Trust the Creator

Creation Science Seminar

presented by Kent Hovind

Part 1, The Age of the Earth





Giving scientific evidence to prove a literal six-day creation, Dr. Kent Hovind refutes evolution's proposition that the earth has evolved over billions of years. The first of seven in the seminar series, The Age of the Earth, uncovers the follies of the Big Bang theory as well as exposing the religious beliefs of evolution.






Part 2, The Garden of Eden





The Garden of Eden, part two of the seminar series, describes the earth as it was before the worldwide flood. Dr. Hovind explains in detail how it was possible for man to live over 900 years, for plants and animals to grow much larger than today, and for dinosaurs to thrive along with man.






Part 3, Dinosaurs and the Bible





For many years, some thought the existence of dinosaurs discredited the Biblical account of creation. In part three of the seminar series, Dinosaurs and the Bible, Dr. Hovind traces the Biblical and historical references to dinosaurs and interviews people who claim they have seen living dinosaurs.






Part 4, Lies in the Textbooks





In part four of the seminar series, Dr. Hovind shows how public school textbooks are permeated with fraudulent information in order to convince students that evolution is true. Lies in the Textbooks is a must-see for every public school student, teacher, parent and school board member.






Part 5, The Dangers of Evolution





In The Dangers of Evolution, Dr. Hovind reveals the terrible effects that evolutionary beliefs have had on societies throughout history. Giving examples of evolution-based philosophies being used to rationalize the brutal acts of rulers, he exposes evolutionary propaganda in its effort toward the "New World Order."






Part 6, The Hovind Theory





The Hovind Theory blends scientific observations with Scripture in a fascinating explanation of what caused Noah's Flood, the ice age, the formation of coal, mountain ranges, and the Grand Canyon. Dr. Hovind gives logical answers to the physical anomalies that geologists cannot explain with the evolutionary theory.






Part 7A-B, Question and Answer Session





Part 7C, Question and Answer Session





The last in the seminar series, Questions and Answers, covers a variety of topics including radiometric dating and the speed of light in relation to star distance. In addition to "primitive man" and race origins, Dr. Hovind discusses the mark of the beast and supposed contradiction's in the Bible.

Amway is still a scam

What follows is my misadventure into An Amway seminar.  Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way.  I don't trust these people or the company they work for.  They would tell you they don't work for a company, they work for themselves.  OK.  I'll bite.  I'm going to argue semantics with an idiot.  For the program to work for you, you have to devote yourself to buying only their products, at apparently some savings to you.  If you want to make money, you have to get others to buy their products from you.  To make more money you have to inspire your underlings to have others buy products from them.  To help you along the way, they encourage you to buy their endless collection of inspirational materials.  So in the end all you get is some products that (I hope) work and a little compensation for all your efforts.  They get an ever growing demand for their product with little advertisement and growth that is paid by you.  Minimum wage workers are better off!


I arrived at the hotel at 11:51 because I was told the seminar started at 12:00.  Reception informed me that they had several seminars scheduled for that day but none for Amway.  I called my source and was told the seminar was under the name of Efinity.  RED FLAG No. 1: hiding behind another name does not bode well for my confidence in their reputation.


I then find out it's starting at 14:00, not 12:00.  I missed church for no good reason.  I found out later that I was not misinformed of the time.  When I paid $20.00 for my ticket, I was shocked to see that the time printed on it was, in fact, 12:00.  RED FLAG No. 2:  these people are either (A) incompetent enough that they can't plan ahead and stick to their own schedule before printing the tickets or (B) are so close with one another that the change in time was made for the sake of all involved.  Did they even change the time on the website?  How were people supposed to know about the change?


Oh, wait.  RED FLAG No. 3.  I paid $20.00 to get in!  That's really poor recruiting.  I'm here to find out what they are about and to see if I want to get involved and before I can hear anything, I have to buy them dinner?  I get it, speakers need to be paid for their time, just like preachers at church conferences.  The difference is that while the preacher is taking time out of their life to speak on spiritual principles and is compensated by the voluntary offerings of the listeners; these people, who should be so successful that they don't need my charity, are requiring me to pay them a set amount before they can tell me how great it would be for me to join the program.


