Homeless Henrietta

Homeless Henrietta, the face of the Economic Crisis my a**. Or maybe she is. Her son is 37 years old, the same age as me and has not had a job since he was fired from the City of Ft Myers 7 years ago. Just last month a local charity in Ft Myers offered Henrietta and her bum of a son a place to live but they turned it down. Why? Because a condition was that he would have to get a job. What kind of lowlife allows his mom to live in a car just because he doesn't want to work?

It's interesting to see that the media have backed off covering Henrietta. They know that the photo-op would have backfired on our new President if the American people knew the truth about her. I guess they will not hold her and her bum of a son to the same standards they held Joe the Plumber to.

Henrietta Hughes says she’s not milking the system

Smoking & Jeans

Each year in the United States, approximately 440,000 persons die of a cigarette smoking-attributable illness (Read the study).

Is she wearing Levis? If so, like most other Jeans we all wear they are made overseas, not the U.S.A.

Levi Strauss & Company, a brand practically synonymous with the U.S.A., decided to shutter virtually all domestic production and shift its manufacturing overseas (Read the story).

What ever happened to Nick Lawrence?

Nick Lawrence, the Producer at WFTL, created a cable TV show "Girls Night Out" . This picture is of Nick in his spare bedroom which doubles as an editing studio for his TV show. Nick on mic is giving directions to his new girl on his casting couch.

Have you seen this story anywhere?

Officer testifies Marines did nothing wrong at Haditha (read the story).

More listener E mail

Ok Brian. Here is the reply you are chomping at the bit for. The problem with you is you use any chance you have to win when you are losing. Such as old-man Steve looking for typos. Maybe you are a typist Steve but I make my secretary do that stuff-so try to keep your adult diapers from getting in a bunch while you read and find typos here. While you're (that's right Steve-you're-an apostrophe you illiterate) fast asleep in bed right now, my day is just ending. I count money-not typos buddy.Now, first, I do not think Brian is antisemetic because of that useless comment to the caller- I think he is antisemetic because he always finds a way to make an irrelevant snide remark to Jewish people. Not very Christian. I could care less for your beliefs Brian. They are wrong anyhow. Jesus was a snake oil salesman. Just show respect for others.Also, Brian, as I said you are disrespctful to elders. How about while I talk to your father I yell over him "excuse me, excuse me, excuse me" as he tries to talk. It shows that you have no character.As for Steve thinking he will tear me to shreds- Steve-buddy-snap out of it. I've made a living out of making people like you cry and beg for mercy.Now Brian, let me cut off your insecure remarks- then I need some sleep.1. Yes-I took time to write you-just like you took 15 minutes to discuss me. Intellectual exercises for us both. Nothing wrong there.2. I actually am not that caller you think I am. But I was offended how you addressed him. He sounded much older than me. I am your age. And I speak to my elders with respect. They built this country.3. I am in fact Republican. I voted for Bush and will vote for McCain. Who cares what Steve believes?4. I can not speak to you by phone because you cut people off yelling "excuse me" over them and your microphone overrides the phone. I won't be your patsy. As for coming in- I actually have to work. I only hear you guys at night. I have CNBC on in the a.m.Ta-ta

Bible verse angers Florida airport

Someone used the microphone without permission to quote from Leviticus 20:13 which states:

If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads. (New International Version)

The passage was read more than once in the baggage area of Terminal 3 at 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, prompting complaints from a local homosexual couple (read the whole story).

Anti-God Starbucks cup

A woman a an Ohio Starbucks found a very odd message on her coffee cup.

Crowd Packs Amphitheater For Man Claiming He's Jesus Christ Reincarnated

Miranda, who has been banned from three countries, told a cheering crowd of hundreds that he was Jesus Christ reincarnated.

Crowd Packs Amphitheater For Man Claiming He's Jesus Christ Reincarnated
Christians Protest Event In Orlando

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A controversial religious figure who claims he is Jesus Christ incarnate with a following of millions with "666" tattoos on their bodies, filled an amphitheater in Orlando this weekend, and promised joy, peace and prosperity.
IMAGES: Photos From Event
Orlando police officers stood guard around the Lake Eola amphitheater as Dr. Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, 61, arrived in the city Saturday.
Miranda, who has been banned from three countries, told Local 6 News cameras and a cheering crowd that he was Jesus Christ reincarnated.
His followers believe that Miranda's life and his teachings replace those of Jesus of Nazareth, Local 6's Jamie Guirola said.
"They believe that Jesus is going to come from the sky," Juan Sanchez. "But, that is not the way he is going to come."
"He is here?" Guirola said.
"He is here." Sanchez said.
Miranda said millions of people worldwide have tattooed their bodies with "666" in recognition that the second-coming of Christ has taken place, according to the report.

"I have it proudly on my hand," a believer told Local 6's Jamie Guirola. "It is easier when they shake my hand. It is easier for them to ask. I am very proud to show it is a sign of love."
A group of Christians protested the event, calling the following a cult. Police also removed two people from the amphitheater.
"We are just questioning their faith and their '666' tattoos," a protestor told Local 6. "We just want to learn more so we can relate more between being a Christian and believing in this and who the true Jesus is."
Miranda said he is known as God in at least 30 countries.
Local 6 reported that he was born in Puerto Rico and admits to being a recovering heroin addict. He also spent times in prison on drug and petty theft charges.
Miranda is the founder of the Miami-based Growing in Grace Ministry.

E-mail from a Listener

I'll try to be brief. I moved to Boca from Manhattan several months ago and have trouble getting AM radio reception. So I stumbled on to your show. At first, I thought Steve overall was polite and respectful to people, especially when seeing the lattitude given to his disrespectful sidekick. And I also thought said rude sidekick was slightly interesting.

As it always goes in life, never judge people too soon. This guy Brian is an uneducated, arrogant prick with no respect for elders and of course is antisemetic. I am a 35 year old lawyer- what are you Brian?- a big mouth with no respect for anyone. Some Christian. You are no Christian guy.

Steve, you are even starting to sound ignorant and annoying yourself. I have now lost 2 minutes of my life writing to you but I really just became so dissapointed with something I was enjoying. Brian telling a Jewish caller he appologizes he won't be saved with is is just too much. And the way he disrespects his elders.....Get a life guys. Live life- stop sitting on oyur asses commenting on it. As for me, I will get a new antenae. You're turned off. You racist ignorant c---suckers.

P.S. I am Republican....doesn't change what losers you are.

Who we fight in Iraq!

Al Qaeda is who we are fighting in Iraq. Read Lawrence Kudlow in the Washington Times who writes on who the enemy in Iraq is.

