to be labeling others extemist. You’re exactly the sort of “extremist” that cost Phill Kline the AG and the Kansas School Board its conservative Christian agenda.
And “special rights” is a euphemism for “rights we don’t want the minority to share”.
Your projection as to the motivations of those people who merely wish to marry the person who they love reveals more about you than it reveals about the people you purport to describe.
American
Posted July 2, 2008 at 3:24 pm | Permalink
Same Gender Extremists do not believe in Democracy, but seek to manipulate the judicial system by stacking the courts with liberal justices to circumvent the democratic process and give “special rights” to those who would in conscience destroy the democracy for their own lifestyle choices and all this with no shame, but only with their own supposed glorification.
**********
Dude,
In all seriousness: talk to your M.D. about the new generation antipsychotics.
Equal rights are “special rights” - are you really from America?
Agnatha,
My dear lady - So what extremism cost the last AG, Paul Morrison, his job?
Political chameleonism, abuse of powerism, overuse of telephonism?
“Extremists” are either for us or against us. Either they are Liberal or they are Conservative.
Just one of the philosophies of the neocon. Complete with the false dilema.
…collect the whole set…
StevenEDavis,
The question is, do you believe in reality?
That is exactly what is happening in this country and in particular, in California.
Better wake up and smell the roses!
OMG, you guys have to go to comment number 26 on this thread. One of the funniest pictures I’ve seen in a long time. A sheep, watching fux news.
heheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389×3554934
“In all seriousness: talk to your M.D. about the new generation antipsychotics.”
heheheheh!
And please, take the spirit one guy with ya when ya go!
KFG says >>> “Bigotry SHOULD be walled in.”
You left off one thing… ‘And sealed in a sound proof room’
LOL
Yes! I am an American, of the USA, and am very proud of it!
I do not beat my chest because of my skin color or my nationality or my gender, but in this I do:
I am proud to be an American!!!!!!!!!!
Can you say the same?
Agnatha, As you said when you told us you were a new nic but it should be obvious who you had been — it was! Seems fair for someone to change their nic if they choose but I appreciate honesty so thanks for letting us know you had changed, and the guessing game was fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_sequitur_%28logic%29
This has all of the BOGUS arguments of this ANTI-Independence Day crowd arguing against Equal Rights — I still havent figured out what country they come from… But there were a LOT of refugees when the old Soviet Union fell!! Maybe??
ksfarmgrrl,
You really should run for public office, you know.
The Green Party!
In Kansas!
EVERY ONE of those strengths/values of marriage posted/copied upthread ALSO applies to a Gay Couple…. EVERY ONE of them….
And yet, these bozos want to DENY all of those strengths and values to Gay Couples!!
And at the same time they call for Family Values?? Balderdsh!! They want a new form of Communist Terrorism aimed at the Gay community!! THAT is the bottom line here…
I dunno Chas.
Was poodle dancing banned in the USSR?
Ok, I’m off to find my coonskin cap and watch my daily dose of Daniel Boone!
Ok, found the cap, but now I hafta find the remote.
And meanwhile…
Since this is “guess the nic” day, does anyone else think american sounds a lot like okobserver, who sounds a lot like germie?
Poodle dancing at the Blue Iguana…
Chas
Posted July 2, 2008 at 3:48 pm | Permalink
EVERY ONE of those strengths/values of marriage posted/copied upthread ALSO applies to a Gay Couple…. EVERY ONE of them….
———————————
I dunno, I don’t see mom and dad or grandpa and grandma on the gay list of comparisons.
Chas,
Wikipedia is really not a reliable source of information.
Also, for your reading pleasure on those who were directly involved with THE Independence Day and THE Real Equal Rights beginning of America:
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=82
David Barton - 01/2000
This year marks 230 years since our Founding Fathers gave us our National Birth Certificate. We continue to be the longest on-going Constitutional Republic in the history of the world. Blessings such as these are not by chance or accidental. They are blessings of God.
On July 2, 1776, Congress voted to approve a complete separation from Great Britain. Two days afterwards – July 4th – the early draft of the Declaration of Independence was signed, albeit by only two individuals at that time: John Hancock, President of Congress, and Charles Thompson, Secretary of Congress. Four days later, on July 8, members of Congress took that document and read it aloud from the steps of Independence Hall, proclaiming it to the city of Philadelphia, after which the Liberty Bell was rung. The inscription around the top of that bell, Leviticus 25:10, was most appropriate for the occasion: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.”
To see the turmoil in other nations, their struggles and multiple revolutions, and yet to see the stability and blessings that we have here in America, we may ask how has this been achieved? What was the basis of American Independence? John Adams said “The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity.” Perhaps the clearest identification of the spirit of the American Revolution was given by John Adams in a letter to Abigail the day after Congress approved the Declaration. He wrote her two letters on that day; the first was short and concise, jubilant that the Declaration had been approved. The second was much longer and more pensive, giving serious consideration to what had been done that day. Adams cautiously noted: “This day will be the most memorable epic in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival.”
