PUNDITS - A blog of politics, homeschool, and faith

New Taxes for Michigan - Thanks Gov Granholm!

2007-03-12T09:20:00.000-05:00

As a tax payer in Michigan, I am about to be taxed about 2 percent more for services that I use routinely. As an example, tire repair, hair cuts, real estate services, and so on. Check out the ad produced by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce

Give your two cents to Gov. Granholm!

149 Democratic Congressmen Vote Against Victory

2006-06-16T14:56:00.000-05:00

House Resolution 861 passed by a vote of 256 in favor, 153 opposed. here is the text of the resolution that three-quarters of House Democrats opposed:

RESOLUTION

Declaring that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.

Whereas the United States and its allies are engaged in a Global War on Terror, a long and demanding struggle against an adversary that is driven by hatred of American values and that is committed to imposing, by the use of terror, its repressive ideology throughout the world;

Whereas for the past two decades, terrorists have used violence in a futile attempt to intimidate the United States;

Whereas it is essential to the security of the American people and to world security that the United States, together with its allies, take the battle to the terrorists and to those who provide them assistance;

Whereas the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and other terrorists failed to stop free elections in Afghanistan and the first popularly-elected President in that nation's history has taken office;

Whereas the continued determination of Afghanistan, the United States, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be required to sustain a sovereign, free, and secure Afghanistan;

Whereas the steadfast resolve of the United States and its partners since September 11, 2001, helped persuade the government of Libya to surrender its weapons of mass destruction;

Whereas by early 2003 Saddam Hussein and his criminal, Ba'athist regime in Iraq, which had supported terrorists, constituted a threat against global peace and security and was in violation of mandatory United Nations Security Council Resolutions;

Whereas the mission of the United States and its Coalition partners, having removed Saddam Hussein and his regime from power, is to establish a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq at peace with its neighbors;

Whereas the terrorists have declared Iraq to be the central front in their war against all who oppose their ideology;

Whereas the Iraqi people, with the help of the United States and other Coalition partners, have formed a permanent, representative government under a newly ratified constitution;

Whereas the terrorists seek to destroy the new unity government because it threatens the terrorists' aspirations for Iraq and the broader Middle East;

Whereas United States Armed Forces, in coordination with Iraqi security forces and Coalition and other friendly forces, have scored impressive victories in Iraq including finding and killing the terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi;

Whereas Iraqi security forces are, over time, taking over from United States and Coalition forces a growing proportion of independent operations and increasingly lead the fight to secure Iraq;

Whereas the United States and Coalition servicemembers and civilians and the members of the Iraqi security forces and those assisting them who have made the ultimate sacrifice or been wounded in Iraq have done so nobly, in the cause of freedom; and

Whereas the United States and its Coalition partners will continue to support Iraq as part of the Global War on Terror: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors all those Americans who have taken an active part in the Global War on Terror, whether as first responders protecting the homeland, as servicemembers overseas, as diplomats and intelligence officers, or in other roles;
(2) honors the sacrifices of the United States Armed Forces and of partners in the Coalition, and of the Iraqis and Afghans who fight alongside them, especially those who have fallen or been wounded in the struggle, and honors as well the sacrifices of their families and of others who risk their lives to help defend freedom;
(3) declares that it is not in the national security interest of the United States to set an arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq;
(4) declares that the United States is committed to the completion of the mission to create a sovereign, free, secure, and united Iraq;
(5) congratulates Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and the Iraqi people on the courage they have shown by participating, in increasing millions, in the elections of 2005 and on the formation of the first government under Iraq's new constitution;
(6) calls upon the nations of the world to promote global peace and security by standing with the United States and other Coalition partners to support the efforts of the Iraqi and Afghan people to live in freedom; and
(7) declares that the United States will prevail in the Global War on Terror, the noble struggle to protect freedom from the terrorist adversary.

Please copy the resolution text and the vote specifics on to an e-mail and send to everyone you know. When the vast majority of House Democrats vote against victory in the war, the American people should know.

Equal Time to Democrat Presidents

2006-06-09T10:41:00.000-05:00

My most recent post remembered President Ronald Reagan. I think that he is the best president we have had.

Trying to be fair and impartial like Fox News, I have to balance my blog with comments about the Democratic presidents. Today, I will report about President Jimmy Carter and the recent launch of USS Jimmy Carter. I couldn't write as well as Scott Crofut did so I linked to his story here...

Remembering Ronald Reagan 1911-2004

2006-06-05T12:53:00.000-05:00

Today is the second anniversary of President Ronanld region's death. It is fitting to remember him as he was a President's President. Oh, how the United States longs for a President such as he. Below is a speech he gave in 1992, known as the "shining city upon a hill" speech. I have posted it here in remembrance of President Ronald Reagan.