Al Gores book replaces the Bible for Libs

Liberals make fun of the Christian faith, they tell us that Christianity does not hold up to science. Global Warming is part of the Liberal faith, science shows that our Earths is not warming, but Liberals have their faith that it is. Liberals have taken the Bible out of the classroom now they are taking it out of the hotel room.

California Hotels Go Green With Low-Flow Toilets, Solar Lights

By Ari Levy and Carole Zimmer
April 27 (Bloomberg) -- Visitors to the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa won't find the Gideon Bible in the nightstand drawer. Instead, on the bureau will be a copy of ``An Inconvenient Truth,'' former Vice President Al Gore's book about global warming.
They'll also find the Gaia equipped with waterless urinals, solar lighting and recycled paper as it marches toward becoming California's first hotel certified as ``green,'' or benevolent to the environment. Similar features are found 35 miles south at San Francisco's Orchard Garden Hotel, which competes for customers with neighboring luxury hotels like the Ritz-Carlton and Fairmont.
``I'm not your traditional Birkenstocks and granola type of guy,'' said Stefan Muehle, general manager of the Orchard Garden, who said green measures are reducing energy costs as much as 25 percent a month. ``We're trying to dispel the myth that being green and being luxurious are mutually exclusive.''
The Gaia and Orchard are seeking to be the first hotels in California certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, which has authenticated 800 buildings across the U.S. and has about 6,000 in the process, including 30 hotels. San Francisco and other cities offer financial incentives to lessen water and energy use and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Seven years ago, the Green Building Council developed a rating system called the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED. Buildings are certified based on their use of environmentally friendly features such as recycled construction materials, solar lighting, and efficient energy and water systems. Older buildings may be retrofitted.
Sleeping Well
``If that choice is available, why not take advantage of it,'' said Josh Dorfman of New York, founder of furniture company Vivavi Inc. and a frequent traveler. ``It's a way to be able to enjoy traveling and to still feel good that I'm doing it in a way that supports a cleaner planet. It's a win-win.''
Building green isn't a priority for most publicly traded hotel chains, said Robert Lafleur, a hotels analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group in Stamford, Connecticut.
``The only green investors care about is the green that's on the money, not the green that's in the hotel rooms,'' Lafleur said. For visitors, ``it's location, price, convenience and brand affiliation.''
Some chains are participating on a limited basis. Marriott International Inc., the biggest U.S. hotel operator, has one LEED-certified hotel in Maryland and seven under construction. Hilton Hotels Corp., the second-largest, received its first certification in January for a hotel in Vancouver, Washington.
``We have a social responsibility,'' said Pat Maher, a senior vice president of Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott. ``It also makes good business sense.''
`A Sea Change'
Swinerton Inc., a San Francisco-based construction company, has worked on more than 20 buildings seeking certification. The 86-room Orchard Garden, completed last year, was its first hotel, said Grant French, a Swinerton engineer.
``There's been a sea change,'' said French. Some companies ``are considering rolling out entire product lines of green hotels.''
Wen-I Chang opened the 132-room Gaia in the town of American Canyon last year. He's building other green hotels in Anderson and Merced and said he hopes to develop at least six more within three years.
Shorter Showers
Chang said he became an environmentalist in 1999, when he couldn't get a glass of water at a restaurant in Santa Cruz, California, because of a shortage in the area.
``I started thinking that there are many ways I can save water,'' said Chang, 62. ``I changed my shower habit from eight minutes to two minutes.''
Then he changed his building habits, after 10 years of developing Holiday Inn and Hilton franchises.
Chang said 43 cities have asked him to build green hotels. Some offer incentives to help cover construction costs, which were about 15 percent more for the Gaia. Chang said it's saving 25 percent on electricity and almost 50 percent on water, which may enable the hotel to turn profitable next month.
American Canyon slashed Gaia's transient occupancy tax by $1 million over three years. Anderson waived a $100,000 environmental impact fee, in part because a green hotel may encourage tourists to stay longer, said Scott Morgan, city manager.
San Francisco began giving priority to green projects last year. A developer may have to wait only four weeks to start construction instead of eight months, said Richard Chien, residential green building coordinator with the San Francisco Department of the Environment.
Getting Traction
``We need to get more traction,'' Chien said. ``We're facing problems with global warming and climate change and we're taking a cue to develop programs to address that at a citywide level.''
Any big new buildings California's government erects must be designed for LEED certification, by order of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The state is working to enact green construction standards for all buildings, said David Walls, executive director of the California Building Standards Commission.
Efforts by the state and cities have contributed to a surge in green development, said Bill Worthen, a senior associate at Simon & Associates Inc. in San Francisco. The consulting company is getting a call a day for projects, he said.
``It's a hip and trendy thing to do and one that's actually good for the planet,'' he said.

The N-Word

Steve and I discussed the use of the N-Word on the show with our usual disagreement on the subject, in my view the word is like using the F-Word. What I mean by that is to most blacks, the N-Word said in any context by a white person is like walking up to them and saying F-you. The fact that the word is so offensive and upsetting to a group of people is reason enough not to use the word.

A Note On The Word "Nigger"
By Randall Kennedy, Professor of Law, Harvard University