It is amazing that on the very day they approved the Declaration, Adams was already foreseeing that their actions would be celebrated by future generations. Adams contemplated whether it would be proper to hold such celebrations, but then concluded that the day should be commemorated – but in a particular manner and with a specific spirit. As he told Abigail: “It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.”
John Adams believed that the Fourth of July should become a religious holiday – a day when we remembered God’s hand in deliverance and a day of religious activities when we committed ourselves to Him in “solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.” Such was the spirit of the American Revolution as seen through the eyes of those who led it, evidenced even further in the words of John Quincy Adams, one who was deeply involved in the activities of the Revolution.
In 1837, when he was 69 years old, he delivered a Fourth of July speech at Newburyport, Massachusetts. He began that address with a question: “Why is it, friends and fellow citizens, that you are here assembled? Why is it that entering on the 62nd year of our national existence you have honored [me] with an invitation to address you. . . ?”
The answer was easy: they had asked him to address them because he was old enough to remember what went on; they wanted an eye-witness to tell them of it! He next asked them: “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]?”
An interesting question: why is it that in America the Fourth of July and Christmas were our two top holidays? Note his answer: “Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”
According to John Quincy Adams, Christmas and the Fourth of July were intrinsically connected. On the Fourth of July, the Founders simply took the precepts of Christ which came into the world through His birth (Christmas) and incorporated those principles into civil government.
Have you ever considered what it meant for those 56 men – an eclectic group of ministers, business men, teachers, university professors, sailors, captains, farmers – to sign the Declaration of Independence? This was a contract that began with the reasons for the separation from Great Britain and closed in the final paragraph stating “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.”
Dr. Benjamin Rush, the father of American Medicine and a signer, recorded that day in his diary. In 1781, he wrote to John Adams “Do you recollect the pensive and awful silence which pervaded the House when we were called up, one after another, to the table of the President of Congress to subscribe to what was believed by many at that time to be our death warrants? The silence and gloom of the morning was interrupted, I well recollect, only for a moment by Colonel Harrison of Virginia (a big guy) who said to Mr. Gerry (small in stature) at the table: ‘I shall have a great advantage over you, Mr. Gerry, when we are all hung for what we are now doing… From the size and weight of my body I shall die in a few minutes, but from the lightness of your body you will dance in the air an hour or two before you are dead.’ This speech procured a transient smile, but it was soon succeeded by the solemnity with which the whole business was conducted.”
These men took this pledge seriously. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania is an example of the highest level of integrity. He was chosen as the financier of the American Revolution. What an honor, except that there was no bank willing to give any loans to help fund the revolution. It was three years and the Battle of Saratoga before America got any kind of funding at all. After winning that battle, foreign nations like France, Holland, and others decided maybe we weren’t such a bad risk and began loaning us money. So where did we get money for the first three years? Congress, at that time, could not have obtained a loan of one thousand dollars, yet Robert Morris effected loans upon his own credit, of tens of thousands. In 1781, George Washington conceived the expedition against Cornwallis, at Yorktown. He asked Judge Peters of Pennsylvania, “What can you do for me?” “With money, everything, without it, nothing,” he replied, at the same time turning with anxious look toward Mr. Morris. “Let me know the sum you desire,” said Mr. Morris; and before noon Washington’s plan and estimates were complete. Robert Morris promised him the amount, and he raised it upon his own responsibility. It has been justly remarked, that: “If it were not demonstrable by official records, posterity would hardly be made to believe that the campaign of 1781, which resulted in the capture of Cornwallis, and virtually closed the Revolutionary War, was sustained wholly on the credit of an individual merchant.” America couldn’t repay him because there was no money and yet Robert Morris never complained because he had given his word.
You see the same thing in the life of John Hart. He was a strong Christian gentleman and Speaker of the House of Representatives in New Jersey. He promised to help provide them with guidance and leadership. There were three things that were important in his life; his Savior, his family and his farm. Because of his signature on the Declaration, the British were seeking him (and the rest of the signers) to execute as traitors. John Hart fled his home after which his farm was ravaged, his timber destroyed, his cattle and stock butchered for the use of the British army. He did not dare to remain two nights in the same location. After Washington’s success at the battle of Trenton, he finally returned home to find that his wife had died and his children scattered. He lost almost everything that was important to him but kept his word.
John Hancock, a very wealthy individual lived in a mansion reflecting his princely fortune – one of the largest in the Province of Massachusetts. During the time the American army besieged Boston to rid it of the British, the American officers proposed the entire destruction of the city. “By the execution of such a plan, the whole fortune of Mr. Hancock would have been sacrificed. Yet he readily acceded to the measure, declaring his willingness to surrender his all, whenever the liberties of his country should require it.” A man of his word, he demonstrated his integrity.
