 | New flash! There are no homosexuals in Iran. According
to Ahmadinejad the laws of nature do not apply to Iran. In an interview prior
to his address to the students of Columbia University he was asked about his
cruel statements about, and harsh punishment of homosexuals in his homeland.
He responded with the above bit amazing information. This is the same man who
says the Holocaust did not occur. This man is a maniac. |
| Our group of St. Luke’s people, with 2-3 others
sprinkled in for good measure, is nearing its departure for the Holy Land. We
leave November 7. The peace process over there is a roller coaster ride to
say the least, but right now it looks like a pretty good time to be going.
Abbas is gaining strength and popularity and the Israeli government says it is
willing to offer concessions to the Palestinian people. Tony Blair seems to
be doing good work and the US is involved. So maybe this time, just maybe,
something will come of all of this and there will be two states and some
semblance of peace. |
| I see where Michael Vick, once the quarterback of the
Atlanta Falcons NFL football team, has been charged by a Virginia court with
torturing and killing dogs in association with dogfights held at his home in
that state. These charges are on top of the federal charges for the same
thing, along with one or two other related charges, and it looks like he will
do some well deserved jail time. I wonder if he will ever play football
again? What a waste of talent. What a shame someone could do something like
he and his cohorts did. |
| I have thought of another advantage for us in offering
what we call Evening Journey at 5:30 pm on Sundays. All of our people who go
to Fayetteville on weekends for football games can now get back in time for
church. No excuses now! |
| As the 2008 presidential campaign is now in full swing,
I see that our country is faced with the possibility of a first, on many
counts. Here are some questions: are we ready for a woman president? Are we
ready for an African-American? Are we ready for a Mormon? Of course, none of
these questions should have to be asked, but you know they are on the minds of
many thoughtful people. |
| There have been a number of officers in our armed forces
who have been criticizing both the administration and the military command for
their difficulties in Iraq. Here is another example of soldiers speaking out
courageously: “In the end, we need to recognize that our presence may have
released Iraqis from the grip of a tyrant, but that it has also robbed them of
their self-respect. They will soon realize that the best way to regain
dignity is to call us what we are-an army of occupation-and force our
withdrawal.” This quote is excerpted from an op-ed piece in the New York
Times, August 19 which was written by seven members of the 82nd
Airborne Division. I wonder what, if anything, will be done with these
dissenters. |
| It is going to take me some time to read and digest the
bishop’s statement coming out of New Orleans September 25. In these things
one has to look carefully at the wording to see what is being said and what is
not. At first blush it appears that no one living in a same gender
relationship will be ordained bishop for a while, or until there is a “broader
consensus among the Anglican Communion.” I will not live long enough to see
that. Also, there will not be a development of a same gender relationship
blessing rite at the present. How this will actually play out remains to be
seen. I’ll come back to this in a week or so. |
| I have a friend who has been nominated for bishop of
Chicago. Her name is Tracy Lind and she is the dean of Cleveland. Tracy
lives with her partner of 20 or so years in a committed same gender
relationship. In light of the bishop’s statement it will be interesting to
see what Chicago does. |
