Ancient Chinese secret: Calgon

Calgon, take me away! Calgon, wash my sins away! ;)

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It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .

You seem very preoccupied with that being, do you invoke it a lot?

Apparently so, every time I mention the 'M' word... ;)

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It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .

You seem very preoccupied with that being, do you invoke it a lot?

Apparently so, every time I mention the 'M' word... ;)

Which you do a lot. ;)

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

You seem very preoccupied with that being, do you invoke it a lot?

Apparently so, every time I mention the 'M' word... ;)

Which you do a lot. ;)

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me@rescam.org

Catholics struggle over their vote

E.J. DIONNE JR.
THE WASHINGTON POST

October 22, 2008

It has become commonplace in American politics: Certain Roman Catholic bishops declare that the faithful should cast their ballots on the basis of a limited number of “non-negotiable issues,” notably opposition to abortion. Conservative Catholics cheer, more liberal Catholics howl. And that is usually the end of the story.

Not this year. Catholics, who are quintessential swing voters and gave narrow but crucial support to President Bush in 2004, are drifting toward Barack Obama. And this time, some church leaders are suggesting that single-issue voting is by no means a Catholic commandment.

In an interview on Monday, Gabino Zavala, an auxiliary bishop in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, said his fellow bishops have long insisted that “we're not a one-issue church,” a view reflected in their 2007 document “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.”

“But that's not always what comes out,” says Zavala, who is also bishop-president of the Catholic peace group Pax Christi USA. “What I believe, and what the church teaches, is that one abortion is too many. That's why I believe abortion is so important. But in light of this, there are many other issues we need to bring up, other issues we should consider, other issues that touch the reality of our lives.”

Those issues, Bishop Zavala said, include racism, torture, genocide, immigration, war and the impact of the economic downturn “on the most vulnerable among us, the elderly, poor children, single mothers.”

“We know that neither of the political parties supports everything the church teaches,” he added. “We are not going to create a culture of life if we don't talk about all the life issues, beginning with abortion but including all of them.”

Zavala was careful to say that he did not want to take issue with any of his fellow bishops. But his view contrasts with that of others in the hierarchy.

Earlier this month, for example, Bishop Joseph Martino of the Scranton (Pa.) Diocese issued a letter warning that “being 'right' on taxes, education, health care, immigration and the economy fails to make up for the error of disregarding the value of a human life.” He added: “It is a tragic irony that 'pro-choice' candidates have come to support homicide – the gravest injustice a society can tolerate – in the name of 'social justice.' ”

Bishop Zavala's desire to speak out with an alternative view is a sign of how much has changed in four years: Progressive Catholics are now as organized as conservative Catholics were in 2004. At Web sites such as prolifeproobama.com, they are arguing that the abortion question does not trump all other concerns.

The impact of the new Catholic politics could be substantial. Catholics are often a decisive electoral group partly because church membership ranges from upscale to working-class whites, a large community of Latinos, and a significant number of African-Americans.

Catholics typically make up about a quarter of the electorate, and they are strategically located. White Catholics are important in such swing states as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Latino Catholics make up a notable share of the populations of New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Florida.

Polls have varied in measuring the Catholic shift toward the Democrats, but Obama seems to be running ahead of John Kerry's performance in 2004. According to the network exit polls, Bush carried 52 percent of the Catholic vote to 47 percent for Kerry. By contrast, a mid-October Pew Research Center survey showed Obama leading John McCain among Catholics by a margin of 55 percent to 35 percent.

Washington Post surveys over the same period have found more modest Catholic gains for Obama. A Post tracking poll released Monday showed Obama and McCain splitting the Catholic vote at 48 percent each. Obama's Catholic share probably stands somewhere between the Pew and Post numbers. But even a split among Catholics could mark a sufficient improvement over Kerry's performance to tip key states the Democrats' way.

In many respects, Catholics simply reflect the country as a whole in moving toward the Democrats because of frustrations with the economy and the Bush years. But the Catholic debate entails a very particular argument over what counts as a commitment to life. To an unexpected degree, this election could hang on the struggle of Catholic voters with their priorities and their consciences.

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me@rescam.org

You seem very preoccupied with that being, do you invoke it a lot?

Apparently so, every time I mention the 'M' word... ;)

Which you do a lot. ;)

:-)

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

[quote][quote]Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ;)

I'm doing fine :) why are you invoking my name? *grins*

[quote][quote]Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ;)

I'm doing fine :) why are you invoking my name? *grins*

Do not raise more devils than you can lay down.

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me@rescam.org

[quote][quote]Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ;)

I'm doing fine :) why are you invoking my name? *grins*

LOL Want some morning coffee?

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

[quote][quote]Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ;)

I'm doing fine :) why are you invoking my name? *grins*

LOL Want some morning coffee?

Is it Iced coffee its hot as hell down here :).

