The Nature Of Things Today

Below is a great letter to the Editor that I believe deserves reprinting:

That's just how I see it!

Story by Tom Correa

The Christmas Story - From The Book Of Luke

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."

"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.  And everyone went to his own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.  She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord"), and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young pigeons."

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

- Luke 1:26 - 2:40

Some People Are Just Jerks

On December 15th, American Airlines decided to fire back at ultra-left actor Alec Baldwin for his disparaging comments regarding that airline.

A morning after the liberal actor was booted off a flight in Los Angeles for using his cell phone after the doors had closed, Alec Baldwin started disparaging the bankrupt carrier via his Twitter account.

But now, well let's just say that American Airlines isn't taking this sitting down.

American Airlines said on its Facebook page that "since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter."

While the actor claims that he was just playing a game, the airline noted that when after being told repeatedly to turn off the device - Alec Baldwin got up and bolted for the lavatory. 

Then, believe it or not, Baldwin decided to stay locked in the lavatory even after the seat-belt sign was activated.  In fact, on his way into the lavatory, he slammed the door so loud that it was enough to actually alarm the crew.

In addition, American Airlines said that Alec Baldwin had been "extremely rude" to the crew and "used offensive language" prior to being removed from the flight.

Such a Nice Guy!

And talk about nice guys!

In Aberdeen, Mississippi, a federal judge has postponed the trial of a man accused of shooting an American Bald Eagle.  Yes, American Bald Eagles are protected under federal law. 

The basic problem in the world is that there are people out there who don't care what they do.  It doesn't matter to a lot of folks whether something is illegal or not, or morally right or not.

William "Bill" Branum of Iuka, Mississippi, is the individual accused of shooting the American Bald Eagle on March 31st of this year.

Yes, justice moves slow as his trial had been scheduled to being January 9th of next year. Branum's attorney asked for the delay so he could have more time to prepare for the trial. 

Please don't write me asking how a lawyer prepares to defend someone for shooting an American Bald Eagle! 

Lawyers being lawyers, they might come up with some lame excuse like the saying that the symbol of America just happen to fly in front of Branum's rifle sights at the exact moment the alleged eagle killer was squeezing the trigger. I mean who knows really what a lawyer will come up with.

At his arraignment on November 17th in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen,  believe it or not, Branum pleaded not guilty. If convicted, Branum faces up to 18 months in prison and a $200,000 fine.

Since it's a federal crime, too bad he's not a millionaire baseball player, if he was he might get off with probation - but that's another story.

I have a feeling that the shot Branum took will be one expensive shot!

And this is from Portland, Oregon! 

It's being reported that four canines had been subpoenaed to appear in Multnomah County Circuit Court for the trial this week of two Portland residents accused of neglecting them.

Prosecutors accused Wayne Martin and Layne Woods of failing to give two of the dogs adequate veterinary care. So here it comes, defense attorney Chris O'Connor subpoenaed the dogs to demonstrate that they were in good shape. Imagine that!

So yes, Jurors on Tuesday took a long look at Merlin, Patches, Coco and Raven on the witness stand. It was reported that Raven slobbered a bit, but the court rug hid the spot.

Dog gone it, that's strange - even for Oregon!

And from New York!

The Brooklyn Judge who unleashed a violent ex-con just weeks before he killed a cop was a no-show at work yesterday. Imagine that!

Judge Evelyn Laporte was nowhere to be found in Brooklyn Criminal Court as several City Council members called her decision to release career criminal Lamont Pride without bail after his arrest last month on drug charges.

Even though there was a warrant out for Pride's arrest when he was busted on November 3rd in New York for crack and pot possession, Judge Laporte ignored the pleas of prosecutors for a $2,500 bail.

The warrant that was out on Pride was issued by North Carolina for an August shooting no less.  And this guy Pride, who is 27 years of age, is the jerk being accused of gunning down Officer Peter Figoski during a Brooklyn home invasion on Monday.
 
It's a fact that Lady Justice is always depicted with a blindfold, but now it seems that this judge is trying to say justice is stupid as well.

More out of New York! 

A group of New York High School students a reportedly being suspended for "Tebowing". 