That's three Red Flags and they haven't even started yet.


So the ticket says 12:00, the door says 14:00, but they didn't actually start until 14:36.  They're Dominicans.  If they had started on time I would have been shocked.


They start with a video.  The setting is a busy Indian city, lots of traffic and lots of rain.  Somehow a bolder ends up in one of the streets, blocking the flow of traffic.  People honk their horns in frustration.  Some kids get it in their heads to move the bolder.  They try and try but it doesn't move.  Other kids see them and are inspired to join in the effort.  They try and try but it doesn't move.  The adults see this and get out of their cars to help the kids and together they move the bolder and traffic flows once more.  Draw whatever conclusions you like.


At 14:40 someone takes the stage and stirs the crowd to cheers.  Apparently the proper response to "how are you doing?" is "excited!". Oh and we were all forced to greet those sitting around us to get to know one another better.  Yeah, that worked.


At 14:45 she tells us that their focus has always been God, Family, and Work.  Funny since the only mentions of God were in passing, "thank God that...". Family was mentioned more than God, but always as what values they gave us and what they allowed us to achieve, never what we gave back.  Work, was the only thing of the three that was heavily preached, you slack and you don't grow. There is a reason for this but I'll get into this later.


Anyway, she mentions that we are of many faiths.  What?  She's speaking in Spanish to room full of Hispanics, almost all of whom are Christians (Catholics or Protestants).  She must have believed this herself since her opening prayer ended in the name of Jesus.


14:47 they played the Star Spangled Banner.  OK ...


On 14:51, Johnny Mathis finally took the stage.
He was been with Amway for 20 years.  Was an engineer working for the power company in the Dominican Republic.  This is supposed to impress us but if you've ever lived in the Dominican Republic, you know how broken the power grid is.  He's also a Diamond.  I assume this is a high rank, but how could I possibly know.  Diamonds, Emeralds, Quick Silvers, Level 60 Black Mage, 7th Prestige Brigadier General, whatever.


Endless proverbs:

• The greatest dreamers and achievers were once called crazy.
• Amway doesn't work for lazy folk.  But if you follow instructions and work hard, you can't fail.  It's easier than childbirth because this comes with instructions.
• Appreciation is more important than failure.  So give it where it is due.
• Always remember: (1) This is a business, (2) You are an executive in it.
• People are known not for what they started but what they finished.  How many unfinished things are there in your life?  Wright them down. (include the broken sink)
• "I used to be depressed by my checking account, now I look at my checking account when I'm depressed."
• If your going to make mistakes, make new ones.  Don't repeat the old ones.
• Your income is not determined by your position, but by your investment and hard work.
• You are your first client.
• You have to inspire those under you.  
• I've seen some make it in 4 months because they jumped in all the way and others who take 10 years and 4 months.  The difference is that the former was all in and made it earlier, the later was so-so for 10 years before deciding to get serious.
• If you're broke, you can't give advice.
• Don't take advice from broke people.
• If you're broke you should take less leaser time.
• Your spouse needs to be involved.  It would be nuts for one to work their buts off for half of it to be consumed by the uninvolved spouse.
• All financial decisions should be consulted with your spouse so that together you can make the best choices.
• Don't spend what you make back on food or other things.  Reinvest in your education and into the business.
• Changing habits is hard.  But without change, you always get the same results.
• Change your environment if it isn't helping you advance.
• Change your online habits, don't waste time chit chatting and reading poems.  If you're going to be online, network and grow.
• While your at it, look out for your health.
• Define your goals at short medium and long ranges.
• Keep an agenda.  You need to know what you're doing ahead of time or you're wasting time.
• You've got a business, use business cards.
• A leader is someone who has decided they no longer need someone to tell them what to do.  You know you've made it when you don't need someone to nag you to do the right thing ahead of time.
• Never exaggerate.  It's bad for business.