The word "nigger" is a key term in American culture. It is a profoundly hurtful racial slur meant to stigmatize African Americans; on occasion, it also has been used against members of other racial or ethnic groups, including Chinese, other Asians, East Indians, Arabs and darker-skinned people. It has been an important feature of many of the worst episodes of bigotry in American history. It has accompanied innumerable lynchings, beatings, acts of arson, and other racially motivated attacks upon blacks. It has also been featured in countless jokes and cartoons that both reflect and encourage the disparagement of blacks. It is the signature phrase of racial prejudice.
To understand fully, however, the depths and intensities, quirks and complexities of American race relations, it is necessary to know in detail the many ways in which racist bigotry has manifested itself, been appealed to, and been resisted. The term "nigger" is in most contexts, a cultural obscenity. But, so, too are the opinions of the United States Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sandford, which ruled that African Americans were permanently ineligible for federal citizenship, and Plessy v. Ferguson, which ruled that state-mandated, "equal but separate" racial segregation entailed no violation of the federal constitution. These decisions embodied racial insult and oppression as national policy and are, for many, painful to read. But teachers rightly assign these opinions to hundreds of thousands of students, from elementary grades to professional schools, because, tragically, they are part of the American cultural inheritance. Cultural literacy requires detailed knowledge about the oppression of racial minorities. A clear understanding of "nigger" is part of this knowledge. To paper over that term or to constantly obscure it by euphemism is to flinch from coming to grips with racial prejudice that continues to haunt the American social landscape.
Leading etymologists believe that "nigger" was derived from an English word "neger" that was itself derived from "Negro", the Spanish word for black. Precisely when the term became a slur is unknown. We do know, however, that by early in the 19th century "nigger" had already become a familiar insult. In 1837, in The Condition of the Colored People of the United States; and the Prejudice Exercised Towards Them, Hosea Easton observed that "nigger" "is an opprobrious term, employed to impose contempt upon [blacks] as an inferior race…The term itself would be perfectly harmless were it used only to distinguish one class from another; but it is not used with that intent…it flows from the fountain of purpose to injure."
The term has been put to other uses. Some blacks, for instance, use "nigger" among themselves as a term of endearment. But that is typically done with a sense of irony that is predicated upon an understanding of the term’s racist origins and a close relationship with the person to whom the term is uttered. As Clarence Major observed in his Dictionary of Afro-American Slang (1970), "used by black people among themselves, [nigger] is a racial term with undertones of warmth and goodwill – reflecting…a tragicomic sensibility that is aware of black history." Many blacks object, however, to using the term even in that context for fear that such usage will be misunderstood and imitated by persons insufficiently attuned to the volatility of this singularly complex and dangerous word.
Some observers object even to reproducing historical artifacts, such as books or cartoons, that contain the term "nigger." This total, unbending objection to printing the word under any circumstance is by no means new. Writing in 1940 in his memoir The Big Sea, Langston Hughes remarked that "[t]he word nigger to colored people is like a red rag to a bull. Used rightly or wrongly, ironically or seriously, of necessity for the sake of realism, or impishly for the sake of comedy, it doesn’t matter. Negroes do not like it in any book or play whatsoever, be the book or play ever so sympathetic in its treatment of the basic problems of the race. Even though the book or play is written by a Negro, they still do not like it. The word nigger, you see, sums up for us who are colored all the bitter years of insult and struggle in America."
Given the power of "nigger" to wound, it is important to provide a context within which presentation of that term can be properly understood. It is also imperative, however, to permit present and future readers to see for themselves directly the full gamut of American cultural productions, the ugly as well as the beautiful, those that mirror the majestic features of American democracy and those that mirror America’s most depressing failings.
For these reasons, I have advised the management of HarpWeek to present the offensive text, cartoons, caricatures and illustrations from the pages of Harper's Weekly, as well as other politically sensitive nineteenth-century material, as they appeared in their historical context. This same advice holds for slurs relating to Irish, Chinese, Germans, Native Americans, Catholics, Jews, Mormons and other ethnic and religious groups.

By Randall Kennedy, Professor of Law, Harvard UniversityReturn to the

Was the destruction of the Death Star an inside job?

You all have heard the B.S. about 9-11 being an inside job from the Loose Change video, and nut jobs asking, "What did President Bush know and when did he know it?" Now people are asking a new question, "What did Emperor Palpatine know and when did he know it?"

Many are claiming that the destruction of the Death Star was not a result of the Rebel Attack and its valiant fighter pilots (especially the hero of the Resistance, young Luke Skywalker), but instead was the result of internal sabotage.
That's right - the demise of the Death Star was an inside job.
Like many Americans, I was fed this story when I was growing up. But as I watched the video, I began to realize that all was not as it seemed. And the more I questioned the official story, the deeper into the rabbit hole I went.
Presented here are some of the results of my soul-searching regarding this painful event. Like many citizens, I have many questions that I would like answered: Who was really behind the attack? Why did they want the Death Star destroyed? No matter what the answers, we have a problem.
The creators of the argument in their treatice "Uncomfortable Questions: Was the Death Star Attack an Inside Job?" watched the video of the destruction and determined that all was not as it was originally reported by the Imperial government. They ask: "...was the mighty Imperial government really too incompetent to prevent a handful of untrained nerf-herders from destroying one of their most prized assets? Or are they hiding something from us?" I think we all would like to know that answer.
The authors present some damning arguments against the official story, such as:
Why was the rebel pilot who supposedly destroyed the Death Star reported to be on the Death Star days, maybe hours, prior to its destruction? Why was he allowed to escape, and why were several individuals dressed in Stormtrooper uniforms seen helping him?
Why has there not been an investigation into allegations that Darth Vader, the second-ranking member of the Imperial Government, is in fact the father of the pilot who allegedly destroyed the Death Star?
It is very hard to deny such hard evidence. Note that Vadar also left the Death Star prior to the explosion! It is all very suspicious indeed.
If you need to know more, the folks on Digg have a large thread going on the subject. That is the only current discussion center, as the originating site is mysteriously down at the current time.

Steve's boys playing baseball

Angels singing caught on tape!

Choice for Living has several audio recordings of Angels singing in various church servives. Click Here to Listen.

Below is a story from WorldNetDaily on the Angels.





This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54271

Sunday, February 18, 2007
AUDIONETDAILYAngels singing caught on tape?'It happened supernaturally. There's no other explanation'
Posted: February 18, 20071:00 a.m. Eastern
By Joe Kovacs
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com-->© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
A retired Air Force officer who now spends his days authoring books on Christianity has posted an online collection of recordings he believes captures voices and music of God's angels in heaven.
Angelic statue in Lommel, Belgium (photo: Jan Schiphorst, used with permission)
"I have four specific recordings of angels singing in church settings," Jim Bramlett of Lake Mary, Fla., told WND. "It happened supernaturally. There's no other explanation. It's either from God or from the devil, and I don't think the devil is in the business of worshipping Jesus. That is not in his job description."
Bramlett, 76, collected the tapes from various sources in recent years, and has now put them on his ChoicesForLiving website, where readers can click on several links to listen to three recordings made in the U.S., and one from China.
The Feb. 6, 1996, recording at the Greater Grace World Outreach Church in Baltimore, Md., starts off with a woman playing a piano, and gradually, accompanying voices are heard in the background. Bramlett described them as "beautiful voices of beings who were not in the service."
Jim Bramlett
"I have the full tape with the pastor discussing the situation with the congregation, and about 25 people gave testimony to hearing the voices. They were all in awe at what had happened."
Another recording took place at the Carpenter's Home Church in Lakeland, Fla., and features a 10-minute, sustained sound after a call to praise by a minister.
"They seem to lift the praise of the congregation to a totally new and awesome level, and it just goes on and on. The intensity and consistency are clearly supernatural and beyond the ability of the congregation," explains Bramlett, a former vice president at the Christian Broadcasting Network where he spent nine years.
(Story continues below)
A woman who says she and her husband were at the Lakeland service wrote Bramlett to vouch for the authenticity of what took place:
"The tape of the Florida meeting was exactly like the way it sounds. Glenn and I were there during those meetings, and if it wasn't this one then there is another tape of a meeting where [the phenomenon] happened again. The one we were in went on and on and stopped abruptly. Silence for about a minute then a male voice sang out 'Glooooory' and several women's voices from different directions echoed 'Gloooooory' in perfect harmony, and the praise and worship started up all over again."
Perhaps the most stunning of all the recordings is thought to be from a church in Kansas City, where there is not only an audible chorus of "Hallelujah" – meaning "praise God" – but also the voice of a male soloist who purportedly was not present. The lyrics of the mysterious solo were transcribed as follows:
Hallelujah, ringing all across the landEverybody's singing at the Lord's commandAll the saints and the angels up in glory wait to hear the newsof Jesus and his children as they're coming through.
Though he doesn't have it on tape, Wayne Warmack of Greater Works Ministries in Rogers, Ark., says he and his wife, Sandy, personally heard angelic voices during a Passover celebration last April at a lakeside retreat center near Marianna, Fla.
"I began to distinctly hear wordless voices in perfect harmony with us, that were clearly not coming from me or Sandy, or the other 20 or so people present in the room. They sort of drifted in and out of my hearing while I struggled to maintain my composure and continue the song," Warmack said. "If you've ever heard that sound, it leaves you a different person than when you came in. I can't describe it. There's just no way to describe it. It is definitely heard with more than just the physical ears."
But not everyone is joining the chorus of hallelujahs.
Steven Novella
Dr. Steven Novella, a neurologist at Yale University School of Medicine and president of the New England Skeptical Society, analyzed the electronic voice phenomenon, or EVP, at WND's request.
"The fatal problem with this entire type of evidence is that there is no way to validate or invalidate the source of sound on a recording. Therefore it has no discriminating value," Novella said. "Personal testimony is not reliable as evidence and is not acceptable scientifically. Choosing to have faith in the persons making the angel-voice claims is no different than just having faith in angels in the first place, so the recordings don't get you anywhere."
Novella discussed some of the specific claims made by Bramlett and others who suggest the source of the sound is supernatural:
"There seems to be no doubt they are angelic voices." They sound like human voices to me. This is just a bold assertion without supporting argument or evidence.
" ... about 25 people gave testimony to hearing the voices. They were all in awe at what had happened." Not uncommon for a congregation of believers sharing a common belief and being swept into an emotional fervor by an experienced preacher. Not exactly dispassionate testimony.
"I have had this tape for several years but I recently found a cleaner version of it on the Internet, preceded by an explanation. I do not know the identity of the narrator." This reminds of the "Jesus in the clouds" picture that keeps cropping up. When the same piece of evidence keeps coming up in different contexts and situations, that strongly suggests fraud. Also, the angels in this recording were playing bass guitar and horn, and at one point broke into a pretty funky beat. It's actually pretty laughable.
Also, it was noted that the angel voices were not noticed until the recording was played back, so nothing was heard during the recording. This is a red flag for a recording artifact. The simplest explanation is that the recording was made over a prior recording of a choir singing with accompanying music, and they heard the two recordings superimposed when they played it back.
So, bottom line, these are all worthless as evidence. They are being offered uncritically by people who already believe, are not questioning the angel claims, and who are committing some logical fallacies.
"I think his explanations are nonsense," responded Bramlett.
"Over the years, I have found there are negative skeptics and cynics out there on every subject. It is easy to find them. They are so predictable, and they typically reject anything supernatural. They have to, because to admit it would be tantamount to admitting to a God to whom they are accountable. They cannot permit that. It is as simple as that. Biblically speaking, you could say they are spiritually dead and they think everything must have a natural, material explanation."
The concept of supernatural beings called angels has a strong basis in Scripture. In the King James Version of the Bible, the word "angel" is found 201 times in 192 verses, while "angels" occurs 94 times in 92 verses.
At least two are named – Michael and Gabriel – and the New Testament describes a galactic conflict involving angels at war with each other.
And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels (Revelation 12:7)
The Bible also records numerous instances of angels appearing to humans and even having discussions with them.
The angel Gabriel appears to the virgin Mary in 1898's 'The Annunciation' by Pennsylvania artist Henry Ossawa Tanner
The 19th chapter of Genesis indicates two angels helped rescue Lot and his family from the ancient city of Sodom; Luke 1:26 shows the angel Gabriel being dispatched by God to the town of Nazareth to inform Mary she would miraculously become pregnant with Jesus; and Hebrews 13:2 reminds people to "entertain strangers," since some strangers might actually be angels.
Bramlett believes angels are still making appearances in our modern day, and he documents several purported instances on his website.
"Some say that true reality is spiritual, not physical," he said. "The supernatural breaks through [into our dimension], and it's exciting when it does."
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Joe Kovacs is executive news editor for WorldNetDaily.com and author of the forthcoming WND Book, "Shocked by the Bible!"

Ronald X and his wife Magisha in Uganda, Africa

Brian Craig Killed in Action

Brian Craig Sergeant, United States Army

April 18, 2002
While serving in Afghanistan, Army Staff Sergeant Brian Craig would call his family at least once a week, and sometimes more often if there were reports of American casualties.
"For the last couple months, the phone would ring early Saturday morning," said Barbara Craig, his mother. "He couldn't tell us where he was or exactly what he was doing. But he would check in just to say 'I am fine.' "
When Arthur and Barbara Craig of Houston heard that four U.S. soldiers were killed Monday in Kandahar as they dismantled confiscated rockets, they worried. Soon their fears were confirmed.
Barbara Craig was home alone on Monday when an Army car pulled up to the Craig residence in north Harris County and two military men got out.
She was just returning from taking her husband to the airport for a missionary trip to the Ukraine.
"I had just gotten home and there they were," Barbara Craig said, bracing at the pain of receiving the news alone.
She called her husband, Arthur, and said their youngest son was among the dead. He returned home.
"He laid down his life not only for his friends, but for people he didn't even know, the Afghan people," said Arthur Craig, pastor of the Woodhaven Baptist Deaf Church in Spring Branch.
"Rather than using weapons of destruction, he was over there cleaning up the munitions left by past and present war. By doing that we are certain he saved the lives of many people - men, women and children," Craig told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday.
Brian Craig, 27, joined the Army in 1993, weeks after he graduated from Klein Forest High School.
The soldier's father was stationed in Thailand with the Air Force during the Vietnam War and was proud to see his son join the Army.
"We encouraged him to go to college but he was very determined to enlist," he said. "He felt that was what God was calling him to do, and we gave him complete support."
04/17/2002
Army Staff Sergeant Brian Craig told his mother in a phone call from Afghanistan on Saturday that he wouldn't be coming home on the date he mentioned in a letter he had just sent home.
"He said whatever date he had written in his letter was not going to be a good date," Craig's mother, Barbara, said Tuesday after learning her son had died along with three other U.S. soldiers when a rocket they were working on exploded in Afghanistan.
Military officials delivered news of Craig's death to his parents' Houston home Monday afternoon.
It was much different news than what Barbara Craig still expects to read in the letter her son sent, which hadn't yet arrived at the family's home Tuesday.
Craig has learned since her son's death that he was talking with his sister about a way to surprise his parents when he returned home from Afghanistan, knowing both his mother and father wanted to be at the airport awaiting his battalion's arrival in San Diego, California.
"He was using (his sister) as a go-between," Craig said. "He was going to try and surprise us and come home to Houston.
"We were looking so forward to him coming home."
The 27-year-old died while handling large-caliber rockets that had been confiscated from former Taliban ammunition dumps. A fifth soldier suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.
Army spokesman David Kuhns said Craig was part of a small army detachment out of Fort Lewis, Washington, which was housed at a Navy base in San Diego.
He said plans for a memorial service in San Diego this week were being discussed Tuesday.
"What has helped comfort us over these last few days is at least he was doing what he wanted to do and he enjoyed doing it," Barbara Craig said of her son. "My heart just goes out to the other families because there are three other families that are hurting just like ours."
Also killed were two soldiers from Kansas: Staff Sergeant Justin Galewski, 28 and Sergeant Jamie Maugans, 27; and a fourth from Colorado, Sergeant First Class Daniel Romero, 30.
"They went around and picked up the old bombs and rockets and took them to a safe place to detonate them so they would not harm other people," the mother said. "His family is really proud of him and the job he did.
"He was our hero."
Brian Craig's parents had planned to meet him in San Diego when he returned from Afghanistan, but he wanted to surprise them by showing up on their Houston doorstep.
On Monday, the knock at the family's door came from military officials, who brought word that the Army Staff Sergeant was one of four American soldiers killed in an accidental explosion in Kandahar.
Craig had been talking to his sister about keeping his parents from finding out when his battalion would arrive in San Diego so they wouldn't go there to meet him.
"He was using her as a go-between," said Craig's mother, Barbara. "He was going to try and surprise us and come home to Houston. We were looking so forward to him coming home."
Craig, 27, died handling large caliber rockets confiscated from former Taliban ammunition dumps. Also killed were Staff Sergeant Justin J. Galewski, 28, of Olathe, Kansas; Sergeant Jamie O. Maugans, 27, of Derby, Kansas; and Sergeant First Class Daniel A. Romero, 30, of Longmont, Colorado.
The accident is under investigation.
Craig, Galewski, and Maugans were part of 710th Ordnance Company, a small unit on a Navy submarine base in San Diego. Galwwski's wife, Christine, heard from her husband a few days ago.
"I feel very fortunate to have been with him," she told ABC's "Good Morning America," which had been following her for a story about military wives. "I want him to know that I'm going to be OK."
She said the loss had not sunk in.
"I just keep feeling they're going to come through the door and say 'Sorry, we got the wrong one,"' she said. The couple had two children.
Romero was with the 19th Special Forces Group based at Pueblo, Colorado. His wife and parents described him as sensitive, spiritual and a dedicated soldier.
"He was a very loving son. He loved his family and his wife," said his father, Michael Romero.
The family last talked to Romero on Sunday. They knew he was helping to fight the war on terrorism, but they didn't know he was in Afghanistan, his father said.
"This tragedy brings home ... the sacrifice that brave Americans make daily to defend our freedom," said Colorado Governor Bill Owens, who ordered flags at state buildings to be flown at half-staff Tuesday.
Maugans' family said he felt he was saving other soldiers as well as civilians. They last heard from him in an e-mail on Easter, when he said he'd be home in a month.
"He was hoping to go out and have a beer or two with me - I was looking forward to that," said his father, Bryce.
His grandmother, Shirley Maugans of Wichita, said the family had been looking forward to his return because he'd been overseas since November.
"He was a gentle man, from the time he was born," she said. "He was very sweet and kind."
The soldiers' bodies arrived Tuesday at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany en route to the United States.
An honor guard and chaplains stood at attention as the C-17 cargo plane carrying the coffins taxied on the runway. Members of the honor guard saluted as others carried the flag-draped coffins down the plane's ramp to waiting hearses.
Barbara and Arthur Craig, parents of Staff Sgt. Brian Craig of Houston, Texas, are consoled by General Sinseki, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army at the conclusion of a burial ceremony at May 22, 2002 at Arlington
Barbara Craig, mother of Staff Sgt. Brian Craig of Houston, Texas, is kissed by Brigadier General Joseph Taluto after being presented a flag at the burial ceremony May 22, 2002 at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Photos By M. R. Patterson, October 2002
CRAIG, BRIAN THOMAS SSG US ARMY VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 08/26/1993 - 04/15/2002 DATE OF BIRTH: 04/02/1975 DATE OF DEATH: 04/15/2002 DATE OF INTERMENT: 05/22/2002 BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 7756 ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY
CRAIG, BRIAN THOMAS SSG US ARMY VETERAN SERVICE DATES: 08/26/1993 - 04/15/2002 DATE OF BIRTH: 04/02/1975 DATE OF DEATH: 04/15/2002 DATE OF INTERMENT: 05/24/2002 BURIED AT: SECTION 60 SITE 7757
Posted: 22 May 2002 Updated: 6 September 2002 Updated: 8 October 2002 Updated: 22 February 2003 Updated: 6 July 2003 Updated: 27 April 2004 Updated: 29 June 2004 Updated: 13 November 2005

Photo By M. R. Patterson, 27 June 2003
Photo By M. R.Patterson, 23 April 2004
Photo By M. R. Patterson, 24 April 2004
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Art Bell

Death of Ramona Bell
Ramona Bell, his wife of fifteen years, died unexpectedly, at the age of 47, of what appeared to be an acute asthma attack on January 5, 2006 in Laughlin, Nevada, where the couple was taking a short vacation. Despite having asthma, Ramona smoked cigarettes. The events surrounding her death were described, in great detail, by Art Bell during the January 22 broadcast of Coast to Coast AM. For weeks thereafter, callers would express their sadness and sympathy for Art Bell to George Noory who had taken Art Bell's place weekdays in 2002 [3].

Change in schedule
On January 21, 2006, just days after the unexpected death of his wife Ramona, Bell announced he would host Coast to Coast AM every Saturday and Sunday evening, announcing at the same time that former weekend host Ian Punnett would work a new live prefeed program for the four hours preceding Bell's slot on Saturday nights (21:00 - 01:00 ET). Punnett's new show is titled Coast to Coast Live with Ian Punnett. The next day when Bell returned to the show, he spent the first hour reliving the death of his wife.
Remarriage

Art & Airyn Ruiz Bell wedding
By the end of January, Bell began hinting that he was making a significant life decision, but that he would keep it a secret for at least one year, asking listeners to remind him in 2007 to let them in on it. By March, he was saying that he would soon be taking a "huge risk" and "do something rash." On April 15, 2006, he ended the mystery and, to the mild surprise of listeners, revealed that, after several weeks of mourning, he had recently gone to the Philippines and married Airyn Ruiz, whose name is pronounced like the name "Irene", but Art likes to pronounce her name as "Arin". This is because during their Internet dating Art imprinted her name with that pronunciation. Airyn Ruiz Bell is a recent college graduate. Ruiz -- given Bell's private e-mail address by a ham radio friend -- had contacted Bell to offer condolences shortly after Ramona's death. After "dating" via Internet video conferencing for "hundreds of hours", the two married one week after Bell arrived in the Philippines to actually meet her in person -- exactly 13 weeks after his wife's death. Bell also paid for his friend -- who was courting Airyn's sister -- to accompany him to the Philippines and marry her. The two couples wed in a double marriage ceremony on April 8, 2006.
On October 7, 2006, Bell announced on Coast to Coast that Ruiz is pregnant with the couple's first child. If their child is born a girl, her name will be Asia; they have yet to choose a name if the child should turn out to be a boy.

Relocation to the Philippines

Art & Airyn Ruiz Bell
At the same time, Bell announced he would be leaving his longtime homestead in Nevada and relocating to the Philippines, near Makati, Metro Manila, intending to continue hosting Coast to Coast AM weekend editions via an ISDN connection. He departed the United States on April 29, 2006, stating an intention to remain abroad for at least a year, while maintaining ownership of his property in Nevada and of the radio station KNYE. Bell resumed hosting on June 18, 2006 but then encountered technical problems that kept him off air until July 23, 2006, when the ISDN line was finally installed.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a letter found on a web page purportedly from Bell that made derogatory statements about Filipinos. This letter was subsequently demonstrated to be a hateful hoax perpetrated upon Bell, who in fact had a publicly loving relationship with his Filipina wife, and who often spoke openly about his admiration for the Filipino people on his radio show. Subsequently, the Philippine Daily Inquirer printed a retraction and apologized for printing the statement upon their verification of the hoax. This fraudulent act upon Bell still periodically results in serious threats to Bell when this scurrilous material surfaces from time to time. [4]

Return to "the High Desert and the Great American Southwest"
Truly bringing his personal events of 2006 full circle, Bell opened his December 28 program by disclosing to his stunned listeners that he had just relocated back to Pahrump, Nevada along with Airyn, who had obtained the necessary paperwork for immigrating to the United States. Bell had not disclosed on any previous show his plans to return to the high desert. Despite feeling jet-lagged after a 15-hour flight from the Philippines via Vancouver, Canada, he did the full show. Amazingly, Bell was aloft returning to the USA when an earthquake cut off undersea cables that would have prevented his broadcasts from the Philippines. Art indicated on his December 30, 2006 show that among the reasons for his return were a recent recirculation of the infamous anti-Filipino email, and his missing of his extensive stateside Amateur Radio station.

Are Christians commanded to proselytize?

Proselytizing of Jews ...
a Divine Order, or Taboo?

Why are Christians so insistent on evangelizing Jews? If the New Testament is so clear and emphatic that
'God blinded the Jews' to the recognition of the Messiah, is their proselytizing zeal then not tantamount to
a challenge against the Decree of God?
Was the apostle Paul instructed to "go to the Jew first"
- or did he misapply his Divine Mandate?
Discover the unabridged Truth on this Christian practice as defined by the Scriptural principles of the Original True Faith



The Original Messianic Instruction to Paul
Christians and Messianics generally feel it their prime spiritual duty and obligation to proselytize and evangelize Jews. In defense, they will claim that Messiah instructed Paul and the apostles to "go to the Jew first with the Good News of Salvation which is obtainable through faith in Him only".
The Christian New Testament (NT) records how Paul primarily targeted Jewish congregations on his evangelical missions. The fact that these proselytizing missions normally ended in failure, with Paul and his company being attacked and 'run out of town', did not detract him from ever returning "to the Jew first" with the Message that he himself, at first, so viciously persecuted.. History has proven over the subsequent 2000 years, that the Jews would not accept his Message, while the 'other nations' would run with it, forming vast 'Christian' churches across much of the world.
Paul (originally Saul of Tarsus, a well educated Jewish scholar, become Roman citizen) has no equal in the annals of Church history for his great influence on Christian theology which is so diametrically contrary to Judaism. Yet, when interrogated by the Jewish leaders, Paul would always profess to be a staunch upholder of the Jewish Faith. The great confusion which this evangelist caused is normally accounted to his 'advanced and deep reasoning'.
An in-depth analysis of the NT records though, will reveal that Paul not only acted contrary to his own claims, but also contrary to the orders given him by Messiah Himself, as well as against the directives of those very Prophetic guidelines which he would quote in his own defense.
It is often overlooked that Paul was not one of the called apostles of Messiah. In fact, the book of Acts is clear that the apostles were very dubious about receiving Paul amongst their leadership because of his former position of persecutor of Messiah's disciples and the brutal stoning of Stephen. He was also involved in heavy arguments with those who opposed his views and ideas (Acts (9:26-30).
Though we only have his own relays of his direct Calling - while he was on one of his persecution trips on the way to Damascus - we do have a NT record quoting Messiah's direct confirmation of Paul's Calling:
Acts 9:15 "This man (Paul) is My chosen instrument to bring My Name before pagans and pagan kings and before the people of Israel"
Bearing in mind that 'the people of Israel' by no stretch of Scriptural definition ever refers to Jews only, we certainly do not have a Messianic Injunction here for Paul being so insistent on approaching "Jews first" rather than 'pagans', as Messiah's directive so clearly specifies. On the contrary, the above ruling pays note to 'pagans' firstly. Enter here another popular misconception, that 'pagans' refer to non-Israelite nations only. Fact is that in NT times the Land of Israel was inhabited mainly by Jews (Tribe of Judah). The Jews of Messiah's time despised even their fellow 'Israelites' from Samaria (the Northern part of the Land, original home of the 10 Northern Tribes of Israel - refer the NT discussion between Messiah and the Samaritan woman). They also despised and regarded as 'pagans' their northern Israel tribal counterparts who refused to subject themselves to Judah's 'Scepter' Rule (Gen. 49:10) - a rebellion for which the entire northern 10-Tribed part of ancient Israel was rejected and exiled by YHVH, the One True God of Israel. NT references to Gentiles/pagans/other nations could therefore also refer to exiled 10-Israel, regarded as "the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel", known to be living "across the Euphrates river" in NT times. In our study The One True Gospel, we conclude from the Scriptures, if read in proper context, that Messiah's Reconciliatory Atonement was for the main Purpose of bringing exiled and rejected 10-Israelites back into Covenant with YHVH - hence the need for proclamation of His Name amongst the pagan assimilated exiles of 10-Israel who were dispersed amongst the nations. It is evident that this distinction was not well-known amongst the overpowering Jewish element of the first Messianic congregations of that time. Hence their preference for 'preaching the Gospel to Jews first' - a strategy that today, more than ever before, requires urgent adaptation to its original Divine Intent, which is the Prophetic re-unification between 10-Israel and Judah. This re-union is greatly hampered by the 'Pauline' inspired urge to proselytize Jews. Divine Intent cannot be undone, and just as Paul's 'Jews firstly' strategy was out of line with his Messianic Mandate, causing more damage than success, so, to this day, Messiah's Reconciliation of the two estranged Houses of Israel is greatly hampered by the ongoing Messianic zeal to 'save Jews' for Messiah.
This Message may be totally controversial to you at first consideration. Please acquaint yourself in this regard with the comprehensive Scripturally based studies on this Web Site before persisting in traditions which have been missing the mark ever since Paul persisted in disregard for his true Messianic Mandate. In this context please refer to miscellaneous studies at http://www.revelations.org.za/MenuReturn.htm; The One True Gospel.

Paul's own testimony to his Calling
Paul repeatedly admitted to his mission to 'the pagans' rather than the Jews - yet he persisted in proselytizing "the Jews first" wherever he traveled. In his defense before a Jewish crowd who had seized him and beaten him in the Temple complex in Jerusalem, Paul testified:
Acts 22:17 "Once, when I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance and then I saw Him (Messiah). "Hurry", He said, "Leave Jerusalem at once. They will not accept the Testimony you are giving about Me" ... Then He said to me, "Go! I am sending you to the pagans far away."
In Romans 1:5 he claims: "Through Him (Messiah) we received Grace and our apostolic Mission to preach the obedience of Faith to all pagan nations in honour of His Name."
In Galatians 2:7 he once more recognizes his mandate to preach to 'non-Jews': "I had been commissioned to preach the Good News to the uncircumcised..." and then he makes an astonishing statement in total contradiction of what the NT states about the mission of the apostle Peter. Paul claims "... just as Peter had been commissioned to preach to the circumcised."

Paul's blatant misapplication of a Divine Sign
Contrary to Paul's statement that Peter was called to evangelize "the circumcised" (the Jews), Acts 10 records a very explicit Divine confirmation to Peter that he should not preach to Jews only but to non-Jews, because "what God has made clean, you have no right to call profane." Peter was given a Divine Vision, in preparation for God sending a non-Jewish Messianic convert, Cornelius, to him for further guidance.
From this event we also clearly note the exclusively pro-Jewish attitude of the early Messianic era, which was born out of Judaism in a Jewish Land, amongst Jews primarily at first. To correct this attitude, God had to show Peter in a vision, that the Good News should be preached to non-Jews, who should not be regarded as 'profane' by the Jewish Messianics, because God regards them as 'cleansed' also, when they come into the Faith.
The Vision used by God for this purpose (Acts 10:10), entails a container of mixed animals, birds and crawling insects, with the Divine Command to Peter to "Eat!" - which he refused, of course, being a Jew. This vision is also often misapplied by Torah rejecting Messianics, to be a Divine rejection of the 'Kosher' dietary laws and Divine sanction for eating whatever we please. The logical counter reasoning would be: "Does God now allow us to eat all those crawling animals, snakes, rats and vultures which no doubt were in that container? Do we wish to eat these?"
Peter got the correct Message after deep contemplation of this strange vision, as he admits to Cornelius:
Acts 10:28 "You know that it is forbidden for Jews to mix with people of another race and visit them, but God has made it clear to me that I must not call anyone profane or unclean. That is why I made no objection to coming ..."
How clearly it depicts the resistance of those first Jewish Messianics to bring the Gospel to pagans, gentiles, 10-Israelites or anyone non-Jewish. So much for those, who think that the original disciples of Messiah and the early Messianic congregations were Christians and churches! Far from it! They were as exclusively Jewish as the Messiah Himself was an orthodox Jew!
Yet, it was the Divine Intention to "bring the Gospel to pagans", in order to conform them to the One True Faith - Judaism. Moreover, it was His Intention to reconcile exiled and rejected 10-Israel with His Covenant once more, like the Bridegroom taking back His Divorced and rejected Bride! Refer The One True Gospel, The Great Return

To the Jew first
Notwithstanding Paul's repeated admissions that his mandate was to the non-Jews, he nevertheless persisted in stirring confusion by his Gospel Message amongst Jewish congregations wherever he went.
The following chapters from the NT book of Acts confirm Paul's persistent approach of 'Jews first' on his missionary travels:
Acts 13:4; 13:14-38; 14:1; 15:16; 17:1; 17:10; 17:16; 18:1-4; 18:5,19; 19:8; 28:17.
Time after time he would fail a successful mission, often, in justifying himself, ascribing this failure to Prophetic prescription, thus acknowledging that he was operating in disregard of Divine Prophetic Intent.
Acts 13:44-52 describes such an event when the Jews opposed Paul. In response, Paul scolded them, saying:
Acts 13:46 "We had to proclaim the Word of God to you first, but since you have rejected it, since you do not think yourself worthy of Eternal Life, we must turn to the pagans. For this is what the Lord commanded us to do when He said (and he then quotes Isaiah 49:6) 'I have made you a Light to the nations so that My Salvation may reach the ends of the earth'"

Note carefully, that Paul recognizes that, according to this quoted portion from the book of Isaiah, they were commanded by God to go to 'the pagans'. Nowhere do we find Scriptural backing for his insistence to go "to the Jews first". And when we go to the original Scriptures in Isaiah from which he quotes, we find astounding and explicit confirmation that this Divine Command in fact refers to the restoration of the 12 Tribes of Jacob and the Return from exile of the survivors of 10-Israel! - NOTE the two verses preceding the portion which Paul quotes!

Isaiah 49:6 "Is it not enough for you to be My servant, to restore the (12) Tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel (10 Tribes exiled amongst the nations)?" This Divine Intent is repeated in the foregoing verse 5: "And now YHVH has spoken; He Who formed Me (prophetical reference to Messiah's Manifestation) in the womb of His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him; to gather Israel to Him."

This once more confirms the conclusions as defined in this Web Site of BIBLE REVELATIONS regarding the True Purpose of Messiah's Reconciliatory Atonement, i.e. to reconcile the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel with the Covenant of YHVH and to 're-erect the fallen down Tabernacle of David' by re-uniting the estranged 2 Houses of Israel - and also the teaching of this very study, that it was not the Divine Intent to "bring the Good News of Messiah YAHU'SHUAH to the Jews first" as Christians insist on doing.

Yet, Paul would continue to take his missionary Message "to the Jews first", as the several recorded instances mentioned above, prove."