Reports say that there is a "Tim Tebow Mania" sweeping the nation. Supposedly kids across the America are mimicking the Denver Bronco quarterback's famous Christian prayer pose.

I know this has to be aggravating liberal teachers and principals who are usually Atheist in their own right. It is probably the reason that led to the suspension of New York high school students.

Twin brothers Tyler and Connor Carroll of Riverhead HS in Long Island, and classmates Jordan Fulcoly and Wayne Drexel, were hit with one-day suspensions for kneeling and bowing their heads like Tebow does when he scores a touchdown - this reported by the New York Post. 

Supposedly the week long "Tebowing Craze" was a distraction and a hallway hazard after dozens of classmates followed their lead, administrators told the newspaper.

The brothers have to serve their suspensions, while the others were rescinded because the other participants had not been given warnings, officials said.  In all, about 40 students had gathering in the hallway all week emulating Tebow's Christian prayer pose.

School administrators said "the stunt jammed the hallway, creating a fire hazard."

"This is not about religious discrimination," Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney told the Post.  "It is about being sure kids are able to get to class on time and keeping the kids safe and orderly." 

I can't help but wonder if Riverhead School District Superintendent Nancy Carney would find the same problem with students who were involved in the Occupy protest.

Now let's talk about crime and baseball!

Millionaire baseball player Barry Bonds, who was found guilty of obstructing justice stemming from the 2003 federal steroid investigation, has just been sentenced to 30 days of house arrest.

Imagine that! Bonds could have faced a maximum of 10 years in Federal Prison for his Obstruction Of Justice conviction for lying to a grand jury during a 2003 federal investigation into steroid use by MLB players.

But no, besides a slap on the wrist by having to stay in his mansion for 30 days - Bonds was also sentenced today to two years probation.

Of course since I don't know Barry Bonds, other than knowing that he had supposedly used illegal steroids to get into home-run history, I don't know if Bonds is a jerk or not. But I do know one thing, he sure got off lightly considering Bonds committed a Felony!

And yes, he was convicted of a Federal Felony at that!

Last but not least!

So now, since Bonds gets of light with just a slap on the wrist, where are the Occupy protesters who have made it their mission to take on Millionaire abuse of the system.

The Occupy idiots have had a huge impact! Too bad their sorry movement has had a huge negative impact on Blue-Collar workers more than anyone else - but their negative effect on the American economy is not only limited to everyday Americans. 

It's true! The Occupy protesters have cost everyday Americans loss wages and subsequently have done nothing but hurt the average American out there.  They have had a horrible effect on money-strapped cities across America.

How? By costing those cities all sorts of cash in Police and Fire overtime, trash cleanup and collection, and other city services connected to their protests.  Can you imagine how much money was spent on preventing them from looting and burning?  Can you imagine the loss of services to Seniors and the needy because of the money spent on there bullspit? 

Needed dollars that could have gone to good use, instead went to their leftist cause.  I can't help but wonder if that's what they were trying to do, and bankrupt cities that were trying to keep their heads above water.  If so, in many places where the Occupy protesters had been -  they can say "Mission Accomplished!"

And since I'm on the Occupy jerks, why aren't the Occupy protesters and their Labor Union allies protesting multi-millionaire sports felons like Barry Bonds, or lousy anti-American filmmakers like Michael Moore, or horrible ultra-left actors like Alec Baldwin? 

Why? Well, it's because Barry Bonds, Michael Moore, and Alec Baldwin are the types of people who support the Occupy protesters. You see that's how liberal hypocrites do things -  they support each other!

Story by Tom Correa

America is a Christian Nation

If not by law, then certainly through practice!

Poll after poll after poll, research all concludes, fact is fact, Americans believe in God and are Christians.

Liberal Atheists try to disprove it. But it's the truth: approximately 90% of all Americans say they "believe in God," and of those Americans approximately 80% of them are Christians. 

When Americans are asked if they believe in God, here are their answers. When asked if they "Believe in God"? Well, 72% say that they are "Absolutely Certain" while 18% say that they are "Fairly Certain" that God exists.

And how do Americans identify themselves by Religion, well the chart to the right is how they answer.

