(Unless they’re conservative). We’ve often heard how we should be more respectful of the world community and be like Europe. It appears that mind set does not transfer to the Anglican Church. In a statement Tuesday, the archbishop of Canterbury, introduced a plan that could well split the Anglican Church and its American counterpart the Episcopal Church in two. Most Rev. Rowan Williams has suggested the church devise a “shared theological convenant” by which all Anglican churches can abide. Churches that agree are afforded full voting status and those that do not become churches by association without decision making status.

When member churches step outside the recognized theological philosophy of their parent church it is their right. This is how the protestant reformation began, but it also is the right of the parent to enforce their doctrine. We see much of this within the Catholic Church these days also. God’s will does not change with shifting social mores to make people feel more comfortable with going to church or to make religion more palatable to masses. Making the message easier to understand by using the vernacular might fall under that purview but the ordination of gay clergy does not.

While I fervently believe people do not choose their sexual orientation, I also believe they homesexuality should not be normalized within the Christian church. This does not mean we shun gays or persecute them; it means we do not ordain them or allow them the rights of marriage in the church. It is true that God loves all his children, including the sinners. It does not mean that God condones the sin while he continues to love his children. Further, we cannot intentionally continue the sin without regard for the consequences, all the while counting on that final forgiveness. God forgives the thief who truly repents but does expect that one will at least attempt to stop stealing while seeking grace. Simply put, we are sinners and may commit sins but we have to try not to.

Now back to my original point. It seems that many on the left hold Europe to be the shining beacon of how the world should act, think and live. Socialistic, secular, selfish and arrogant. From the French and German stand on the Iraq war to form and fashion we are often regaled with stories of how and why we should act like them. Why then, when it comes to religion would we ignore the position of the European and original home of the Anglican Church? Where is the outcry that the American Episcopal Church is isolating itself from the “world community?

The 38 provinces that make up the global Communion have been at odds since 2003, when the Episcopal Church ordained Bishop V. Gene Robinson, a gay man who lives with his partner, as bishop of the diocese of New Hampshire.

The archbishop’s statement is the most solid official step yet in a long march toward schism. Twenty-two of the 38 provinces have already declared their ties with the American church to be “broken” or “impaired,” but until now the Communion has hung together waiting for guidance from the archbishop of Canterbury, who is considered “the first among equals” in the communion.

The above excerpt is evidence that the global Anglican membership does not agree with those American parishes that choose the path of gay ordination and “inclusion”. The reason we hear no outcry from the Church or secular left is that this is one case where europe does not agree with their agenda. That being a liberal one.

The archbishop wrote: “No member church can make significant decisions unilaterally and still expect this to make no difference to how it is regarded in the fellowship.”

Sounds a lot like our liberal talking heads holding forth on Iraq doesn’t it? The world community matters to the left, but only when they are in agreement with them.

Posted by Biloxi in Religion at 8:38 AM EDT

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Pssst…somebody might want to tell John Murtha, Nancy Pelosi, Dick Durbin, and the rest of the cut and run crowd that most Americans are proud to be so and they might be interested in a very plausible theory as to why they feel this even more strongly now than in the mid-1990’s.

You can read the full story in today’s Obama News; the mouthpiece of Illinois Democrats that is also known as the Chicago Sun-Times.

Three nations recorded higher levels of patriotism in the most recent query over the mid-1990s survey: the U.S., the Philippines and Australia. Smith noted the first two have been the targets of successful terrorist attacks and the third lost citizens in a 2002 bombing in Bali, an attack sometimes referred to as “Australia’s 9/11.”

“While I can’t prove it with this data, it is my suspicion that [the attacks] explain the increase in those countries,” said Smith. “People want to rally around when their country is under threat.”

Get it guys? Rallying would not include accusing our military men and women of using tactics like Stalin or Pol Pot. It doesn’t cover advocating a cut and run strategy and calling it redeployment. It also doesn’t contain a methodology of accusing our Marines of “killing in cold blood” before any investigation has been completed and the full story hasn’t come to light . Rallying calls for getting behind our military and their mission. It includes supporting all efforts that help us defeat our enemy instead of leaking them to the New York Times and it would also not allow for said paper to print leaked material that compromises our National Security just because they have the information. Sometimes no news is good news.