"And whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way. My fondest hope for each one of you -- and especially for young people -- is that you will love your country, not for her power or wealth, but for her selflessness and her idealism. May each of you have the heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, and the hand to execute works that will make the world a little better for your having been here. May all of you as Americans never forget your heroic origins, never fail to seek divine guidance, and never lose your natural, God-given optimism. And finally, my fellow Americans, may every dawn be a great new beginning for America and every evening bring us closer to that shining city upon a hill." --Ronald Reagan (1992)

12 Little Words

2006-03-30T17:03:00.000-05:00

These 12 little words could affect the 2006 national elections. Adherence to them, the Republicans will win. Ignore them, then it could be a wiped! What are these twelve little words?

Win the war. Confirm the judges. Cut the taxes. Control the spending.

Hugh Hewitt in his new book Painting the Map Red: The Fight to Create a Permanent Republican Majority

Is Homeschooling Part of the Next Great Reformation?

2006-01-06T12:00:00.000-05:00

On January 5th, Hugh Hewitt interviewed Father Jospeh Fessio, Provosty of Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida, and student and friend of Benedict XVI. The topic during the interview was Islam and the West. Out of the interview came some startling admissions.

Part of Father Joseph Fessio interview transcript states:

JF: Well, the thesis that was proposed by this scholar was that Islam can enter into the modern world if the Koran is reinterpreted by taking the specific legislation, and going back to the principles, and then adapting it to our times, especially with the dignity that we ascribe to women, which has come through Christianity, of course. And immediately, the Holy Father, in his beautiful calm but clear way, said well, there's a fundamental problem with that, because he said in the Islamic tradition, God has given His word to Mohammed, but it's an eternal word. It's not Mohammed's word. It's there for eternity the way it is. There's no possibility of adapting it or interpreting it, whereas in Christianity, and Judaism, the dynamism's completely different, that God has worked through His creatures. And so, it is not just the word of God, it's the word of Isaiah, not just the word of God, but the word of Mark. He's used His human creatures, and inspired them to speak His word to the world, and therefore by establishing a Church in which he gives authority to His followers to carry on the tradition and interpret it, there's an inner logic to the Christian Bible, which permits it and requires it to be adapted and applied to new situations. I was...I mean, Hugh, I wish I could say it as clearly and as beautifully as he did, but that's why he's Pope and I'm not, okay? That's one of the reasons. One of others, but his seeing that distinction when the Koran, which is seen as something dropped out of Heaven, which cannot be adapted or applied, even, and the Bible, which is a word of God that comes through a human community, it was stunning.

He further states that:

JF: Yeah, that Christianity can engage modernity just like it did...the Jews did Egypt, or Christians did to Greece, because we can take what's good there, and we can elevate it through the revelation of Christ in the Bible. But Islam is stuck. It's stuck with a text that cannot be adapted, or even be interpreted properly.

HH: And so the Pope is a pessimist about that changing, because it would require a radical reinterpretation of what the Koran is?

JF: Yeah, which is it's impossible, because it's against the very nature of the Koran, as it's understood by Muslims.

The most interesting comment came later and was:

JF: Well, Hugh, I've got one of the very few things that I've said, which I'm proud of, because it's become kind of almost a slogan to some, is that home schools are the monasteries of the new dark ages. That is...and you non-Catholic Christians have a lot more of them than we Catholics do, but we've got a lot. And I think that is where families are having children. They're passing on the faith to their children. They're giving them wisdom and the knowledge of our culture. And we have an advantage here, because the homosexuals, and the pro-abortionists, and the pro-contraception people, are not having children by definition.

The whole interview is a definite read and the whole transcript here.

Mike Luckovich Doesn't Know the Answer!

2006-01-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

Mike Luckovich, journalist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution created an editorial cartoon using the 2000 names of the American solders killed in Iraq. The names were used to create the word WHY. It is quite obvious that Mike Luckovich doesn't know the answer.

The best answer came from Danielle Ansley an 11th-grader at Arlington Christian School. She also used the names of the fallen soldiers in her reply.

An eleventh grade homeschool student has more sense than Mike Luckovich. An eleventh grader who hasn't attended the citadels of liberal learning knows that these 2000 men and women loved their country and gave their life to preserve our FREEDOM. Thanks to SpunkyHomeschool for the tip.

It's All About Science!

2005-12-06T14:01:00.000-05:00

EdWonk of the Education Wonks reports a homeschooled youngster has taken gold in a national science competition:

A 16-year-old, homeschooled California boy won a premier high school science competition Monday for his innovative approach to an old math problem that could help in the design of airplane wings. Read more...