He mentioned some failings among the leadership in the Dominican Republic.  But that doesn't mean the business was bad, just the leadership.  He assures us that things have changed, that they are more transparent now, and that compensation and bonuses are distributed differently.  While this is all reassuring, I can't help but think of all the "excited!" individuals who were involved before.  Their excitement and commitment did not save them from getting screwed.


He spells out what you need to succeed:

• Education (through Enfinity): Amway doesn't work, you got to make it work for you.  Continuous training through Cd's and other materials is crucial.  So you have to pay them to inspire you to pay them.  Apparently results are not enough to inspire you and maintain you as an efficient worker.  It's like preaching at church, only it's more expensive and includes God a little less.
• Amway.  A reputation 51 years and running.  They grant you virtual offices with endless expansion.  Of course all they are providing is infrastructure and products.  You do all the leg work, get paid on commission and receive no benefits.
• Investment:  Again, you're an executive so you have to invest if you want to make a return.  And don't always commit to the minimum.  You don't have it, find it, or borrow it.  That's right, build up a debt if you have to in the hopes that your returns can pay back the loans and still leave some over.  Of course, you're encouraged not to "waste" any of Amway's payments to you; you should invest further into the company or into your education by buying more materials from Efinity.

The most brutally honest thing that he said (pay attention boys and girls because this one is important) is that only 5% of Amway's population is growing.  Only 5 percent are meeting or exceeding their goals.  The rest are just getting along day by day.  RED FLAG No. 4.  No company could survive that!  If 95% of the workforce isn't doing what they are supposed to, the company goes bankrupt.  The reasons I suspect that they don't is because they have low overhead.  Their supply never exceeds the demand, it's always even with it.  They only supply for orders that have been secured.  Aside from creating the products, they have no expenses.  Shipping is paid by the customers, and all employees are independent contractors, paid only on commission, with no benefits, and they have to pay for their own training.  And let's not forget the income from holding pep-rally conferences.


At 16:24 we break for a 10 minute recess.  Reconvened at 16:46.  They did a short sales demonstration of how to properly convince people to buy their products.


From 16:50 to 17:12 they had a parade of members stand up, walk accross the stage and sit down.  First those with 300 points, then those with 600, and so on, then there were other conditions and ranks, maybe 10 rounds of people standing, walking accross the stage and sitting dowm again.  Some of them stopped to say something inspirational, many stopped to say who their sponsors were.  Almost all of them got up at leaste twice.  They were calling out so many overlapping cattegories, it was only natural that many got up as often as they did.


At 17:12 someone took the mic to talk about the Benefits of Efinity.  This is their continuing education and motivation branch.  They have books and Cd's on how to reach the next level.  Because they know the way to success and they are willing to tell you, but you need to pay for it.  If they are financially indipendent, why are they taking your cash?  They're getting richer and you're getting poorer.


At 17:27 Johnny Mathis takes the stage again.  The original plan was for his wife to do the second part but she couldn't make it.  He did say that she wanted to be there.  He didn't say why she couldn't be.  i have to wonder if this is related to the seminar being moved from 12:00 to 14:00.


He begins to tell us his testamony.  Starting in a poor Dominican neighbrhood, getting through college and becomeing a successfull engenneer for the power company.  Things went so well, he dropped it and got into Amway full time.  Yeah, I buy that ... Not!


As he tells his story he gives us more proverbs:

• Motivation lasts until the first obstacle.  Motivation is not enough.  You must be convinced, convicted.
• If you commit, it doesn't leave room for negativity.
• Attitude is everything.  If you're in a bad place and you insist you don't belong there, you'll eventually work your way out.
• Success is measured less by how much you take in and more by how many people you help.
• Economic independence doesn't mean quiting a job you love, it just means you can do it under less financial pressure; you might even do it for free.
• If you don't move, neither does the group.
• If the group doesn't move, move them.  Remind them why they signed up.
• Each convention should not be to fill your tank, but it should be to reach the next level.