It is amazing how out of touch politicians can be at times.

Posted by Biloxi in Politics, War on Terror at 10:11 PM EDT

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Muslim Leaders denounced the seven thwarted terrorists who had plans of blowing up the Sears Tower, the FBI building in Miami and other Southern Florida facilities on Friday. You can read the story in this Chicago Tribune article. While I applaud their disavowal of attempted violence, I am curious as to their reasoning behind it.

One concern seems to be the avoidance of “Islamophobia” as one gentleman put it and I percieve this to be a valid issue. The larger, overriding issue I could glean from this article though, is a concern that these men are not actually Muslim but some sort of impure cult.

Abdul Malik Mujahid, chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, agreed that the descriptions of the group’s faith did not sound like Islam.

“They were reading the Bible, not the Koran. They called their place of worship a temple instead of `mosque.’ These are not things that Muslims do,” said Mujahid. “So associating them with Islam and Muslims, I think, is not only factually wrong, but will continue to contribute to Islamophobia, which is a form of racism.”

I also doubt that questioning Islamofacists committment to peace is racist as characterized by Mujahid. The condemnation concerning this matter appears to be more vociferous than usual but not because of some abhorance of the violence; rather it seems the impure religious status of the terrorists is at issue

If only the statements were this strong and swift againt the murder of civilians as perpetrated by Hamas, Al Qaeda and any of a number of Islamic organizations hell bent on the eradication of Christianity and Judaism from the face of the earth. It seems easy for them to put distance between themselves and a group that has bastardized their faith but it doesn’t seem to happen so swiftly when the terrorists are true members of the “Religion of Peace“.

Muslims in America have not created this problem,” he said. “The whole society must stand up and fight this together. We have to come together for the safety of us all.”

He makes a good point but American Muslim sympathy for their tactics and cause helps to perpetuate the problem. To come together they must denounce the violence and recognize the right of Christians and Jews to exist without capitulation. I’ll be listening for that statement.

Posted by Biloxi in Radical Islam, War on Terror at 11:53 AM EDT

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I have taken some heat for my stance on the Republican nominee for Governor of Illinois, Judy Baar Topinka. It has always been my contention that there is little substantive difference between her and the current Governor, Rod Blagojevich. My point is further underscored in this blog entry from Tom Roeser.

The hold your nose and punch the ballot, party unity line does not apply here. Are we to continually settle for substandard leadership in the name of unity? This is not the same situation as in national politics where a vote against a “moderate” Republican would tip the house or ousting a Lindsay Graham type turncoat could lead to a Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. In Illinois a Blagojevich victory is better than a Topinka victory because it will finally get rid of the old guard and move the party forward. A Topinka victory will bring us liberal social policies to go with our tax increase.

There is no other choice but to rebuild the party anew, with people who understand true conservative principles, not only on the social end but in fiscal and policy matters as well. Power in name only is worth nothing and a Topinka Governorship would embolden the left leaning party members to think the status quo is acceptable when in fact it is what brought us this hopeless morass in the first place.

If you’d like a conservative alternative check out Randy Stufflebeam (how would you like to see that name over the tollway?) Should he make it on the ballot he will have my vote this November. He may not have a chance of winning but a reasonably strong third party vote could wake up the Illinois Republican Party and Andy Mckenna. The only way to deny a perpetuation of the sub par Government we have seen in recent years is to break the mold. 2006 is the year to start.

Posted by Biloxi in Illinois Politics, Politics at 3:58 PM EDT

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With all of the press and lopsided coverage concerning Abu Ghraib and Gitmo we never hear stories of the honorable manner in which our military does their very important business. Let’s face it, war is not dungeons and dragons and sometimes interrogation techniques aren’t exactly a polite discussion. By and large our military does their difficult and necessary business honorably.

Today we receive the news that two more of our heroes were killed in Iraq. The difference being that Army Pfc. Kristian Menchaca (shown at left) and Pfc. Thomas L. Tucker, 25 were not killed in a combat operation such as an attack or roadside bomb, they were killed in captivity. The story linked above indicate that the two were beheaded though that has not been confirmed. We have seen bodies burned and hung from a bridge in the earlier stages of this war as well as civilians captured and killed. While some of the enemy have died in American custody it is neither the custom or policy of our miliary and is in fact the exception. The same cannot be said for the murdering scum that is our adversary in this war. That is why they are terrorists and why they must be defeated. It is also a good reason for us to stay in Iraq until the work is done.

