Not a dinosaur

I am responding to a letter published in the Friday edition of the Helena IR written by Mr. Albert Wareham. Mr. Wareham claims that the carcass of a plesiosaur was found in 1977. The incident to which he is referring happened aboard the Zuiyo Maru and was indeed photographed and chronicled by the crew. Although the carcass was dumped, samples were collected and analyzed.However, the common concensus among scientists is that the carcass was that of a decomposed basking shark and not a plesiosaur. The closest thing to a “living dinosaur” being found was the discovery of the coelacanth, a fish long thought to be extinct. I for one, believe that it is naive to think that there are not species out there that have never been found, however, there has never been any concrete proof of a “living dinosaur.”
Jaysin Arthurs814 Cole

Thanks Jaysin
I am so tired of Christians writing in and spreading these myths. Its so frustrating to have too keep pointing out thier flaws and misinformation. I know the people who spread these lies are not swayed, but the general public needs to know the "facts" I do think most people know better, but its sad so many don't

I was on TV!

Missed it darn it! My sister called and said I was on the T.V. tonight. I blogged back in August about my interview with a couple from BBC. Well they published it and its called Godless in America. From my web surfing results its mostly about Ms. OHare and her murder. So, I am not sure if I like being compared to or lumped in with her, but then that was the chance I took when I did the interview. I can't really comment on the documentary since I did not see it. I do not get the Sundance Channel. I wish I had been given some warning about it from the two who did the interview so I could have had someone record it for me. I did email them tonight and asked for a copy. I hope they will send one. I'm not sure if I want to really see myself and dread it. I never considered myself photogenic and I do not know what parts of the interview they used. Its killing me to know though. I can only hope it was a postive portayal.

Evolution all wet/Letter to the Editor

Another letter to the editor from someone who knows nothing about evolution.

Scientists have wondered whether an “extinct” dinosaur would ever be found alive.

Then, in April 1977, a Japanese fishing vessel caught a 4,000 pound, 33 yard creature off New Zealand. A qualified zoologist was on board and photographed, sketched, carefully measured and flipper samples were kept for tissue analysis.

Indeed, it was a plesiosaur, a sea dwelling dinosaur, which supposedly had been dead for one million years! But, recognizing that the creature would disprove their fossil/strata theory, western scientists said it must have been a sea lion! There was almost total news blackout on this in the West, with the exception of a few publications (New York Times, July 24, 1977; Nature, July 28, 1977.) If some dinosaurs were to be found alive today, then evolutionists think this would weaken their theory. But, actually that neither prove not weaken their theory, since dinosaurs — past or present — present no evidence of the evolutionary process.

In museums all over the world, dinosaur bone displays are exhibited as a proof of evolution. But, a living dinosaur has been found.

Consider this, only about 500 years ago, the aepyornis, a dinosaur bird nearly 10 feet tall and weighing half a ton still lived on the island of Madagascar (see National Geographic, October 1967, p 493.)

Albert Wareham

Box 445

Boulder

Pagan Christmas

Pagan ChristmasRegarding the controversy over ads saying “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas,” Laughing Water is correct in pointing out that Christmas is a renamed pagan festival that had nothing to do with the birth of Christ, which, I add, was never celebrated by His disciples or apostles. It never entered their minds to institute or teach any such a thing. You will not find birthday celebrations in the Bible, except being held by those without faith, such as Herod.Those who call themselves Christians should have nothing whatsoever to do with Christmas and the Name of Christ being polluted by pagan feasts, now allegedly kosher because mixed with another pagan ritual, the “mass.”Surely anyone calling him or herself by the Name of Christ should not expect the world, which does not know Christ, to give him or her “merry” greetings in His Name. What confusion! “Christian,” you should be living as Christ, a light to the world, and not following in its ways, outdoing it in self-importance and self-indulgence. The tragedy is not that Christ is not in Christmas, but that you are not in Christ!
Paul Cohen413 ½ N. Beattie Street

Wow, This guy wants to cancel Christmas and he is claiming he is a true Christian. Of course again, we know Catholics borrowed/stole the Pagan celebrations, they are not true Christians according to fellows like Paul.
Once way back, Paul called my home and left a message on my answering machine. He was calling in response to a letter to the editor I wrote about Hell. He did not call back, but I can safely assume he did not agree with what I had written. He is as Fundy as they get. I wonder which church he worships.

A reponse to Mr. Wise

Gay ‘facts’This is in response to Mr. Wise’s article dated 12/15Thoughts and questions:Where do you get your “fact” that 92 percent of gays are atheists? I thought the IR made you have proof.Do you forget about the crusades when you make the comment “No good religion has ever brought the downfall of a nation.” Do you forget about the Romans? Do you forget about the middle east? You involve Muslims in your last paragraph. How about our own president that invades a nation in the name of God?Please again print FACT. Which religions do you mean when you say “left?”Here’s another “fact.” Science, you know the thing that has FACTS and DATA behind it, has isolated a gene that gay people carry. AMA Sept. 2001.Homosexual acts are wrong and sinful in your intolerant eyes. Gay people scare people like you. It has been the demise of no society. Fear what you don’t understand.
Bob Cypers6635 Sleeping Giant View

Mr. Wise is not so wise

Not gay bashingIn a recent loony left editorial by Tom Teepen, dutifully reprinted by the IR, he begins by refering to “gay-bashing churches.”In the mind of the homosexual community and their supporters any disagreement with their agenda is gay bashing.They ignore that 92 percent of homosexuals are avowed atheists, along with the majority of the “left.” Catholic/Christian churches teach that life should be respected whether that life is of a murderer, prostitute or homosexual.What these people can’t seem to understand is that respect for life does not equate to respect for “lifestyle.” If homosexuals want to have anal and oral sex with each other that is their choice. It is their choice, it is not genetic.While Teepen et al zero in on Christian churches, they forget or don’t know that the Shinto, Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim religions all teach that homosexual sex acts are wrong/sinful. None respect the lifestyle. We do fear the menace of secular humanism because it has not done any society any good and has been the major factor in the demise of several great societies.No good religion has ever brought the downfall of a nation.
Bill Wise10 Wallace Road, Clancy

This letter is so bad I do not know where to even begin tearing it apart. Where did he get his stats/ideas? From his church I am sure. Were did the 92% figure come from? No good religion has ever brought down a nation. Excuse me, I think Rome fell after the Christians took over. Iraq? Oh yeah, Islam is not a good religion. Of course he had to throw in the usual slam against humanism, its almost a requirment for this type of letter. And name calling, lets not forget that. "looney left". to make it even more ridiculous, he compare homosexuals to murders and prostitutes. Shouldn't prostitutes be insulted also? I think he is referring to the demise of a great nation as the Soviet Union. Again they assume all athiests are communist. Its crap!

Oh My! (I knew this Casino was doomed)

Memorial in Calif. for 'Flying Elvis' dead after Montana mishap
LAS VEGAS (AP) - A memorial is scheduled this month in California for a "Flying Elvis" who died of severe injuries including a broken pelvis suffered in a September skydiving mishap in Montana, a family member said Monday.Paul Moran, 52, who lived in Canyon Lake, Calif., and skydived with the "Flying Elvi" skydiving troupe in nearby Perris, Calif., died Nov. 24 at HarborView Medical Center in Seattle, said his half-sister, Jane Blacow, of Stockton, Calif."This was not a joke as it had been perceived on all the Web sites and the newspaper articles," Blacow said of broken bones and internal injuries that left her brother on a respirator since the Sept. 29 mishap. "It was a lot more serious than people thought."Moran crashed to the ground during a skydiving demonstration marking the opening of the Glacier Peaks Casino in Browning, Mont.Members of the troupe said at the time that Moran apparently misjudged the landing before hitting a concrete parking lot at an estimated 50 mph.Blacow said a memorial was planned Dec. 23 in Perris for Moran, a building contractor in Stockton and Canyon Lake, who had been a member of the Flying Elvi parachuting team for about 13 years. Blacow told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that her brother loved sports including sky diving, water skiing and snowboarding.

Claimed he was God

Couple accused of string of sex abuses
THOMPSON FALLS, Mont. (AP) - A Heron man who authorities say claimed he was God has been charged with a string of sex offenses after a family member recounted being abused and held in virtual isolation from society for years.James D. Guill, 54, faces six sex offenses in all. His common-law wife, Nicole Christensen Guill, 36, also is charged with four sex offenses. Both are being held on $1 million bail pending appearances in District Court later this week. They initially declined public defenders at a court hearing last week. It was not clear Tuesday whether they had hired private attorneys.Sanders County Attorney Bob Zimmerman said more charges against the two are likely.Guill and his common-law wife were arrested after the victim, now 22, told authorities she had escaped from the family property, where she claimed to have been sexually abused by Guill since the age of 6, court records said.She said Nicole Christensen Guill, who moved into the home after the sexual abuse started, began taking part in the abuse when the victim was about 14, court documents said.In court records, investigators said the victim told them the abuse continued until she was able to leave in mid-September.

The woman told a sheriff's deputy that Guill kept her isolated from outsiders and that she rarely left the property _ and then only in the presence of Guill or his wife. She said she'd never been to school, had very little knowledge of the outside world and was limited to reading only the Bible most of her life.In court documents, Zimmerman said the woman told investigators that Guill justified the sexual abuse by telling the victim he was God and "that he decided who would go to heaven and who would go to hell.""James Guill told (her) that if she ever told anyone what they were doing that she would go to hell," Zimmerman wrote.

