A Ten Commandments primer: 9-18-09
Why Communion weekly? 9-21-09

A new Holocaust film: 9-19/20-09

In my new book, They Were Just People, my co-author and I were able to tell about 20 stories of Jews who survived the Holocaust in Poland with non-Jewish help.

No_4StreetOfOurLady

Well, 20 stories is representative of what happened but obviously not an exhaustive account of rescue in Poland.

Which is why I was glad to learn recently of a film addition to this history of rescue -- a film you in the Kansas City area will be able to see on Wednesday, Sept. 23. It's scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. showing at the 2009 Kansas International Film Festival.

"No. 4 Street of Our Lady" tells the story of Francisca Halamajowa, a Polish-Catholic woman who rescued 15 of her Jewish neighbors. This took place in a small village in what then was eastern Poland but what today is Ukraine. The link I've given you in this paragraph will tell you much more about the movie. (The photo here today is from promotional material for the film.)

The film has been receiving some wonderfully positive reviews.

The movie's producer and co-director, Judy Maltz, is the granddaughter of one of the people Francisca Halamajowa saved. When she called me the other day she had just learned about my new book, written with Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, and was delighted to find out I lived where her movie was about to be shown soon.

Judy teaches journalism at Penn State University in the same department as a friend of mine. Click here for a column that friend wrote in which he talked about Judy's movie.

One of the joys of writing my new book was realizing that it was preserving memories that simply must not be lost if we're to learn anything from history. Judy Maltz and others who created "No 4 Street of Our Lady" have done something similar in a different medium. I hope you take the opportunity to see this important work.

* * *

WRETCHED WORDS FROM A WRETCHED MAN

Iran's president now calls the Holocaust "a lie." Yes, it's sad that some people can be so misled about this subject. But it's both wrong and evil for the leader of a country to tell his people such big lies for political reasons. Holocaust denial is like denying that the Earth moves around the sun. No doubt in his cruely, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad calculated his slander to coincide with the start of the Jewish High Holy Days this weekend. The man is despicable.

* * *

P.S.: The Mental Health Association of the Heartland and the Kansas City Blues Society will present "Beyond the Blues" on Oct. 24 to raise money to help combat depression. This disease is one that clergy often don't know how to deal with when they encounter it among congregants, so in recent years there have been lots of efforts to help them. The "Beyond the Blues" link I've given you should give you all the information you need to attend. Hope you can.

Comments

Will Graham

Bill, its interesting that you compare Holocaust Denial to denying that the earth revolves around the sun but don't mention the Holocaust that is taking place even now.

The slaughter of the "fetuses", which entails the denial that they are "persons" or even human beings. This is no different that Nazis claiming the Jews were "subhuman".

They are being killed at a rate as fast or faster than Hitler killed Jews; and in a politically correct fashion.

Or take the claim that religion is a "virus", such as Dawkins and a local author claim...this reminds me of Hitler claiming the Jews were a "bacillus".

Its in our midst, Bill.

I no longer believe there can be common ground with these people. any more than I could find common ground with a Holocaust Denier.

memberofKCFreeThinkers.org

Steven Weinberg's Athiesm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66CeQb4EVOI

Steven Weinberg - Disney Science | More Heroes,Less Prophets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq1hbqummvA

Dr. Steven Weinberg on religion and science
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5EMeRlZTmo

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

memberofKCFreeThinkers.org

Susan, I have been very busy and have lost track of your questions. What is it you want to know about what ‘you’ call atheist fundamentalism and why I am hung up on Billy graham?

I find Billy intriguing and will have to agree with Hitchens that Billy is one of the biggest pickpockets of our time. His friend Charles Templeton saw the light and in the late 50s got out of the business of Hokey Pokey to become an atheist.

What I find most interesting about Billy are the people who ask him questions as if ‘he’ is the duo jesus/god. It’s god, jesus, spirit, then Billy, or is the pope next, then Billy? Or are the Saints before him? What about the angels? What is the correct order?

Doesn’t this resemble polytheism? Looks like it to me. Jesus is the son and god. Come on. Do people really believe this?

Anyway back to Billy. Yesterday in the KCStar he said, “They may even defend their belief in God if someone who fiercely opposes religion attacks them. But they don’t really know God, nor is he important to them. In other words, they know about God, but they don’t really know him.”

But Billy knows. He truly knows the mind of god. Just like so many others who know, but disagree with Billy. People, what are you thinking?