Eight traditional religions such as Buddhist, Hindu, Jehovah's Witness, Muslim, Orthodox, Other Christian, Other Faiths and Other World Religions constitute less than 5% of the population in nearly every state.

In the United States, we have a total of 1.6% of our people who've declared themselves Atheist. Another 2.4% are Agnostic.

These are some interesting numbers when we consider that in the United States of America, there are 2,454,000 Muslims which means that they are 0.6% of the American population.  In Great Britain, there are 1,647,000 Muslims, a full 2.7% of the population there.

So why does a nation, that has about 80% of its people claiming to be Christian, surrender its religious freedoms and rights, like openly displaying ornaments or nativity scenes, to the 1.6% who are Atheists and the tiny population of 0.6% who are Muslims? 

How does a nation that is predominately Christian find Judges willing to make rulings using Muslim Sharia Law when Religious Law of any sort is in itself illegal to use in the United States under our form of Government? 

And we're not alone, if you think this is only happening here in the United States, Great Britain is on the road of a two-tier justice system - Civil and Religious - by openly observing the radical Muslim laws known as Sharia Law.  It is insanity! 

And yes, the Brits don't seem to care enough to rid themselves of this new black plague which is attacking all of Europe, one country at a time!

So how can a small percentage of Muslims rule over the rest in Britain?  How does a nation lose its guts to fight for the religious principles that has given it strength during the hardest of times?  How does a great nation like Great Britain lose it's desire to stay free and observe its own set of laws?  Why has Christian Britain turned it's back on the core basis for it's rules of law? 

We should learn from what is happening in Great Britain.  We should learn what happens when we elect people who work contrary to the basic best interest of their people.  America's Christian heritage should not be forgotten. 

President John Quincy Adams, our 6th president, said, "The greatest glory of the American Revolution was this: It connected in one indissoluble bond, the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity."

It's true, for well over 235 years, America have shown the world that we have had the ability to meld together the principles of Civil Government with the principles of Christianity - and make it work for all. 

We, as a nation, did not turn to the laws that guide the Christian Church, Canon Law, but instead used Christian principles to guide our hands when writing our laws.   

The first being the Golden Rule: "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you." And the second, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself."

As Christians, our Founding Fathers agreed on the value and dignity of human life, the need to recognize the works and needs of the individual, the value of human labor, and on our ability to gain happiness while being charitable toward the next person. 

They understood the parable of the Good Samaritan,  

He, who is your neighbor, the Good Samaritan.  He who helps a stranger and asks for nothing in return.  He is derived from the parable that Jesus Christ told the young lawyer.  Today many hospitals and charitable organizations are named after the Good Samaritan.

Our Founding Fathers were realist and pragmatist, they knew Civil Law and one's obedience to those laws must depend on ones sense of right and wrong.  It is from our Christian heritage that we understand the teachings that enable us to have the proper understanding of what is right and wrong. 

American Christians understand that God expects us to use our intelligence. 

According to the Holy Bible, God says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle" (Psalm 32:8,9). 

While horses and mules need to be forcibly controlled to get them to respond. Christ expects us, however, to use our intelligence and ability to reason. this is the difference between a Christian nation and a Muslim nation.  One has laws based on the Christian principles of compassion while the other has laws born out of an Islamic code of hate and murder. 

Don't believe me? Then just look to the stoning of Muslims for petty crimes, and the mutilation of Muslim women for what is hardy crime at all.

Because Christianity was the guiding factor for our Founding Fathers, we have been a Christian nation from our conception.  It is our identity at our core because it has everything to do with our beliefs as Americans. 

It has everything to do with a nation based on Christian ideals such as love and understanding.  It is a fact that Liberals may hate to recognize, but American values and morals came from Christian values and morals.

Fact is, it is common knowledge that our cherished American values are identical to Christian values. Our founding principles like life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, our freedoms of speech and religion, all that are enshrined in our nation's founding documents are all based on Christian principles.

Yes, if not by law, then certainly through practice, America is a Christian nation. And yes, our American values, what makes us different from the world, was indeed first drawn from Christian perspectives of how life should be.

And for those unfamiliar with where it started, it was in a far off land long long ago ...

Story by Tom Correa