The event concluded at 18:20.  I walked in with vague reservations.  I walked out with confirmed dread.  I'm just going to say it: Amway will not work for you.  Amway will NOT work for you.  Especially in this economy.  They make money from what you buy, what you sell, and what you get others to sell.  They get even more if you opt into paying for Cd's and books.  Oh, and they have no risk; they don't need to produce if you don't sell.  You can only make money if you sell enough and if you get others to sell more.  YOU bear all the risk as far as your time, your money and your peace of mind.


The only highlight to that day was that as I left the seminar, I saw a blood drive sign on my way to the bus stop.  I donnated blood the next day.  It cost me no money, just a little time, and a little pain.  I even got a free apple juice and Fig Newtons.  And on top of everything else, someone's life might be saved by the blood I gave.  Really puts things in prospective.

Words Can Only Harm You if You Want Them To

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me."

This statement can be true or false, depending on who's saying it. Who are they? How rational are they? How well do they know themselves? How is their self esteem?

The statement, if properly edited, could be universally applied to anyone. Maybe something like ... "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can only hurt me if I want them to."

What brought this up is that I was just involved in what could easily have turned into a fight. Mind you, I haven't been in a fight since 8th grade (which I sooo lost), and that since I became a Christian on 10/14/2001 I've vowed to turn the other cheek; so I'm essentially volunteering to get beat up.

Some friends and I just finished watching a movie. One of us needed to stop at Target to get some blank CD's. The rest of us waited in the car to discuss the movie. On her way out of Target, my friend declined the advances of a young man who was clearly plastered and looking for a good time. Properly shot down, the youth turns his woo's into insults which he yelled into the night about the promiscuity of my friend. This, naturally, did not amuse her husband, who exited the car to express himself proper. I decided to play peacemaker and exited the car as well.

The young man was among at least four other friends who might have felt obligated to defend him. I gradually and in the most un-threatening manner tried to post myself between the now heated foes. Several lude and course words were exchanged. Eventually we returned to the car and no blows were exchanged.

V said it best "Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there?"

Words have power, but only if used properly. And a mis-used word can gain power if the listener grants that power. To call me a mother-fucker is not an insult, it's just a flawed observation.
- I am not a mother.
- I am certainly not a fucker of mothers (mine or anyone else's).
- I didn't turn into a mother-fucker because he said so.
- And even if I were, it would have been a life I chose for myself, and I would probably not be ashamed of it.
- And even if I were ashamed of it the insult would then be a call to right myself and stop being a mother-fucker.
Notice how none of these options require a lude response or harsh action on my part ... unless I believed it.

Let's asume I am a mother-fucker and he has exposed it to the world. Do I really have to take him down for it??? You can give into retaliation and vengeance if you want to for the sake of your pride, but that's exactly what you end up doing. YOU are giving in to YOUR retaliation and exacting YOUR vengeance for the sake of YOUR pride. Notice how your reasoning doesn't even envolve them, it's all you.

So when the ignorant youth called my friend a slut. The only thing that needs to happen is a single thought process. "I know who I am. The statement is erroneous and spoken by someone without standing to make any such observation. Therefore the statement has no weight, application, or consequence. I will ignore it."

Same thing for when the husband hears it. "Well I know my wife quite well and I know she's not a slut. That unfortunate drunk clearly doesn't know what he's talking about and he needs to get over himself."

When I heard it, my response was "Who are they? And who cares?" Call me simplistic, but if some moron told me that Watermelons are blue on the inside until you cut the skin, I'm not going to spend time and effort trying to prove them wrong. I'm just going to enjoy my Watermelon.

To put it another way, there is no point in defending your honor before someone so ignorant that they failed to respect you in the first place. Your time would be better spent teaching Shakespeare to the illiterate.

What I am getting at is that we can be imune to offenses so long as we know, value and appreciate our own worth. Once that is achieved, the greatest of insults becomes nothing more than a simple uninformed statement; the babbling of an idiot.

Some of you might ask, "Well what about my reputation?" As I said before, what is being said wis either correct or incorrect. If it is incorrect, you can ignore it. If it is correct, then you need to fix yourself. As for them, they are going to say what they are going to say anyway, and others who are just as ignorant will listen to them. There is only one way to change that ... and it is not your first instinct.

When I was in 1st grade I hurt a little girl who I thought had insulted me. I don't remember if the insult (I thought) I heard was about my pale skin, my bad eye-sight, or because I was new to the school. Whatever it was, I would MAKE her understand not to insult me again (if she ever did in the first place). Whatever peace I bought with that act of violence wasn't worth the guilt I felt for several months. Besides, I had now given her and her friends something very real and very negative to say about me; that I was mean.

I was wrong. And even if I was right, I was wrong to do what I did. I wish I could say that I learned my lesson then, but I didn't. I hurt plenty of people growing up with the things that I said and did. And in doing so I gave then licence to do the same onto others, which I'm sure they did. We've all done it, and we can do it again. ... But we don't have to.

If you fight fire with fire all our houses burn down, and our pride will not rebuild them. But if you fight fire with water, you can save your house, fix the few bits which were damaged (if any) and go on with your life. Keep your walls wet and they'll resist the flames should they ever return. Teach your friends, neighbors, and especially your children to do the same.

This vicious cycle can only end if we decide to be different from those who would harm us. Jesus said that we are to love our enemies, because if we don't take that extra step, we are no different than they are.

I'll remind my Christian brothers and sisters that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God, and that the wages of sin is death. We are saved from damnation, not because we deserve it, but because our Father chose to overlook our ignorance and give us a chance to be better than we are. And if we say "forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us" we damn ourselves if we do anything but forgive them.

For my brothers and sisters of other faiths, or who are unsure of the powers that be, I invite you to find your own reasons to believe that we can be better than those who wish to tear us down. Give them reasons and opportunities to see their ignorance and embrase any apology. We cannot expect our leaders to peace with other nations if we do not seek it for ourselves. We must learn to live together, or die alone.

As for that young man, I genuinely hope that the rest of his night was less eventful, that the rest of his days are more peaceful and that the next time we meet we can embrace each other as brothers and good friends.

Be Thankful

So I had an epiphany a few years ago but I never really shared it with anyone because it only made sense in my head. So if the following confuses you, it’s completely my fault. But I digress.

The train of though that lead to the epiphany started with something Dr. Hovind said. He basically said that God is not stuck in time like we are. Then I stopped paying attention to him because my big brain started wondering around trying to figure out that statement.

We’re stuck I the present, reminiscing about the past and looking forward to (or dreading) the future. So, by definition, God should be able to see me as I will be and as I was all at the same time. Almost as if my life was a DVD and the first chapter is my birth and just before the credits is my death. (SIDE NOTE: I’d love to see the trailer for that movie; but I digress.) Except that God doesn’t need to see my life in any order or even just on one screen. He should be able to process every frame of my life simultaneously.

MATH (feel free to skip this part is it bores you)
The average US lifespan is 77.2 years.
That’s 28,178 days.
That’s 676,272 hours.
That’s 40,576,320 minutes.
That’s 2,434,579,200 seconds.
And as we all know movies are shown at 24 frames per second.
So that’s 58,429,900,800 frames of your life that can be processed by the Almighty at once. (DVD speed)
But that’s with movies; our eyes are capable of processing 70 frames per second.
So that’s 170,420,544,000 frames. (Human speed)
And you know that the Lord isn’t gonna settle for a regular screen.
He’s got ultra hi def with 360° surround sound, but I digress.

Then my mind wondered to the things I really wanted and worked hard to get and then when I got them I didn’t really use it. Among those things is my Nokia N-Gage QD. I got it, obsessed about it for a several weeks and then it was just my phone. The only game I had was Tony Hawke and I rarely played it.

Then I had the though that we all have too often. “If I knew then what I knew now …” There have been things that I have prayed for and never got and I thought that maybe God was just saving me from having to say it again “If I knew then what I knew now …”

Then I had a crazy idea. If I pray for something after I already got it, the prayer should have the same force and effect because God is not stuck in time. But that’s silly! Why would I pray for something I already have?

Me, being me, I decided to give it a shot. I got on my knees, closed my eyes, clasped my hands and prayed out loud: “Heavenly Father God: Thank y…” I stopped. I had the epiphany. I immediately opened my eyes and stud up.

I realized who God tends to listen to and which prayers he deems worthy of answering. If I pray for something that I will be truly grateful for long after I have received it, then I shall receive it. But if those post event gratitude is not to come, then neither is the event.

Now I could be way off about this, and it could be that I did a terrible job communicating this idea to you, but it makes sense to me and I believe it. I believe that the grateful receiver shall only receive more from He who is glad to give.

So I guess this epiphany is a message of Thanksgiving.
So be thankful, or else … nothing … will happen … to you.

There is such a thing as too right

What I think happened is that I was always on the right, a conservative by every definition. Then the right moved further right and I chose not to follow them. I didn't go to the left, the right went righter.

I received an e-mail from a trusted and beloved friend listing the reasons why Christians should vote republican in the upcoming election. What follows is my reply to his e-mail, and my impression to the opposite.



I don't buy it.

Obama was handed an economy on life support.
Put there by a republican president with majorities in the house and the senate until, I think, 2006.
Bush abandoned the war everyone supported for the one that noone understood.
He relaxed regulations that would have saved us from the economic crisis (maybe even the oil disaster).

I might agree with the argument that Obama has increased the deficit and international debt with little to show for it.
But look at what he has to work with.
Every proposal he has supported, even if it was one championed by republicans just a few years ago, now filibustered by those same republicans.
Filibusters not for any understandable objections, but simply because they are being proposed by democrats.

Example
The democrats want to extend the Bush tax cuts for all except those who make over $250,000.00 a year.
The republicans want the to extend that cut for all.
Democrats don't think we can afford that.
To get what they want, republicans are threatening to let those tax breaks expire, giving the middle class a major tax hike.
To get what they want, they are holding the middle class hostage.

I'm not saying democrats are saints.
But it's clear by their tactics and policies that the republicans aren't looking out for the every-day American; or at least not anymore.

The way I seek it:
Democrats are well meaning cowards.
Republicans are boastful jerks.

I find one more attractive than the other.

Republicans boast as believers, but by their policies and behaviors, many of them fail as Christians.
Democrats shy away from their faith durring elections, but seem to be guided by their hearts in office.

Reminds me of the parable of the two brothers.
One said yes, but didn't follow through.
The other said no, but delivered in the end.

I find one more attractive than the other.

I may be wrong.

Christians and Americans would not, by definition, oppose the so called Ground Zero Mosque

I'm under the impression that I have heard all the arguments on this issue, and my conclusions are thus:
- A Christian, a believer in the teachings of Jesus, by definition, has no objection to the so called Ground Zero Mosque.
- An American, one who embraces the Constitution, by definition, has no objection to the so called Ground Zero Mosque.
Not without abandoning some of the core beliefs that define them.

First the issue, as I have have come to understand it: A group of Muslims are seeking to purchase an abandoned Burlington Coat Factory which happens to be located 2 blocks from Ground Zero. They intend to build a community center which will likely contain a Mosque.

Opposed to them are several folks who feel that "the people who attached us" should not be allowed to build a Mosque near Ground Zero.

My point: an American or a Christian, by definition, would have no objection to the so called Ground Zero Mosque. I am being very careful with my words here. I'm not saying they should be in favor of the Mosque; that would be their own choice. What I am saying is that based on their faith in the Bible and/or the Constitution, they would have no objection to the Mosque.

A Christian:
Kindergarten logic would dictate "Good for you, bad for me." In other words, if it is good for Islam, it is bad for Christianity.

I am a Christian; been one since October 14, 2001. By definition, I am to "Go [...] and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (The Great Commission, Matthew 28:19, KJV). My mission is to convert others to Christianity.

By any means necessary? No. I don't think anyone would be in favor of another inquisition. And besides, forcing others to accept Christianity is ... well, unchristian. I mean, what would Jesus do? His approach was simply to say "follow me." He would speak and he would teach, and people were free to follow Him or ignore Him. The most violent thing Jesus did was turning over the tables at the Temple. Wall Street? No, I'm not getting into that now. Need to stay on topic.

I am commissioned to convert others to Christianity. Other religions and belief systems, understandably, also seek to convert others to themselves: Muslims, Hindus, Vegetarians, Communists, Team Edward, etc.

Back to the Mosque, kindergarten logic says that as a Christian with a mission to convert others to Christianity, my job would be easier with one less Mosque in the world, especially if it is at Ground Zero. But like I said, what methods, what tactics did Jesus use? Do we know more than Jesus, that we feel comfortable abandoning "follow me" for more forceful methods to obstruct their worship?

My weapon is The Word. My tactics are example and debate. Anything beyond that is outside of Christ.

An American:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." (The First Amendment to the Constitution to the United States - As if you didn't know)

They are a region. They wish to exorcise their right to worship. They wish to peaceably assemble. And they have a right not to be prohibited to do so. Unless you are in favor of repealing the Fist Amendment. Good luck with that.

And even if they don't stick to the "peaceably assemble," we have laws and forces tasked with dealing with such issues. Or do we not trust our laws and police?

Again, kindergarten logic says "they attached us, so they shouldn't build a Mosque here."

One of two things is true:
(1) the 9/11 hijackers have embraced a distorted and false teaching based on the words of the prophet. They are not true Muslims. They stand apart from them Muslims that wish to build the Mosque. So what's the problem?
(2) the 9/11 hijackers have correctly followed the teachings of the prophet and died as good Muslims. The folks who wish to build the Mosque are watered down Muslims. They stand apart from the crazy dangerous Muslim hijackers. So what's the problem?
My point is, the Muslims who wish to build the Mosque are not the ones we need to worry about. And if they are, they'll get arrested.

Some might say that extremists would see the Mosque as a victory. I say, stopping the Mosque will only serve as another example of "western oppression." Damned if you do, damned if you don't. They wont like you no matter what you do. You can't beat an extremist movement by force or logic. But you can starve them of new recruits that might say, among other things, "Hold on now. I think those Americans are meddlesome too, but look, they allowed a Mosque near Ground Zero."

Some might say that it could become a headquarters for future attacks. I say again, we have laws against such conspiracies and forces tasked to deal with it. Besides it might be a great place to gather intelligence from.

Some might say that the money to build the Mosque might be coming from extremists. I say good; follow the money and get those guys.

Some say that we'll allow a Mosque at Ground Zero when they allow a Church is Saudi Arabia. You want to be like Saudi Arabia? You have at it! I believe the United States is different, and better, than Saudi Arabia in this respect. I don't want to be like them. I want to be like us.

Some might say that New York is tolerant enough and this Mosque goes too far. As if the presence of a Mosque has adverse effects on the community. I am more offended by a strip club, a liquor store, or Starbucks, than I am of a Mosque. As much as I don't believe in Islam, I'm under the impression that they don't abuse their bodies, numb their senses, and/or jack up their prices to take advantage of your unhealthy addiction like those businesses do.

Some might say that the families of the victims would feel offended. Now this argument sways me a bit. What happened was a terrible tragedy. It was an event that effected us all. An event we should never forget. But again, the people to knocked down the towers are not the people who wish to build this temple. They are in the unfortunate circumstance that there are crazy people out there who do things in the name of their god, and they often suffer retaliatory attacks for it. Many so called Christians have done many unchristian things in the name of Christ. Should the recent child molestation problems in the Catholic church serve as an example of the failure of Christian morals? I don't think so.

This is a tremendous opportunity for us to stand together as a nation to say that the extremists do not own Islam. That we will not allow their actions to dictate our behavior. That we can see the difference between the extremists and our Muslims brothers, who are as American as we are. And that while we may not believe what they believe, in this great nation, there is always room for respect.

In the end, I hope my opinion is moot. Because as I see it, this deal is between the seller, the buyer, and any agencies regulating the transaction. "The rest is silence." (Hamlet, by William Shakespeare)

God forgive me if I am wrong.

We take Everything on Faith

In the end, we take everything on faith. Some beliefs seem more certain than others, but when you really look at it, what have you got?

What you "know" is a conclusion you've drawn from your seances, your experiences, your intuition, and/or the testimony of others.

Consider your sources:
- You ever been wrong about anything you saw, heard, smelled, tasted, or felt?
- You ever said to yourself "I used to think that way, but not anymore"?
- You ever think "this isn't going the way I thought"?
- You ever regret taking someone's word for it?

The High Aldwin said it best "Forget what you know, or think you know." - Willow (1988).

The lunatic extreme would say "We're not really here. We just think we are." I don't agree but what could I possible say to the contrary? I am here? I am real?

"What is real? How do you define real? If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain." - Morpheus, The Matrix (1999).

For the sake of my point, I have made up the following definition.
Certainty:
a) the belief we are most comfortable with;
b) the only possibility we are aware of.

I will call on Othello a thousand times as the perfect example for this. From Othello's point of view, the evidence was clear that his wife was unfaithful:
- He hears from a trusted friend that she is unfaithful,
- He sees her with Cassio (the suspected lover) all the time,
- She constantly pleads for Cassio to be reinstated as Lieutenant after he was demoted due to his involvement in a drunken brawl,
- She refuses to produce the handkerchief (his first gift to her),
- He hears Cassio boast his conquest of her, and
- (the smoking gun) He sees Cassio holding the handkerchief.

The point Shakespeare was trying to make was that jealousy (possibly other emotions) can warp your perception of events. I agree. But look at that list again. A sober jury would say that the evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt; she is guilty of adultery. And yet all of it is untrue. All of it orchestrated by one man with evil intentions. Othello got played.

We take everything on faith. I am relatively sure I am real. I can never be sure any of you are real. Are you as real as I am? Do you still exist after I leave the room? If I am not there to hear it, did the tree really fall? Is the world being loaded and rendered around me like a video game? Is that why my vision is so low? So that I don't notice anomalies and even if I do I conclude that "I must have seen that wrong"?

After I get over the existence of others, questions arise about what "I know." Was George Washington the first president of the United States? I only know what I have been taught. But why would anybody lie about that?

Not even the scientific method is immune. The second step is the hypothesis: what we believe may happen. You really have no idea what will happen until you flip the switch, push the button, run the program. Hume taught that past experience has no effect on the future; what we expect to happen might not.

We take everything on faith.

We take EVERYTHING on faith.

We believe in the future, so we plan and execute.
We believe the cars behind us will also stop, so we decelerate when the light turns red.
We believe our messages will be delivered, so we type them up and hit Send.
We believe, so we do.

I believe I was build by a benevolent creator.
I believe he was given me a mind to perceive and free will to choose.
I believe Jesus chose to die for my sins.
I believe that act grants me an invitation into his kingdom.
I believe that until his kingdom comes, am I to follow his example.
I believe I must make His kingdom known to others as it was made known to me.
I believe you are capable of making the same choice.
I believe that for as long as the door is open, that choice is up to you, and you alone.

That, among many other things, is what I believe ... and I could be wrong.
I could be wrong.
I could be very wrong.
I could be dead fucking wrong!
But that is the nature of faith.
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1).

You don't have to believe what I believe, although I wish you would. But at least consider what I said. We take everything on faith.