He goes on, “The Bible, however, tells us not only that God exists, but that he loves us and wants to come into our lives and become the center of everything we do.”

People who think the Bible was divinely inspired by god - 2 Timothy 3-16 - thru the hands of humans simply baffles me.

…and god loves us? He gives us a world, which is trying to kill us. Will kill us. He likes burnt meat and enjoys watching us suffer. Little children suffer. Just stands by while women are raped and murdered. What a great guy! Continued

memberofKCFreeThinkers.org

Continued
Every time I hear Billy Grahms name I think of the nursery rhyme “Billy Boy”.
Can she make a cherry pie,
Billy Boy, Billy Boy?
Can she make a cherry pie,
Charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie,
Quick as a cat can wink an eye,

Sounds like magic to me. Fairy tales.

Here’s the entire song:
http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/childrens-songs/Billy_Boy.htm

Delores said, “Cole. How do your thoughts work, when you need a connection with someone or something, besides a Human? I’m not sure what you are saying: besides a human?

I don’t try to mysteriously connect with anything human or not. I simply think like others. I argue and agree with myself. It’s like breathing, I think because I do. To believe something else in your head is guiding you, like something supernatural, to me, is ridiculous.

This thinking process is indeed very interesting, Evolutionary psychology is fascinating. Why and how we think the way we do should be much more valuable than adhering to a bronze-age book written by people who knew far less than what we know now.

Steven Pinker is fun:
Authors@Google: Steven Pinker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBpetDxIEMU

Peace For the Sake of Goodness Cole

memberofKCFreeThinkers.org

"America" the beautiful?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RS6LY0I0VK0&feature=related

500 Nations -- Forced Removal of Southeast Native Americans (Part 1)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rw7vKerABME

500 Nations - Forced Removal of Southeast Native Americans Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kz0emfNncM

Scientists Move Cells with Joystick
http://www.livescience.com/technology/090918-cells-joystick.html

Peace For the sake of Goodness Cole

Dolores Lear

trapblock: (yesterday 5:32 PM)
"Dolores, I don't understand your post completely. If you want to know where I think the whole Truth is... it's the Church that the second person of the Blessed Trinity started... the Catholic Church."

Jesus did not start the Church. Humans did. I am saying the New Trinity Religion practiced since 300, is not the Lifestyle Jesus started in 30 CE.

Jesus was a Jew. He accepted the One God of the Jews.
It was the Hypocritical Jewish Religious Temple Worship that he disapproved.

Jesus Lead the Celibate Male Movement, with Equal Resources for All, after his Cousin John the Baptist died, who also had Disciples.

300 years later, the Roman Trinity Religion, of Father, Mother, and Son, was changed to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Not by Jesus, but by Creeds.

What happened to to make Jesus, the second 'person', in a New Roman Catholic Trinity God in Three 'Persons'?

How did Jesus start the Catholic Trinity Church on Earth, 300 years later? Why do Humans start Churches, instead of Sharing GODs Resources Equally?

trapblock:
"As for your question: So What is Being a Christian really about today? It's the same thing it always has been... it's about a relationship with Jesus Christ."

And I say that relationship with Jesus, is a Celibate Male Peace Lifestyle on Earth, and Sharing of the Earth's Resources Equally, that Jesus Taught and Lived, as the Kingdom of God.

Jesus did not Teach or Practice, God Worship in temples made by Human Hands, and Hate and Killing Each Other, and Killing our Home Planet.

So "What is Being a Christian really about today?" Toxic Pollution and Nuclear Bombs? For the Sake of GOD/LIFE, and Love of Jesus?

Dolores Lear

Billy Graham. " Belief means really knowing God", Sept. 16, 09. K.C. Star.
"DEAR MRS. L.P.A: The reason their belief doesn’t make much difference to them is because it’s not a true belief. It’s only a vague, weak belief that hasn’t penetrated their hearts and minds, and therefore it doesn’t influence every part of their lives."

http://www.kansascity.com/255/story/1448742.html

What is a True Belief. How many True Beliefs are there on our Home Planet Earth? If Body Birth Humans have a True One GOD/LIFE Belief, why are there Starving Humans, Pollution, Nuclear Bombs, and War on our Home Planet? Because of Man-Made Religions?

Bill:
"P.S.: This disease (depression) is one that clergy often don't know how to deal with when they encounter it among congregants, so in recent years there have been lots of efforts to help them."