We give the good news … to the Islamic nation that we have carried God’s verdict by slaughtering the two captured crusaders,” said the claim which appeared on an Islamic militant Web site where insurgent groups regularly issue statements.

“With God Almighty’s blessing, Abu Hamza al-Muhajer carried out the verdict of the Islamic court” calling for the soldiers’ slaying, the statement said.

God doesn’t order or condone the killing of others in cold blood. Those who permit, perform and condone this type of tactic in the name of God or even warfare are the lowest type of human being and will be condemned to live their days in hell.

John Murtha (D-Turncoat) and his defeatist ilk will certainly try to spin this and use the deaths of brave men as another excuse to cut and run. His own military service was honorable and appreciated but the political motives behind his betrayal of our military is reprehensible. Those who read this blog know I am not big on rhetoric but it is time for the cut and run crowd to wake up. There is a timetable in Iraq and it ends when those the radical islamists are defeated. For the good of America, for the Western culture, for the countries of the middle east and for mankind in general. God bless America and all of her brave fighting men and women.

Posted by Biloxi in Radical Islam, War on Terror at 9:22 AM EDT

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The national assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) has come one step short of endorsing a policy paper on the Triune God that proposes “gender inclusive” language such as “Mother, Child and Womb” or “Lover, Beloved, Love” when referring to the Holy Trinity.

It seems that ” Father, Son and Holy Spirit lends some people the impression that God is male. Well shucky darn and slop the chickens! Wherever would one get that idea? Maybe from the Bible? You know, the part in John 3:16 that says God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son.

Political correctness is a flawed concept to start with and this takes it to a new extreme. The word of God does not need to be altered to be understood and is not demeaning to the female gender in any way shape or form. Any inferences that the decidedly male gender in the language referencing the Trinity is belittling to women is just that, an inference, and is largely borne out of some inferiority complex or from someone with an agenda that is spoiling for a conflict. People will often bastardize interpretations of the Bible to fit their own narrow and prejudiced needs but we need not change the Church service to combat them. There is two options for the malcontented detractors; they are to adapt to the doctrine of the church they attend or ignore it and move on. None of them include referring to the Holy Spirit as a uterus.

It is actions like these from major denominations within the Christian Church that aid the long slide into secularism throughout our society. It is not enough for the non-believers to defame the name of God, we now have the hierarchies within the individual denominations aiding and abetting the process.

It is impossible to get the non-believers to come to God by mimicking their behavior in some “religion lite” experience, God’s word is to be brought to them, in its full glory. It needs to be accepted without being watered down and the beauty is revealed. The thought process of those who think they can win over the opposition by being like them will never cease to amaze me. You cannot convince someone to change when you offer no vaild or discernable difference yourself.

Posted by Biloxi in Religion at 8:24 PM EDT

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When debating illegal immigration we often hear the term melting pot bandied about by both sides wishing to use it to bolster their case. The pro-illegal crowd uses it as an excuse for non-assimilation and law breaking.

Those who support immigrants that follow the law and the legally precribed process of entry into our country use it as a term to describe our population as it once was, a blending of various cultures into a unique American culture.

In years past, people did not necessarily abandon their native cultures as much as they assimilated into the public culture of America. Immigrants worked hard and steadfastly insisted that their children attend school and learn English so that they could achieve and advance themselves beyond the hardscrabble life they had experienced. A life of hard work and hard knocks, but a satisfaction from the fruits of their labors that could only be achieved in America, the land of promise. Some immigrant customs work themselves into the fabric of American daily society while others are decidely ethnic and remain more in the neighborhoods and social clubs. This follows the philosophy of the latter group.

The former, often adopted by liberals, can never really be used as a accurate description of a melting pot. If one tosses varous components into the pot and said pieces remain unchanged as they sit side by side with the other ingredients, we have layers and not a “melting” or anything that can be truly be considered a blending at all. There is no integrity to the mix as the components can be seperated out of the mixture at will.

