christian

Swamp Draining: Rosenstein Falls From Grace

Posted on by Helena

Rod Rosenstein is in trouble.   And this time, I don’t think he’s going to rise above.   I think he just got taken down.   And anything that comes out of his mouth now, sounds quite like a whine, a whimper, a save me last ditch in that ‘I’ll give you everyone…’ loyalty.

The depths to which a person will go to avoid jail.  And yet it is quite commonly so that it is the same person who advocates for more and more jail time.   Without the chance of rehabilitation.  The same mouse who would sell your wife and children if it meant his own skin.

And everyone knows that when good ol’ Rod goes down, it is only a matter of time before the domino’s fall.   And deals are ripe.   Now is the best time to make deals, because in the short span of even a week, when the real information is released and names go down, deals will evaporate.

I imagine Washington is quite ensconced in sessions that lean way into the wee hours of the night til dawn.   You see, it isn’t just the names it is the entire agenda at stake.   And thus, it isn’t just money, it is the entire power structure that is wobblin’ tenuously.

I suppose the bottom line is the government’s lasting query, “Can the American people accept the Truth?” Because that premise has been the go to when questioned about the lies.  They believe we are better off not knowing because then we would spiral into the realms of Alice in Wonderland, and never find our way out of the rabbit hole. Ever.   And perhaps we are built on a stage, speaking lines created for us.  Perhaps … nahhhh.  I’ll take the truth any day.

You see, the worst part of the rabbit hole is the bizarre acceptance of deception.   Deception was a good thing.   Such was the conundrum.  I think I would very much have liked to have had the opportunity to sit and chat with Lewis Carroll.   Because, ultimately that was what he wrote about.

Not to mention C.S. Lewis. Another story.

The rabbit hole.  It is a world wherein one may ask such questions as, “if we were all once Catholics, and we are a derivative thereof, what difference does it really make?  As a friend said,  “Still the same God.”

And that stuck to me, like Babel, like what the heck – we are fighting over semantics?   Over the drivel of a few statements within the whole eclipse?  Or a bead, or an artifact, or – a drivel.  What a freakin’ waste of time.

Recently I wrote an article about charity and how people actually fight over which charity is better – theirs or yours?   Which Christian faith is better, yours or mine?  Does it really matter?   Or are some of us claiming to be judge and judger?

I understand the atheist millennial.  Because I was one.

I was a late bloomer I suppose.  Didn’t get challenged until well into my late forties.   Prior to that I was a naïve, uninformed, airhead, Democrat, who couldn’t even tell you what I believed in – other than nature. I’ve always been an advocate, and always will be…    Today, I hail an Independent with political leanings far right and environmental, far left.

And while I asked God a particular favor, a favor that – before I die, I would really like to love and be loved, just once.  In God’s vast humor, he chose to give me some interesting history.  And so, I am left feeling, maybe I just need to be more specific, more exact in my discussions with God, except that of course, he knows everything I don’t say, so when he gives me these quirks, it is just within the bounds of humor, like a baby brother’s joke – haha…   And maybe we really take God way to seriously.

I’m particularly caught up in the Reformation.  Because it means that every Christian after the Reformation accepts the same Bible as compiled and presented by the Catholics and Orthodox Greeks.   So if we all accept the same Bible, why do we continue to – Babel?

I know I sound naïve, but sometimes, the most simplistic answer can recuse the most complex problem. And as someone once asked,  “Does it really matter?”  And I came to decide – “No.”

And from there, we move on, in realms that are more current – detrimental – life encompassing!  I feel as though the media has us so tied up in the trivialities that reality is being ever more hidden and transposed.

So, full circle, Rod Rosenstein just found himself on the merry-go-round when the electricity went off.  When he goes down, the dominoe’s – they – do – fall…

And as promised, the Swamp, she is drying up.  Are we prepared for that reality?

Do you understand what it really means?

The War of The Atheists

Posted on by Helena

The Supreme Court refuses to define what is ‘religion’. If there is no legal definition, then how can Atheists assert they are not a religious organization. And how can an atheist organization obtain charitable foundation status? According to the IRS, “private foundations generally support other public charities or other foundations with grants.” However, there is status within the context of ‘educational’. This would only be available if it is to ‘make the public aware’, the moment the actions become politically motivated then the status has been breeched.

Murky is as murky does: “Rev. Rul. 68–263, 1968–1 C.B. 256, holds that the publication of material which discredits particular institutions and individuals on the basis of unsupported opinions and incomplete information about their affiliations is not educational.”