The award was a $100,000 college scholarship. It seems that this gifted student will be able to go wherever he wants!

Theolobloggy: Agnosticism's Strong Claim to Metaphysical Knowledge

2005-10-31T08:44:00.000-05:00

The Theolobloggy Blog has a thought provoking discussion of Agnosticism and Metaphysical Knownledge. See whole essay at:

Theolobloggy: Agnosticism's Strong Claim to Metaphysical Knowledge

Intelligent Design - Another View

2005-09-23T13:29:00.000-05:00

I make it a practice to read blogs that mention Intelligent Design (ID). Most frequently, the writers preface all comments with profanities, expletives, and a general round of questioning one's intelligence for even considering an alternative to the origins of our world.

Why must the opponents of ID always revert to name calling instead of dialoguing the points. Proponents of the BIG BANG theory, believe in ID. Philosophers reason that the BIG BANG theory required a starting point. It had to have something to start it. I wonder what this was?

I believe the reason many people think that ID is bogus is that they are just too hung up on themselves. They have this faulty selfish view that they are all that exists and everything exists to please them. This reasoning is easily seen at times of crisis; i.e.; Hurricane Katrina. Individuals became the epitome of selfish thinking. Thinking like "this hurricane has given me the right to break down store doors and steal 16 pairs of blue jeans" or "I really need this computer" because of Katrina".

Individuals just can't believe or choose not to because to do so would acknowledge that they are finite. What a sad world we live in.

A Liberal View of Diversity - Intelligent Design

2005-09-01T13:37:00.000-05:00

Intelligent Design Proponent Says Peers' Intolerant Petition Targets Him
By Jim Brown
AgapePress
September 1, 2005

(AgapePress) -- An astronomy professor at Iowa State University who is nationally known for his research on intelligent design says the school has a phony view of diversity when it comes to the subject of the origin of life.

More than 120 ISU faculty members -- about seven percent of the faculty -- have signed a petition opposing the teaching of intelligent design as a scientific fact. "Whether one believes in a creator or not," reads the petition, "views regarding a supernatural creator are, by their very nature, claims of religious faith, and not within the scope or abilities of science." The petition continues, urging all faculty members to "uphold the integrity of our university of science and technology, and convey to students and the general public the importance of methodological naturalism in science and reject efforts to portray Intelligent Design as science."

The petition is being circulated by Hector Avalos, who is an associate professor of religious studies at the Ames, Iowa, school. Astronomy prof Guillermo Gonzalez says because he is the only intelligent design proponent on campus, the petition is a "thinly veiled attack" on him -- and he claims it has resulted in a hostile work environment for him.

"At the very least, it's non-collegial," Gonzalez adds, "and they also try to take their case to the local media. So they've written stories in local papers, letters to the editor, and done interviews spreading lies and rumors about me and about intelligent design."

Gonzalez, author of the book The Privileged Planet, says he and Avalos have a history when it comes to the subject of intelligent design. And the petition, he says, is just the latest attempt by Avalos to try to silence him and his intelligent design research.

"It's very interesting that this professor of religious studies, who's by the way the most prominent atheist in all of Iowa ... has been very intolerant of my ideas and my research into intelligent design," the astronomy professor explains. "I just view it as rather ironic -- and if the tables were turned, I'm sure things would be quite different."

Gonzalez admits to seeing a bit of a double standard in the debate. "If a professor were doing this against another professor in any other discipline, they would probably be reprimanded for it."

But in an interview with the Des Moines Register, Avalos said he is concerned about the university's reputation. "We don't want to be known as the 'Intelligent Design University,'" he said. "We don't think this is science."

And Avalos claims to have invited Gonzalez more than once to participate in a public forum on the topic. But Gonzalez says he does not approve of Avalos' tactics, and therefore is unlikely to attend an upcoming forum on intelligent design at ISU if Avalos is involved because Avalos, he says, is "intellectually dishonest."

Copyright © 2005 AgapePress -- All rights reserved.

Whatever Happened to the Real Generals?

2005-05-09T09:31:00.000-05:00

General George Patton was a real general. He understood war and how to win. Today, we find many generals pandering to the Congress and United Nations. Why can't we have generals that thought like this?

No b*stard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb b*stard die for his country". -- George S. Patton

"To conquer, we must destroy our enemies. We must not only die gallantly; we must kill devastatingly. The faster and more effectively you kill, the longer you will live to enjoy the priceless fame of conquerors." -- George S. Patton

I'm Sorry

2005-03-14T17:37:00.000-05:00

Susan Olasky of World Magazine Blog reports...

Doug Wead's public apology for taping conversations with then-governor Bush without his knowledge is a model for other public figures who do wrong.
I was foolish and wrong to tape-record Mr. Bush without his permission. I was wrong to play any part of the tapes for my publisher, regardless of the circumstances. I was wrong to play any part of them for a journalist. I apologized to the president before the story appeared and again afterward. He has been typically patient, in spite of the personal hurt.
Today, the work of reparation has begun.

My book promotion has been canceled.

Future royalties from the book have been assigned to charity.

The hours of tapes, which prompted offers of millions of dollars, have been turned over to the president.

The work of rebuilding relationships, with God, the president and friends, has begun. If I could live my life over again, there are many things I would do differently. I cannot undo the hurt I have caused but I can, with God's help, take the heat I deserve and move on.

My faith in mankind has been rekindled.

George Will "dresses down Supreme Court Justice"

2005-03-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

I love to read the World Magazine Blog. Today's postings describes how George Will literally calls Supreme Court Justice Kennedy incompetent. George Will writes "His opinion is an intellectual train wreck". To see the post.

SpunkyHomeSchool: Should Homeschoolers take the MEAP?

2005-02-28T15:19:00.000-05:00

SpunkyHomeSchool: Should Homeschoolers take the MEAP?

Stand in the Trenches

2005-02-24T11:37:00.000-05:00

Stand in the Trenches

Question of the Day

2005-02-22T14:15:00.000-05:00

All I want to know is "who stopped payment on my reality check?"

Hillary - "Let Ex-felons Vote!'

2005-02-18T21:14:00.000-05:00

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible White House candidate in 2008, joined 2004 nominee John Kerry and other Democrats Thursday in urging that Election Day be made a federal holiday to encourage voting.

She also pushed for legislation that would allow all ex-felons to vote. "Since when has Sen. Clinton recently become saved?" you might think ask on first review this legislation. But what is the real reason she wants to give the right to ex-felons? Let me tell you, its not because she has become charitable. Who would benefit by this influx of 4.5 million voters? Not the Republicans that support longer prison terms, sometimes capital punishment, and harsher penalties for felonious crimes. When liberals can't when on the issues, they devise ways to cheat. We must not let the Kerrys and Clintons try to steal elections by changing the rules to benefit their selfish plots.

As an example of Sen. Clinton's thinking, she said "Once again we had a federal election that demonstrates we have a long way to go." "I think it's also necessary to make sure our elections meet the highest national standards," said the New York senator. They are always whining when they lose elections. It couldn't be because of the polices they stand for, it must be disenfranchised voters, or fraud or some other reason they lost. Can't they get it through their heads, we will not stand for this type of thinking. We will expose it for what it is. Sore losing liberals.

Toss Chris Rock

2005-02-16T15:00:00.000-05:00

Group: Rock Has No Place at Oscars

"Pro-abortion Hollywood has sunk to a new low. Chris Rock, the person chosen to host the year's premier entertainment awards show, has called abortion a 'beautiful thing,'" said Erik Whittington, director of American Life League's Rock for Life.

See the whole article at News Max

I say its time to toss the rock! Submit his thinking to the rock-crusher and make it into dust.

The Gauntlet is Down!

2005-02-15T20:43:00.000-05:00

Today I read that President Bush has resubmitted 20 names for appellate judgeships. The mainstream media continues to tout the fact that the Democrats have enough votes to fillibuster the appointments. To that I say "Senator Bill Frist, change the rules on judgeship appointments and FORCE a UP or Down vote on each appointee". It only takes 51 votes to change the rules. Move on and get serious about filling the judgeships!

Need a Credit Union Membership?

2005-02-09T14:33:00.000-05:00

How many homeschool families are stressed financially and spend all they have on books, food, clothing, housing and the like? We all do. Recently, I found a way to reduce the cost of all of my Christian media and get a membership in a cost saving credit union!

Spread The Word is pleased to partner with Christian Community Credit Union (CCCU), a financial institution that has your best interests at heart. CCCU is committed to putting your money to good works. By becoming a member of Spread The Word you can have access to banking solutions geared toward your personal finances, business finances, and ministry finances.
When you become a member of Spread The Word we will refer you to this quality financial services institution and you will be eligible to apply for banking services at Christian Community Credit Union.
Through this referral process Spread The Word and Christian Community Credit Union are able to provide meaningful financial solutions to Christians and Christian ministries world-wide. CCCU even has programs that give annually to select ministries.

To find out more Join Today

Websites

2004-07-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

Why does one go to the web to post or read blogs? Is it our innate self trying to express feelings or live our life out through others? I have pondered this and spoke to PUNDITS trying to understand this.

Today, I read, according to ABC news, bloggers are hip! So, today, I begin my own quest to see why blogs work and what therapeutic value they have.

Rooky Webmaster