Another example of what makes a true melting pot would be the process by which steel is formed. The basic element in all steel is iron. That would be America, the land and basic foundation. It does not become steel until we add carbon. Various other alloying elements make different types of steel with some varied and unique properties that enhance the strength, hardness or overall workability of the steel. Anything over 10% chromium makes it stainless steel but it is still steel, with different and valuable uses. Without carbon, chromium , manganese, vanadium et al. , only iron remains. I described iron as the land which is the foundation for our country. Beautiful and useful but somewhat empty without her alloying elements. The people of the United States are the carbon that makes her into steel and as new cultures assimilate we add to her beauty and majesty. Much like the other elements change the properties of the steel and increase its integrity. Without a true blending we have iron, carbon, chromium and other metals lying side by side, relying only on their unique properties and unable to take advantage of the strengths of the others.

Immigrants who come to our country illegally and live a shadow existence never truly assimilate and are like a chunk of carbon or manganese. Strong and purposeful but nothing like they could be when blended with iron and other elements. Use of english and a demand for basic proficiency in the language is part of the process that smelts us together. Maintaining the unique aspects of the native culture within the home and community gives us our elemental properties that when blended with the iron, makes our country the toughest and best material on the market. Without a true melting though we are components which can never match the combined majesty of the blended product.

Next time you hear the term melting pot, consider its use and determine which of the two is characterized in the conversation. If a stronger America is what we want, assimilation is the blender.

Posted by Biloxi in Immigration at 6:52 PM EDT

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Rep. John Murtha’s (D - Traitor) recent betrayal of the military was inexpicable in some ways until he announced his plans to run for majority leader should the Dems win control of the house in November.

In the first place, it’s a big assumption that they win back the house so this may be a big miscalculation for the turncoat Democrat. Initially he turns his back on the troops, then condemns and convicts the Haditha group before an investigation is complete and all the evidence is in. The anti-war and anti-troop stance he has taken now makes perfect sense. He felt he needed the creds to endear himself to the looney left of the party while using his “war hero” status to appear strong on national security.

What he has actually done is alienated the military and shown that he will not act on principle, insead moving to the far left apparently positioning himself for more power. I think he overestimates the assumed result of the (yet to take place) fall elections and the mood of the American people in regard to the war in Iraq, but time will tell.

Ultimately what Murtha has done is show his true colors to be that of an opportunist and a man who is willing to take any position and abandon any truth to advance his own status.

Kind of reminds me of Bill Clinton.

Posted by Biloxi in Politics at 9:51 AM EDT

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While I am on a theme of dog breeds that are considered dangerous, I felt compelled to present this story of a 4 week old dead Chihuahua that was used in an assault on a breeder. Apparently the breeder sold a young dog that was not ready to leave its mother. The poor thing expired before it could be returned to the breeder, enraging the new owner.

The owner then tried to return the puppy to the breeder and was refused so she forcibly tried to gain entry. When the breeder wrestled her outside the disgruntled owner then began to hit said breeder in the head with the dead puppy. It sounds like we have two people here who shouldn’t be allowed to handle pets in any way, shape or form. At least the owner can plead intermittent explosive disorder in an attempt to get out of midemeanor assault charges. The breeder can just plead stupidity.

Posted by Biloxi in Biloxi Says at 1:04 PM EDT

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Ann Coulter is currently basking in the glow of scads of free publicity surrounding statements about the four 9/11 widows known as the “Jersey Girls” in her new book “Godless: The Church of Liberalism”. It is true, she did call them “The Witches of East Brunswick” which is a little stronger than I would go, but most of what she says rings true. Much of the supposed hoopla is chronicled in this Chicago Tribune article.

Let’s take a little time for analysis:

First the Headline - Coulter ridicules widows of 9/11

Technically true but misleading. The wording appears to say that she has ridiculed all of the widows of 9/11 when in fact she is only talking about 4, very active, very political, widows who seem to only point blame in one direction when discussing the national security short comings that preceded and contributed to 9/11.

Coulter writes in a new book, “Godless: The Church of Liberalism,” that a group of New Jersey widows whose husbands died in the World Trade Center act “as if the terrorist attacks happened only to them.”

