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Without the Bible, country goes downhill
Jesus said: “Woe unto the world because of offenses for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!”
Led by the spirit of Antichrist, public officials are deceived. Truly born-again Christians will not accept nor inculcate the abomination of same-sex marriage. It generates the lie that the Bible is not the word of God.
The spirit of Antichrist causes a presumption. Law defines it: “ … an attitude adopted toward something in absence of contrary factors.”
There is no absence of contrary factors to the sin of legislating evil, i.e., “those who give their mouth to evil, and their tongue to frame deceit;” e.g., forcing the same-sex and the imprudent sex education agenda on 11-year-olds, abortion funding tacked on to ObamaCare, dictating the buying and distributing of condoms …
Truly born again Christians will obey the Lord and preach the Bible.
Will the government put us in concentration camps? Fine us openly or secretly by sin tacked on to legislation? Terrorize us for distributing Gospel pamphlets?
How many school boards will allow teaching of “sharia law” and continue to trash the Only True God, and the Ten Commandments?
Benjamin Franklin said, “We’ve given you a Republic if you can keep it.” Without the Bible, public officials are flushing our Republic down the toilet.
Dan B. Long,
Minister
Christ Risen Church
Cedar Rapids
Be sad, Mr. Long: for the putative GOP candidate for president has just today selected a fiscal, not social, conservative as his running mate, effectively disenfranchising at the national level you and the other Santorum/Grifter Bob wannabes. So, while you may achieve the martyrdom that you probably have earned- popped into an interment camp or billyclubbed for pampheteering, you can rest assured that neither will anyone be paying much attention to you, either. Your faction had its day this election season, and America turned up its nose and moved on.
Three cheers for VP pick, Rep. Paul Ryan, who upholds the traditional view of marriage and family. Bring on the debate between him and Joey, who continues to betray the Christian faith to which he claims to adhere. Enough of the lies and betrayal by him, Pelosi, et al.
Interesting that you, Mr. L., believe you’d be exempt from the billyclubs and internment camps when our liberties begin to fall one after the other. No student of history could possibly be so naive.
Don’t believe that I mentioned anything about personal exemption. And since you brought it up, one person’s “liberty” is another person’s “tyranny”. I get so very tired of political preachers trying to impose their dogma on me via thinly-veiled proxies like Bachmann, Santorum, Grifter Bob, Perry, and yes, even The Great Hypocrite himself, Newt Gingrich.
I didn’t know the subject of “Rev” Long’s letter had anything to do with Paul Ryan, Ms. Zelezny. By the way, isn’t Paul Ryan’s proposed budget a pretty big issue with the “nuns of American” ( for lack of a better term — no disrespect intended ) — protesting proposed cuts to social programs ?
Mr. Carlock (sic Carlocke)- see Mr. L.’s first entry in which he mentions the Romney pick. for V.P. If you dare to research the dissident Leadership Conference of Women Religious beyond what is served up by the MSM (once again w/o credibility and deference to the truth), you’ll find that it’s origins began with Vatican approval, which in turn gives it every right to demand that the sisters’ (these are not cloistered nuns) conferences and teaching be in harmony with the faith and morals of the Catholic Church. This organization’s leaders do not speak for all of the sisters of the various orders represented, but are led by dissident feminist women who want the Church to change to suit them. They should do the honorable thing and that is to join a church whose tenants include the recognition of women priests, abortion on demand, and the acceptance of homosexual unions. In your research you will also find that Rep. Ryan’s budget proposals are in complete harmony with Catholic social encyclicals.
As an aside, will you kindly explain why your surname now ends with ‘e’ while in previous months it did not.
Just recently graduated from Judgmental College ? With a minor in divine insight into the mind of God ?
We’ll see how the Ryan selection plays in Peoria, and in the pulpit.
I’ll explain, but kindly or unkindly is irrelevant. I’m using the LONG version
If that is a issue for your life, you are indeed blessed to have such petty annoyances.
– - – - Over 3 weeks without being blacklisted ! – - – - – You can pray for it.
You forget, Ms Zelezny, what happened the last time the Catholic Church dug in its heels and refused to listen to those who did not agree 100% with the faith and morals of the Catholic Church.
The Church split into hundreds of peices, as did Europe, and eight hundred years of peace enforced by the faith and morals of the Catholic Church ended, leaving us with more than two centuries of bloody wars, persecutions, and hundreds of thousands of people burned and tortured to death.
