Quick Links

For those new to my blog, I like to do what I used to call 'Speedlinks.'  These are just some interesting reads around the web.

1. Here is a really cool photograph of cubes.  This guy takes great pictures at 'The Daily Dose of Imagery.'
2. How do you get to be a successful venue attracting millions of people every year?  Go away!  According to Scott McClellan, the NFL brings us football, gives us a show, and goes away for a few months.  The football void brings us back for more!  I wonder how this could apply to other businesses or organizations?
3. Seth Godin reflects on what it means that we have memories from events and from people we have never personally experienced. 
4. Also from Scott McClellan, here are some thoughts from the "Restoration Fiasco."  My two favorite:  Good intentions don't justify themselves and It's easy to offer a distorted picture of Jesus.
5. Relevant Magazine has a great piece to remember 9/11.  My favorite is the story of the woman saying she felt sorry for the young man because "Your generation will have to deal with this."  It was an amazingly astute comment in terms of governance.  Economy, military, politics, laws, freedoms, and health issues will be DIRECTLY affected by that one day for the next 50-100 years.
6. Happiness vs. Holiness?  This writer makes a case that we have made Happiness an idol.
7. Satirical Christian writer Jon Acuff, wrote a funny piece about interruping Facebook prayer.

Speedlinking

Here are some great links to check out!!!

1. If you've ever put yourself out there, you'll know this already. But, it never hurts for all of us to be reminded: You will be misunderstood. It's OK...Keep at it!!!!
2. Interesting parable about ascetic theology from author Steve Taylor.
3. Cathy Escobar's great blog has a good post about single parents.
4. Andrew Conard lists some non-negotiables for church staffs. What do you think? What would you add? Subtract?
5. Is Yoga compatible with following Jesus? Interesting thoughts by my least favorite attention...lover, Mark Driscoll, but I found myself unable to disagree with what he was saying.
6. Apparently, the founder of the Tea Party movement isn't a fan of the United Methodist Church...and apparently, I'm not a big fan of him either after reading some of his other tirades!?!
7. If you haven't seen the new translation app called "Word Lens" you're missing out on Star Trek being made real today! It instantly translates any words/signs/etc. you point at...check it out!

Elections

Yesterday was an election day. Overall, I think there were some good things that came from the election. #1 being that Nancy Pelosi was removed from Speaker of the House...yikes! What an embarrassment to our nation! I'm very glad she's gone. #2 I'm glad that people are starting to take some ownership of the political process. The voters must speak discontent when the politicians aren't hearing us...or following through with our message.

However, I am appalled at the whimsical nature of this election: Basically, what came back was: We changed our mind, we don't want healthcare...we don't want higher taxes...we don't want to fix our economy. Afterall, those were the platform of the last election's winning party!

And it all boiled down to "my money." Here's some info for you, America: You payed less taxes last year than you have since 1950! Yes it's true, read about it here.

So you're expecting the American government to give you free stuff, fight wars over seas, build roads, educate your children, and they are supposed to do that without money? How?

Taxes aren't the issue...it's the spending. Yet, spending always is loved voters because we benefit from it...we just want it at someone else's expense. And right now, we lovely Americans are choosing to bankrupt our children and their children.

Here's to you voters! Getting for yourself, and ruining your children!

Right...But, Oh So Wrong

President Obama finally came out and lent support to the legality of building a mosque in close proximity to Ground Zero. Correctly, he states that our Constitution does not allow us to discriminate against anyone based on religion. Barring the mosque's construction would be against the very fabric of American liberty and freedom.

However, what I cannot fathom is the Islamic community's insistence on the location of this mosque. Public outcry has certainly been vocal, yet respectful, in stating that building a mosque here is at best inappropriate...and at worst an outright insult to the victims of 9/11 and our nation.

I can only see two reasons why they would choose this sight, and both are terrible decisions. The first and less heinous is simply: This is the Muslim version of Selma; however, I don't think this will help the Muslim call for less discrimination in the USA. In fact, I believe that building a mosque on 9/11 grounds will only enflame an already contentious relationship between the Muslim community and the American populace.

Within Islam there is a concept called "Dar al-Islam," which means "The House of Islam." Anyone or any group that submits to the Islamic beliefs is within Dar al-Islam. If you are not a Muslim, you belong to a different group, "Dar al-Harb," which means "The House of War." Some (but definitely not all!!!) take this literally and believe that Islam is at war with a non-Muslim world. I pray that the mosque is not a flag planting, a sign of conquest. I don't believe this is the reason, but I also have witnessed some very disturbing manipulation by religious figures in other similar situations. Unfortunately, religion can bring out not only the best in us, but the worst as well. Muslim, Christian, atheist, etc., all religious views have done terrible things in the name of their gods. My prayer is that this mosque does not become a symbol of Islamic Terrorist "power."

In the end, I think that the Muslims desiring this mosque need to reconsider this site. If I could say one thing to them it would be: Have the decency and the compassion (and the common sense!?!) to choose a different location! In the long run you'll make more friends by saying, "You know, we don't want to make a situation worse, how can we work with the NYC community and the nation as a whole to help heal this wound?"

This is a classic example of how being "Right" can be so amazingly wrong.

What Is Wrong With Our People?

I have been generally supportive of the Obama administration with the exception of ramming the health care bill through. That being said, there was a CNN news story that sadly demonstrates how easily we USAmericans are willing to give up our freedom of speech.

In this story, a teacher in a poor, Hispanic school, hampered by assanine statistical assessments based off a dreamland understanding of learning, tied a string to the feet an effigy of President Obama holding a sign saying to fire all of the teachers in the school (mass firings are in the works).

It was not a "hanging" or "lynching" as the media are "innocently" suggesting by using the word "hang". The doll was hung by its feet. It is not a hate crime. It is a political statement against a bad policy. Yet, the superintendent is blazing a trail toward firing the teacher with as much media spotlight as possible. Granted, I've yet to meet a school superintendent that I liked, but the Gestapo is alive and well if a teacher can't argue against the President of the USA in his classroom...especially on behalf of his students well-being.

Even more appalling is that the media are giving this superintendent airtime. By shutting down free speech, marching lock step with popular opinion, and putting on a farce of a disciplinary action, this superintendent hearkens back to a different era...My hope is that the teacher fights for his rights in this case for this case is not about a teacher...It's about our freedom to Rage Against the Machine.

America is doomed if we so easily give up our rights and our thoughts.