Would the pressure of this 7 Billion Unequal Sharing Killing Human Society, have anything to do with depression for Humans with or without Religious Beliefs?

What was Jesus' Message? Celibate Males and Equal Sharing of GODs Resources on Planet Earth by All?

Why was Jesus' Message changed, by Humans after 300 years, to make another Man-Made Religion of Temples made by Human Hands. and Mouth Worship in these temples?

How can our Polluted Home Planet and Pollution and Nuclear Bombs, bring the Peace that Jesus taught through Equal Sharing of the Earth's Resources?

What is the Truth of Eternal Physical High Tech Equal Male and Female Human Clone Life, on Planets and in High Tech Spaceships?

Does God/Us, in our Human Image, move in mysterious (High Tech) Ways, their wonders to perform?

Susan

http://www.kansascity.com/656/story/1454965.html

Bill, I'm convinced that one of the root causes of depression is a feeling of isolation and total disconnection from God and others. A disconnection many people feel even when attending worship every week, worshipping alongside people who they see week after week but may never really know.

I thought I'd share the above link because of how inspired I felt reading this woman's article sharing how her spirit came alive when she started going to Latin mass. Whatever it takes for each of us to come alive and know that we are a part of something vastly greater than ourselves -- that is what we need to do.

Cole, I may not agree with everything Billy Graham says -- but I believe he loves God and he also really cares about people. When I said you seemed hung up on him, I was referring to your response to him suggesting that the guy looking for a Bible just pick the one that "speaks to" him. I "get" that you have a very literal mind. A book that "speaks to" you would be something like your granddaughter's audio-book. Whatever.

I like to read things that speak to me. I like feeling a sense of connection to the authors, even if they are dead now. We were together in this or that one thought. I.e. I sometimes connect with Daniel Dennet as I'm reading the book you loaned me.

Apparently other people read things that speak to them, too. I "get" that you are only "spoken to" if you hear an audible voice. Why can't you "get" that some people feel spoken to through reading the written word, listening to music, looking at art, or may even communicate with others through gestures or sign language. Can deaf people never be spoken to because they never hear an audible voice? (Continued)

Susan

(Continued) And that's cool that you'd rather order pork chops than tell a Three Little Piggies story -- but maybe your granddaughter would have more fun hearing the story, you know? She probably likes the pork chops too --

But why can't we do both -- order pork chops AND hear the ongoing stories, too?! Why does it have to be one or the other?

It just seems like you are stuck in your conception of what works for you. That's great that thinking concretely 100% of the time works for you and fills all your needs! I don't think everyone "has" to love abstract thought just because I do.

But one thing kind of gets me. I've noticed that people who live in the abstract more, can still appreciate the concrete thinkers and be glad they are here, living among us. So why do the concrete thinkers tend to dismiss the more abstract thinkers as being totally useless, and as wasting their own time and the time of everybody who listens to them?

And here I will say that I'm probably not "hitting the nail on the head" when I talk about "concrete thinkers" and "abstract thinkers" -- because I'm sure you are complex just as I am. None of us is going to fit into a neat little category. And I've met some abstract thinkers who go way beyond me in their abstractness, which makes me realize I may be more concrete than abstract after all.

But, anyhow, it all boils down to being willing to love and accept people in all their complex diversity. And it just bugs me when you and Iggy are so dismissive of those you see as "crazy." Especially now that I understand that when you say "Crawl under a rock and die/shut up," this is literally what you mean. It's just so sad, and such a conversation-killer.

Susan

Cole, I think my third post got lost -- the one where I was telling you I'm glad for the links you gave to the videos detailing the forced removal of the Southeast Native Americans. I'm hoping to watch these with my family later this weekend. In two weeks we are going to the Kansas City Indian Festival -- for those interested children under 12 get in free, and I think it's just $2.00 apiece for adults, really wonderful stuff going on -- food, stories, kid's activities, and more --

http://kcindianfest.com/

I also wanted to share the link to this really compelling article in the Pitch. It's all about my neighborhood's struggle with prostitution and crime, and it's something we deal with firsthand, as we often come face to face with desparate lives while out walking around the neighborhood. Or even sitting on our porch.

One particular woman even selected our block as a place to park with her johns -- but after our new neighbors went out on their porch and watched her when she was parked in front of their house, and then my husband went to see what was going on when she was parked in front of ours (the cars took off both times when they realized they were being observed), she may have moved on.