It’s hard to argue the point. What was with the cheering and jeering from the gallery during the 9/11 hearings? You would think they were the only people affected when in fact family members of nearly 3000 people had their loved ones taken from them.

Next: I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ deaths so much.”

This appears to be talking about the aftermath of their deaths and the publicity it affords them. To characterize the situation as one where they enjoyed the actual death of their spouses is misleading and nothing more than an attempt to paint Coulter in an unfavorable light.

Then we have Hillary Clinton’s further missapplication of intent:

“I know a lot of the widows and family members who lost loved ones on 9/11. They never wanted to be a member of a group that is defined by the tragedy of what happened.”

Ann never stated anybody wanted to be a member of the group, she is simply saying how they have leveraged the publicity from their tragic situation to a specifically political end that is decidedly anti-Bush administration, while seemingly excusing the policies that preceded this administration’s relatively short 8 month tenure in office prior the actual attack.

Then we get this gem from New York Governor George Pataki:

“I have spoken with many, many grieving family members, and the hurt is real, the pain is real, the suffering 4 1/2 years later has not lessened to any appreciable degree,” he said.

Who ever said the pain wasn’t real? Where did Ms. Coulter specifically state that the grief wasn’t genuine? Again, this statement is misleading as to the point and intent of the chapter in the book. Coulter herself has said that her commentary is how these women used their grief to make a political point where many others did not. Again, these are 4 out of nearly 3000 people who lost loved ones. Where’e the high profile publicity on those with a point of view that is less critical of the Bush Administration?

In an interview on the “Today Show” host Matt Lauer followed Coulter commentary about the Jersey Girls leveraging of their grief for politics with a pointed question.

“If you lose a husband, you no longer have the right to have a political point of view?”

Lauer showed the knee-jerk bias of the media on this issue without ever specifically addressing the point. It is not that these women have political views (I suspect they were lefties before the loss of their husbands), but that they use the deaths of their loved ones as some kind of leverage that gives their opinions a higher priority than anyone else. The basis for their press coverage is the death of their spouses and not the content and validity of their points. Somehow the perspectives of these 4 trumps the outlook of the families of the remaining victims and is allowed some special status because of the group uttering them. Coulter might well have called them the oracles of East Brunswick for the undue consideration and publicity they receive. It is as if they can proclaim and we are to take their words as sacrosanct.

Media moth and former White House advisor David Gergen then joins the pile-on of slanted and completely specious spin on Coulter’s book:

“It’s the ugliness of the charge that she’s making and the ugliness of the words she’s using that are drawing attention to her, but it’s almost like she’s a figure in a circus and you say, `Oh my God, can you believe that?’”

So again, it is not the content of what a person is saying, it’s the “ugliness of the charge”. Coulter is a character in the circus, but not as Gergen thinks. She’s the publicist pointing out the hilarity of the left leaning clowns as they fall all over each other, twisting themselves into side-splitting and outrageous positions and situations. She simply points out the comedy in the fiction that is the premise of their whole political foundation. Feeling instead of fact, perception instead of substance, and the view that one’s personal tragedy gives a person extra latitude over logic and fact.

Finally a statement from the Jersey Girls themselves:

“We have been slandered. Contrary to Ms. Coulter’s statements, there was no joy in watching men that we loved burn alive. There was no happiness in telling our children that their fathers were never coming home again. We adored these men and miss them every day,” their statement said. “

They have not been slandered but I have no doubt about the rest of their statement. I am sure their experiences were horrific and painful and they derive no joy from the death of their husbands. It is the basking in the glow of the camera lights afterwards that is at issue. It appears the media projection that their loss affords them special status over all others that is immensely satisfying to them. The sooner the media owns up to the special treament allowed these four over the rest of the families of 9/11, the sooner Coulter’s point will become crystal clear. Of course I wouldn’t expect that to happen, Ann’s politics don’t fit the mold.

Ann Coulter is a big girl and is up to the task of countering the media orgy of outrage with clarity and common sense. In the end they have to realize the free publicity only demonizes her to the elitist sycophants who pay attention to the MSM. The rest of the country gets it, Coulter’s book is currently #1 on Amazon.

Much to the consternation of the MSM, flyover country gets it.

Posted by Biloxi in Politics at 8:54 AM EDT

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