I assume we’re not going to go that way again.
That said, the Catholic Church speaks only for itself, and on those issues where the Church can’t even get it’s own members to agree with it, the Church speaks for no one.
As for Ryan’s budget being consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church, I should hope not. Because if it is, then shame on the Church.
And if you’re going to go after me for what I say about the Church, keep in mind that this is America. It may not be my business to criticize the Church for its religious practices, dogma, or theology, but when the Church enters the realm of the political, I am under no obligation to keep silent.
Mr. Karl Carlock (e) – long version indeed! surmised it was your admiration for Karl Marx together with the Enlightenment’s John Locke. And I guess that a racoon’s thoughts run parallel to those of the two cats who once commented on here with such a vengeance.
“two cats”, in reference to the avatar, that is.
I’ve never expressed admiration for Karl Marx. The rest, I have no clue what you are talking about but I DON’T CARE.
By the way, what would you think be the opinion of Jesus regarding the Ryan budget ? (Not that it would matter to many “Christians” because many seen to have little interest in the teachings of Jesus — often seem more focus on the Old Testament. If Jesus were on Earth today he’d be hated my many Christians for his liberal teachings.)
Since you brought it up, here is some info that Paul Ryan is NOT the frothy-mouthed bigot that most on the extreme right dearly want him to be: This is a lift from today’s Yahoo! news page: “…he (Ryan) is notably further to the left on the issue of lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender rights than the base of the party. He broke with a lot of his party to support the Employee Non-Discrimination Act in 2007. He explained his reasoning for the vote in this way: “They [his gay friends] didn’t roll out of bed one morning and choose to be gay. That’s who they are.” “
Which means Paul Ryan and the nuns agree on at least one thing.
surprise, Mr. L. – Catholics don’t advocate for discrimination against anyone, unike the Obama administration which advances punitive discrimiation against practicing Catholics and organizations.
How many women priests are there in the C. church? “Punitive discrimination”. LOL !
I don’t think the Catholic Church much likes Gay people either.
On the other hand, when it comes to sex, the Church seems to be equal opportunity uncomfortable.
Zelezny, The Obama administration is not practicing punitive discrimination against Catholics or any other religion.
ACA is about health insurance. It includes certain requirements with regard to coverage. Churches, as religious institutions, are exempt from the requirement that their employer provided insurance cover birth control. Affiliated institutions that serve a secular purpose, employ lots and lots of people, and serve the general public are not.
To exempt affiliated institutions, the primary purpose of which is not religious, would then require that ACA provide exemptions for all employers who might object to this or that requirement on religious grounds. To do otherwise would be to discriminate.
However, to allow employers to dictate the terms of health care for employees on religious grounds would be to allow employers to impose their religious beliefs on their employees. Which would violate a bunch of other laws forbidding discrimination on religious grounds in the workplace.
Bet that never occurred to you you did it?
What it boils down to is that we didn’t throw off our masters to become slaves to our boss.
The AHC Act allows government interference in the affairs of religion and your acquiescence to it only leaves you vulnerable to becoming a slave of the State. to quote: “No man survives when freedom fails, the best men rot in filthy jails and those who cry “appease, appease” are hanged by those they tried to please”
“To quote: ” No man survives . . . ” ” Isn’t a quote normally attributed to someone ? To whom ?
Zelezney,
How does being free from interferemce coming from religions to which I do not belong and in which I do not believe make me a slave of the state?
Mr Carlocke,
The quote is attributed to a man named Hiram Mann who seems to have been one of the original WWII Tuskegee Airman. The quote sounds as if it were pulled from a poem. I couldn’t find any further information nor could I find anyhting connecting Hiram Mann, Tuskegee Airman, and Hiram Mann, author of the quoted passage.
The language is archaic and stilted in a way that suggests the passage was written in first half of the 19th century.
Perhaps Ms Zelezney can tell you where the passage came from. Although I suspect if she knew she would have cited the author
Pondering more deeply and beyond your prejudices might provide you with an answer to your own question.
Boy, if you two don’t sound like a professor and his adoring student! How about taking in the words of the quote, repeating them, and then heeding the warning.
If it’s all the same to you, Joan, I’d rather be a slave to the state than whatever loon-bin religion you belong to.