The last paragraphs of the book of Acts record one more such failed attempt of proselytizing of Jews by Paul. Once again, he scolds them; once again he bases his rejection on Prophetic Scripture. But this time, in typical derogating anti-Jewish style. He even (probably deliberately) misquotes the Prophetic Word, thereby laying an accusative base followed to this day by anti-Zionistic and anti-Rabbinic Messianics in their condemnation of "those Christ rejecting Jews." The following quote of his statements are from the NT, as compared with the original text of Isaiah which Paul uses as confirmation:

Acts 28:26
"Go to this nation and say:
'You will hear and hear again but not understand,
see and see again but not perceive;
for the heart of this nation has grown course;
their ears are dull of hearing
and they have shut their eyes;
for fear they should see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their heart
and be converted
and be healed by Me."
Isaiah 6:9
"Go and say to this people,
'Hear and hear again, but do not understand;
see and see again but do not perceive.
Make the heart of this people gross;
its ears dull;
shut its eyes
so that it will not see with its eyes,
hear with its ears,
understand with its heart
and be converted and healed."


Note the underlined emphasis - Paul turns it into a condemning accusation, blaming their stubbornness - a stance often used against the 'Christ rejecting Jews' by Messianics. Whereas the Prophetic Scriptures render it as a Divine Decree to the Messenger: "Make them blind and deaf ... so that they will not hear and see." Which is the reasoning of this Web Site: What God has decreed, no man (not even Paul) should dare to challenge. Paul persisted in his disregard for his Divine Mandate, which he never hesitated to emphasize as being 'to the pagans'.
Following in his foot steps, to this day, most Messianics persist in this challenge of the Divine Decree!

The Jewish grinch who stole Christmas

Posted: December 6, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Burt Prelutsky

© 2006
I never thought I'd live to see the day that Christmas would become a dirty word. You think it hasn't? Then why is it that people are being prevented from saying it in polite society for fear that it will offend?

Schools are being forced to replace "Christmas vacation" with "winter break" in their printed schedules. At some major retail chains, the word is verboten, replaced as a matter of policy by the generic Happy Holidays. Carols, even instrumental versions, are banned in certain locales. A major postal delivery service has not only made their drivers doff their Santa caps, but ordered them not to decorate their trucks with Christmas wreaths.

How is it, one well might ask, that in a Christian nation this is happening? And in case you find that designation objectionable, would you deny that India is a Hindu country, that Turkey is Muslim, that Poland is Catholic? That doesn't mean those nations are theocracies. But when the overwhelming majority of a country's population is of one religion, and most Americans happen to be one sort of Christian or another, only a darn fool would deny the obvious.

Although it seems a long time ago, it really wasn't, that people who came here from other places made every attempt to fit in. Assimilation wasn't a threat to anyone; it was what the Statue of Liberty represented. E pluribus unum, one out of many, was our motto. The world's melting pot was our nickname. It didn't mean that any group of people had to check their customs, culture or cuisine, at the door. It did mean that they, and especially their children, learned English, and that they learned to live and let live.

That has changed, as you may have noticed. And I blame my fellow Jews. When it comes to pushing the multicultural, anti-Christian, agenda, you find Jewish judges, Jewish journalists and the ACLU at the forefront.

Being Jewish, I should report, Christmas was never celebrated by my family. But what was there not to like about the holiday? To begin with, it provided a welcome two-week break from school. The decorated trees were nice, the lights were beautiful, "It's a Wonderful Life" was a great movie, and some of the best Christmas songs were even written by Jews.

But the dirty little secret in America is that, in spite of the occasional over-publicized rants by the likes of Mel Gibson and Michael Richards, anti-Semitism is no longer a problem in society; it's been replaced by a rampant anti-Christianity. For example, much of the hatred spewed toward George W. Bush has far less to do with his policies than it does with his religion. The Jews voice no concern when a Bill Clinton or a John Kerry makes a big production out of showing up at black Baptist churches or posing with Rev. Jesse Jackson because they understand that's just politics. They only object to politicians attending church for religious reasons.

My fellow Jews, who often have the survival of Israel heading the list of their concerns when it comes to electing a president, only gave 26 percent of their vote to Bush, even though he is clearly one of the most pro-Israel presidents we've ever had in the Oval Office. Unlike Clinton, who had Yasser Arafat sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom so often even Monica Lewinsky got jealous, Bush saw to it that the Palestinian butcher was persona non grata at the White House.

It is the ACLU, which is overwhelmingly Jewish in terms of membership and funding, that is leading the attack against Christianity in America. It is they who have conned far too many people into believing that the phrase "separation of church and state" actually exists somewhere in the Constitution.

You may have noticed, though, that the ACLU is highly selective when it comes to religious intolerance. The same group of self-righteous shysters who at the drop of a "Merry Christmas" will slap you with an injunction will fight for the right of an American Indian to ingest peyote and a devout Islamic woman to be veiled on her driver's license.

I happen to despise bullies and bigots. I hate them when they represent the majority, but no less when, like Jews in America, they represent an infinitesimal minority.

I am getting the idea that too many Jews won't be happy until they pull off their own version of the Spanish Inquisition, forcing Christians to either deny their faith and convert to agnosticism or suffer the consequences.

I should point out that many of these people abhor Judaism every bit as much as they do Christianity. They're the ones who behave as if atheism were a calling. They're the nutcakes who go berserk if anyone even says, "In God we trust" or mentions that the Declaration of Independence refers to a Creator with a capital "C." By this time, I'm only surprised that they haven't begun a campaign to do away with Sunday as a day of rest. After all, it's only for religious reasons – Christian reasons – that Sunday, and not Tuesday or Wednesday, is so designated.

This is a Christian nation, my friends. And all of us are fortunate it is one, and that so many millions of Americans have seen fit to live up to the highest precepts of their religion. It should never be forgotten that, in the main, it was Christian soldiers who fought and died to defeat Nazi Germany and who liberated the concentration camps. Speaking as a member of a minority group – and one of the smaller ones at that – I say it behooves those of us who don't accept Jesus Christ as our savior to show some gratitude to those who do, and to start respecting the values and traditions of the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens, just as we keep insisting that they respect ours.

Merry Christmas, my friends.


Burt Prelutsky has been a humor columnist for the L.A. Times, a movie critic for Los Angeles magazine and a freelance writer for TV Guide, Modern Maturity, the N.Y. Times and Sports Illustrated. He has also written TV scripts for shows such as "MASH," "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Diagnosis Murder." His book "Conservatives Are From Mars, Liberals Are From San Francisco" was recently updated and is available from WND's online store; or if you'd rather order by phone, call WND's toll-free customer service line at 1-800-4WND-COM (1-800-496-3266).