This is another reason I'm really glad to be getting involved with the Cherith Brook Catholic Worker house, as they are looking for ways to love and be a family to the street people here. While I live here and therefore identify with my neighbors who hate seeing our community trashed, at the same time I agree with the police officials who said in the article that the answer isn't to slap on the handcuffs and lock people up -- we need to get at the root of the problem.

http://www.pitch.com/2009-09-10/news/meet-the-most-notorious-prostitute-in-a-neighborhood-known-for-and-trying-to-get-rid-of-its-hookers

IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org

Oliver Sacks: What hallucination reveals about our minds - speech at TED Conference.

Since Awakenings first stormed the bestseller lists (and the silver screen), Oliver Sacks has become an unlikely household name, single-handedly inventing the genre of neurological anthropology.

Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks brings our attention to Charles Bonnett syndrome -- when visually impaired people experience lucid hallucinations. He describes the experiences of his patients in heartwarming detail and walks us through the biology of this under-reported phenomenon.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,4328,Oliver-Sacks-What-hallucination-reveals-about-our-minds,TED

Will Graham

I am glad to see that a poster here has recognized that when the atheists tell believers to "SHUT UP and DIE" that the atheists mean it.

They are not telling Three Little Piggy Stories!

But the problem is, whenever atheists have tried to make that happen they have always ended up choking on their Pork Chops.

So my answers to those who tell us that we need to SHUT UP and DIE is the same.

I am just waiting for you to try and make that happen.

IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org

Are you a Christian history denier and deluded to the point of intellectual perversity?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQeUkCVqlj0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFeZnqBgbEE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxv-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YyloaB3l_M

Susan

Cole, we did end up watching the videos you linked to about the forced removal of the Southeast Native Americans. Very good. And this led to us clicking on some other links about the Native Americans, such as one detailing the way that many of the children were forcibly taken from their homes and sent to boarding schools, where about half of them died.

The idea was to kill them off either through direct murder, or through raising the children separately from their culture so they'd be totally disconnected from their roots. So overwhelmingly sad.

Then we ended up finding and watching the Anne Frank movie, the newer one which includes time spent in the concentration camps. Very heavy stuff but my 9yo was really wanting to see it. Of course she keeps asking why people would do all this. She wasn't thrilled to learn that we're part German.

But of course as I pointed out, what was said in the movie about not being prejudiced against anyone goes for not being prejudiced against Germans either. We're all part of the same human race, we all have our own prejudices to deal with -- and the Holocaust reminds us of why we need to decide NOT to be prejudiced, but to love and accept everyone.

Will Graham

Principles of Atheist Scholarship:

1. Always use sources that are easly manipulated, like You Tube and Wikipedia. (the encyclopedia that ANYONE can ediit...wink wink!)

2. Accuse others of denial, while you deny your own history; this gives you times to tell feel good stories about your background.

3. If denial fails, simply IGNORE IT.

4. If ignoring it fails; throw out insults.

5. If insults fail, throw out threats...demand that the opposition SHUT UP and DIE!

6. If caught or called out on any of this, say it was a JOKE!

7. Have Sock Puppets tell you how great you are, and how much they enjoy watching your material with their family!

8. Quotemine.

9. Misrepresent.

10. Build a Straw Man argument and knock it down! (Always good in a pinch.)

Following these principles, you should be able to operate for MONTHS, even YEARS, on the blog of your choice! Bahahahahahaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Dolores Lear

When are Humans eyes to open to see the Last Days Holocaust, the Planetary Fire Holocaust Humans have set up on our Home Planet?

Where did the LIFE Elements come from to make our Universe? Can Humans, made from the Elements, Know their Origins? Evolution, or Supernatural Creation Science?

Where Do Humans Go when we die Physically? Back to Elements? With High Tech Science, Humans do Know we are made Visible Life, from Invisible LIFE Elements.

When Visible Life Dies, the Atoms/Body decay back into 'Dirt'. But where does the Soul/ElectroMagnetic Elements go? Back into our atmosphere? Do Humans Know?

When the Universe Elements get out of Balance, they implode into a Black Hole. Black Holes do reexplode to keep Life as we Know it, Eternal, on Planets, with High Tech Human Travel.

Today's High Tech Humans are tying up Earth's Life Elements, in a Population Explosion. And Nuclear Waste, that does not decay to be used again.

What will happen to our Eco System when it gets too many Elements tied up, in unnecessary Waste? That is why our Ozone Canopy is thinning.

Humans have Overpopulated our Land area, that is turning the Land area into deserts.

Why is our Nuclear Waste stacking up on our Planet, and Overpopulation of Humans are running out of Land for Dumps? What is Wrong with the Human Species?

Will High Tech Evolution Humans End Up, by making Earth's Surface a Fire Pit Holocaust?

Did Perfect Humans the High Tech God made, Fall, and now Evolved Again, up to High Tech, and are making Earth's Surface a Fire Pit Holocaust?

Let there be Peace on Earth, and let it begin with 'Who'? Christians? Atheists? Any Human? Or, by the return of an Earth Man-Made Human Peace God?

Is 'Life' After Death, Somewhere Else, where Humans will find Peace from their Man-Made Planetary Holocaust?

Will Graham

Why tell Three Little Piggy stories when you want Gulags? LOL!

(And Pork Chops are bad for you.)

Lynne - www.kcfreethinkers.org

Susan

There's no evidence that being "disconnected from God" causes depression. I'm certainly not depressed, and the only studies linking atheism to depression only point to church attendance as a factor and thus don't distinguish the social benefits of church from religious belief itself. (And there are certainly many people who attend church without having strong religious beliefs.) Feeling disconnected from other people, though, is a different story and can certainly cause depression.

On the other hand, a lot of people (especially women) are misdiagnosed as having depression when there's something else wrong that is purely medical. Doctors think that because anti-depressants seem to help these people in the short term that they must have gotten their diagnosis correct. But actually, ANYONE who feels a little tired can get a pick me up from anti-depressants for a few weeks or months and it can mask what's really wrong and keep the person from getting the treatment they really need. I think doctors need to take patients more seriously when they say, "but I don't FEEL sad" - because if you don't feel sad you are probably not depressed! Complicating that, though, is the fact that a person suffering from a long illness can become depressed but the best cure for that is treating the underlying illness!

As for real depression, I know among men the most common cause is loss of a job and/or financial problems. But this can happen to women too. Improving the economy and creating more jobs would certainly help.

Lynne - www.kcfreethinkers.org

Bill, I've heard many stories of clergy giving bad advice to people who might be depressed. I don't think they are qualified to deal with this, and should recognize that. If they suspect depression, they should urge the person to go to a medical doctor. Why a medical doctor instead of a counselor? 1-to rule out medical causes and 2- most people can't afford $100/hour therapy but they can afford anti-depressants and they are cheaper through a physician than a psychiatrist. 3- less stigma

Of course there lots of studies showing that talking to a good friend can be just as effective as talking to a professional so maybe talking to a preacher *in addition to* seeing a medical doctor could help as long as they weren't the crazy preachers telling them their problem was "sin" or demon possession or some nonsense. See that's the problem - a good preacher/priest, etc. might be in a good position to help but the wrong one can make things terribly worse.

IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org

Iran's president denying Holocaust? Hmmmmmm. Politicians deny things and lie all the time. If you show me one that doesn't I have a special bridge to sell to you.

If I recall President Bush said let's teach intelligent design and evolution together to teach "the controversy" and "both sides" of the subject. Yet for some reason, he talked about scientific approach last year to H1N1 flue virus and not "Discovery Institute" or ministers. Wow!

I think delusional people like Ahmaddinajad and Bush (just like every Dick and Jane) understand when reality confronts their dream like state They just cannot accept it as they are in too deep and they have to come up with "Three Little Piggies" stories to continue and keep the attention span of the gullible.

Life is more interesting this way...

Lynne - www.kcfreethinkers.org

Susan, I have to both agree and disagree with you and Bill on the need for "fundamentalists." It really depends on what you mean by the word. If by fundamentalist you mean someone with clear and strong beliefs who take them seriously every day, who act as purists and try to set the agenda of what a Christian is or what an atheist is (in the case of an atheist fundamentalist) - then yeah, maybe.

However, we can't ignore the huge dangerous overlap between fundamentalism and authoritarianism. Authoritarians are NOT useful - they are only dangerous and will chip away at human rights every chance they get. They need to either be persuaded away from their authoritarian ways or steered away from positions of power in society (such as voting against them in elections.) It's important that we teach our children not to be authoritarian - to question authority - not blindly rebel, of course, but not blindly follow either. And we should encourage them to be at least somewhat comfortable with doubt and change.

It's really so rare for a fundamentalist not to also be authoritarian, though, that I think we'd all be better off if fundamentalism of all stripes did just fade away. I haven't the foggiest idea how you'd encourage a fundamentalist of any persuasion to be less authoritarian without also being less fundamentalist.

Dolores Lear

Will:
"(And Pork Chops are bad for you."

Also any flesh with the blood therein.
Genesis 1:30b. KJV.(To Adam and Eve) "..I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so."
Genesis 9:4. (To Noah) "But flesh with the life blood thereof, shall ye not eat."

Adam and Eve Society were Vegetarians. This Food Lifestyle, without meat, is the best for Space Travel also.

All through the Old Testament the eating of flesh with the blood in it, was a sin. But for Jews it was pork. They still ate lamb and beef.

Genesis 9:5,6. "And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man: at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

So do Humans kill Humans in the image of God, every time they kill a person. The Shedding of God's Human Blood, is setting up for the Last Days Nuclear 'Arm'ageddon Planetary War, the Last Human Holocaust on Earth.

Earth's Eco System Atmosphere, will be destroyed, and Life as Humans Know It, cannot continue on a Dead Planet, like Mars.

Earth's Atmosphere is already depleted, and Earth is in Bad Health. The Armageddon War will finish with the Planetary Fire Death of Earth.

Susan

Lynne -- I wasn't specifically thinking of Atheism when I talked about disconnection from God. Actually, since Christians believe that we love Christ by loving people, this would mean, you know, that we also receive God's love through receiving love from others. So, disconnection from people literally means disconnection from God.

I don't necessarily believe that Atheists are more prone to depression than Christians are. Some Atheists may even be more plugged into their communities than some Christians, may have a broader definition of "neighbor," and thus may be better able to give love and receive love to and from whoever God brings across their path.

Lynne, I share your sense of frustration with authoritarianism. Sadly, I'm seeing that ALL brands of fundamentalists (whether religious or Atheistic) seem to have some authoritarian leanings. I think we'd be better off without autoritarianism -- but just think how authoritarian WE'D have to become, to eradicate it. And, having spent much of my life as a fundamentalist, only recenlty becoming a questor, a few years back it would have been ME being told to "crawl under a rock and die."

So I think all life should be nurtured and given a chance, even though there's no guarantee that someone will be persuaded away from their authoritarian veiwpoint.

Susan

Dolores, from my understanding it was greater access to animal protein, that enabled our primate ancestors to evolve into beings with much larger and more complex brains.

It's true that human infants today can be raised vegetarian without any harm to their brain development -- but that's because through evolution their brain development is now genetically programmed. Yet I think it's hard to raise healthy vegetarian or vegan kids without a relatively high income and knowledge-level, because it's more challenging to get sufficient amounts of protein for growing brains and bodies.

I do have a problem with inhumane treatment of animals, and feel sad that to feed our family affordably, we can't really go for the most humanely-raised meats. That said, some animals being used for food seems to be part of the natural cycle of life.

IGGY - www.KCFreeThinkers.org

An interesting piece in KC Star on "weak beliefs" by Billy Graham....

DEAR BILLY GRAHAM: I know that some people are fiercely opposed to religion, but most of the people I know just don’t think about God very much. Most of them will say they believe in God, but their belief doesn’t seem to make much difference to them. Why do you think this is? — Mrs. L.P.

DEAR MRS. L.P.A: The reason their belief doesn’t make much difference to them is because it’s not a true belief. It’s only a vague, weak belief that hasn’t penetrated their hearts and minds, and therefore it doesn’t influence every part of their lives.

This doesn’t mean they don’t believe that God exists, because they probably do. If sickness comes to a loved one, they’ll probably turn to God in prayer (although they may not pray otherwise). They may even defend their belief in God if someone who fiercely opposes religion attacks them. But they don’t really know God, nor is he important to them. In other words, they know about God, but they don’t really know him.

The Bible, however, tells us not only that God exists, but that he loves us and wants to come into our lives and become the center of everything we do.

Jesus once warned us not to be like the person who hears the word of God, “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word” (Mark 4:19). Don’t let anything crowd out God, but make Christ the foundation of your life, beginning today.

http://www.kansascity.com/255/story/1448742.html

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