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Oral Roberts, Finally Called Home

Paxton
Dec 22, 2009
7 comments

I don't know how I missed the fact that Oral Roberts died last week. I mostly know the televangelist from the controversy that occurred in 1987 when Roberts revealed that Jesus was holding him for ransom. During a fundraising drive, he stated that if he didn't raise $8 million by March, God would "call him home." People laughed, but Roberts raised the money and didn't die, thereby proving that he was right.

Apparently, this time, old Oral just couldn't come up with the cash.

Oral Roberts

"Jesus had two archangels break my kneecaps."

Blocked Vox Member: Atunotejuhe

Paxton
Dec 21, 2009
13 comments

Made a spam comment on one of my posts, trying to sell Viagra.

You know, if the stuff is so good, why do they have to go to such lengths (no pun intended) to sell the stuff?

Update on Anti-Homosexuality Bill

Paxton
Dec 10, 2009
4 comments

Update to my earlier post about the Anti-Homosexuality Bill being considered in Uganda.

They're striking the death penalty and life imprisonment provisions. Make no mistake: this bill is still abhorrent, but at least it's not going to be hanging people for being attracted to their own gender.

Bloomberg.com reported the update.

Book Review: The Graveyard Book

Paxton
Dec 10, 2009
3 comments

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman

I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan, and this book didn't disappoint. Gaiman has a great way of creating an entire universe from whole cloth and making it seem totally natural, and The Graveyard Book is a great example of that.

For reasons unknown until the end of the story, an assassin is sent to kill an entire family. He succeeds in killing all but a toddler, who wanders out of the house through the door left open by the assassin and into a neighboring graveyard. The toddler is adopted by the graveyard's "inhabitants", the ghosts of the century's worth of people buried there. The graveyard itself has been set aside as a historical nature preserve, so no the most recent ghosts there are decades old. The ghosts teach him what they know, including how to Fade from other peoples' notice and how move like ghosts move (through walls, etc.) and how to see as the dead see (without light). Silas, another not-alive being in the graveyard, is never explicitly explained, though the reader can infer that he is a vampire or something similar.

And it's a good thing the child (named "Nobody" by the inhabitants of the graveyard) has been so well educated, because the assassin isn't giving up.

Stamper

Irma
Dec 8, 2009
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Stamper

1 comment

First They Came...

Paxton
Dec 2, 2009
14 comments

It's old news now that the Ugandan Parliament is considering a bill (called the 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill) that would impose prison time for people found to be homosexuals, prison time for anyone who knows a homosexual and doesn't report them, and death for repeat offenders and homosexuals who are HIV-positive. The Parliamentarian who introduced it, David Bahati, has been associated by some with The Family, the semi-secret (recently not so secret) fundamentalist Christian group that interferes in politics in the U.S. and abroad.

See a copy of the actual bill here.

This doesn't exactly come as a shock. Uganda is a backward, third-world country by almost any standard. It should also be noted that this is a bill, not yet law.

Also less than shocking, though worth mentioning, is the complete silence on the issue from U.S. evangelical religions. Pastor Rick Warren, of the Saddleback Church in California and the pastor chosen to give the invocation President Obama's inauguration, has refused to give an opinion on the Bill, saying that it is not his place "as a pastor in America to comment or interfere in the political process of other nations." This seems an odd position for a religious leader who has no problem interfering in his own nation's political process and runs an international religious organization known as the PEACE Plan, a pro-Christian movement associated with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, who may or may not have had a role in the massacre of millions of civilians in his country in 1994. Warren was specifically asked what he thought of the bill because he has previously been associated with the Ugandan minister most vocally supporting the bill, Martin Ssempa.

The Anglican Church of Uganda is still "studying the bill" and has not taken a position, but took the opportunity to reiterate their opposition to homosexuality in general.

A search for the term "anti-homosexuality bill" at Focus on the Family's website comes up with 0 results. Same for the Assemblies of God. Same for the Southern Baptist Convention. Same for the Catholic Church, including the Vatican's website. Though each of these religious organizations officially believe the homosexuals can be "cured," they are surprisingly silent about a bill that would make executing gays the norm.

It's true that a number of churches have condemned the bill. Unfortunately, it may not be enough.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

- Pastor Martin Niemöller

We're Moving...(sorta)

RPM
Dec 2, 2009
4 comments

In an effort to consolidate all things bloggy and potty (euw)...I'm moving most of my blogging activity, posting of items and all general stuff to:

www.sibbotery.com

But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning this space. At least...not entirely. I'll try to crosslink updates and of course, I need to keep this account active to keep an eye on you hooligans.

Pardon Whom?

Paxton
Nov 25, 2009
11 comments

Keeping with Thanksgiving tradition, President Obama will today - as every President has done since (possibly) as early as Truman - publicly pardon a Thanksgiving turkey.

Dick Cheney volunteered, but a spokesman for the White House responded that the tradition was to pardon a turkey, not a jackass.

American Terrorists Abroad

Paxton
Nov 24, 2009
4 comments

From The Week: "An American living in Israel has been charged with a string of terror attacks against Arab, gay, and leftist targets." Jack Teitel, 37, has confessed to numerous attacks "saying he was acting on direct orders from God."

America now has so many religious bigots that we have to export them overseas. That'll help our image.

Millring 3 Dish Set

RPM
Nov 23, 2009
2 comments

Millring dish set 2

This three dish set is avilable on Etsy if you're interested. I'm crazy about lidded items lately so if you have any requests (that you can receive after the Christmas rush)...don't hesitate to drop me a line.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.