Irresponsible ad

A few years ago, I found a pamphlet on my car windshield from Tony Alamo Christian Ministries that contained disturbing anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish propaganda. Shortly thereafter, the IR published an excellent article exposing the group’s malicious teachings (see “Anti-Catholic Literature Distributed” by Allison Farrell, Aug. 25, 2004). I was therefore completely shocked to see the IR publish a full-page advertisement by Tony Alamo on Page 7 of the Sunday paper (Nov. 26). Although the text in the advertisement was largely sanitized relative to other writings by Alamo, it was completely irresponsible to approve any advertisement in the IR by this group. Surely this was a mistake. I cannot believe the IR would knowingly publish advertisements by an organization that overtly espouses hate speech. The IR needs to examine its advertising policy and institute safeguards to ensure that this type of advertisement does not appear in the future. The IR owes its readership an apology.

Kyle Strode

1011 Missoula Avenue

Tribal Soveriegn Government

BISMARCK, North Dakota (AP) -- A church group that protests at military funerals around the country will be barred from services for an American Indian soldier on a reservation, tribal officials say.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, planned to demonstrate at National Guard Cpl. Nathan Goodiron's funeral on Saturday at the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

Church members say the deaths of soldiers are punishment from God for the country's tolerance of homosexuals.

Tribal leaders passed a resolution Friday that prohibits the group from protesting on the reservation, said Marcus Wells Jr., chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes.

"We will not tolerate any harassment that is intended to provoke ill feelings and violence," he said.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of the Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., pastor of Westboro Baptist, said her group planned to protest outside the reservation "on public rights of way."

"We don't get into anyone's private area," said Phelps-Roper, the church's attorney and its spokeswoman. "We don't go on private land."

Goodiron, 25, of Mandaree, known on the reservation as Young Eagle, was killed Thanksgiving Day in Afghanistan when a grenade struck his vehicle while he was on patrol. He was a member of the 1st Battalion of the North Dakota National Guard's 188th Air Defense Artillery.

Tribal officials said he was the first member of the Three Affiliated Tribes to be killed in the war on terror.

American and tribal flags are being flown at half staff on the reservation to honor Goodiron.

"We recognize and respect the right to free speech and the public's right to assemble, but we want everyone to know that the Three Affiliated Tribes, as a sovereign tribal government, has the right to regulate any person or persons who harass and show disrespectful conduct towards our members, within our boundaries," Wells said in a statement.

Wells said tribal police would prevent the protesters from coming on the reservation.

The Peace Sign

Subdivision bans Christmas wreath with peace sign
By ROBERT WELLER - Associated Press Writer - 11/27/06
DENVER — A homeowners association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.

Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He said some residents have also believed it was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said.

‘‘Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up,’’ he said in a telephone interview Sunday.

Lisa Jensen said she wasn’t thinking of the war when she hung the wreath. She said, ‘‘Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing.’’

Jensen, a past association president, calculates the fines will cost her about $1,000, and doubts they will be able to make her pay. But she said she’s not going to take it down until after Christmas.

‘‘Now that it has come to this I feel I can’t get bullied,’’ she said. ‘‘What if they don’t like my Santa Claus.’’

The association in this 200-home subdivision 270 miles southwest of Denver has sent a letter to her saying that residents were offended by the sign and the board ‘‘will not allow signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive.’’

The subdivision’s rules say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_symbol
Antagonism
The fact that the symbol resembles a bird foot in a circle gave rise to spurious alternative interpretations, ranging from plain mockery of "crow's foot" or "The Footprint of the American Chicken" (suggesting that peace activists were cowards) to a number of occult meanings, such as an upside down crucifix with the arms broken downward, suggesting the way that St. Peter was martyred. Others have claimed that the symbol resembles a medieval sign known as "Nero's Cross" that represents Satanism [citation needed]. Alternatively, some have suggested that the symbol is an inverted Elhaz rune, which would reverse the rune's general meaning from 'life' to 'death'. Gerald Holtom's explanation of the genesis of the symbol and his first drawings of it, however, do not support those interpretations. [1]

Blame the critters/Letter ot the Editor

Your Nov. 12 article on cattle mutilations was of interest to me as I have had the opportunity to investigate several of these so-called ‘mutilations while serving both as a deputy sheriff and deputy brand inspector for Liberty County during the “UFO and cattle mutilation craze,” of the mid-to late 1970s.

It should be pointed out that cattle of all ages will, on occasion, simply drop dead in their tracks from a variety of natural causes. This might help explain the absence of blood, footprints, wheel tracks, and/or UFO landing patterns.

A dead bovine will naturally attract predators of all shapes and sizes to feed upon the carcass. The numbers and types of predators will vary from one area to another. The “soft” tissues, like the eyes, nose, udder, etc., are generally the first to be devoured, while natural body openings like the rectum and genitals offer a quick entry to the body cavity.

As for the “surgical precision” of the cuts or incisions, extensive studies undertaken in the late 1970s came to the conclusion that the teeth of small rodents were equally as effective as the surgeon’s knife.

And what did my investigations reveal? Nothing, but natural deaths, and normal predator feeding activities.

John L. Stoner

63 River Road

Townsend

Toys for Tots (All Tots)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A talking Jesus doll has been turned down by the Marine Reserves' Toys for Tots program.
A Los Angeles company offered to donate 4,000 of the 1 foot-tall dolls, which quote Bible verses, for distribution to needy children this holiday season. The battery-powered Jesus is one of several dolls manufactured by one2believe, a division of the Valencia-based Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co., based on biblical figures.
But the charity balked because of the dolls' religious nature.
Toys are donated to kids based on financial need and "we don't know anything about their background, their religious affiliations," said Bill Grein, vice president of Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, in Quantico, Virginia.
As a government entity, Marines "don't profess one religion over another," Grein said Tuesday.

"We can't take a chance on sending a talking Jesus doll to a Jewish family or a Muslim family."

Cow explosions, anyone?

By IR Staff - 11/14/06
There’s a big difference between urban legends — those almost believable but totally fictitious hair-raising little stories that never seem to die — and rural legends: Urban legends can be about almost anything; rural legends are about livestock mutilations.Well, there’s also the one about the exploding cow. But like the baby in the microwave or the hook hanging from the car door, livestock mutilations also never seem to go away.So it was déjà vu all over again Sunday when we printed an Associated Press story out of Great Falls that reported, according to the headline: “Cattle mutilation stuns ranchers.”To anyone who was around in the 1970s and 1980s, livestock mutilations are an old and fully discredited legend, despite the continuing credulity of some ranchers and investigating sheriff’s deputies.The story reported Sunday follows the legendary scenario to a fault: The cow’s udder, genitals and rectum were cut out with “stunning” precision. So was the left side of its face, the bones “stripped as clean as if they had been boiled.” No blood spatters were found. No tracks were nearby. Why wasn’t the rest of the body eaten?In the past, such gruesome findings have led to tales about how a secret government program requires organs and blood, or yarns about Satanist cults using the parts in rituals too horrible to contemplate. For a while, UFOs figured prominently in the mystery, until the aliens apparently moved on to abducting human beings instead.

Look: a dead animal’s blood flows to the parts of the body nearest the ground, making it appear bloodless, especially if it has been dead for a while and the blood has dried. Predators naturally go for the softer parts, and their sharp teeth, beaks and claws can make what appear to be “surgical” cuts. Why didn’t the predator devour the entire animal? Do you suppose it wasn’t that hungry?Somehow, that explanation sounds a bit more logical than black helicopters, evil cultists or aliens from outer space.At any rate, we need a little variety here. Did you hear about the guy milking a cow who, when the cow lifted its tail to pass some of its great load of methane, decided to light the gas? Ka-POW! (The man died in the explosion, impaled by a piece of femur.)Now there’s a story!

Sex, that's all they think about!

BALTIMORE - America’s Roman Catholic bishops are focusing on the many Catholics who misunderstand or disregard church teaching, instructing them on beliefs about homosexuality, marriage, contraception and Holy Communion.


What about murder, theft, lies, violence.?
Guess the Church has better things to worry about, Espcecially with whats going on in your bedroom. It seems they are obsessed with sex. Its unhealthy.

Elton John

LONDON, England (AP) -- Organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star Elton John said in an interview published Saturday.
"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people," John said in the Observer newspaper's Music Monthly Magazine. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."
"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."
John also criticized religious leaders for failing to do anything about conflicts around the world.
"Why aren't they having a conclave? Why aren't they coming together?"
John said those in his own field have been similarly lax.
"It's like the peace movement in the '60s. Musicians got through to people by getting out there and doing peace concerts, but we don't seem to do them any more," he said. "If John Lennon were alive today, he'd be leading it with a vengeance."

Cow Mutilations!? Again?

Cattle mutilation stymies ranchers, investigators
By KAREN OGDEN
GREAT FALLS - Valier rancher John Peterson and his wife were recently headed out into the twilight to do chores when they spotted her.
The healthy young cow lay dead in a stubble field, just off the road.
Stopping the truck to investigate, they found the sickening, telltale signs.
The cow's udder, genitals and rectum were cut out with stunning precision. The left side of her face was carved off, the exposed bones stripped as clean as if they'd been boiled.
Peterson, who discovered a similarly mutilated cow on his neighbor's ranch five years ago, knew he was the latest victim in one of rural Montana's greatest mysteries.
Since the 1970s, Montana ranchers have found dozens of cattle carved up in similar, macabre fashion.
The first known incident was a mutilated steer reported near Sand Coulee in late August 1974. By December 1977, sheriff's deputies had investigated 67 mutilation cases in Cascade, Judith Basin, Chouteau, Teton and Pondera counties.
In each case, the cuts were made with surgical precision, often in circular shapes.
Similar cases have haunted ranchers in the Southwest since the 1970s, when a 300-page federally funded report concluded the killings were the work of natural predators.
Peterson, a lifelong rancher, says he knows a predator kill when he sees one. Grizzly bears, wolves and coyotes aren't suspects in this case, he said.
"It's the weirdest thing," he said. "A guy hates to say too much because I don't know how far you can go before they'll put you in the nut house."
Others theories, besides predators, involve pranksters, satanic cults and space aliens.
Whoever, or whatever, is responsible has left precious few clues for Pondera County Sheriff Tom Kuka. At least not the kind of clues lawmen are used to.
Like the others, Peterson's cow was found with no blood spills or splatters, no footprints and no sign of a struggle.
Nor were there footprints in past cases when the ground was muddy or snow-covered.
"There's no reasonable or rational explanation for this," said Kuka, who is investigating the case as felony criminal mischief. Peterson's cow was worth up to $1,200.
"I'm hoping to find anything that would show how did this animal come to get there," he said.
Perhaps the most unsettling hallmark of the mutilations is that hungry predators leave the carcasses untouched.
Peterson discovered the cow Oct. 9 and the birds are just now starting to peck at it.
"We had a cow die a week after this one about a half a mile away and there's nothing left of that other cow," he said.
Those oddities - no blood, no footprints and no predators - were all part of a similar spate of mutilations in the area in 2002, when ranchers reported at least 15 killings.
In one case, a rancher west of Dupuyer found a carcass with the skin peeled off the left side of the face and nose in similar fashion to Peterson's cow. The left eyeball, rectum and genitals were cut out. Part of the left ear was cut off, but the udder was intact.
On a ranch between Fort Shaw and Cascade, a carcass was missing its left eye, one teat, its genitals and rectum.
But in this latest case at Peterson's ranch, Kuka found an intriguing clue.
A few feet south of the carcass there was an impression in the stubble field, like the cow had lain down there. But there were no footprints or drag marks between the impression and her final resting place.
It was as if the bovine had fallen from the sky - and bounced.
Could she have been pushed from an aircraft?
There are numerous farmhouses in the area, and none reported hearing low-flying aircraft.
Aliens?
Even Peterson, a down-to-earth sort, admits he's pondered extraterrestrial explanations.
"You never know," he said. "I ain't gonna say they're out there. But I ain't gonna say they're not."

This story reappears like bigfoot sightings and other silly stories. I did write a letter to the editor about this very topic maybe five years ago. I need to find it and post it. I'm wondering if its the same people behind this again.
Why in g-ds name would space aliens want with so many cow parts, why not sheep? Are they not yet done with thier experiments? Its been over thirty years. Are they stupid.....
Why drop the evidence. Or is it a sick joke against those poor ranchers. Those space aliens are sooo funny. haha

My Email to Wal_Mart

Christmas Shopping Comment.
I hope the Wal-Mart Greeters only say "Merry Christmas" on Christmas? Since,I am not a Christian and if I have to hear "Merry Christmas" from Wal-Mart greeters for the next 45 days. I and my family will stay away from Wal-Mart and Shop elsewere.

I wrote this in response to Wal_Marts decision to replace "Happy Holdays" with "Merry Christmas" whenever a shopper walks in the door. 45 days of this! Boooooo
I have already stopped shopping there for some months now that my husband is in Iraq. My grocery bill has been cut in half, so now I shop at Albertson's instead. But now I really have a reason to stay away.
I ask everyone who agrees with me to email Wal_Mart with the same complaint. I am not asking you not to shop there, but to at least comment on thier policies.

Thanks Stan Jones

If Montana goes Blue it is only thanks to Libertarian Stan Jones he pulled in 9,647 votes. Those almost 10,000 Montanans would have either stayed home or voted for Republican Conrad Burns. Thanks Mr. Jones!
Watching the really close elections nationwide it seems to me no one has won. The Republicans lost. The Democrats have been elected, barely.
The Demos will have to save the world in the next two years to keep the house and maybe the Senate and White House.
It is a 50/50 chance for either side 2008. Then there are the wild card third party candidates. This make everything much more interesting for both sides.

Many in Montana complain and whine about how their vote does not count. Well, after yesterday that was proven very wrong. The entire Nation is watching us and Virginia. How fun!

Stan Jones fans? What is going through your minds. Mr. Jones skin turned blue in 99 becuase he thought the world as we know was going to end New Years Eve 2000!
LOL take a breath LOL again. I can't stop.....................too funny............so sad

The Rightous Right

The president of the National Association of Evangelicals resigned after accusations by a male prostitute that the pastor paid him for sex over three years. The Rev. Ted Haggard said he also is temporarily stepping aside from the pulpit of his church in Colorado Springs. The church official filling in for Haggard said there has been "some admission of guilt," but not to all of the allegations.

I squirm with glee whenever someone from the Religious Right leadership is exposed for what it really is. TWO-FACED

Female Circumcision

The practice crosses ethnic and cultural lines and is not tied to a particular religion. Activists say it is intended to deny women sexual pleasure. In its most extreme form, the clitoris and parts of the labia are removed and the labia that remain are stitched together.
Since 2001, the State Department estimates that up to 130 million women worldwide have undergone circumcision.
Knives, razors or even sharp stones are usually used, according to a 2001 department report. The tools are frequently not sterilized, and often, many girls are circumcised at the same ceremony, leading to infection.
It is unknown how many girls have died from the procedure, either during the cutting or from infections, or years later in childbirth. Nightmares, depression, shock and feelings of betrayal are common psychological side effects, according to a 2001 federal report.

It is so very hard not to become very cynical of humanity after seeing news like this. 1/3 of the worlds population or more are still living in the dark ages. And that is being positive its hopefully only 1/3 not 1/2.

Ohio executes cult leader who killed doubters

LUCASVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- Ohio executed a religious cult leader Tuesday for murdering a family of five followers who were taken one at a time to a barn, bound and shot to death. The youngest was a girl just 7 years old.
Jeffrey Lundgren, 56, died by injection at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.
"I profess my love for God, my family, for my children, for Kathy (his wife). I am because you are," Lundgren said in his final statement.
The evidence against him in the deaths of the Avery family -- Dennis, 49, Cheryl, 46, Trina, 15, Rebecca, 13, and 7-year-old Karen -- was compelling.
Upset by what he saw as a lack of faith, Lundgren arranged a dinner hosted by cult members. Afterward, he and his followers led the family members one by one -- the father first, young Karen last -- to their deaths while the others unknowingly cleaned up after dinner.
Lundgren shot each victim two or three times while a running chain saw muffled the sound of the gunfire.
Lundgren argued at his trial in 1990 that he was prophet of God and therefore not deserving of the death penalty.
"It's not a figment of my imagination that I can in fact talk to God, that I can hear his voice," he had told the jurors. "I am a prophet of God. I am even more than a prophet."
Lundgren formed the cult with about 20 members in the northeast Ohio town of Kirtland after he was dismissed in 1987 as a lay minister of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, an offshoot of the Mormon church.
He said God commanded him, through interpretation of Scriptures, to kill the Avery family, who had moved from Missouri in 1987 to follow his teachings.
Lundgren's attorneys had tried to put off the execution, arguing that he should be allowed to join a lawsuit challenging Ohio's use of lethal injection as cruel and unusual punishment. They said his execution had more of a chance of being painful because he was diabetic and overweight at 275 pounds.
Late Monday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati issued an order allowing the execution to go forward. The U.S. Supreme Court refused a last-minute request to stop his execution Tuesday, and Gov. Bob Taft denied clemency.
Thirteen cult members were charged in the case, including Lundgren's wife, Alice, now 55, and their son, Damon, now 35, both serving life prison terms.

An Editorial about Churchs and Politics

Avoiding church-state conflict
By the Helena IR - 10/04/06
Last week’s federal court ruling against a lawsuit filed by a Helena-area Baptist Church is a reminder that issues of church and state aren’t likely to go away any time soon.

The Canyon Ferry Road Baptist Church was accused by the state commissioner of political practices of violating campaign laws by failing to report its activities on behalf of a successful 2004 constitutional ban on gay marriage. The church sued, alleging the laws violated its freedom of speech and religion.

Federal District Judge Donald Molloy ruled against the church. Molloy noted that the First Amendment prevents the state from establishing a religion or preventing people from practicing the religion of their choice, but said in this case the church became an “incidental campaign committee” by holding meetings, distributing petitions, and other overt political activities.

“Nothing in the First Amendment keeps the state from exercising its regulatory authority over the political process,” he said, “even when the politicking takes place in the sanctuary.”

This sort of conflict is not a matter of liberal or conservative politics — the Internal Revenue Service is increasingly being asked to investigate whether churches are violating their tax-exempt status with their political activities. The complaints usually are made by conservatives about liberal political activities or the other way around.

This problem is hardly surprising. Whenever church goers believe their religious teachings compel them to take political action, the possibility of church-state conflict is never far away.

This conflict, however, is the last thing churches need, or should want. Church members who want to enter the political arena should create separate political committees to do so.

Molloy’s ruling was sound, but hardly new. The message goes back 2,000 years: Give onto Caesar what is Caesar’s.

Blessings

Community Blessing of Animals set for Oct. 1
By The Helena IR - 09/29/06
The Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Helena will hold a Community Blessing of Animals on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 4 p.m.The service will be held at the future home of Church of the Nativity at the top of Lola Street, south of Highway 12 East. The public is welcome to bring pets of any size to the blessing.The Blessing of the Animals is being held in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, known as a loving friend of all God’s creatures and creation.A design phase for the new Church of the Nativity building and surrounding land has been completed and the fundraising for the building has begun. Church members say they hope to break ground during the summer of 2007. In the meantime, services are being held every Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at the Elks Club.

I find this article beyond comprehension.
I guess I really don't understand the concept of Blessings. I will need to do some research on this.

Christian politics/A Letter to the Editor

A Disclaimer
I post local letters to the editor I find interesting but do not necessarily support what they say.

From the Helena IR 9-14-06
Interesting that Ken Toole of the Human Rights Network and Jeff Lazloffy are arguing over who is picking and choosing scripture to support their own goals.In truth, both he and Ken Toole are cherry-picking from scripture. The difference is that the Human Rights Network is not looking at the whole Bible; they are looking at the words of Jesus himself. Jesus never said a thing about abortion or gay marriage, but he had much to say about poverty.And although Biblical men before and after him did speak to condemn homosexuality, I think we can all agree that the actual words of Jesus Christ have the most importance in the Christian faith. And on abortion, the Bible has this to say: “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows” — (footnote: or “has a miscarriage”). In ancient Israel, the fetus has rights only as it was “property” of its parents. And, while there are laws against nearly everything else, nowhere do the books of law even mention voluntary abortion.
Matthew Downhour1013 Broadway

I knew there was a reason

In my last post, I went on and on about my mediation experience. Last night, again I was weepy and worked up with my son....etc.
Today, I googled weepiness and guess what! I am experiencing perimenopause. Now everything make sense.

My first attempt at meditation

I have a friend who uses Buddist meditation. So, when I saw an article in the Helena IR about a weekend meditation retreat I decided to sign up for it. It was quite an experience. It is hard to explain, but it did affect me more than I thought it would. Being a skeptic it was difficult to swallow some of the God talk. But, In my mind I replaced the word God with the words Human Spirit. I did read somewhere that the word spirit is another word for breath. So with meditation it fits very well.
I learned four different ways to breath while listening to the heart. The four ways are; Air, Water, Fire and Earth. It does take alot of practice to be able to hear/feel your heart beat within your chest. The seminar was about restoring optimisim. In order to do that you need to energize your heart through meditation. I did have some difficulties, but the stretching excercises coupled with the meditation does make one feel better. The positive physical aspects of this is immediate.
While I was sitting there listening to the Bair's, a very nice couple. Probably the most peaceful people I have ever met, I was struggling. I went home that evening still pretty skeptical but overall glad I did participate.
The next morning was even harder for me. Sunday morning, I woke up badly. I never was a morning person and some mornings it seems almost impossible to get out of bed. I felt terrible. I hate mornings. Anyway, my attitude was poor and I sat in my chair in misery. Susanna Bair then had us close our eyes, meditate while she made a series of 12 sounds. We were to rate each on how we reacted to the sounds. Overall I did not like them. They were strange. Sufi sounds I am sure. Anyway, it was sound number 8 I did not like at all. Afterwards we talked about the sounds and what they meant. I found out number 8 was "The Beloved" or in other words God. Wow I thought, I really do have negative feelings about God/Authority. All weekend I kept thinking to myself I needed to destroy God first before I could find my Human Spirit. I know, I know I can already feel my fellow skeptics recoil. I am not saying anything one way or another at this point, but I did experience something Sunday morning. After the sound torture, that is what it was for me, we took a 15 minute break. I went outside for a minute and suddenly choked up. I hate that. I don't know why and still don't. Just writing this down is bringing it all back. I then walked back into the building, went to the bathroom and to my horror there were tears. For no apparent reason even!
I composed myself, sat back down and suffered even a worse morning. Next we were asked to meditate with someone, then meditate about someone not there. It was absolutly awful. Tears streamed down my face the whole time. I could not help it!? Luckily for me I noticed I was not the only one. But I think I did have the strongest reaction, being new at this and all. I would not necessarily call it a religious experience. It may take me awhile to figure out what it was all about.

One of the Bair's comments really struck me, Do not ignore the pain, the discomfort.... it was good for me I think. I still do not regret putting myself through this uncomfortable situation. I have learned something, what that is? I will need to meditate on it I guess;)

After more thought, I have always been uncomfortable with strangers. I think I was feeling vulnerable and maybe that was why I was so distressed. Exposing myself so intimately was something I have never done before. It was very overwhelming. Lucky for me, people who attend such events are the best kind of people. They completely understood what was going on and did not judge or question my reaction. That in itself was a comfort.

I can go on and on about this, but unless you were there it is impossible to describe properly. I may write more about it for my own reasons. I treat my blog as a diary/sounding board only, never as an attempt to convince anyone of anything. Whether you agree or disagree with what you find here, its not the important thing.

Of course the longer I sit here this moring, more things keep popping up in my head. Again that is why I do this blog. This is almost mediative in its own way. Part of me admits to being indifferent, or I think I pretend? to be indifferent to people. It is a protective shield I have put up or have had forever. I always joke and tell people I have never developed any social skills. I have had very few real friends. I have a couple of co-workers I would call friends, but beyond that only ac·quain·tances. After years and years, I thought I was comfortable with being a so called lone wolf. Proud of it in fact. No messy relationships, told myself I have no time for friends, but every so often I get kinda bummed out I do not have any. That I am missing out somehow. I know I am, but now what. I can't change overnight. Do I really want to? I think I do, but I will take it very slowly. One day at a time. I have already noticed I am talking to people at work a little kinder. Not that I wasn't before, I have always been nice, just not sincere? I may or may not have found God(idealism) again, but at least I am more aware of others around me. That is what the Human Spirit is. Compassion. It is the only thing that makes us different from the animals. Only we can place ourselves in another's place. Only we know we are going to die. That is something is it not?


Seminar explores optimism in a pessimistic world
By ALANA LISTOE - IR Staff Writer- 09/11/06
“Ultimately, it is about changing the world and we think this is how you do it,” Puran Bair said Sunday at the close of a weekend seminar on restoring optimism.Puran and wife, Susanna Bair, of Tucson, Ariz., believe that being optimistic heals the heart and therefore can heal the Earth through the love of another. They delivered this message to a group of people who attended a three-day seminar over the weekend.Betsy Hart of Missoula believes that meditation focusing on heart rhythm lowered her blood pressure so much that she has been medication free for four years.Hart found the couple’s book, “Living from the Heart,” more than five years ago at a bookstore. The concepts made sense to her, she said, so she further investigated and took an online course from the couple’s spiritual school, Institute for Applied Meditation.The practices she learned since that time has given her a tremendous amount of body awareness and enabled to her to successfully manage her lupus, she said.“It has changed my system’s response to stress,” Hart said.
Optimism is the positive interpretation of one’s current experience and the confidence that she or he can have an influence on the future, according to information supplied at the seminar.The Bairs believes pessimism is dangerous because it leads to self-destructive behaviors, a sense of hopelessness and despair and generates damaging chemicals in the body.The work the couple promotes is heart meditation —a practice in which one becomes conscious of his or her heartbeat and breathing. This is accomplished by a shift in attention and breath rhythm to create a connection between the nervous, endocrine, respiratory and circulatory systems — literally uniting the heart, mind and body, according to their brochure.“The heart is a resource and treasure that has yet to be discovered,” Susanna Bair said. “We need to learn how to deal with pain instead of taking pain killers.”Puran said the heart in all people has been damaged and hurt, therefore creating “holes” where needed energy seeps out. It is through mediation and optimism that the heart can heal and begin to have a greater love for the world and its people, he said.“We want change with greater compassion for diversity,” Puran said.Attendees at the seminar learned that the power and capacity of the heart may be restored by concentration on the physical heart, rhythmic breathing, expanding the scope of attention, and honoring one’s past experiences.Susanna said this topic is particularly important today.“We find that America really needs to recover the optimism,” she said.Bob Blanchet of Wyoming says he started meditation classes with Dan McMannis (a student of the Bairs) a year ago with his wife mainly for personal growth.“I feel like the state of the world requires renewed optimism,” Blanchet said.“We make the assumption that optimism is a natural thing that gets eroded over time,” Puran said. “We see optimism as a result of a strong heart and pessimism as what happens when the heart becomes weak.”He added that people today “get crabby and are easily annoyed,” a direct result from a lack of energy in the heart.Ideally, he said, the heart should continuously give energy and love and continuously recharge itself too.Susanna Bair pointed out that 100 years ago today — Sept. 11, 1906 — marked the beginning of Gandhi’s non-violent path to peace in the world.The couple travels all over the country holding seminars, however this was their first time in Montana. Tonight, they’ll speak at St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula from 7 to 9 p.m.

"Why did God do this to me?" It was an accident

I find it interesting how some people who are in terrible accidents and survive either lose faith and some others thank God for it. I know of one or two who credit God and now try and tell everyone they know. Is it fate, is it luck, is it God? I don't like to think God has anything to do with it. That would mean our future is set in stone. God had already planned to have you killed or not? Why would God have 49 other people die and let one survive? Not only die, but die a horrible death. The blame goes to the airport authority, the one survivor was not necessarily a miracle, but lucky.

LEXINGTON, Kentucky (AP) -- The sole survivor of a plane crash that killed 49 people near Lexington last week asked family members from his hospital bed, "Why did God do this to me?" but he hasn't mentioned the crash, a close family friend said Wednesday.
James Polehinke, who was the flight's co-pilot, can move only his head, and tears often well up in his eyes, said Antonio Cruz, Polehinke's mother's boyfriend. He said the 44-year-old had only gained consciousness on Tuesday.
Polehinke hasn't mentioned the crash and doctors have encouraged family members not to ask him about it, Cruz told The Associated Press.
According to federal investigators, Polehinke was controlling Comair Flight 5191 when the regional jet took off from a too-short runway at Lexington's Blue Grass Airport, crashed and caught fire in a nearby field on August 27. He was pulled to safety from the broken cockpit, but everyone else aboard the plane died in the crash and fire.
Polehinke is now off a ventilator but could be hospitalized for several more weeks with facial and spine fractures, a broken leg, foot and hand, three broken ribs, a broken breastbone and a collapsed lung.
He has asked about various family members, Cruz said, and has questioned his relationship with God.
One of the first full sentences he said after regaining consciousness was, "Why did God do this to me?" Cruz said.
Cruz said Polehinke's mother, Honey Jackson, told him: "It was not God. It was just an accident."
Investigators are looking into airport construction and staffing at the control tower, among other things, as possible contributing factors to the August 27 crash. The lone tower operator had turned to do administrative work as the plane turned onto the wrong runway and tried to take off, officials said. According to FAA guidelines, two control tower operators should have been working at the time.

A Nasty Letter to the Editor by a Mr Dalton

I will have to write a letter to the editor in response to this awful person's tirade.
I have not written one in awhile since I have started to blog. But I can not let this one go without notice.

Profiling
Sorry, Kassie Kallin, didn’t mean to make you ill. Sounded pretty serious. If reading editorial opinions make you ill, I would stay away from the editorial section. I’m glad to see Homeland Security is finally starting to see things my way. They are following the lead of the Britains and beginning to profile. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it might be a duck. Quack, quack. When I say profiling I am referring to those individuals from past experiences of terrorist attacks that do fit a specific profile. Speaking of raising tensions, when was the last time you have seen any other religion on planet Earth besides Muslim extremists that call for the extermination of anyone that does not follow their beliefs? The Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Jews, Christianity in any form doesn’t do it. God had his only son die for our sins. The Muslim extremists that call for holy jihad wrap explosives around their sons and daughters and send them to Allah. I wonder which belief is correct?They wish to send you as a non-believer to meet Allah also. Not in the way you expect. Have a nice politically correct day.Harry Dalton15 Jefferson

I hate politcal pandering

Bush compares Islamic radicals to Nazis and communists

Bush is an idiot and or he must think the people of Utah are idiots

Lets compare religious fanatics/Nazis/communists

religious fanatics kill their own people (Shites and Sunnis)
Niether Nazis nor communists sent suidcide bombers to America
The Islamic radicals are not necessarily nationalistic like the Nazis
Of course communists are athiestic the other two groups are not
But, when it comes to comparing Sunnis and Shites the one group believe the others are heretics if not athiests.

Here is the US,
Some may compare a Republican to a facist but not a Nazi. Some compare a Democrat to a communist instead of calling them a liberal.
Name calling is all it is. Instead of talking about or really trying to fix the problems, both sides point at each other for everything that is wrong with the world. Nothing changes, nothing gets done.

I hate politics, its a nasty business. But, I am realistic and know this is how humans behave and all we can do is try our best. It's not pretty, but at least US citizen's are not killing each other over which Church they belong to.
We do have one of the best political systems in the world. The Rule of Law (Secular)

First I was sad then mad...

Helena woman killed in I-90 crash
By The Associated Press - 08/23/06
MISSOULA (AP) — A Clinton man entered Interstate 90 going the wrong way early Tuesday, narrowly avoiding one vehicle before sideswiping another, killing a 31-year-old Helena woman, the Montana Highway Patrol said.The man’s pickup struck a car carrying a family of four at about 1:15 a.m. near Clinton.Brigette Ehlke, a passenger, was killed, the patrol said.Two children in the back seat, ages 4 and 5, were in car seats and suffered minor injuries. The driver, Ehlke’s husband, Matthew, was not injured.The pickup driver, a 29-year-old man, suffered serious injuries.He left the scene on foot but was apprehended in Clinton about an hour later, the patrol said.

I have learned and now agree with some, that alcoholism is not a disease. It is very controversial to say so, but I now think its true. Drunks are drunks becuase they have lost control. They do not understand they really do have the power to quit. For decades now people have been told it is a disease, therefore it gives them an excuse to keep drinking.

Yesterday, two little children have lost thier mother. Its unforgivable we continue to "treat" drunks. There is no such thing as treatment for a behavior. Look at the failure rate of AA. Its horrible. Only 5% stop drinking and only for awhile. Its disgusting people are sent to AA and are taught they can't quit, that they have a disease and so the drunk thinks ok, might as well keep drinking. They hang out with other drunks, talk about getting drunk, talk about things they did while they drank. This is supposed to help? They are not the victoms, these two little children are. Sorry about this, I normally don't write about such things, but being a mother of two this one really seemed to hit me hard today.

Timothy 1:43 ....she must be silent

This is one of many reasons I dislike religion. It bothers me so much women continue to go to church, do all the work.... and get no or very little respect by the clergy. These w0men have no respect for themselves? Of course not, they are taught from early childhood that women are not to be trusted. Thanks to Eve.
Read "Women Without Superstition: No Gods, No Masters" It was one of the first books I bought after becoming a humanist. It is written by Laurie Anne Gaylor. I met her at an American Humanist Convention. I have her signature on my copy. She is about my age and a very nice woman. A must read for all women concerned about thier civil rights. She writes about all of the women throughout American History who stood up and demanded respect.


WATERTOWN, New York (AP) -- The minister of a church that dismissed a female Sunday School teacher after adopting what it called a literal interpretation of the Bible says a woman can perform any job -- outside of the church.

The First Baptist Church dismissed Mary Lambert on August 9 with a letter explaining that the church had adopted an interpretation that prohibits women from teaching men. She had taught there for 54 years.

The letter quoted the first epistle to Timothy: "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." (Watch Church Lady say her dismissal came without warning -- 1:43)

The Rev. Timothy LaBouf, who also serves on the Watertown City Council, issued a statement saying his stance against women teaching men in Sunday school would not affect his decisions as a city leader in Watertown, where all five members of the council are men but the city manager who runs the city's day-to-day operations is a woman.

"I believe that a woman can perform any job and fulfill any responsibility that she desires to" outside of the church, LaBouf wrote Saturday.

Mayor Jeffrey Graham, however, was bothered by the reasons given Lambert's dismissal.

"If what's said in that letter reflects the councilman's views, those are disturbing remarks in this day and age," Graham said. "Maybe they wouldn't have been disturbing 500 years ago, but they are now."

Lambert has publicly criticized the decision, but the church did not publicly address the matter until Saturday, a day after its board met.

In a statement, the board said other issues were behind Lambert's dismissal, but it did not say what they were.

BBC Interview

I was surprized to get an email about a month ago, asking if I would mind being interviewed. At first I didn't know if it was for real or not. Then she said she was with BBC and I relaxed and replied yes. She and another person from the BBC were coming to Montana in August and they wanted to meet with me. I was excited and worried. What kind of questions would they ask? What it be positive? I have seen so many athiests on T.V. shown negatively. But after a few emails I was comfortable. The nice lady from BBC said it was going to be a documentary on "Atheism in America"
They arrived at my house about noon August 10th. It lasted about half an hour or 45 minutes. I felt comfortable and I think it went well. Of course, afterwards I think back and thought, I should have worded an answer this way or that way. Maybe I should have not said this or that at all. They may or may not even use any of it or maybe some parts I will like or not. It is kind of scary. I hope they let me know if they do use any of my interview. It will be interesting to see what kind of reaction there will be from family, friends, nieghbors and the public overall. I don't know when it will air if ever. But overall it was nice someone actually found me, was interested in what I had to say and it felt good to be recognised. Not that I like publicity. I may regret it later. Who knows.
The questions asked were not threatening, so I have a good feeling about itl. What was my background. Why or how did I become one. How I was treated overall by the community, family. Asked about my being a Humanist Minister. What did I say during the wedding ceremonies..... I did talk about my immediate family abit. My husband knows nothing about this interview. He is a Catholic. I will tell him only after I find out if I will be on T.V. or not. Or my kids may bring it up. They are 10 and 12. It's not that my husband doesn't know what I am or seems overly concerned about it. He and I just don't talk about things like religion or politics. We are opposites on everything. Even how we mow the lawn. Its weird but it seems to work for us anyway.

Foxholes/Newsweek

I am a Desert Storm Veteran, so I too feel slighted when people slam atheists in the military. At that time I did not call myself one, but I was agnostic. From the people I worked with in the Navy, very few were religious in the sense they went to church or even talked about it. Of course that is pretty typical of the age group. It seems people in their 20's are not really interested in such things. Most just want to party. But, when they grow up, get married then most go back to church. I remember the female chaplin on our ship was in trouble for messing around with a younger sailor. Religion was the last thing on our minds. Of course there are no Foxholes on a ship. What this "snap" means to me, is when things get rough and you may die, people automatically call on God to save them, or promise God they will change thier ways if they make it through alive. This may be true for some agnostics, but most dedicated unbeleivers would stand up and fight for their one and only life. I would rather have an athiest fighting along side me than cowereing at the bottom of a foxhole on thier knees, with their eyes closed tight. That person would have to drop thier gun to pray properly! There are many more unbelievers or maybe even a better description would be doubters out there in Iraq right now than people realize. They keep it to themselves.


Beliefwatch: Foxholes
Newsweek
Aug. 21-28, 2006 issue - There are no atheists in foxholes," the old saw goes. The line, attributed to a WWII chaplain, has since been uttered countless times by grunts, chaplains and news anchors. But an increasingly vocal group of activists and soldiers—atheist soldiers—disagrees. "It's a denial of our contributions," says Master Sgt. Kathleen Johnson, who founded the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers and who will be deployed to Iraq this fall. "A lot of people manage to serve without having to call on a higher power."
It's an ongoing battle. Just last month Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard Bureau, said, "Agnostics, atheists and bigots suddenly lose all that when their life is on the line." Atheist groups reacted swiftly, releasing a statement that "Nonbelievers are serving, and have served, in our nation's military with distinction!" The National Guard said it received about 20 letters objecting to Blum's statement, and said his comments were "intended to clearly illustrate the positive spirit of camaraderie, human understanding and inclusion of our fine men and women in the National Guard."
In the past several years, atheists have organized letter-writing campaigns against Katie Couric, Tom Brokaw, Bob Schieffer (who issued a public apology) and other news anchors for repeating the "no atheists in foxholes" line on TV. And on Veterans Day 2005, several dozen atheist veterans paraded down the National Mall bearing American flags and signs reading ATHEIST VETERAN—WE SHARED YOUR FOXHOLES! Johnson says atheists in the military face prejudice. "Before I got to be the rank I am I had to keep my head down and my mouth shut. I had commanding officers who made it clear that they wouldn't tolerate atheism in their ranks." Military leaders deny any discrimination. "Service in the military is open to people of all creeds and religions," says Michael Milord, a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard. Officially, the Department of Defense considers atheism a creed like other faiths. New recruits can choose ATHEIST, AGNOSTIC, or NO RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE for their dog-tag identifications. And an atheist symbol, which resembles an atom, is among the dozens of "approved emblems of belief" that can appear on the headstones of fallen soldiers in military cemeteries. Would a soldier really die without faith? Bowling Green State University's Ken Pargament, a professor specializing in the psychology of religion and coping, says: "If someone is a committed atheist, they're likely to stay a committed atheist."
—Rebecca Phillips

Fleecing the faithful

By The Associated Press - 08/13/2006
Randall W. Harding sang in the choir at Crossroads Christian Church in Corona, Calif., and donated part of his conspicuous wealth to its ministries.In his business dealings, he underscored his faith by naming his investment firm JTL, or “Just the Lord.” Pastors and churchgoers alike entrusted their money to him.By the time Harding was unmasked as a fraud, he and his partners had stolen more than $50 million from their clients, and Crossroads became yet another cautionary tale in what investigators say is a worsening problem plaguing the nation’s churches.Billions of dollars has been stolen in religion-related fraud in recent years, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, a group of state officials who work to protect investors.Between 1984 and 1989, about $450 million was stolen in religion-related scams, the association says. In its latest count — from 1998 to 2001 — the toll had risen to $2 billion. Rip-offs have only become more common since.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Islamic Animosity/Letter to the Editor

Islam’s problemIslamic animosity towards Israel has always been grossly disproportionate to the amount of land, water or people involved.The crisis in the Middle East goes all the way back to 622. That’s when the Prophet Mohammed moved from his home town of Mecca (where he had been heckled a lot) to Medina, where within a few short years he achieved supreme political power, exiled two of the city’s Jewish tribes, and exterminated the third.If many Muslims hate Israel, it’s because Jewish control and sovereignty over Jerusalem (especially the Temple Mount) is seen as a symbolic and real world refutation of Islam’s implausible but nonetheless central claim to be the legitimate culmination of — and replacement for — Judeo-Christian monotheism.Do Middle Eastern Muslims really care about the Palestinians? I’m skeptical. If they can watch fellow Muslims (to say nothing of non-Muslims) being treated worse in larger numbers by other Muslims, (in Sudan, for example) without lifting a finger ...No. What heats their hate is that in the religious caste system that has long characterized Islamic rule, it is an “affront” when any non-Muslim, and especially a theologically uncooperative Jew, demands to be treated as an equal.Greg CaffreyP.O. Box 1485

The LeBaron Clan

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (AP) -- Houston's FBI office has placed the fugitive daughter of a deceased Utah polygamist on the agency's "most wanted" list after getting a tip about the woman from a relative in prison.
Jacqueline Tarsa LeBaron is wanted in connection with four 1988 murders in Houston and Irving, Texas, according to a wanted poster on the agency's Web site. She's been a fugitive since 1992.
A telephone message left by The Associated Press with the Houston FBI office was not returned Saturday.
LeBaron is a daughter of Ervil LeBaron, the former leader of the Church of the Lamb of God, a polygamist sect with enclaves in Mexico.
The elder LeBaron ordered the executions of rival polygamists in the 1970s, investigators have said. In 1972 he was convicted in Utah of ordering family members to kill his brother, who was said to have disobeyed church laws.
Ervil LeBaron died in the Utah state prison in 1981. Before his death, he reportedly wrote a "bible" which included a commandment to kill disobedient church members.

Supposed Satanist Executed

The news article below talks about a convicted murderer who claimed to worship satan. At the end of the article it states some people believe he said it only to ensure he got the death penalty. Of course the title to the article didn't call him a supposed Satanist, but a Satan Worshipper. Was there any proof he did before he committed the murders? There is no mention of his lifestyle beforehand. The title caught my eye, so I am sure that is why they printed it that way. You never see "A Jesus Worshipper Committed Triple Homicide" Though recently I saw "Preacher's Wife Kills Husband" Believers kill people everyday, but a supposed Satanist makes headlines. Not that I am defending Satanism, it also is a supernatural belief system therefore not my cup of tea. Real Satanists are probably upset over this article, because they claim they do not worship the devil. If your interested in what they believe google Satanist. I did long ago and was surprised what I found. A "true Satanist" is not what this fellow was.

Finally I can't forget to comment that because I do not believe, I and others like me must worship the devil, work for the devil, or unknowingly do the devil's work. Ridiculous. I remember meeting a Gay man from Lousiana who had never met an Athiest before. He pretty much asked me right out "Do you worship Satan?" I laughed and said noooo. He was funny about it, but he really though us people did. It was because he grew up in a fundamentalist family. His father was a pastor, minister or something like that. He was taught as a child that Athiests are evil and worhip the devil. I thought it was amusing coming from a Gay man. I am sure his father is horrified his son is Gay. Maybe his being Gay is better than being a Humanist.


LUCASVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- A man who said he worshipped Satan and enjoyed killing three people, stabbing and beating them and stomping on them with steel-toed boots, was executed Tuesday.
Darrell Ferguson, 28, the youngest person put to death in Ohio since 1962, died by injection at 10:21 a.m. at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility.
He had asked for the death penalty and chose not to pursue appeals, which could have delayed his execution for years.
Ferguson was the second inmate executed using the state's new lethal injection protocol, adopted after an execution in May was delayed while prison staff struggled to find a useable vein on that inmate, who asked them to find another way to kill him.
Officials said Ferguson's veins were closely examined before his execution, and the guidelines called for two injection sites to be prepared plus a new method of ensuring veins stay open.
He was convicted of three counts of aggravated murder in the Christmas Day killing of Thomas King, 61, in 2001 and the deaths the next day of Arlie Fugate, 68, and his wife Mae, 69. King was disabled and used crutches, Arlie Fugate had cancer and Mae Fugate took meals to wheelchair-using neighbors.
The victims let Ferguson into their homes in Dayton because they knew him. Ferguson's mother had been married to King's brother, and Ferguson's family had once lived near the Fugates.
Ferguson committed the murders after getting a two-day pass from a drug treatment program he had been ordered to attend following a burglary conviction.
At his sentencing, he taunted the victims' families, saying he worshipped Satan, enjoyed the killings, had no remorse, and, if released from prison, would pick up where he left off.
Defense attorney Victor Hodge said Ferguson's behavior might have been a ploy to make sure he was sentenced to death so he could avoid spending the rest of his life in prison.

Cpl. Baucas, Nephew of Senator Max Baucus

Westboro Baptist Church condemns Sen. Baucus, plans picket at newphew's funeral
By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - IR Staff Writer - 08/04/06

Less than a day after the Baucus family announced its funeral plans for Cpl. Phillip Baucus, who was killed in Iraq this week, the Westboro Baptist Church announced its own plans to picket Sunday’s service.
The group listed the Sieben Ranch near Wolf Creek on its Web site Thursday, including the ranch’s address and the time of 1:15 to 2 p.m. No effort was made to reach the church for comment.The church, based in Topeka, Kan., has gained headlines for its religious-based rhetoric bashing gays and, more recently, fallen U.S. servicemen whom the church believes are fighting on behalf of a “sinful nation.”While the comments posted on the church’s Web site were unfit to print, the text condemned Sen. Max Baucus for a variety of issues and accused Cpl. Baucus of “disobeying” his creator by serving in the U.S. Marines.“Sunday is about mourning Phillip and celebrating his life and his service to our country,” Sen. Baucus said Thursday evening. “And that’s what we are going to do.”The church was last in Helena in February 2005 to picket the Montana Supreme Court and its ruling that gay and lesbian partners of the Montana University System have the same right to health insurance benefits as everyone else.

The group’s arrival that year prompted a flurry of town meetings. Lt. Gov. John Bohlinger attended one such meeting at Carroll College. The church then placed both the college and Bohlinger on its radar as future protest targets.The Westboro Church, led by Fred Phelps, has gained headlines for its “God Hates Fags” campaign, a less-than-tactful approach that has come to include picketing military funerals.Twenty-five states and the U.S. Congress have passed laws that prohibit picketing at funerals. Similar bills aimed at or inspired by the Westboro group have been proposed in 10 more states.The Westboro group and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in Missouri last month, claiming that state’s anti-funeral-picketing law was unconstitutional.Memorials in Phillip’s name are suggested to the Lewis & Clark County Veterans Memorial Fund, c/o First Interstate Bank, 3401 North Montana Ave.; Helena MT 59602 or to an organization or charity of the donor’s choice.

Again, Again and Again

TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) -- Conservative Republicans who pushed anti-evolution standards back into Kansas schools last year have lost control of the state Board of Education once again.

Control of the school board has slipped into, out of and back into conservative Republicans' hands since 1998, resulting in anti-evolution standards in 1999, evolution-friendly ones in 2001 and anti-evolution ones again last year.

Gingrich continues to warn of World War III

If our enemies get a nuclear or biological weapon, they are going to use it," he said. "This is not the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was a tired, atheist, bureaucracy.
"If you are an atheist and then you become a suicide bomber you don't get to go anywhere," he added, referencing the religious glory some suicide bombers are promised for sacrificing their lives.
Gingrich, who was forced to step down following the 1998 elections, is now considering a run for president in 2008.


Strange comment, wouldn't atheists go straight to hell, is Gingrich conceding there is no hell ?