Ok I know this is stepping on peoples toes but:
Why is it when something good happens they say "it's god's will"?
but when something bad happens they say "the lord works in mysterious ways"
Take away the over blown press kit that is the bible and what are you really left with? Nothing more than Greeks worshipping the Olympian Gods of old. Fact is since Jesus died on the cross no ones heard as much as a peep out of God in 2000yrs now why is that since in the old testament he was pretty vocal and vengeful what with the floods wiping out all the people and parting oceans for moses and all. Whats he on vacation? And when exactly is this wailing and gnashing of teeth supposed to start we are threatend with seven times in the New Testament?
And while I'm casting stones hehe Where is any mention of Aliens in the bible or how about the dinosaurs.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Day 2 verses 6-8, God created the firmament (or expanse).
Day 3 God created the dry land and separated from the seas, and the plants. 9-13
Day 4 God created light, stars, moon and sun. 14-19
Day 5 God created life in the waters, birds 20-23
Day 6 God created animals on the land and the beasts of the field 24-25
Also on day 6, God created the crown of His creation. Man was created in the image of God.
Day 7 God rested to give man a day of rest.

Hmm nope no mention of Aliens or Dinosaurs hehe or am I missing an eight day?
Day 8 God created Dinosaurs and Aliens the dinosaurs ate man and the Aliens abducted the cows. :)

[quote][quote]Isaiah 14:12-14
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! ;)

I'm doing fine :) why are you invoking my name? *grins*

LOL Want some morning coffee?

Is it Iced coffee its hot as hell down here :).

...

Iced coffee is served for you in the Rocky's Coffee Club II thread.

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

Ok I know this is stepping on peoples toes but:
Why is it when something good happens they say "it's god's will"?
but when something bad happens they say "the lord works in mysterious ways"
Take away the over blown press kit that is the bible and what are you really left with? Nothing more than Greeks worshipping the Olympian Gods of old. Fact is since Jesus died on the cross no ones heard as much as a peep out of God in 2000yrs now why is that since in the old testament he was pretty vocal and vengeful what with the floods wiping out all the people and parting oceans for moses and all. Whats he on vacation? And when exactly is this wailing and gnashing of teeth supposed to start we are threatend with seven times in the New Testament?
And while I'm casting stones hehe Where is any mention of Aliens in the bible or how about the dinosaurs.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Day 2 verses 6-8, God created the firmament (or expanse).
Day 3 God created the dry land and separated from the seas, and the plants. 9-13
Day 4 God created light, stars, moon and sun. 14-19
Day 5 God created life in the waters, birds 20-23
Day 6 God created animals on the land and the beasts of the field 24-25
Also on day 6, God created the crown of His creation. Man was created in the image of God.
Day 7 God rested to give man a day of rest.

Hmm nope no mention of Aliens or Dinosaurs hehe or am I missing an eight day?
Day 8 God created Dinosaurs and Aliens the dinosaurs ate man and the Aliens abducted the cows. :)

Lets talk about God, but first let's cover man.
Is man all powerful?
Does man know everything?
Is man perfect?
Is man subject to any physical or mathematical laws he can't change?
Is man eternal?

Now lets cover God.
Is God all powerful?
Does God know everything?
Is God Perfect?
Is God subject to any physical or mathematical laws he can't change?
Is God eternal?

Most monotheist's answer all these questions the same indicating man is limited and God is unlimited.

Now can anyone tell me what is wrong with this? It isn't the answers for man.

It usually helps if you ask some simple questions.
If God knows everything, if a limited man can describe it, would God know how to do it?
If God is all powerful, if he know how to do it, could God do it?

Most monotheist's answer all these questions the same indicating man is limited and God is unlimited.

I know one thing for sure, in 25 years of work, man couldn't provide me with a simple job description... ;)

(Concerning the things of God, I'll stick with God until you people get your act together right here on earth. Thank you very much!)

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It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .

Most monotheist's answer all these questions the same indicating man is limited and God is unlimited.

I know one thing for sure, in 25 years of work, man couldn't provide me with a simple job description...

I didn't know your God had to punch a time clock.

Learn something new every day.

Learn something new every day.

I wish I could say the same... ;)

(The scenery might change, but the agenda always remains the same.)

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It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .

Learn something new every day.

I wish I could say the same... ;)

(The scenery might change, but the agenda always remains the same.)

Next up is the phone book.

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me@rescam.org

Catholic Church has made no exception regarding abortion since ancient times
Biden's new Bishop blasts Biden on abortion...

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me@rescam.org

Catholic Church has made no exception regarding abortion since ancient times

Gods rules don't change just because men invent shiny new toys... ;)

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It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .

Catholic Church has made no exception regarding abortion since ancient times

Gods rules don't change just because men invent shiny new toys... ;)

Santa Claus does not approve.

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me@rescam.org

Latest decision: Cross can stay

Strange, no one in Brazil is trying to tear this cross down: Christ the Redeemer... ;)

(Your spaghetti monster doesn't offend us, so build your own statues, and leave ours alone!)

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It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .