Jenrin's blog

I saw "Sicko" yesterday evening and I think I did more crying than laughing. I also can't help but feel that this is a transcendent moment in America. Maybe I'm hopelessly naive and optimistic. But I believe the Country is coming to the "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" moment.

37 million poor hidden in the land of plenty

Americans have always believed that hard work will bring rewards, but vast numbers now cannot meet their bills even with two or three jobs. More than one in 10 citizens live below the poverty line, and the gap between the haves and have-nots is widening

Paul Harris in Kentucky
Sunday February 19, 2006
The Observer

The flickering television in Candy Lumpkins's trailer blared out The Bold and the Beautiful. It was a fantasy daytime soap vision of American life with little relevance to the reality of this impoverished corner of Kentucky.

When searching for a clear path, it's often helpful to look to the past and what has come before. I read a brief mention of FDR's inaugural speech so had to look it up. Well, here it is. It's sad how articulate we used to be such a short time ago.

Inaugural Speech of Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Given in Washington, D.C.

March 4th, 1933

Inaugural Address.

President Hoover, Mr. Chief Justice, my friends: This is a day of national consecration, and I am certain that my fellow Americans expect that on my induction into the Presidency I will address them with a candor and a decision which the present situation of our nation impels.

Well, it's been almost a week since the Summit ended and I've got to say, yes, I'm nodding off in the photo from Day 2, but I swear that that doesn't mean anything!

There was a lot of positive discussion and I think a lot of opportunity for us to move forward.

I do think it's important to connect our discussion of our moral values/faith to our action in some concrete, defined terms and I look forward to working on that more in the future.

I've been meaning to post this for several weeks, but finally had the chance to compose my thoughts and post.

The following is a link to my church's website and a short course that their offering called Handles on Hard Issues. The 2nd lecture, God and Mammon (money) is something that should be required listening.

http://www.fpcberkeley.org/NewsDetail.asp?id=223

I hope everyone checks

In reading this, I tend to side with the Christian school and not UC. What does everyone else think?

In a small room at the University of California's headquarters in downtown Oakland, UC counsel Christopher Patti sat beside a stack of textbooks proposed for use by Calvary Chapel Christian School in Riverside County -- books UC rejected as failing to meet freshmen admission requirements.

Biology and physics textbooks from Christian publishers were found wanting, as were three Calvary humanities courses.

If this doesn't make you sick, I don't know what will.

December 9, 2005
When Christmas Falls on Sunday, Megachurches Take the Day Off
By LAURIE GOODSTEIN

Some of the nation's most prominent megachurches have decided not to hold worship services on the Sunday that coincides with Christmas Day, a move that is generating controversy among evangelical Christians at a time when many conservative groups are battling to "put the Christ back in Christmas."

I may be one of the few on this forum, but I've never heard of the Paradoxical Commandments. They were written in 1968 and are now the subject of the book aptly titled, "Jesus Did It Anyway."

Here they are.

The Paradoxical Commandments

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.

Here's the deal -- Certain things have proper names. When you cut down a tree, put it up in your living room and decorate it, it's called a Christmas Tree. Why? I don't honestly know. But, I do know that it has very little to do with birth of Jesus and everything to do with Black Friday -- (The day after Thanksgiving when all of the stores hit the black for the first time of the year) and all of those presents that are supposed to go under that tree.