Clear parking lots/Letter to the Editor

This letter is to both challenge and encourage the churches of Helena to lead the community in an energy conservation effort this July 30! The idea is simple, on Sunday morning people will arrive to church walking with family, riding bikes with neighbors, sharing a ride with a friend or using public transportation where available. This practical action is perhaps contrary to our consumerist habits, but is in harmony with Judeo-Christian ethics and tenets. Use less, have more! Churches should lead this local effort to see the wisdom of frugality, and help lessen our dependence on nonrenewable oil. So come on Helena, “empty the parking lots, and fill the sanctuaries!”
Brad LoveOlney

I have a better idea, everyone stay home on Sunday. Sleep in. Spend time with your family. Imagine that.

Husband off to Iraq

My husband left for Iraq last Tuesday morning. The kids and I sent him off early in the morning. His first stop is Gulfport, MS. He has emailed twice and called once. The most important thing he told me was were he was going. It is Al Teqaddum in the Al Anbar region. Not good. The Seabees just lost another sailer there July 12th. I told myself I would not read the news or pay attention to whats going on over there. What I don't know won't hurt me, but I could not help myself. I may blog more about the war in Iraq now more than my usual posts. Need somewhere to air my concerns I guess.
He will be gone 9 months. Which is not bad compared to the other branches of the service. I have an employee who has been over there three times for 18 months. He is in the Army Reserves. We knew when the war broke out my husaband would have to go eventually. But I was hoping after over three years things would have settled down enough so he may not have to go. Wrong! It has actually gotten worse in Al Anbar from what I can tell. The Seabees lost two sailers last month. Also we do not hear about those injured, only those killed. How many I wonder? Its going to be a long 9 months.

Flag Burning/Letter to the Editor

Offensive ad
Recently I heard an extremely offensive radio ad in which Sen. Burns questioned the patriotism of his opponent, Jon Tester. The issue was flag burning, and what should be done about it. Loyal Americans hold every possible viewpoint on this issue, which is how it should be in a free society. Sen. Burns argues that the ONLY patriotic position is a constitutional amendment to ban it.This argument is ridiculous and fails the simplest test of logic. We have thousands of laws and only 27 constitutional amendments. It’s extremely complicated and expensive to amend the constitution. We deal with almost all social concerns with ordinary laws. We don’t even have an amendment to ban murder. Does that mean we like it? We deal with murder through regular laws, and if flag burning violates the rights of others (such as using it as harassment) we can deal with it through ordinary laws as well. Sen. Burns is cynically trying to use the strong patriotic feelings of veterans and other Montanans to mount a smear campaign against a good man. Let’s use the voting booth to tell him what we think of those tactics in Montana.
Eric WahlerP.O. Box 1455

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- The Israeli military and Hezbollah traded deadly attacks for a fifth straight day on Sunday, with the Lebanon-based militants striking Haifa and other towns deeper inside Israel.


It will never end? I told my husband if American's colonized Mars, we would turn on each other. Is it part of the human condition. There was a Star Trek episode that covered this topic. There were people who had have a black face on the left and white on the right. There were others who had a black face on the right and white on the left. They hated each other. I joked if white people lived on Mars, they would turn on blue eyed Chatholics. He laughed, but it is true. It is the old "us vs. them" attitude. A tribal reaction to strangers. It starts with the family. Then the church, community, county, state, Country. I support the peace keepers, but..................................

Reverend compares Ken Lay to Jesus?!

Ken Lay's memorial attracts power elite
George H.W. Bush, James Baker among attendees at packed church for the Enron founder; reverend compares fallen energy titan to Jesus.
July 12 2006: 6:10 PM EDT


HOUSTON (Reuters) -- Houston's political and business leaders, including former President George H.W. Bush, turned out for Kenneth Lay's memorial service Wednesday, less than a week after the Enron founder's sudden death.

Friends and family lauded as a devout Christian and family leader the man who built Enron into an international energy powerhouse before its collapse in the biggest corporate scandal of its time.


Ken Lay

Lay's stepson David Herrold told the nearly full First United Methodist Church that Lay was wrongly convicted, and he was angry about the portrayals of his stepfather in the media.

"He did have a strong faith in God and I know he's in heaven, and I'm glad he's not in a position anymore to be whipped by his enemy," Herrold said.

Lay, who was 64, died while vacationing in Colorado on July 5, just six weeks after a jury convicted him and former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling of conspiracy and fraud in the 2001 collapse of the energy company.

Lay was found guilty of 10 counts of conspiracy, fraud and misusing personal bank loans on May 25 and was facing decades in prison at his sentencing, which was scheduled for Oct. 23.

Lay was a longtime friend of the Bushes, contributing to their political campaigns and was nicknamed "Kenny Boy" by President George W. Bush.

The former president and his wife Barbara entered and exited the church by a rear exit and did not speak to the media.

Among the other luminaries at the service were former Secretary of State James Baker, former Secretary of Commerce Robert Mosbacher Sr., several corporate heads such as Reliant Energy Inc.'s Joel Staff, and baseball team owner Drayton McLane.

The ceremony started slightly late after former Houston Mayor Bob Lanier collapsed in the aisle as he entered the church. He was taken by ambulance to the hospital, and an announcement made later in the ceremony said he was in stable condition.

Judge outlaws prison group's Bible program

Saturday, June 3, 2006; Posted: 11:13 a.m. EDT (15:13 GMT)


DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- A judge has ruled that a Bible-based prison program violates the First Amendment's freedom of religion clause by using state funds to promote Christianity to inmates.

Prison Fellowship Ministries, which was sued in 2003 by an advocacy group, was ordered Friday to cease its program at the Newton Correctional Facility and repay the state $1.53 million.

"This calls into question the funding for so many programs," said Barry Lynn, executive director of the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed the suit. "Anyone who doesn't stop it is putting a giant 'sue me' sign on top of their building."

Lynn's group accused Prison Fellowship Ministries of giving preferential treatment to inmates participating in the program. They were given special visitation rights, movie-watching privileges, access to computers and access to classes needed for early parole.

U.S. District Judge Robert Pratt called the perks "seemingly minor benefits" that constituted unfair treatment to those not in the religious program. Despite any claims of rehabilitating inmates, the program "impermissibly endorses religion," Pratt wrote.

Protests as military funerals banned

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Demonstrators would be barred from disrupting military funerals at national cemeteries under legislation approved by Congress and sent to the White House.
The measure, passed by voice vote in the House Wednesday hours after the Senate passed an amended version, specifically targets a Kansas church group that has staged protests at military funerals around the country, claiming that the deaths were a sign of God's anger at U.S. tolerance of homosexuals.

The sponsor of the House bill, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Michigan, said he took up the issue after attending a military funeral in his home state, where mourners were greeted by "chants and taunting and some of the most vile things I have ever heard."
"Families deserve the time to bury their American heroes with dignity and in peace," Rogers said Wednesday before the House vote.

In response to the demonstrations, the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group including many veterans, has begun appearing at military funerals to pay respects to the fallen service member and protect the family from disruptions.

Da Vinci Code - Love it

‘Da Vinci Code’ foes prepare for battle
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN - The New York Times - 05/11/06
Many Christian leaders across the country are girding themselves for battle wiuh ‘‘The Da Vinci Code,’’ the movie based on the blockbuster novel by Dan Brown that opens May 19.

In ‘‘The Da Vinci Code,’’ two sleuths uncover a conspiracy by the Catholic Church to conceal that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and that the myth of his divinity was written into the Bible at the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. by the Roman emperor Constantine.

Looks like Harry Potter is getting a break.

I think the Christians are concerned because even though this is a work of fiction, there is some truth about the Council of Nicaea and how they decided what went into the Bible and what did not over three hundred years later.

I find reading history and learning about the roots of Christian beleif is the best way to see for yourself whether the Bible is literal or the inspired word of God.

Dan Brown is my hero.

New book a good read

a quote found in “American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation,” an account of the role of religion in American history and a plea for a moderate course between the extremes of left and right.


Thomas Jefferson, who said that “… it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” And so the battles of this world go on—but here’s hoping our conversations can become more rational, our arguments less heated, our politics more civil.

This is what makes me angry

See below a Rabbi's usual diatribe against unbelievers.
They keep harping about how negative and angry athiests are. So we get angry and respond negatively therefore it proves their point. over and over and over. Its a vicious cycle. When over 90 % of the world are believers, its hard not feeling picked on and misunderstood. Athiest point out the negatives of the religious belief systems and they turn around and say the bearer of the news is the negative one. Kill the messanger so to say. I am not angry or negative to most believers it is fundamentalism in any flavor. I do remember a preacher told me something very interesting. It was about anger. What is anger? He said it is fear. What are you afraid of? I am very afraid of fundementalists, therefore I do have some anger issues with this breed of people. I'm not alone I'm sure. Many Americans are terrified of Muslim Fundamentalists. Me too.

They go on listing the usual compliments;) about us evil athiests. Do they ever have anything nice to say about us?

He, like many before him and many more to come propogate this negative stereotype through the generations.

Athiests:
1. "Don't believe in anything" That one really makes me mad. I believe in the human spirit, only we (humanity) can make it a better world for everyone. Sympathy

2. Always angry and negative. Becuase they are always telling us and everybody else we are! You think the civil rights movement happened because all African Americans were happy?

3. He said believers don't plot ways to aggrevate athiests. What planet is he from, according to fundementalists we are solely responsible for the destruction of civilization....and I alone send thousands to hell with my lies. Has he not heard of the Culture Wars! How does he think Bush was elected. The Religious Right planned, plotted, and WON. Its a very powerful political tool, bashing athiests and don't forget those liberal Christians helping to destroy America. The press negatively represents the secualar movement and give the public something to get angry about. Those x01?!xx athiests are at it again.

4. "Something bad happened to them in the past" Another one we hear all the time. Another popular one is, our "fathers did not love us or was absent". At least for me this was not true. But, does a father-in-law count:}

5. Last but not least--Why don't you go around robbing and killing people? I've learned to answer, Yeah Why?

Other pet peeves.
-You have no soul
-I will pray for you-insincerely spoken
-Biased news coverage of unbelievers-almost always "the bad guys"
-people tell my kids, your mommy will go hell
-God Bless You, whenever I do a favor for someone
-Thanking God instead of the doctors and nurses for saving someone's life.
-Being Demonized

Wow, I was a tad bit upset.
Lori



WEB-EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY
By Marc Gellman
Newsweek
Updated: 1:28 p.m. ET April 26, 2006
April 26, 2006 - I think I need to understand atheists better. I bear them no ill will. I don't think they need to be religious to be good, kind and charitable people, and I have no desire to debate or convert them. I do think they are wrong about the biggest question, “Are we alone?” and I will admit to occasionally viewing atheists with the kind of patient sympathy often shown to me by Christians who can't quite understand why the Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection has not reached me or my people. However, there is something I am missing about atheists: what I simply do not understand is why they are often so angry.

So we disagree about God. I'm sometimes at odds with Yankee fans, people who like rap music and people who don't like animals, but I try to be civil. I don't know many religious folk who wake up thinking of new ways to aggravate atheists, but many people who do not believe in God seem to find the religion of their neighbors terribly offensive or oppressive, particularly if the folks next door are evangelical Christians. I just don't get it.

This must sound condescending and a large generalization, and I don't mean it that way, but I am tempted to believe that behind atheist anger there are oftentimes uncomfortable personal histories. Perhaps their atheism was the result of the tragic death of a loved one, or an angry degrading sermon, or an insensitive eulogy, or an unfeeling castigation of lifestyle choices or perhaps something even worse. I would ask for forgiveness from the angry atheists who write to me if I thought it would help. Religion must remain an audacious, daring and, yes, uncomfortable assault on our desires to do what we want when we want to do it. All religions must teach a way to discipline our animal urges, to overcome racism and materialism, selfishness and arrogance and the sinful oppression of the most vulnerable and the most innocent among us.

Some religious leaders obviously betray the teachings of the faith they claim to represent, but their sacred scriptures remain a critique of them and also of every thing we do to betray the better angels of our nature. But our world is better and kinder and more hopeful because of the daily sacrifice and witness of millions of pious people over thousands of years.

To be called to a level of goodness and sacrifice so constantly and so patiently by a loving but demanding God may seem like a naive demand to achieve what is only a remote human possibility. However, such a vision need not be seen as a red flag to those who believe nothing. I can humbly ask whether my atheist brothers and sisters really believe that their lives are better, richer and more hopeful by clinging to Camus's existential despair: “The purpose of life is that it ends." I can agree to make peace with atheists whom I believe ask too little of life here on planet earth if they will agree to make peace with me and with other religious folk who perhaps have asked too much. I believe that the philosopher-rabbi Mordecai Kaplan was right when he said, “It is hell to live without hope, and religion saves people from hell.” I urge my atheist brothers and sisters to see things as Spinoza urged, sub specie aeternitatis—“under the perspective of eternity.”

And to try a little positivity. Last Sunday I took two high-school girls to Cold Spring Labs to meet Dr. James Watson. One of the girls wants to be a research scientist, and the other has no idea yet, but I think she will be a great writer. I think they also both want boyfriends. I want them to stay smart and not dumb down to get a boy. Watson spoke and listened to the girls, and they left, I hope, proud about being smart. I know that Jim believes way more in Darwin than in Deuteronomy, but he also believes that at Cold Spring Labs the most important thing is not whether you are a man or a woman, not whether you believe in God. The most important thing, as he says, is “to get something done.” Now there's an atheist I can believe in.

Bob Jones University textbooks

I can go on forever about Bob Jones, but don't have time. Racist, anit-catholic .......

Home school academy takes root in growing Birdseye
By MARTIN J. KIDSTON - IR Features Writer - 04/27/06

Photos by Martin Kidston - Several students with the Last Chance Academy in Birdseye head home for the day. They come from Montana City, East Helena, Helena and Birdseye to attend the school, which opened in September. The 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. school day makes the students smile. BIRDSEYE — Down the highway from the Last Chance Chapel, heavy machinery applies the final touches to a network of new roads. The roads will soon serve the Stallion Ridge subdivision, an 86-lot project fondly referred to by the locals as Helena’s expanding suburbs.

While life in this secluded community 15 miles west of Helena changes at a rapid pace, a small, private school has gained a foothold here beyond the reach of public debate.

Offering a private, home-school setting with a Christian twist, the Last Chance Academy opened its doors in the community’s namesake chapel last September. The school receives its only funding through the church and a monthly tuition of almost $200 per student.

The academy now claims three teachers and 13 students who range in grade and ability. William Parsons, the school’s administrator, described the academy as a Christian home-school that includes teachings on the Bible.

The school’s curriculum doesn’t shy away from classroom prayer. While some communities debate how evolution and creationism should be taught, the academy approaches them both as theory.

“I think a lot of our text materials are written from a Christian perspective,” Parsons said. “We believe the Bible is true 100 percent.”

The academy uses textbooks published by Bob Jones University to teach science and the Bible. When teaching history and English it uses A Beca Books, a Florida-based publishing firm that produces “God-honoring, high-quality textbooks and teaching aids.”

History lessons include what Parsons called a “truer account of history.” In one class, he said, it’s taught that the nation’s founding fathers were Christian — a point, he said, that public schools shy away from.

“We also talk about evolution and I present it as theory,” he said. “Evolution is an idea of how mankind tries to rationalize its creation.”

The school, fundamental in its Christian values, is growing. Despite a lack of advertising, Parsons expects the student body to nearly double next year to 25 students and even more the following year.

The academy has no school board, no curriculum and has yet to write a mission statement. All that, Parsons said, still must come together. The student-to-teacher ratio, he said, remains the school’s priority.

“If we keep growing like we’re growing, we may be looking at more teachers and the need for a new building soon,” he said. “The church wanted to start this school because the suburbs were coming. They knew it would be a good place to start a private school.”

On Wednesday, the academy’s high-school students talked about their current reading assignment, “The Scarlet Letter.” The junior high students continued with “The Diary of Ann Frank” to coincide with their WWII studies and Holocaust commemoration.

“I love teaching here,” said Lori Carey, the school’s only English teacher. “I’m trusted to be as creative and imaginative as I can be. I get to know the students personally, and it’s rewarding to see them change.”

Jacob Weise, an eighth-grader at the academy, is a tall and gangly kid. He wears a Metallica hat and a German flying cross around his neck. He was also expelled from the public school system.

“This is my last chance,” he grinned, playing off the school’s name. “I like science sometimes and Bible sometimes. I’m not too sure about my Christianity, but I’m learning.”

Weise, who speaks poorly of his public school experience, said he’s doing better at the academy. There aren’t as many students, he said, and fewer distractions.

Carey, who saw that Weise was getting bored with his standard eighth grade reading assignments, gave him William Faulkner as an advanced project. He made easy work of the book and is slowly turning his grades and attitude around.

“He does better when the work is harder,” Carey said. “He’s come a long way since he’s been here. It’s good to watch the light bulb click on.”

Rachel Osborne, the only girl in the high school class, drives from Montana City every day to attend the academy instead of public high school like most girls her age. She was home-schooled before she arrived at the academy but was falling behind in math.

“It’s a lot more relaxed here,” she said. “You don’t have the teachers nagging you all the time. There’s no pressure.”

Osborne, who isn’t one to elaborate her thoughts — unless you get to know her, she said — caught up on her math skills thanks to the school’s only math teacher, Gil Wooden.

Wooden, busy with a class Wednesday, taught 30 years in public schools and 10 more in private, including a stint as principal at the Helena Christian Academy. Several of his students are already studying advanced algebra.

“His experience is one of the big things that draw people here,” Parsons said. “The teachers we have aren’t here for the paycheck. They’re here for the kids. We teach all the core subjects, plus Bible class. And we hold chapel once a week.”

Without a Clue/Letter to the Editor

Without a clue

It’s obvious creationists don’t read anything but creationist junk-science propaganda. It’s also obvious that they haven’t the first clue what constitutes evidence, proof, or science.

There are loads and loads of fossils of transitional species, from mollusks to man.

DNA provides some of the strongest support for evolution.

Evolution does not violate the second law of thermodynamics, any more than the formation of ice crystals does. Matter can become more complex, as long as there’s a net loss of energy.

Evolution does not involve an alligator becoming a dog.

Creationist papers don’t get published in scientific journals because they aren’t submitted.

Disagreement between evolutionists does not disprove the theory, any more than disagreement between churches disproves the existence of God.

A “theory,” as in “the theory of evolution,” is not the same as a “hypothesis.” Get a dictionary.

There is no evidence of a global flood.

Attempts to “scientifically” prove Creation always depend on miracles, very selective ignoring of facts, and very dishonest creation of other “facts.”

I can back up each of these statements with logic and sound scientific principles. If only creationists were interested in such things.

Adam Laceky

549 N. Ewing

Family Values?

Family values?Rep. Scott Mendenhall, R-Clancy, wants to “protect family values.” Family values are important. Not all families look the same, but however they are defined, no family is more or less deserving than any other family. Mendenhall states that families are the basic building blocks of society. If families are important and to be protected, why did Rep. Mendenhall consistently vote against bills that would provide support to families? It’s a bit of a mystery. Here are some examples: He voted against a bill that would allow parents on public benefits to pursue higher education and job training. He voted against a bill that would have expanded the Children’s Health Insurance Program. He voted against a bill that would restore the devastating cuts to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. And perhaps the most egregious, considering his apparent empathy for parents who are forced to work more than one job, he voted against an increase to the minimum wage. It seems that Mendenhall values families that look like his own and devalues all others. Or is it possible that “family values” has nothing to do with family support infrastructure and is code for something else, something like “gay people shouldn’t be treated equally?”Zach SlatteryPO Box 818