Now do you think you could answer Karl’s question? Who did write that doggeral verse you quoted
Iowa Republicans say Paul Ryan is accessible and sharp. Ryan is more than accessible; he home delivers. And he is more than sharp; the guy is a real slasher.
GOP wunderkind Ryan is a hybrid between Young Frank-and-Unkind and Jack the Ripper.
If you want to see how Ryan intends to shred our nation of the people, by the people and for the people, take a look at Ryan being Ryan and Romney bring Ryan and share it with all the people that your care about of all ages: Click below:
lhttp://my.barackobama.com/Go-Back-Team8
And now you know!
No matter what a person’s religion is Rep. Paul Ryan is a most welcome and exciting edition to the GOP ticket. As they say the “numbers don’t lie”. No longer will Obama be able to campaign on the endless fabrications of “social issues” to mask his horrible and reckless economic policies. I’m looking forward to the VP debate! Nothing better than listening to Baffoon Biden vs Ryan! Don’t forget to bust out the popcorn!
Your right David he is merely the newest “edition” of the same old tax dodging GOP.
Classic
No rational position, so resorting to name-calling again, Mr. Asshat…er, Ahart? You really need to develop a new shtick…your material is getting quite stale.
Joy fills the air as Paul Ryan shreads Bozo The Clown in the VP debates. 16 oz pops are allowed.
So, your answer is “no”, then I suspected that would be the case.
Millenium hand and shrimp.
How many of us have forgotten about separation of church and state. The US does not have a state religion.
These radical Christian Taliban types don’t believe there are any other true religions–therefore the First Amendment reference to religion applies only to Christianity.
It is a twisted and perverted logic, but then what can you expect from a group of hating fanatics who couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that Galileo was correct about the earth circling the sun until 1992. Many still believe in witches (Palin) Needless to say they are a little slow.
There is hope. If the Rev is correct, then the End of Days is near which means the Rapture is at hand which means all the Christians Born Again and True will be taken up to Heaven leaving us heathen down here to enjoy the peace and quiet of not having to listen to the likes of Rev Long. At least until the world blows up.
I’m looking forward to it
Maybe the “Rapture” will be the return of the ilk of “Rev” to whatever planet they came from. If it were to come to pass (history shows it has the same success record as predicted ends of the World) the planet Earth will certainly be enriched.
Now THAT would be heavenly!
I’m a Christian, but I believe very strongly in the separation of church and state. I believe it is the best for both institutions. I don’t want the state influencing my church and I don’t want the church influencing the state.
Then along comes Minister Long trying to shove his interpretation of Christianity into our faces. He is a disgrace and an embarrassment to most Christians and he is sticking his nose where it does not belong.
Minister Long – This is not a “Christian Nation”. It is a secular nation that respects your right to practice your religion and the rights of all other religions to practice their beliefs as well. Stay in your church where you belong and out of discussion of state where your opinion is not appropriate or welcomed.
“stay in your church where you belong”
That’s exactly where the Godless materialistic State would like believers to remain (til such time it decides to close the churches) instead of working to remedy the social ills (and many more besides), as outlined by the author of the above letter.
Zelezny,
The United States is a secular republic, not a theocracy. The Amendment says “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”
What that means is that we are all free to believe whatever we want when it comes to faith, dogma, theology, ritual, whatever. You want to believe Jesus was born of a virgin and fathered by a sky god, go ahead. That this was lifted wholesale from Greek and Roman religious mythology is beside the point. You want to believe that, it’s none of my business. But if you expect me to respect your relligious beliefs, no matter how crazy I might think they are, then you have to respect mine.
Calling people whose religious beliefs do not coincide with yours “godless” and “materialistic” is not respecting other people’s religious beliefs.
“Stay in your church” means that you keep your theology in your church where it belongs. You want to enter the public sphere, fine. You want to act based on your religious values, fine. But out here you have to respect the rest of us. You have to discuss, negotiate, compromise and you cannot use the very real need to remedy social ills as an excuse to impose your theologically grounded religious beliefs on everybody else.
What does this comment add to anything ?
How so, Joan? Is it a diatribe because you disagree with it? Were Lori’s posts problematic for you?
As a minister, I find Minister Long’s letter to be patently offensive and worthy of naught but ridicule.
Seems the radical religious regressives like Long and his ilk want to control not only what happens within their church but also to force those of us who don’t believe exactly the same things as they do to follow their silly and petty rules our here in the secular arena. Nope. Not gonna do it. I’m going to eat pork and enjoy it. I’m going to wear cotton-poly blends if I want. I may even get a tatoo someday. I’m not going to lock away my wimmin-folk when they’re menstruating. I’m not going to destroy all the men in the neighboring villiage because they don’t believe exactly as I do. I’m not going to rape their women and take them as war brides. And, I’m not going to discriminate against GLBT folks just because Long and his invisible sky fairy say it’s appropriate.
Imagine that some comment here under the guise of psuedonames. Is it too difficult to believe of the doctrinaire leftists who preach fairness to to the rest of us?
What? What the heck are “psuedonames”? Do you mean “pseudonyms”? Where do psuedonames (sic) come into play here? Who are these “doctrinaire leftists” of whom you write, and what about them?
I’m sorry, Joan, but “fair” doesn’t mean we all agree with you
fairplay, as in owning up to your true identity
Sorry Joan, but I’m posting under my real name.
yes, psuedonym is what I meant to say -
“I don’t want the state influencing my church and I don’t want the church influencing the state”
But it’s perfectly o.k. to mandate, or force, churches to pay for abortions and birth control. Hypocrite.
David, do tell us about those poor churches who’ve been mandated or forced to pay for abortions and birth control. What a terrible thing, even if these (and pretty much all) churches are subsidized by us taxpayers.
Oh, wait….can you tell us *which* churches these are? Can you cite credible sources?
Listen to one radical cleric and you’ve listened to them all
Ha! I think that you nailed it, William- the rev is suffering from a case of frustration stemming from Fatwa Envy!
Having a mental disorder is not a requirement for being a fundamentalist radical cleric, but it helps. Spending some time with the Taliban would help as well.
I note he doesn’t mention Obama’s “War on Religion”, but I guess it’s inferred. Christians, to the pews !!
Most probably the Rev. Long can very well withstand the disrespectful insults heaped upon him here. Will the “Gazette” allow them to remain?
I expect they will. When the “Rev” wrote such a radical, extremist letter he should have expected some blow-back. Is he eligible for some special respect or protection just because he claims the title “reverend” ? If he can’t stand the heat, and the lawd can’t cool him, he should stay out of the kitchen.
Zelezny
Now I’m confused. I was under the impression that you are Catholic. Surely you must be aware that preachers such as the Rev Long regard the Catholic Church as the Whore of Babylon.
Or haven’t you been paying attention?
Mr. Carlock(e), the “Gazette” in the past has called for civil discussion so that those who were previously reluctant to voice an opinion could do so w/o the nastiness exhibited by you, who judge to be extreme any view apart from your own.
Give some specific examples of my “nastiness” ! That’s another version of “playing the victim card”. Poor Rev. Long and poor J. Zelenzy — if they dare express their opinions and disrespect, nastiness, and scorn are heaped upon them. “Gazette” protect us !
Joan, Minister Long started the discussion by being uncivil, rude, hateful, and obnoxious. The Gazette chose to print it. So, now Long and his like-minded get to reap the harvest they have sown. Go back to your church, Joan, if you want to hear nothing but parroting echos of Long’s version of Hate Thy Neighbor. Out here in the secular world, we have freedoms that many of us fought for, and we’re not giving them up merely because you and your invisible sky-fairy friend don’t like them.
Don’t want to be ridiculed? Don’t come to the town square, stand on your soap box, and spew forth ridiculous claptrap.
Can you say blasphemous?
I’m sure Mr. Stutler can say “blasphemous”, I can, it’s fairly easy to pronounce. What is your point ? You can declare any statement blasphemous you want ( and “blasphemous” is in the eye of the beholder ) and it doesn’t matter in the least. We have a secular government and there are no laws against it in contrast to some governments allied with religion.
Yes, Joan, I can say “blasphemous”. I can also spell it, and I know what it means, and I can correctly use it in a sentence.
OK, I’ll go next. Can you say “Irrelevant”? Here’s a clue: http://learn-english.wonderhowto.com/how-to/pronounce-english-word-irrelevant-180004/
Okay, Joe, I’ll use it in a sentence: A peson with a blasphemous nature about him is even still not considered to be irrelevant by Christ, such is His mercy and love.
Joan, Why don’t you then let Christ deal with all us blasphemers before you have a stroke.
I’m trying to figure out what you think is going to happen. Is God going to strike us all dead? Is the Pope going to excommunicate us? How about the Inquisition?
Are we supposed to convert to your faith out of sheer terror? Of what?
Why get so angry at the mention of God’s mercy? His mercy is there for me too. No one presumes to judge you, and I think you realize it.
(I think Joan is trying to tell me that her imaginary friends love me.)
That’s sweet, Joan. Tell ‘em that me and my imaginary friends are fond of them and you, too.
Thanks for reading me correctly, Joe. God, in all of His splendid glory, does indeed love you.
I suppose that’s good to know. Considering some of the stories that have been told about him and how he treats those he loves, I would hate to see how he treats those of whom he’s not so fond.
I note he doesn’t mention Obama’s “War on Religion”….. War on Religion is an accurately- phrased assessment, not so the concocted “War on Women”
I know the superior Christian right wingers only pay attention to a select few verses of the good book, which they usually tailor to their own discriminatory view… but I thought I would point out a few I like as well.
“Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.” Rev. 22:11
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. Rev. 22:18-19.
Some of you are in big trouble!!
We got more Bibles in homes in this country than anywhere else in the world—maybe even as many as we got guns.
And this must certainly be true in God’s country of Iowa which has somehow become the battleground of Satan to such a degree that good Bible oriented folks want to throw out more judges from the Iowa High Court and get some folks looking down from the bench and cleaning things up the way they did back in Colonial Salem when men like Cotton Mather knew how to torch witches.
Maybe the Bible just are not big enough or what?
More than likely. No one has called for him to be run out of town on a rail, tarred and feathered, or other quaint and antiquated physical public expression of disgust.
Post an offensive opinion on the letter board, be prepared for blowback. What do you think the response would be if some citizen posted a spirited defense of NAMBLA and tried to make a case that pedophiilia is a good thing.
Now, by that statement I am not intending to equate religion with pedophilia; but they are both touchy subjects to a broad sample of the population and one’s expectations for a letter’s reception need to be cognizant of that fact. We have not spent trillions of dollars and thousands of lives to turn back the forces of religious fundamentalism abroad just to have it take root at home… with the very same God, just a different book.
Hmmmm….NAMBLA and the Catholic Church in the same thread? Somehow doesn’t seem all that far-fetched. At least NAMBLA is honest and open about their position. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_sex_abuse_cases
Here’s an idea. Instead of focusing on snippets of Long’s mythology which only serve to divide and destroy our society, why doesn’t he – and his champions in this thread and elsewhere – put their attention to something useful and beneficial to society. Here’s some folks his Christ would be focusing his attention, energy, and resources on: http://thegazette.com/2012/08/12/survey-finds-phenomenal-spike-in-linn-county-homless-population/
irony of ironies, Obama’s War on Religion is in place in order to extinguish Chrisitans ‘ ability to continue ably serving those in need – of course, big government will step in to take over – Sebelius will approve or disapprove of your existence
Hogwash, Joan….and you know it. You folks are just angry that we no longer are willing to give you special treatment and deference just because you think you and your imaginary friends are somehow entitled. What’s really annoying is that the rest of us are forced to subsidize your delusionial behaviors, and yet you still whine when your secular businesses are required to play by the same rules that all other businesses must abide by.
Joe, Joe, Joe, flagrant language and wild assertions are unbecoming of you.
Be o more specific. You don’t like “hogwash”? As to “wild assertions”, please elaborate.
Joan Zelesny,
Explain, please, how the government is preventing Christian Churches from doing charitable work.
Anybody in Johnson who does volunteer work assisting the poor can tell you that many of the charities–like the Food Bank or the Free Medical Clinic or Shelter House–that provide direct assistence are church connected. These volunteers will also tell you that without government grants, these charities could not function.
Your assertion that the government is actively preventing religious organizations from helping the poor is ludicrous. There is no other way to describe it
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……..HA!
Man, I really needed that one. The title should have been: “Here’s Your Laugh and a Half for the Day”
“Will the government put us in concentration camps? Fine us openly or secretly by sin tacked on to legislation? Terrorize us for distributing [] pamphlets?”
Wait, isn’t that what all of these preachers have recently been calling for in reference to the LGBT community? You forgot to include the death penalty, though.
Keep trying to play the victim, though.