The 16 Congressional proclamations for prayer and fasting throughout the Revolution were not bland (i.e., the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ, the quoting of Romans 14:17, etc.); however, this is not unusual considering the prominent role that many ministers played in the Revolution.
One such example is John Peter Muhlenburg. In a sermon delivered to his Virginia congregation on January 21, 1776, he preached verse by verse from Ecclesiastes 3 – the passage which speaks of a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. Arriving at verse 8, which declares that there is a time of war and a time of peace, Muhlenburg noted that this surely was not the time of peace; this was the time of war. Concluding with a prayer, and while standing in full view of the congregation, he removed his clerical robes to reveal that beneath them he was wearing the uniform of an officer in the Continental army! He marched to the back of the church; ordered the drum to beat for recruits and nearly three hundred men joined him, becoming the Eighth Virginia Brigade. John Peter Muhlenburg finished the Revolution as a Major-General, having been at Valley Forge and having participated in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, Stonypoint, and Yorktown.
Another minister-leader in the Revolution was the Reverend James Caldwell. His actions during one battle inspired a painting showing him standing with a stack of hymn books in his arms while engaged in the midst of a fierce battle against the British outside a battered Presbyterian church. During the battle, the Americans had developed a serious problem: they had run out of wadding for their guns, which was just as serious as having no ammunition. Reverend Caldwell recognized the perfect solution; he ran inside the church and returned with a stack of Watts Hymnals – one of the strongest doctrinal hymnals of the Christian faith (Isaac Watts authored “O God Our Help In Ages Past,” “Joy to the World,” “Jesus Shall Reign,” and several other classic hymns). Distributing the Watts Hymnals among the soldiers served two purposes: first, its pages would provide the needed wadding; second, the use of the hymnal carried a symbolic message. Reverend Caldwell took that hymn book – the source of great doctrine and spiritual truth – raised it up in the air and shouted to the Americans, “Give ‘em Watts, boys!”
The spiritual emphasis manifested so often by the Americans during the Revolution caused one Crown-appointed British governor to write to Great Britain complaining that: “If you ask an American who is his master, he’ll tell you he has none. And he has no governor but Jesus Christ.”
Letters like this, and sermons like those preached by the Reverend Peter Powers titled “Jesus Christ the King,” gave rise to a sentiment that has been described as a motto of the American Revolution. Most Americans are unaware that the Revolution might have had mottoes, but many wars do (e.g., in the Texas’ war for independence, it was “Remember the Alamo”; in the Union side in the Civil War, it was “In God We Trust”; in World War I, it was “Remember the Lusitania”; in World War II, it was “Remember Pearl Harbor”; etc.). A motto of the American Revolution directed against the tyrant King George III and the theologically discredited doctrine of the Divine Right of Kings (which asserted that when the king spoke, it was the voice of God speaking directly to the people) was simple and direct: “No King but King Jesus!” Another motto (first suggested by Benjamin Franklin and often repeated during the Revolution) was similar in tone: “Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God.”
Preserving American liberty depends first upon our understanding the foundations on which this great country was built and then preserving the principles on which it was founded. Let’s not let the purpose for which we were established be forgotten. The Founding Fathers have passed us a torch; let’s not let it go out.
To learn more about the quest for our freedom, read WallBuilder resources such as Celebrate Liberty!, the Lives of the Signers and Wives of the Signers reprints, and the booklet, The Spirit of the American Revolution; or listen to the stories recounted by David Barton in America’s Birthday. These, and many more, are available from our online store. To order or request a FREE catalog, call toll-free 800-873-2845; or you may write to us at P.O. Box 397, Aledo, TX, 76008.
“The nation’s top military officer said today that more U.S. troops are needed in Afghanistan to help tamp down an increasingly violent insurgency but does not have sufficient forces to send because of the war in Iraq.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/02/AR2008070202010.html?hpid=topnews
WTF? If we don’t have enough troops to back up our forces in Afghanistan, how are we going to fight a war in Iran?
Oh please let the Draft resume. Let’s spread the casualties around so everybody gets to share the pain.
City of Wichita 4th of July Closures
Date: July 1, 2008
Contact: Communications Team
Phone: (316) 268-4351
In observance of the 4th of July holiday, all City of Wichita facilities will be closed Friday, July 4. This includes City Hall, Park Recreation Centers, Wichita Public Library branches and Neighborhood City Halls. Transit services will not be operating.
All Municipal golf courses and City of Wichita swimming pools, weather permitting, will be open. Botanica and the Animal Shelter will be open holiday hours from 1 to 5 p.m.
All Library locations will maintain regular business hours on Saturday and Sunday. Normal bus operations will run on Saturday.