A foundation’s attempts to discredit Christians, Christian beliefs and churches would seem to be a – breech.

A quick overview of some of the form 990’s filed by these organizations shows some discrepancies or oddities. For example, one organization had one employee whose annual compensation was roughly 40% of donations, their cost for accounting services was exceedingly high, and their ‘consultants’ cost was also worrisome. The statement of time spent per week working for the organization was 105 hours – that would equate to 15 hours per day 7 days per week.

Another foundation whose contributions totalled $3.88million in 2013 holds a “Cash Balance” in their asset section of well over $11million. I’d say they were not spending their charitable contributions very well if they have accumulated such a ‘profit’. Their revenue for 2013 was $3,878,938 and their spending was $2,163,375 leaving an annual profit margin of 44%! That’s a lot of profit for a non-profit!

Could these foundations be construed to be ‘educating’ for the purpose of lobbying for a particular political outcome? “Exemption under IRC 501(c)(3) is precluded for those organizations which are substantially engaged in attempting to influence legislation…”

Is ‘educating’ people to convert to atheism – proselytizing?

Proselytize: to recruit or convert to a new faith, belief or cause… When these foundations use the media to denounce religion and the church and provide the option to convert to atheism, they are now the proselytizer.

At what point does proselytizing become harassment? When is freedom of speech breeched? The legal definition of freedom of speech is: “to express beliefs and ideas without unwarranted government restriction.” So if a person wants to announce their belief, it is an expression. But when does this concern the separation of church and state? It doesn’t because it is superceded by the Constitution which declares, “Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech.”

Therefore, making a law that abridges this freedom of speech, such as invoking separation of church and state, is unlawful, and the First Amendment shall take priority.

And ad in a newspaper harshly condemns Catholicism. So does ‘expressing or sharing’ your faith qualify as proselytizing? Legally, no. Because then it would make every atheist potentially criminal for even stating they are atheist – which is their ’cause’ or ‘faith’.

This has become such an explosive issue of late that it bears discussion. The legal definition states: atheism is the belief that gods do not or can not exist. The problem is the use of the word ‘belief’. The definition of ‘belief’ is; confidence in the truth or existence of something that is not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof. Given that an atheist can not ‘prove’ the belief that there is no God, their faith is a belief.

For a time atheists were actively seeking status as a religion, however, when the ramifications of this became apparent, they backed off. As a religion, no material in school could refer to the non-existence of God, no theory of evolution could be taught, discrimination cases would be launched, and science would have to be revealed as a ‘theory’ of faith. The concept was dropped immediately.

Why do people become atheists? The resounding answer is because they feel that God is not keeping the world safe and pure, and therefore He must not exist. Of course, this statement defers to ‘free will’. God created Adam and Eve with free will. Within this freedom, they sinned. We still have free will, we are free to sin or not to. Our sins create an unsafe and impure world. God wants us to be pure, but He can’t force us, he cries when we sin, it brings great grief. Grief is born of Love.

When did atheism become so far flung in your face antagonistic, arrogant and smug? Because it didn’t used to be so. I had a friend who said she objected to reciting in school, “…one nation under God…”. Okay, then don’t say it. At issue is the notion that we cater to the one instead of to the eight. At issue is the fact that 12% of the US population identify themselves as ‘atheists’.

Personally, I take no issue in people who desire to identify as Atheist, or Buddhist, or Hindu, or whatever they prefer. I take issue with the constant harassment and unethical attacks perpetrated against Christians so as to make us follow the doctrine of your nothingness. I take issue with the ridiculous idea that suing is the answer to all your problems. I take issue with the notion that you are so self consumed that it is all about you. It is hypocritical and bullying. Every blank, empty wall space that is not covered with religious identity is virtually the identity of Atheism.

At issue is the notion of tolerance and the absolute intolerance of atheists in their pursuit of emptiness for all.

Palestinians Shunned – a reason?

Posted on by Helena

Why are Palestinians shunned?  It is not just Israel, it is everywhere in the Middle East, their brothers and sisters.  Palestinians were originally defined as people that lived along the coastline of the Mediterranean on the land that is now Israel.  They were Arab, Jewish and Christian.  Most of the Christians fled to South America.  As the Jewish people were pushed from their lands in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, etc… they fled to ‘Israel’.  Albeit the population grew because they had nowhere else to go.  But the Palestinians have nowhere else to go now either.  No one wants them.  They are refugees everywhere.

So, why does the media concentrate only on Palestinians within Israel? There are approximately 1.3 million Palestinians in Israel, 3.3 million in Jordan, 500,000 in Chile, 430,000 in Syria, 400,000 in Lebanon, 330,000 in Saudi Arabia, 225,000 in North and South America, 44,000 in Egypt, 40,000 in Kuwait, 310,000 in ‘other Arab states, and 308,000 in ‘other countries’.

Exactly how do they fair when in their Arab brother countries?

In Jordan and Syria, most Palestinian refugees have been integrated into society; however, in Jordan, only Palestinian refugees displaced by the 1948 War have Jordanian citizenship and enjoy largely favorable treatment on par with Jordanian nationals. Refugees from the Gaza Strip who did not hold Jordanian passports at the time of their flight in 1967 have been denied citizenship and are mostly confined to the “Jerash” camp. In Syria, Palestinian refugees have not been granted citizenship but have been accorded equal treatment with Syrian nationals in almost all respects. Palestinian refugees in Lebanon have fared considerably worse; sectarian tensions and the activities of the PLO have prevented their integration into Lebanese society. The majority of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon live in UNRWA refugee camps or other unofficial camps and shelters, often in conditions of abject poverty. They face restrictions on their right to work, access to education and healthcare, and ownership of property. Only those displaced in 1948 have residency rights in Lebanon whereas all other Palestinian refugees are deemed illegal immigrants.

Outside of the Operation Areas, Palestinian refugees face even more of a precarious existence.

In Egypt, Palestinian refugees are treated as foreigners and face significant restrictions on their ability to access education, government services, and employment. Renewal of residency permits is difficult and there are reports of frequent detention of Palestinian refugees by the authorities in Egypt. Iraq, once a refuge for Palestinian refugees, has now become a country of persecution; many Palestinians were targeted in, and fled from, Iraq following the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime.

In the Gulf States, particularly Kuwait, Palestinians are treated as foreign migrant workers with no permanent residency rights.

Approximately 59% of the population reside in refugee camps:

In Gaza there are approximately 1.2 million ‘registered’ refugees.

West Bank – 740,000

Syria – 500,000

Lebanon – 450,000

Jordan – 2 million

The discrepancy in populations verses registered refugees is huge. But foreign aid is based on refugee count, not population. Which opens another topic – how much money is funnelled to the Palestinians annually? By whom? And where is it spent? Have they built schools and hospitals and industry? Have they built roads and water systems and farmed crops? Do they make clothes and build homes and temples?  Or are they a welfare state wherein they do – nothing?

We constantly talk of their ‘plight’, their losses, their poverty, their poor conditions, but what has changed since they became refugees?  Those that lived in Palestine lost their homes in 1948, they were evicted by the UK.  Nearly 60 years of ‘aid’ has absolutely nothing to show for it.  Once again, welfare produces nothing.  It doesn’t ‘lift’ people out of poverty, instead it creates even greater poverty.   There is one notable exception to Palestinian refugees.  Those that fled to Chile worked the fields, made goods, sold products – and prospered.   It was hard, damn hard, but they had no choice and so they lifted themselves up.  These Palestinians were all Christian. They took no handouts, no UNRWA funding, no governmental aid. They didn’t live in refugee camps, they are well educated and have risen above their plight.

In 1950 when aid began pouring in to the Middle East, it supported about 750,000 ‘refugees’. Today the number is 5 million and growing without restriction. All children, grandchildren down the line of eternity – are grandfathered in. It is a shambles. The one example of UNRWA schools and medical facilities for the Palestinians is in a town outside of Damascus. But we obliterated Damascus, it lies in rubble. So much for that. Syrian refugees from Palestine became refugees once again after the country was bombed and Al Nusra and ISIS took over. Most fled to Jordan where they idle in camps in dire need of attention.

No one in the camps work. They are not required to and have little to no supportive education to enable them to work. It is the supreme example of pouring money down the drain of entitlement without creating a self sufficiency of production. Sixty years worth of nothing.

But why do the Arabs hate them so much? One theory is that the Palestinians have a knack for ingratiating themselves in their host country. Perhaps out of boredom, perhaps out of a need to feel a cause, or a purpose, whatever it is, Palestinians typically find themselves on the losing side of a civil uprising whether in Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait or wherever.

Lesson: no one likes an ingratiating bully…